It's not that many years ago — like eight — that some people quietly confided that maybe New Orleans should cease to exist, as unthinkable as that might seem. The reason was Hurricane Katrina, which so devastated a city built below sea level that it gave credence to the thought that maybe cities shouldn't be built below sea level.
It was a knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy, of course, and anybody who has seen this fascinating and fun place could never imagine our world without it.
And here we in the cruise world are today, wondering how good can it get for New Orleans. Cruise-ship traffic is at an all-time high…and growing.
In three years, passengers sailing out of New Orleans have doubled. A new terminal, 
now half-finished, will handle 4,000-passenger ships by the fall of 2015 and be able to accommodate ships that carry 6,000.
On Sunday, the new (rebuilt) Carnival Sunshine checked in, to carry 18 more passengers than its predecessor, the Conquest. Next year the Sunshine will be replaced by a bigger ship, the Dream, and that will add an additional 650 passengers, per cruise.
Carnival's ship joins the Norwegian Jewel, which carries 380 more passengers than its predecessor, the Spirit. Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas is on the way to replacing Navigator of the Seas and, while Serenade carries fewer passengers, port officials hasten to point out it's a newer ship (by nine months).
One of the attractions is the geographic location of New Orleans, which makes it attractive to so many passengers who want to drive to the port.
Another is that…well, it's New Orleans.
Carnival Victory
5 nights
December 9, 2013
Miami (return): Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Nassau
Inside: $199
Cost per day: $39
www.carnival.com