The two major cruise lines that depart from New Orleans are Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Lines: ships Triumph and Spirit respectively.
Carnival Cruise line, Triumph out of New Orleans can either be a 5 day trip or a 4 day trip. After celebrating with Drew Brees and the Saints you are now ready to go see the world. Your ship will make stops at Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico, and Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, before heading back to the Big Easy. You will know you have arrived in Progresso when you see the famous Lighthouse and extended pier combination, jutting out of the water as if an extended bridge into paradise. The port of Progreso is host to beautiful beaches, a large shopping mall, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, bus transportation (you are only 30 minutes north of the capital – Merida), mail services, taxis, real estate businesses, and handy stores. With the pristine view of the water in sight tourists will want to indulge in snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and lounging around the ocean. Next stop is Cozumel, which is the largest inhabited island in Mexico, surrounded by reefs making an ideal spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. The western side of the island enjoys peaceful, calm surf / waves, while the eastern side is more rugged and violent. Since there are a myriad of underwater caverns, only the more experienced, registered divers are allowed in. In fact in 1990 the world's fifth largest underwater cavern was found in Cozumel.
The Carnival Triumph will make your journey to New Orleans that much more enjoyable with four swimming pools, several whirlpools, and many nightclubs for the adult entertainment. There is plenty to do for the children as well with recreational areas, and exercise rooms.
Norwegian Cruise line, Spirit out of New Orleans is a 7 day trip making stops at Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan, and Cozumel before heading back to the home of the Super Bowl Champs. Costa Maya, home to the great Mayan reef, white sand beaches, and undeveloped, as the new pier built has brought visitors (soon to be you). In port, there is much activity with other passenger ships enjoying the restaurant and bar scene, as well as the ability to snorkel / scuba dive at the coral reef. Belize City is home to the famous Swing Bridge, which is the only working manual bridge in commission. Belize is reminiscent of Italy with its many rivers and canals throughout towns, with a quant atmosphere. Hurricane Hattie almost destroyed the city in 1961, but thankfully for cruise goers, the port is proving to give life back to this area. Roatan is a very long island of Honduras completely surrounded by coral reefs, and excellent fishing. This is ideal for tourists to go snorkeling, and underwater exploring.
The Norwegian Spirit is a beautiful German engineered ship that spent the first five years of its life in Hong Kong. It still holds its Asian influences (for whom it was built for), with a Samurai theme, wood case stairs with iron railings and glass elevators. With over eleven restaurants and eight bars, you can be hopping from one place to the next all week long. The refurbished boat also includes eight new decks with balconies (which is a growing must have amongst cruise goers).