The Port of New Orleans says it set a new record in 2018 with over 1.18 million cruise passengers traveling through.
The Carnival Dream departs the Erato Street Cruise Terminal, while the Norwegian Breakaway is berthed at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal. Photo courtesy Port NOLA.
That’s up 2.3 percent compared to 2017. The port attributed the increase to a 23 percent jump in guests taking Mississippi River cruises.
In 2018, 235 passenger ships called on the port, compared to 229 in 2017. Royal Caribbean began sailing again from New Orleans on its 2,050-passenger Vision of the Seas, and Disney Cruise Line announced it would begin sailing in early 2020.
The port welcomed its largest cruise ship to date last November with the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, which will sail seven-day cruises through April.
Riverboat passengers set a record in 2018, with 30,298 passengers moving through.
The traffic added tourists to the streets of New Orleans, with 73 percent spending a day or two in the city before or after cruising, officials said.
New and larger ships are sailing on the river and to the Caribbean this year.
Carnival Cruise Line will increase space in its four and five-day cruise program, replacing the Carnival Triumph on March 1 with the 2,980-passenger Carnival Glory and Carnival Valor.
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