First Fantasy-class Carnival Cruise Ship Restarts Guest Operations

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Carnival Elation is the first Fantasy-Class cruise ship to resume operations. The ship sails from her homeport of Port Canaveral on cruises to the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean.

It is another highlight for the Miami-based cruise line, as more than half of the fleet is operational in the United States. Although Carnival Elation is one of the older ships in the Carnival fleet, she is still a firm favorite with many fans of Carnival Cruise Line. After being on hold since March of 2020 she is indeed a welcome sight in Port Canaveral.

Carnival Elation Sails From Port Canaveral

After twelve Carnival cruise ships set sail in the last few months, it is finally time for Carnival Elation as she sails from her homeport of Port Canaveral. Of the original eight Fantasy-class ships in the Carnival fleet, five still operate for the cruise line. The 1998-built Carnival Elation is the first of those five ships to sail. Guests are being welcomed into the terminal by Cruise Director Paully Munhollon.

Carnival Elation Cruise Ship
Photo: John Panella / Shutterstock.com

Sailing to the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, Carnival Elation sails to Nassau; from there, the vessel will visit the popular Carnival cruise port of Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. Guests will be able to enjoy a day at sea after each port call. She will return to Port Canaveral on October 16, from where the ship will set sail on a Bahamas cruise.

The ship will alternate cruises to the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas, making stops in popular spots like Princess Cays, Nassau, and Resorts World Bimini.

Built in Helsinki, Finland, in 1998 the 71,909 gross ton cruise ship has a guest capacity of 2,130 people and a crew of 920. Carnival Elation was a world’s first when she became the first cruise ship in history to sail with Azipod propulsion, something which is now almost standard.

Carnival Elation Cruise
Photo Credit: Nazar Skladanyi / Shutterstock.com

Health And Safety Onboard Carnival Elation

Guests sailing onboard Carnival Elation will be required to follow some basic health and safety guidelines, which the cruise line calls the Have Fun. Be Safe protocols. Besides that, all guests onboard aged 12 and above must be fully vaccinated 14 days before the cruise with an approved vaccine or vaccine combination; there are also testing requirements guests will need to fulfill before cruising.

Guests who have received an exemption to the vaccine requirement will need to show a negative PCR test. Guests who have been fully vaccinated will need to show proof of vaccination and undergo a rapid antigen test or PCR test at least two days before the cruise’s start.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced it will keep sailings for vaccinated guests through February 2022.

Port Canaveral Is Getting Busy

Port Canaveral is becoming busier each week as more and more ships start sailing once again. Three Carnival Cruise Line ships are now operational from the port, Carnival Elation, Carnival Magic, and of course, Mardi Gras.

Carnival Mardi Gras
Photo Credit: Marc Mayntz

Carnival Magic has been operational for quite some time already; she sailed her first cruise on August 7, 20211. The ship, which has already been decked out in the new livery that Carnival is rolling out across the fleet, will be sailing Bahamas and Caribbean cruises until May of next year when she will reposition to Norfolk and later New York City.

Also Read: Which Carnival Cruise Ships Have Resumed Operations?

The other Carnival ship sailing from port Canaveral is one of the most popular cruise ships this year. Mardi Gras has been in operational mode since she first set sail on July 31. The ship is offering week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.

GigSky Cruise SIM

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Robert McGillivray
Robert McGillivray
Robert has been involved in the cruise industry since January 2007. He joined his first ship, the Seabourn Pride, in Miami Florida, and never looked back. Robert started his cruise career as a bar-waiter and worked his way up to being a corporate trainer for the same luxury 6-star cruise line. After a short break from ships in 2013, Robert has worked as a Hotel Director onboard several different cruise ships worldwide and even in Antarctica, and on the North Pole. As a writer for Cruise Hive Robert stays on top of all current developments and brings you breaking news, facts, and special reports. As an avid traveler and photographer, Robert has visited no less than 101 countries worldwide and stepped on to his 7th continent on his 30th birthday. His photos have been published by news media like Bloomberg and The New York Times, and are used by Celebrity and Azamara Cruise lines for their promotional materials. Robert currently resides in the Philippines on the tropical island of Panglao, with his wife and two daughters. Find out more about us here.

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