Tag Archives: New Orleans

Carnival Valor Sets Sail to New Orleans After Drydock

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Carnival Valor Sets Sail to New Orleans After Drydock

The Carnival Valor sailed from Barcelona on Wednesday to kick off a repositioning voyage back to its homeport in New Orleans.

The Carnival Cruise Line vessel is now offering a 15-night cruise after spending a few weeks at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz.v

Before arriving at the Big Easy, the trans-Atlantic crossing will visit destinations in Portugal and Spain, including Málaga, Cádiz, and Ponta Delgada.

The Carnival Valor is then set to arrive in New Orleans later this month, resuming its regular schedule of cruises to the Western Caribbean.

Sailing from Louisiana along with the Carnival Liberty, the vessel offers a series of four- and five-night itineraries to ports in Mexico, including Progreso, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

As part of its routine drydock in Spain, the Carnival Valour underwent technical work, as well as class inspections and general maintenance.

Public areas and staterooms also received upkeep, including the replacement of items such as carpets, upholstery, and furniture.

In line with other Carnival ships, the 2004-built ship saw the addition of a new Heroes Tribute Bar and Lounge.

Currently being rolled out to the company’s fleet, the military-themed venue pays homage to the sacrifices made by Armed Services personnel and their families.

Taking over the area previously occupied by the Skybox Sports Bar, the lounge serves a special menu, with part of its profits donated to humanitarian organisations.

Following the Carnival Valor, the Carnival Liberty is also being dry-docked at the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz.

As the fifth ship in Carnival’s fleet to visit a shipyard in 2025, the vessel is currently undergoing routine maintenance at the Spanish facility.

Other ships that entered drydock this year include the Carnival Sunshine, the Carnival Spirit and the Carnival Miracle.

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.”

Royal Caribbean Lifts all Vaccination Requirments for European Sailings. 

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Independence of the Seas in Southampton, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Royal Caribbean International will not require guests to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on certain sailings from next month.

From 5 September, passengers sailing on all European cruises and select US ports – Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans – will only be asked to disclose their vaccination status during check-in. Still, it will not be mandatory in order to board.

The line’s pre-cruise testing protocols will remain the same. 

Royal said it recommends all eligible guests are fully vaccinated and advised passengers to bring proof of vaccination with them should local authorities or businesses in specific destinations ask to see it.

In some destinations, guests will be required to prove their vaccination status in order to go ashore. In contrast, unvaccinated passengers and those not up to date with their vaccinations may need to undergo additional testing at their own expense to go ashore and disembark at the end of their cruise.