Less Traditional Ports Compete for Cruise Business

Less Traditional Ports Compete for Cruise Business
By Phil Reimer

Ports closer to home, ports cheaper to fly to, ports with the opportunity to drive rather than fly - all are becoming more attractive to cruisers. While the ports serving Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami are the most popular, for some Canadians that’s still a long trip. New Orleans and Galveston are looking to become an alternative for the heartland of the country.

To some degree, the Louisiana and Texas ports are fighting for the same cruise dollar as Fort Lauderdale and Miami. New Orleans and Galveston are in adjoining states and residents of each are regulars in the other’s communities.

New Orleans is still rebuilding its cruise business after Katrina, and Galveston has become the “go-to” port for the upcoming fall and winter cruise season and 2012, too.

The city known as “the Big Easy” is - if you haven’t been to New Orleans - probably on your “go-to” list, and cruising offers the opportunity to come early and indulge in that Louisiana hospitality, music and food. If you can’t have a good time in the French Quarter, something is seriously wrong. The music blares from the windows and doors and the Jambalaya pots are full. There is much more to do in Cajun country, but with a limited schedule the music and food will keep your senses topped up.

New Orleans or "N’awlins" to the locals expected the Norwegian Spirit to stay for 18 months. However, the market has softened this summer so the Spirit is heading to Europe next year, to be replaced for the 2012-13 winter season by the larger Norwegian Star.

New ships from Carnival (Conquest) and Royal Caribbean (Voyageur of the Seas) will operate out of New Orleans this winter and Navigator of the Seas will be there next fall and winter. A taxi ride from the airport to the cruise terminal is $25-30.

My colleagues Bob and Nancy Dunn from cruisingdoneright.com have been in both places during the last 18 months. In New Orleans, they found a self-guided walking tour through the French Quarter gave them an ideal taste of why people love the city life, then took a swamp tour outside the city, and they say it’s far better than it sounds.

In Galveston, the Dunns rented a car at Houston’s airport, stayed a night in Galveston, the funky island city where breakfast at The Original (1916) Mexican Cafe and a visit to the air museum whetted their appetite to return.

Carnival’s Magic, which I sailed on a couple of months ago in Europe, will take up permanent residency this fall in Galveston, offering mainly 7-day cruises, with Carnival’s Triumph offering 4 and 5-day cruises.

There’s more Magic coming to the Texas port. Disney’s Magic will arrive next fall for the winter cruise season. Also new in December of 2012 will be the Crown Princess and Royal Caribbean will dock Mariner of the Seas there for the next two winter seasons.

These are two adjoining states, Louisiana and Texas, with a lot in common. They’re both looking for cruise lines to enhance their tourism and, with ports on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, they’re both susceptible to heavy fog that can disrupt cruise schedules. They’re also both in rebuilding mode from devastating storms - while it wasn’t in the same league as Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Ike left Galveston with scars in 2008 that are still visible today.