New Orleans Will Get Its Largest Cruise Ship Ever in 2018

 Norwegian Cruise Line will start sailing its Norwegian Breakaway from New Orleans in 2018. The ship will be the largest to call New Orleans its homeport and will nearly double Norwegian's cruise capacity from the city.

The 3,963-passenger Norwegian Breakaway will start sailing from New Orleans in November 2018, according to a Tuesday morning (Oct. 3) news release from the Port of New Orleans. The ship will sail week-long as well as 10- and 11-day cruises to the Caribbean.


Brandy D. Christian, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, said the ship will add jobs and boost revenue for the local hospitality industry.

"We are pleased to welcome the largest ship we have ever accommodated," Christian said.

The Norwegian Breakaway will replace the Norwegian Pearl, which sails from New Orleans to the Caribbean and from Seattle to Alaska depending on the time of year. The Pearl, which can serve up to 2,394 passengers, begins sailing cruises from New Orleans in November and is set to homeport here through April 2018.

At 1,068 feet, the Breakaway is the largest ship the Port of New Orleans has docked, both in length and in passenger occupancy. The ship was built in 2013, and will undergo a two-week dry dock next spring to "refresh" its public spaces, including new flooring, furnishing, decor and stateroom carpeting, according to the news release.

The Breakaway is currently homeported in New York City, where it sails week-long trips to Bermuda and to the Bahamas and Florida.

Andy Stuart, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, said the decision to move the Breakaway to New Orleans follows growing demand for cruises beyond the east and west coasts of the United States.

Once ported in New Orleans, the Breakaway will visit ports of call including Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; the Roatan Bay Islands, Honduras; and Harvest Caye, Belize, an island owned and developed by 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," Stuart said.

The arrival of the Norwegian Breakaway, in addition to a Royal Caribbean ship set to arrive in December 2018, will bolster already growing cruise line traffic for the Port of New Orleans. The port handled more than 1 million passengers in 2016, reaching a new record and breaking the 1 million passenger mark for a third year in a row.

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas will home port in New Orleans starting Dec. 15, 2018. The 2,435-passenger ship will sail week-long cruises to The Bahamas and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Written by Jennifer Larino
www.nola.com