Carnival Cruise Line has announced some changes and substitutions due to a cruise industry wide staffing shortage. On my recent Carnival Breeze cruise, the crew onboard said the staffing shortage is attributable to visa approval delays by the US State Department and more detailed reviews conducted prior to the issuance of a visa. As a result of the staffing shortage some crew are working longer contracts. Carnival Cruise Line has announced some changes that are expected to be temporary as a result of the crew staffing shortage.

1. Guest Services Hours May Be Cut
             Guest Services used to be open 24/7 throughout the cruise. However, there may be times of the night that Guest Services is closed due to staffing. If you are cruising, I recommend looking at hours on the Carnival Hub App before heading out to Guest Services to make sure the line is open.

2. Pizzeria Hours Are Temporarily Reduced To Eliminate Late Night & Early Morning Service
                Carnival Cruise Line's complimentary Pizzeria used to be open 24 hours a day throughout the cruise. Recently Carnival's Pizzeria hours have been reduced to be open from 10am until 3am. Carnival still offers room service during the time of this closure, but the room service available during this time is not complimentary. 

​3. Deli Hours Are Temporarily Reduced (Update 6/1/2022) 
                    Carnival Cruise Line's deli used to be open from 11am until 11pm each day of the cruise. For June 2022 Carnival is opening the deli from 2:30pm until 10pm, according to Mr. John Heald (Carnival's Brand Ambassador). This means the deli will be open after the main Lido lunch buffet lines are closed, but the deli will be open for dinner & an early night snack.  

4. Cucina Del Capitano Reservations Are Halted 
                       On May 18, 2022 Carnival announced that Cucina Del Capitano reservations through June 30, 2022 are suspended. Cucina Del Capitano is a venue on some Carnival ships that allowed guests to pay a reservation fee to eat a variety of Italian dishes at dinner. At this time, this closure of Cucina Del Capitano at dinner does not change the complimentary Captain's Pasta Bar that was held at lunch. 

5. Chef's Table Reservations Are Halted 
                          On May 18, 2022 Carnival announced that Chef's Table reservations are suspended through June 30, 2022. The Chef's Table was an experience that guests could pay for a reservation to meet the chef, see part of the galley, and enjoy a specialty dining experience. 

6. Tea Time Changes
                            Mr. John Heald, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, has announced that tea time is temporarily suspended on cruises 5 nights or less. On cruises 6 nights & longer tea time will generally be offered on at least 1 sea day. Tea time used one of the dining rooms and utilized crew resources for serving the desserts, tea, and galley crew who made the food. 

​7. VIFP Platinum & Diamond Party 
                              Starting on cruises departing on or after May 18, 2022 through June 30, 2022 the Platinum & Diamond party is not being held due to staffing issues. The Platinum & Diamond Party is normally held on cruises that are 5+ nights. Guests who would have had a Platinum & Diamond party on their sailing should verify with guest services that 2 free drink coupons are uploaded to their Sail & Sign account that can be used on the last day.

The crew onboard Carnival's ships are doing their best given the shortages. Please note that there could be further changes to onboard amenities or programs due to the staffing shortage and change can happen at any time. When onboard your cruise check with Guest Services or the Carnival Hub App if you are not sure if something is available to you during your cruise. Unfortunately there is a chance that some changes could become permanent, but I am hopeful once the staffing situation is resolved regular amenities will be back. 

​Last Updated: Wednesday, June 1, 2022

          Carnival Cruise Line has published a schedule of cruise directors for 2022 that includes a listing of who the cruise director is at a particular time. This schedule is available to everyone online and according to Carnival's social media is updated as changes are made. 
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NOW BACK! How To View Carnival's Cruise Director Schedule:
               The easiest way to find Carnival's cruise director schedule is by having the direct link. Here is a direct link to the cruise director schedule:
Click Here To View The Schedule 
​                    By clicking this link you will be taken away from RyG's Cruise Guide and to a website called AirTable which is what Carnival uses to manage its cruise director schedule. NOTE: I am not affiliated with Carnival and have no control over the cruise director schedule. I am just sharing how you find out what Carnival's schedule says. This schedule can change at any time! 

Does the schedule change?
            The schedule can change at any point in time. For this reason, I do not recommend booking a cruise solely to have a certain cruise director because I do not want you to be disappointed if the schedule changes. I do understand that having a well liked cruise director is a great reason to want a certain cruise, but just realize things could change with the schedule.

