Carnival Moves with More Cancellations into Early 2021

Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled additional cruises as it continues to meet the requirements of the CDC’s new Framework for Conditional Sailing Order.

The Order, which was first announced last month as a replacement for the CDC’s long-standing No Sail Order, includes 40 pages of testing and additional safeguards for cruise ships to follow in order to resume operations in U.S. waters.

Carnival is in the process of building a gradual, phased-in approach to resume guest operations, which will focus initially on Miami and Port Canaveral, to be followed by Galveston. With this in mind, the cruise line has notified guests and travel agents about cancelled additional cruises for the first part of 2021, including:

All embarkations from U.S. homeports from Jan. 1-31

Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Mobile, New Orleans and San Diego embarkations through Feb. 28

Embarkations on Carnival Legend out of Tampa through March 26

“We are committed to meeting the CDC requirements and keeping our guests and business partners informed of our progress,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.  “The entire Carnival team appreciates the great support of our guests, travel advisors and business partners, and local officials in our homeports and destinations.”

As part of Carnival’s gradual approach, Carnival Horizon will arrive in Miami this week, and Carnival Breeze will be the next ship back to the U.S. In total, 16 Carnival ships are currently following the CDC process for an eventual resumption in the U.S. in 2021, including Carnival Conquest, Dream, Ecstasy, Elation, Freedom, Glory, Liberty, Miracle, Panorama, Pride, Sensation, Sunrise, Sunshine and Vista. Mardi Gras, which is under construction in Finland, will also enter service in 2021.

With this announcement, Carnival’s operations are paused in the U.S. through Jan. 31, 2021.  In addition, Carnival had previously cancelled certain other itineraries on four ships (Magic, Paradise, Valor, and Victory/Radiance) that are scheduled for required dry docks in the first half of 2021.  Carnival previously cancelled operations in Australia through March 2, 2021.

Source: Travelweek