Port of New Orleans President and CEO Brandy D. Christian highlighted gains in cargo and cruise volumes in 2017 and positioned the port as an international gateway.

The announcement was made at the annual State of the Port address today hosted by the International Freight Forwarders & Customs Brokers Association of New Orleans.

Port NOLA is on target to surpass 1 million cruise passenger movements for the fourth consecutive year in 2017 and hit record volumes for the seventh year in a row.

Carnival Cruise Line continues to sail year-round itineraries with the Carnival Dream and Carnival Triumph. In 2018, Norwegian Cruise Line will deploy the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, the largest cruise ship in both length and passenger occupancy to ever sail from New Orleans. Royal Caribbean International will return to the Crescent City in 2018 with the Vision of the Seas. Additionally, river cruising accounts for 2 percent of total cruise revenue and continues to grow with the arrival of the American Queen Steamboat Company launching the new American Duchess, the port said.

“One million passengers happens to be the equivalent of the population of six parishes in metro New Orleans area, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. James and St. John the Baptist,” Christian said. “After Norwegian Cruise Line doubles their guest capacity with the newer and larger ship in 2018, we can add the population of St. Tammany Parish to that list. The Port of New Orleans’ annual passenger movements will equal the population of the entire metro New Orleans area.”