Cruising: From New Orleans
People in Louisiana are fond of the water. Most would agree with Mark Twain when he wrote, "You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft," and apply the sentiment to a pirogue, chaland, or skiff. But in the modern age, it's easy for Louisianans to take Huckleberry Finn's idea of comfort and bump it from rustic up to luxurious. All one has to do is sign up for a cruise.
The New Orleans-based cruise industry keeps on expanding and offering an appealing array of options for water-borne vacations. People come in from all over the country, indeed the world, to enjoy the vessels that call on the Crescent City. Louisianans are lucky to have these vacation opportunities at most a short drive away.
Three companies--Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean--operate enormous ocean liners that visit ports in Mexico and islands throughout the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the Delta Steamboat Company and RiverBarge Excursions venture inland, exploring the Mississippi and its tributaries while exposing passengers to views of American history and culture. Whatever cruise one chooses, the experience is certain to be special in its own way. The old traveler's saying, "The journey is the destination," certainly applies here.
Cities on the Ocean
The cruise industry is growing nationwide, and New Orleans as a home port is finding itself at the crest of this wave. According to the Port of New Orleans, over the last 11 years, passenger embarkations and debarkations have risen 818%. The International Association of Cruise Lines cites New Orleans as the fastest growing port.
Why is New Orleans growing so much in this area?
"Two reasons," says Chris Bonura, a spokesperson for the Port. "First, the city is a great destination. A high percentage of passengers stay in New Orleans either before or after their stay. These cruises are being successfully marketed as two destinations in one."
"The second reason is that we continue to invest in cruise capacity," Bonura adds. At Julia St. in the Warehouse District, a significant investment has gone into renovating two terminals there, and a developer is interested in constructing a hotel on top of them. Nearby Erato St. will see a brand new terminal open in first months of 2006, while the first phase of building a terminal at Poland St. in the Bywater neighborhood has begun.
These terminals are designed to berth the mammoth ocean liners that ply the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The largest vessel that calls on New Orleans, the Carnival Conquest, can hold a whopping 3,000 guests. At the other end of the ocean-liner scale, the Norwegian Sun carries 1,750 guests, still quite a sizable amount.
In total, five sea-going cruise ships are currently using New Orleans as port of call. Each one is like a floating mini-city, containing numerous restaurants, bars, and retail shops. There are swimming pools and fitness centers, casinos and Vegas-style live reviews. Each ship offers many activities, both on board or while docked. Or guests can choose not to do anything but allow themselves to be pampered.
Golden Age of River Travel
River-going cruises also keep the voyages luxurious for their guests, but the experience is a little more intimate and low-key. For one, these vessels aren't anywhere near as large; guest capacity on the ships doesn't come close to even reaching a thousand. The three "Queens" owned by the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. can carry from 170 to 470 guests, and the River Explorer of RiverBarge Excursions tops out at about 200.
The voyages also tend to concentrate on the historic aspect of America's waterways, and they are a great way to learn about Louisiana and other parts of the country from a fresh perspective. One of the itineraries of the River Explorer, for example, is called "Cajuns and Creoles." In it, the boat explores the lower Mississippi River and the Atchafalaya River Basin. Two other itineraries that explore at least a portion of Louisiana are called "The Route of Jean Lafitte" and "Delta South."
"We try to focus on the history of the river and the towns we stop in," explains Liz King, a spokesperson for RiverBarge. "Our guests get to learn about the area they're traveling through. We have historians give talks, and we bring on local entertainment like storytellers and musicians. Also, we like to serve regional, home-style food. It's delicious but nothing too fancy."
On the River Explorer, which is actually two vessels that have been joined together and is pushed by tow boat, one of the public areas is the Guest Pilot House. A large window gives a pilot's-eye view of the river, and the room is filled with maps and river charts. People can watch radar screens and monitor radio communications between the captain and passing boats. The space is perfect for amateur, vacationing, and retired mariners.
The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. also brings the history of America's rivers into the cruising experience. Its flagship vessel, the Delta Queen, is a paddlewheel steamboat christened in 1927. Since then, it has been deemed a national historic landmark by the National Park Service. The company's other two steamboats, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen, were built much more recently and have modern amenities such as elevators and swimming pools, but they evoke the grand days of luxurious river travel.
For example, the 10 year-old American Queen was patterned after the J.M. White, a famous steamboat that plied the Mississippi in the late 1800s and early 1900s. All the ships feature Victorian décors and often rare antiques. The overall atmosphere reminds guests that travel didn't always mean the harried tedium of airports but rather a stately procession down a river.
"Each boat has its own following," says Lucette Brehm, public relations manager for the company. "The Delta Queen is like a floating bed and breakfast. The other two steamboats have larger public areas and offer a different type of experience. Dozens of things on each boat make them distinctive and unique. It's their charm that makes them so interesting."
Like the River Explorer, itineraries of the Delta Queen Steamboat Co.'s ships also explore the history of Louisiana and elsewhere via river travel. In the South, Natchitoches and Natchez, Oak Alley and Memphis, are all covered. The American Queen offers weekend trips ideal for Louisianans who want to get a quick, new look at the waterways that have defined their state.
"Many people in Louisiana feel they know their state and the Mississippi well," comments Brehm. "But seeing these places on a river gives a totally different perspective than when they see them on the road."
Cruise ships on America's waterways rarely exceed 10 miles per hour. Even on faster ocean-going liners, guests who watch the water go by from the decks will feel relaxed, not rushed. The whole cruising experience is appealing because it brings people back to a time when life wasn't so hurried. On a cruise, everything is free and easy. What could be more comfortable than that?
