New Orleans to Take In Major Cruise Lines Again by October

Construction on the $37-million Erato Street Cruise Terminal should be completed by September 15, according to Port of New Orleans president and CEO Gary LaGrange.

Hurricane Katrina disrupted the cruise industry in New Orleans but it´s regaining its bearings.

Cruise lines, which book months in advance, hastily rescheduled itineraries for nearby ports in

San Antonio and Houston after the storm.

Eight months later, the New Orleans Port is ready for cruise ships again and most cruise lines are expected to return by October.

Norwegian Cruise Lines is first to return with its Norwegian Sun October 15 to sail seven-day western Caribbean cruises.

Carnival has scheduled the Sensation to return to operate year-round four- and five-day cruises this fall while the Carnival Fantasy will return October 26.

Royal Caribbean´s Grandeur of the Seas will return December 2 with seven-night sailings. Michael Sheehan, spokesman for the Royal Caribbean cruise lines, said the company decided to return to New Orleans last October.

The new terminal will add a 90,000-square-foot terminal and 1,000-vehicle parking garage. The garage will service the Julia terminals and the Erato terminal.