New Orleans port question

[LefseLady]

My husband and I have taken cruises with RCI but know that we want to try Princess. In a recent edition of Cruise Travel Magazine, there is a mention of Princess basing a ship in New Orleans starting in 2007. On the Princess website, though, I can't find which ship it is, or indeed any listing for cruises out of New Orleans. Does anyone know anything about this? We have family in New Orleans and are interested in going there for our next cruise.

[cruisinsuzan]

Golden Princess - A new homeport for Princess, New Orleans, will be the base for Golden Princess' Western Caribbean itinerary. The ship will offer three sailings on an itinerary that travels to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Golden Princess sails on December 16, 23 and 30, 2006.

 

Nothing mentioned for 2007.

[cruisinsuzan]

Ditto post.

[LefseLady]

When I read that Golden will be sailing out of there in Dec. I called Princess, hopeful that a similar sailing might be on the offer for next Dec. They said Princess pulled out of New Orleans as of last Nov and have no plans to return, at this point, with any ship. That stinks! How on earth is the city to recover if the toursim industry doesn't get with it?

[cruisinsuzan]

I know previous to Katrina there were some issues with the larger ships sailing under high tension wires through the delta out into the gulf. Depending on the tide/water level in the delta, the larger ships such as the Carnival Conquest and probably the Golden also had very little clearance. I don't know if this is still the case post Katrina.