• You can board a cruise ship from the Port of New Orleans.cruise ship image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
  
  The Port of New Orleans offers year-round cruising departures on board three cruise lines. Opened in 1991 in a building originally constructed for the 1984 World's Fair, the Julia Street Terminal Complex shares its space with the RiverWalk Shopping Mall, so you can do some shopping before your ship sets sail. The Erato Street Cruise Terminal opened in October 2006.
  
  

Carnival Cruise Line Cruises

• No matter what your time frame or budget, Carnival Cruise Line offers an array of opportunities to the Western and Eastern Caribbean on the Ecstasy, the Triumph or the Conquest. For example, you can choose a 4-day Western Caribbean cruise that leaves on a Thursday and returns on a Monday and docks in Cozumel. As of 2010, prices start at an estimated $249 per person for an interior cabin and $579 for a suite. Or you can spend Christmas and New Year's Eve on an 8-day cruise that goes to Belize, Isla Roatan and Cozumel for between $1,139 and $2,069, depending on your choice of cabin.
  
  

Norwegian Cruise Line Cruises

• The Norwegian Spirit departs from the Port of New Orleans for 7-day cruises to Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan and Cozumel from November to April. This 881-foot vessel holds 2,018 passengers double occupancy and a crew of 949. You'll find four outdoor hot tubs, a state-of-the-art fitness center, entertainment by the Second City Comedy Troupe and 15 dining options. The Norwegian Cruise Line boasts freestyle cruising, which features no set dining times, no assigned tables and a relaxed dress code. Estimated costs range from $409 to $1,329, depending on the cabin.
  
  

Blount Small Ship Adventures

• If you want to take a different type of cruise out of the Port of New Orleans and have an opportunity to go where big ships can't go, Blount Small Ship Adventures offers a 12-day cruise to historic rivers aboard the Niagara Prince. You'll navigate historic rivers of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, including the Mississippi River, an industrial canal, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Mobile River, the Tombigbee River and Waterway and the Tennessee River. The cruise, which departs in April, May and June, is priced around $3,459 to $4,219. The Niagara Prince, a 179-foot ship that accommodates a maximum of 68 people in 34 cabins, was refurbished in 2009.