On April 10, 2025, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced that it recorded over 165,000 passenger movements in March of this year.
Passenger movements are categorized as the number of cruise passengers either boarding or disembarking from a ship.
The previous record was set in March of 2023 when the port had just over 155,000 cruise passenger moves during the month.
Beth Branch, the President and CEO of Port NOLA, commented on the significance of the milestone, sharing that the demand for itineraries out of the port has made New Orleans a premier cruising destination.
“This record momentum solidifies Port NOLA’s position as the 6th largest U.S. cruise port, offering travelers a unique blend of ocean and river cruising experiences,” Branch said, sharing more about the versatility of Louisiana’s cruise hub.
While it may not be the largest port, it is the only one in the United States that offers both river and ocean cruising options.
Port NOLA Director of Cruise Steven Gauthier also shared his excitement about the increase in port calls, saying that guests are enjoying the city and events like Mardi Gras.
“We look forward to welcoming even more cruise guests in 2025 and showing them that one-of-a-kind Big Easy hospitality,” added Gauthier.
NOLA is a city that embraces and welcomes cruise tourism, as it continues to have a positive impact on the local economy.
Port NOLA Continues to See Unprecedented Growth
Cruisers bring upwards of $125 million in local spending annually to New Orleans, as 70% of them choose to extend their trips either before or after cruises by one to two days.
With 90% of passengers coming from out of state, hotels around the port have seen about 300,000 nights of booking yearly directly from cruisers.
Cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line both chose to extend their contracts with the port in 2024 due to the demand for cruises out of this port.
While both Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor are sailing year-round with NOLA as their homeport, one of these ships will be absent during the spring.
Carnival Valor departs on a transatlantic voyage on April 24, which will disembark passengers in Barcelona, Spain, on May 10.
This ship will then enter a month-long dry dock for repairs and upgrades, after which it will be on the same transatlantic voyage heading from Barcelona back to NOLA beginning on June 11.
Carnival Liberty, however, will still be available during this time, sailing weekly to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Getaway disembarks passengers on April 13 following a 7-night itinerary, sailing just two more times this month out of NOLA before heading to New York, which will be its homeport for most of the year.
Norwegian Escape will take its place in Port NOLA starting in October 2025, offering 7-night cruises with stops in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Read Also: New Orleans Cruise Port – Terminals, Piers and Getting Around
Royal Caribbean also began sailings out of Port NOLA again in November of 2024 — but Brilliance Of The Seas ended its season at this southern port earlier this month.
As of now, the next Royal Caribbean ship to depart out of NOLA will be Mariner Of The Seas on November 1, 2026.
While there are many cruise lines to choose from, Carnival remains the only one with year-round options at this specific port.
Things are finally catching up to the way they were pre-pandemic for Port NOLA, as it was projected it would see 1.2 million passenger movements in 2020.
While it did not happen then, it did in 2024 — and if this new record is any indicator, that number could be even higher by the end of 2025!
