Port Miami, Port of Galveston and Port Canaveral have all received approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) for their phase 2A agreements with the large Carnival Corporation.
Regular homeports for Carnival Cruise Line, these three major cruise ports will be key for CCL to restart operations this summer.
Carnival has plans to resume sailing this July with three ships- the Carnival Horizon, leaving from Miami, and the Carnival Vista and Breeze, embarking from Galveston
The Phase 2A section of the CDC guidelines state that cruise lines must have agreements in place with a homeport(s) prior to conducting simulated or revenue generating passenger cruises. The ports must prove they can satisfy the CDC’s requirements when it comes to being equipped to support the cruise operator amid COVID-19 conditions.
With three ports now sorted for Carnival, Port Canaveral embarkations will be the next to come online for the cruise line.
A spokesperson for CCL said,
“These agreements move us one step closer to sailing with our loyal guests. We appreciate the support from not just these three homeport partners, but all of our homeports, that are eager to have us back as soon as possible.”
Though the agreements between cruise lines and CDC are finally coming along nicely, a new spanner has been thrown into the works with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opposing the mandates the CDC is imposing, enforcing a minimum of 95% of guests to be fully vaccinated in order for the ships to be able to operate revenue generating cruises.
DeSantis has decreed an executive order which bans businesses operating in Florida from asking for proof of vaccination. This has major implications on Florida’s cruise industry.
As the battle wages on, some lines, like Norwegian Cruise Line are threatening to pull their fleet from Florida ports.
With the cruise lines waiting so long to get approval from the CDC to start sailing, everyone is holding their breath that the Florida vs. the ‘vaccine passport’ issue is resolved ASAP.
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