The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has welcomed the largest cruise ship in both length and passenger occupancy to ever sail from the Crescent City when the Norwegian Breakaway homeported at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal for its inaugural cruise Nov. 11, 2018. The ship placement contributes to Port NOLA’s cruise business momentum and contributes to tourism’s economic impact across the New Orleans-region.
The 1,068-foot vessel will sail from New Orleans through April 12, 2019, offering five, seven, 10- and 11-day Western Caribbean cruises with calls to some of the top Caribbean destinations, including Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Belize City and Harvest Caye, Belize.
Port NOLA is on target to surpass 1 million cruise passenger movements for the fifth consecutive year in 2018, thanks in part to ocean and river cruise lines homeporting newer and larger ships in the Big Easy. Port NOLA’s growing cruise business reinforces the tourism and hospitality industries, and local small and medium businesses in the city, according to data collected by Business Research and Economic Advisors.
Homeports are 98 percent of cruise calls at Port NOLA and generate greater economic impacts beyond passenger spending by taking on provisions such as fuel, maintenance, and other services from local businesses.
Many cruise lines have direct partnerships with top hotel chains. Additionally, approximately 32 percent of cruise passengers fly through Louis Armstrong International Airport helping to drive demand for new direct air services.
Norwegian Cruise Line will offer guests a new cruise experience again next year when sister ship Norwegian Getaway repositions to the Crescent City replacing Norwegian Breakaway in November 2019.