In yet another sign that the travel industry is poised for a monster comeback this summer,Carnival(NYSE:CCL)(NYSE:CUK)formally announced the restart of U.S. sailings. The cruises will originate from the port of Galveston, Texas.
The company, whose operations virtually ground to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic, said the Galveston sailings will resume on Saturday, July 3 with the Carnival Vista. This will followed shortly thereafter by the Carnival Breeze, which will start ferrying customers on July 15.
The Vista and Breeze cruises will be available for customers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. They must have had their final shot of vaccine 14 days before the start of the sailing, at a minimum. Proof of vaccination is required.
In the company's press release on the resumptions, it quoted Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy as explaining that "the current [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC] requirements for cruising with a guest base that is unvaccinated will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us."
Carnival added that it is lining up another vessel and port for July sailings, respectively, Carnival Horizon and PortMiami in Florida. Currently tied up in discussions involving the CDC and the state's government, the company promised an update on Florida operations by the end of this week.
Additionally, Carnival said, it will divulge its plans for August cruises in the same time frame.
Both Carnival stocks listed on the market ticked up by around 1% on Monday thanks to the happy news. This was in contrast to theS&P 500index, which submerged slightly by 0.1%.
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