With the departure of the Carnival Splendor from the Port of Seattle today, Carnival Cruise Line is celebrating the restart of its entire fleet of ships.

The company said that it becomes the first major cruise line in the U.S. to achieve that milestone.

The Carnival Splendor is the 23rd and final Carnival ship to welcome guests back onboard after Carnival’s resumption of cruising from the U.S. last July.  Guests are set to depart from Seattle, Wash. today on an eight-day Alaska cruise.

The Carnival Splendor’s summer itineraries to Alaska are part of a three-ship deployment, along with Carnival Spirit from Seattle and Carnival Miracle from San Francisco – the largest-ever cruise program Carnival has sailed to Alaska. 

“With Carnival Splendor beginning operations today from Seattle, Carnival Cruise Line is thrilled to have our entire fleet of 23 ships back in service, providing more opportunities for our guests to enjoy our signature fun while traveling to beautiful vacation destinations,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are especially excited to expand our Alaska program this season with three ships bringing more than 100,000 guests – including more than 6,000 this week – from Seattle and San Francisco to awe-inspiring Alaska ports.”

To commemorate the line’s return to service from Seattle with Carnival Splendor, Carnival Cruise Line hosted its “Back to Fun” event at the Port of Seattle to officially welcome the first guests on board. Duffy checked off Carnival Splendor on a tally board listing the 23 Carnival ships, signifying the completion of the Carnival fleet’s restart.  Today’s departure is one of 49 cruises to Alaska. Destinations include Ketchikan; Sitka; Skagway; Icy Strait Point; Victoria, BC; and scenic cruising through Tracy Arm Fjord (stops vary depending on cruise date).

Beginning with the Carnival Vista restarting service on July 3, 2021, in Galveston, Carnival has completed its full fleet return in just 10 months. Carnival is operating from 12 U.S. homeports including Miami, Galveston, Port Canaveral, Long Beach, Baltimore, New Orleans, Tampa, Charleston, Jacksonville, Mobile, Seattle and San Francisco, providing guests with a wide range of cruising options. Additional seasonal service from Norfolk, Va., and New York City will start in May and June respectively.