The cruise industry at the Port of New Orleans is on a roll. The port continues to see more passengers and more ships sail from the city.
2018 saw a record number of passengers depart the port...more than 1,182,000 folks.
"It was our fifth consecutive year over one million passengers and we were up 2.3 percent compared to last year," says port spokesman, Matt Gresham.
He says Mississippi River cruises surged 23 percent. And river cruising is still considered an untapped market.
New and larger ships are set to sail from New Orleans both on the river and in the Caribbean this year.
"The year-over-year growth we've seen is really a testament to New Orleans as a popular home port for the cruise industry and the public."
The Port expects to set another new record for passenger count in 2020.
Next year on this date, the first Disney ship to sail from the city, the 'Wonder' departs for the Western Caribbean. Gresham says it's a timely departure date.
"Disney is pretty smart to begin sailing during the Mardi Gras season, as they're well aware of our residents' travel patterns, I guess, during the Mardi Gras break."
The Disney 'Wonder' will leave New Orleans next February on a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise. It's already sold out. In 2020, the 'Wonder' will sail on a variety of Caribbean and Bahamian cruises from New Orleans, marking the first time Disney Cruise Line will have a homeport in Louisiana.
Gresham says the cruise industry brings a significant amount of cash to the Crescent City.
In 2018, 235 passenger ships called on Port NOLA, compared to 229 in 2017.
"Those cruise passengers and ship crew spend an estimated 129.1 million annually in the local economy," says Gresham.
Ninety percent of cruise passengers travel from out of state.
"And, of those passengers, you have about 73 percent that spend a day or two in New Orleans either before or after that cruise, and make a purchase in the city and stay here, generating over 306,000 room nights per year in area hotels."
