Just Announced – Gulf Coast Port to Offer Year-Round Cruises

(KMDL-FM) A major cruise line has just revealed plans to bring even more cruise opportunities for Gulf Coast cruise fans in the coming year. Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it will offer year-round itineraries from yet another port situated along the northern Gulf Coast.

Which Cruise Ships Does Carnival Sail out of New Orleans and Galveston?

The announcement means that cruise passengers who were limited to embarkation points in either Galveston, Texas, or New Orleans, Louisiana, will now have one more embarkation point and a different selection of destinations and cruise lengths.

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Carnival Cruise Line currently operates the Carnival Liberty and the Carnival Valor out of the Port of New Orleans. The cruise line operates the Carnival Dream, Carnival Breeze, and the Carnival Jubilee out of its Galveston operations.

Which Cruise Ship Will Be Leaving New Orleans?

But as is the case with cruise lines, cruise ships, and home ports, things change often, and the location of the Carnival Valor is about to do just that. Instead of offering year-round sailings from New Orleans, the Carnival Valor will be offering similar journeys from a port a few miles to the east.

The Port of Mobile, Alabama, will begin offering year-round cruise vacations as of May 15, 2027. The Carnival Valor will be the focus of those year-round sailings, offering a variety of cruise options of six to eight-day itineraries. The Valor will wrap up its time in NOLA in May with cruises scheduled for May 1, May 6, and May 10th of 2027.

You might ask, "Why would we drive further away to get on a cruise ship"? The answer will likely come down to the timing of your travels and your choices of destinations. Not all the ships that serve Galveston, New Orleans, and soon-to-be Mobile will hit the same ports. So, if you want to spend time in a particular port of call or your vacation plans are crunched for time, that might be why you'd consider a drive of an extra hour or so.

Why Choose Mobile over Galveston or New Orleans?

Personally, I find sailing out of Galveston and Mobile to be a little more conducive for "cruise ship fun". Remember, it takes a cruise ship about six hours or so just to get out of the Mississippi River and into the Gulf. Meanwhile, it's a straight shot out of Mobile or Galveston, and you're in international waters in minutes instead of hours. If you've cruised before, you know why that's a good thing.

Carnival's service aboard the Valor out of Mobile, Alabama, will begin on May 15, 2027. Hey, you could take the Amtrak from New Orleans if you really wanted to have a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles kind of experience.