Norwegian and Carnival Cruise Lines Kickstart U.S. Operations This Summer
Norwegian Cruise Line today announced additional voyages scheduled to set sail from New York, Los Angeles, Port Canaveral, Fla., and Miami and confirmed that its newest ship, Norwegian Encore, will replace Norwegian Bliss in Alaska this summer. Carnival Cruise Line, meanwhile, today confirmed its plans to return to guest operations from Port of Galveston on July 3 with Carnival Vista, followed by the return of operations on Carnival Breeze on July 15.
As part of its relaunch plan, Norwegian has announced its highly anticipated return to Miami, with Norwegian Gem scheduled to cruise seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean beginning Aug. 15, 2021 and a four-day voyage to the Bahamas in November. The Company has also opened for sale additional itineraries to Bermuda starting Sept. 26, 2021 from New York on Norwegian Breakaway; the Mexican Riviera on Oct. 24, 2021 from Los Angeles aboard Norwegian Bliss; and the Caribbean on Nov. 13, 2021 from Port Canaveral, Fla. on Norwegian Escape.
In addition, Norwegian Encore, the newest ship in the fleet, will make her debut on the West Coast, replacing the previously announced Norwegian Bliss in Seattle for the 2021 summer cruise season, calling to the Alaska ports of Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, while also offering guests majestic views of Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier or Glacier Bay.
Guests and travel partners with impacted reservations will be contacted directly. All voyages in the U.S. are contingent on receiving authorization from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“With these additional itineraries, we’re providing travelers with more opportunities to set sail from some of their favourite homeports and to some of their preferred destinations,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We are very excited to sail in the U.S. again, and to sail first with our latest beautiful ship Norwegian Encore. We’re able to reintroduce her to our guests and invite them to experience her world-class offerings, as she makes her debut in Seattle and Alaska.”
The Cruise Line’s Peace of Mind cancelation policy remains in effect for guests sailing on cruises with embarkation dates through Oct. 31, 2021. These guests have the flexibility to cancel their cruise 15 days prior to departure. Those who take advantage of the Peace of Mind policy will receive a full refund in the form of a future cruise credit which may be applied to any sailing through Dec. 31, 2022.
In addition, the Company recently extended its 60-day final payment requirement to all voyages with embarkations through Dec. 31, 2021, instead of the standard 120 days, allowing for more flexible payment terms. The Company’s restart efforts continue in partnership with local governments and are guided by the robust protocols of the SailSAFE™ health and safety program, which at its cornerstone includes that all crew and guests must be fully vaccinated to embark for voyages through Oct. 31, 2021.
Working with the leading experts of the SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council, the robust protocols will regularly be evaluated and modified as needed, making science-based decisions to protect guests, crew and the destinations it visits. As protocols evolve and additional information becomes available, updates will be published at www.ncl.com/sail-safe.
Travellers seeking the latest details about NCL’s redeployment should click here.
Carnival said its cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of a CDC-approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with current guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We appreciate the progress and support for our U.S. restart from the CDC and other key federal agencies; however, the current CDC requirements for cruising with a guest base that is unvaccinated will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us. As a result, our alternative is to operate our ships from the U.S. during the month of July with vaccinated guests,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
The other ship and port identified for a July restart is Carnival Horizon from PortMiami. Carnival continues to work with both the State of Florida and the CDC for Carnival Horizon sailings and plans to provide an update by Friday concerning protocols specific to these sailings to all booked guests.
Duffy also acknowledged the strong support of both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, as well as other state officials, in making vaccinations available to cruise line personnel, which has expedited the restart process. She also said the support of local officials, especially Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Galveston Mayor Craig Brown, and PortMiami and Port of Galveston leaders, has been instrumental in the restart efforts.
Carnival also said it will be advising guests and travel advisors about its plans for August sailings over the coming days.
June 2021 CanadianTravelNews