With Carnival Cruise Line restarting operations just days from now, more details are still be released on what the experience will be like on the initial sailings. A major part of cruising will be dining on board, and that includes the Lido buffet.
Carnival Update
Carnival Cruise Line Ambassador John Heald provided further changes for when the cruise line resumes operations this weekend. Heald detail about the lido buffet, changes in the casino on two ships, the plans for this weekend as the first Carnival ships restart operations, and much more.
Also Read: Carnival Fun Times Will No Longer Be Delivered to Cabins
Lido Buffet
One of the biggest highlights of the update was regarding the lido buffet, as Carnival will not be making any major changes. The buffet will remain self-service for guests and not shift to just having crew members serve.
Other cruise lines have already made changes, with crew members now serving the guests behind a screen. This won’t be the case with Carnival, as it will all remain the same before the suspension of operations. However, guests will still need to wash their hands before entering the buffet.
Bubble Tours
Many guests have apparently been asking about the availability of bubble tours on the initial sailings. Heald said that the cruise line is still working on the tours, which will be released in the coming days. This also includes the beach club and beach tours at Bimini in the Bahamas, a new port of call for Carnival Cruise Line.
Casino Bar Removed
After talking about the buffet, Heald discussed changes in the Casino on the Carnival Horizon and Carnival Vista. The round bar located in the venue has now been removed and replaced with more slot machines.
Bar service will remain but will come from other nearby bars on board those two cruise ships. There will also be a smoking area in a specific area of the casino, along with the area on the open decks.
Port Changes
There is an update on the 10 July Carnival Horizon cruise out of PortMiami with the call in Bonaire being replaced with Curacao. Guests are apparently receiving letters about this change today.
September Protocols
The cruise line has not yet decided on the protocols for operations in September. The hope is that the situation will improve when September arrives, hence the delay in releasing details for September.
Weekend Plan
On Thursday, Heald will be heading off to the world’s cruise capital, where Carnival Horizon will be departing from on July 4, 2021. There will be a full day of events as the Carnival Ambassador walks around the ship and meets the captain on Saturday, a day before departure.
Later on Saturday, Carnival Vista will depart from the Port of Galveston in Texas, becoming the first Carnival cruise ship to depart in more than 15 months with passengers on board. Then on Sunday, there will be a press event in the Miami cruise terminal with Carnival President Christine Duffy as Carnival Horizon becomes the second ship in the fleet to restart operations.
Worth Reading: Carnival Cruise Line Details E-Muster Which Could Remain Permanently
It’s going to be a huge weekend for the cruise industry, and Cruise Hive will be making sure you’re all kept updated. Heald will also be revealing the guest count on the first two cruises and already said that on Carnival Horizon, there are 753 first-time cruisers when the ship departs on Sunday. It just shows that demand is there, and people are ready to go cruising after more than a year of limitations and lockdowns across the U.S.
