NEW ORLEANS - LOUISIANA - USA
PORT INFORMATION
photo courtesy New Orleans
Often referred to as the most unique city in the USA, New Orleans is a major US port and the largest city in the state of Louisiana.
Also known as The Big Easy, New Orleans offers a wealth of attractions and experiences, from glorious parades and brassy bands to haunted houses, historic streetcars and paddle wheelers: from the majestic Mississippi River to the French Quarter, jazz clubs, great shopping and gourmet eateries, all of which are within walking distance of New Orleans's cruise terminal complex.
Brief History of New Orleans, Louisiana
Officially established as a city in 1718 by the Frenchman Bienville, New Orleans did not flourish until the Spanish took over and
with the establishment of the United States, the city began to expand and became a prized possession for the French again in 1800 when Spain retroceded Louisiana to France, and then later in 1803 when France sold the whole of Louisiana to the United States. Despite the intervening war, New Orleans has continued to grow ever since and today the port is one of the largest in the world and continues to survive a catalogue of hurricanes, fires and floods to become one of the most popular travel destinations in the country.
Cruise Terminals in New Orleans, Louisiana
The original cruise terminal, the Julia Street Cruise Terminal Complex, and the newer Erato Street Cruise Terminal which opened in October, 2006 are right next to each other in the heart of New Orleans and not far from the famed French Quarter.
The Julia Street Cruise Terminal Complex has two distinct cruise terminals and is in a constant state of refurbishment and renewal - more than $9 million dollars in the last few years. It is in the same building as the world-class RiverWalk Shopping Mall – one of New Orleans’ major must-see attractions.
The Erato Street Cruise Terminal also offers state-of-the-art, air-conditioned facilities with up-to-date security and more than 50 check in desks as well as a snack restaurant and shops.
Secure, long-term parking (lighted and patrolled) for all terminals is available at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal. Reservations are not required.
The Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) is about 20 miles from the cruise terminals and takes about 45 minutes by car, taxi or shuttle bus.
Cruise Lines using New Orleans Cruise Terminals as an Embarkation / Disembarking Port
American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL), Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises use the Port of New Orleans as their port of embarkation and disembarking.
Carnival Cruise Lines offer year-round 4, 5 and 7 day cruises to the Western Caribbean and the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line features Western Caribbean cruises from October to April, and ACCL offers cruises from May to June.
Must See Attractions in New Orleans, Louisiana
French Quarter: Explore the historic French Quarter’s over 100 square-blocks of art, dining, shopping, entertainment and architectural treasures. There is live jazz and tons of jewelry, voodoo dolls, carnival masks, arts and crafts for gifts and drinking places.
Louis Armstrong Park: The park on North Rampart Street was built on the site of Congo Square, where the tribal dances of slaves seeped into the Creole music culture. Also at site, discover the people and forces that shaped jazz at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, the only site in the national park service dedicated to a music form.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Ranked as one of the top five aquariums in the US, a visit to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas spans the underwater world from the Caribbean to the Amazon Rainforest to the waters that give New Orleans its lifeblood – the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. It is located along the banks of the Mississippi River.
Swamp Tours: Fast airboats will speed you through some of nature’s most fascinating land. Take a walk on the wild side at the Barataria Preserve in the Jean Lafitte National Park. No charge except the one you get out of 8 miles of boardwalk and 20 miles of waterway set amid 20,000 acres of swamp, marsh, and old-growth cypress.
Among the other attractions in New Orleans are the Louisiana Children's Museum, National World War II Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana plantation homes, New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, or take the Algiers pedestrian ferry across, and wait at the ferry terminal for the free shuttle to Mardi Gras World where many of the floats for the Mardi Gras parades are made and stored.
