Cruise lines plan to resume Service at New Orleans

[Jason]

According to Port of New Orleans officials, all three established cruise lines that homeport ships in New Orleans are eager to return to the city.

The cruise segment of the Port of New Orleans has grown exponentially in recent years, with New Orleans blossoming into one of the most popular ports of embarkation for cruise ship customers. And the return of the cruise industry is good news for the city. A recent study determined the industry generates $226 million in direct and indirect sales annually, which supports 2,798 full and part-time jobs paying $74.1 million in wages in the region.

"Carnival, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line have all said they will return to New Orleans at the earliest opportunity," said Gary LaGrange, president and chief executive of the Port of New Orleans. "Our cruise terminals are ready to go and we're very pleased with the positive response and commitment shown by the cruise operators to the Port of New Orleans."

Carnival"s 952-foot Carnival Conquest, which serves nearly 3,000 passengers, plans to return as soon as early spring 2006. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Carnival Conquest has sailed from Galveston, Texas.

Carnival's Sensation and Ecstasy have been under contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide housing to firefighters, police, rescue workers and their families. The Sensation plans to resume regular customer service from New Orleans when it's FEMA obligations are over.

Royal Caribbean announced recently its Grandeur of the Seas would return to New Orleans on Dec. 2, 2006, its regularly scheduled return date, when the ship will resume seven-night sailings to Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Costa Maya, Mexico.

"We sincerely look forward to welcoming Grandeur of the Seas back to the Port of New Orleans in the fall of 2006 to once again begin her traditional seven-night sailings," said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International. "The impact of Hurricane Katrina has been devastating, but we are confident that New Orleans will reclaim its place as a world-class tourism destination."

The Grandeur of the Seas will sail from her temporary port, the Port of Tampa, on a series of four- and five-night Western Caribbean itineraries from December until May 2006, before relocating to Baltimore for the summer season.

The Norwegian Sun will resume its normal November to May Western Caribbean cruises from New Orleans in November of 2006.

In response to surging demand, the Port of New Orleans is in the process of expanding its cruise terminal capacity. The existing Julia Street Cruise Terminal Complex sustained very little damage from the storm and is ready for business. However, construction on the Erato Street Cruise Terminal, scheduled for completion in December will be delayed by about three months. The $37 million project will add a 90,000 square-foot terminal and a 1,000-vehicle parking garage.

The conversion of the Poland Avenue Wharf into a cruise terminal however, did suffer a setback. Port officials are optimistic that the project will move forward as soon as possible.

"Although the short-term effect will be substantial, we believe the cruise business in New Orleans will return to its pre-Katrina levels and the anticipated expansion will not be affected," said Robert Jumonville, the port's director of cruise and tourism.

Source: The Louisiana Weekly

[JohnG]

I was told by the Carnival VP of National Sales that they intend to keep Conquest in Galveston and put something else in New Orleans when it is ready.