carnival cruise cozumel covid

I was on Carnival Cruise Line's first ship to set sail in over a year. Here's what it was like — from boarding to excursions and everything in-between.

• I was one of 2,700 passengers on Carnival Cruise Line's first ship to leave the US in over 16 months .
• During the seven-night cruise, I explored every inch of the Carnival Vista ship . 
• From boarding to ports, here is what the entire adventure was like.

On July 3, the Carnival Vista sailed out of Galveston, Texas. Onboard were 2,700 people — including me. Together, we were Carnival Cruise Line's first passengers in more than 16 months.

Earlier this year, major cruise lines started announcing return dates. The cruising industry had come to a grounding halt due to COVID-19, but with vaccinations on the rise, cruising felt like a possibility once again. 

Carnival Cruise Line announced that its ship, Carnival Vista , would depart from Galveston, Texas, on July 3 with vaccinated passengers.

It was scheduled to be the first Carnival cruise to leave the US in more than 16 months and followed Royal Caribbean in the restart of cruising . 

As a travel reporter, I was curious what changes passengers would experience and if cruising would look and feel the same in a vaccinated setting . So I purchased a ticket and prepared to embark on the Carnival Vista. 

Less than two weeks before the cruise set sail, I purchased my ticket for $1,300.

I navigated through Carnival Cruise Lines' website where an array of cruises are scheduled for this year. I quickly found the Carnival Vista cruise, although nothing indicated it was Carnival's first cruise out of the US. 

The seven-night stay in an interior stateroom cost $1,288 including gratuities and vacation protection when I booked it for my trip that left July 3. The cruise would be stopping in Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

As I booked the cruise, I searched the website for any indicators that Carnival Vista would be operating at a lower capacity. Nothing on its website indicated any capacity restrictions, so I mentally prepared for a packed ship. 

By the time I boarded, I learned from a Carnival spokesperson that the ship was at 70% capacity, so there would be about 2,700 people onboard. Typically, the Carnival Vista holds 3,934 passengers. 

Before booking, I double-checked that I'd be on a vaccinated cruise.

Cruise lines and ports are taking a different approach to vaccine requirements . At the time of booking, I felt safest on a ship where the majority of passengers were vaccinated. Now, as the Delta variant spreads and new cases of COVID-19 rise in the U.S. , I'm not sure I would board a cruise again — vaccinated or not. 

But in mid-June, I decided to rule out cruises leaving from Florida where lawmakers banned businesses from forcing customers to be vaccinated .

Carnival's first cruise departed from Galveston, where vaccines would be required to board the ship. At the time of writing, Carnival requires 95% of passengers on each ship to be vaccinated. Passengers with approved exemptions and children under 12 will make up the 5% of unvaccinated passengers. 

According to Carnival Cruise's website , there is an application process for unvaccinated guests and there's no guarantee there will be room on the ship for all the exempted guests. 

A few days before the trip, I checked into the cruise just like I would for a flight.

A week or so before sailing, cruise passengers were able to check in for the cruise, which was similar to checking in for a flight. During the check-in process, passengers opted for an arrival time. 

This was one of the dozens of new changes passengers would experience on the first cruise since the pandemic. 

The check-in process also involved filling out a few forms, including accepting a "COVID-19 risk," where passengers acknowledged that they could come in contact with COVID-19. 

After that, I was all set until embarkation day. 

When I arrived at the port, I went through the boarding process and a healthcare worker checked my vaccination card.

Even though I arrived 20 minutes before my check-in appointment, I was ushered through the boarding process anyway. 

There, a healthcare worker checked my CDC-issued vaccination card. She studied the card, made sure the name and birthday matched my passport, and checked the date of my second dose. According to Carnival Cruise's website , copies and photographs of your vaccine card are not accepted. 

The verification process took about 30 seconds, and then I went through the rest of the boarding process. 

Multiple passengers Insider spoke with said they didn't feel like the vaccination verification added much time to the embarkation process, but that also concerned a few passengers who said they wished the vaccine verification would've been stricter.

Prior to boarding, guests are required to fill out a health questionnaire, which asks questions about recent travels and whether a person has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID in the last two weeks.

Before boarding, I received a notification through the Carnival HUB App that I hadn't completed the form.

I went to fill it out, but the app wasn't working and I couldn't submit the form. No one ever followed up about the COVID questionnaire, which was a bit alarming. 

The rest of the embarkation process went like normal.

The rest of the boarding process was quick and I was on the ship in 20 minutes. After getting my vaccine card checked, I went through security, a digital face scanner, and finally, a crew member checked my boarding pass and passport. 

Throughout the entire embarkation day, the lines were not socially distanced, which foreshadowed the entire cruise. 

The passengers Insider spoke with all agreed that the vaccine verification did not add much time to the boarding process, and the lower-capacity ship also helped lines move quickly. 

Once onboard the Carnival Vista, masks quickly disappeared.

The second I  stepped onto the ship, masks came off. And for the rest of the cruise, there were only a handful of times passengers needed a mask.

Besides embarkation day, guests wore masks to disembark and while exiting the ship at every port. Depending on your shore excursion and port activities, face masks were also required. 

