Cruising at Port of New Orleans Sees Highest Traffic since Katrina

After the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005 sending floods through the city and decimating cruise business at the Port of New Orleans, the return of three major cruise ships has sent the port back into a bustling hub of activity.

In late 2011, three cruise ships returned to the stricken city’s port—Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,052-passenger Elation, 2,974-passenger Conquest, and Royal Caribbean’s 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas.  The ships have been hiking up tourism and cruise business even higher than levels pre-Katrina, and are likely to welcome more than one million passengers this year, 250,000 more than just before the natural disaster, according to port statistics reported by USA Today.

The revival of the cruise ships is not the only factor driving up port traffic, there are also new paddle wheel boats providing cruises up the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast.  Port of New Orleans President and Chief Executive, Gary LaGrange, says that the river is returning as a breathing economic force to supplement the port’s revival.  Almost 1/4th of Port of New Orleans’ revenue is generated from cruise business, and as LaGrange says, the vessels’ return is “huge”.

PHOTO: Gary LaGrange, Port of New Orleans President and Chief Executive.

New Orleans has been gradually revamping itself since Katrina tore through 80% of the city seven years ago.  The port had invested nearly $60 million in renovations to their cruise terminals, allowing it to host the ever-growing sizes of new cruise ship, and a third terminal is currently undergoing a $40 million makeover.

Vance Gulliksen, a spokesman for Carnival, said that this revival and appeal of New Orleans made it an attractive port for their ships to return to, and that the city as a destination before or after a cruise is very strong.

And as the cruise industry booms at port, so will New Orleans.  

PHOTO: Cruise terminal at Port of New Orleans.