Tag Archives: Cruise season

Port NOLA Reports 1.2 Million Cruise Passengers in 2023

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Brandy D. Christian, Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) president and CEO, delivered the 2023 State of the Port address on Nov. 3. She highlighted successes across the Port’s four lines of business: cruise, cargo, rail, and industrial real estate.

According to a press release, the cruise industry has recovered from the pandemic, and cruise line partners maintain their trust in the Louisiana cruise market through New Orleans.

Port NOLA achieved new records in 2023, including in March when it set a monthly passenger record. This record surpassed the prior monthly record established in February 2020, shortly before the global pandemic.

As the 2023 fiscal year concluded, Port NOLA reported 1.2 million cruise passenger movements, setting the stage for a potential new annual passenger record in the current calendar year.

In November 2024, Royal Caribbean is set to make a comeback with a new ship, the Brilliance of the Seas. Port NOLA has also secured an agreement with Carnival, ensuring at least five more years of having two year-round vessels, the port said in a press release.

Norwegian Cruise Line is bringing back the port’s largest homeported vessel, the Norwegian Breakaway. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line will resume its sailings in January.

The Port is experiencing growth in the river cruise sector, with a total of nine homeported riverine vessels, including Viking Cruises, which began sailing from Port NOLA in 2022.

“As I think about the past eight years, and all of the work we have done to grow the gateway, two pillars are constant: diversification and transformation,” said Christian.

“Diversity in our lines of business and in our leaders, transforming our organization and our outlook. These are the tenets of our master plan, which will guide us into new territory… Let’s continue to deliver Louisiana’s future together.”

Abu Dhabi Begins 2023-24 Cruise Season

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AD Ports Group announced the start of the 2023-24 cruise season with the arrival of the Crystal Symphony which docked at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Zayed Port.

Abu Dhabi is likely to experience a busy cruise season with 126 expected calls, starting on November 1, according to a press release.

Additionally, Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach is set to welcome 63 calls, having welcomed the first call on October 31. Nine of these calls will be maiden voyages to Abu Dhabi.

Noura Rashed Al Dhaheri, chief executive officer of Cruise Business, AD Ports Group, said: “We are excited to announce the official start of cruise season here in Abu Dhabi with the arrival of Crystal Symphony. Last season, Zayed Port emerged as the busiest cruise port in the region; a testament to Abu Dhabi’s position as a premier tourist destination, and the exceptional infrastructure that effortlessly accommodates the region’s largest vessels. We remain dedicated to partnering with cruise lines to elevate Abu Dhabi’s global cruise destination standing.”

The first quarter of 2023 was particularly strong with 363,494 visitors and 120 calls compared to the first quarter of 2022, which saw 89,953 visitors and 60 calls. Passenger volumes for Q1 2023 surpassed the total number of visitors for the full year of 2022 by more than 37 percent.

For comparison, In the 2022-23 season, Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal welcomed over 600,000 visitors, with more than 82,000 passengers starting their journey from Abu Dhabi.

In addition, Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal expects to welcome over 7,000 visitors during Formula 1 Abu Dhabi.     

Abu Dhabi Cruise business expanded its operations to the Red Sea with the Aqaba Cruise Terminal in January 2023.

Belfast Closes a Record 2023 Cruise Season

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Belfast just closed its record 2023 cruise season with the arrival of Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s  Borealis on Friday, October 20.

During the 2023 cruise season, Belfast welcomed a total of 158 calls, according to Cruise Belfast. This marks an 8 percent increase compared to the pre-pandemic record set in 2019.

The cruise season saw 57 ships from 32 different cruise lines dock in the port, carrying 320,000 passengers and crew. Among them were 14 ships that made their maiden calls to Belfast.

In addition, this year also marked the arrival of the 2 millionth cruise visitor to Belfast Harbour since 1996 when the first cruise ship arrived in Belfast. The milestone passenger arrived onboard the Norwegian Dawn in May this year.

Due to increased passenger numbers, Cruise Belfast estimates that over £20m was injected into the local economy through passenger spending.

Michael Robinson, port director of Belfast Harbour said: “After a couple of disrupted years due to the pandemic it’s clear that cruise tourism in Belfast is now in very good health. We continue to receive a lot of positive feedback from passengers, crew and cruise line management on the quality of Northern Ireland’s tourism offering and the service the industry provides.

 “Bookings for the 2024 cruise season are currently strong, with similar levels to this year’s record season, which is great news for the city and the industry. We look forward to another busy year welcoming visitors from around the world.”

Gerry Lennon, chief executive at Visit Belfast added: “Belfast as a gateway city to Northern Ireland, now takes its place among Europe’s most vibrant and captivating destinations, for leisure, business and cruise visitors.

“With the continued investment in the city’s infrastructure and iconic world-class attractions such as Titanic Belfast. Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, Titanic Distillery and Belfast’s cultural programming for 2024, we will ensure we have a range of new and exciting giant experiences to attract the growing cruise market. Cruise Tourism is a vital element of our tourism portfolio, and its impact is significant contributing to the visitor economy and bringing great vibrancy to the city region.”