Media Contact: Kimberly Curth kimberly.curth@portnola.com (504) 388-4898 Port of New Orleans Breaks Cruise Passenger Record
NEW ORLEANS— The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), the 6th largest U.S. cruise port and the only port in the country that offers both ocean-going and river cruising, announced today a record-breaking year with more than 1.2 million cruise passenger movements in 2024. Port NOLA’s two cruise terminals at Erato Street and Julia Street are located within the heart of the city, just steps away from the historic French Quarter, world-renowned restaurants, and unique cultural heritage.
“We are grateful to our cruise and hospitality partners, including New Orleans & Company, for their role in helping Port NOLA achieve a record-breaking number of passengers,” said Port NOLA President & CEO Beth Branch. “These valued partnerships continue to drive strong demand and promising growth projections for both ocean-going and river cruising from Port NOLA. We look forward to building on this momentum for another successful year in 2025.”
Port NOLA’s cruise business contributes significantly to the state and local economy. Ninety percent of cruise guests travel from out-of-state - 70% of those guests spend one or two days in New Orleans either before or after their cruise - generating more than 300,000 hotel room nights and upward of $125 million in local spending each year.
“Our team at New Orleans & Company works daily to ensure New Orleans remains a highly popular cruise destination for both travelers and the cruise lines,” said Walt Leger, III President and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the official destination marketing and sales organization for the New Orleans tourism industry. “We salute our partners at the Port of New Orleans for a second consecutive year of passenger growth. These results, like tourism, do not just happen. It is the result of innovative strategies and years of relationships. We work to ensure that New Orleans remains the most remarkable, unique, and welcoming city in the world, and we are pleased that visitors from around the world continue to honor us by choosing our city as their top destination for cruising, leisure visits, meetings, and major events.”
In 2024, there were continued commitments from Port NOLA’s cruise line partners. Carnival Cruise Line finalized a five-year agreement for two year-round vessels, currently “The Valor” and “The Liberty” and celebrated their 30th year of cruising from New Orleans. Royal Caribbean returned with the “Brilliance of the Seas,” and Port NOLA continues to offer sailings on six homeported river vessels, including American Cruise Lines and North America’s first Viking Cruise that was built in Louisiana and began sailing in 2022. Norwegian Cruise Line is continuing with their five-year agreement with Port NOLA and added sailings for the “Norwegian Getaway.”
Port NOLA will also bring port calls to New Orleans in 2025, with vessels that come to New Orleans for cruise guests to enjoy the city and its many attractions. On January 16th, Port NOLA welcomed the inaugural call of MSC’s Explora II, a luxury cruise line. Also, this year, Port NOLA will welcome P&O’s Ventura, a Carnival Corporation Subsidiary as well as SAGA Cruises Spirit of Discovery.
About Port NOLA: The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is a modern multimodal gateway for global commerce and an in-demand cruise port — delivering seamless, integrated logistics solutions between river, rail, and road. Port NOLA is a diverse deep-water port uniquely located on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico -- with access to 30-plus major inland hubs such as Dallas, Memphis, Chicago, and Canada via 14,500 miles of waterways, 6 Class I railroads and interstate roadways. Strategic alignment with the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, a Class III connecting railroad, strengthens Port NOLA’s position as an integrated hub and supports the Port’s mission of driving regional economic prosperity. – End –