Unvaccinated passengers were required to wear a face mask indoors. From what I saw, no one enforced this policy, and I didn't see any way Carnival Cruises was differentiating between vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers.

Social distancing was nearly impossible throughout the seven-day cruise.

Within two minutes on the Carnival Vista , I was bumping elbows with people in a cramped elevator, and I quickly had to accept the fact that social distancing wasn't an option on the ship. 

The shows and entertainment were not socially distanced and any time people disembarked the ship or a nighttime show ended, crowds naturally packed the hallways of the ship.

The muster drill was another element of the cruise that was drastically different.

Before a cruise departs from its home port, every passenger goes to a muster station, where they learn about safety procedures for emergencies. 

On a pre-pandemic cruise, the muster drill takes up a significant portion of the afternoon. This time, it took just a few minutes .

Instead of going through safety procedures in person, Carnival Cruises released a safety video. The video was playing on TVs when guests arrived at their rooms and it was also available on Carnival's HUB App. 

In theory, passengers watch the video and visit their muster station where a crew member shows guests how to wear a life jacket. 

I missed the memo to watch the safety video and no one on the ship verified that I had watched it. When I arrived at my muster station, I joined five other people, and we watched the vest demonstration. 

The whole process was smooth and took less than two minutes, but I thought it could have been a bit more thorough since I missed some of the information from the video.

Inside my cruise cabin, I noticed very few changes.

I spent the seven-night cruise in an interior stateroom on deck one of the Carnival Vista . For one person, the 185-square-foot room was plenty of space for the week . 

The biggest changes passengers noticed inside their cabins was that room-service menus were available on QR codes and turndown service only happened once a day compared to twice.

Cruising is all about sunshine and swimming, and the pool areas looked no different compared to pre-pandemic cruising.

There are three pool areas on the Carnival Vista included in the cost of the cruise and one adults-only area that comes with an additional price.

Passengers told Insider they were shocked at how empty the pool areas felt. They shared stories of passengers waking up at 6 a.m. to claim pool loungers and waiting for a spot in the hot tub. Since the cruise was at 70% capacity, there was always an empty chair and plenty of room in each pool.

Like the rest of the ship, these areas weren't spread out or socially distanced.

Some passengers said they felt like the entertainment was lacking on the ship compared to pre-pandemic trips.

This was only my second cruise, and truthfully, I don't remember the entertainment. While I had little to compare it to, a handful of experienced cruisers told me that they felt like the entertainment lacked. 

There were two main shows during the cruise, one was rock-and-roll themed and the other incorporated songs from popular movies. Each show was performed twice. 

On a typical cruise, experienced passengers told me they would expect a show every night the cruise was at sea. 

At these shows, there was no social distancing. The maskless entertainers were required to stay five feet apart from guests.

Dancing, karaoke, and comedy shows were available and packed every night.

Nearly every minute of every hour was packed with activity. Whether it was a nightly comedy show or a band playing at the Havana Bar, there was almost always a crowd.

Even the typical, large parties still happened on the Lido Deck. The first night, I was overwhelmed watching how quickly people were willing to dance and sweat with strangers. 

Some passengers said the food was pre-pandemic standards and others thought it was subpar.

Similar to the entertainment, some passengers told Insider that they felt like the quality of food lacked a bit from the previous cruises they had been on. 

Other guests mentioned that they had expected more of an "abundance" on the first cruise back, especially when it came to food.

One piece of advice I was given from experienced cruisers was to try a variety of restaurants , dining rooms, and buffets on the ship. From the array of food, I definitely noticed that the quality changed from place to place.

Cruises are known for their buffets, and Carnival Vista's buffet hadn't changed.

The buffet felt nearly identical to pre-pandemic buffets. Everything was self-serve, and the only difference I noticed was that crew members wore masks . 

And onboard restaurants and eateries like Guy Fieri's Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse were up and running like normal.

The Carnival Vista has more than a dozen eateries for passengers to choose from, some of which are free and others came with an added cost.

Every eatery was up and running on the ship, and while you could make reservations for places like the steakhouse, there was typically enough seating for everyone. 

I even got to try cuisine from celebrity chef Guy Fieri's eateries in the middle of the ocean .

Inside the dining room, I noticed some bigger changes.

The No. 1 complaint passengers told me was that the dining room service was slower. But passengers said they expected a few hiccups on the first cruise in 16 months.

Guests used a QR code to gain access to the dining menu, there were no communal tables available, and linens no longer adorned each table.

The gym had 180-degree views of the ocean and was almost always empty.

I went to the gym three times on the seven-night cruise, and it was almost always empty. This made it easy to stay apart from the other passengers, even though the gym didn't enforce social distancing. 

The gym itself was beautiful. There were more than a dozen treadmills, plenty of ellipticals and bikes, and an area for weightlifting. I ran on a treadmill and soaked in the 180-degree views of the ocean.

A lineup of paid and free fitness classes happened every day in a tiny studio.

From yoga to cycling, the Carnival Vista hosted fitness classes every day of the cruise.

The classes were held at normal capacity if enough people showed up. However, the two yoga classes I went to were deserted. 

