Cruising from the Big Easy is getting more and more popular, and for the ninth year in a row, the Port of New Orleans has welcomed more than one million cruise guests.

In 2025, the port recorded a grand total of 1,067,407 cruise passenger movements, which includes both embarking and debarking travelers. While this is slightly down from the 1.2 million cruise passenger movements of 2024, it is still an amazing total for the year.

“Consistently surpassing one million cruise passenger movements speaks to the strength of New Orleans as a global cruise destination and the collaborative efforts that make this success possible,” said Beth Branch, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans.

In March 2025, the port saw its highest single-month total in history with more than 165,000 passenger movements. March is traditionally a busy month with ships booked at full capacity due to spring break vacations.

The previous record, in March 2023, was just over 155,000 cruise passenger movements.

Furthermore, the Port of New Orleans offers a very unique option for travelers as the only US homeport to offer both river cruising and ocean cruising. What a back-to-back (or more accurately, side-to-side) opportunity for cruise guests!

The continued growth shows the confidence of the cruise industry and showcases the strong partnerships between various lines and the port.

Read Also: New Orleans Cruise Port – Piers, Terminals, and Getting Around

“Reaching this milestone for the ninth time reflects both strong demand and the confidence our cruise line partners continue to place in Port NOLA,” said Steven Gauthier, Port NOLA Vice President of Cruise.

While the years 2020 and 2021 were not included in the timeline due to the pandemic-related cruise industry shutdown, this is a very impressive achievement for the sixth largest homeport in the US.

Looking Ahead at More Growth

As confidence in sailing from New Orleans continues to grow, even more travelers will look at Louisiana as an amazing homeport option.

Already, even more guests are expected to utilize Port NOLA in 2026 and beyond, thanks to increased departures from various cruise lines.

Royal Caribbean is again planning cruises from Louisiana, and Carnival Cruise Line has shifted ship deployments to bring the larger Carnival Dream to the homeport, replacing the smaller Carnival Valor.

“As we welcome the return of Royal Caribbean and prepare for increased capacity from Carnival, we anticipate meaningful growth in passenger volumes over the next several years,” confirmed Gauthier.

Also, sailing from New Orleans, either for port visits or homeport operations, are ships from Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, and more.

Popular itinerary options include Western Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries, as well as longer voyages to Panama and Costa Rica. River cruises include outstanding journeys along the famed Mississippi River.

Cruise Traffic Drives Economic Boom

Cruising has a strong economic impact on New Orleans and the surrounding region, contributing an estimated $445 million to the region through not only taxes, fees, and other direct financial benefits, but also through jobs, infrastructure improvements, and guest spending.

Because an estimated 90% of cruise guests travel from outside Louisiana when they set sail from New Orleans, this further contributes to economic health through hotel rooms and restaurants.

“Cruising is a vital economic engine for our region, and with expanded service and larger ships on the horizon, Port NOLA is well positioned to deliver even greater value to Louisiana and the Gulf South,” said Branch.

While New Orleans does suffer from the challenges of hurricane season if storms threaten the Gulf Coast, hopefully, it will continue to be smooth and profitable sailing for the Big Easy and all cruise guests who enjoy the vibrant city before and after their vacations.

Cruising Booms in New Orleans as Port NOLA Tops One Million Passengers Again