Carnival Cruise Line kicked off its first cruises in 16 months from PortMiami and Port of Galveston this weekend, heralding the long awaited return to sailing for “The Fun Ships.”
The Carnival Vista made history as it sailed from Galveston on Saturday, July 3. Guest excitement bubbled over as they stepped aboard the first Carnival Cruise ship to set sail in 486 long, cruise-less days.
“Oh, my goodness, excited is not the word! We have waited on this for so long,” one passenger was quoted as saying by USA Today as they boarded their seven-day cruise to Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Belize City and Cozumel.
“Hey, Vista! We missed you! We really did,” another passenger enthused.
Carnival President, Christine Duffy was just as enthusiastic to leave the pandemic shut down behind her. “This is going to be the first cruise back for Carnival Cruise Line. We couldn’t be happier,” said Duffy.
The Vista’s crew, finally “back home” shared the sentiment.
“They have been so excited as they’ve been rejoining the ship and you can feel the energy when you go on board,” Duffy said.
Carnival Vista Captain Andrea Catalani added, “Having our guests on board again is something we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time.”
The very next day, on Independence Day itself, the Carnival Horizon showed it’s US pride as it pulled up anchor in PortMiami, ready to set sail on a six-day cruise with stops in Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.
Duffy, Carnival Corporation President and CEO, Arnold Donald and Carnival Brand Ambassador, John Heald held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcoming guests on board after a moment of silence was held to honor those affected by the building collapse tragedy in Surfside.
“The restart of cruise ships from Miami is an exciting day for Miami’s longshoremen,” stated International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) president, Torin Ragin.
It has been tough for all those associated with the cruise industry, from the international crew, head office workers, recruiters and port employees across the world.
“We have approximately 800 members at PortMiami and their wages dropped as much as 80% during the nearly 16-month cruise suspension. Today with Carnival Horizon’s first sailing, we get back to work and look forward to supporting our families again,” Ragin added.
The Carnival Breeze is the next Fun Ship to depart from Galveston July 15 and the Carnival Miracle will kick off the line’s Alaska season from Seattle on July 27. Carnival’s newest ship, the Carnival Mardi Gras will set sail from Port Canaveral on July 31.
More Carnival ships will return to service in August.
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