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#1
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean are all now home-ported in New
Orleans. Princess will return next year, and the Crescent City couldn't be happier. New terminals are under constuction, as New Orleans looks to become a major player in the cruise industry. Many people book a few days before and/or after their cruise to explore the many amenities that New Orleans offers. The Port of New Orleans even has a great website with a live webcam that shows when the ships are docked. (www.portno.com) For information on pre-cruise weddings, please visit my website; www.RomanceinNewOrleans.com |
#2
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean are all now home-ported in New
Orleans. Princess will return next year, and the Crescent City couldn't Princess returning to New Orleans is good news. Crystal coming to New Orleans would be great news. I would like to visit NOLA and take a cruise on an upscale line. The lines I would like to cruise on in order of preference a 1. Crystal 2. Celebrity 3. Holland America 4. Princess |
#3
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
"RevDon" wrote in message
ups.com... the many amenities that New Orleans offers. The Port of New Orleans even has a great website with a live webcam that shows when the ships are docked. (www.portno.com) One problem with NOLA is the long, slow river transit. In the summer it might be interesting but during winter it's just so many lights along the river. No other Gulf port has so long a transit. -- Donald R. Newcomb DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net |
#4
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
Thus spake "Donald Newcomb" :
"RevDon" wrote in message oups.com... the many amenities that New Orleans offers. The Port of New Orleans even has a great website with a live webcam that shows when the ships are docked. (www.portno.com) One problem with NOLA is the long, slow river transit. In the summer it might be interesting but during winter it's just so many lights along the river. No other Gulf port has so long a transit. But Houston tries hard. -- dillon When I was a kid, I used to think the horse's name was Bob |
#5
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
Having taken a few "discount" cruises from Southern ports not previously
featured in the 40-year boom history of cruising, I am willing to admit the value for money paid was fair even if the ships are not state-of-the-art, etc. An alert cruise shopper would understand that - it took me a little while to see the reality. So I am not eager to criticize the cruise lines or the port cities for what they are doing - everyone in the transaction should view this positively. That said, I will suggest the the New Orleans Airport is not a place you might choose for a long layover/connection. Maybe no airport is. But this one - not for any reason related to recent hurricane or other tragedy - is simply the pits. Food is lousy - I mean really lousy - and terribly pricey. Service is grim. General atmosphere is like a Federal waiting room for parole checkups. I don't recall any windows. Lavatories are functional - that's all. I have learned that package "deals" for cruises by brokers and tour operators (air plus cruise fare) often includes air routings that are lousy - which is no surprise considering "bucket" pricing they pass along. This meant for us - on every such trip - a connection thru fairly odd cities (Detroit, Memphis,etc) which seems hardly straight line from Origin City to Port City. This can mean unrealistic connection times (too short or much too long - we had both), missed connections, lost luggage, and general hell from the U.S. airlines who seem to strive to sully the experience of vacation travel whenever possible. I hate sitting in airports - but at ORD or MSP. for example, the "world is your oyster" if you have cash, credit cards, and patience (or Valium.) Meanwhile, New Orleans and other city port managers seem serious about increasing the cruise volume and pleasing the lines and the passengers. I hope someday the lines will pick up the slack and run "serious" ships of the newer generation - without seeking only "discount" bargain hunters - like me. As to the airlines, possibly shareholders will shake the trees enough to bring around some business thinkers who understand the futility of an industry totally dedicated to low cost/low price - which has been taught since 1840 as a "commodity industry" that ultimately never returns any value to investors - let alone the poor employees or customers who would do themselves good by abandonning air travel except for medical emergency or need to test endurance. Former TA in MN |
#6
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
