With 75% of its fleet set to be in service by December, Carnival Corporation is speeding up restart plans across its nine brands.
In July, as U.S. ports reopened, three additional Carnival brands resumed guest operations, bringing the total of active brands to eight for the world’s largest cruise company.
Now Carnival plans to expand its offerings to additional ports and destinations.
Here are the latest restart plans, brand by brand:
Carnival Cruise Line
First sailing: In service since July 3, 2021
Ships: Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Miracle, Mardi Gras, Carnival Magic and Carnival Sunrise currently in service; eight more ships through October
Regions: Caribbean, Alaska, Bahamas and Mexican Riviera
With seven ships back in service, Carnival Cruise Line is ready to launch a new phase of its gradual restart plan. Through October, eight more vessels are reentering service, bringing Carnival back to more homeports across the United States.
Currently sailing from Miami, Galveston, Seattle and Port Canaveral, Carnival is now poised to welcome ships back to Long Beach, New Orleans, Baltimore and Mobile. The brand is also planning to have its entire fleet in service by the end of the year.
Princess Cruises
First sailing: In service since July 25, 2021
Ships: Majestic Princess and Regal Princess in service; Sky Princess, Grand Princess, Ruby Princess, Enchanted Princess, Caribbean Princess and Crown Princess resuming operations through November
Regions: Alaska, United Kingdom, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii and California
Princess Cruises returned to guest operations on July 25 with the Majestic Princess. Based in Seattle, the vessel is currently offering a seven-night itinerary in Alaska, visiting Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
The premium cruise line also resumed service in Europe with the Regal Princess offering a series of “Seacations” around the British Islands through the end of summer.
An additional ship, the Sky Princess is kicking off a similar program on August 30.
This fall, Princess is also welcoming passengers back in San Francisco and Port Everglades.
Between September and November, eight Princess vessels will once again offer cruises to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii and the California Coast.
Holland America Line
First sailing: In service since July 24, 2021
Ships: Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam in service; Zuiderdam, Koningsdam, Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam set to resume operations through November
Regions: Alaska, Mediterranean, Mexico, Caribbean, Hawaii, Panama Canal and California
Holland America Line included a total of six ships in its current restart plan.
The Nieuw Amsterdam was the first ship to welcome the guests back, kicking off a short Alaska season on July 24.
The Eurodam, meanwhile, resumed service on August 15, offering Eastern Mediterranean cruises from Piraeus, Greece.
Starting in September, the company is also returning to Port Everglades and San Diego with six ships – including the 2021-built Rotterdam.
Seabourn
First sailing: In service since July 3, 2021
Ships: Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Odyssey in service; Seabourn Quest set to follow in November
Regions: Mediterranean, Caribbean and Antarctica
Seabourn resumed cruise operations on July 3 with the Seabourn Ovation. Based in Piraeus, the ultra-luxury vessel is currently offering a series of Greek Isles itineraries.
A second vessel was added to the active lineup on July 18, as the Seabourn Odyssey resumed service from Barbados, launching a series of new summer voyages to the Caribbean.
Continuing the company’s restart plan, the Seabourn Quest is set to resume guest operations in Novemberwith sailings to Antarctica.
Also in November, Seabourn is planning a return to the United States with departures out of Miami on the Seabourn Ovation.
P&O Cruises UK
First sailing: In service since June 27, 2021
Ships: Britannia and Iona in service; Ventura and Azura set to follow through December
Regions: United Kingdom, Atlantic Islands, Mediterranean and Caribbean
P&O Cruises is back in service in the United Kingdom. The British brand has resumed service on June 27 with a series of domestic cruises aboard the Britannia. The new Iona followed in August, offering a similar product.
Now the two vessels are set to continue to offer the “short breaks” roundtrip from Southampton until September 25, when international itineraries are being resumed.
Later this year, the P&O is relaunching cruises to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean. The Ventura and the Azura are also welcoming the passengers back, bringing the total of active P&O ships to four.
Cunard Line
First sailing: In service since August 13, 2021
Ships: Queen Elizabeth currently in service; Queen Mary 2 set to follow in November
Regions: United Kingdom, Transatlantic Crossings, Western Europe, Atlantic Islands and Caribbean
After a 17-month break, Cunard Line returned to guest operations on August 13.
Like P&O, the brand resumed service in the United Kingdom, sailing a series of domestic scenic cruises around the British Islands on the Queen Elizabeth.
Following its UK summer program, the Queen Elizabeth is ready to resume its international operations with new itineraries to Western Europe and the Atlantic Islands.
The Queen Mary 2, meanwhile, is welcoming the passengers back in November, offering transatlantic crossings before sailing new short breaks in Western Europe. Later in the year, the vessel is also sailing in the Caribbean with three new cruises.
Costa Cruises
First sailing: In service since May 1, 2021
Ships: Costa Smeralda, Costa Luminosa, Costa Deliziosa and Costa Firenze in service; Costa Toscana, Costa Fascinosa and Costa Diadema set to follow until November
Regions: Western and Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, South America, Caribbean and Canary Islands
Carnival’s Italian brand, Costa Cruises, currently has four ships back in service in Europe. The lineup includes the 5,200-guest Costa Smeralda, the first vessel to resume operations for the brand on May 1.
The operation also features the new Costa Firenze, which sailed on its inaugural cruise on July 4, kicking off a series of week-long all-Italian itineraries. The Costa Luminosa and the Costa Deliziosa complete the active fleet, offering cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Starting in September, Costa plans to add another three ships into service, sailing itineraries in Western Europe, the Canary Islands, the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean.
AIDA Cruises
First sailing: In service since March 20, 2021
Ships: AIDAperla, AIDAblu, AIDAsol, AIDAprima, AIDAstella and AIDAmar in service; AIDAluna set to follow in September
Regions: Europe – Northern Europe and Mediterranean
Germany-based AIDA Cruises restarted sailing in March with a Canary Islands program on the AIDAperla.
Currently the brand is offering cruises in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe abord six vessels.
The AIDAluna is set to become the seventh ship in the AIDA fleet to restart guest operations in 2021. Starting on September 5, the vessel will offer three- and four-day cruises from the German port of Kiel.
By the end of this year AIDA Cruises plans to have 10 ships sailing, including the new AIDAcosma, set to be delivered in December 2021.
P&O Australia
First sailing: December 18, 2021
Ships: Pacific Explorer, Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure
Regions: South Pacific – Australia
The only Carnival brand currently out of service, P&O Australia cancelled all cruises scheduled to depart through December 17.
In addition, due to deployment changes the company also cancelled select itineraries departing through February 2022.
According to the P&O, the move was necessary as it “continues to take guidance from international and local government authorities, public health experts and the broader community”.
Currently, P&O Australia’s first scheduled cruise departs on December 18, on the Pacific Adventure.
