Cruise terminal layout

[tclowe]

Hi, anyone can tell me if the street in front of the cruise terminal is one way or two way street? Is there a large area to drop off passengers and unload luggage? What about meeting place to pick-up passengers & luggage after disbarking from the ship at the end of the cruise (maybe away from the terminal?)?

 

We will have a rental car. For embarking day, I can drop everyone off first and then drop off the car at Fulton St. Garage. For disembarking day, I will disembark first to get the car and pick everyone up somewhere. Hope this plan works and I don't wind up in the cruise traffic for one hour.

[WeatherGeek]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I will try to explain what I do know. I don't know what ship you're going on, but this is my experience with the Conquest. First, I might suggest that you park at the garage first. A free shuttle runs between the Fulton St. garage and the cruise terminal and you do not have to wait very long for it (well, we didn't have to wait very long, it seemed to run about every 20 minutes). I suggest this because I noticed that as we rode to the port in the shuttle, cars heading into the port were backed up quite a ways, but the shuttle bypassed all of the cars and took us directly to the curb to unload our luggage. Just something to think about, if you're patient and would like to wait then more power to you, you're a far more patient person than I ever will be

The loading/unloading passenger area is not incredibly huge and I found it to be quite crowded since there were 3,000 people getting off of the ship crammed into that area in addition to the 1,000 or so that showed up for early embarkation at 11am like myself. I'm sure if you go later in the afternoon that it would be not QUITE as crowded with the disembarking passengers gone.

Hope this helps!

 

Tonya

I conquered the Conquest! 12/14/2003

Pictures

[tclowe]

Thanks Tonya. This is exactly what I need to know. We are sailing on the Conquest 4/18 (Sun). Yipee! Only 10 more days til we arrive in New Orleans.

 

Was there plenty of space for luggage on the shuttles from the garage to the ship? Did you give a tip to the shuttle driver? How long was the line for disembarking passengers to catch the shuttle back to the Garage?

 

Thanks again. Cynthia

[WeatherGeek]

Cynthia,

10 days to go, how exciting! Not to mention, I'm jealous

 

My boyfriend and I were the only ones on the shuttle heading to the port (this was at 10:30am) so of course there was plenty of luggage room LOL. But really, there were 3 large shelves behind the driver's seat and space under your own personal seat where you could store a carry-on or two. Also, I noticed as the driver unloaded passengers returning to the garage from the port, there was a storage compartment underneath the van that could be accessed only from outside with a key, so I felt that there is sufficient room in the shuttle for everyone's luggage if the van is full.

We did tip the shuttle driver since he took our bags and loaded and unloaded them for us. He was also very friendly and we gave him a $5 tip which worked out to be about $1.25 per piece of luggage.

The line for disembarking passengers getting on the shuttle was very long at the time we got off of the ship. We decided that we did not want to stand in line and decided to just walk to the garage with our luggage in tow. The garage is pretty much across the street from the port, but the catch is that you have to haul your luggage up some stairs, through the Riverwalk and then you have to double back south to the garage because walking through the Riverwalk takes you north. Well, that was the only route we found back to the garage anyway, there could very well be an easier way that we didn't know about! I don't recommend hauling your luggage to the garage this way unless your luggage is incredibly light and/or you are a bodybuilder Upon disembarking, you may want to wait for the shuttle or send one person back to the garage to get the car and wait in the line.

Hope you have a great time!

 

Tonya

I conquered the Conquest! 12/14/2003

Pictures

 

[tclowe]

Thanks Tonya. With one grandma, 4 adults, 1 active 4 year old boy, a stroller, and a ton of luggage, I think it would be safe to say we will not be walking in your footsteps to the Garage.

 

I am such a planning freak that I have a map of the general terminal area, a map of the airport, and a map of each port that we are visiting. I tell myself that I hate getting lost or arguing with my husband about which way to go, but in reality, some of our best travel memories are of us getting lost and experiencing something new and unexpected.

 

Bon Voyage! I appreciate your help and others on this board for bearing with me and my many questions.

 

Cynthia

[HOSKI]

Could you give me info on the rental car agency you are using?

 

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