OT: cruise from New Orleans

BhamDawg91

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Oct 27, 2012
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Cruising from New Orleans in October. Give me the good, the bad and the ugly. Any insights on what to expect. We are driving to the port and have been to New Orleans a few days times so we are a little familiar with the city. we have cruised out of Galveston and port canaveral but never New Orleans.
 

Digging dog

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Aug 22, 2012
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Super easy parking and boarding.
Easy access to highway when you’re leaving.
 

BluffParkDawg

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Aug 22, 2012
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Takes forever to get down the Mississippi and into the gulf. Set sail at 3pm, have dinner at like 7 or 8 pm, go out on deck and you are still in the river.

Last time we cruised out of New Orleans we did a park and sail deal at one of the hotels in the quarter. Stayed the night before departure, next morning they drove you to the terminal and picked you up when the boat got back for about the same cost as parking at the terminal. This was several years ago though.
 
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Pilgrimdawg

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Aug 30, 2018
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We have cruised twice from New Orleans and there seemed to be ample parking although we arrived pretty early both times. Boarding process went smoothly but took a little while. Disembarking at the end of the cruise and luggage retrieval was organized but kind of slow. Overall a good experience and fun cruises.
 

60sdog

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Oct 9, 2010
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Cruising from New Orleans in October. Give me the good, the bad and the ugly. Any insights on what to expect. We are driving to the port and have been to New Orleans a few days times so we are a little familiar with the city. we have cruised out of Galveston and port canaveral but never New Orleans.
Avoid Carnival. Cheaper, but you get what you pay for.
 
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dorndawg

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Sep 10, 2012
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The one cruise I've been on (and the only one I ever plan to be on) left from New Orleans. I recall the parking being fairly straight-forward, and I do recall thinking the park & cruise at a hotel sounded like a decent value, as another person mentioned.

My only pro-tip is that Cochon / Cochon Butcher is right around the corner from the boarding zone and I'd absolutely plan on eating there on the way in and/or out.
 

Mobile Bay

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Jul 26, 2020
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Carnival, the Walmarks of the seas. I'd take some kickboxing and BJJ lessons before boarding.
If there is a cruse ship fight it's on Carnival. I would expect every single passenger to board the ship drunk and stay that way the entire trip.

My advice for anybody on one is remember to film horizontal and don't forget to shout WORLDSTAR!
 

Mjoelner

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Sep 2, 2006
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Carnival, the Walmarks of the seas. I'd take some kickboxing and BJJ lessons before boarding.
Royal Caribbean is Walmart. Carnival is Dollar General.

Cruising down the river is nice. Especially as it's get later and you get to around Pilot Town. You then start wondering if the single, dim light you see in the distance is from some pumping station or some Cajun's camp.
 

onewoof

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Mar 4, 2008
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I know they've all stepped up COVID safety measures but be prepared to have it when you get back. You may not, but many do.
 

dorndawg

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Ruby Slipper for breakfast pre boarding.
Maybe Ruby Slipper has changed the game in breakfast/brunch and dubmasses like me are missing out by not waiting in line 2 hours to eat there.

Either that, or whoever does their marketing is AMAZING at their jobs. I’ve tried to eat there 3-4 times at non-peak hours, and there’s still a line halfway down the building. I simply cannot accept that breakfast food can be so markedly better than elsewhere that it warrants waiting 1-2 hours for it.

1723508069004.gif
 
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mcdawg22

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Sep 18, 2004
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Royal Caribbean is Walmart. Carnival is Dollar General.

Cruising down the river is nice. Especially as it's get later and you get to around Pilot Town. You then start wondering if the single, dim light you see in the distance is from some pumping station or some Cajun's camp.
I didn’t mind Royal Carribean. It’s not Disney but it was clean, people behaved, and there was a good balance of adult things and kids things. Coco Cay Waterpark was extraordinary.
 
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onewoof

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Mar 4, 2008
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Locals gonna get really mad at me but go to Elizabeth's and you'll never forget it
 

dog12

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Sep 15, 2016
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If there is a cruse ship fight it's on Carnival. I would expect every single passenger to board the ship drunk and stay that way the entire trip.

My advice for anybody on one is remember to film horizontal and don't forget to shout WORLDSTAR!

Holy crap!

We've been on two Carnival cruises, one out of NYC and the other out of Baltimore. I didn't witness any fistfights on either cruise. Both cruises were great, and I was very impressed with Carnival.

As a collective, the customers onboard our two Carnival cruises didn't look anything like the crowds in those two videos. Those people were 17'ing scary.
 

ckDOG

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Dec 11, 2007
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I didn’t mind Royal Carribean. It’s not Disney but it was clean, people behaved, and there was a good balance of adult things and kids things. Coco Cay Waterpark was extraordinary.
I'm a big Royal Caribbean fan. Agree with the balance. Disney has the Disney magic and all that but there's more fun things to do on a RC ship - especially as your kids get a little older. Plus, drink package is clutch. But you can't really go wrong with either if you enjoy cruising with family. We have a trip coming up on the Icon in a couple months. Looking forward to that.
 
