Carnival Corporation Cruise Restart Hits 50% Mark

Gradually adding ships back into service, Carnival Corporation is set to reach a major milestone at the end of the month.

By November 1, 50 percent of the company’s fleet will be back in revenue operations across the corporation. 

With a combined fleet of 91 cruise ships, Carnival currently has 38 vessels in commercial service around the world.

Over the next weeks, four more are set to enter service, serving different markets and regions.  

Here are the latest Carnival Corporation restart plans, brand by brand: 

Carnival Cruise Line
Status: 13 ships currently in service, including two that resumed service in October
Ships: Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Miracle, Mardi Gras, Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Pride, Carnival Glory, Carnival Dream, Carnival Elation and Carnival Freedom in service
Regions: Caribbean, Bahamas, West Coast and Mexican Riviera

After resuming guest services in July, Carnival Cruise Line is following a phased restart plan. 13 ships are currently in service for the brand, including the new Mardi Gras, which departed on its inaugural cruise on July 31.

Initially sailing from Galveston, Miami, Port Canaveral and Seattle, the company later returned to additional homeports, including Long Beach, Baltimore and New Orleans.

While two ships already resumed service in October, two more are set to resume operations in November, upping the offer from New Orleans and bringing Carnival back to Tampa.


Princess Cruises
Status: Four ships currently in service; two more set to follow in October
Ships: Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, Sky Princess and Grand Princess in service; Ruby Princess and Emerald Princess set to follow
Regions: United Kingdom, Mexico, California and Panama Canal

In July, Princess Cruises became one of the first cruise lines to resume service in Alaska. As the first ship to resume service for the brand, the Majestic Princess recently completed its short season in the Last Frontier and is now offering cruises to the West Coast from Los Angeles.

The premium cruise line also welcomed guests back in Europe, with the Regal Princess and the Sky Princess sailing a series of “Summer Seacations” around the British Islands.

Princess is now building up its return to the West Coast, with more itineraries to California and Mexico. In addition to the Majestic Princess, the Grand Princess and the Ruby Princess are being reactivated in the region, offering cruises from Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.


Holland America Line
Status: Three ships currently in service; one more set to follow in October
Ships: Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam and Koningsdam in service; Rotterdam set to follow  
Regions: Mediterranean, Panama Canal, Mexico, California and Transatlantic

Holland America Line currently has three ships in revenue service, including the Koningsdam, which welcomed the passengers back on Oct. 10.  

Back in July, the Nieuw Amsterdam was the first ship to welcome guests back for the brand, kicking off a now-concluded Alaska season. The Eurodam, meanwhile, resumed service in August, offering Eastern Mediterranean cruises from Greece.

While the Nieuw Amsterdam repositions to the Caribbean for the winter season, the new Rotterdam is officially entering service, sailing a transatlantic crossing on Oct. 20.


Seabourn
Status: Two ships currently in service
Ships: Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Odyssey
Regions: Mediterranean and Caribbean

With the 2018-built Seabourn Ovation, Seabourn resumed cruise operations in July. Based in Piraeus, the ultra-luxury vessel is currently offering a series of destination-intensive Greek Isles itineraries.

A second vessel was added to the active lineup a few weeks later, as the Seabourn Odyssey resumed service from Barbados, launching a series of new voyages to the Eastern Caribbean.

Continuing the company’s restart plan, the Seabourn Ovation is switching to the Caribbean in November. Debuting in the United States, the vessel is set to offer a series of 11-night departures of Miami, visiting ports in the Leeward Islands. 


P&O Cruises UK 
Status: Three ships currently in service; including one that resumed service in October
Ships: Britannia, Iona and Ventura in service
Regions: United Kingdom, Atlantic Islands, Western Europe and Mediterranean

P&O Cruises is back in service in the United Kingdom since late June. The British brand resumed guest operations with a series of domestic cruises aboard the Britannia. Offering a similar product, the new Iona followed suit in August.

Now, the company is launching a new phase of its gradual restart plan, with the resumption of international itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Islands and Western Europe.

Since Sep. 25, both the Britannia and the Iona added multi-country cruises to their deployment. The Ventura, meanwhile, welcomed the guests back this month, offering itineraries to Western Europe and the Canary Islands.


Cunard Line
Status: One ship currently in service
Ship: Queen Elizabeth
Regions: United Kingdom, Western Europe and Atlantic Islands

After a 17-month break, Cunard Line returned to guest operations in August. 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 recently resumed international operations, with new itineraries to Western Europe and the Atlantic Islands.  


Costa Cruises
Status: Five ships currently in service; including one that resumed service in September
Ships: Costa Smeralda, Costa Luminosa, Costa Deliziosa and Costa Firenze in service; Costa Diadema set to follow
Regions: Western and Eastern Mediterranean

With five cruise ships currently in service in Europe, Costa Cruises resumed guest operations in May.

The company’s active fleet includes the 5,200-guest Costa Smeralda, the first vessel to resume operations, and the new Costa Firenze, which sailed on its inaugural cruise in July, kicking off a series of Western Mediterranean voyages.

In September, a fifth Costa ship reenter service. Based in Italy, the Costa Diadema launched 10-night itineraries to Western Europe, visiting Portugal, Spain, France and more.


AIDA Cruises
Status: Seven ships currently in service; one more set to follow in October
Ships: AIDAperla, AIDAblu, AIDAsol, AIDAprima, AIDAstella, AIDAmar and AIDAluna; AIDAdiva set to follow
Regions: Northern Europe, Mediterranean and Atlantic

Carnival’s Germany-based brand, AIDA Cruises welcomed guests back in March, with a Canary Islands program on the AIDAperla. After adding several ships into service, the company is currently sailing in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, using seven different vessels.

The AIDAluna was the latest AIDA ship to resume operations, launching a program of three- and four-day cruises from the German port of Kiel on September 5.

On Oct. 26, an eighth vessel is set to resume service, as the AIDAdiva departs Germany headed to the Caribbean, on an 18-night transatlantic crossing.


P&O Australia
Status: First cruise scheduled to January 15
Ships: Pacific Explorer, Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure 
Regions: South Pacific – Australia

With all cruises previously scheduled to depart through mid-January now cancelled, P&O Australia is currently the only Carnival brand out of commercial service.

While pursuing the service restart, P&O said to “continue 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 Jan. 15, on the Pacific Encounter.

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