When Texas native Cruise Director Kyndall Magyar welcomes guests onboard Carnival Vista for the first time in 15 months this weekend, it will mark an end to a period that took 471 days. 471 Days since a Carnival Cruise ship last sailed from a US port and sailed in US waters with guests.
Kyndall Magyar will find it fitting that the first cruise ship sails from Galveston, Texas, and we can be sure that she and the crew members on board will be giving the guests an incredibly warm welcome.
But Carnival Vista is not the only ship sailing this weekend. Carnival Horizon will set sail from Miami, Florida, unfortunately without cruise line ambassador John Heald, but that will surely not dampen the fun onboard!
Carnival Vista From Galveston
Carnival Vista will be the first Carnival cruise ship back in operation this year. The cruise ship will sail on an itinerary that will see her sail from Galveston, Texas, on a 7-days Western Caribbean cruise calling at Mahogany Bay, Honduras, Cozumel, and Belize, while also giving guests a few days to relax and have fun at sea.
The guests onboard will start to arrive at their pre-booked arrival times for getting onboard in the afternoon, after which the ship will set sail around 6 PM. A few things will be different than what experienced cruisers are used to.
Related: Carnival Vista Cruise Ship – Overview and Things to Do
However, Carnival has been busy trying to keep the onboard experience the same as much as possible, a reason why the cruise line has chosen only to accept fully vaccinated guests onboard. The ship is sailing with 2,940 guests, and 888 of those are newbie cruisers. 737 guests onboard will be on at least their second cruise with Carnival and a Red members. There are 840 Gold members 394 Platiunum members and 81 Diamond members.
Carnival Horizon From Miami
While Carnival Vista will be the first ship to sail, Carnival Horizon will be the ship that many cruise industry and other stakeholders will have their eyes on. Carnival Horizon will sail from PortMiami, the world’s cruise capital, on July 4, with a ship full of fully vaccinated guests.
Sailing on a 6-day Eastern Caribbean cruise calling at Amber Cove & Half Moon Cay, the guests will be welcomed on board by the hugely experienced Ozzie Cruise Director Chris Salazar, who has been with Carnival Cruise Line as cruise director since 2008.
Also Read: Carnival Horizon Cruise Ship – 12 Must-Know Things
Unfortunately, the vessel will not be joined by Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald, as he was not permitted to fly from the UK to the US this week.
With the ship departing from the home of cruising, there will be plenty of festivities and a press event held in the Miami cruise terminal by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.
More Things to Know
There will be a lot of changes on board, especially on the initial sailings through July and August. A major part of that will be the Carnival HUB app. The app will be prominently featured for updates, booking dinner times, menus for all shipboard dining, and beverage offerings will be available, including several delivery options (Pizza & Beer and more!). The app will also have key functionalities for safety onboard and the e-muster drill.
More Carnival Ships Resuming
Other Carnival Cruise ships will be restarting operations soon:
- Carnival Miracle sailing from Seattle; starting July 27
- Carnival Breeze sailing from Galveston starting July 15, 2021
- Mardi Gras sailing from Port Canaveral starting July 31, 2021
- Carnival Magic sailing from Port Canaveral starting August 7, 2021
- Carnival Sunrise sailing from Miami starting August 14, 2021
- Carnival Panorama sailing from Long Beach starting August 21, 2021
By the end of July, we will have five Carnival Cruise Ships sailing from US Ports, with the company ramping up ship-ops slow and steady. This allows the company to ensure they have enough crew to man the ships and ensure guests and crew onboard are as safe as possible.