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Mjoelner

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I didn’t mind Royal Carribean. It’s not Disney but it was clean, people behaved, and there was a good balance of adult things and kids things. Coco Cay Waterpark was extraordinary.
Royal Caribbean is what the GF and I usually do but lately it seems they are trying to become more kid oriented to steal business from Disney since Disney is $$$ and RC is only $$. We've now started going with Celebrity. It's the 'fancier' Royal Caribbean much like Princess is to Carnival. If you get a chance, go on one of the Celebrity Edge-class ships.
 
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ckDOG

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Dec 11, 2007
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Royal Caribbean is what the GF and I usually do but lately it seems they are trying to become more kid oriented to steal business from Disney since Disney is $$$ and RC is only $$. We've now started going with Celebrity. It's the 'fancier' Royal Caribbean much like Princess is to Carnival. If you get a chance, go on one of the Celebrity Edge-class ships.
I think we will give that a whirl if we can ever get away for a cruise just myself and the wife. I saw they now stop at cococay and there is an adults only part of the island so that sounds appealing. I looked at the Virgin ships since they are adults only but I don't know about that. Looks kinda cheesy to me but maybe the execution is good. I do like that they have itineraries with a Key West stop.
 

mcdawg22

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Sep 18, 2004
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I'm a big Royal Caribbean fan. Agree with the balance. Disney has the Disney magic and all that but there's more fun things to do on a RC ship - especially as your kids get a little older. Plus, drink package is clutch. But you can't really go wrong with either if you enjoy cruising with family. We have a trip coming up on the Icon in a couple months. Looking forward to that.
That ship looks incredible. I’m a big kid so I enjoy the waterslides and surf simulators. I have looked at NCL too and have a friend that prefers it. They often throw the unlimited drink package in. My daughter doesn’t really care for beach/pool stuff anymore so we are probably going to go back to Carribean All Inclusives if they start going down in price.
 
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idog

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Aug 17, 2010
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Maybe Ruby Slipper has changed the game in breakfast/brunch and dubmasses like me are missing out by not waiting in line 2 hours to eat there.

Either that, or whoever does their marketing is AMAZING at their jobs. I’ve tried to eat there 3-4 times at non-peak hours, and there’s still a line halfway down the building. I simply cannot accept that breakfast food can be so markedly better than elsewhere that it warrants waiting 1-2 hours for it.

View attachment 626263
There are other locations. Try the one in Marigny. We never hit downtown bc of the crowd. Mainly locals at Marigny.
 
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johnson86-1

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Aug 22, 2012
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That ship looks incredible. I’m a big kid so I enjoy the waterslides and surf simulators.
But can you actually do all that stuff without waiting in an insane line? You have 5k people and a few water slides and a surf simulator. Even if there are a bunch of passengers that are just there to eat and drink, is everything not just insanely crowded? This is a question I have about cruises in general. Just seems like it would always be crowded.
I have looked at NCL too and have a friend that prefers it. They often throw the unlimited drink package in. My daughter doesn’t really care for beach/pool stuff anymore so we are probably going to go back to Carribean All Inclusives if they start going down in price.
Your daughter doesn’t like the beach or pool so you are looking at the Caribbean? Do you just not like her?
 

ckDOG

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Dec 11, 2007
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But can you actually do all that stuff without waiting in an insane line? You have 5k people and a few water slides and a surf simulator. Even if there are a bunch of passengers that are just there to eat and drink, is everything not just insanely crowded? This is a question I have about cruises in general. Just seems like it would always be crowded.

Your daughter doesn’t like the beach or pool so you are looking at the Caribbean? Do you just not like her?
From the reviews I've seen on the new ship, the design controls crowds so well that many are surprised how spacious the ship feels. Folks leave wondering where all the people were. Water slides will always have long lines though. That's just something you have to deal with when there are water slides and a captive audience that's 25% kids.

Now that is relative. If you hate crowds, I don't recommend getting on any boat in the middle of the ocean with thousands of other folks. Definitely not a vacation type for everyone. People that hate it HATE it and love to let you know about it. I'm a people watcher though. To me it's like being in kid friendly Vegas with everything walking distance and an ocean view.
 
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ronpolk

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May 6, 2009
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Maybe Ruby Slipper has changed the game in breakfast/brunch and dubmasses like me are missing out by not waiting in line 2 hours to eat there.

Either that, or whoever does their marketing is AMAZING at their jobs. I’ve tried to eat there 3-4 times at non-peak hours, and there’s still a line halfway down the building. I simply cannot accept that breakfast food can be so markedly better than elsewhere that it warrants waiting 1-2 hours for it.

View attachment 626263
I’ve been once… it’s nothing special. I’d rather have Waffle House.
 
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dorndawg

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Sep 10, 2012
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Now that is relative. If you hate crowds, I don't recommend getting on any boat in the middle of the ocean with thousands of other folks. Definitely not a vacation type for everyone. People that hate it HATE it and love to let you know about it. I'm a people watcher though. To me it's like being in kid friendly Vegas with everything walking distance and an ocean view.
Can confirm.
 

ronpolk

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May 6, 2009
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If there is a cruse ship fight it's on Carnival. I would expect every single passenger to board the ship drunk and stay that way the entire trip.

