The Carnival Freedom arrived in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, on Dec. 15, marking the line’s first time back to the port since resuming service.
According to a press release, the 2,974-guest Freedom is on a six-day Eastern Caribbean cruise that departed PortMiami on Dec. 12, and featured ports include Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove.
“We are delighted to bring the Carnival Freedom back to Grand Turk and to offer our guests the opportunity to experience all of this port’s beauty once again,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “On behalf of Carnival, I would like to thank the Turks and Caicos Islands government and all our partners on the ground in Grand Turk for working with us to make this opportunity possible.”
By year’s end, Carnival will have 19 ships in operation as the line’s restart of operations continues. All 22 of Carnival’s U.S.-based ships will be back in guest operations by March 2022.
Carnival Cruise Line announced plans for more ship restarts for January and February, as it works towards the return of its full fleet sailing from U.S. homeports in the spring of 2022, according to a press release.
With 17 ships scheduled to be operating by year-end, Carnival Sunshine will restart from Charleston on Jan. 13 and Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral on Feb. 11.
With today’s announcement, Carnival’s U.S.-based operations will cover the following homeports and ships by February, and represents 90 per cent of Carnival’s U.S.-based capacity:
• Galveston: Carnival Breeze, Carnival Dream and Carnival Vista • Miami: Carnival Freedom, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Conquest • Port Canaveral: Mardi Gras, Carnival Elation, Carnival Magic and Carnival Liberty (effective Feb. 11) • New Orleans: Carnival Glory and Carnival Valor • Long Beach: Carnival Panorama, Carnival Radiance and Carnival Miracle • Baltimore: Carnival Legend • Tampa: Carnival Pride • Charleston: Carnival Sunshine (effective Jan. 13)
“Our restart plan continues to excel across all metrics, and we are looking forward to completing the restart of the fleet in the new year,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We appreciate the support and patience of our guests, travel agents and port and destination partners who have been key to this successful restart.”
Duffy said that Carnival continues to carefully monitor the status of public health and adjust its operating protocols accordingly. “We are optimistic that vaccines will be approved for children between the ages of 5-11 before the end of the year and we look forward to welcoming more families back on board,” she added. As it relates to ships operating in January and February, Carnival will continue to operate vaccinated cruises under its current protocols.
Cruises on Carnival’s three remaining U.S.-based ships – Carnival Ecstasy from Jacksonville, Carnival Paradise from Tampa, and Carnival Sensation from Mobile – have been cancelled through February.
In addition, Carnival Splendor from Sydney, Australia is cancelled through Feb. 7, and Carnival Spirit from Brisbane, Australia is cancelled through Feb. 20.
The three largest cruise brands are targeting different restart plans that should get the green light to cruise in July from U.S. ports, according to recent announcements and comments from executives.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line said earlier this week it is hoping for a July restart in the U.S. on select ships.
Carnival hopes to begin operating sailings on three ships from Florida and Texas, including the Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston, and Carnival Horizon from Miami.
The Miami-based company also said that if it can find a solution to allow cruise ships to visit Alaska, the Carnival Miracle will assume some of the Carnival Freedom’s departures from Seattle.
Royal Caribbean International
“We believe we are now seeing a clear way forward to safe cruising in the near future,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, on the company’s business update call in late April.
Added Michael Bayley, CEO and president of the Royal Caribbean International brand: “With what (CDC letter) we received last night July looks very realistic (for restarting cruises in North America).”
As for the Alaska season, Fain noted there are uncertainties and that service resumption may require a waiver from the Passenger Vessels Service Act as long as Canada will not allow ship calls. Alternatively, Canada could allow technical calls.
“Given the momentum, there is the reason for optimism,” he added.
But as of early May, and with no reply from the CDC, company executives said that a July restart from U.S. ports won’t be happening.
“The July U.S. launch at least from our company, it’s just not possible,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO, on the company’s first-quarter earnings call in early May.
“It was possible back in early April when we proposed to the CDC 100 per cent vaccination. We’ve always said it takes about 90 days to stand up a vessel.
“So from April 5, when we submitted our proposal, 90 days would have been early July and that was possible, but today we’re in early May, so now we’re looking past that. But look there is more to it than just what the CDC says, there is only so much capacity to be able to stand up vessels.”
Del Rio said getting a cruise ship ready to sail after a 15 to 18-month layup was not an overnight process.
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