The fitness instructor said fewer people join classes on the final days of the cruise. On the sixth day, I had a private yoga class, and on the seventh day, it was me and one other passenger . 

The spa was welcoming.

The spa was also similar to a pre-pandemic cruise. There was a QR code guests could scan to check out the spa's offerings, and there were always people there to answer questions. 

Familiar sounds of slot machines rang through the casino and dealers wore masks.

The gamblers Insider spoke with said the experience at the casino was similar to a cruise before the pandemic. "You win some and you lose some," one passenger told me.

Before the pandemic, one guest said there was a bar in the center of the casino where passengers would gather to drink and smoke. 

Carnival Cruises removed the beloved bar and replaced it with a set of electronic gambling machines. 

One passenger said that the vanished bar was the most drastic difference she noticed during her entire cruise. 

But don't worry, waiters still served drinks from a nearby bar. 

Because of the vaccine requirement, few kids were spotted throughout the ship.

Many of the unvaccinated passengers on the ship were children under 12 who were too young to receive a vaccine.

Supervised children's programs were put on hold in an effort to minimize the risk for children spreading COVID-19, according to Carnival's website. 

The teen club, arcade, and other kid-centric places on the ship were still open.

Disembarking for ports felt similar — but this time with a mask.

Crew members made sure every passenger was wearing a mask before they stepped off the ship. 

As people roamed around the ports, you were required to continue wearing your face mask. 

Although some ports felt deserted, the workers at every port told Insider they were thrilled to have tourists back.

I noticed the most COVID-related restrictions while exploring the ports. Outside of every store were signs reminding customers to wear their masks and social distance. 

Everywhere I looked, I saw hand sanitizer and sinks, and many workers stood outside stores to spray sanitizer before you stepped into their store.

According to employees at shops and businesses at the ports that spoke with Insider, the vaccine and testing requirements varied from port to port. In Belize, for example, one souvenir shop owner told me that every person working inside the port was required to be fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, in Cozumel, workers had regular testing. One worker said he hadn't been vaccinated but that he was tested before coming back to work and would continue to be tested on a weekly basis.

Many shops remained closed, so some areas of the ports felt deserted. The port workers told Insider that before the pandemic, they would expect two to three cruises arriving every day versus once a week.

Your options for shore excursions depended on your vaccination status.

Before the pandemic, passengers could choose to go on Carnival-affiliated excursions, book their own excursion through an independent operator, or roam freely through the port city.

For the cruise I went on, passengers had different options depending on whether they were vaccinated or not.

Excursions for vaccinated passengers were similar to excursions before the pandemic. You could choose from any of Carnival's excursions, an independent tour operator, or explore independently.

For unvaccinated cruisers, things looked drastically different. Unvaccinated people had a smaller pool of "bubble tours" to choose from and they could not leave the port area. 

While the excursions were similar to pre-pandemic adventures, some passengers told Insider that there were a few hiccups. I heard stories about both boats and taxis breaking down. 

In Roatán, Honduras, I went on a kayaking and snorkeling tour guided by Roger Miranda, and in Cozumel, I went scuba diving. Both of my tour guides were thrilled to welcome tourists back and we had no issues. 

As the cruise came to an end, debarkation day lacked custom forms.

Due to weather, the Carnival Vista arrived back in Galveston, Texas, more than an hour and a half later than its scheduled arrival time.

This caused a stressful debarkation process for cruisers trying to catch flights back home. I nearly missed my flight, and you could feel the frustration in the air as we stood in 90-degree heat waiting to get on a bus to the airport.

However, the disembarkation process went as usual : passengers were able to exit the ship based on their cabin location.

Guests were required to wear masks in the Galveston port area and on the shuttle bus to the airport, but they were quickly forgotten in the heat. 

The other difference compared to pre-pandemic cruising was that every guest no longer needed to fill out a customs form. Instead, only those who had exceeded a spending amount had to declare and fill out forms.

While some cruisers were happy to be back at sea, others felt like the experience wasn't the same.

The majority of people Insider spoke with voiced that they were simply happy to be cruising again. 

But a handful of experienced cruisers didn't think the experience met the same standards as pre-pandemic cruising.

"I hope that first-time cruisers don't judge the experience based on this," one passenger told Insider. "Because this isn't cruising." 

The same passenger said she felt like crew members were trying their best, but that elements — like the dining room and entertainment — fell short. She added that this experience wouldn't stop her from cruising in the future.

Overall, I didn't think the COVID changes majorly impacted my July cruise experience . But my takeaway was that it will take the cruising industry — crew members, entertainers, chefs, tour operators — time to get back into the swing of things. 

So packing your patience isn't a bad idea. 

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Mexico says cruise ships with Covid cases can dock

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government said Tuesday it will allow cruise ships carrying people infected with Covid-19 to dock.

The announcement came after two Mexican ports refused to allowed passengers ashore because their ships had Covid cases.

The Health Department said passengers or crew who show no symptoms will be allowed to come ashore normally, while those with symptoms or a positive virus test will be quarantined or given medical care.

