Friday, March 22, 2024

What Cruise Ships Sail Out Of New Orleans

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Vaccine Requirements For Carnival Passengers Still Undetermined

Unexpected stop in Mobile for cruise ship passengers
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Vaccine requirements for Carnival passengers still undetermined

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Vaccine requirements for Carnival passengers still undetermined

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Carnival Cruise is booking its first trips out of New Orleans since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closed cruising in March of 2020 because of the risk of spreading coronavirus. The ships are set to sail in July. The CDC is requiring masks, but Carnival has not said if it will require passengers to be vaccinated against the virus, as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines have done.

On its website, Carnival outlines some safety precautions, but also notes it is in the process of finalizing all required COVID-19 protocols for guests. Its waiting on more information from the CDC.

Carnival is not alone. Travelers in New Orleans who said they are itching to cruise again want the CDC to detail whats safe and when the lines are expected to be fully operational.

Tammy Aiken, visiting from Georgia, said she has rescheduled a cruise four times, since last spring.

I want to know why the CDC doesnt open the restrictions doesnt lift the restrictions so we can sail before we lose that whole part of our economy, Aiken said.

According to the Port of New Orleans, the cruise industry typically injects $250 million a year into Louisianas economy. It estimates 1.2 million passengers moved through New Orleans in 2019 the year before the coronavirus shut down.

Private Cruise Island Enhancements

NCL Norwegian expanded the companys plans for its Bahamian privately-owned island Great Stirrup Cay and the exclusive luxury resort destination Harvest Caye . Harvest Caye port features a large-sized swimming pool, private beach, shallow lagoon , private cabanas available for rent, as well as a huge flora and fauna diversity.

Great Stirrup Cay was last enhanced in 2014 and by 2017 spring features several new offerings and amenities .

Carnival Pride Resumes Cruises From Baltimore

Carnival Cruise Line is officially sailing again from Baltimore. On Sunday afternoon, Carnival Pride set sail on a seven-night cruise to the Bahamas, where itll visit Freeport, Nassau, and the private island Half Moon Cay.Before the ship set sail, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, two past guests, Captain Maurizo Ruggiero, and Port Director cut a ribbon to

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Why Doesnt Travel Insurance Cover Cruises What You Must Do Before You Travel

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Disney Wonder Restart Announced

New Orleans, Louisiana Cruise Port

Disney Cruise Line has announced the restart date for Disney Wonder and an update to its protocols. The ship will start operations on October 1 on an itinerary that will feature three-night sailings from San Diego with a stop at Ensenada, Mexico, and a day at sea, while 4-night sailings will feature two days at sea and a stop at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Disney Cruise Line has returned to the U.S. with Disney Dreams 3- and 4-night itineraries out of Florida. Disney Fantasy will resume on September 11. The cruise line will only be visiting Castaway Cay for the time being with both ships.

However, the recent policy changes from the Bahamian government mean that the cruise line had to require all guests to be vaccinated on cruises to the Bahamas, just like other cruise lines. Its also due to updated guidelines issued on August 27, 2021, from the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention .

For cruises departing from San Diego in October, Disney Cruise Line now requires all guests of 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated 14 days before boarding. Guests 11 years old and younger do not have to be vaccinated but should provide proof of a negative test. On November 5, Disney Wonder will depart for a 14-day voyage that will take guests through the Panama Canal to Galveston from San Diego. Disney has made some significant changes for this voyage, requiring all guests of all ages to be fully vaccinated.

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New Orleans Cruise Destinations

Where do cruises out of New Orleans go? The answer is to several destinations. Most of them are variations on trips to the islands around the Caribbean.

1. Bahamas: The Bahamas islands are located far to the east of the other choices out of New Orleans.

2. Belize: Sail to the eco-adventure wonderland that is Belize.

3. Cozumel: Short voyages to the island of Cozumel depart often throughout the year. It is a real playground for vacationers.

4. Jamaica: Jamaica cruises are popular and most are a week long. The island’s unique attraction includes reggae music and jerk food.

5. Western Caribbean: Cruises from New Orleans frequently go to the Western Caribbean, which are known as party destinations. The ports include many with excellent snorkeling on coral reefs.

6. Mississippi River: Overnight riverboats offer something completely different. Cruise on a paddlewheeler up America’s great river.

7. Memphis to New Orleans: cruises from Tennessee to Louisiana on the Mississippi River.

8. 4-day cruises: Short vacation getaways.

9. 5-day cruises: An easy and affordable cruise option.

Carnival Cruise Line Updates Protocols

Carnival Cruise Line also provides an update on its protocols to align more with recent updates by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and new rapid testing sites at all of its homeports.

The cruise line will continue to follow CDC guidelines to make sure guests and crew remain safe. Guests will have to present proof of vaccination and a negative test at check-in, something which is already in place for current departures.

However, Carnival plans to make it easier by setting up mobile pre-cruise rapid testing sites at all of its homeports. The full details are still to come, but this will make it easier for those struggling to get tested before their cruise.

