The day has finally arrived as Carnival Cruise Line has resumed operations for the first time in more than 15 months. Carnival Vista became the first ship in the fleet to depart with passengers on board since March 2020. It marks a huge step forward for the Miami-based cruise line and the entire cruise industry.
Carnival Vista Restarts Operations
Carnival really needed this day to come after remaining on hold for over 15 months and having to sell off older ships. From now, the cruise line can begin to make a comeback, with even more ships in the fleet restarting through the coming months.
Carnival Vista became the first in the fleet to resume sailings out of Galveston, Texas, on Saturday, July 3. The resumption was celebrated at the port with a “Back to Fun” ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy and local officials and, of course, Carnival Vista’s captain Andrea Catalani.
Duffy Said:
“Seeing our guests board the ship for the first time in over 15 months was a welcome and emotional sight. The excitement our guests have for Carnival cruising knows no bounds and it’s great to be able to have them enjoy our unique vacation experience and of course see our amazing crew once again.”
The ship departed at around 4:00 PM from Galveston and will now bring back the fun to 2,940 guests on board, including 888 first-time cruisers with Carnival. The Vista-class vessel will be making calls at Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Cozumel, and Belize City as part of the week-long voyage.
Also Read: Over the Weekend, Two Carnival Cruise Ships Are Resuming Operations
It’s a fitting start to service, especially out of Galveston, as Carnival Cruise Line was the first cruise line to start using the port as a homeport in 2000. The cruise line remains the number one operator from there, with three ships sailings year-round, including the Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Dream. The three Carnival ships sail 150 voyages annually and carrying an estimated 750,000 passengers a year.
The weekend gets even better for Carnival with Carnival Horizon restarting operations out of Miami, Florida on Sunday. There will be another huge event there as the first ship in the fleet departs from the cruise capital of the world and the home of Carnival Cruise Line.
All the initial sailings in July and August will have protocols in place to make sure guests and crew remain safe. The cruises will be for passengers who are fully vaccinated, but there will be a small percentage of exemptions. There are some changes on board with the new e-muster drill and the important role of the Carnival HUB App.
Five Carnival cruise ships restarting through July, starting with Carnival Vista out of Galveston and ending with Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral on July 31, 2021. You can check the full list of which ships are resuming right here.
