Carnival Cruise Line on Monday released plans for additional ship deployments as it continues to refine its phased in approach to a return to guest operations for 2021, according to a press release, resulting in some ship-specific cruise cancellations and movements.
- Related to already-announced drydock plans for the Carnival Magic, Carnival Paradise and Carnival Valor, those ships’ return to operations will be delayed until November 2021. Consequently, voyages on the Carnival Magic from Norfolk (embarkations from Sept. 29-Oct. 30), the Carnival Paradise from Tampa (embarkations from June 5-Oct. 28) and the Carnival Valor from New Orleans (embarkations from Sept. 16-Oct. 28) have been cancelled.
- The Carnival Miracle’s planned seasonal service from San Diego has been suspended until further notice, and sailings out of San Diego that were available for sale through April 2023 have been cancelled, with the exception of seven voyages to Hawaii, which will move to Long Beach.
- The Carnival Radiance’s drydock and transformation has been moved to September, with a planned arrival to Long Beach in November 2021.
- With the Carnival Miracle’s reposition to Long Beach, the ship will assume the three- and four-day itineraries for the Carnival Radiance from May 3-Nov. 1, 2021 as well as the seven Hawaii Carnival Journeys referenced above.
- The Carnival Miracle will launch a new program of four- and five-day cruises to Mexico during the winter season, beginning November 2021 and continuing through April 2023.
Where possible, West Coast guests are being accommodated in a transfer to the Carnival Miracle (from Carnival Radiance), or the retention of their Hawaiian itinerary via a Long Beach embarkation instead. With this change, Carnival will eventually run a three-ship operation from its port facility at Long Beach: the Carnival Panorama sailing seven-day Mexican Riviera itineraries and the Carnival Radiance operating three- and four-day itineraries year-round, with the Carnival Miracle operating four- and five-day Mexico and 14-day Hawaii itineraries during the winter, according to the company.
“Like so much about this current global situation, we are adapting our plans as circumstances evolve and we are able to confirm alternatives. We are disappointed that our return to seasonal ports like Norfolk and San Diego has been impacted and appreciate the support of those port partners and communities. The support of our guests, travel agents, ports and business partners has truly been overwhelming as we work through this situation,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.