Carnival Cruise Line May Leave US Homeports

Carnival Cruise Line announced that it might leave US homeports if cruise ships aren’t allowed to sail soon.  The South Florida-based cruise line already extended the pausing of all its operations in the US until June 30.

Carnival President Christine Duffy said that it is “very disappointing to our guests who continue to be eager to sail”. She also mentioned that they are finding a “workable solution that best serves the interest of the public”.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a no-sail order on March 2020 in reaction to outbreaks on several cruise ships. The agency then updated its no-sail order with a conditional sailing order in October 2020. Ships can sail but there is a catch. This limits crew and passengers to 250. Plus, they will also have to meet several health protocols such as COVID19 testing.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to sue the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if it doesn’t allow cruise ships to sail. One of the reasons is that Florida is the home port for many of these cruises.  Millions of travelers pass through their ports.

Vaccinated Can Travel

The agency recently updated its guidance saying that fully vaccinated individuals can now travel within the US without quarantine or testing. Plus, CDC also issued updates to the conditional sailing order. Though the update included technical details, there is still no exact date when cruise lines can resume.

Duffy mentioned that the company is already looking for a “return to service solution” that could mean leaving the US ports.  Duffy laments the unfair treatment the cruise industry received compared to other travel-related industries. Amusement parks and airlines are now operating. According to Duffy, “we are asking that the cruise industry be treated on par with the approach being taken with other travel and tourism sectors”.

The bookings for July are not yet canceled. Also, Carnival Cruise Line extended the final payment deadlines for July sailings to May 31, 2020. Guests can also cancel without penalty.

Norwegian Cruise Line pleaded with the CDC that they can resume their trips by July. Norwegian also announced requiring passengers and crew to complete their vaccination two weeks before their trip.