Having taken a few "discount" cruises from Southern ports not previously featured in the 40-year boom history of cruising, I am willing to admit the value for money paid was fair even if the ships are not state-of-the-art, etc. An alert cruise shopper would understand that - it took me a little while to see the reality. Are you saying that the cruise product that Carnival sells out of New Orleans is not as good as the sailing's from Miami? I was considering sailing on the Fantasy out of New Orleans. I have never cruised on Carnival. I thought I might like to try a fun ship instead of the boring old fart ships I always cruise on. On the Fantasy, I can get a suite for what I pay for an outside cabin on Celebrity. I know the Fantasy is not a new ship. I don't mind that if the food, service, and activities are comparable to the newer Carnival ships What can I expect from the Fantasy as compared to one of the new Carnival ships? What will my fellow passengers be like? |
#7
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
My general take on this topic is this: the age of the ship, the price
charged compared to newer ships from different embarkation ports, and the ports visited are your best clue to judge the quality of the ship. Within one line you will not find great differences from one ship to another overall but if you look closely at some aspects, it will be evident that lower priced fares mean some parts of the cruise are less likely to be glamorous or perfect - compared to the fancy,new, and more expensive trips. It's probably fair to say that you get what you pay for. Nobody's playing tricks. But the "new" embarking ports which cruise lines are using bring local (non-air) and regional "drive-up"pax to the ships and seem to lead with lower prices to break into the market where previously vacations like this were not so common. The ports themselves are usually not as handy about passenger boarding as Miami is - but it works OK. (That said, Vancouver is a long time passenger port and is simply a disaster.) My take on Carnival is that the nature of their on-board days differ considerably from other lines and the age mix and "party" atmosphere will be different - although Carnival is not the only line that has a "pulse" compared to geriatric ships. You should be able to tell a lot by the advertising and a smart informed travel agent - each line tends to have a personality and oddly, some ships within a line feel unique as well. Do not ignore Princess or Celebrity - they have some very good trips with plenty of action at sea. NCL is bucket shop these days in my book and RCI too variable to feel safe - they are still hunting for their exact identity and they're chasing full loads, not high return rates in my view. My experience is that Carnival food and entertainment is now considered by most pax as very good - a major improvement in 20 years. I would expect the New Orleans trip will be at least good or better - probably not exactly equal to the newer ships ex Miami. The age of the ship can be a real determinant - if rehab is overdue (as is the case with some RCI ships) then you may feel the experience was a little dusty and shabby. It's worth checking out the ship vital info - and looking into reviews posted at various sites to see what comments pop up. "Old" in cruise world is getting to be only a few years - ship size and details within have been changed in generational ways each year or so from one line to another - if you cruised before 1990 and also last year, you'd be in two different worlds - and that can also seem the case on a ship only 7-8 years old. It is not by accident the lines run the older ships from the newer "inland" ports. The ports visited also play a role in the age and nature of the passenger mix. Alaska? :Old farts. Spain or Venice?: you guess? It won't be fraternity brothers on a binge! To me Cozumel and similar "tourist" traps attract the young crazies. Barbados and the Grenadines are more likely the sedate evening wear crowd who dose off at 9 PM. Generally, the further south in the islands the ship runs, the more likely you are not loaded to the portholes with party crowd. And even though I've only experienced 5 Carnival trips, I never felt the ships exhibited a zest and charming gaiety of the Carnival ads with that dopey woman screeching "Fun, Fun, Fun!" That tag line was to stir up interest in the days when most Americans thought only the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were on ships. Most ships I've seen have a mixture of sedate sleepwalkers combined with almost insane crazies who never sleep. Sometimes the bars are empty - sometimes you can't get in. Sometimes the cruise director is an utter pain in the ass (majority of the time in my book) and sometimes they are really on the ball, working the team and crowd to a good pulse without being phony and overbearing. For the money, I would check out reviews and "expert" advise - I don't think the port of embarkation is the only factor but if you're looking for