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New Orleans
Two riverfront terminals within reach of the French Quarter, covered garages at both, and one published rule that catches disabled travellers out.
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| Operator | Port of New Orleans, governed by the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans. Offices at 1350 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130. |
|---|---|
| Terminals | Erato Street Cruise Terminal, 1100 Port of New Orleans Place · Julia Street Cruise Terminal, 920 Port of New Orleans Place |
| Parking | Covered garages at both. $25 a day flat on the port's FAQ; a tiered table on the parking page. See below. |
| Airport | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), 17 miles and about 45 minutes per Norwegian |
| Ranking | The port publishes itself as the sixth-largest cruise port in the United States |
Which terminal
| Erato Street | Carnival Cruise Line. Climate-controlled, ADA-compliant passenger gangway. 90,000 square feet. |
|---|---|
| Julia Street | Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean. Climate-controlled, ADA-compliant passenger gangway. |
| River cruises | American Cruise Lines and Viking sail the Mississippi from here. The port does not publish their terminals, and states it cannot provide parking for them: contact the line. |
Ships published by the port: Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor at 2,974 passengers each, Norwegian Getaway at 3,963, and seasonal Royal Caribbean vessels at 2,466. On the river, Viking Mississippi carries 386.
Parking at the port
Parking is run by LAZ Parking on the port's behalf, and both garages are covered, secured, lighted and patrolled. Both open at 9:00am.
| Erato Street Garage (Carnival) | Over 1,000 covered spaces at the terminal. Published rates without a reservation: 4 days $120, 5 days $135, 6 days $160, 7 days $180, 8 days $200, 14 days $350. Height limits 8'4" for limited third-floor spaces and 7'6" higher up; maximum vehicle length 22 feet. Credit or debit card only. |
|---|---|
| 100 Poydras Garage (Norwegian, Royal Caribbean) | 100 Poydras St. Over 500 covered spaces, shuttle to the terminal included. Published rates: 4 days $120, 5 days $135, 7 days $180. Height limit 6'6", maximum length 22 feet. |
On oversized vehicles the port directs enquiries to LAZ Parking, while New Orleans & Company, the city's official destination organisation, publishes that the port can no longer accommodate oversized vehicles and that the overflow options have been discontinued. Call before you drive an RV down. The Hilton "Whale Lot" is no longer used by the port for cruise passengers.
Two accessible-parking facts, one good and one bad
The bad one, published plainly: "The Port cannot provide complimentary handicapped parking." A disabled placard buys you nothing here.
The good one: free cruise terminal parking for up to seven days for a veteran who resides in Louisiana, has a 50% or greater service-connected disability, and brings proper documentation such as a VA letter or DV plate. It applies to the qualified veteran only, not to a spouse or family, the veteran must be present with ID matching the boarding pass, and eligible veterans should not reserve online.
Parking off the port
None verified. Neither the port nor New Orleans & Company names a single private cruise parking vendor or park-and-cruise hotel; everything that surfaces in a search is a reselling marketplace. For extended stays the port gives a contact: Ann Hanks on 504-528-3318.
Where to stay the night before
The night before is the cheapest insurance you can buy. A late flight or a traffic jam on embarkation morning can cost you the whole cruise, and the ship will not wait.
- Ask the hotel about a cruise shuttle and its price before you book.
- Ask whether you can leave your car while you sail, and what that costs.
- Need an accessible room? Ask for the exact feature, like a roll-in shower or grab bars, and get it written on your confirmation.
