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Cruise fans have been dealt some good news this week, following the announcements that Carnival Cruise Line have not only added three more mega ships to their already impressive fleet, but they have also finally resumed their operations from all of their active homeports in the United States. The announcement means that the cruise industry giants are now launching their cruises from 14 different homeports across the country, making sailing more accessible for the masses.
The pandemic was a rough time for the cruise industry, with cruises forced to remain grounded for long spells before finally being allowed to resume operations with a long list of restrictions to follow. Today however, the situation is much more positive, with demand for cruises reaching fervent new highs. Here’s a look at the latest announcements from Carnival, including which ships they have acquired and which ports they are now sailing from.
Carnival Acquires Ships – What Travelers Should Know
Last week, Carnival Cruise Line revealed that they would be making a new addition to their fleet – in the form of a cruise ship that travelers may recognise. The cruise line completed the acquisition of the Costa Luminosa cruise ship from Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival, citing a pent-up demand for cruises as the reason they chose to expand. The new ship will be rebranded as Carnival Luminosa, and will undergo a series of modest updates before becoming ready to sail from November.
However, Luminosa isn’t the only cruise ship that Carnival will be acquiring from Costa Cruises. Costa Venezia will also be joining its parent company Carnival, debuting in the spring of 2023, whilst Costa Firenze is set to follow just a year later in the spring of 2024. Venezia and Firenze, which will be sailing out of New York and Long Beach respectively, will be a part of a new concept for Carnival's North American guests called Costa by Carnival.
Speaking about the exciting addition at Carnival, Christine Duffy – president of Carnival Cruise Line – said:
“Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze will bring Carnival's guests the ambiance and beauty of Italy. We're going to invite our guests to Choose Fun with Carnival, Italian Style! This is an exciting opportunity for us to operate two additional beautiful Vista class ships in the U.S. and bring a unique experience to those who love the culture, food and vibe of Italy. There are lots of ways we plan to create an immersive fun experience for our guests who choose to sail on these ships, which have beautiful Italian-design elements, dining and retail that will deliver Carnival fun leveraging the spirit of Italy from our sister line Costa Cruises.”
All Homeports Covered – Information For Travelers
This week also saw Carnival reach a new landmark, with the cruise line's resumption of services at its New York City port meaning it is now sailing out of all 14 of its US homeports for the first time since the pandemic struck. Sailings from New York are set to resume on Carnival Magic, starting with an initial 4-night roundtrip sailing to Bermuda before moving on to longer trips around the Caribbean and two 7-night roundtrip Canada and New England cruises in September.
With flight prices soaring and hotel costs not far behind, Carnival’s return to all of its homeports comes as demand for cruise trips grows, with Carnival and other cruise lines having published packed sailing schedules for this summer and beyond. The full list of Carnival Cruise Line's fourteen homeports in the US is as follows:
- Port Canaveral, Florida
- Miami, Florida
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Galveston, Texas
- Mobile, Alabama
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Baltimore, Marland
- Charleston, South Carolina
- San Diego, California
- San Francisco, California
- Long Beach, California
- Seattle, Washington
- New York City, New York
Fortunately for travelers, cruises with Carnival are almost as restriction-free as they were before the pandemic, allowing guests to enjoy them to the fullest. Whilst guests must be fully vaccinated and tested in order to board the cruise ship, guests are free to go mask free all over the ship in all areas apart from the medical centers, and there are no physical distancing limitations in effect.
Read More:
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Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.