What to Expect
The Julia Street Terminal (Carnival) and Erato Street Terminal (Norwegian, others) are both in the Warehouse District, a 10-minute walk from the edge of the French Quarter. The port is functional and efficient. What matters here is everything outside the port: New Orleans is a genuine reason to arrive two nights early rather than one.
Getting to the Port
From Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY): 12 miles, $35–45 by rideshare, 25–35 minutes. The Loyola Avenue streetcar runs from the airport to the CBD but is slow with luggage. Parking at the cruise terminals: $18–22/day via port authority reservations. From the terminal, the French Quarter is walkable (15 minutes) or a short rideshare. The Canal Street streetcar connects the waterfront area to the Garden District.
Tipping and Currency
USD. New Orleans service culture is generous — 20% is standard at restaurants, especially in the French Quarter. Bar tabs: $1 per drink minimum on busy nights. Musicians playing on street corners expect tips if you stop and listen. Taxi: 15–20%.
What to Eat
The city's food identity is not interchangeable with any other American city. Specific things worth eating: the roast beef po'boy at Domilise's (a po'boy shop that has been here since the 1930s), café au lait and beignets at Café Du Monde (open 24 hours, cash only), red beans and rice on Mondays anywhere, chargrilled oysters at Dragos or Acme Oyster House, and a bowl of gumbo anywhere that makes it from scratch. Commander's Palace is the benchmark fine-dining institution; Dooky Chase's in Tremé is its cultural equal. Avoid the Bourbon Street restaurants — they exist to serve the people already on Bourbon Street, not to feed you well.
The French Quarter and Beyond
The French Quarter is 13 square blocks of 18th- and 19th-century Creole townhouses with cast-iron balconies. Bourbon Street is the loudest part of it; Royal Street and Frenchmen Street are more interesting. Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral face the river. Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, a 15-minute walk from the Quarter, is the live music district where local musicians play — a different experience than the tourist bars. The Garden District is a 20-minute streetcar ride and worth it for the architecture. If a second line happens to be passing, stop and watch.