WASHINGTON: The Port of New Orleans on Tuesday is acting as a sanctuary for cruise ships and vessels seeking refuge from Tropical Storm Harvey while its own cruise and cargo operations go uninterrupted. Port of New Orleans cargo operations continued to operate uninterrupted on Tuesday, regardless of Hurricane Harvey plummeting Southeast Texas. Photo by Lance Traweek Port of New Orleans cargo operations continued to operate uninterrupted on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Harvey dumped heavy rain on southeast Texas and Louisiana. Photo by Lance Traweek
In an update posted on the port’s website, officials said the port is working with cruise partners to accommodate additional vessels. While the Port of Galveston is expected to remain closed for the week, the Port of New Orleans’ administration building will remain open for business throughout Tuesday. Its cruise and cargo operations have not been affected by Harvey and continue to operate as usual. Carnival Cruise Line’s three Galveston-based ships, Freedom, Valor and Breeze, will stop in New Orleans over the next couple of days to allow guests to disembark if they want to make independent arrangements to return home or travel to another location. Or they can stay on board the ships, which will depart New Orleans between Tuesday and Wednesday.
All three ships will head back into the Gulf toward Galveston to be in position to enter the port when it re-opens Freedom and Valor had previously made brief stops in New Orleans on Saturday to refuel and obtain fresh water and food before heading back out into the Gulf. Guests also had the opportunity to terminate their cruise at that point and disembark in New Orleans. The additional Carnival vessels have not impacted the Port of New Orleans’ regularly scheduled cruise ship calls, the port said. Both the New Orleans-homeported Carnival Triumph and Dream are sailing their regular itineraries.
