Spotlight on New Orleans From $2,999 $2,699 pp* Featuring Carnival

I’d definitely use them again. Great options for our time there.

Variety of options.

The hotel location and service was wonderful. The guide was good but I felt some of my fellow travelers could have been cared for better. The walking tours/times went so fast that many could not hear anything or the speeches were over before they had “caught up.” I have used whisper phones on other tours which really helped.

Cooking school

Great tour guide Samantha . She was awesome. I felt the tour did not give enough of New Orleans, not enough of the food

The swamp tour was fantastic

Our tour guide Samantha and bus driver did a great job of making sure everyone enjoyed their trip to New Orleans.

The trip was very entertaining.

Enjoyed our tours, but wish we had more time.

The cooking class and swamp tour.

The trip seemed disorganized. I joined the group a few weeks before the trip because a friend that was scheduled to come was unable to because of health reasons. Her traveling companion would also have had to cancel her trip if she did not find a replacement. I felt that the people I dealt with at headquarters were not at all helpful. They did not call me back when they said they would and did not seem to care about keeping the spots filled. The trip itself did not seem organized. Much of the information we were given in advance was not accurate. The miscommunication started with the shuttle to the hotel, and ended when we waited over 90 minutes for our shuttle home at the end of the trip. The shuttle driver thought we were coming in much later then our scheduled flight. She said that Collette had given her a much later time. We were shuttled by a limo service from Ithaca to Syracuse for our flights, when we could have gone out of the Ithaca airport with the same airlines and destinations. It would have saved time and money going out of Ithaca. There was much more walking involved when we arrived in New Orleans because the bus met us over 3 long blocks away each time we went anywhere. Walking on Bourbon Street is not easy, many people drinking, partying and sleeping on the streets. Many times we gathered and had to wait until the bus arrived at the pick up location before we left the hotel. Because of a minor accident on our last day, our excursion that we had prepaid and were looking forward to was cancelled. We were not given any choice whether we wanted to go on the swamp tour (which we had both done before) or the paddleboat on the Mississippi which we were looking forward to. The decision was made by the guide that if we could only do one because of time, the paddleboat tour was cancelled. We were given coupons for beignets and coffee, and then not given a chance to stop and use the coupons when we went past the restaurant. I have never traveled with Collette before, but I have traveled with Smithsonian, Road Scholar and Caravan. Each of those companies had tours that were better organized, gave an accurate description of how much walking was involved and had better guides. Most of the people on the tour were older adults, and the activity level was not accurate. Our guide said that she has tried to get Collette to give a more accurate description of the amount of walking, and they do not change the information. I loved New Orleans, I loved the cooking school, the jazz club and the meal on the last night. I would have enjoyed being able to both the Mardi Gras Museum and the World War II museum and had a shorter bus tour. It was boring and even the cemetery tour, which I have done in other cities (Havana for One) did not include some of the interesting stories and history that I would have enjoyed.

Tour could have been much better. A great city that I have visited before.

Touted to be a "4 days in New Orleans" tour, it turned out to be only 3 DAYS and the 4th was spent traveling home. We signed up for an additional excursion during our stay, but that ended up being cancelled due to a traffic accident. We were not given the option to pursue it on our own (and skip the swamp tour which was included) and I think we should have been given that option. We would have let you keep the money for the swamp tour. Missing out on the paddle-wheeler cruise was a downer! Our final leg of the homeward flight landed at 5:15 and we found out that we were scheduled for a 7:30 pickup for transportation back to Ithaca. WHO screwed THAT up?

Read the prior section for details!

very well organized by our tour guide. Seen and did lots of things and had enough free time.

swamp tour. everything was great!

I did not appreciate the fact that because of New Orleans rules, our bus could not pick us up in front of our hotel in the French Quarter. We had to walk about 3 blocks every time we went anywhere with our tour bus. Not fun for the mostly elderly people who were on our tour.

Inconvenience of bus pick[up and drop off, and the fact that the activity I was most looking forward to (optional Miss. River Jazz cruise) had to be cancelled because of bus accident. They should have given us a choice to do either the bayou or the cruise and they didn't. The tour director just cancelled the Jazz Cruise. A bad ending to the tour.

Jen was a great help with suggestions for where to eat and where to go. We enjoyed the trip much more than we thought we would.

I did feel that there was not enough planned activity. One of the optional excursions should simply be included. However, we enjoyed what we did do and we felt that we used our free time well.

Jen was absolutely marvelous, very patient and understanding when a person was a tad late due to undue circumstances.

Cost was super, tour guide was terrific . Accommodations were good with breakfast included; just had a few hotel room issues. Tours and guides were terrific. Trip was on my bucket list, and everything I asked for.

