FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Kimmie Carlos Royal Carriages Director of Sales & Marketing [email protected] (504)655-9926 or (985) 788-0425

OLDEST CARRIAGE COMPANY IN U.S. BRING REIGNS TO HISTORIC DOWNTOWN COVINGTON Royal Carriages teams up with St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission to begin touring on Louisiana’s Northshore. (New Orleans, LA) November 2nd, 2020 – Royal Carriages is thrilled to announce expansion into St. Tammany Parish, bringing their generations-long New Orleans carriage tour to the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.

Beginning November 6th, rides will depart from the Marsolan Feed and Seed Store in Covington, Louisiana, right next to the area’s Trailhead Museum. As a special kick off, the team has invited the city’s mayor Mark Johnson to embark on the first carriage ride. Tours will then run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. “We are excited to partner with the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission to bring a favorite New Orleans tradition to the charming town of Covington,” said Royal Carriages Director of Marketing Kimmie Carlos. “As the oldest carriage company in the country at 79-years strong, we want all of Louisiana’s Northshore to experience history with us as we move into the holiday season and create new family traditions.” Visitors will have the option for a half hour or full hour carriage tour of Old Covington which includes an expert guide to narrate the history of the area. The nationally recognized attraction also has plans for private tours, weddings, and private events.

Online ticket purchases are encouraged and can be done now by visiting NorthshoreCarriages.com. Adult ticket prices range from $20-$40, child tickets are $10 and three-years-old and under are free. For more information, please go to NorthshoreCarriages.com, call or email Kimmie Carlos at (985) 788-0425 or [email protected]

ABOUT ROYAL CARRIAGES: Royal Carriages is the oldest sightseeing carriage company in the United States. It started in 1941 by Clem and Violet Lauga with only one horse and carriage. Through the years, and with the Lauga family at the helm, the company has grown into a full-service carriage company with 45 employees in the heart of New Orleans. The company prides itself on the care it gives to its animals, with each mule receiving months of annual vacation on one of the company’s two farms in Covington, Louisiana and Poplarville, Mississippi. For more information, go to neworleanscarriages.com or Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TripAdvisor.

A Reason to Walk 

So many individuals and businesses are affected by COVID-19 . Our business stopped operating on March 19 th, 2020, and we were forced to lay off our entire team of 46 people and 54 mules. Due to city regulations restricting "vehicles" from operating tours until Phase 3, we will be offering our tours in a different way. In lieu of Mule - Drawn Carriage tours we are now offering our award-winning tours as walking tours. You will be supporting our families 80-year-old, 3rd generation, veteran-owned business. Let our professional tour guides navigate your family or small group through several different historical areas of our beautiful city. Our new offerings will include : 

• Mules in the Marigny Creole Neighborhood Tour -  Visit our stable and interact with our mules. Discover the intriguing history of the oldest existing stable in New Orleans. Tour the Faubourg Marigny, the 2nd oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, and see Frenchman St, the home of Charles Laveau , the father of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau.
• History and Haunts Tour -   Experience for yourself the storied spectacle of the most haunted city in America. Hear eerie spirit tales of ghosts and voodoo that will shock and intrigue you. 
• St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 /French Quarter Tour -  See unique and mysterious above-ground tombs... the resting place of Marie Laveau. Also, tour the world-famous French Quarter.

Safety Standards 

Our walking are $29.99 per guest utilizing small groups, no larger than 14 guests per tour. The tours are 1.5 hours long. All guides and guests are required to social distance and wear masks. Hand sanitizer will be provided. 

Give us and yourself a reason to walk, let Royal Carriages' 80 years experience show you the history of New Orleans, the most authentic way you can. 

Hope to see you soon

Sincerely, 

Team Royal 

It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to temporarily close the operation of tours beginning March 19th, 2020, and will reopen July 3th, 2020.

This is in keeping with the declaration by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards regarding containment of Covid19 – the Corona Virus. It is determined to be in the best interest of our guests and our employees.  

Please check back with us for updates.

If you are scheduled between now and July 3rd, 2020 and would like to reschedule, please contact us at [email protected] 

All of the mules and team members cannot wait to see you when we resume operations. In the meantime please support your local businesses and buy gift cards. 

Sincerely, 

Royal Carriages Management

Royal Carriages cares deeply about your health, wellness, and safety. We’re in unnerving times, and we want to express our appreciation to our always thoughtful community as we work together to safely navigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

We know from many of you that getting away is often an important respite in the most stressful of times - whether during an intense period of work, school, or something else. If you're willing, well, and comfortable, we want you to know that we are here for you and welcome you to join us in the City of New Orleans whether you are a Native New Orleanian or seeing our city for the first time, and experience the simple joys of exploring our city.

Here are some of the things we are doing in response to the coronavirus:

• We have intensified cleaning procedures to ensure our carriages are more deeply disinfected to prevent germs from spreading and to ensure your safety. 
• We are closely monitoring the guidance of local health officials and the CDC for our area. We are following all the recommendations to provide for our guest’s safety and comfort on our tours.
• Given the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, we are forgoing our standard all sales final policy.  If you have a reservation and feel sick or otherwise do not feel up to joining us, please reach out to us 48 hours prior to your reservation and we will provide you with a  full refund and hope you can join for some fun in the future.

Until then please stay healthy and safe!

This week, Royal Carriages was featured on "Another Vieux: Singing In the French Quarter With Irma Thomas" featuring Sheba Turk on WWL TV. 

It was a total joy having such a legend on a carriage ride with us, and we have to say that we learned a lot too!

Singing along and having a grand time, the weather was gorgeous and absolutely perfect for a New Orleans French Quarter Tour. We definitely had to pinch ourselves to make sure that such an illustrious day was real! But that's what it's like to live and breath New Orleans, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Big thanks to Sheba Turk, WWL TV, and the legend herself, Ms. Irma Thomas for choosing Royal Carriages for this wonderful excursion.

See the full spot here.