At the close of calendar year 2025, the Port of New Orleans recorded 1,067,407 cruise passenger movements, extending its sequence of annual totals above one million for the ninth time outside the exceptional pandemic years of 2020–2021 and affirming its role among the foremost cruise departure points in the United States. This figure represents the combined count of embarkations and disembarkations at the port’s facilities and reflects continued expansion of the local cruise trade as vessels call and depart from the Mississippi River gateway.
The pattern of growth at New Orleans aligns with broader industry momentum observed across U.S. cruise ports, where passengers handled have risen beyond pre-pandemic volumes. In calendar year 2024 the port recorded more than 1.2 million passenger movements, and during March 2025 the number of passengers boarding or leaving cruise vessels at the terminals exceeded 165,000 in a single month, a monthly record for the port and an indicator of increased ship capacity and steady demand.
Port officials note that the dual capability to host ocean-going liners and river voyage craft sets New Orleans apart among U.S. cruise centres, drawing both kinds of traffic and sustaining year-round activity that underpins the regional tourism economy. With commitments from major cruise operators to return services and introduce larger vessels in coming seasons, the port is positioned to handle further growth in passenger volumes and associated economic impact through expanded calls, homeport deployments and the influx of visitors linked to cruise operations.