When Can Cruise Ships Start Sailing Again?

Carnival Cruise Line has canceled several sailings, including Celebrity Solstice from January 2, 2022, through April 24, 2022, and two Transatlantic sailings, Celebrity Infinity through April 2, 2022. Zuiderdam and Koningsdam will begin sailings from San Diego to Mexico, the California coast, and Hawaii. Major cruise lines are planning restarts in various phases in 2021, with Carnival Cruise Line’s first sailing scheduled for June 1, 2021.

The CDC has announced its working with cruise lines to resume sailing as early as this summer. Some ships operated by UnCruise Adventures and American Cruise Lines could begin operating in the coming weeks as more states begin lifting stay-at-home orders. Cruise lines worldwide will be reopening this spring and summer as the cruise industry looks to start its recovery.

The CDC’s official guidance remains that all people should avoid travel on cruise ships. The regulations for cruising return remain in effect until November 1, 2021. Returning to passenger cruising is a phased approach, with the current focus being on the majority of U.S. major cruise mega-ships returning to normal service in early 2022.

Carnival has announced plans to return eight of its ships to service starting August 1, departing from Galveston, Texas, and Port Canaveral, Florida. The No Sail Order was most recently extended on September 30, 2020, but the current Framework for Conditional Cruises was issued on October 30, 2021.