The department said a cruise ship that was prevented from docking at one Pacific coast port will be allowed to dock farther north, at the port of Guaymas. That was an apparent reference to a ship that was supposed to dock at Puerto Vallarta a few days ago but was not allowed to do so.

Early in the pandemic, some cruise ships wandered the seas for weeks seeking a port that would allow them to dock with coronavirus cases aboard.

Mexico is one of the few countries in the world that has instituted no travel restrictions, no testing requirements and no mandatory face mask wearing for visitors. The government argues such measures would be counterproductive for the economy, for which tourism revenues account for about 8.5 percent of GDP.

Mexico has also paid a high price in the pandemic. The country has had about 460,000 deaths related to Covid-19, based on government reviews of death certificates over the last two years.

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Coronavirus Updates

People should avoid cruise travel regardless of their vaccination status, the cdc says.

Jonathan Franklin

The Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship is seen in the port of Miami on Dec. 23, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship is seen in the port of Miami on Dec. 23, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new advisory Thursday that travelers should avoid traveling by cruise ship, regardless of vaccination status, after a recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases onboard ships.

The agency increased its travel warning for cruises to Level 4 — the highest level — following investigations of dozens of ships that have had outbreaks of the virus.

"Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants," the CDC said on its website .

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Tracking the coronavirus around the u.s.: see how your state is doing.

Following the identification of the omicron variant, there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among cruise passengers and crew reported to the agency, the CDC said.

More cruise ships have reached "level yellow" — the level where the CDC investigates a ship's COVID outbreak.

"It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status," the agency added.

More cruise ships are under CDC investigation following COVID-19 outbreaks on board

There are 91 cruise ships currently under investigation or observation, according to the CDC website. However, the agency has not specified how many COVID-19 cases have been reported, according to The Associated Press .

An additional three ships are being monitored.

The CDC advised that those who choose to travel on a cruise should get vaccinated against COVID-19 before their trip and, if eligible, receive a booster dose.

In addition, masks should also be worn in shared spaces and passengers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID should self-quarantine for five days after travel, in addition to getting tested three to five days after their return, the CDC said.

Goats and Soda

The goal: at least 40% vaxxed in all nations by year-end. this map shows how we stand.

In an email to NPR, a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association said the trade group was "disappointed" by the CDC's latest advisory against cruise ship travel.

"While we are disappointed and disagree with the decision to single out the cruise industry—an industry that continues to go above and beyond compared to other sectors—CLIA and our ocean-going cruise line members remain committed to working collaboratively with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety," the trade group said .

Most cruise lines require adult passengers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, according to AP.

For now, CDC guidanc e allows cruise ships to relax measures — such as mask usage — if at least 95% of passengers and 95% of the cruise ship crew are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

• CDC COVID-19 guidance
• cruise ship

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

27 people test positive for coronavirus on Carnival cruise ship

A Carnival Cruise Line ship that left from Galveston, Tex., has 27 coronavirus -positive people on board, according to the Belize Tourism Board . The outbreak is among the highest number of publicly reported cases on a ship sailing from the United States since cruises restarted this summer.

According to the statement from Belize tourism officials, 26 of the infected people are crew members and one is a guest. All are vaccinated, and most have either mild or no symptoms.

The ship is continuing to sail and arrived in Cozumel on Thursday.

In an email, Carnival spokesman Chris Chiames said the crew members “remain in quarantine and/or isolation on board.” He said the line has made multiple announcements to guests on the ship and had already disclosed that there were positive cases last week.

Following that disclosure, the company put new mask rules into place for some indoor areas of all its ships effective last weekend. That policy went into place early, the night of Aug. 4, on Carnival Vista.

The company also added a requirement that passengers — regardless of their vaccination status — must show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within three days of boarding, effective this coming Saturday.

Cruises are adding rules as delta cases surge. Here’s how to keep track.

But last week’s statement from Carnival said only that the cruise line was “managing a small number of positive cases on board.” The company would not say how many at the time, and it did not answer a follow-up question over the weekend. A statement from Carnival on Thursday echoed that language.

“Carnival Vista is managing a small number of positive covid cases that surfaced on the cruise that returned to Galveston last Saturday, despite all our crew and almost all of our guests being vaccinated,” the statement says. “Several announcements have been made to guests currently on board to keep them updated.”

The number of people with positive test results was not publicly released until Wednesday’s news release from Belize. The statement said the ship had 2,895 passengers — 96.5 percent of whom are vaccinated against the coronavirus — and 1,441 crew, 99.98 percent of whom are vaccinated.

Officials in Belize met virtually with ship officials on Tuesday, the day before Vista was set to arrive.

“The team at Carnival noted that all positive cases have been isolated and contact tracing has ended with no additional positive cases found, and that the infected crew and passenger do not pose a threat to guests, crew or frontline workers in Belize,” the statement said.

The newest status on cruise ships: Being vaccinated

Passengers were allowed to leave the ship in Belize on Wednesday, but those with negative tests were asked to show proof, and those without were subject to random testing. The tourism board said that passengers would not be allowed to leave the ship if the number of positive cases exceeded 2 percent of the total number of passengers.

Carnival said in its statement that close contacts of those who tested positive were placed in quarantine. All unvaccinated passengers who left the ship on Saturday were tested, according to company protocols, and none were positive.

