Royal Caribbean International is back to cruising in the United States. A nearly 16-month journey led up to the moment this weekend when Freedom of the Seas became the first Royal Caribbean ship in the U.S. to welcome guests and the first cruise ship to do so from PortMiami. Sailing with 93 percent of the onboard community fully vaccinated and just in time for Fourth of July weekend (the cruise departed July 3), Freedom set off on the first cruise of a summer-long series of three-night weekend and four-night weekday getaways to Perfect Day at CocoCay—the cruise line’s private island destination—and Nassau, both in the Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean is planning for nine more ships to return through August, including Anthem of the Seas in the U.K., Serenade and Ovation of the Seas in Alaska, and the brand-new Odyssey of the Seas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In the coming weeks, the cruise line will announce plans to reintroduce its full fleet around the globe by year’s end.
Showcasing its $116 million transformation from March 2020, Freedom of the Seas has a lineup of new features and amenities, including The Perfect Storm duo of high-speed waterslides, a resort-style Caribbean poolscape, the cruise line’s first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and new, dedicated spaces for kids and teens.
Perfect Day at CocoCay is home to the tallest waterslide in North America, as well as the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, Oasis Lagoon; guests can also enjoy the first floating cabanas in the Bahamas.
Visit www.royalcaribbean.com.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Vista in the Port of Galveston.
To celebrate Carnival Cruise Line’s resumption of guest cruises from the U.S., Carnival President Christine Duffy, Carnival Vista Captain Andrea Catalani and local officials led a “Back to Fun” ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming guests back on board.
Carnival Vista set sail on Saturday, July 3 at 4 p.m. from Galveston, Texas for a weeklong cruise with stops in Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Honduras; Cozumel, Mexico and Belize City, Belize.
In addition to Carnival Vista’s departure, Carnival Horizon began sailing from PortMiami Sunday, July 4. Next up is Carnival Breeze from Galveston July 15, while Carnival Miracle kicks off the line’s Alaska season from Seattle July 27. Mardi Gras, the line’s newest ship, sets sail from Port Canaveral July 31. Other ships in the Carnival fleet will begin service in August.
Fun fact: Carnival Cruise Line was the first cruise line to use Galveston as a homeport, launching the port’s first year-round cruises in 2000. Today, Carnival is the only cruise operator with three year-round ships at the port—Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream, which operate 150 voyages annually from Galveston, carrying an estimated 750,000 passengers a year.
Visit www.carnival.com.
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