Traveling to NOLA soon and have never been that way. I'm only staying a night before heading out and don't really care to stay in the city. I'm looking for somewhere nice that is within a hour or so....I'd prefer to not do Covington as I have a unreasonable fear of driving across that stupid lake!

Any recommendations?

Really don't care what part of town?

Price range?

Priceline is still a very good tool. With a lot of time out, you can low ball to gauge what the lower limits on hotels will be.

I have to go to Nashville on occasion and all downtown hotels (worth a crap) are $250+ a night. Just pricelined one two weeks ago for $130 after tax.

Nightly or hourly?

Ha!

I'm not looking to spend more than $130 or so....just staying a night. I'd honestly prefer to keep it under $100 but that may not be incredibly realistic. I don't mind staying a hour or so outside of the city too if that is needed.

Part of town, or town in general, doesn't matter as long as it is a decent enough area.

(09-18-2015 03:13 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  Priceline is still a very good tool. With a lot of time out, you can low ball to gauge what the lower limits on hotels will be.

I have to go to Nashville on occasion and all downtown hotels (worth a crap) are $250+ a night. Just pricelined one two weeks ago for $130 after tax.

Everytime we go to Nashville we stay at the Hyatt Place in Brentwood...it's only a short drive but we love the area and the price is alright.

(09-18-2015 05:06 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Ha!

I'm not looking to spend more than $130 or so....just staying a night. I'd honestly prefer to keep it under $100 but that may not be incredibly realistic. I don't mind staying a hour or so outside of the city too if that is needed.

Part of town, or town in general, doesn't matter as long as it is a decent enough area.

Are you going on a cruise?

(09-18-2015 09:48 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 05:06 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Ha!

I'm not looking to spend more than $130 or so....just staying a night. I'd honestly prefer to keep it under $100 but that may not be incredibly realistic. I don't mind staying a hour or so outside of the city too if that is needed.

Part of town, or town in general, doesn't matter as long as it is a decent enough area.

Are you going on a cruise?

Why yes we are

(09-18-2015 10:15 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 09:48 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 05:06 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Ha!

I'm not looking to spend more than $130 or so....just staying a night. I'd honestly prefer to keep it under $100 but that may not be incredibly realistic. I don't mind staying a hour or so outside of the city too if that is needed.

Part of town, or town in general, doesn't matter as long as it is a decent enough area.

Are you going on a cruise?

Why yes we are

Carnival? Western Caribbean?

(09-18-2015 10:17 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 10:15 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 09:48 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 05:06 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Ha!

I'm not looking to spend more than $130 or so....just staying a night. I'd honestly prefer to keep it under $100 but that may not be incredibly realistic. I don't mind staying a hour or so outside of the city too if that is needed.

Part of town, or town in general, doesn't matter as long as it is a decent enough area.

Are you going on a cruise?

Why yes we are

Carnival? Western Caribbean?

Carnival, 5 day. I wanted to try Norwegian but they are shipping out (pun intended) of Nawlins.

(09-18-2015 10:32 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 10:17 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 10:15 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 09:48 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(09-18-2015 05:06 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Ha!

I'm not looking to spend more than $130 or so....just staying a night. I'd honestly prefer to keep it under $100 but that may not be incredibly realistic. I don't mind staying a hour or so outside of the city too if that is needed.

Part of town, or town in general, doesn't matter as long as it is a decent enough area.

Are you going on a cruise?

Why yes we are

Carnival? Western Caribbean?

Carnival, 5 day. I wanted to try Norwegian but they are shipping out (pun intended) of Nawlins.

Did the 6 day version last year. Progresso and Cozumel? If so, I can make a recommendation on what to do. For $69 I couldn't pass it up.

I'm all ears!

No desire to stay in the city and dine at a great restaurant? Nola is one of the best food cities in the country.

(09-19-2015 09:44 AM)3601 Wrote:  No desire to stay in the city and dine at a great restaurant? Nola is one of the best food cities in the country.

We'll be getting in around 9 pm and getting back up to leave in the morning around 9. My wife and myself really aren't the "lets go out late" type people so there really wouldn't be anything for us to do/go see that late. I just don't see the point in paying a ton of money to stay in the city for what equates to one nights rrest.

Yes, we're boring and getting old!

Let me somewhat amend that last post. My wife is certainly not the "lets go out late" type person. She likes to be in her pj's in bed by 9 or 10 at the latest. I can take or leave the late nights.

(09-19-2015 09:05 AM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  I'm all ears!

The shows on board ship are a lot more fun than I had thought, so I would plan on attending some of those. Alcohol is pretty expensive unless you buy one of their drink package...I'll let you decide that. My experience was somewhat different because I was with a travel club, there were 400 of us on the cruise and I asked our host what to do and he said just hung with them, so at Progresso I just hung out on the beach and ate some damned good food and drank cold beer. This was in February but it was 88 degress, so that wasn't an issue. Progresso is kind of an industrial place.

At Cozymel you can have a lot of fun just shopping at the places set up where you dock. I would highly recommended the horseback trail ride. It's a long drive and a bit pricey, however, the ranch is littered with authentic Mayan ruins and there is a cave you can enter that has 1500 year old religious pictographs all over the place. It's really cool. There's also iguanas everywhere.

For me, just hanging around aboard ship was great. I liked to sit on the stern and read, and just relax. Are you going to be on the Elation?

I made a short video, if you're interested I'll send you a link.

(09-19-2015 09:58 AM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Let me somewhat amend that last post. My wife is certainly not the "lets go out late" type person. She likes to be in her pj's in bed by 9 or 10 at the latest. I can take or leave the late nights.

Understood. However, if you ever get back down to Nola it is filled with plenty of great places to eat. Enjoy the cruise.

(09-19-2015 03:05 PM)3601 Wrote:  

(09-19-2015 09:58 AM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Let me somewhat amend that last post. My wife is certainly not the "lets go out late" type person. She likes to be in her pj's in bed by 9 or 10 at the latest. I can take or leave the late nights.

Understood. However, if you ever get back down to Nola it is filled with plenty of great places to eat. Enjoy the cruise.

I appreciate it...would still love to hear your suggestions! We may be heading down a little earlier than anticipated so I may be able to swing dinner in while in the city the night before we leave!

Hotel?

(09-21-2015 03:41 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  

(09-19-2015 03:05 PM)3601 Wrote:  

(09-19-2015 09:58 AM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Let me somewhat amend that last post. My wife is certainly not the "lets go out late" type person. She likes to be in her pj's in bed by 9 or 10 at the latest. I can take or leave the late nights.

Understood. However, if you ever get back down to Nola it is filled with plenty of great places to eat. Enjoy the cruise.

I appreciate it...would still love to hear your suggestions! We may be heading down a little earlier than anticipated so I may be able to swing dinner in while in the city the night before we leave!

If you have one meal to eat I would try one of these. I have listed them from high end to most casual. There are plenty of other great places, but this is a good start for a first trip.

Galatoire's (jacket required)
Commander's Palace (jacket suggested)
La Petite Grocery
Domenica
Mandina's
High Hat Cafe
Cochon Butcher
Parkway Bakery