Cruise: New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle

New Orleans to Homeport NCL’s 4.000-Passenger Norwegian Breakaway in 2018

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will deploy the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway to the Port of New Orleans beginning November 2018. The 1,068-foot/326-meter vessel will be the largest cruise ship in both length and passenger capacity to ever sail from the Crescent City port.  

Norwegian Breakaway, whose scheduled arrival date is November 11, 2018, can accommodate nearly twice as many guests as the 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl, which will homeport at Port NOLA November 2017 through April 2018.

Norwegian Breakaway will sail from New Orleans’ Julia Street Cruise Terminal on seven-, 10- and 11-day seasonal cruises to the Caribbean, visiting ports of call that include Cozumel and Costa Maya (Mexico); Ocho Rios, (Jamaica); George Town (Grand Cayman); Roatán Islands (Honduras); and NCL’s private island destination, Harvest Caye (Belize).

During a two-week drydocking next spring, the ship’s public spaces will be refreshed with new flooring, updated furniture, new décor and new carpeting in staterooms.

"Norwegian Breakaway will be the largest and newest ship from Norwegian to sail from New Orleans, and we are thrilled to bring our signature Breakaway-class ship to this important homeport," said Andy Stuart, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "We want to provide more opportunities for our guests across the country to explore beautiful destinations and enjoy all the spectacular features of our newest ships, along with the freedom and flexibility that only a Norwegian cruise can offer."

New Orleans’ cruise terminals are located within walking distance of the historic French Quarter, family attractions, shopping, dining and hotels. In 2016, the port handled a record 1,070,685 deep sea and river cruise passenger movements, breaking the one million passenger mark for the third consecutive year.

"The Port of New Orleans values our close partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line and appreciates the addition of the Norwegian Breakaway to the cruise schedule next year," said Port President & CEO Brandy D. Christian. "The passengers who begin and end their Norwegian Breakaway cruise from our historical city will experience Port NOLA’s commitment to high level service and the Crescent City’s vibrant energy."


NCL’s 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway will begin cruising from the Port of New Orleans in November 2018.
Photo/Norwegian Cruise Lines
 
San Diego Opens 2017-2018 Cruise Season
 
The Port of San Diego is preparing to welcome 83 cruise calls during the 2017-2018 cruise season, from September to June. Approximately 242,000 passengers are expected this year, up from last year’s 224,000. The number of cruise calls will be about the same.

The port’s cruise season kicked off on September 15 with a "Halloween on the High Seas" two-night cruise aboard the Disney Wonder to Puerto Ensenada in Baja California.

That is just one of the 18 Disney Wonder cruises leaving from the Port of San Diego this season. Disney Cruise Line also offers 3, 4, 5 and 7-night trips to Baja and the Mexican Riviera. Scheduled for October 27 is a 14-night Halloween on the High Seas Panama Canal Cruise.

 San Diego-based voyages cruise offerings by Holland America Line include a choice between a 15, 53 or 80-day Asia and Pacific grand voyage aboard the Amsterdam departing October 2017, and a 28-day Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas cruise aboard the Maasdam departing March 2018. 

Celebrity Cruises will be sailing 15-night eastbound Panama Canal cruises aboard the Infinity departing San Diego in November 2017 and April 2018. San Diego is included, too, round-the world itineraries by Costa Cruises, Phoenix Reisen and Oceania.

At the end of October, port will complete the installation of an escalator next to the north passenger board bridge at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal to facilitate embarking and disembarking of passengers.

A Visitor Information Center, a walk-up café, public gardens, new seating areas and public art are among the amenities added over the last few years.

The new 400-room Marriott Residence Inn/Springhill Suites opened in 2016 and a 400-room InterContinental Hotel is under construction across the street from the cruise terminals. 

The port’s 2017-2018 cruise ship schedule is available at portofsandiego.org/recreation. 

"San Diego continues to be a popular port for cruising," said Robert ‘Dukie’ Valderrama, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. "We have made improvements to our cruise ship terminal and the waterfront adjacent to it to enhance the passenger experience. We are proud that our homeported lines will be returning for yet another season."

 
San Diego is expecting some 240,000 cruise passengers in 2017-18
Photo/Port of San Diego

Port of Seattle Greets One-Millionth Cruise Passenger

Two cruise tourists on Holland America Line’s M/S Eurodam found themselves at the center of an impromptu party on Saturday, September 23, as the Port of Seattle celebrated its one-millionth passenger to pass through its cruise terminals during the 2017 season.

Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton and Holland America Line CEO Orlando Ashford greeted the couple and presented a gift basket stuffed with goodies to mark the day. This is the first year the port reached the million-passenger milestone.

"Congratulations to our millionth cruise passenger this season. Passengers like Ted and Linda from Alexandria, Louisiana and points across our country come here for a unique Pacific Northwest/Alaska experience that drives half a billion dollars in annual business revenue," said Commissioner Creighton.

Said Mr. Ashford: "Holland America Line is thrilled that for more than 30 years we have been a partner with the Port of Seattle in building a robust gateway cruise port and an important contributor to the economic impact in this region." Holland America is headquartered in Seattle.

 
Linda Ellis and Ted Finn from Alexandria (LA) are surprised by Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton, Holland America Line CEO Orlando Ashford and Captain Werner Timmers of the M/S Eurodam as the one-millionth passenger to pass through Port of Seattle cruise terminals this season.

Seattle’s cruise business generates more than $500 million in annual business revenue, some 4,000 jobs and $18.9 million in state and local taxes annually. Each homeported vessel pumps approximately $2.7 million into to the local economy. In 2016, the port serviced 983,539 cruise passengers and 203 cruise ship calls. Learn more by visiting www.portseattle.org/cruise.