New Orleans Expects to Be Prime Port for Cuban Cruises

The Port of New Orleans feels it's in great shape to host cruises to Cuba, once travel there by Americans is allowed.

"Once Cuba is allowed to accept cruise vessels from the United States, we look forward to playing a major role," says Don Allee, director of cruise operations at the Port.

He says all the major cruise lines have a strategy and are prepared to act once they can go directly from the United States to and from Cuban ports.

And, he feels relatively certain that New Orleans is a part of those plans.

"Not only do we sit in a very good geographic location, we're already a well-established cruise port of embarkation and disembarkation and great for home-porting, as well."

That geographic location, says Allee, is best realized when you look down at a map from 30,000 feet.

"If you look at where Cuba's located, in relation to the mouth of the Mississippi River, it fits into a variety of itineraries for any cruise operator."

"I can hit the Caribbean immediately," Allee says. "I can go to the Yucatan Peninsula, Roatan Island, Belize, to the Caymans...I can get to Jamaica."

He says putting Cuba in the mix would complement any cruise line's existing itinerary. And, as always, he says a cruise from New Orleans offers travelers two vacations in one.

Cruises to Cuba are already available from a number of other countries, and Cuban tourism is up 36 percent over last year.