After a short break, Carnival Cruise Line’s restart operations continue from two ports this weekend. New Orleans and Galveston will be the home for Carnival Glory and Carnival Dream respectively, when they both set sail this Sunday, September 19.
Carnival Glory’s first scheduled cruise had been canceled due to Hurricane Ida, and the vessel has served as the home for emergency responders in New Orleans for the last week or so. Carnival Dream, which received a shiny new livery just weeks ago, will restart cruises from Galveston this weekend, becoming the third Carnival Cruise ship to sail from Texas.
Carnival Glory from New Orleans
After her first two cruises had been canceled, Carnival Glory will become the tenth Carnival Cruise Line ship to resume operations in the United States since Carnival Vista sailed in July.
Originally scheduled to sail on September 5, Carnival Glory’s first voyage was canceled as Hurricane Ida battered New Orleans. Since then, Carnival entered an agreement to house more than 2,600 first responders onboard. After a delay of 14 days, this Sunday (September 19), she will finally set sail on her first cruise in 18 months.
Brand Ambassador John Heald confirmed the sailing on his Facebook page: “Lots of you have been asking if Carnival Glory will be sailing as scheduled this coming Sunday September 19? The answer is yes she will and that is brilliant news indeed. Now, there’s still cabins available at some superb prices so why not give your travel agent or your PVP a call to see what they can do for you so you can enjoy some super fun onboard. The crew cannot wait to see you.”
Also Read: Carnival Cruise Line Will Finally Restart Cruises from New Orleans
Departure is scheduled for 3:30 PM from the Erato Street Terminal for a voyage that will see the ship sailing to Bimini, Freeport, and Nassau in the Bahamas. Other cruises will include calls to Montego Bay, Cozumel, The Cayman Islands, Ocho Rios, and Belize on select cruises this year and next year.
Carnival Dream from Galveston
Guests can look forward to a cruise ship with a shiny new paint job when they join Carnival Dream in Galveston this weekend. Number 11 on Carnival’s resumption of operations list, the ship is already the third Carnival cruise ship to start operations from Galveston. Carnival Vista sailed for the first time on July 3, while Carnival Breeze started operations from Galveston on July 15.
Carnival Dream will set sail on a 6 Day Western Caribbean cruise from Galveston on Sunday, September 19. The ship will call at Costa Maya, Mexico, after a day at sea, followed by a day in Belize, before she sails back to Mexico for a day in Cozumel. After another fun day at sea, the ship will return to port.
What Will be the Protocols?
For both Carnival Dream and Carnival Glory, all guests age 12 and up should be fully vaccinated. The cruise line is making exemptions possible in some cases for under 12’s and for those with medical conditions that prevent vaccination.
Unvaccinated guests will need to show a negative PCR test before boarding, taken at least three days before the cruise’s start. Those guests who have been vaccinated will need to be tested two days before the start of the voyage, although a rapid test suffices in this case.
When Will The Rest of The Fleet Sail?
Carnival’s restart of operations has been a gradual one. The cruise line making sure that operations are running well, ships can be adequately crewed, and there are no issues. The Miami-based company made clear it did not expect all of the US-based ships to be sailing by the end of the year.
Also Read: Which Carnival Cruise Ships Have Resumed Operations?
For now, seven ships will be returning in 2022. These include Carnival Liberty out of Port Canaveral, Carnival Sunshine from Charleston, Carnival Paradise from Tampa, Carnival Ecstasy out of Jacksonville, and Carnival Sensation out of Mobile.
Carnival Splendor and Carnival Spirit, based in Australia, are on hold until December 16 due to the cruise ban in place in Australia.