The cruise line said it randomly tests “a large percentage of our crew on a rotating basis multiple days per week — including more than 900 over the last seven days.”

Carnival said it is in daily contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the status of all its ships and was cleared to sail on Saturday.

The CDC does not release information about the number of positive cases on cruise ships. On its website showing the covid-19 situation on ships sailing from the United States, the agency has Carnival Vista at “yellow” status, which means cases have been reported in the past seven days and the ship has met the threshold for an investigation. The vessel “remains under observation,” the site says.

Covid will find its way onto cruises. The critical thing is what happens next.

Carnival requires passengers and crew on its ships to be vaccinated, although some passengers — including children too young for the authorized vaccines and those with medical issues — are allowed to request exemptions ahead of time. It is committed to sailing with at least 95 percent of passengers vaccinated in compliance with CDC rules for how cruise lines can restart after the industry shut down in March 2020.

Carnival Vista was the first ship to start sailing again for Carnival, on July 3.

In Thursday’s morning announcements shared by Carnival, the captain thanked everyone who was randomly tested in Belize. He said 68 passengers had been tested and all were negative.

“We are dedicated to your health and safety and appreciate your cooperation with all of our onboard procedures,” he said.

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

27 vaccinated people test positive for COVID on Carnival ship

The positive cases include 26 crew members and one passenger.

Twenty-seven vaccinated people who are on board the Carnival Vista cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19 , according to the Belize Tourism Board.

Twenty-six of the positive cases are among Carnival crew members, with only one passenger testing positive. According to the tourism board, everyone who tested positive was vaccinated and "most are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms."

MORE: Demand for air travel flatlines amid delta variant surge

The ship departed from Galveston, Texas, and was headed to Belize when the outbreak was reported to authorities.

Last week the cruise line reported some positive cases on the Vista, but it would not disclose the number.

"We have managed the situation utilizing stringent health protocols which included placing those who tested positive in isolation and close contacts in quarantine," Carnival said in a statement on Friday to ABC News. "Guests on board the July 31 and August 7 sailings were notified and kept updated, and the CDC and destination officials have been apprised."

Contact tracing was initiated for the other almost 3,000 guests and 1,500 crew on board the ship, which docked in Belize on Wednesday.

The country's tourism board says "no further cases have been found," and the ship continued its sailing, docking in Cozumel yesterday.

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"After a thorough review of the situation, and after determining that the risk is low , including the fact that CDC is aware of the situation, it was concluded that the situation is contained, and safety protocols are proving effective," the board added.

MORE: Norwegian Cruise Line CEO says requiring vaccines is 'safest way to travel'

The outbreak on the ship is among the worst since cruises resumed sailing this summer.

In response, Carnival updated its mask policy last week , requiring all guests on the Vista to wear masks in some indoor areas. Beginning tomorrow on all Carnival sailings, guests will also be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to sail -- regardless of their vaccination status.

MORE: Cruise lines to require masks and testing, even for vaccinated guests

Guests are scheduled to disembark tomorrow and the cruise line says all unvaccinated guests will be tested today before arriving in the U.S.

"The CDC’s conditional sail order and our own protocols anticipate the potential for COVID on board," Carnival said, "and our procedures are designed to manage and mitigate any situation."

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As cruise ship passengers and crew contract COVID-19, cruise lines upgrade their protocols

Three passengers tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of the recent inaugural seven-night sailing from Port Canaveral of Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship, the Mardi Gras.

The discovery was among a series of positive COVID-19 tests among passengers and crew of ships operated by Carnival and other cruise lines in recent weeks.

The appearance of COVID-19 on the Mardi Gras as cruising returned to Port Canaveral is a sign of just how precarious the restart of cruising can be. It came even as Carnival required all its crew and its passengers age 12 and up to be vaccinated; kept passenger counts far below capacity; and took a host of other steps to guard against COVID-19 on its ships, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

So far, Carnival and other cruise lines have dealt with the cases without disrupting their ship schedules. 

In the Mardi Gras incident, three Carnival Cruise Line passengers had COVID-19 on the inaugural sailing of the ship from Port Canaveral on July 31.

Carnival discovered the cases when doing required COVID-19 tests near the end of its cruise. Two of the passengers were children who did not have the COVID-19 vaccine, and the third was a vaccinated parent of one of the children, according to Port Canaveral officials.

Related: Cruise industry restarts at Port Canaveral with 'huge milestone' sailing of Mardi Gras

Previously: Disney, Royal Caribbean resume sailing from Port Canaveral after being idled since March 2020

In a statement, Carnival — the world's largest cruise line — said that, "as a standard practice, and consistent with CDC’s conditional sailing order, all unvaccinated guests who sail on voyages five days or longer are tested 24 hours before debarkation. Such is the case on Mardi Gras, given her seven-day itineraries. Guests who test positive are advised, must stay in isolation until arrival in the home port, and then either must complete their isolation locally or drive home. Close contacts are also identified, tested and isolated."

Carnival added that "our protocols are designed to manage and mitigate COVID amongst guests and crew."

