Royal Caribbean returns to New Orleans

Royal Caribbean will return to New Orleans, sailing week-long cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The itineraries are set to launch for the 2018 winter cruise season.

Royal Caribbean's 2,435-passenger Vision of the Seas cruise ship will relocate Dec. 15, 2018 to the Port of New Orleans.  Royal Caribbean announced the move as part of an overview of its 2018-2019 fleet plans. The move marks Royal Caribbean's return to the Crescent City after a three-year hiatus.

The Vision of the Seas is currently sailing from Northern Europe in the summer and from Tampa in the fall. The 915-foot ship will sail two 16-night cruises through the Panama Canal in 2018 -- one from Miami to Los Angeles and another from Los Angeles to New Orleans -- before arriving in New Orleans.

Royal Caribbean plans to sail seven-night itineraries from New Orleans to "culture-rich" destinations in The Bahamas and the Yucatan.