This was our second Collette tour. They were both excellent experiences with knowledgeable tour guides.

The hotel room had a musty smell to it but was excellently placed on Bourbon street.

Our tour guide Jen was fantastic! Days before the tour started, she reached out to us and listed and explained many of the activities and things we needed know.

In four days we were able to see and experience all of New Orleans. This was perfect for us. Everything was accessible to our hotel.

It was evident the trip was well planned. The tour manager did a great job. If an issue came up she took care of it. She went over and above. My husband was given a birthday card the day we arrived--his birthday. Our introductory packet was color coded to make it easier for us. When a couple ladies weren't able to attend our visit to & dinner at the New Orleans School of Cooking, Jenn very thoughtfully took recipe packets that had been intended for them. She did her job efficiently & with professionalism.

We stayed in the heart of New Orleans (Bourbon St.) that gave us a really good feel for the city. I guess the morning spent in the bayou was my favorite. We learned about Jean LaFitte & during our boat ride in the bayou were able to watch alligators eat marshmallows off a stick. We also got to hold a little alligator while on the boat.

Well planned tours.

Swamp boat tour.it was beautiful going through the canals.

Very well organized with a knowledge local leader and tour guides. Hotel was excellent and centrally located in the French quarter.

WWII Museum was a personal favorite. Enjoyed the cooking school and local quinine.

The two meals that were free, were not very good. The hotel was just adequate. We were locked out of our room once and the wake up calls were messed up.

The bayou trip on the boat was interesting.

I most definitely would recommend Collette Tours to anyone I know! My husband and I have traveled with other companies, both within US and overseas, but Collette stands out greatly in terms of service, security, friendliness, to name a few. In fact I’m going with Collette again in the fall, God permitting.

I had zero complaints whatsoever about anything in the entire tour. Our tour guide, Elizabeth, was too good to ge true, if I had to compare her with previous tour guides we’ve had in the past.

Very fun and interesting--I learned a lot about New Orleans and the surrounding Bayou when we visited one on the swamp tour. I had a lot of fun, and the positive did out way the two negative aspects of the tour (which were in no way Collete's fault). The walking tour was difficult as we were in two groups and only one group had the radio as the company that mailed them out to our Tour Manager Elizabeth only sent one headset. We could hardly hear the tour guide over the natural sounds of the French Quarter. And while the food at the Court of Two Sisters was delicious, several of us had to wait 30 minutes for our entrees (and by that time the rest of the group had already finished their's). The rest of the tour was awesome, to me. Especially being able to visit the WWII museum (lots of information, exhibits and things to watch/listen to). One of the best museums I have ever been to. The Swamp Tour was another highlight. I don't remember the name of the guide, but his boat was called "Cajun Cadillac" and his personality and humor and knowledge stood out to me. And visit to the Oak Alley Plantation was very informative, and different (you don't see things like that in California), and pretty. Over all, despite the two hiccups in the trip, my experience was very fun and enjoyable. Definitely worth doing.

It was really fun and enjoyable. The tour guides were informative and the tours enjoyable. My favorite memorable experience had to be the WWII museum. I've never been to a museum like that before and it was huge (five buildings, and I only made it to three of them in the hours provided), and very informative. I enjoyed it a lot. Second was the swamp tour, the guide was hilarious and informative and the experience over all had a fun air from start to finish.

This was our first trip with Collette. It was well planned, fun, and full of history. Our tour guide Elizabeth Williams, was exceptional. She was very knowledgeable, so we learned so much about the area of New Orleans. Linda & Ken Tarrant 😀

Overall, great!! Glad we went.

Less walking on the tour, being able to be dropped off at the hotel not dropped off 3 blocks away and having to walk to the hotel. This was a group of seniors and the walking all over was a little much. The 2 Tours we had on the bus we had to walk 3 blocks to where the bus was parked waiting for us. Get serval smaller buses that can travel Bourbon Street. I did see a large bus drop off a group right at the hotel entrance wondering why Collette did not have this service for our group.

The best tour was the swamp tour, and the cooking school. Don’t us the court of 2 sisters for dinner ever again. It’s a outside dining plus the birds were a problem. The were eating the foods as it was being brought out, coming down on you table while dining. Some people did not get their food until it was time to leave. The service was terrible.

My accommodations in New Orleans was outstanding, the organized activities were fantastic and there was just the right amount of time for independent activities. This was my first trip to NOLA, I traveled alone but easily made new friends. I’d definitely recommend Collette to others.

