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.
Carnival year round, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean seasonally
$429 to $1,300 per person for 4 to 7 nights
About $22 per day at port garages, off-site lots with shuttles from $14
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 New Orleans sailings right now
| Itinerary | Length | Line | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cozumel and Progreso | 5 nights | Carnival Cruise Line | $429 pp |
| Western Caribbean | 7 nights | Norwegian Cruise Line | $649 pp |
| Cozumel, Belize and Roatan | 7 nights | Royal Caribbean | $699 pp |
Fares move daily and the lowest ones rarely stay published. Call (888) 624-7833 and we will pull live availability for your dates across every line sailing from New Orleans.
Parking at the port
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 sailing from New Orleans
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
Where you can sail
- Cozumel and Yucatan Mexico
- Western Caribbean
- Bahamas on longer routes
Ready to sail from New Orleans?
Our cruise desk sees agent-only pricing, cancellation returns and unpublished promotions across every major line. Two minutes on the phone regularly beats an hour of tab comparison.
Cruises from New Orleans: your 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: July 2026.
Get today's best price on cruises from New Orleans
Tell us your dates and nearest port. A cruise specialist replies with real availability and any unpublished rates, usually within the hour during desk hours.