According the Carnival, the Mardi Gras had about 4,000 passengers and 1,600 crew members on its first cruise.

Port Canaveral officials say they know of no other COVID-19 incidents on ships that have sailed from Brevard County's seaport since cruising resumed — although cruise lines are not required to inform the port of such instances, unless port assistance is needed in the medical care of passengers or crew with COVID-19.

There have been COVID cases on ships sailing from other ports. Among them, there were cases involving 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista on a recent cruise that sailed from Galveston, Texas.

"The CDC’s conditional sail order and our own protocols anticipate the potential for COVID on board, and our procedures are designed to manage and mitigate any situation," Carnival said in a statement on that incident. "The health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit is our priority."

Carnival said the cases on the Vista occurred "despite all of our crew and almost all of our guests being vaccinated. We have managed the situation utilizing stringent health protocols, which included placing those who tested positive in isolation and close contacts in quarantine." 

Carnival said it also has a process in place to randomly test a large percentage of its crew on a rotating basis multiple days per week, even though all are vaccinated.  

Carnival asks that its passengers wear masks in certain indoor areas. Also, beginning Aug. 14, all vaccinated passengers, in addition to unvaccinated passengers, needed to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to embarkation, as the cruise line modified its protocols "to adapt to the changing public health situation."

Other cruise lines also have had COVID-19 cases on their ships.

For example, six passengers on a recent Royal Caribbean International Adventure of the Seas cruise sailing from Nassau, the Bahamas, tested positive for COVID-19. All were American citizens.

The tests came back as part of routine, end-of-cruise testing, which was offered as a courtesy by the cruise line, since most passengers need to show proof of a negative test in order to return home. 

Some cruise lines in recent days have announced new measures designed to keep COVID-19 off their ships.

For example:

• Norwegian Cruise Line announced Wednesday that it has extended its COVID-19 vaccine requirement through the end of the year. Passengers who are not old enough to be vaccinated — currently, anyone under age 12 — will not be allowed to sail. 
• Princess Cruises added a face mask requirement on board its ships, in addition to a COVID-19 testing requirement for passengers. Princess said all passengers will be asked to wear masks in spaces such as elevators, shops, the casino and other select areas, except when eating or drinking. Masks will be required during embarkation and disembarkation, too. All Princess ships that will sail in 2021 will have a passenger and crew vaccination requirement in accordance with the CDC. So, at least 95% of passengers and crew must show proof of vaccination to board.

Holland America Line also recently announced new requirements. Like Princess, Holland America has a vaccination requirement to sail. Additionally, now all passengers will be required to wear face masks in certain indoor areas on board. Holland America also has instituted a COVID-19 testing requirement, in effect from Aug. 14 through Oct. 31 for all passengers. A test must be taken within 72 hours of boarding.

Generally, cruise lines also are keeping passenger counts relatively low, in part, to help maintain a semblance of social distancing on the ships, as the pandemic continues, with record numbers of new cases in Florida in recent weeks, and the delta variant continuing to spread across the nation and globe.

Meanwhile,  Port Canaveral is being cautious in its outlook for the coming year, despite the resumption of cruises there at a steady pace. 

Federal grant helps port recover

Port Canaveral will be getting a major financial infusion to help improve its bottom line, after being approved for $72.21 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The money will help cover its losses stemming from a 16½-month shutdown of the cruise industry locally because of COVID-19.

The port said it lost an estimated $113.6 million in cruise ship and cruise-related parking revenue during the shutdown, which began in March 2020. Pre-pandemic, about 80% of the port's revenue came from various fees it charged cruise ships and from cruise passenger parking.

Port Canaveral Chief Financial Officer Michael Poole said he expects the port to receive about $22 million of that money during the current 2020-21 budget year that ends Sept. 30, with the other $50 million arriving during the 2021-22 budget year.

Poole said the money will be received in monthly installments, and can be used for a variety of operating and capital expenses.

Even with the ARPA money, Port Canaveral expects to report losses of $39.48 million during the current budget year.

In the 2021-22 budget year, the port expects to have a profit of $69.26 million, thanks in large part to the ARPA money. The port calls this a "change in net position," rather than a profit.

Port Canaveral Secretary/Treasurer Robyn Hattaway expressed some frustration during Wednesday's Canaveral Port Authority meeting about how long it was taking for the port to get its ARPA money.

"This has been such a slow process," Hattaway said. "We haven't seen a dollar yet."

14 cruise ships will be based here

Port Canaveral is expecting a strong year ahead for cruising. During the port's 2021-22 budget year that begins Oct. 1, the port anticipates 729 sailings out of the port by its ships based here, plus 81 port-of-call stops by ships that are based at other ports.

In all, 14 ships operated by five cruise lines will be based at Port Canaveral either year-round or part of the year.

Additionally, there will be 630 half-day sailings of the Victory 1 gambling ship. 

Revenue from cruises and cruise-related parking will be an estimated $85.1 million in the 2021-22 budget year. 