What if my ship has a TBA cruise director?
                This most likely means that Carnival has not finalized who will be on your cruise at a particular date. Generally, the TBAs are filled in advance of a cruise leaving. Even if for some reason your cruise didn't have a true cruise director someone onboard would probably act as the cruise director which would mean no visible impact would be seen by guests. 

How far out does the schedule go? 
                  Since Carnival's schedule is updated frequently this could change. Generally for most ships, the planned cruise director up until Fall 2022 is available (at the time of writing). This means for several of Carnival's ships you are able to see who the cruise director will be through early Fall 2022. Some ships have not yet been updated. Just keep checking back is my recommendation! 

Other Carnival Cruise Resources You May Enjoy:
My Unofficial Guide to Carnival Cruise Food & Dining -  Click Here To View
My Carnival Cruise Reviews With Pictures & Fun-Times -  Click Here To View

Please consider liking RyG's Cruise Guide on Facebook!
I occasionally share Carnival cruise related tips, articles, and pictures. 
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       Today Carnival Cruise Line announced all 23 Carnival ships are back in service. The Carnival Splendor departed from Seattle today (May 2, 2022) and was the last Carnival ship to re-enter service. All of Carnival's ships paused operations in March 2020 and in July 2021 a slow phased in approach of returning ships to service began. 

Carnival Splendor Last Back In Service
            The Carnival Splendor's guests were treated to Carnival's "Back to Fun" event at the Port of Seattle. Carnival has been doing this event as ships re-entered service after the long Covid-19 operations pause. The Carnival Splendor's first cruise back is to Alaska.

Looking Back At Carnival's Return To Operations
                 Carnival's return to service was gradual. The Carnival Vista was the first Carnival ship to begin cruising from Galveston with guests last year on July 3, 2021. The next day the Carnival Horizon began cruising again from Miami. July 2021 also saw a return to cruising for the Carnival Breeze, Carnival Miracle, and the first sailing of the brand new Mardi Gras. 
Ships Re-Entered Service In August 2021:  Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunrise, & Carnival Panorama 
Ships Re-Entered Service In September 2021: Carnival Glory, Carnival Pride, & Carnival Dream
Ships Re-Entered Service In October 2021: Carnival Freedom & Carnival Elation
Ships Re-Entered Service In November 2021: Carnival Valor & Carnival Legend
Ships Re-Entered Service In December 2021: Carnival Conquest & Carnival Radiance 
Ships Re-Entered Service In January 2022: Carnival Sunshine 
Ships Re-Entered Service In February 2022: Carnival Liberty
Ships Re-Entered Service In March 2022: Carnival Ecstasy & Carnival Paradise
Ships Re-Entered Service In April 2022:  Carnival Spirit 
​Ships Re-Entered Service In May 2022:  Carnival Splendor 

The Ships That Didn't Make It Back Into Service
                     Unfortunately, there were some Fantasy class cruise ships that did not come back into service. Carnival sold the Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, and Carnival Sensation and all four of these ships were scrapped in Turkey. Carnival sold the Carnival Fascination which was renamed to the Century Harmony and later scrapped. 
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         Today the Carnival Breeze returned to Galveston after being out of service for over a month. During this time out of service the ship traveled to Spain for dry-dock. 

What was done during the dry-dock?
              The purpose of this dry-dock was mainly for routine hotel maintenance and cosmetic enhancements (i.e. new carpet, paint, etc.). However, there are two big changes that were made while the ship was out of service in dry-dock. The exterior of the ship was painted to reflect Carnival's new hull livery style. The front of the ship is now blue. Carnival also expanded the smoke free casino on deck 4 by removing the old Thrill Theater. The smoke free casino now includes a bar and cashier station. 

Pictures Of The Ship Docked In Galveston
Due to the ship being delayed on its return from Spain, the first cruise back departed a day late. The Carnival Dream used Terminal 1 and left around 2:30pm on Sunday, May 1 and then the Carnival Breeze shortly thereafter docked. I drove down to Galveston around 5pm and saw the Carnival Breeze docked. I took several pictures of the ship during my short visit. Click any picture below to make it larger! 

Some You-Tube Videos Showing The Ship Arriving & Being Run Aground (Beached) In Turkey:
               Below you will find some links that show the ship being run-aground. Some of these videos have sound and some do not. A few of these videos have advertisements that I had to watch before being able to view the video because You-Tube would not let me skip the ads.  I do not own these videos and am not responsible for any of the content these videos contain. Please note, by clicking the video links you will be taken to You-Tube. ​

Video #1 -  This video shows multiple angles of the Carnival Sensation's beaching in Turkey. The first part of the video shows the ship being beached. If you look carefully you will see a fire which was used to guide the ship to the correct place ashore. Also, one other thing of note is the Carnival Imagination which was beached in 2020 is still sitting whole in the scrapyard. The video also includes a timelapse of the ship's journey from water to shore and then concludes with a view of the beaching from ashore. 
Link to You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_MgbIsHo48 

​Video #2 - This video shows crew members leaving the Carnival Sensation on smaller boats before the ship is beached. From the outside the ship looks pretty normal and just a little rusty. 
Link to You-Tube: ​www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwuaKBR2jis

I will add additional videos later if any additional ones are posted. 

