With Carnival Cruise Line still developing its plan to meet the CDC Conditional Sailing Order framework it has decided to cancel all U.S. departures until February 2021. There is even more bad news as cruises are also cancelled from select U.S. homeports until March 2021 and Carnival Legend out of Tampa for even longer.
So it’s looking like the cruise industry in the U.S. will have to wait a little longer with the largest cruise line in the world now cancelling a range sailings into March 2021. Here are the specifics:
- All embarkations from U.S. homeports from Jan. 1-31.
- Additionally, Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Mobile, New Orleans and San Diego embarkations through Feb. 28.
- Embarkations on Carnival Legend out of Tampa through March 26.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said:
“We are committed to meeting the CDC requirements and keeping our guests and business partners informed of our progress.”
“The entire Carnival team appreciates the great support of our guests, travel advisors and business partners, and local officials in our homeports and destinations.”
Which Carnival Cruise Ships Will Sail in 2021?
The initial return to service will be out of PortMiami and Port Canaveral in Florida. The Port of Galveston will then follow them in Texas. Other homeports in the U.S. will have to wait until March 2021 at the earliest, and no doubt more details will be released as more cruise ships resume sailings.
Carnival Horizon is arriving back into the U.S. this week to prepare for the restart of cruises and be among the first ships in the fleet to do so out of Florida. Carnival Breeze will also return to the U.S. next week.
16 Carnival cruise ships are set to resume operations in 2021, including Carnival Conquest, Dream, Ecstasy, Elation, Freedom, Glory, Liberty, Miracle, Panorama, Pride, Sensation, Sunrise, Sunshine, and Vista. Mardi Gras, which is under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, is still scheduled to debut out of Port Canaveral on February 6, 2021.
Four other Carnival vessels are undergoing dry docks in early 2021 and they will return to service when they can. This includes upgrades for Carnival Magic, Carnival Paradise, and Carnival Valor. The Carnival Victory transformation into Carnival Radiance will still go ahead next year too.
Worth Reading: Carnival Removes 8-Day or Longer Cruises Until Late 2021
Why More Carnival Cancellations?
It seems preparing for the return of cruise operations is going to take time. Carnival Cruise Line is in the process of developing a gradual phased-in approach next year. However, this needs to be a safe return to operations and follow the Conditional Sailing Order framework from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A lot needs to be done before cruises can begin, including training crew members on new health procedures, stress testing protocols with trial sailings, introducing new tech, and a lot more, which Carnival Cruise Line should be detailing soon.
