New Orleans Cruise Port and Terminal Information

Table Of Content

• What Hotels in New Orleans Provide Parking or Shuttle Service?
• Official Port of New Orleans Parking (Recommended)
• Transportation to the Port of New Orleans
• What cruise lines depart from New Orleans?
• Overflow Parking
• Port of New Orleans Location
• What Types of Cruises Can You Take from the New Orleans Cruise Terminal?

To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link. Julia Street TerminalNew Orleans’ other terminal is the Julia Street Terminal, located just north of the Erato Terminal. Primarily serving Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, the terminal is just a few minutes walk from the French Quarter, and a number of restaurants, hotels, and shops. The Port of New Orleans has two terminals that serve cruise ships.

What Hotels in New Orleans Provide Parking or Shuttle Service?

It has two adjacent terminal complexes and is located a short 10-minute drive from Canal Street and the French Quarter. Both major cruise lines and smaller lines sail from the port to various destinations, like the Caribbean, the coast and the inland river system. The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk puts stores such as Neiman Marcus Last Call, Coach and Tommy Bahama within minutes of the cruise terminal; it's even connected by an elevator. Thanks to the port's central location, you're a 10-minute walk or a streetcar ride away from the French Quarter, with its endless array of shopping, music and dining options. Try your luck at the nearby Harrah's New Orleans casino, where you can play the slots.

Official Port of New Orleans Parking (Recommended)

Before you can start your cruise, you have to get to the port first. Fortunately, you have a number of different options on getting to the ship. Below we highlight what we think are the easiest for most passengers. You can read more details of all of your options on our port transportation page here.

Transportation to the Port of New Orleans

A major early port for products from the Caribbean, New Orleans was also home to a significant community of Creoles, a term that originally denoted locals with Spanish and French blood. Over time, the term has morphed to include persons of mixed ethnicity, often with Caribbean, African and Native American bloodlines. The French Quarter, with its cobblestone streets and Creole cottages laced with ironwork, is the heart and soul of the town. The new passenger terminal's building is expected to cost over USD 50 million.

What cruise lines depart from New Orleans?

For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. New Orleans cruises often range from 6-9 nights providing cruisers with a variety of different entertainment and dining options. The St. Charles Line starts at Canal Street (at Carondelet) and heads uptown, around the river bend, to Carrollton Avenue. Most of the older city neighborhoods were laid out following the crescent-shaped Mississippi River; the city's main nickname is the Crescent City. Except for the French Quarter, which is thankfully in a grid, streets were laid out either following the river's curves or perpendicular to them, not according to north, south, east and west.

Overflow Parking

In 2016, Carnival welcomed its 3 millionth cruise passenger at Port New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina (2005). The company operates year-round roundtrips with cruise vessels and around over 125 departures annually on 4- to 7-night itineraries. Statistics sho that the large majority of the cruise tourists at Port NOLA (~90%) are not from Louisiana, and 73% of them spend one or two days (overnight) in New Orleans before or after their voyage.

New Orleans' cruise business rebounded in 2023. Here's how it compares to before the pandemic. - NOLA.com

New Orleans' cruise business rebounded in 2023. Here's how it compares to before the pandemic..

Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Port of New Orleans Location

Taxis are really easy to pick up from the airport andthey’ll drive you right up to your cruise terminal. What makes these easy isyou don’t have to book anything in advance, and they’ll easily take 1-2 peoplefrom the airport to the cruise terminal for a flat rate of $36. Stop at the terminal first and SeaCaps will assist you withyour luggage and passengers, then you’ll be given directions to the uncoveredparking lot located right next to the terminal. More than one million people per year cruise from Port of New Orleans because it’s like getting two vacations in one!

What Types of Cruises Can You Take from the New Orleans Cruise Terminal?

In 2019, the cruise port reported 1,2 million handled tourists (1,18 million in 2018) and a total of 251 ship calls (235 in 2018). Mississippi cruise shipping was based on six NOLA homeported boats with handled passengers. New riverboats include American Harmony (2019) and American Jazz (2020).

Most visited call ports on these roundtrips are in Mexico (Cozumel, Progresso, Costa Maya) and Belize. As for the flight home, you can certainly fly home the day your cruise returns. From there, it will take 2-3 hours for everyone to get off the ship.

Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. The port is finally reopened in the late 1870s and the nexthundred years is spent growing the port and adding cruise terminals. It isn’tlong before the New Orleans Cruise Terminal becomes one of the most popularports for both the transportation of goods and passengers.

Hotels with Cruise Shuttles/Walking DistanceWe’re big proponents of staying a night or two in New Orleans given the number of things to do and see in the city. The great news is that many hotels cater to cruise passengers — and more than just the hotels right near the port. Others are located right within walking distance of the cruise port. The Port of New Orleans, also known as Port NOLA, is the sixth-largest cruise port in the U.S.

Once you've parked your car, take the elevators down and you're inside the terminal. If you are parking at the official cruise lot, then you don’t need a reservation. If you are using an independent lot, then you will want to reserve online ahead ahead of time. This also gives you a chance to pay ahead of time, giving you one less thing to worry about on cruise day.

On October 4, 2016, Louisiana state (delegation of 50 officials) and PortNOLA (via its CEO) signed in Havana a MoU with Cuba to expand shipping trade and commerce opportunities. New Orleans Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest in 2017 were scheduled as “Signature Event Sailings” in Celebrity Cruises 2017 program. Each of these signature itineraries offered as optional unique shore excursions and themed onboard events and shows. The city attracts many American and international tourists with its architecture, cultural heritage, cuisine and the annual Mardi Grass festival.

So park your car, then head on over to one of these amazingplaces for a tasty treat you won’t forget. One of the best things about taking Uber or Lyft is theprice covers up to 4 people riding in the same car. Erato Street Cruise Terminal at 1100 Port of New OrleansPlace serves ships from Carnival Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Lines.

The cruise port's season 2018 ended with a record of 235 ship calls (229 in 2017) and handled 1, million passengers (+2,3% over 2017). As of 2021, Port NOLA's container terminal serves 12 weekly lines from 3 major global shipping alliances with worldwide connections to 60 seaports (direct) plus 450+ other (indirect). Port NOLA handles ~70% of all TEUs moved through US Gulf of Mexico.