NEW ORLEANS — Carnival Cruise Line announced today it will expand capacity on its short cruise offerings from the Port of New Orleans beginning in 2019. Carnival Valor will shift to New Orleans for year-round four- and five-day cruises from New Orleans beginning in May 2019, becoming the largest ship to offer a year-round short cruise itineraries.
“The Port of New Orleans is thrilled to welcome Carnival Valor to the year-round cruise offerings from our vibrant and historical city,” said Brandy Christian, Port of New Orleans President and CEO. “We value our long-time partnership with Carnival Cruise Line and we look forward to working together to continue to provide new and varied itineraries and a top-notch experience for our guests.”
On this route, four- day long weekend cruises depart Thursdays and visit Cozumel, while five-day voyages depart Mondays and Saturdays calling at Cozumel and Progreso. Each of these stunning Mexican destinations offer world-class beaches, excellent shopping and dining experiences, and opportunities to visit historical attractions and landmarks, including centuries-old Mayan ruins. A wide variety of “fun in the sun” shore excursion choices, from paddle-boarding and zip-lining to ATV adventures and watersports like scuba diving and snorkeling, are also available.
“New Orleans is one of our most popular homeports and Carnival Valor is a wonderful short option that provides a wide array of exciting dining, beverage, entertainment and activity choices that our guests are sure to enjoy,” said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival Valor from New Orleans
The 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor will kick off its new year-round schedule of four- and five-day cruises from New Orleans May 16, 2019, replacing Carnival Triumph and representing a nearly 10 percent increase in capacity on the line’s short cruise program from Port NOLA. Carnival Triumph will be deployed to another homeport to be announced at a later date. Also in May 2019, Carnival Glory will take over the New Orleans-based year-round seven-day schedule of Carnival Dream. Together, Carnival Valor and Carnival Glory are expected to carry nearly 400,000 passengers annually from New Orleans.
Carnival Valor last year underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation that added such popular highlights as Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with celebrity chef Guy Fieri, the Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub, SkyBox sports bar, Alchemy Bar and the poolside RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar. Other features on Carnival Valor include an adults-only Serenity Deck, a 214-foot-long water slide and Scarlett’s, a classic American steakhouse.
For more information and reservations, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com. Check out Carnival's social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.