On August 29, 2021, the CDC updated its Conditional Sailing Order, including adjustments to testing, which now needs to be completed within two days before sailing rather than the previous three days. Carnival now says, Effective with sailings as of September 13, 2021, the CDC requires pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests to be taken within two days prior to the sailing date. If the sailing is on Saturday, the test may be taken on Thursday and Friday, and as late as Saturday, if you are guaranteed to receive your results in time for check-in.

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Do Cruises Resume 2022

Cruise operators aren’t likely to resume sailings from U.S. ports until the second half of 2021 under the best of circumstances, and possibly not until early 2022, one industry analyst says. … Separately on Friday, Carnival on Friday said that it had extended its suspension of U.S. cruises through April 30.

Sample The Flavors Of The Old South

Carnival Triumph Cruise Ship Departing Port of New Orleans (NOLA) Quick Experience

The Lower Mississippi overflows with charm, history and hospitality. Explore historic estates, and visit notable Civil War sites. Sample the bustling French-flavored port cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Sway to the tempos of Dixieland jazz, gospel and blues. Savor gourmet Cajun and Creole cuisine, as well as traditional Southern fare. Join us, and see why local Cajuns say, Laissez les bons temps rouler .

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There Are Strict Vaccine And Test Mandates

As weve written about quite a bit here at TPG, cruise lines have been far stricter about COVID-19 vaccine requirements and testing than any other segment of the travel industry.

Many lines, including Norwegian, now require every single passenger and crew member on board to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Cruise lines also are requiring passengers to test negative for COVID-19 just before boarding a ship.

Some lines even are requiring passengers to undergo multiple COVID-19 tests before boarding ships or while on board. One line, Viking, tests every passenger on every voyage every single day.

Passengers who test positive for COVID-19 before boarding are turned away from the ship, and those who test positive on board are quickly isolated. The result has been a transformation of cruise ships into places where vacationers are very unlikely to come in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive.

The vaccine requirements have further transformed cruise ships into places where the illness is much less likely to spread than it was in early 2020 when a positive case or two does pop up. Even when there is a person-to-person spread of COVID-19 on a ship, the additional cases are less likely to be serious than was the case in early 2020.

Almost Half The Fleet Is Back

Carnival Glory is not the cruise ship restarting today, September 19! Carnival Dream becomes the third Carnival cruise ship to resume operations out of Galveston, Texas.

With both ships sailing today, eleven Carnival cruise ships are now back in service, which is almost half the fleet. More vessels will continue to resume through the remainder of 2021 and into 2022. When it comes to New Orleans, it will just remain with Carnival Glory and Valor, with both expecting to carry 400,000 passengers annually, more than any other cruise operator from the city.

Feel free to discuss this topic and all things cruise at our new boards. A place where readers can ask questions, help their fellow cruisers and general cruise discussions on cruise lines and ports.

And if you like, feel free to cast your vote in the 2021 Cruise Ship Awards covering a range of categories, including best cruise ship and best cruise line.

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Two P& o Cruise Ships To Sail The Caribbean

P& O Cruises plans to have two ships sailing the Caribbean before the end of the year. The cruise line has experienced a hugely successful summer return with the launch of its newest flagship Iona and its popular summer seacations onboard Britannia. The cruise line is ready to expand its cruises and has chosen to do this in the Caribbean with Britannia and Azura.

Britannia will set off on her transatlantic voyage from Southampton in southern England on October 22. The vessel will take 14 days to sail to the Southern Caribbean island of Barbados before she starts the first of a series of 14-day cruises in the Caribbean.

Azura will be the second ship sailing the Caribbean for the UK-based cruise line. Starting December 10, the cruise ship will also be sailing from Barbados on 14-day itineraries that include ports of call such as Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Dominica, and Martinique.

P& O Cruises are not yet sailing with the entire fleet and will not do so this year. Aurora is currently scheduled to return in February of next year and Arcadia is scheduled to return to sailing in March of next year.

Plenty to look forward to and this will be the first chance British cruisers will be able to enjoy a cruise in the Caribbean since the suspension started in 2020.

Ncl Cruise Cancellation Policy

Cruise ships sail back into New Orleans

Since January 2016, NCL adjusted the companys final payment and cancellation policies. Under the new cruise cancellation policy, booked NCL customers will incur penalties further from departure date when canceling.

Before 2016, NCL cruise itineraries 6 days or longer, canceled 56 to 75 days prior to embarkation date guaranteed full deposits back. Under the new cancellation policy, final payment for itineraries 6 or more days is due 90 days prior to departure date . Cancellation penalties start 89 days prior to departure date.

NCLs cruise deposit schedule also shifted. Previously, for itineraries 6 to 9 nights long, booked customers had to put down a USD 250 pp deposit. After January 2016, that was changed to USD 250 pp for itineraries 7 to 9 days, and USD 100 pp for itineraries 2 to 6 nights long.

Final payments for holiday cruises are now due 120 days prior to departure dates, only excluding cruises on the ship Norwegian Sky.

