The largest vessel in Carnival’s “Fun Ship” fleet and the first ship in the line’s new Conquest-class, the 110,000-ton Conquest carries 2,974 passengers. The Conquest debuted in New Orleans in November 2002, operating seven-day western Caribbean cruises year-round from the Big Easy. Its décor is based on the works of great Impressionist and post- Impressionist painters, directly tying it to its home port, as Edgar Degas actually lived in New Orleans for a time.
Carnival Cruise Lines’ Holiday operates on a year-round schedule featuring four-day cruises to Cozumel, Mexico, and five-day cruises to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. The 1,452-passenger Holiday provides a close-to-home vacation option to some of Mexico’s most exciting resort destinations. The Holiday was transferred to Mobile from New Orleans in October 2004.
Operated by Royal Caribbean International, this ship carries 2,446 passengers to Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Progreso on the Yucatan Peninsula and Key West on seven-day cruises during the winter and spring months.
Operated by Delta Queen Steamboat Company, the 285-foot paddlewheeler was completed in 1927 at a cost of $1 million. The Delta Queen offers 174 passengers a bar, two lounges, a Victorian parlor, dining room, and gift shop. Weekly cruises invite guests to discover Mark Twain’s Mississippi River.
Launched for America’s Bicentennial in 1976, the Mississippi Queen was the biggest paddlewheeler the river had ever seen, with a capacity of 414 passengers. Tiffany Studios stained-glass panels dazzle the eye, and the world’s largest calliope delights the ear. The second vessel in the Delta Queen Steamboat fleet, the Mississippi Queen cruises from New Orleans fall, winter and spring.
Operated by Delta Steamboat Company, she’s the largest steamboat ever built, carrying 436 passengers. Her many public rooms and staterooms reflect the opulence of the American Victorian period with antiques inside and lacy filigree outside. Passengers can select a volume from the library in the Mark Twain Gallery or take in a show in the two-deck-tall Grand Saloon. The American Queen commenced cruising from New Orleans in January 2003.
Operated by American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL), this 175-foot small ship was built in 1994. The Niagara Prince can navigate in shallow waters and under low bridges, land right up on a beach and access remote ports-of-call other ships cannot. The ship carries 84 passengers along coastal waters and rivers throughout eastern North and Central America, from Canada to the Caribbean. The vessel has two passenger decks, a lounge/meeting room, a dining room, and on-board leisure activities. The Niagara Prince, using New Orleans as a home base, offers two itineraries: four 15-day sailings to and from Chicago in early summer and fall, and four 12-day sailings to and from Nashville during fall foliage season.
Operated by RiverBarge Excursion Lines, Inc., this 295-foot long, custom-built hotel barge carries 198 passengers and is the first American-built, flagged and crewed hotel barge vessel to be offered in North America. The ship offers 99 outside staterooms, a show lounge, library, exercise and sports facilities and a bar and grill. Guests are able to choose from seven different geographical regions along the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri and Cumberland Rivers, the Atchafalaya Basin and the Gulf IntraCoastal Waterway on the four- to ten-day excursions.
This material may be reproduced for editorial purposes of promoting New Orleans. Please attribute stories to New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Fall 2004.
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