Summer 2021 cruises from Galveston are a go, says Carnival Cruise Line. The line today confirmed that Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze will set sail from the Texas homeport in July.
Carnival Vista will return to cruise on July 3, offering weeklong Western Caribbean cruises. The ship will call on ports in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras.
Carnival Breeze sets sail on July 15. Its four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises will visit ports in Mexico.
Vista and Breeze are currently Carnival’s first ships returning to sailing from U.S. homeports. Although announced earlier, Carnival’s Alaska cruises from Seattle start at the end of July.
Passengers must be fully vaccinated to sail on the two ships from Galveston. That means cruisers must have received the final dose of an approved vaccine two weeks or more before departure.
"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," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, in a statement. "As a result, our alternative is to operate our ships from the U.S. during the month of July with vaccinated guests."
Carnival is also working with the CDC and the State of Florida to get approval for July sailings on Carnival Horizon from the Port of Miami. The line says that more details about these cruises, as well as August sailings, could be announced as early as this week.
Americans are beginning to have multiple options for summer cruises from the U.S. Last month, six cruise lines announced plans for Alaska cruises from Seattle. Last week, Royal Caribbean opened bookings for summer cruises from Florida and Texas.
We will update you as soon as additional 2021 sailings are confirmed and announced by the cruise lines.
Erica Silverstein
Erica Silverstein is a cruise and family travel expert, who has been covering the industry for more than 15 years. Her articles have appeared on Cruise Critic, Porthole, TravelAge West, and USA Today. A staunch advocate of cruising as an ideal family vacation, she has, on occasion, banned her own children from cruising with her.