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Port Nola Welcomes The Return Of Carnival Cruises

NEW ORLEANS Carnival Cruise Line announced that the Carnival Glory will depart on Sunday, Sept. 19 from the Erato Street Cruise Terminal on a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas. The week-long voyage will be the first sailing from New Orleans since an industry-wide pause in operations that began in March 2020.

Local business leaders are cheering the news at a time when the city needs a few wins. Brandy Christian, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, said the return of Carnival is a positive development for the local economy.

We are proud to welcome Carnival Glory back to the Erato Street Cruise Terminal for the first oceangoing cruise from New Orleans since the pause in operations in March 2020, she said. We value our longtime partnership with Carnival Cruise Line, and we applaud their commitment to exceeding health and safety requirements in order to protect our community, guests and crew. Approximately 90% of our states cruise guests travel from out of state, with 73% spending a day or two in the New Orleans area either before or after their cruise. Carnivals return to Port NOLA is a boost to our local economy as passengers once again are able to experience two vacations in one when they sail from our vibrant city.

Cruise Lines Are Well

As mentioned above, cruise lines now are quickly isolating passengers who test positive for COVID-19, and theyve implemented a number of other measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on vessels.

The new measures include rigorous contact tracing in cases where a passenger tests positive for COVID-19, with close contacts being initially isolated and then tested for COVID-19. Some lines are having passengers wear bracelets that record close contact with other passengers, allowing for quick and, in theory, accurate contact tracing.

Lines also have expanded the medical centers on ships and added more on-call doctors and nurses should symptomatic cases of COVID-19 arise. In addition, theyve developed detailed plans for quickly removing COVID-19-positive passengers from ships in a safe way and getting them to a location for isolation on land often back at their own homes.

Cruise lines also have shown they can move fast to tighten protocols even further if necessary. In its statement to TPG, Norwegian said it would require all passengers on this weeks sailing of Norwegian Breakaway to wear masks while indoors except while actively eating or drinking. It also will perform additional COVID-19 tests on passengers twice during the sailing.

Related: New COVID-19 protocols on ships could be here to stay

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Ncl Cruise Ship Lifeguards

In April 2017, NCL Norwegian Cruise Line announced the company will employ certified lifeguards on some of its vessels and fleetwide . The news made NCL, the 3rd major cruise company with lifeguards onboard its ships following Disney and Royal Caribbean.

  • The onboard lifeguards are stationed only at the family pools during scheduled swimming pool hours. This staff will be American Red Cross trained and certified.
  • NCL will also offer complimentary swim vests for both adults and kids. Parents can obtain safety vests at the Lido Decks towel station during daytime hours.

Where Can I Find The Best Caribbean Cruises From New Orleans

Carnival Glory out of New Orleans crashes in Mexico

For the best New Orleans cruise deals, theres no better place online than right here at Cruise Guru! If you want exclusive cruise deals that arent available anywhere else, well have exactly what you need. From massive discounts and shipboard credit, to reduced deposits and so much more, comparing and booking cruises from New Orleans is but a click or two away.

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Do You Have To Wear A Mask On A Cruise Ship

You will be required to wear a mask throughout the cruise while indoors and in public areas. Mask use is not required outdoors. Where social distancing is not possible outdoors, mask use is recommended for all guests, the company said. The masks are also mandatory during disembarkation and throughout the terminal.

Enjoy The Getaway Of A Lifetime Then Take A Fantastic Cruise

New Orleans is the city of jazz and jambalaya, Mardi Gras and masked celebrations. Theres a reason why more and more passengers choose to launch their cruise vacations from this unique city. And our cruise terminals and parking facilities are conveniently located in the heart of the city, steps from the amenities and cultural offerings you can only find in the Crescent City.

New Orleans is the sixth largest cruise port in the United States, and demand for cruising from the Big Easy is growing for both Caribbean and river itineraries. Discover why cruising from New Orleans is like taking two vacations in one!

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Faq About Cruising From The New Orleans Cruise Port

Where do cruises leave from New Orleans?

The Port of New Orleans is located at 1350 Port of New Orleans Place. Cruise ships will leave from either one of two terminals: Julia Street and Erato Street .Once the cruise ships leave the Port of New Orleans, itll take about 7-8 hours to travel along the Mississippi before getting to the Gulf of Mexico and international waters.

Where is the best location to stay in New Orleans?

Any of the hotels within walking distance are great places to stay. However, our top recommendation is the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, located at 2 Poydras St.Why that one? First, it is super close to the cruise port . But the amazing thing about them is while many hotels charge extra for the park & cruise packages, this hotel automatically gives you a 20% discount on your room just for being a cruise traveler.They also provide you with cruise parking at a heavily discounted rate of $13 per night , which is a steal. They dont have a shuttle for the port, but being so close to the terminal you arent going to need it.

How Long is a Typical Cruise from New Orleans?

The average length of a cruise shipping out from New Orleans is 7 nights. There are a select few that are either shorter or longer, but 7 nights is the typical cruise length.

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