       Carnival Cruise ships have many different entertainment options which include deck parties. Carnival's Brand Ambassador, John Heald, recently posted a listing of all of the theme parties & nights that are being done onboard each ship as of March 2022. 

About The Parties/Theme Nights: 
White Night: For the White Night Party guests typically wear white clothing and white accessories. However, you do not have to wear white to attend. 

Mega Deck: The Mega Deck Party is typically hosted outside on the Lido Deck near the main pool. 

Theme Parties: A variety of Carnival ships have theme parties based on a particular decade such as the 70's, 80's, or 90's. Some guests will wear attire from that decade, but most guests will just show-up to have a good time and sing along with the music from the decade! 

How do I find when and where the parties on my ship will be?  Once you are on your cruise check the Carnival Hub App. The Carnival Hub App contains the entertainment dates, times, and locations for all activities on your cruise. 

Can the party theme or event offered change? Yes! This can vary based on the cruise director, cruise length, and a variety of other factors. The listing by ship below is as of March 23, 2022 and can change at any time. Please do not be upset if the party is no longer held on your ship because it can change due to a variety of reasons! Hopefully if something changes a different theme night/party will be offered instead. 

          The muster station drill on Carnival Cruise ships changed to a self-mustering process instead of the old traditional Safety Briefing. This post will give a generic overview of the self-mustering process as well as answer a few common questions. 

A Summary Of The Self-Mustering Process
               After boarding a Carnival Cruise ship guests are required to go to their muster station. A muster station is a designated area onboard where in the event of an emergency guests will meet. Carnival is asking guests to go to their designated muster station very shortly after boarding. When a guest walks up to their muster station crew members will be present at the entrance and each guest will show their Sail & Sign card or Boarding Pass to get scanned. The crew member will use a tablet to take attendance as each guest comes. Crew members will then direct guests into the muster station area. A crew member will demonstrate how to put on the lifejacket and give some other basic safety information. After the drill is complete and attendance is logged, guests can leave their muster station and continue the fun of the cruise! 

​Question 1: How do I know which muster station I am assigned to and where to find this location on the ship?
             Your muster station letter and number will be printed on your Boarding Pass, Sail & Sign card, shown within your Carnival Hub App account, and posted on the back of your stateroom door. On the Carnival Hub App once you have logged in you can click a button that says "View In Ship Maps" and the app will tell you which lounge your muster station is in. Since when you first board you will not be logged into the Carnival Hub App, your best bet is to probably ask a crew member where to go. Crew members are stationed throughout the common areas of the ship on the first day to answer guest questions.  

Question 2:  What happens if I do not go to my muster station for self-mustering?
                   As the ship gets ready to sail, announcements will continually be made reminding guests that the self-mustering drill is mandatory. On my recent Carnival Breeze cruise, an announcement was made late in the afternoon instructing guests that had not attended yet to go immediately as the captain was ordering all remaining guests to go to their muster station. Keep in mind that attendance is logged so it is very easy to determine which guests have not yet attended. Guests who fail to attend could find themselves getting kicked off the cruise (likely with no refund), so I highly recommend not trying to skip this drill. 

​Question 3: Does the old style muster station drill (pre-covid) still happen onboard?
                      The self-mustering process is a part of Carnival's Covid protocols that is replacing the old style traditional muster station drill. Guests who sailed before Covid may remember at a set time the muster station alarm would ring and everyone would go to their muster station at the same time. This is no more as the self-mustering process has replaced the old style muster station drill. Having guests go at their own time prevents large crowds from congregating and is one way Carnival is trying to minimize the spread of Covid-19. 

Question 4:  Is there anything else related to safety going on besides the self-mustering process?
                          Prior to departure, Carnival's ships are making an announcement with general safety information. This information reminds me of the content that used to be part of the old style safety briefing. Safety information as well as environmental information is shared in this announcement. The ship's general emergency alarm (seven short blasts & 1 long blast) is also demonstrated on the PA system during this announcement. 