Here is a breakdown of the anticipated multiday cruises, by cruise line. These are year-round deployments of the ships, except where noted:

CARNIVAL: 256 total calls. The ships based here will be:

• Elation: 75 calls (four- and five-day sailings).
• Liberty: 96 calls (three- and four-day sailings).
• Magic: 33 calls; seasonal service (six- and eight-day sailings).
• Mardi Gras: 52 calls (seven-day sailings).

DISNEY: 157 total calls. The ships based here will be: 

• Dream part of the year and Wish  part of the year: 105 calls (three- and four-day sailings).
• Fantasy: 52 calls (seven-day sailings).

MSC:  75 total calls. This will be MSC's first year with ships based at Port Canaveral. The ships based here will be: 

• Divina  part of the year and Meraviglia part of the year: 75 calls (three-, four- and seven-day sailings).

NORWEGIAN: 39 total calls, including 26 calls by a ship-based at Port Canaveral and 13 port-of-call stops. The ship-based here will be:

• Escape: 26 calls; seasonal service (seven-day sailings). 

ROYAL CARIBBEAN:  274 total calls, including 216 calls by ships based at Port Canaveral and 58 port-of-call stops. The ships based here will be:

• Allure of the Seas part of the year and Harmony of the Seas part of the year: 51 calls (seven-day sailings).
• Independence of the Seas:  95 calls (three- and four-day sailings).
• Mariner of the Seas:  70 calls (four- and five-day sailings).

During the current budget year, there will be a total of 66 cruise ship sailings with passengers in a period stretching from July 31 through Sept. 29, according to Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray. 

That includes sailings on eight ships operated by four cruise lines.

Cautious passenger count estimates

Poole said he was conservative in his projections for port revenue from cruise operations.

He is using estimates of passenger counts that are much lower than the port has historically seen.

For example, he is projecting that ships sailing from Port Canaveral will operate at 50% of their double-occupancy capacity from October through December 2021. Then, he is projecting that they will operate at 75% of their double-occupancy capacity from January through September 2022.

"We feel like it's a very conservative approach," Poole told port commissioners on Wednesday, during their first of two budget hearings.

Related: Disney Cruise Line plans 'test sailing' on the Dream, departing Saturday from Port Canaveral

More: Disney Dream sails out on test cruise, first cruise ship out of port since March 2020

Poole noted that Port Canaveral-based cruise ships historically have sailed at 110% to 115% of their double-occupancy capacities, with three or more people occupying many cabins, typically parents and their children.

Murray said more ships will be based at Port Canaveral in the 2021-22 budget year than there were here before the pandemic began. And some are significantly larger than the ships that were here before.

So that will help make up for reduced passenger counts, Murray said.

Other port segments

Poole is projecting these amounts of revenue from other sectors of the port's business during 2021-22:

Cargo: Port fees of $11.1 million and rent of $4.1 million, with 5.3 million tons of total cargo.

The commodity categories with the most revenue are projected to be liquid bulk like petroleum ($2.8 million), lumber ($2.1 million), space cargo ($1.5 million), slag ($975,000) and limestone ($804,000).

Non-cargo leases: $4.4 million.

Recreation: $3.4 million, including at Exploration Tower and Jetty Park.

Miscellaneous: $1.8 million, including revenue from commercial vehicle fees from taxis; shuttle buses; Uber drivers and Lyft drivers; fire training operations; and permits.

Staffing ramping up

With cruising making a comeback, Port Canaveral is ramping up its staff, projecting it will have 238 employees during the 2021-22 budget year.

But that's still less than the port's pre-pandemic staffing level.

During the pandemic, the port reduced its staff by 43% — from 268 positions to 153. That was done through a combination of 68 permanent layoffs, 17 unpaid furloughs, and not filling 30 positions that were left vacant because of retirement or employees taking jobs elsewhere.

Poole said, with cruising resuming, the port will have increases in various other expenses, including for service contracts, utilities and public safety.

He said the port will continue reduced spending levels for promotions, advertising, travel, sponsorships and consultants.

After hearing the presentation, Port Authority Chairman Wayne Justice noted that there is excitement about the return of cruising at the port — which is expected to lead to a return to profits in the coming budget year.

"We're on our way back," Justice said.

Morgan Hines of  USA Today contributed to this report.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY . Contact Berman at [email protected]. Twitter: @bydaveberman .

If stories like this are important to you, please consider subscribing to FLORIDA TODAY. To subscribe: https://cm.floridatoday.com/specialoffer/

27 people aboard Carnival cruise test positive for COVID-19

A Carnival cruise on which 27 people tested positive for COVID-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week was headed back to Galveston, Texas Friday after stopping in Mexico.

The positive cases were among 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista, which is carrying over 1,400 crew and nearly 3,000 passengers, the Belize Tourism Board said in a statement. The ship arrived Wednesday in Belize City.

All 27 were vaccinated, had mild or no symptoms, and were in isolation, according to the statement. The tourism board said 99.98% of the ship's crew was vaccinated, as well as 96.5% of its passengers.

Carnival said in a statement Friday that it was managing "a small number of positive COVID cases," but did not specify the number.

• Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox

"We have managed the situation utilizing stringent health protocols which included placing those who tested positive in isolation and close contacts in quarantine," the statement said.