My advice for anybody on one is remember to film horizontal and don't forget to shout WORLDSTAR!
There is not a whole lot to do on a cruise except eat and drink, so gotta stay drunk.

One and only cruise I went on it took me 1/2 a day to realize I was bored as hell. Went ahead and decided to just drink myself silly for 5 days.
 

stateu1

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Mar 21, 2016
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There is not a whole lot to do on a cruise except eat and drink, so gotta stay drunk.

One and only cruise I went on it took me 1/2 a day to realize I was bored as hell. Went ahead and decided to just drink myself silly for 5 days.
This is accurate.

Edited: Drunk bingo and trivia can be fun.
 

BoDawg.sixpack

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Feb 5, 2010
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That's why you gotta do excursions, so you won't get too bored. But honestly between the gym, the pools, the eating and drinking, taking pictures from your balcony, and the casino, you should stay at least somewhat entertained most of the time.
 

Braves Dawg

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Sep 16, 2009
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There are other locations. Try the one in Marigny. We never hit downtown bc of the crowd. Mainly locals at Marigny.
The Ruby Slipper in Destin is horrible. I tried it based on the recommendation of the New Orleans location.
 

BhamDawg91

Member
Oct 27, 2012
139
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I know they've all stepped up COVID safety measures but be prepared to have it when you get back. You may not, but many do.

been on 3 cruises all RC. The only time I got Covid was out of Galveston, all the kids were out of school for Mardi Gras and on our ship.
Supposedly most of the kids will be in school for this one so there will be fewer on board.
 

BhamDawg91

Member
Oct 27, 2012
139
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11
I didn’t mind Royal Carribean. It’s not Disney but it was clean, people behaved, and there was a good balance of adult things and kids things. Coco Cay Waterpark was extraordinary.

Royal Caribbean is what the GF and I usually do but lately it seems they are trying to become more kid oriented to steal business from Disney since Disney is $$$ and RC is only $$. We've now started going with Celebrity. It's the 'fancier' Royal Caribbean much like Princess is to Carnival. If you get a chance, go on one of the Celebrity Edge-class ships.
We have only done Royal Caribbean. This will be our 4th but first out of New Orleans.
Kids are all grown so it’s just us. We want to try celebrity just havent found the right time and itinerary.
 
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BhamDawg91

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Oct 27, 2012
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From the reviews I've seen on the new ship, the design controls crowds so well that many are surprised how spacious the ship feels. Folks leave wondering where all the people were. Water slides will always have long lines though. That's just something you have to deal with when there are water slides and a captive audience that's 25% kids.

Now that is relative. If you hate crowds, I don't recommend getting on any boat in the middle of the ocean with thousands of other folks. Definitely not a vacation type for everyone. People that hate it HATE it and love to let you know about it. I'm a people watcher though. To me it's like being in kid friendly Vegas with everything walking distance and an ocean view.
The one out of New Orleans is a smaller ship. I don’t think we will ever get on the Icon class ships. Too many people and too much $
 

mcdawg22

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Sep 18, 2004
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But can you actually do all that stuff without waiting in an insane line? You have 5k people and a few water slides and a surf simulator. Even if there are a bunch of passengers that are just there to eat and drink, is everything not just insanely crowded? This is a question I have about cruises in general. Just seems like it would always be crowded.

Your daughter doesn’t like the beach or pool so you are looking at the Caribbean? Do you just not like her?
Honestly the lines weren’t that bad for the water slides on the ship. There were times where we went up and down several times. It does get a little redundant though.The surf simulator had a sign up sheet for times so that kept the lines down as well. The waterpark on coco cay (an extra cost) wasn’t bad either. Their main slide had time slots as well. Me and my daughter got off the boat first thing and went straight up and straight down. I thought I was going to die climbing the stairs. There are a lot of slides so the ones without a set time aren’t that crowded.

For the second part, I guess I should have clarified, lol. My daughter used to love waterslides (Great Wolf Lodge was her favorite place), so that is why we did a cruise. My wife and I could get a Caribbean trip and my daughter could still have fun. Since we are planning a trip with just the wife and I we will do All Inclusive, because we like to snorkel and do water sports.
 
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Car Ramrod.sixpack

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Sep 21, 2017
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My wife and I took a cruise out of New Orleans and thought the process was very smooth. Stayed the night before downtown and had breakfast at Mother's on the way to the terminal. One tip I can give you is bring a wad of small bills for tips. You can get a lot of extra treatment with cash tips. Also when you enter the parking garage slip the attendant telling you where to park a five or ten and they hook you up. He sent us the opposite direction and told us where to park and we were right next to the exit.

I will agree you either love or hate cruising. After the first day at sea we were board out of our minds. My wife is a cheapskate so we didn't opt for the drink package but we did take excursions at every port. If it wasn't for the casino the trip would have been a bust. We spent most of our time at sea in the casino to the point where our drinks were comped the second day.
 
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