Carnival Cruiselines is expanding its business in New Orleans by including a new ship and more destinations travelers can choose from.

That move came after Carnival yanked the cruiseship Fantasy out of New Orleans after the July oil spill on the Mississippi River and temporarily relocated it to Mobile.

Starting in November 2009, the Fantasy ship will be replaced with the newer and larger Carnival Triumph, which can carry about 700 more passengers. That’s a 34 percent increase in capacity.

Carnival officials also announced that, along with Triumph, they are expanding their operation to include seven-day cruises on top of the four- and five-day cruises they currently offer.

The list of destinations will grow, as Triumph will make stops in Belize, Honduras, Cozumel, Key West, Freeport and Nassau.

New Orleans has been a homeport for Carnival for 15 years, and officials said the upcoming expansion of operations is a major shot in the arm for the local tourism business.

The Fantasy ship will resume cruises from New Orleans in October and continue working in New Orleans until the Triumph arrives next November.

The Triumph was built in 1999 and can carry nearly 2800 passengers.