Cruising from Texas to Resume

People may not be ready to get back to traveling, but Carnival Cruise Lines is ready to set sail again from three port cities, including Galveston, starting Aug. 1

Earlier this year, the company paused cruises and canceled many altogether due to the pandemic.

As it resumes service, Carnival will have eight ships setting off from Galveston, Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla. You can book a cruise from Galveston on the Carnival Dream, Carnival Freedom or Carnival Vista, Carnival said in a news release.

Except for those mentioned above, the company stated, all other North American and Australian homeport cruises are canceled through Aug. 31. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its no-sail order to July 24.

“We are taking a measured approach, focusing our return to service on a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests,” the company said in a statement. “We will use this additional time to continue to engage experts, government officials and stakeholders on additional protocols and procedures to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve.”

While sailing to a tropical destination may sound like the perfect escape, being aware of public health is crucial. 

The CDC recommends continuing to be aware of your health, not boarding a ship if you are sick and discussing cruise ship travel with your health care provider. If you notice you are sick during a trip, stay in your cabin. And of course wash your hands for 20 seconds. Carnival offers a safety video here.

The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure told Carnival Corp. to hand over documents related to outbreaks on its ships that infected more than 1,500 and killed dozens of people, CNBC reported on May 1.

“Any resumption of cruise operations – whenever that may be – is fully dependent on our continued efforts in cooperation with federal, state, local and international government officials. In our continued support of public health efforts, any return to service will also include whatever enhanced operational protocols and social gathering guidelines that are in place at the time of the resumption of cruise operations,” Carnival Corporation said in a statement.

If you have a Carnival reservation but don’t want to travel at this time, you may be able to get a refund. Check here.

Another major cruise line that sails from Galveston, Royal Caribbean, has canceled all its cruises through June 12.