Regular cruise traffic returns to New Orleans

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun has begun regular weekly departures from the Port of New Orleans, making it the first cruise ship to resume homeporting in the Gulf city since last year's Hurricane Katrina. The Sun is the first of four ships scheduled to homeport for New Orleans cruises by the end of 2007. The Sun makes weekly voyages to ports in Mexico and Central America.

Before the storm, the Port of New Orleans handled over 700,000 cruise passengers annually.

Among the first cruise passengers departing New Orleans was the president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, Gary LaGrange. He told an AP reporter that the voyage was his first vacation since Katrina.