NEW ORLEANS — Royal Caribbean International announced its return to New Orleans with the arrival of the cruise ship Vision of the Seas in late 2018.
The ship is more than 900 feet long and will take passengers on seven day cruises to stops in the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula. It will leave on Saturdays from the Julia Street Cruise Terminal.
According to a news release announcing the ship’s upcoming arrival, the Port of New Orleans says the city has the sixth largest cruise port in the country and provides more than 8,000 jobs for industry workers.
Last year, according to the port, more than one-million passengers boarded cruise ships at the Port of New Orleans last year.
Tourism workers in the city say the cruise ships also bring business to hotels, restaurants, and other tourist stops in the city because the travelers often stay for a night or two on either side of their cruise dates.
In 2014, Royal Caribbean announced it would be leaving New Orleans the following year after its Serenade of the Seas finished its tour schedule.
