TheJellyBeans.net
New Orleans is a cruise port city that has a ton to offer!
But, if you only have a limited amount of time to visit, you can still easily get a
small taste of the French Quarter -- and the yummy Original Café du Monde
Coffee Stand -- if your cruise begins, ends, or visits the Port of New Orleans, which is located
behind (or east of) the New Orleans Convention Center.
Your journey to the French Quarter starts with a walk to the Julia Street Station to
catch the Riverfront line streetcar.
If you’re starting from the Erato Street Cruise Terminal -- which serviced Carnival
Cruise Lines at the time this video was published -- walk out of the terminal and head to the
right (or north) toward the large, nearby shopping mall.
If the mall is open, you can avoid walking on the street by going up the stairs, along
the pathway on the waterfront side of the building, through the mall, and then down
to the Julia Street Station.
However, if the mall is not open -- or you don’t mind walking along a mostly quiet
street without a sidewalk -- just follow Port of New Orleans Place -- the road outside the
terminal -- to the right (or north) to the Julia Street Station.
If your ship is docked at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal, the Julia Street Station
is located directly on the other side of the mall that’s at the terminal.
At the time this video was published, the fare for the Riverfront line streetcar to
the French Quarter was $1.25 per person each direction and only cash was accepted.
Exact change is highly recommended.
The streetcars run every 10-15 minutes, and -- since the Riverfront line begins at the
Julia Street Station -- you won’t have to worry about heading the wrong direction.
Once you’re headed toward the French Quarter, make sure you pay attention to the digital
route map overhead.
For easy access to Café du Monde, Jackson Square, and other popular French Quarter attractions,
you’ll want to get off the street car at the Dumaine Street Station.
Make sure you pull the rope by the windows to signal your stop or the streetcar will
not stop!
After you exit the streetcar at Dumaine Street Station, you might be able to see your ship
in the distance.
From the station, walk across the parking lot and through the opening in the wall and
you’ll quickly find yourself at Decatur Street, in the heart of the French Quarter.
Turn to the left and walk about a block and you’ll find the world famous Original Café
du Monde serving up delicious coffee and beignets.
Be sure to enjoy some before you continue exploring the area!
When you’re ready to head back to the cruise terminal, just reverse your trip via the Dumaine
Street Station and remember that the Riverfront line will end at the Julia Street Station,
even though some signage still indicates that the line ends further along at the old terminus:
the John Churchill Chase station.
Just make sure you get on the streetcar heading in the right direction -- back toward the
cruise port -- and you shouldn’t have any problems.