NEW ORLEANS — On March 10, Carnival Cruise Line presented a special birthday cake to the New Orleans City Council to thank the City of New Orleans for its continued support. Carnival is celebrating its 50th birthday this month.
Carnival Cruise Line launched the first year-round cruise program from New Orleans in 1994 and over the years has expanded the number of ships, capacity and cruise options.
After pausing during the pandemic, the company restarted cruising from New Orleans on Sept. 19, 2021 and currently has two ships sailing year-round from the port: the 2,980 passenger Carnival Glory and the 2,980 passenger Carnival Valor. Carnival will offer more than 250 sailings from New Orleans over the next two years and expects to carry approximately 400,000 guests annually to destinations throughout the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.
Carnival Cruise Line began in 1972 with a converted transatlantic liner – a steam-powered 906-passenger ship named Mardi Gras. In the last 50 years, the brand has grown into the largest cruise company in the world. It has served 90 million passengers since its inception. Each year, approximately six million passengers set sail on 23 ships from 14 U.S. homeports and call on popular destinations worldwide.
