Carnival Corporation Brands Resume Cruising in US, Caribbean and Europe

Rhea-AI Summary

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced the resumption of cruise operations for eight brands, including Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, with enhanced health protocols. By end of fiscal year 2021, 52% of its fleet (42 ships) will be operational. Initial sailings from North America start in July and August, featuring eco-friendly ships like Mardi Gras. The company aims to address pent-up demand, contributing to economic recovery and jobs globally while ensuring the health and safety of guests and crew.

Positive

• Resumption of operations for eight brands signals recovery post-pandemic.
• 52% of total fleet capacity (42 ships) expected to be operational by end of fiscal year 2021.
• Mardi Gras, powered by LNG, highlights commitment to eco-friendly practices.
• High guest satisfaction scores reported from recent sailings.

Negative

• None.

MIAMI, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight cruise line brands from Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, have announced plans to resume guest cruise operations, with AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Seabourn sailing in the United States, the Caribbean and Europe.

The brands are resuming operations using a gradual, phased-in approach, with sailings announced on 42 ships to date through the end of fiscal year 2021 (Nov. 30), representing 52% of the company's total capacity across its global fleet of 91 cruise ships. The initial cruises will take place with enhanced health protocols developed in conjunction with government and health authorities, and informed by guidance from the company's public health, epidemiological and policy experts.

Carnival Corporation's most recent brand restart announcements are summarized directly below, with a full list of initial restart plans by brand, ship and expected start date available further below. Additional brand updates on the resumption of guest cruise operations for the remainder of fiscal year 2021 will be announced as further restart plans are finalized.

North America Brands:

• Carnival Cruise Line has announced it will resume guest cruise operations with eight ships by the end of August, including sailings out of Galveston, Miami, Port Canaveral, Long Beach and Seattle (to Alaska). Included in that roster is Mardi Gras, the line's newest and most innovative ship, and first cruise ship in North America powered by eco-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG), with sailings from Port Canaveral starting on July 31.
• Princess Cruises expects to resume guest cruise operations in July with Alaska sailings and a series of cruises around UK coastal waters, as well as cruises out of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii and California coast starting in September.
• Holland America Line expects to resume guest cruise operations in July with Alaska sailings, followed by sailings from Greece in August, and from Italy and Spain in September, as well as sailings to Mexico, Hawaii, the California coast and the Caribbean this fall.
• Seabourn expects to resume guest cruise operations in July sailing from Greece and Barbados, along with the beginning of the Antarctica season in November.

Europe & Asia Brands:

• Costa Cruises resumed guest cruise operations in May with sailings in Italy and Greece, and is now offering sailings to France and Spain in July, followed by Portugal and Turkey in September.
• AIDA Cruises resumed guest cruise operations in March sailing in the Canary Islands, in May with sailings in Greece and Germany, and is now offering additional sailings out of Germany as well as sailings in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Malta from July, and the Persian Gulf from November.
• P&O Cruises (UK) will offer a series of cruises this summer sailing around UK coastal waters beginning in June, expanding to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast starting in September.
• Cunard will offer a series of cruises this summer sailing around UK coastal waters in July, followed by voyages to the Iberian coast and Canary Islands. In November, Queen Mary 2 returns to service with a combination of transatlantic crossings and Caribbean cruises.

Additionally, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises are offering land-based vacation options this summer for travelers to experience Alaska through a combination of escorted, explorer and rail tours, as well as lodging and sightseeing.

The newly announced voyages build on recent restarts from the company's AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises brands, which have been sailing in Europe since March and May, respectively. In addition to dozens of successful sailings between both brands in 2020, the most recent 2021 sailings from AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises have demonstrated the effectiveness of enhanced health protocols developed in conjunction with local, national and global experts, and have generated high guest satisfaction scores, as measured by net promotor surveys.

"For all of our brands, our highest responsibility and top priorities are always compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, our shipboard and shoreside employees, and the communities we visit," said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation. "We are excited to see eight of our world-leading cruise line brands sailing this summer, and to date, we've announced over half of our capacity returning by the end of the fiscal year, as we work to meet significant pent-up demand for cruising and get back to what we do best – serving our guests with one of the world's most popular vacations."

Added Frizzell: "The broader restart of cruising marks a critical step in the recovery of our brands and the industry as a whole, which provides a major economic impact and supports jobs across multiple sectors around the world. As our cruise line brands collaborate closely with our port, destination, supply chain and travel agent partners on a responsible resumption of cruise operations, we will ensure we continue working together across the industry in the best interest of public health."

