Holland America Line's Westerdam is making its maiden call at the Port of New Orleans’ Julia Street Cruise Terminal Tuesday October 27, kicking off a busy year of port calls that will run through 2016.
Port officials will mark the ship’s maiden voyage to New Orleans with a plaque exchange aboard the Westerdam, which will be attended by Carnival Corp. President and CEO Arnold W. Donald.
Next month, AIDA Cruises will return the AIDAvita to New Orleans November 27 for the first of 11 overnight calls through December of 2016. P&O Cruises will also have a significant presence in New Orleans next year, as its Oriana will make three overnight calls and P&O’s Oceana and Azura will make one overnight call each all at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal. In addition, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2 will call at the port October 10-12 in 2016 and Azamara Club Cruises will bring its Azamara Quest for a two-day call October 25-26, 2016.
Cruise Lines International Association ranks the Port of New Orleans the sixth-largest cruise port in the United States.
The port currently hosts three home-ported cruise ships. Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Elation sails year-round four- and five-day itineraries from New Orleans and the Carnival Dream sails year-round seven-day itineraries to both eastern and western Caribbean destinations. In April, Carnival Cruise Lines will increase its capacity for four- and five-day itineraries by 34 percent with the Carnival Triumph replacing the Carnival Elation. In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn will return November 13 to sail seasonal seven-day cruises from November through May from the Julia Street Cruise Terminal.
New Orleans also offers coastal and River cruises throughout the year. American Cruise Lines homeports its sternwheelers Queen of the Mississippi and American Eagle in New Orleans and American Queen Steamboat Company sails the American Queen from New Orleans.
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