pretty strong service, on board quality, variety and entertainment, and a lively crowd I would not start with Houston or New Orleans port ships - or even NYC for that matter. I think a key is to be on ships with previous cruisers who understand what they want to do - first time cruisers, especially conservative vacationers who would not previous drop $300 to fly to Miami, are not the folks I would count of for fun,fun,fun. Good luck. "Odysseus" wrote in message m... Having taken a few "discount" cruises from Southern ports not previously featured in the 40-year boom history of cruising, I am willing to admit the value for money paid was fair even if the ships are not state-of-the-art, etc. An alert cruise shopper would understand that - it took me a little while to see the reality. Are you saying that the cruise product that Carnival sells out of New Orleans is not as good as the sailing's from Miami? I was considering sailing on the Fantasy out of New Orleans. I have never cruised on Carnival. I thought I might like to try a fun ship instead of the boring old fart ships I always cruise on. On the Fantasy, I can get a suite for what I pay for an outside cabin on Celebrity. I know the Fantasy is not a new ship. I don't mind that if the food, service, and activities are comparable to the newer Carnival ships What can I expect from the Fantasy as compared to one of the new Carnival ships? What will my fellow passengers be like? |
#9
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
Someone else cooks and straightens up your room...plenty of walking area and
fresh air - nice cabin. You'll do fine. And the food may surprise you. The other aspect of Carnival which drives me nuts but excites many pax is the decor - it is simply garish and so loud that I wonder if they are trying to out do Las Vegas. Every new ship they boast their colors and do feature photos - and the neon glitz and wacko themes/colors/shapes are displayed to herald all the serious work they put into the design. They have an art guy who is famous who does all the stuff - his work is easy to spot - like Disney on LSD.(His name is Joe Farsi and I think he used to design bordellos.) Good luck. "Odysseus" wrote in message m... Thank you for the information. It is about what I expected. I have traveled a great deal. In 2006 I achieved my goal of setting foot on all seven continents. My experience has always been that you get what you pay for. My cruise on the Crystal Symphony was much better than my cruise on the Epirotiki Lines Jason; my tour with Tauck was better than my tour with Trafalagar. Reluctantly, I will sail on the Fantasy. The only reason I will do this is that I don't want to fly and New Orleans is easy for me to get to. My expectations for the cruise are so low that I have a good chance of being pleasantly surprised. My tentative itinerary is Amtrak to New Orleans in a Superliner bedroom Two nights pre-cruise at the Monteleone Five nights on the Fantasy in a penthouse suite One night post-cruise at the Montelone Even if the cruise and Amtrak are bad my time in New Orleans should make up for it. --Acme Oyster House, Bayona, Commander's Palace, Cafe Du Monde --I'm salivating just thinking about it. In article , says... My general take on this topic is this: the age of the ship, the price charged compared to newer ships from different embarkation ports, and the ports visited are your best clue to judge the quality of the ship. Within one line you will not find great differences from one ship to another overall but if you look closely at some aspects, it will be evident that lower priced fares mean some parts of the cruise are less likely to be glamorous or perfect - compared to the fancy,new, and more expensive trips. It's probably fair to say that you get what you pay for. Nobody's playing tricks. But the "new" embarking ports which cruise lines are using bring local (non-air) and regional "drive-up"pax to the ships and seem to lead with lower prices to break into the market where previously vacations like this were not so common. The ports themselves are usually not as handy about passenger boarding as Miami is - but it works OK. (That said, Vancouver is a long time passenger port and is simply a disaster.) My take on Carnival is that the nature of their on-board days differ considerably from other lines and the age mix and "party" atmosphere will be different - although Carnival is not the only line that has a "pulse" compared to geriatric ships. You should be able to tell a lot by the advertising and a smart informed travel agent - each line tends to have a personality and oddly, some ships within a line feel unique as well. Do not ignore Princess or Celebrity - they have some very good trips with plenty of action at sea. NCL is bucket shop these days in my book and RCI too variable to feel safe - they are still hunting for their exact identity and they're chasing full