Two cruise lines announced they will change vaccination policies to meet the new rules announced by The Bahamas.

Last week, The Bahamas announced it will require all cruise lines visiting any port, including private islands, to ensure all guests above the age of 12 be fully vaccinated.

Since that announcement, Royal Caribbean and Carnival both announced new changes to their vaccine policies for guests.

In response to the Delta variant and increasing U.S. cases of Covid-19, Carnival has updated its mask and Covid testing policies for vaccinated guests, effective August 7 and 14, respectively.

In an email sent to booked travelers and travel agents, Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, says, “These new requirements are being implemented to protect our guests and crew while on board…. We expect these requirements will be temporary and we appreciate your cooperation and look forward to welcoming you aboard.” 

While other cruise lines are still sailing at a fraction of their normal capacity, Carnival's newest ship is nearly full.

Carnival Mardi Gras departed from Port Canaveral on Saturday on its maiden voyage, coinciding with a major celebration of the cruise line's newest ship.

While Mardi Gras is not the first cruise ship to restart sailings from Florida this summer, she is sailing with a lot more passengers onboard than other ships early sailings.

Carnival Cruise Line will bring seven cruise ships back into service in September and October 2021.

Once these ships set sail, the cruise line will have more than half of its fleet – 15 ships – operational and offering vacations at sea to eager cruisers.

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the more affordable cruise vacations you can book, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to save even more money on your sailing. 

The key is finding great deals, not spending cash when you could get something for free, and taking advantage of any free perk you can get. If you want to know how to find discounts on your next Carnival cruise, or even how to spend less on alcohol onboard, read our best Carnival cruise tips to saving money.

Carnival Vista set sail on July 3 from Galveston, the first Carnival ship to debut U.S.-based cruises since the pandemic shut down cruising in 2020. The popular ship is one of the line’s newest, and was the first to debut innovative attractions, such as Havana and Family Harbor cabins, the SkyRide, an IMAX movie, and an onboard brewery.

Carnival Cruise Line is stealing away ships from its sister cruise lines to expand its fleet by an additional two ships by 2023.

The first to join will be Costa Magica, currently sailing for sister line Costa Cruises. Carnival will refurb, rename, and rebrand that ship, with an eye toward a mid-2022 debut as a Carnival ship.

Carnival Cruise Line announced more ships that will restart sailings, including its newest cruise ship.

Following up on Carnival's previously announced restart plans from Seattle and Galveston, the cruise line revealed its next phase of restart, including the first cruise for Mardi Gras and the return of additional ships in August.  

Here is a breakdown of which ships will sail and when:

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.