Are you planning on taking a cruise this summer from Florida but getting confused about the offerings? You are likely not alone. Cruise companies have been changing their schedules, ships, requirements, and itineraries on an almost daily basis in the last few months.
Nonetheless, Cruises Are Back!
So, the question is then, which cruise ships are sailing? We look at what we can expect from Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line this July and some other cruise lines that will sail from the sunshine state.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line will set sail with two ships from Florida this July, part of a broader restart in the United States that involves a total of five vessels to resume sailings in July.
Carnival Horizon
Carnival Horizon will be the first vessel to set sail on July 4. The ship will be sailing on an itinerary from Miami to Amber Cove, Half Moon Cay, and Bimini. Carnival legend John Heald will be sailing on this voyage if you need any more encouragement.
Guests onboard Carnival Horizon will need to be vaccinated to sail, even though that goes against a Florida law going into effect July 1 that prohibits so-called vaccine passports. Carnival Cruise Line has not given details on how the cruise line will enforce the vaccine requirement.
- Date of first sailing: July 4, 2021
- Homeport: Miami
- Voyage length: 6 Days Eastern Caribbean
- Itinerary: Miami, Fun Day At Sea, Amber Cove, Fun Day At Sea, Half Moon Cay, Bimini, Miami
Mardi Gras
Carnival’s newest ship, Mardi Gras, arrived in her new homeport of Port Canaveral earlier this month and will set sail on her first cruise on July 31, 2021. It won’t be the maiden season the cruise line had intended for the largest vessel in the fleet, postponing the usual maiden voyage and inaugural celebrations for a later date. It does mean guests will be able to enjoy Mardi Gras sooner than anticipated.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line Details Mardi Gras Protocols
Those guests will also need to be fully vaccinated. The cruise line aims for at least 95% of all guests vaccinated; the remaining 5% is for children and adolescents that have not yet been vaccinated.
- Date of first sailing: July 31, 2021
- Homeport: Port Canaveral
- Length: 7 Days Eastern Caribbean
- Itinerary: Port Canaveral (Orlando), 2 Fun Days At Sea, San Juan, Amber Cove, Fun Day At Sea, Nassau, Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s return to service has been much talked about, and the US is one of the last places where the cruise line will resume sailings.
Freedom of the Seas
Currently, the company has ships operating in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. US sailings will begin with the July 2 sailing from Miami on Freedom of the Seas, which completed her simulated sailing this week, for a short cruise to the Bahama, just in time for the Fourth of July.
- Date of first sailing: July 2, 2021
- Homeport: Miami
- Voyage length: 4th of July Special
- Itinerary: Miami, Nassau, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Miami
Odyssey of the Seas
The cruise line did run into a roadblock when eight crew members tested positive onboard Odyssey of the Seas last week. This prompted the company to quarantine all crew members on board the ship. Odyssey of the Seas departures from July 3 to July 25, 2021, have been canceled as a result.
Odyssey of the Seas’ inaugural season has been plagued with cancelations. The vessel was scheduled to sail in the Mediterranean from Italy; the cruise line canceled due to COVID. The plan was to sail in Israel; canceled due to unrest in the region; now, the vessel has had to deal with two instances where crew members were infected with COVID. The first sailing with guests is now pushed back to July 31 from Fort Lauderdale.
- Date of first sailing: July 31, 2021
- Homeport: Fort Lauderdale
- Voyage length: 6-days Southern Caribbean
- Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; Perfect Day at CocoCay, Fort Lauderdale
While vaccinations might not be required to board the Royal Caribbean ships sailing from Florida, the cruise line is going the extra mile to discourage unvaccinated guests.
Worth Reading: Royal Caribbean Clarifies Vaccine Policy Including Florida Cruises
This includes multiple tests that will cost guests $136, some events on board will only be accessible for vaccinated guests, SeaPass cards will be required to access lounges, shows, and dining venues, My Time Dining will not be available to unvaccinated guests, and selected shows will be for vaccinated guests and others for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests.
Celebrity Cruises
The first cruise line to be given permission to set sail was Celebrity Cruises. The cruise line will be setting sail from Florida this June already with Celebrity Edge, which will be sailing a rotating schedule of Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, and Celebrity Equinox, also from Fort Lauderdale.
Celebrity Edge
Celebrity Edge seems to be a perfect fit to be the first ship to set sail again with paying guests after more than 15 months. On June 26 the vessel will start here sailings to Eastern- and Western Caribbean destinations.
- Date of first sailing: June 26, 2021
- Homeport: Fort Lauderdale
- Voyage length: 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
- Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; Fort Lauderdale
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Equinox will begin operations out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 25, 2021. She will offer seven-night itineraries in the Eastern- and Western Caribbean, including calls in Mexico, the British Virgin Islands, and Nassau in the Bahamas.
- Date of first sailing: July 25, 2021
- Homeport: Fort Lauderdale
- Voyage length: 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
- Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale, Philipsburg (St. Maarten), Tortola, Nassau, Fort Lauderdale
Celebrity Cruises are available for guests that have been fully vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. The cruise line announced it has now changed its health requirements for Florida cruises to closely mimic those implemented onboard the Royal Caribbean ships.
Also Read: When Will Cruises Resume in 2021?
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
Another cruise line set to sail this July is Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which sails 2-day itineraries onboard its Grand Classica cruise ship starting July 2. Guests do not need to be vaccinated but will be held to additional health and safety regulations onboard the ship.
