# Cruises from New Orleans

Cruises from New Orleans sail down the Mississippi to Mexico and the Western Caribbean. Compare Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean from $429 per person.

Canonical: https://www.bookcruises.us/cruises-from-new-orleans/


Cruises from New Orleans sail year round from the Julia Street and Erato Street terminals beside the French Quarter. Carnival runs weekly, with Norwegian and Royal Caribbean seasonal. Expect 4 to 7 night Mexico and Western Caribbean sailings at $429 to $1,300 per person, plus a half-day Mississippi River cruise built into every trip.

## Key facts

- **Lines sailing from New Orleans:** Carnival year round, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean seasonally
- **Typical fare range:** $429 to $1,300 per person for 4 to 7 nights
- **Parking:** About $22 per day at port garages, off-site lots with shuttles from $14
- **The river run:** Every sailing includes roughly 6 hours cruising the Mississippi before open water, a route no other US port offers

## Sailing from Port NOLA, Julia Street and Erato Street terminals

No other American port begins a cruise like this: ships spend their first six hours gliding down the Mississippi past plantations, barges and bayou before reaching the Gulf. New Orleans built a full cruise business on top of that spectacle, with Carnival sailing year round and Norwegian and Royal Caribbean joining each winter season.

Routes head almost exclusively west: Cozumel, Progreso and Costa Maya on shorter trips, with Grand Cayman, Belize and Roatan added on 7 night runs. Pair the itinerary with two nights in the city and you have two vacations in one booking.

**Season:** Year round, busiest November through April.

## Popular sailings

| Itinerary | Length | Line | From (pp) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cozumel and Progreso | 5 nights | Carnival Cruise Line | $429 |
| Western Caribbean | 7 nights | Norwegian Cruise Line | $649 |
| Cozumel, Belize and Roatan | 7 nights | Royal Caribbean | $699 |

## Parking

Port-operated garages at both terminals charge about $22 per day. Off-site cruise lots along Tchoupitoulas Street run $14 to $18 with shuttles. If you are staying in the city first, many CBD hotels sell park and cruise packages that beat both.

## Where to stay the night before

The terminals sit at the foot of the Warehouse District, a 15 minute walk from the French Quarter. Arrive a day early: a night on Frenchmen Street and beignets at dawn before boarding is the whole point of cruising from New Orleans. CBD hotels closest to the pier save the taxi altogether.

## Cruise lines from New Orleans

- Carnival Cruise Line
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International

## Destinations served

- Cozumel and Yucatan Mexico
- Western Caribbean
- Bahamas on longer routes

## Frequently asked questions

### How long does it take to reach the Gulf from New Orleans?

About six hours downriver. Ships leave in the afternoon and reach open water around midnight, so the first evening is a slow parade past the lights of south Louisiana.

### Which terminal will my ship use?

Carnival typically uses the Erato Street terminal and Norwegian and Royal Caribbean use Julia Street. They sit a few hundred yards apart at the upriver edge of the French Quarter.

### When are cruises from New Orleans cheapest?

Late August through early December, outside holidays. Hurricane season pricing puts 5 night sailings in the low $400s. Prices checked: August 2026.

## Related pages

- [Last minute cruise deals](https://www.bookcruises.us/last-minute-cruise-deals/)
- [Cruises from Galveston](https://www.bookcruises.us/cruises-from-galveston/)
- [What to pack for a cruise](https://www.bookcruises.us/cruise-packing-list/)

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