Question 5: Is this drill required?
                          Yes, the muster station drill is required. All guests must attend regardless of past cruise status. Carnival must do this in order to comply with Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements as well as other laws. 

Question 6: Are there any benefits of the self-mustering process compared to the old style muster station drill? 
                             In my opinion, the new self-mustering process is much better. First, since this drill can be completed on your own time, you can get it over with quickly and not have to worry about it becoming a disruption later in the afternoon. Second, the self-mustering drill does not take as long as the old style drill because crew members no longer have to wait until everyone arrives since everyone comes at their own time. Third, if you have questions about safety procedures it is easier to ask because the muster station is not crowded with many other guests. 

            Galveston's cruise industry re-started operations in July 2021 after the long Covid-19 pandemic shutdown that started in March 2020. The year 2022 is expected to be a great year for the Galveston cruise industry, assuming that there are no further shutdowns or changes. For 2022, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line all have ships scheduled to sail from Galveston during the year. 

Carnival Cruise Line
                 Just like 2021, Carnival Cruise Line will have three year-round ships sailing from Galveston. At the time of writing, Carnival's 2022 Galveston line-up is going to stay consistent throughout the year. The Carnival Vista is scheduled to sail 7 night cruises on Saturdays. Carnival Vista's sailings are primarily to either Belize, Roatan, & Cozumel or Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, & Cozumel. Due to port closures related to Covid-19 the Carnival Vista has only been doing the Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel itinerary, but if Grand Cayman re-opens to cruise ships the other itinerary may be able to happen. The Carnival Breeze is scheduled to continue sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from Galveston departing on alternating Thursdays, Mondays, and Saturdays. Four nights cruises are to Cozumel and five night cruises alternate between Cozumel and Progreso or Cozumel and Costa Maya. Additionally, the Carnival Dream is scheduled to continue sailing from Galveston. The Carnival Dream sails alternating 6 & 8 night cruises. Six night cruises typically depart on Sundays and visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Belize. 8 night cruises typically depart on Saturdays and are scheduled to visit Key West, Freeport, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. However, due to some restrictions in Key West this itinerary has been altered in 2021 and it will be interesting to see what happens in 2022. 

Royal Caribbean International 
                   The year 2022 is expected to be a big year for Royal Caribbean out of Galveston. In November 2022, Royal Caribbean's brand new Galveston cruise terminal on Pier 10 is scheduled to open and the Allure of the Seas will begin sailing from Galveston. The Allure of the Seas' is a part of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships, which are among the largest in the world. The Allure of the Seas is primarily scheduled to depart Galveston on Sundays to visit Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. In the months leading up to November 2022, the Liberty of the Seas will continue to sail 7 night cruises from Galveston departing on Sundays.
                      Royal Caribbean will also continue 4 & 5 night cruises from Galveston in 2022. The Adventure of the Seas is scheduled to sail 4 & 5 night cruises from Galveston from January 2022 - April 2022 and again starting in November 2022. The Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to return to Galveston for the summer and fall season to sail 4 & 5 night cruises. ​4 night cruises typically visit Cozumel. The five night cruise itinerary alternates between Cozumel & Costa Maya and Cozumel & Yucatan (Progreso).

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Disney Cruise Line
               Disney Cruise Line will once again sail from Galveston seasonally in 2022. The Disney wonder will wrap up its 2021-2022 winter season cruises from Galveston in February 2022. The Disney Magic is scheduled to come to Galveston starting in November 2022 to start another round of seasonal sailings from Galveston. 

Norwegian Cruise Line
                  The Norwegian Prima will sail one cruise from Galveston in October 2022. This cruise is an 11 night cruise that will begin in Galveston and end in Miami, Florida. However, the Norwegian Prima will be back to Galveston starting in 2023 to a series of round-trip cruises from Galveston. 

Overall:   It is great that cruising was able to start again from Galveston in 2021! Right now it looks like 2022 has the potential to be a great year for the Port of Galveston and cruise lines sailing from Galveston. If you are booked on a 2022 cruise, I recommend closely following your cruise line for updates regarding sailing status or any changes in procedures that occur. It will be an interesting year ahead and I cannot wait to see the brand new cruise terminal. Happy New Year and thanks for reading!

​For more information about itineraries, sailing dates, and for the most up to date information please visit each respective cruise line's website. ​All this information was compiled from the individual cruise line's websites.

       This week Carnival Cruise Line announced the remaining US ships will enter service on or by March 2022. 

