The Port of New Orleans says over 1.18 million cruise passengers passed through the port in 2018, setting a new record the port.
That’s up 2.3 percent compared to 2017. The port attributed the increase to a 23 percent jump in guests taking Mississippi River cruises.
In 2018, 235 passenger ships called on Port NOLA, compared to 229 in 2017, and momentum and diversification continues to build.
The port welcomed its largest cruise ship to date last November with the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, which will sail seven-day cruises through April.
The traffic added tourists to the streets of New Orleans, with 73 percent spending a day or two in the city before or after cruising, officials said.
New and larger ships are sailing on the river and to the Caribbean this year.
Matt Hochberg
Matt loves to cruise, and started Cruise.Blog as a place to share different cruise experiences, advice, and what to know before going on a cruise.
He lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters, where he can be found on any given day trying to convince his wife they "need" to book another cruise.
