For the first time since the end of the pandemic-era, the Port of New Orleans will set a new record number of annual cruise passengers. By the close of 2024, the port will have seen 1.3 million cruise passenger movements through the facility, including guests on ocean-going and river ships.
The passenger total will easily exceed 2023’s 1.2 million transits, which signaled the port’s return to the 2019 level. That year was a record-breaker, surpassing the 1.1 million recorded in 2018.
With the increase to 1.3 million in 2024, the cruise sector accounts for more than 15% of the port’s annual revenue.
The increase in cruise tourism helps not only the port but also the city of New Orleans. With about 90% of cruise arrivals traveling to the port from other states, roughly 70% of them will book pre- or post-cruise stays in the Big Easy.
That translates into some 300,000 hotel room night bookings and about $125 million in revenue for local businesses.
Cruise lines embrace New Orleans as a convenient departure port for Western Caribbean cruises and, to a lesser degree, Eastern Caribbean sailings. All three major lines, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, have ships operating from the port.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor, both Conquest-class ships that entered service in 2004, are based at the port year-round.
The 2,980-guest Carnival Valor operates 3- and 4-night Western Caribbean cruises. The shorter option calls at Cozumel, Mexico, while the longer itinerary visits Cozumel and Costa Maya.
Carnival Liberty, accommodating 2,974 guests, offers 6-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. Western Caribbean sailings visit destinations such as Roatan, Honduras; Belize; Cozumel; and Jamaica, depending on departure date, while Eastern Caribbean itineraries call at Key West, and Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas.
Norwegian Cruise Line homeports the mega-ship Norwegian Getaway at New Orleans. The 4,000-guest Breakaway-class ship that debuted in 2014 introduced her seasonal Western Caribbean cruise series in October 2024.
Port calls feature Harvest Caye, a private destination in Belize; Roatan, Honduras; and Costa Maya and Cozumel. The ship will remain in New Orleans through April 2025 before deploying to New York for a Bermuda cruise series.
Read Also: How to Get to the New Orleans Cruise Port
Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, a Radiance-class ship that launched in 2001, began her seasonal New Orleans deployment in October 2024, sailing 6-night cruises.
The 2,140-guest ship offers itineraries calling at Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Perfect Day at Coco Cay, the line’s private island; Grand Cayman; Progresso; and Jamaica.
Brilliance of the Seas will homeport at New Orleans until early April. The ship will then reposition to Athens for her summer series of 6-night Eastern Mediterranean voyages.
Port Official Predicts Another Cruise Record in 2025
Taken together, the cruise ship schedules in 2025 indicate that the Port of New Orleans could continue its record-breaking streak.
“With a record number of cruise passengers anticipated across the industry in 2025, New Orleans remains a leading destination for two vacations in one as cruise passengers typically stay to experience our city before or after their voyage,” said Ronald Wendel, Jr., acting president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans.
”Our long-standing partnerships have been key to this success, and we’re grateful to our cruise line and hospitality partners for their continued support,” added Wendel.
The port accommodates cruise ships at two terminals. Carnival Cruise Line ships use the port’s Erato Street Cruise Terminal while Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line use the Julia Street Cruise Terminal.
New Orleans also welcomes river cruises that ply the Mississippi River, including Viking and American Cruise Lines. The vessels carry from 150 to nearly 400 guests each, and operate roundtrip from the Big Easy to historic destinations such as Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, and places farther north, including destinations in Missouri and Minnesota, among others.