I had an outstanding time, enjoyed the cooking school while learning local history. I appreciated the free recipes! The bayou trip, steamboat trip down the Mississippi and tour of the Mardi Gras museum were especially nice.

Our local Tour Guide, Elizabeth was excellent and went over and above making sure we were well taken care of always. We would have liked to have more dinners included, as well as better transportation in the area.

Cooking School was exceptional! The World War 11 Museum (optional tour) was incredible-we went and it should be added.

I found everyone associated with Collette to be extremely customer-service oriented. They were invariably happy to help with an issue and never dismissive of any concern that we might have had - even when we were being a bit silly.

Every aspect was interesting, pertinent to the area or history of the region, and all were memorable. A very well-thought-out tour with a variety of different experiences that would appeal to all tastes. The evening at the Culinary School was a highlight - the chef was both knowledgeable and entertaining, and I leaned a lot not only about Creole and Cajun cooking but about the history of the area and about cooking in general. The swamp tour was great - it was so nice to be away from the city and out in nature and sunshine … I never thought I could get excited (in a good way) to spot alligators!

Our tour manager, Elizabeth Williams, was absolutely tops. Tours were very good,especially Oak Alley Plantation and the WW2 museum. Would like to have spent more time at City Park.

Flight arrangements were horrendous. No need to leave from Boston and to come back thru Chicago to Boston again. If I had known about this I would not have chosen this tour.

Wonderful hotel. Elizabeth was a marvelous tour manager/guide. I never felt rushed and ended up seeing and doing everything on my list.

A vacation that was relaxing and so memorable!

Wonderful selection of included touring/sightseeing attractions.

From start to finish our Collette Tour Manager Elizabeth was the best! The Royal Sonesta Hotel's location was excellent. The included meals were great. Highlights were WWII Museum, New Orleans School of Cooking, swampland cruise.

Well organized tour. Appreciated the car service to the airport.

The Mardi Gras World was fascinating! We enjoyed the bayou trip which allowed us to see alligators firsthand!

I would certainly purchase their service again as I have had good experiences in the past. THE MAIN OFFICE DID OMIT TO ENCLOSE OUR TRANSFERS IN THE PACKAGE.

A very mixed agenda which gave a good overall view of New Orleans. Our Tour Manager was not allowed to accept our US Visa cards for the side trips and so we had to pay the exchange on our Canadian Visa's. We could see the reason behind this as they were perfectly legal. The reason given was that we had paid for Spotlight in New Orleans with Canadian Funds. I state awe as my companion had the same experience.

excellent tour director

tour inclusions except for cooking session

It was great. Knowledgeable and personable tour guide. Lots of fun

Really enjoyed the outdoor jazz venue right across the street from the hotel

It was my 1st tour and could not have been better. Our tour guide, Jen, was the best, very knowledgeable, and pleasant. Transportation arrangements were also excellent and on time.

The overall view of New Orleans sightseeing experience

Very good tour. Hotel clean and functional. Best was that it was right on Bourbon St. in the heart of the French Quarter. The Jazz club in the hotel was another enjoyable experience. Highlight was Mardi Gras World tour! Can’t say much about the parades because it rained but we did manage to take home some beads.

For the reasons I have stated.

Well organized tour. Excellent, outgoing, enthusiastic guide. Great selection of places to visit to get an overview of New Orleans.

Visit to the cooking school...very entertaining chef and great food. Wonderful introduction to the mixture of cultures and Mardi Gras celebrations.

Great trip. Staff were pleasant knowledgeable, on time, very accommodating, the accommodations were excellent and of high quality, excursions were interesting and fun. I’d definitely do travel with Collette again in a heartbeat.

Great trip. Will definitely travel with Collette again in the future.

We have traveled with Collette twice now and both times enjoyed easy, comfortable, organized and worthwhile experiences. Collette makes us feel pampered!

We saw and experienced some of the best of the city: the food, music, and attractions. Listening to jazz on Frenchman St was the most fun. The WWII museum was impressive.

Service was EXCELLENT!! A great company to travel with.

I loved the World War II museum, the swamp ride, the beautiful holiday decorations, and the OYSTERS.

The tour guide was excellent. She was knowledgeable, friendly and patient. There was an excellent mix of organized a activities and free time.

It included a variety of thing both entertaining and educational

This was a very enjoyable tour!! Very Very well planned and a smooth operation from the moment I was picked up at my home. The tour guide and local guides were very knowledgeable. I hope to take another tour with Collette.

I enjoyed the cemetery tour ...the local tour guide did an excellent job. She was very informative..I also enjoyed the NO Cooking School dinner. Thanks again. I have always wanted to go to New Orleans...so glad I made this trip!!

