Cruises From New Orleans

Cruises From New Orleans

Many people like to take cruises from New Orleans to see the coast of the New Oleans region, the Gulf of Mexico or further afield such as the Pacific and Atlantic. Some tourists may want to cruise around in a boat from New Orleans to see the immediate coastal regions perhaps in a boat they are sailing. They may want a boat that that is being sailed by a professional captain so they can tour the region. They may want a major cruise on an ocean liner that takes them to many different holiday destination. Some may want to cruise up the river Mississippi from New Orleans.

New Orleans is a major United States port city and the largest city in the USA state of Louisiana. It is the center of the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area.

New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana, straddling the Mississippi River. It is coextensive with Orleans Parish, meaning that the boundaries of the city and the parish are the same. It is bounded by the parishes of St. Tammany (north), St. Bernard (east), Plaquemines (south), and Jefferson (south and west). Lake Pontchartrain, part of which is included in the city limits, lies to the north, and Lake Borgne lies to the east.

The city is named after Philippe II, Duc d'Orléans, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is well known for its multicultural and multilingual heritage, cuisine, architecture, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz), and its annual Mardi Gras and other celebrations and festivals. The city is often referred to as the "most unique" city in America.

The Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of 2340 miles from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. The longest river, a Mississippi tributary, is the Missouri River measuring 2,540 miles.

The Mississippi River is part of the Jefferson-Missouri-Mississippi river system, which is the largest river system in North America and among the largest in the world:

Some may seek to use the city to cruise the coastline of the region on a ship maybe even a sailing a ship. The city is located in the Mississippi River Delta on the east and west banks of the Mississippi River and south of Lake Pontchartrain. The area along the river is characterized by ridges and hollows.

The Central Business District of New Orleans is located immediately north and west of the Mississippi River, and was historically called the American Quarter or American Sector. Most streets in this area fan out from a central point in the city. Major streets of the area include Canal Street, Poydras Street, Tulane Avenue and Loyola Avenue. Canal Street functions as the street which divides the traditional downtown area from the uptown area.

The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest and most famous neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. When La Nouvelle Orléans ( New Orleans in French) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré ( Old Square in French) as it was known then. While the area is still referred to as the Vieux Carré by some, it is more commonly known as the French Quarter today, or simply The Quarter.

The River Parishes are those parishes in Louisiana between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that span both banks of the Mississippi River, and are officially part of the Acadiana region.

The French Quarter (known locally as the Quarter or Vieux Carré), which dates from the French and Spanish eras and is bounded by the Mississippi River, Rampart Street, Canal Street, and Esplanade Avenue, contains many popular hotels, bars, and nightclubs. Notable tourist attractions in the Quarter include Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market (including Café du Monde, famous for café au lait and beignets), and Preservation Hall. To tour the port, one can ride the Natchez, an authentic steamboat with a calliope which cruises the Mississippi the length of the city twice daily. The city's many beautiful cemeteries and their distinct above-ground tombs are often attractions in themselves, the oldest and most famous of which, Saint Louis Cemetery, greatly resembles Père Lachaise in Paris.

The New Orleans area is home to numerous celebrations, the most popular of which is Carnival , often referred to as Mardi Gras. Carnival officially begins on the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as the Twelfth Night. Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday), the final and grandest day of festivities, is the last Tuesday before the Catholic liturgical season of Lent, which commences on Ash Wednesday.