Carnival Cruise Line has extended its suspension of sailings to the end of January, with cruises from some ports not to return until March.
Along with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) framework for a return of cruising, announced on October 30, Carnival has cancelled all embarkations from US homeports from January 1-31. Its previous suspension was until the end of December.
In addition to the US-wide suspension to the end of January, embarkations from Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Mobile, New Orleans and San Diego have been cancelled through to February 28. Embarkations on Carnival Legend out of Tampa are on hold until March 26.
Carnival said it 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.
Carnival Horizon it due to arrive in Miami this week, and Carnival Breeze is scheduled to be the next of 16 ships due to sail from the US in 2021. They are Carnival Conquest, Dream, Ecstasy, Elation, Freedom, Glory, Liberty, Miracle, Panorama, Pride, Sensation, Sunrise, Sunshine and Vista. Mardi Gras, under construction in Finland, will also enter service in 2021.
Carnival had already cancelled its operations in Australia through to March 2, 2021.
“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.”