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Hotels near the Erato Street cruise terminal
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Getting there from the airport
| Taxi | The airport publishes flat rates: $36.00 for up to two passengers to the Central Business District or French Quarter, or $15.00 per passenger for three or more. Taxis must accept credit cards. Pickup at the taxi zone outside Level 1 baggage claim, Door 7. New Orleans & Company publishes $14 per person plus $1 a bag instead, so expect a dollar or two of variation. |
|---|---|
| Rideshare | Uber and Lyft, minimum fare $36 to or from Orleans Parish, pickup on Level 1 outside baggage claim |
| Public transit | RTA route 202 Airport Express to downtown with stops on Poydras Street, $1.25 |
| Shuttle | New Orleans & Company publishes $30 one way and $56 round trip, serving the cruise terminals, every 30 minutes from 5:55am to 10:00pm, with wheelchair-accessible vehicles available on one week's notice. But the operator's own site now says it carries groups of 10 or more only and publishes no fares. Confirm before you count on it. |
How close is the French Quarter, really
Closer than most departure ports, further than "steps away" suggests. The port's own wording is that the terminals are "steps away from the historic French Quarter and dynamic Warehouse District," and it publishes no distance in blocks, miles or minutes. The only concrete figure it gives is that the National WWII Museum is a five-minute cab ride from both terminals. It also publishes a Blue Bikes hub at 101 Julia St, the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk adjacent to the terminals, and a streetcar route running perpendicular to the river.
Arriving
Garages open at 9:00am. Driving directions from the port: from I-10 east or west, exit at US-90 W (Exit 234A), then exit US-90 W at Tchoupitoulas (Exit 11C), and turn left onto Port of New Orleans Place after crossing the railroad tracks.
The port publishes no arrival window, no luggage drop rule and no all-aboard time, and refers all of it to the cruise line. The one indirect clue it gives: its venue rental page states the Erato Street terminal is unavailable for hire "due to cruise port days between 4AM and 6PM."
Terminal amenities: a refreshment stand, a souvenir shop and an ATM. Lost luggage numbers are published: Concord Shore Services on 504-304-0157 for Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and 504-495-5663 or 504-237-8285 for Norwegian.
Hurricane season
Port NOLA publishes no standing hurricane policy, but its own advisories show how it handles one. During Hurricane Francine in September 2024 the port closed terminal operations on 12 September for clean-up and returned to normal operations on 13 September. For the cruise specifically, it coordinated with Carnival on the Carnival Valor, due to sail on the 13th; because of the shortened turnaround Carnival ran the voyage without a port of call visit and notified passengers of the change by 2pm on 12 September, roughly 24 hours ahead. After Hurricane Ida, cargo operations resumed four days after the storm.
The practical lesson: New Orleans sailings during hurricane season are more likely to be modified than cancelled, and the notice comes about a day ahead. The port directs the public to portnola.com for storm recovery updates.
Accessibility
Three published items, and that is all: ADA-compliant climate-controlled passenger gangways at both terminals, no complimentary accessible parking, and wheelchair-accessible airport shuttle vehicles on one week's notice. Nothing is published about wheelchair assistance at the terminal, accessible drop-off, or accessible terminal facilities.
Where these facts come from
- Port NOLA, cruise parking and directions
- Port NOLA, cruise FAQs
- Port NOLA, cruise lines and itineraries
- Port NOLA, when in NOLA
- Port NOLA, Hurricane Francine media advisory
- New Orleans & Company, cruise parking
- New Orleans & Company, airport transportation
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, taxis
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, ground transportation
- Norwegian Cruise Line, driving directions to the piers
Ports change their rules and their prices. Check the official pages above before you sail.
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Mobility & access at this port
From Sails Anyway, the accessible-cruising section of this site. Nothing here is medical advice — it is what the port and the cruise lines publish, so you know what to ask.
The difference that decides your morning
Erato Street (Carnival and Disney) has its garage at the terminal — you park above the building and porters handle checked luggage inside the garage. Julia Street (Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) parks at the 100 Poydras garage, and you take a shuttle to the terminal. If transfers are what cost you, allow extra time and consider being dropped at the terminal before the car is parked.
Parking at the port: whoever needs the shortest walk should never ride to the garage. Drop them at the door first, with the luggage, then park. Private lots work differently — you park first and ride a shuttle in.
What the port says about disabled parking
Port NOLA answers this directly, and honestly it's a mixed answer:
- The port states it is not able to provide free disabled parking at this time.
- It does provide free cruise terminal parking for up to seven days for disabled veterans who meet certain requirements. If that's you, ask well before you travel — it covers the whole week.
Being told no clearly is more useful than being told maybe. If you're not a veteran, budget for parking here and spend your energy on the drop-off arrangements instead.
What it costs, and how it's billed
- About $25 a day, charged by the length of your cruise rather than as a nightly rate. Published tiers have run in the region of $120 for four days and about $180 for seven.
