With Carnival Cruise Lines sailing two ships year-round from New Orleans and Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean seasonally, the port does not expect to see any impact from the lower water levels further north on the Mississippi River.
According to a spokesperson, the ship channels between New Orleans and the Gulf are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers at a working depth 45 feet, and recent dredging has added two more feet, to a depth of 47 feet, he said.
The low levels are mainly affecting barge traffic at river crossings above Baton Rouge and into the Midwest.