The Port of New Orleans has rebounded since the pandemic with nearly one point two million cruise passenger movements last year. Spokesperson Kimberly Curth says cruises are back and better than ever.
“We set a new record back in March with more than 155 thousand cruise passenger moves for that month. That topped the previous record set in February 2020 which was of course just before the global pandemic.”
Port NOLA set a passenger record in March 2023 for oceangoing and river cruises, topping pre-pandemic levels with more than 155 passenger movement and 39 cruise vessel calls.
Curth says 73 percent of cruise guests travel from out of state and spend one to two days in the Crescent City before or after their cruise. She says the cruise market is a vital economic cruise engine that generates more than 125 million each year.
“It’s almost like a floating convention pulled into town and those passengers are either spending one or two nights at our hotels but they’re also injecting money into our economy by visiting our restaurants and our attractions.”
Carnival Cruise Line homeports two year-round vessels from Port NOLA. Disney Cruise Line also returned to the Big Easy. Royal Caribbean returns with a new vessel in November 2024.
Curth says New Orleans is one of the most popular pre and post cruise destinations in the country. She says it’s a competitive marketplace but…
“Demand is there and we see that with our cruise lines partners continuing to commit to this market.”
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