When Hurrican Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, it brought death, destruction and years of rebuilding. It also crippled the area's tourism industry, including New Orlean's busy cruise industry.
Things have turned around, as 2011 brought cruisers back in force. With Carnival bringing in two ships, and Royal Caribbean one, more than one million passengers may sail from NOLA in 2012, 250,000 more than before Katrina.
Carnival currently has the Elation (2,052 passengers) and the Conquest (2,974 passengers) sailing from New Orleans, and Royal Caribbean has Voyager of the Seas (3,114 passengers).
In addition, as the entry point of the Mississippi River to the Gulf, an increase in paddle wheel boats cruising up the river is making it's presence known as well.
The Port of New Orleans generates a quarter of its revenue from the cruise ship business, and President Gary LaGrange recently brought up the river specifically as a source of revitalization to the port's economic health.
Katrina did damage to 80% of the city in 2005. Since that time, the Port of New Orleans has spent nearly $60 million in renovations to cruise terminals, with another $40 being spent currently on a third terminal.
Subscribe to my daily Examiner Cruise updates, (including Concordia updates as they happen) and forward these reports through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Google +. Follow me on Twitter - @BigBlueMan (personal) or @TheCruisePaper (cruise info only).
Comments