The two options, side by side
Here the official option is the transparent one — a real, published flat-rate table by cruise length — which flips the usual pattern we cover, where off-site is typically the clearer price.
Official port parking
- Exact flat rate by cruise length, published directly on the port's own site — $120 (4-day) up to $350 (14-day)
- Erato Street Garage sits on the terminal (no shuttle); 100 Poydras Garage runs a shuttle to Julia Street
- ADA-compliant terminals; oversized vehicles handled through a named contact, not a published rate
- Free parking (up to 7 days) for qualifying Louisiana disabled veterans
Off-site parking
- A shuttle leg between your car and the terminal
- Neither operator checked publishes a rate confirmed on its own site — get a quote
- Third-party guides cite roughly $14.50-$17/day and a flat $150 for a 7-day cruise
- 2 named operators, checked and sourced below
River-cruise parking
- The port's own site states it cannot provide parking for Viking or American Cruise Lines
- Neither river line uses Erato Street or Julia Street terminal
- Contact your river-cruise line directly for arrival and parking logistics
Official Port of New Orleans parking
- Rate: a flat figure by cruise length, not a daily rate — $120 (4 days), $135 (5), $160 (6), $180 (7), $200 (8), $350 (14) — confirmed directly on the port's own site and matched exactly by an independent third-party breakdown. Stable
- Erato Street Parking Garage (Carnival) — on top of the terminal via a circular ramp; 1,000+ covered, secured spaces; opens 9:00 AM CST; 8'4" height limit on most floors, 7'6" on higher floors; 22-ft length limit; offers all six rate tiers including the 6-day and 14-day options.
- 100 Poydras Garage (Norwegian & Royal Caribbean) — 100 Poydras St.; 500+ covered, secured spaces; opens 9:00 AM CST; 6'6" height limit; 22-ft length limit; free shuttle to Julia Street Terminal; offers the 4-, 5- and 7-day rate tiers only.
- Payment: credit or debit card only, confirmed directly on the port's own site.
- Reservations: add $1/day if booked in advance; walk-up parking (no reservation) carries no such fee and is described as guaranteed.
- Accessible parking: both terminals described as ADA-compliant; a distinct rate or space count for accessible spaces wasn't separately published.
- Oversized vehicles: not handled through the standard garages — contact Simeka Anderson at LAZ Parking (SIAnderson@lazparking.com) rather than expecting a published rate.
- Discount: free parking, up to 7 days, first-come first-served, for Louisiana disabled veterans with a 50%+ service-connected disability.
Sources: portnola.com/cruise/parking-directions and portnola.com/cruise/faqs (the port's own pages), corroborated by cruzely.com/new-orleans-cruise-parking-options-prices-and-map matching the same five-tier rate table exactly — verified September 13, 2026.
This is the most transparent official rate table found anywhere we cover so far — Galveston and Tampa both require entering a specific ship and date just to see a number, while New Orleans states its price plainly by cruise length alone. One travel-guide site (cruisehive.com) reports a different, lower per-day figure ($20-22/day) that directly contradicts the port's own table confirmed twice when we checked; that figure is treated as stale or incorrect and left out of the numbers above.
Off-site parking
Off-site lots near the Port of New Orleans are a real category, and — unlike the official rate table above — this is the usual pattern for this system: neither operator's own site publishes a confirmed daily or per-cruise rate, so the figures below come from third-party guides rather than the operators themselves.
- New Orleans Parking (Fulton Place Garage) — one block from the terminals, confirmed directly on the operator's own site. A complimentary shuttle runs every 5-10 minutes, 7 AM-3 PM, for Disney, Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean cruises. A third-party guide (cruzely.com) cites $14.50-$17/day plus a $5 service fee; not confirmed on the operator's own site when we checked. Address: 901 Convention Center Boulevard. Review periodically
- Machu Picchu Cruise Ship Parking — about 1.5 miles/5 minutes from the port per a third-party guide; the operator's own site confirms a free shuttle but not the exact distance or a rate. That same third-party guide (cruzely.com) cites a flat $150 for a 7-day cruise, not confirmed on the operator's own site. Sheltered, fenced parking. Address: 442 Jackson Avenue. Review periodically
Sources: neworleansparking.com/fulton-place-parking (operator's own site), machupicchutours.com/cruise-ship-parking.html (operator's own site), cruzely.com/new-orleans-cruise-parking-options-prices-and-map (third-party guide, rate figures only) — verified September 13, 2026.