Ships To Enter Service & Expected Date:
1. Carnival Legend - November 14, 2021
Sailing From Baltimore, Maryland
2. Carnival Pride - November 14, 2021
Sailing From Tampa, Florida
3. Carnival Conquest - December 13, 2021
Sailing From Miami, Florida 
4. Carnival Radiance - December 13, 2021
Sailing From Long Beach, California
5. Carnival Sunshine - January 13, 2022
Sailing From Charleston, South Carolina
6. Carnival Liberty - February 11, 2022
Sailing From Port Canaveral, Florida 
7. Carnival Sensation - March 5, 2022
Sailing From Mobile, Alabama 
8. Carnival Ecstasy - March 7, 2022
Sailing From Jacksonville, Florida
9. Carnival Paradise - March 12, 2022
Sailing From Tampa, Florida 

What Are The Health Protocols For These Ships As They Resume Cruising?
               The health protocols have been modified several times over the past year and could continue to evolve depending on the CDC's guidance and requirements as well as the destinations the ship's visit. I recommend visiting Carnival's Have Fun Be Safe Guest Protocols online for further information: Click Here (link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to Carnival's website). 
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Ships That Won't Be Returning From The Coronavirus Shutdown
​              The Coronavirus shutdown began in March 2020 and for the ships listed above is still ongoing. However, there are some Carnival ships that were sold or scrapped last year that will never be able to return to service. The Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Imagination, and Carnival Inspiration were sold for scrap in 2020 in Turkey. Check out some posts with videos of these ships arriving in the scrapyard from last year:

• Carnival Fantasy: Click Here To View
• Carnival Imagination: Click Here To View
• Carnival Inspiration: Click Here To View

The Carnival Fascination was sold in 2020 to Century Harmony Cruise Ltd, but the ship was sold for scrap in 2021. All four of these previous Carnival ships will unfortunately never be able to return from the Coronavirus shutdown. 

      This week Carnival Cruise Line announced their third Excel class newbuild ship, the Carnival Jubilee, will sail from Galveston. In 2023 the Carnival Jubilee will enter service and the ship's homeport will be Galveston, Texas. 

Itineraries
            Carnival will open the Carnival Jubilee for bookings out of Galveston in early 2022. However, Carnival's press release mentioned the Carnival Jubilee will be sailing 7 night Western Caribbean itineraries from Galveston. 

Ship Features
                 The Carnival Jubilee will have 6 themed zones similar to the Mardi Gras that debuted earlier this year and the Carnival Celebration that will debut in 2022. Carnival's press release noted that 2 of the 6 zones will be new concepts that are to be announced. The Carnival Jubilee will have the BOLT Roller Coaster on the ship's top deck and a three level atrium that converts to an entertainment venue at night. 

Carnival's History From Galveston
                The newbuild Carnival Jubilee's name may sound familiar to cruisers because this is not the first time Carnival had a ship named the M/S Jubilee. The first Jubilee cruise ship was a Holiday class ship that sailed for Carnival from approximately 1986 - 2004. The original Jubilee cruise ship sailed from Galveston in 2002. Carnival began sailing year-round cruises from Galveston in 2000 with the M/S Celebration (not to be confused with the 2022 newbuild Carnival Celebration) and then in 2002 the M/S Jubilee joined the M/S Celebration. Carnival's capacity continued growing out of Galveston in the early to mid 2000's when the Carnival Elation and Carnival Ecstasy were repositioned to Galveston and later the Carnival Conquest came. In the early 2010's, the Carnival Triumph and Carnival Magic began sailing from Galveston to replace the Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest. In 2015, the Carnival Freedom began sailing from Galveston as Carnival's third year-round Galveston based ship. Over the second half of the 2010's, the Carnival Liberty replaced the Carnival Triumph out of Galveston and was then was replaced by the Carnival Valor. The Carnival Breeze replaced the Carnival Magic from Galveston and in 2018 was replaced by the Carnival Vista. Currently, the Carnival Dream sails 6 & 8 night cruises from Galveston, the Carnival Breeze sails 4 & 5 night cruises, and the Carnival Vista sails 7 night cruises from Galveston. 

Carnival Jubilee Ship Size and Fast Facts
Year Entering Service:  2023
Gross Tonnage: 182,800 gross tons
Capacity: 5,400 guests and 1,700 crew
Length: Approximately 1,130 Feet
Ship's Class: Excel Class

It will be exciting to see what information Carnival releases on the Carnival Jubilee in the future including the ship's Galveston itineraries. 

For more information check out these links (both links will take you away to Carnival's website): 
Carnival's Official Press Release:  Click Here To View
Carnival Jubilee's Webpage on Carnival's Website:  Click Here To View