Carnival Sends Ships Back to US West Coast

In what is hopefully an indicator that cruise lines plan to be back in U.S. waters on March 1, 2021, Carnival Cruise Lines has begun recalling some of its ships back to the west coast, according to CruiseHive.com.

The Carnival Miracle arrived at the Port of Long Beach, California on Saturday, Dec. 19, while its sister ship, the Carnival Panorama, is set to arrive this week.

It’s a good sign because when ships return to U.S. waters they must meet through a vast and complex set of requirements set by the Centers for Disease Control before sailing with passengers again.

They include:

– Cruise lines must inform all prospective passengers of the risks of cruising during COVID-19.

– Cruises must be limited to no more than seven days.

– Cruise lines must test all crew and passengers for COVID-19 on the day of embarkation and on the day of disembarkation. Results must be procured before either crew or passengers can board or depart the cruise.

– Any crew or passenger who reports symptoms must be immediately provided with rapid-result COVID-19 tests. Close contacts of those with symptoms must be tested as well.

– Cruise lines must report all test results to the CDC.

– Face masks and social distancing must be mandated on ships.

That also means no confirmed cases of COVID-19 for 28 days before sailing.

The Carnival Miracle is looking for a full summer of sailing to the Mexican Riviera. The ship will sail on several two-, three-, four- and five-day voyages from San Diego and San Francisco, California to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico.

The Carnival Panorama will be sailing from Long Beach on six-, seven- and eight-day voyages to the Mexican Riviera. The vessel will be calling on Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, and will also call on Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.