Update on New Orleans Cruise Terminal

[yuyi64]

The proposed Poland Street Cruise Terminal, which supposedly would be used by Holland America to homeport one of their ships in New Orleans beginning in December 2005, has taken a couple of steps towards becoming a reality. The Louisiana Dock Board has now given the Port of New Orleans permission to begin negotiations with the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) in order to lease the part of the Poland Street wharf that MARAD owns and use it for a passenger ship terminal. In return the Port of New Orleans would renovate and lease the Pauline Street wharf to MARAD so it can dock the ships it presently docks at the Poland Street wharf. The reason for the proposed wharf swap is that the Poland Street wharf is considered a better location for a cruise terminal since it's newer and would take less work to convert into a cruise terminal. Another step in the development process is overcoming neighborhood concerns about a cruise terminal on Poland Street, and to that end the Port will hold its first community meeting on the project this coming Saturday in order to get feedback from local residents. If the negotiations with MARAD on the wharf swap go well and neighborhood concerns are overcome the next step will be to obtain the funding for the actual construction of the temporary terminal (to be completed in late 2005) and the subsequent permanent terminal about a year later. Keep your fingers crossed!

[jhannah]

Where is this new (proposed) port in relation to the current one Carnival uses? Hopefully it's easier access. I was recently in New Orleans and I understand it's very tricky getting a ship up the Mississippi channel to the Riverwalk/Convention Center area to dock.

[yuyi64]

The proposed cruise terminal for Holland is downriver from the current cruise terminal (Julia Street wharf) and the new Erato Street cruise terminal (which begins construction in October). It is currently used by the US maritime Administration to dock two of its ships. By ship it is only about ten minutes from the current terminal and can be seen on the left bank of the river as you cruise downriver on one of the cruise ships currently sailing out of New Orleans. It is currently not a very aesthetically-pleasing building and will need a lot of work to turn it into a modern cruise terminal. Once the new Erato Street cruise terminal is completed in late 2005 the current Julia street cruise terminal will be demolished and a multi-level cruise parking garage will be built on its site. Since Carnival, RCCL, and NCCL have pretty much reserved all the available berth space at the new Erato terminal the Port has proposed building a cruise terminal at the Poland Street wharf in order to accomodate Holland and possibly later Princess or Celebrity.

[DFD1]

This is great news. We love sailing out of New Orleans. It's a managable day's drive from Chattanooga. Plus, we really like New Orleans anyway so we usually allow a couple of days before sailing day just to enjoy the Big Easy.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sounds great - hopefully HAL will have a ship in New Orleans by 2006 at the earliest.

[iluvcruzin]

I love sailing out of New Orleans too. It's easy to get to. I don't know how convinent the terminal for HAL will be. The Julia Street one is within walking distance of the historic district.

[Spot]

New Orleans is easier than anywhere in Florida for us but Houston/Galveston would be even better as we live in San Antonio.

[lswaaley]

Hello Everyone!!!!

It's been a long time, but we have our first venue for our 1st ever "San Antonio Cruisers Assoc."
(anyone one have a name for our little club?)

The format is as follows:
Champs
@ 11075 West IH 10
Between Huebner and DeZavala
5:00 PM---6:30 PM
Happy Hour/Buy your own
Casual attire, of course
These parties will always be on either Friday or Saturday evenings.

There are 26 names on our first outing. Some are couples, some singles, and a few multiples.
No bad for our first try, right????

In order to make it fair and square, we'll take Polls.

Poll 1: Does anyone have a name for our little club?

Poll 2: What date do you prefer for our first get together? (Let's just start with it being once or twice a year)
Dates we can get:
Sept.17 or 18
Oct. 1 or 2
Oct. 22 or 23
Nov 5 or 6
Nov 12-13

Poll 3: Do you want to have the get together once a year?

Poll 4: Do you want to have the get together twice a year?

As time goes by, we'll get the hang of it, but for now, I hope you all understand this is my first go around with such a large group.
Champs is not charging us for a room or a deposit, so we have to be really nice...teehee.
Really, it is kind of them, and they will be raking in the dough!

So PLEASE send me your answers ASAP
The deadline to get your answers will be Sept. 13, 2004

LRH@satx.rr.com

[Izzy Bee]

Robert, this is great news! Hello from your fellow cruise mate (Inspiration)..Isabel

[Himself]

My question is why did HAL pull out of New Orleans in the first place. During the 1995-96 and 1996-97 season the old Nieuw Amsterdam did Western Caribbean Cruises to Cosmel, Grand Caymen and Montego Bay out of New Orleans.
Himself