Carnival Cruise Line returns to Princess Cays

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) returned to Princess Cays yesterday for the first time since the cruise pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carnival Magic arrived in Princess Cays after it departed Port Canaveral on October 11. The cruise included stops to Nassau and Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, according to a press statement from CCL.

CCL President Christine Duffy said in the statement that the return to the cays is an economic boon to the local economy and a unique stop for guests.

“We are delighted to return to the private Bahamian destination of Princess Cays and offer guests an opportunity to experience all of the beauty and charm of the island, while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy,” said Duffy.

The statement explained that more than half of Carnival’s US fleet is back in operation. More ships will come back online over the next few weeks and months.

The cruise industry was shut down for more than 18 months because of the pandemic and suffered billions in losses during that time.

All cruise lines coming to The Bahamas are required to sail to this country with fully-vaccinated passengers and crew.

Nassau Cruise Port Limited’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Maura told reporters yesterday that he is happy the government has decided to keep the health visa in place and plans to continue the policy into November of next year.

“I’m very grateful and pleased that this administration intends to continue that and in fact extend it to November 2022. They can always roll it back if the global circumstances with COVID-19 gets much better and they don’t need to have that requirement in March or April of 2022, then it’s the government’s prerogative to terminate it.

“That just brings more confidence to the industry, and more certainty to the traveler and the visitor, because they know what they have to do.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/carnival-cruise-line-returns-to-princess-cays/