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When will test cruises and first revenue sailings depart from the U.S.?

MSC Meraviglia aerial

It’s an exciting time for cruise fans grounded since March 2020. Select cruise ships finally have approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to set sail from U.S. homeports. Cruising is back, and passengers and crew are thrilled about the return to cruise.

Folks following along at home can feel overwhelmed by the daily news reports of first revenue sailings, as well as ships headed out on test cruises to gain CDC approval to sail with a higher percentage of unvaccinated guests. It doesn’t help that some test cruises have been postponed due to positive or inconclusive Covid test results for crew and passengers.

Schedule your celebrations – or perhaps your next cruise – with our list of test cruises and first revenue sailings for the major cruise lines setting sail from the U.S. in summer and fall 2021.

Test cruise schedule

World's largest cruise ships get approval from CDC for test cruises |  Cruise.Blog

The CDC has approved 13 cruise ships for test cruises as of early July 2021. Once ships successfully complete their simulated voyage, they can depart on actual revenue sailings within two weeks of their return to post.

Here is the most current list of test cruise departure dates:

June 20: Freedom of the Seas out of Miami

July 7: Serenade of the Seas out of Seattle

July 13: Grand Classica out of Palm Beach

July 17: MSC Meraviglia out of Miami 

July 17: Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral

July 19: Odyssey of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale 

July 27: Allure of the Seas out of Port Canaveral 

July 30: Ovation of the Seas out of Seattle

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August 1: Independence of the Seas out of Galveston 

August 1: Symphony of the Seas out of Miami 

August 11: Mariner of the Seas out of Port Canaveral 

August 22: Oasis of the Seas out of Cape Liberty Cruise Port (six-night cruise)

August 26: Disney Fantasy out of Port Canaveral (three-night cruise)

Schedule for first revenue sailings from U.S. homeports

First cruise ship to sail from the U.S. will be Celebrity Edge | Cruise.Blog

Cruise ships can get approval from the CDC to begin sailing from U.S. homeports in two ways. The first is by completing the aforementioned simulated voyage. The second is to travel with 95 percent of passengers vaccinated and 98 percent of crew vaccinated. 

Some cruise lines are taking different approaches with different ships within their fleets. In addition, Florida is disputing the CDC’s authority to control how ships operate. The state has received an injunction, which will downgrade the CDC requirements to recommendations as of July 18 – though the CDC is appealing the ruling.

Here are the 2021 debut dates for cruise ships sailing from U.S. homeports with paying passengers.

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June 26: Celebrity Edge out of Ft. Lauderdale

July 2: Freedom of the Seas out of Miami

July 3: Carnival Vista out of Galveston 

July 4: Carnival Horizon out of Miami

July 15: Carnival Breeze out of Galveston  

July 19: Serenade of the Seas out of Seattle

July 23: Celebrity Millennium out of Seattle 

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July 24: Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam out of Seattle

July 25: Celebrity Equinox out of Ft. Lauderdale 

July 25: Majestic Princess out of Seattle 

July 27: Carnival Miracle out of Seattle

July 31: Carnival Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral

July 31: Odyssey of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale 

August 2: MSC Meraviglia out of Miami

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August 7: Norwegian Encore out of Seattle

August 7: Carnival Magic out of Port Canaveral

August 8: Allure of the Seas from Port Canaveral

August 9: Disney Dream from Port Canaveral

August 13: Ovation of the Seas out of Seattle 

August 14: Symphony of the Seas from Miami

August 14: Carnival Sunrise out of Miami

August 15: Independence of the Seas from Galveston

August 15: Norwegian Gem out of Miami

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August 21: Carnival Panorama out of Long Beach

August 23: Mariner of the Seas out of Port Canaveral

September 5: Oasis of the Seas out of Cape Liberty

September 11: Disney Fantasy out of Port Canaveral

September 12: Carnival Pride out of Baltimore

September 16: MSC Divina from Miami

September 19: Carnival Dream out of Galveston

September 19: Carnival Glory out of New Orleans

September 25: Grand Princess out of Los Angeles

October 1: Disney Wonder out of San Diego

October 3: Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston

October 9: Carnival Freedom out of Miami

October 10: Holland America’s Koningsdam out of San Diego

October 11: Carnival Elation out of Port Canaveral

October 19: Norwegian Joy out of Miami

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October 24: Norwegian Breakaway out of New York

October 28: Disney Magic out of Miami

October 31: Ruby Princess out of San Francisco

November 1: Carnival Valor out of New Orleans

November 3: Holland America’s Rotterdam out of Ft. Lauderdale

November 6: Pride of America out of Honolulu

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November 7: Norwegian Bliss out of Los Angeles

November 7: Explorer of the Seas out of San Juan

November 10: Enchanted Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale

November 14: Holland America’s Eurodam out of Ft. Lauderdale

November 14: Carnival Legend out of Baltimore

November 16: Crown Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale    

November 17: Regal Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale

November 19: Navigator of the Seas out of Los Angeles

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November 20: Sky Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale

November 20: Norwegian Escape out of Port Canaveral

November 21: Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam out of Ft. Lauderdale

November 28: Caribbean Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale

December 13: Carnival Radiance out of Long Beach

December 13: Carnival Conquest out of Miami

December 16: Brilliance of the Seas out of Tampa

December 23: Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore

December 23: Holland America’s Zuiderdam out of San Diego

December 23: Norwegian Pearl out of Miami

Some ships won't return to cruising with passengers in 2021. Here are the 2022 debut dates for cruise ships sailing from U.S. homeports.

January 24: Vision of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale

January 2022: Carnival Sensation out of Mobile

May 8: Westerdam out of Seattle

May 12: Zaandam out of Ft. Lauderdale

Spring 2022: Island Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale

Spring 2022: Diamond Princess out of Japan

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