Cruise Industry

You may already know New Orleans as a world-class destination for hotels and fine restaurants, but do you know that the city is also a major port of call for Caribbean cruises? International cruise lines embark from New Orleans daily on weeklong Caribbean excursions or up the historic waterways of the United States.

And the cruise ships docked downtown at Julia Street are just a stone's throw away from the historic French Quarter.

A cruise itinerary which begins and ends in New Orleans offers passengers two vacation experiences in one trip," says Gary LaGrange Port of New Orleans chief executive. "Most passengers will spend a couple of days in New Orleans either before or after their cruises."

More than 11 million people visited New Orleans in 2001. And in the past decade the city has reaped huge benefits from improving the visitors experience with an emerging cruise industry. The number of passengers making New Orleans a port of call has grown from 40,000 in 1993 to an estimated 450,000 in 2003.

The port is investing heavily in its infrastructure. The Julia Street terminal complex has received a $9 million upgrade, including air-conditioning, an elevated passenger gangway; expanded customs and baggage areas; covered and lighted walkways and a vehicular drive-in and drop-off area.

The two terminals combine for 35,000 square feet of check-in/waiting area, 46,000 square feet of baggage area, enough room to accommodate three vessels. There is also on-site parking for 350 vehicles and plenty of hotels and private lots nearby.

A new and larger cruise terminal is also planned for the adjacent Erato Street Wharf.

Cruise lines are telling us they want to be in New Orleans -- and it's because passengers are telling the cruise lines that New Orleans is their favorite port of embarkation, says LaGrange.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean lines currently home-port vessels in New Orleans. This past November, Carnival held its naming ceremony in New Orleans for the Conquest, the jewel of the Carnival fleet and its newest vessel.

New Orleans is now the second largest port for Carnival Cruise Lines in terms of passenger throughput with the infrastructure to handle one of the largest cruise vessels in the world.

And Beginning in November, Norwegian Cruise Lines will debark its 1,800-passenger, Norwegian Dream, from New Orleans to call on Caribbean ports in the winter and spring. Says Norwegian Cruise Lines Colin Veitch: New Orleans is a great drive up market as well as an extremely attractive port of embarkation, especially for consumers in the western half of the United States who won't have to catch the red-eye all the way to the East Coast in order to experience a Western Caribbean cruise.

Caribbean Cruises

Carnival's newest ship, the 110,000-ton Conquest, offers passengers the most comfortable and modern amenities. She can accommodate 2,974 passengers. The Conquest embarks on a seven-day Caribbean cruise every Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and returns at 8:00 a.m. the following Sunday. Check-in starts 1:30 p.m. Passengers must board by 3:30 p.m. (The Conquest periodically docks in Gulfport, Mississippi. Contact Carnival for details.

Carnival's Holiday liner departs from New Orleans regularly on five-day and four-day Caribbean cruises. At 46,000 tons, she can carry 1,452 passengers. Due to Holiday's staggered departures, call Carnival for specific departure dates. The Holiday always departs at 4:00 p.m. and returns at 8:00 a.m. For information on both cruises, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit www.carnival.com.

Royal Caribbean's Grandeur will continue to operate weekly from New Orleans until May 3, and will resume cruises on November 15. The 74,000-ton Grandeur accommodates up to 2,500 passengers. She departs on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. and returns the following Saturday at 8:00 a.m. The Grandeur sails two separate routes: starting at Georgetown, Grand Caymen onto Cozumel, Mexico and finally to Progreso Mexico; or starting at Progreso, Mexico onto Cozumel and finally to Key West, Fla. Passengers spend two nights and three days at sea. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. Passengers must be on board by 4:00 p.m. For more information call 1-800-327-6700 or visit www.royalcaribbean.com.

In November, Norwegian Cruise Lines disembarks its 1,800-passenger, Norwegian Dream, from New Orleans to call on Caribbean ports in the winter and spring. The Norwegian Dream offers a seven-day itinerary to Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras, Belize city, Belize; and Cancun, Mexico.

Inland River Trips

The Delta Queen Steamboat Company continues its famed paddlewheel riverboats from New Orleans. The Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen offer inland river cruises and themed vacations from sailing the voyage of Lewis and Clark to following the footprints of Union and Confederate soldiers. Passengers will visit historic trading centers, like Natchez, Miss., Hannibal and St. Louis, Mo., St. Paul, Minn., Louisville, Ky., Chattanooga and Nashville, Tenn., Cincinnati, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Penn. Delta Queen steamboats dock at the Robin Street Wharf, adjacent to the Port of New Orleans on Port of New Orleans Place. For more information visit: www.deltaqueen.com or call 504-586-0631. For reservations call (800) 543-1949.

RiverBarge Excursions explores America's rivers and inland waterways with its virtual floating hotel, the River Explorer, on Four to ten day cruises. For more information visit www.riverbarge.com or call (888) 456-2206.