Cruise: New Orleans, Tampa
Carnival Cruise Lines Expands Presence at Port of New Orleans
Carnival Cruise Line – New Orleans’ leading cruise ship operator by passenger volume – continues to expand its presence at the port and expects to carry a record 400,000 passengers from the Crescent City this year. Additionally, the cruise line estimates that next year it will welcome its 3 millionth passenger at the Port of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.
Carnival pioneered year-round cruising from New Orleans in 1994 and during the past two-plus decades has become the port’s largest cruise operator with two ships offering more than 125 four- to seven-day departures on an annual basis.
Following Hurricane Katrina, the cruise line resumed service in New Orleans in October 2006 – just 14 months after the storm – with one year-round ship, Carnival Fantasy, carrying fewer than 16,000 passengers that year. The company gradually increased its capacity from the Big Easy by deploying newer and larger ships and next year expects to carry a record 450,000 passengers from New Orleans.
Currently, Carnival’s two New Orleans-based ships include the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream, offering seven-day Caribbean cruises, and the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation sailing four- and five-day cruises to Mexico. Carnival will increase capacity on short cruises from New Orleans by 34 percent when the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph replaces Carnival Elation next spring.
"Carnival has a long and deep history with the city of New Orleans," said Carlos Torres de Navarra, Carnival’s vice president of commercial port operations. "We not only enjoy a very successful New Orleans-based cruise program but strive to be valuable community partners providing strong economic impact and supporting a variety of philanthropic initiatives. We look forward to continuing to grow our operations in New Orleans in partnership with this great city as it thrives and expands in the post-Katrina era."
The 3,646-passenger, 130,000 ton Carnival Dream embarks from New Orleans' Erato Street Cruise Terminal. It is the port’s largest year-round cruise ship and sails seven-day itineraries to eastern and western Caribbean destinations.
Photo/Tracie Morris, Port of New Orleans.
Carnival Pride to Return to Tampa in 2017 with New 5- to 14-Day Voyages
Carnival Cruise Line will be bringing the 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride back to Port Tampa Bay in January and February 2017 for a series of five- to 14-day voyages, providing consumers with a variety of vacation choices. Tampa has been a home port to Carnival ships for more than 20 years. The 88,500-ton ship recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation.
"Tampa is a popular port for ‘Fun Ship’ cruising, and we’re thrilled that the Carnival Pride is returning to the port to operate this series of five- to 14-day cruises that feature visits to top destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America," said Carnival President Christine Duffy. "These cruises also provide our valued travel agent partners with exciting new vacation choices to market to their clients."
Carnival Pride will operate a series of seven-day cruises from Tampa departing January 15, 22 and 29 and February 19, 2017, visiting Cozumel (Mexico), Belize City (Belize), Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatán (Honduras), and George Town (Grand Cayman). Carnival Pride will also sail on a five-day cruise round-trip from Tampa February 14-19 to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
Prior to its Tampa deployment, Carnival Pride will operate a 13-day Carnival Journeys cruise departing Baltimore January 2 and arriving in Tampa January 15, 2017. Ports of call include Grand Turk (British West Indies), Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama), Limon (Costa Rica), Mahogany Bay, Cozumel, and Amber Cove (Dominican Republic).
A 14-day Carnival Journeys voyage will depart Tampa February 26, calling Cozumel, Limon, Colon, Aruba, Bonaire, and St. Maarten before arriving in Baltimore March 12, 2017, for the start of a year-round schedule of seven-day cruises.
"Carnival Cruise Line, the largest cruise line in the world and one of our long-time partners, has demonstrated time and again its confidence in Tampa Bay as a strong cruise market – one that they can depend on for their cruise passengers in terms of quality, efficiency and an overall excellent vacation experience," said Tampa Port President Paul Anderson. "We are thrilled that Carnival has decided to sail some great new cruise itineraries from Tampa, and we look forward to even more unique opportunities to come."
Carnival Pride will be returning to Tampa in January 2017.
Photo/Carnival Cruise Line