Carnival in New Orleans

[Jason]

Carnival in New Orleans

Source: The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The Carnival Cruise Line ship Triumph will offer seven–day cruises year–round from the Port of New Orleans beginning next year, Carnival Corp. announced in a move hailed by port officials as a vital boost to the city’s hurricane–damaged travel and tourism industry.

"This is huge," said Gary LaGrange, president and chief executive officer of the Port, on Wednesday. "This makes us whole again. It brings us back to the levels we had prior to Katrina.

"We were on a growth mode before and this brings us back and beyond."

With Wednesday’s announcement, LaGrange said three cruise lines will base four ships in New Orleans by fall 2007, a return to levels of operation before Hurricane Katrina struck last August.

Carnival’s ship Fantasy is scheduled to begin year–round cruises from New Orleans to the Caribbean beginning Oct. 26.

Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Princess Cruise Lines also will begin sailing from New Orleans in the coming months.

Triumph, which can carry more than 2,750 passengers, will sail Aug. 28, 2007 on a five day–cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel. Seven–day cruises will begin Sept. 2.

With the Triumph and 2,056–passenger Fantasy both in operation, Carnival expects to carry 320,000 passengers annually from New Orleans.

LaGrange said the cruise industry generated about 2,800 jobs before the hurricane struck and he anticipates that figure will continue to grow with the cruise industry’s return this fall. He said he expects employment to return to those levels and to grow.

LaGrange added that the boost in cruises will likely have a domino effect on the city’s hotel–motel and airline industries.