- Reserving online adds about $1 a day — unusually, it's cheaper not to reserve, though a reservation guarantees the space.
- Prepaying may forfeit any refund, so only prepay if your plans are firm.
- Neither garage takes vehicles over about 22 feet. There's no oversized option at the terminals.
- Bring your boarding documents to the gate — you show them to get in.
The advantage of a downtown port
Both terminals sit in the middle of the city, so a hotel the night before can be a short ride or even a walk away, and a park-and-cruise hotel package often beats paying for a week of garage parking. Staying downtown also means you arrive rested instead of driving in on sailing morning.
Getting there from the airport
- Louis Armstrong (MSY) is roughly 14 to 15 miles from the terminals, about 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic.
- Taxi or rideshare runs somewhere around $30 to $50 each way. With luggage and limited mobility, it's the simplest option.
- The airport bus is $1.25 but takes about 40 minutes and stops nearly a mile from the port. It's fine for exploring the city, not for sailing morning with bags.
- If you're flying in, you may not need a car at all — two rides usually cost less than a week of parking.
Where to park: port-run and private, together
| Where | Who runs it | Roughly | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port NOLA garages | Port-run | about $25/day | Erato Street parks at the terminal; Julia Street parks at the Poydras garage with a shuttle. Billed by cruise length, and reserving online adds about $1 a day. |
| Port garages | Private | about $25/day | Erato at the terminal; Julia via the Poydras garage and a shuttle. No reservation needed, but space is limited on busy days. |
| Downtown hotel park-and-cruise | Private | varies | A night's stay plus parking for the cruise. Frequently the best value here, and it removes sailing-morning driving. |
| Independent downtown garages | Private | varies | Plentiful in the Warehouse District, but check the walk to the terminal before booking one. |
Ask one question before you book any of them
"How far is the walk from the garage to the terminal door, and is there a shuttle with a lift?" In New Orleans that answer changes entirely depending on which terminal you sail from — and a cheap garage six blocks away is no bargain at all on the morning.
Coming home, which is its own problem
Disembarkation is early, after a week of doing more than usual. Put your name down for priority debarkation the evening before if you need wheelchair assistance. If you parked at Poydras for a Julia Street sailing, remember the shuttle happens again in reverse, with luggage and a queue.
Questions to ask before you drive
- Do you waive parking for my vehicle or plate, and what documents do I bring?
- Where are the accessible spaces, and how close are they to the terminal or the elevator?
- Can I drop my passenger and bags at the terminal first?
- For off-site lots: does the shuttle have a wheelchair lift, and can it take my scooter?
- What's the height limit if I drive a lifted van?
Wheelchair help at the terminal — ask ahead
Royal Caribbean: crew push wheelchairs on and off the ship at embarkation and disembarkation. Request it on the Guest Special Needs Form at least 30 days before you sail.
Celebrity: tick "wheelchair assistance at the pier" on the special needs form, at least 30 days ahead.
Princess: has an Accessibility Lane at check-in, and assigns crew when you request wheelchair help.
Check with your cruise line
- Ask which terminal your ship uses — Erato or Julia — because it decides everything above.
- Ask how to request pier and wheelchair assistance, and by when.
- Ask whether you can be dropped at the terminal before the car is parked, and where that drop-off is.
- Ask whether there's an accessibility lane at check-in and whether your companions can use it.
Rules and rates change — call before you drive
This is a starting point, not legal advice. Parking rates, free-parking rules and terminal assignments change without notice. Call the port's parking office before you set off, and check with your own cruise line.
Prices change without notice
Rates here are a guide, not a quote. New Orleans bills by cruise length rather than per night, so the effective daily rate changes with the length of your sailing, and published tiers move. Confirm the current price for your exact dates with the port before you travel.
Accessibility details last checked 22 September 2026. How we check this →
If stairs, gangways and tenders are a problem, there is a whole section of this site for you. Sails Anyway covers accessible and limited-mobility cruising properly instead of squeezing it into a paragraph: what each pier actually asks of you, which tender ports are a problem and why, the special-needs forms and the deadlines that catch people out, and how to choose a cabin you can move around in.
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