Get a direct quote from whichever operator you're considering, confirm the shuttle schedule for your actual sailing date, and compare it against the official flat rate above — which, unusually for this system, you can actually do without waiting on a reservation system.
Hotels that hold the car
We've now checked 50 hotels one by one, and only two print a rate to leave your car while you sail. The Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans-Convention Center charges $22 a night for extended cruise parking, and Hilton puts the terminals 0.40 miles away, so you park once and walk. Count the $44 valet for the night you stay, and a 7-night cruise comes to about $198 before tax against the port's $180.
Out by the airport, the Holiday Inn New Orleans Airport North charges $10 a day after checkout, far less than the port, but it's 15 miles or so from the ship, so add the ride both ways. The Hilton Riverside, Loews and the Mercantile sell cruise packages with parking at prices they don't publish. The 20 best hotels for the night before scores every one and prices hotel parking against the port's garage for your sailing length.
The top six, by our ranking
Walks to the terminals, published parking rates and free breakfast decide the order. Tap one for the full review, or hold a room for the night before.
Who should pick what
| Traveler | Likely best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Staying downtown the night before, want to walk to the ship | Hampton Inn & Suites Convention Center | Hilton prints $22 a night for extended cruise parking and puts the terminals 0.40 miles away. |
| Sailing Carnival from Erato Street, want zero shuttle | Erato Street Parking Garage | Sits directly on top of the terminal — no shuttle wait either direction. |
| Sailing Norwegian or Royal Caribbean from Julia Street | 100 Poydras Garage | The only official option for that terminal, with a free shuttle over. |
| Booking a 6-day or 14-day sailing | Erato Street Garage specifically | 100 Poydras doesn't offer those two rate tiers on the port's own table. |
| Budget-conscious, comfortable getting a quote first | Off-site parking | Both named operators may undercut the official rate, but neither confirms a number without a direct call. |
| Driving an RV or oversized vehicle | Contact LAZ Parking directly | Neither garage publishes an oversized rate — the port routes this to a named contact instead. |
| Sailing Viking or American Cruise Lines | Contact your cruise line | The port explicitly doesn't handle parking for either river-cruise line. |
Still deciding how to get to the ship?
Tell us your terminal and how you're arriving.
Which line you're sailing, driving in same-day or flying into MSY, need accessible parking — tell us the actual situation and we'll tell you straight which garage fits.
Answers verified against current pricing and itineraries before you book.
Parking FAQ
How much is official New Orleans cruise parking?
The port publishes an exact flat rate by cruise length, not a per-day charge: $120 for 4 days, $135 for 5, $160 for 6, $180 for 7, $200 for 8, and $350 for the rare 14-day sailing. The 6-day and 14-day tiers are only available at the Erato Street Garage (Carnival) — 100 Poydras Garage (Norwegian and Royal Caribbean) tops out at the 7-day rate. Reserving in advance adds $1/day; walk-up parking, with no reservation, carries no such fee and is described by the port as guaranteed.
Which official garage should I use at New Orleans?
It depends on your terminal, and there are only two to choose between. Erato Street Parking Garage sits on top of Erato Street Cruise Terminal (Carnival) — no shuttle needed. 100 Poydras Garage serves Julia Street Cruise Terminal (Norwegian and Royal Caribbean) and runs a shuttle over. Erato Street allows longer vehicles up to 22 feet with an 8'4" height limit on most floors; 100 Poydras has a lower 6'6" height limit.
Is off-site parking cheaper than the official garages at New Orleans?
Possibly, but neither off-site operator checked when we checked publishes a rate on its own site. Third-party guides cite roughly $14.50-$17/day plus a service fee for New Orleans Parking's Fulton Place Garage, and a flat $150 for a 7-day cruise at Machu Picchu Cruise Ship Parking. Compare either estimate against the official flat-rate table above and get a direct quote before booking.
Does New Orleans have oversized-vehicle or accessible parking?
For oversized vehicles like RVs or buses, the port's own site doesn't publish a rate — it directs you to a named contact at LAZ Parking instead. A distinct ADA-accessible parking rate or space count for either garage wasn't separately published on the pages reached when we checked, though both terminals are described as ADA-compliant. Louisiana disabled veterans with a 50%+ service-connected disability get free parking up to 7 days, first-come first-served.
Can I park for a Mississippi River cruise at the Port of New Orleans?
Not through the port directly. The port's own site states plainly that it cannot provide parking for Viking or American Cruise Lines passengers — you'd need to contact your river-cruise line directly for parking arrangements, since neither line uses Erato Street or Julia Street terminal.