CCL-Carnival Cruise Line intends to resume sailings from Port Canaveral Florida on July 31 with its newest vessel Mardi Gras - the first cruise ship in the Americas powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Mardi Gras made her USA debut docking for the first time at Port Canaveral on June 4 when was greeted by ~1500 spectators and underwent her first LNG fueling at a US port on June 8. On July 31 the liner will begin 7-night cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean.
CCL announced that on August 7, Carnival Magic will also start sailing from Port Canaveral FL. Major cruise lines have not sailed from the port since March 2020 due to the COVID crisis. Magic will return from her dry-dock upgrades with a new hull design and homeport from Port Canaveral Florida. She will offer 4- and 5-day cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean that were previously scheduled for Carnival Elation, effective August 7 through October 7.
Carnival Magic will also sail 3 new 6-day voyages and one new 8-day trip from Port Canaveral between October 11-October 31.
Carnival plans to operate its August cruises with passengers who have received the COVID vaccine, as it previously announced for its July cruises from Florida, Texas and Washington. That could put the company in conflict with Florida’s ban on “vaccine passports.”
In other ship deployment announcements, Carnival said:
- Carnival Sunrise is due to enter service from Miami Florida, effective August 14, sailing 4- and 5-day cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
- Carnival Panorama is due to enter service from Los Angeles (San Pedro-Long Beach, California) on August 21, sailing 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises.
- Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista (from Galveston, Texas), Carnival Horizon (from PortMiami) and Carnival Miracle (from Seattle WA to Alaska) will continue with their sailings through August that are part of the previously announced restart plans in July.
Carnival has extended its pause for other vessels through August 31.