New Orleans relaunches cruise ships

[Jason]

New Orleans relaunches cruise ships

Source: Calcultta News

New Orleans is jumpstarting its cruise ship tourism with the Norwegian Sun, the first ship to sail from the Port of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that the Sun, will be followed by the Carnival Fantasy and a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Tourism officials and businesses that depend on tourism generated by cruise ships are hopeful that pre-Katrina trends will soon return.

Together, the three ships take New Orleans back to the number it had before last year's hurricane, when millions of dollars in direct spending came to the city. Tourism officials say that because New Orleans is a destination in itself, it was a popular city for cruise ship passengers to dock from.

The Times-Picayune reported that there are no expectations of a swift return to pre-Katrina success. Obstacles to the economic comeback include tourists' hesitation to spend time in New Orleans, the rivalry of other ports, violent hurricane seasons and the decline in demand for Caribbean cruises.

[Mebert]

I, for one, can't wait to get back to New Orleans. If the cruise lines have an interesting itinerary from that destination, I'm there.

I would love to help contribute to the rebuilding of New Orleans by helping to increase it's tourist base. I would spend a few days in the city before I went off on a cruise.

[JoeyandDavid]

Good Luck New Orleans

[schatje]

I understand that the French Quarter did not suffer alot of damage so it would be great to get back there before a cruise.

[lilrosie]

Its great that they are opening the port again...

[hazelson]

I would still love to see New Orleans - it is amazing how far they have come but there is still so much to do - I know because Anderson Cooper told me so LOL.