The company said it had notified all passengers on the current trip and the prior one. It said Belize health officials had randomly tested 68 Vista passengers as they disembarked and all were negative.

The ship docked in Mexico's Caribbean port of Cozumel Thursday. Passengers were scheduled to disembark in Galveston on Saturday.

Hector Sosa, spokesman for the health department in Mexico's Quintana Roo state, said Friday that they were advised well in advance of the ship's arrival of the positive cases and authorities made sure they were isolated.

Other passengers were allowed to disembark in Cozumel Thursday, he said.

"It is not the first time it has happened," Sosa said. "We have had three cruise ships where the same thing has happened." Nonetheless, he said their precautions have worked and not put anyone at risk.

Carnival is requiring passengers to be vaccinated, though there are exceptions for children and people with medical issues. The cruise line said in a statement Aug. 4 that passengers must wear a mask in certain indoor areas, and provide a negative COVID test within three days of embarkment for cruises beginning Aug. 14.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that it had investigated the Carnival Vista and the ship remains under observation.

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Monster growth! The cruise boom at Carnival continues with debut of another new ship

Make that five new ships for Carnival Cruise Line in just 18 months.

The world's second-biggest cruise brand on Thursday welcomed the first cruisers aboard yet another new vessel, the 4,126-passenger Carnival Firenze, in Long Beach, California.

The 135,156-ton ship is debuting just four months after Carnival unveiled the even bigger 5,374-passenger Carnival Jubilee and 11 months after the line began operating the 4,090-passenger Carnival Venezia .

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The latter two ships operate out of Galveston, Texas, and New York City, respectively. Carnival Venezia also spends part of the year sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Over the past 18 months, Carnival has also added the Miami-based, 5,374-passenger Carnival Celebration and the Australia-based, 2,260-passenger Carnival Luminosa . Carnival Luminosa also spends part of the year sailing out of Seattle.

The addition of the five ships to the Carnival fleet over such a short time span marks one of the fastest expansions of any cruise brand in the history of cruising.

With the addition of the five ships, Carnival now has a record 27 vessels in its fleet.

A new ship with an asterisk

Scheduled to sail year-round out of Long Beach, California, Carnival Firenze is a new ship for Carnival, but it's new with an asterisk. The 15-deck-high vessel has sailed before for another cruise line, Italy-based Costa Cruises.

Originally called Costa Firenze, the vessel sailed its maiden voyage for Costa, a sister brand to Carnival, in July 2021, making it nearly three years old.

Carnival Firenze is just one of several Costa vessels that Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Costa and Carnival, has transferred from Costa to Carnival in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic and its aftermath hurt the Costa brand much more than the Carnival brand. This was in part because the Costa brand had big operations in China, where cruising shut down during the pandemic for far longer than it did in North America.

Carnival operates most of its ships out of U.S. ports and draws a lot of the customers for these ships from the states near these ports — a segment of close-to-home cruising that has been booming since cruising resumed in 2021.

The result has been a stronger demand for Carnival ships than Costa ships.

Carnival Firenze's first sailing for Carnival, starting Thursday, will be a seven-night voyage to the Mexican Riviera that includes stops at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

Carnival cruising with an Italian twist

Like Carnival Venezia, which also is a former Costa ship, Carnival Firenze is something of an outlier in the Carnival fleet as the vessel retains much of its Italian theming from when it sailed for Costa.

The ship also still has its original, distinctive gold-and-blue funnel that is a trademark of Costa's vessels.

That said, Carnival Firenze won't be devoid of Carnival's signature shipboard venues. In recent months, the ship has undergone a significant overhaul in a dry dock in Spain that included the re-theming of many interior eateries and bars, as well as top-deck attractions to make them more consistent with the Carnival brand.

For instance, the ship will have a Carnival Waterworks water play area and a Steakhouse — a signature Carnival venue.

Related: The 8 classes of Carnival Cruise Line ships, explained

Other venues now on the ship that will be familiar to Carnival fans include a Guy Fieri-inspired Guy's Burger Joint, a Bonsai Sushi eatery, a Chef's Table, Lido Marketplace, Seafood Shack, a Pizzeria del Capitano pizza outlet and a Heroes Tribute Bar.

The ship also will have a new crew made up of Carnival staffers.

In short, Carnival Firenze will combine elements of both Costa and Carnival ships.

Carnival originally planned to call the ship a "Costa by Carnival" product to differentiate it from the rest of the Carnival fleet, but it eventually switched to marketing Carnival Firenze as a vessel that offers "Carnival Fun Italian Style."

Carnival Firenze, notably, was originally purpose-built to sail out of China with Chinese travelers but with Italian theming that played up Costa's Italian roots. Its theming is specifically tied to Florence, Italy — Firenze is what Italians call Florence.

The Carnival and Costa brands have long had similarities that make a transfer of ships between the two lines less complex than one might think. Ships for both Costa and Carnival often are built on the same platforms — that is, they share the same basic structural design and rough interior spaces. In such cases, the main difference between the ships of the two brands is the theming of specific spaces.

As of this week, fares for Carnival Firenze sailings start at $214 per person, not including taxes and fees, for a four-night sailing from Long Beach to Mexico.

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