Carnival Cruise Line Cancels February Sailings, More Adjustments

Posted on 3 December, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line announced today that it is informing guests and travel agents that it has cancelled select itineraries for specific operations in 2021, as it implements its plans for the resumption of cruising in 2021, including cruise operations in February from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston and moving the inaugural sailing of Mardi Gras until April 24, 2021.

“We apologize to our guests but we must continue to take a thoughtful, deliberate and measured approach as we map out our return to operations in 2021,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Our commitment to the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is at the forefront of our decisions and operations.”

The Mardi Gras will operate from Port Canaveral and start cruising in April; Carnival will take delivery of the ship from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland later this month and eventually sail to the U.S. and meet the requirements of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

Carnival is also cancelling the remaining itineraries scheduled to operate from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston through Feb. 28.

Miami Hoping to Ease Up Cruise Line Guarantees in Support Push

Posted on 19 October, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

PortMiami is continuing to step up to help the cruise industry, as the officials hope to push through regulations to alleviate cruise lines of minimum passenger guarantees during their recovery phase.

Already waving fees for ships docking for technical and crew repatriation reasons, the port hopes to relieve cruise lines of their minimum annual passenger guarantees, according to a document submitted Miami’s Ports and Tourism Committee.

This would come in exchange for the cruise lines to “maintain or increase their PortMiami market share relative to other U.S. ports in terms of passenger volumes and/or (2) to guarantee vessel calls; and (3) on a cruise line by cruise line basis, to meet any other additional conditions required by the County Mayor or County Mayor’s designee, if any, in his/her discretion (i.e., return of available weekend berthing rights, modifications to the scope of the County-funded components of construction projects or other County borne construction-related obligations, etc.).”

Cruise lines will be required to pay dockage and wharfage at their minimum contractual rates or those published in Port Tariff No. 010 (tariff rates for the Fiscal Year 2020-21 are $13.12 for wharfage and $0.405 per gross registered ton for dockage), in both cases subject to a 3% annual rate of escalation, according to the documents submitted.

“The passenger shortfall and surplus accounts shall not apply during the Recovery Period, nor shall any additional credits accrue during any portion of the Recovery Period; and Any parking-based incentives granted under their respective preferential berthing rights or terminal usage agreements will be waived throughout the Recovery Period.”

The port said it expects the Recovery Period to last up to 24 months.

Of note, the port explained the fiscal impact through the end of the Fiscal Year 2019-20 of the first phase of the Recovery Period is $55 million, consisting of forgone net revenues derived from cruise wharfage and dockage fees. This has been offset by $35 million in expense reductions resulting from the port.

Carnival cancels November cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral

Posted on 13 October, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Splendor

Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled the remaining cruises for the six ships operating from Miami and Port Canaveral in November 2020.
The cruise giant has also cancelled five cruises scheduled to operate on Carnival Splendor from Sydney, between January 16 to February 8, 2021.
Carnival had previously cancelled all but PortMiami and Port Canaveral departures for the rest of the year because of a no-sail order by the US Centers for Disease Control. It has now determined that November 2020 operations will not be feasible.
The company said: “Carnival continues to work on protocols and procedures that would allow for the resumption of cruise operations, with a gradual, phased-in approach, designating Miami and Port Canaveral as the first two homeports for embarkations.
“Cruises currently scheduled for December from those two homeports remain in place for the time being while Carnival evaluates options.
“However, guests booked on cruises in December out of Miami and Port Canaveral still have the ability to voluntarily cancel their reservation and receive the same offer that all other impacted guests are receiving, which includes a combination future cruise credit (FCC) and onboard credit (OBC), or a full refund.”
Carnival is notifying guests and travel agents about the five cruises on Carnival Splendor from Sydney that have been cancelled.