Carnival Cruise Line announced Thursday that all 22 of its U.S.-based ships will be back in guest operations by March 2022.
Nineteen ships had been deemed ready by February, and now Carnival Sensation will restart from Mobile, Alabama, effective March 5; Carnival Ecstasy will restart from Jacksonville, Florida, effective March 7; and Carnival Paradise will begin sailing from Tampa Bay beginning March 12.
The planned resumption of service for the three ships was welcome news for the three ports of call. The cruise line said customers whose cruise bookings have been impacted during the pandemic will receive an email from Carnival advising them about new schedules and itineraries.
New Ship To Sail From Port Of Galveston
The other major announcement Thursday at the annual CruiseWorld travel advisor conference in Miami Beach was that Carnival’s third Excel-class ship — to be named Carnival Jubilee — will be delivered in 2023 and based in Galveston, Texas. Carnival Jubilee will be open for sale in early 2022, and guests can register to be the “first to know” about the ship’s itineraries and special sale promotions here.
“Carnival was the first cruise line to offer year-round cruising from Galveston in 2000, and we have continued to grow our presence and support of the Port of Galveston’s expansion, so we are thrilled to bring our brand-new Carnival Jubilee to Texas and the greater southwest region,” said Carnival President Christine Duffy in a press release. “This beautiful, innovative ship will bring an entirely new cruise experience to our guests, and we’ve got some great surprises to fun it up in ways we know they are going to love.”
The Carnival Jubilee will be sailing 7-day western Caribbean itineraries and will include features from her sister ships that guests know and love including the BOLT roller coaster on the top deck, expanded dining options, new designs for suites and staterooms, and a stunning, three-deck atrium on the starboard side of the ship that overlooks the ocean and converts to an entertainment venue at night.
Duffy made an appearance at the Miami conference and was joined on stage by a 7-foot cowboy who had been positioned around the convention for the previous 24 hours teasing that “something big is coming to Texas.” More than 1,000 travel agents in attendance cheered as the Carnival team revealed the news and passed out Texas-themed baubles and trinkets.
New Technology Powers Ships
Carnival Jubilee will be the third in the Excel-class for the line, joining sisters Mardi Gras, sailing from Port Canaveral since early this year, and Carnival Celebration, which will be delivered in late 2022 and based in Miami. The ships utilize a liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and compliance throughout its global operations. Mardi Gras is the first LNG-powered cruise ship to operate in North America, and more information about the technology can be found in this video.
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line’s new ship and sailing schedule, visit Carnival’s website. Read all of TravelAwaits’ cruise and sailing articles here.