loads, not high return rates in my view. My experience is that Carnival food and entertainment is now considered by most pax as very good - a major improvement in 20 years. I would expect the New Orleans trip will be at least good or better - probably not exactly equal to the newer ships ex Miami. The age of the ship can be a real determinant - if rehab is overdue (as is the case with some RCI ships) then you may feel the experience was a little dusty and shabby. It's worth checking out the ship vital info - and looking into reviews posted at various sites to see what comments pop up. "Old" in cruise world is getting to be only a few years - ship size and details within have been changed in generational ways each year or so from one line to another - if you cruised before 1990 and also last year, you'd be in two different worlds - and that can also seem the case on a ship only 7-8 years old. It is not by accident the lines run the older ships from the newer "inland" ports. The ports visited also play a role in the age and nature of the passenger mix. Alaska? :Old farts. Spain or Venice?: you guess? It won't be fraternity brothers on a binge! To me Cozumel and similar "tourist" traps attract the young crazies. Barbados and the Grenadines are more likely the sedate evening wear crowd who dose off at 9 PM. Generally, the further south in the islands the ship runs, the more likely you are not loaded to the portholes with party crowd. And even though I've only experienced 5 Carnival trips, I never felt the ships exhibited a zest and charming gaiety of the Carnival ads with that dopey woman screeching "Fun, Fun, Fun!" That tag line was to stir up interest in the days when most Americans thought only the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were on ships. Most ships I've seen have a mixture of sedate sleepwalkers combined with almost insane crazies who never sleep. Sometimes the bars are empty - sometimes you can't get in. Sometimes the cruise director is an utter pain in the ass (majority of the time in my book) and sometimes they are really on the ball, working the team and crowd to a good pulse without being phony and overbearing. For the money, I would check out reviews and "expert" advise - I don't think the port of embarkation is the only factor but if you're looking for pretty strong service, on board quality, variety and entertainment, and a lively crowd I would not start with Houston or New Orleans port ships - or even NYC for that matter. I think a key is to be on ships with previous cruisers who understand what they want to do - first time cruisers, especially conservative vacationers who would not previous drop $300 to fly to Miami, are not the folks I would count of for fun,fun,fun. Good luck. "Odysseus" wrote in message news:saudnfKxSbk7ewfYnZ2dnUVZ_qLinZ2d@insightbb. com... Having taken a few "discount" cruises from Southern ports not previously featured in the 40-year boom history of cruising, I am willing to admit the value for money paid was fair even if the ships are not state-of-the-art, etc. An alert cruise shopper would understand that - it took me a little while to see the reality. Are you saying that the cruise product that Carnival sells out of New Orleans is not as good as the sailing's from Miami? I was considering sailing on the Fantasy out of New Orleans. I have never cruised on Carnival. I thought I might like to try a fun ship instead of the boring old fart ships I always cruise on. On the Fantasy, I can get a suite for what I pay for an outside cabin on Celebrity. I know the Fantasy is not a new ship. I don't mind that if the food, service, and activities are comparable to the newer Carnival ships What can I expect from the Fantasy as compared to one of the new Carnival ships? What will my fellow passengers be like? |
#10
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New Orleans now Port of Embarkation for Three Lines!
I took a cruise out of New Orleans pre-Katrina and I've got to admit
that my favorite port to sail out of is New Orleans. So when I read that RCCL is going out of NO again I was excited but I did a quick internet search and I can't find any RCCL cruises out of NO. What am I not seeing? On 19 Dec 2006 15:52:36 -0800, "RevDon" wrote: Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean are all now home-ported in New Orleans. Princess will return next year, and the Crescent City couldn't be happier. New terminals are under constuction, as New Orleans looks to become a major player in the cruise industry. Many people book a few days before and/or after their cruise to explore the many amenities that New Orleans offers. The Port of New Orleans even has a great website with a live webcam that shows when the ships are docked. (www.portno.com) For information on pre-cruise weddings, please visit my website; www.RomanceinNewOrleans.com |
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