Royal Caribbean will offer winter sailings from New Orleans on Majesty of the Seas in 2020. 

Following the recent ban of U.S. cruises to Cuba, Majesty of the Seas has been redeployed to New Orleans between January and April 2020. 

Majesty of the Seas will sail 7 night sailings primarily to the Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay, along with one Western Caribbean itinerary.  

You can view the full list of itineraries here.

Cruises from New Orleans on board Majesty are now open to book for itineraries departing through April 2020. Sailings departing from May 2020 through April 2021 will be open to book the week of July 22, 2019. 

Royal Caribbean made its return to the Port of New Orleans when recently when Vision of the Seas homeported at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal for its inaugural cruise Dec. 15, 2018.

“Royal Caribbean is a valued cruise line partner that we are excited to welcome back to the Crescent City,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port of New Orleans President and CEO. “Our commitment to top-notch service combined with the vibrant sights and sounds of the Big Easy will add another dimension to the dynamic Royal Caribbean cruise experience.”

The 2,514-passenger ship will sail seasonal, seven-night itineraries from Port NOLA to culture-rich destinations across the Bahamas, Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula through March 2019.

Royal Caribbean announced today a number of new sailing options to the Caribbean from New Orleans, Galveston and Miami.

After a three-year hiatus, Royal Caribbean will return to offering cruises from New Orleans, Louisiana with Vision of the Seas in the winter of 2018-2019. Beginning on December 15, 2018, Vision of the Seas will offer 7-night itineraries to the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula.  

Before making her way to New Orleans, Vision of the Seas will offer two 16-night sailings through the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles, California. This will be the first time in three years that Royal Caribbean has offered a cruise through the Panama Canal.

Lastly, Mariner of the Seas will call Miami, Florida home in 2018, following a transpacific cruise.  Mariner of the Seas will be the first Voyager Class ship to offer short Caribbean sailings. Before she offers cruises from her new home, Mariner of the Seas will undergo an extensive 32-day revitalization. Once back in service, Mariner of the Seas will offer 3- and 4-night itineraries from PortMiami, beginning on June 21, 2018.

Enchantment of the Seas will join Liberty of the Seas in Galveston, Texas, offering 4- and 5-night Caribbean cruises. She arrives in Galveston on June 23, 2018.  Guests currently booked on Enchantment for sailings departing Miami after June 23 will be contacted individually to transition the original booking to Mariner of the Seas.

Sailings onboard Mariner of the Seas will become available to book on May 1, 2017.  Enchantment of the Seas and Vision of the Seas sailings will be available to book as of May 5.

Royal Caribbean announced yesterday that it will end cruises from the Port of New Orleans next year.

Janet Diaz, Royal Caribbean spokeswman, made this comment regarding the decision, "At this time, we do not have any ships planned for New Orleans in the winter 2015-16 season once Serenade of the Seas departs in April 2015."

The move comes despite higher cruise passenger traffic in the port in recent years.

Serenade of the Seas had been Royal Caribbean's ship serving the port since it replaced Navigator of the Seas.  Serenade of the Seas offered seven-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

According to Port president and CEO Gary LaGrange, Royal Caribbean had signed a two-year agreement with two one-year options to renew in 2011. That contract will expire at the close of the 2014-2015 season, he said.

For fans of cruising Royal Caribbean from New Orleans, it's worth mentioning Royal Caribbean previously pulled out of New Orleans in 2010 but returned a year later.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas arrives at Port of New Orleans’ Julia Street Cruise Terminal today to begin weekly cruises through April.

Serenade of the Seas replaces Navigator of the Seas and is fresh off a recent refurbishment last December.

Serenade of the Seas will sail offer her first cruise today, December 12, with a nine-night Caribbean adventure cruise to Key West, Fla.; Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; and George Town, Grand Cayman. The ship’s regular itineraries will feature seven-night Bahamas cruises to Key West, Fla.; Nassau, Bahamas; and CocoCay, Bahamas. As well as seven-night western Caribbean cruises to Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. 

Royal Caribbean senior Vice President Vicki Freed is excited about Serenade's arrival, "We are excited to be back in New Orleans with a newly revitalized Serenade of the Seas.  Guests sailing from New Orleans will enjoy a Caribbean vacation like no other aboard one of our unrivaled and most innovative ships."

New Orleans Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange commented on Serenade's arrival, "We are happy to have Royal Caribbean return this year and bring this magnificent ship to New Orleans.  Royal Caribbean is a perfect fit for the New Orleans tourism demographic and offers a wide variety of itineraries throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean."

Royal Caribbean announced that it will offer a new New Orleans to Bahamas cruise in Fall 2013 aboard Serenade of the Seas.

The new itinerary will include stops at  Key West, Florida; Nassau, the Bahamas; and CoCo Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island also in the Bahamas. This route will alternate with the current Western Caribbean route sailed for the past few years. One special 9 night cruise will be available as the first cruise of the season out of New Orleans in December 2013.

In addition to this new route, Royal Caribbean will welcome Serenade of the Seas to the city in Fall 2013 for the winter season.

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas debuted from her new winter port of New Orleans, Louisiana this week.  Voyager of the Seas will sail out of New Orleans from now through April 2012.

The first day of operations in the big easy didn't go as well as planned, as there were reports of issues at the port.   Evidently there were some issues with the newly renovated cruise ship terminal due to the arrival of about 3000 passengers.  The overwhelming issues caused hours-long traffic jams around the port as well as lines that went back into the street from noon until long after 5pm.  In addition, there were check-in computer meltdowns and slow security checkpoints.

Voyager's departure from New Orleans was originally scheduled for 4pm, but was delayed until 8pm.

The City of New Orleans has been hard at work refurbishing and expanding its Julia Street Cruise Terminal so that New Orleans can put itself back on the map as a cruise line hub and give The Crescent City a shot in the arm after Hurricane Katrina decimated the cruise business here.

The good news is officials working on the project expect the work to be complete just in time to welcome Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas.

Port of New Orleans spokesman Chris Bonura is excited to welcome one of Royal Caribbean's massive liners to New Orleans, "It's the largest ship that we've ever home-ported here in New Orleans.  It's 1,020 feet and it holds approximately 3,110 passengers."

Royal Caribbean will once again have a cruise presence in New Orleans, Louisiana as Voyager of the Seas is set to arrive in the Port of New Orleans in November 2011 for seven-night trips to the western Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean's return to New Orleans will be its first sailing since 2007 and voyages will continue through April 2012.