3 times using your service. Everything went smoothly. Italy, California and NOLA. Hotels great, tour guides too, restaurants fine. Hope to go somewhere next year if possible.

bus tour the best in the city, very interesting, next the walking one.

We were treated very professionally and personably by Collette and all those associated with such as our Tour Director, Randy Ley.

The tour was excellent ... Our accommodation and its location right in the centre of the French Quarters were fabulous as were the 2 days at Jazz Fest along with the additional walking tours, tour of the city of New Orleans, and the swamp tour (where we saw many, many alligators). Another highlight of the tour were meeting and building relationships with all the other people on the tour.

Everything was well planed and our tour guide was excellent and well informed about the tour.

Cooking school and jazz festival

Randy was an excellent tour guide. He was helpful and made the trip fun.

The tour was excellent because there was a lot of free time. The cooking class was a fun experience.

Tour guide was very knowledgeable. Good tours included, but also enough free time.

Excellent walking tour and bus tour. Great food.

excellent hotel, good location. Great tour of the French quarter. Tour guide was good.

enjoyed the food and sights

What an amazing tour. Our guide, **** was outstanding. Whether it was a walking tour of the French Quarter or a panoramic tour of the city, **** enlightened us with her knowledge of the city. Since it was the holiday season, we visited hotels which were beautifully decorated. Knowing the best restaurants for Cajun or Creole specialties was extremely helpful. We truly enjoyed this wonderful experience.

My favorite experience was the New Orleans cooking school. Chef ** was informative and entertaining, and the food was so delicious. I loved the whole event.

It all starts and ends with tour manager who lives in the city. Jen was great!

Great variety of activities that showcased New Orleans. And, the food was great.

All the tours were well planned and interesting. Our Guide was excellent and well informed. Great optional choices.

Ww11 museaum and Burbun Orleans hotel Jazz bands.

The service was great and enjoyed the city.

cooking class was excellenr.

First tour I've ever been on. It was a good experience. The guides were very knowledgable and I learned a lot. Meals were excellent. too much walking and the bed was too small for two people.

Learning how New Orleans started and about their beginnings and their special foods.

******* was very knowledgeable about the area, kept everything flowing and relaxed. As an Activity Director of a Senior Living Community I know that can be difficult at times. She was pleasant, always accessible and made you fell very comfortable.

We especially enjoyed the WWII Museum , my husband is a big history Buff. The trip on the riverboat as well as the Jazz club.

I would definitely recommend Collette Vacations. Good value.

My most memorable experience was a tour that was not part of the Collette package. It was a tour of the Whitney Plantation (also the Laura Plantation) and it was a life changer. I had to miss the city tour to do both plantations and was unhappy with missing parts of it but didn't want a pass & point. Recommend you include the Whitney Plantation in future.

(personal details removed by Feefo) our guide was knowledgeable and helpful. The food in the included meals and the two meals with the optional tours was mediocre at best. We have scheduled a Washington DC tour with Collette in the Fall and if the food isn't more diverse and a higher standard we will not be booking any further tours with Collette.

Repeated info from guides. Mediocre food.

Our guide *Personal Details removed by Feefo* was exceptional! She made sure everything happened exactly as it should. She was always available for help and suggestions.The swamp tour, walking tour, city tour were all very enjoyable.

Holding an alligator on the swamp tour.

The tour was great. We never did get to introduce ourselves to each other.

The swamp tour was unusual. The dinner at the Court was good. City walking tour was too long and tiring.

Everything was well planned and the tours and sightseeing were great. We could've never done it on our own.

Enjoyed the sightseeing tours.

I really enjoyed this tour. It was nice to be in one hotel for several nights-right in the French Quarter. Our tour director, was very personable and helpful. We had some highlights-a boat trip in a swamp where we saw alligators and a paddlewheel steamboat trip on the Mississippi

I was very pleased with all aspects of this tour and Colette management

Tour guide was wonderful. She did a great job. I enjoyed the guided tours, the mule carriage ride in the poring rain, and lots of time to walk around and do what I wanted to do and, of course, Cafe DuMonde

The tour guide was not very involved in the group and not very informative with information that should have been explained at the start of the tour.

Guides were great and very helpful

The cooking school was great, and the walking and bus tours were so informative. Also loved the swamp tour. Many people were disappointed in tour options--only one and we already had so much history on the bus and walking tours-- it got very boring. We did enjoy free time because we love to explore on our own too. Overall it was a great trip. Loved the hotel location because it was close to transportation and could walk to many attractions

No complaints about this trip. Everything was good. The only thing I would suggest is that the tour guides use a small speaker to highlight their voices, it was hard to hear them speak once we left the bus.