In working with global and national health authorities and medical experts, as well as authorities in destination countries, the company's brands have developed a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols for protection and mitigation across the entire cruise experience for its initial cruises. This includes cross-industry learnings and best practices based on the proven health and safety record of industrywide sailings and input from top science and health experts and health authorities.

Cautionary Note Concerning Factors That May Affect Future Results
Some of the statements, estimates or projections contained in this document are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions with respect to us, including some statements concerning our resuming of cruise operations in the US, Caribbean and Europe. These statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these statements by using words like "will," "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "depends," "expect," "goal," "anticipate," "forecast," "project," "future," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "target," "indicate," "outlook," and similar expressions of future intent or the negative of such terms.

Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. This note contains important cautionary statements of the known factors that we consider could materially affect the accuracy of our forward-looking statements and adversely affect our resuming of risk operations.  Such risks, uncertainties and factors include the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange rules, we expressly disclaim any obligation to disseminate, after the date of this document, any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines sailing to all seven continents. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com, www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com and www.cunard.com.

 

Ships in Service and Announced Restarts by Brand for Fiscal Year End 2021
	Number of Ships			Passenger Capacity (Lower Berths)			% of Brand Capacity			% of Total Capacity (a)
North America and Australia ("NAA") Brands
Carnival Cruise Line	8			29,630			41	%
Princess Cruises	8			26,350			58	%
Holland America Line	6			14,140			62	%
P&O Cruises (Australia)	—			—			—
Seabourn	3			1,520			59	%
	25			71,640						49	%
Europe and Asia ("EA") Brands
Costa Cruises	6			20,650			53	%
AIDA Cruises	6			18,380			60	%
P&O Cruises (UK)	3			11,920			63	%
Cunard	2			4,760			70	%
	17			55,710						58	%
	42			127,350						52	%
(a) NAA Brands capacity for 57 ships, EA Brands capacity for 34 ships, total company capacity for 91 ships

 

Ships in Service and Announced Restarts by Ship for Fiscal Year End 2021
in Order of Actual or Announced Restart Date
	Ship Name		Passenger Capacity (Lower Berths)
March
	AIDAperla		3,280
May
	Costa Smeralda		5,220
	Costa Luminosa		2,260
	AIDAsol		2,190
	AIDAblu		2,200
June
	Costa Deliziosa		2,260
	Britannia		3,640
July
	Seabourn Ovation		600
	Carnival Vista		3,930
	Costa Firenze		4,240
	Carnival Horizon		3,960
	AIDAprima		3,280
	Carnival Breeze		3,690
	Seabourn Odyssey		460
	Queen Elizabeth		2,080
	Nieuw Amsterdam		2,100
	Majestic Princess		3,560
	Carnival Miracle		2,120
	AIDAstella		2,200
	Regal Princess		3,560
	Mardi Gras		5,250
August
	Iona		5,200
	Carnival Magic		3,690
	Carnival Sunrise		2,980
	Eurodam		2,100
	Carnival Panorama		4,010
	Sky Princess		3,660
September
	Zuiderdam		1,960
	Costa Fascinosa		2,980
	Grand Princess		2,600
	Costa Diadema		3,690
October
	Ventura		3,080
	Koningsdam		2,650
	Rotterdam		2,670
	Ruby Princess		3,080
November
	AIDAnova		5,230
	Crown Princess		3,090
	Seabourn Quest		460
	Enchanted Princess		3,660
	Queen Mary 2		2,680
	Nieuw Statendam		2,660
	Caribbean Princess		3,140

 

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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

FAQ

What brands of Carnival Corporation are resuming operations in 2021?

AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK), and Seabourn are resuming operations.

When is Carnival Cruise Line expected to resume operations?

Carnival Cruise Line is set to resume operations with eight ships by the end of August 2021.

How many ships will Carnival Corporation have operational by November 2021?

Carnival Corporation plans to have 42 ships operational by the end of fiscal year 2021, representing 52% of total capacity.

What are the health protocols for Carnival's cruise operations?

Enhanced health protocols developed in partnership with government and health authorities will be implemented for the safety of guests and crew.

Which eco-friendly ship is being launched by Carnival in 2021?

Mardi Gras, Carnival Cruise Line's newest ship powered by eco-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG), will start sailing from Port Canaveral on July 31, 2021.