Anniversaries are always reason for reflection, good or bad. It's now 10 years since Katrina.
One word. That's often the case with things that are unforgettable — Hiroshima, Elvis, LeBron — because one word is all it takes.
Katrina.
It was the last week of August 2005. The hurricane that destroyed a city. In the 
aftermath, they said New Orleans would never be the same. They said the people wouldn't go back…not to live, not to visit, not to cruise.
But they have.
In 2006, Carnival resumed its New Orleans operations with one ship, the Fantasy. Sixteen thousand passengers. It was a start.
Fast forward.
This year, after gradually increasing the size and number of ships plus the frequency of the cruises, Carnival expects to carry 450,000 passengers from New Orleans. One of its biggest ships, the Dream, is based in New Orleans, taking up to 3,646 passengers on 
week-long Caribbean cruises all year long. That's complemented by the Elation, running 4-and-5-day cruise to Mexico. Next spring, another increase…the 2,758-passenger Triumph replaces the Elation, shuttling 700 additional passengers off to sea every four or five days.
It's not all Carnival, of course. Norwegian, Azamara and Crystal also cruise from The Big Easy. But Carnival is biggest, a commitment that has led to port improvements.
Next year, Carnival's 3,000,000th passenger will pass through New Orleans since Katrina.
A decade ago, nobody would have predicted that.
In the news…
• Regent Seven Seas trumpets new Explorer as "most luxurious ship ever built"
• Viking River Cruises going back to the Ukraine after two-year absence
Today at portsandbows.com: Green light for Greenwich
Norwegian Jade
7 nights
December 5, 2015
Houston (return): Cozumel, Belize, Roatan
Inside: $479
Cost per day: $68
www.ncl.com