I really enjoyed the evening that we were at the cooking school

This is a 3 day tour, not a 5 day, as advertised. How can you count travel days as part of the tour? If one chose not to participate on the steamboat ride, then there was no alternative.

the cooking class with Kevin

The tour is really just 3 days, the other 2 being travelling days. You should advertise it as such. There was no alternative to the afternoon steamboat cruise. There should be another option for those not doing the cruise. Our tour director gave us our evaluation sheet at the beginning of the tour, an excellent idea which we have asked for on many of your tours.

The New Orleans cooking night was a great experience.

My wife and I have always enjoyed our Collette tours. We liked the sights, and our tour guides have always been very professional.

We love New Orleans, and we loved the way this tour was organized. My wife and I enjoyed the mix of organized tour events, and the free time to explore the city. We had a great time.

I do have another trip planned with Collette and hope this is better than the one I just took. Our tour manager was not up to what we have experienced in the past. Food could have been better.

The trip dates were April 11 to 15. Fair would have been a better rating. Swamp tour should have been postponed due to the weather. It was cut short due to thunder and lighting. No raincheck or refund offered. Microphone was not working properly during bus tour of the city. Could not hear the tour guide. Therefore missed most of the information about the city. Meal for the additional tour on the paddleboat was poor and not worth what we paid. Expected more from trip. Maybe we could have had lunch on the boat! No bananas at breakfast for French Toast choice till mid week. Tour manager did not interact with us as we have experienced in the past from our other tours. No welcome dinner and only part of the 3 out of the 5 days had things to due. A jazz night on Frenchman Street would have been a nice addition. Noise from the street below our room kept us up half the night. A better choice would have been an inside room.

This was our third tour with Collette. We have been very happy with them and have another trip scheduled for the fall. However, if this was my first trip I would probably not use them again due to what I will list below. I did request a particular tour manager and this request was not honored. I DO NOT WANT THE PERSON WE HAD THIS TIME FOR ANY FURTHER TOURS. I hope this will be honored in the future!

First of all, our trip was April 11 -15, not the 16th. I would like to have rated this tour as "Fair." This tour did not provide a chance to meet our fellow travelers, nor a chance to say god-bye at the end our the tour. My biggest disappointment was the swamp tour. No one has control of the weather, but it did rain every day. This did not really effect most of the days except the following. On the morning of the swamp tour a tornado was predicted and school was closed due to flooding. When we questioned our tour manager we were told that if the tour had to be cancelled it could be rescheduled the next afternoon when we had free time and switch our free time to the morning of the swamp tour. (Which, by the way, the next afternoon was not completely rained out!) But she decided to attempt the trip to the swamp tour. It was pouring rain as we boarded the boat. We hardly traveled out when the winds and rain picked up and thunder and lightning started. So we turned around and went back. We did not see anything but a few plants and trees - NO animals, let alone alligators!!! When I asked if we would return the next day I was pretty much laughed at! ( We had had our ride through the swamp! No rain check!) We also signed up for the optional paddleboat ride with lunch. The meal we were served at The Crazy Lobster was below what I would expect from Collette. The bread pudding that was served for dessert was burned! One of our selections for breakfast was French Toast with Bananas Foster. It wasn't until about day 3 or 4 that the restaurant finally had bananas! When we took the bus ride for the city tour it was described in the brochure that it would be a panoramic bus which it was not - just a regular coach. I could not hear the guide because the microphone was not working properly. He seemed to have a lot of interesting informations about N.O. but I could not hear him while in the bus. At the cemetery I was able to hear since we were outside and that is how I was able to realize he had a lot to offer. The night we went to The Two Sisters restaurant it was not raining, But it did begin again by the time it was dessert time. We asked the waiters to put up the umbrellas to block the rain, but they did not. So our table had to move inside and be separated from our group. Our original table was not the best. It was two tables put together to accommodate our group and was not on even ground. I did request a previous tour manager from another tour we were on who does this tour as did the other couple in our group and she was not assigned to us. Jen Jette was our tour manager, who we met when we went on the Hollywood tour for the New Years Eve event, was not the most warm person, either then or this time. I have met several managers in the past and all were very nice. I feel that she did not go out of her way, especially since this was her town! One thing she did suggest was the oysters at the Happy Hour in our hotel and I have her to thank for me trying something I would never had done in the past. But when we were on the tour of the battlefield I was stung by fire ants and when I told her about it her only suggestion was to see my doctor when I got home. I am not sure since I was very uncomfortable, she may have offered to get me something from a drug store.