Carnival Cruise Line has announced some temporary changes to the benefits offered to Platinum & Diamond guests in the VIFP Club. The VIFP Club is Carnival's loyalty program that has different levels based on the numbers of days a cruiser has sailed with Carnival. Due to the re-start of cruises after the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, some of the benefits offered to Platinum & Diamond guests are going to be a little different.

Priority Boarding
            Carnival's VIFP Club webpage notes that the benefit of priority boarding to Platinum & Diamond guests for July 2021 and August 2021 cruises is changing to where Platinum & Diamond guests now get to check-in for the cruise 48 hours earlier. Platinum & Diamond guests must select a check-in time slot and will receive an assigned boarding zone. Carnival giving 48 hours earlier seems to be their way of still giving some priority to get on the ship, but the old way of priority boarding seems to be going away for now. John Heald's Facebook post regarding these changed benefits notes that anyone that arrives early will be turned away, which seems to include Platinum and Diamond guests. 

Casino Tournaments
           Carnival's VIFP Club page notes that Carnival is unable to offer casino tournaments. As a result, Carnival is giving these guests US $25 in Casino FunPlay. 

Priority Debarkation
             Carnival's VIFP Club page notes that while the ship will strive to offer priority debarkation, it may not be possible. 

Stateroom Access
                John Heald's Facebook page notes that staterooms may not be ready for Platinum and Diamond guests with earlier arrival appointments. Platinum and Diamond guests can still drop off their luggage in their room when boarding, but keep in mind the room may still not be fully cleaned yet. 
                 
Chocolate Delight
                   John Heald's Facebook page indicates there will be changes to the Chocolate Delight benefit. Typically, under Carnival's VIFP program, Platinum & Diamond guests on 5+ day cruises would receive a Chocolate Delight dish delivered to their stateroom. Now due to safety protocols, guests will be asked to call room service to schedule a delivery. 

Carnival Logo Gift & Ship Pin
                    These items used to be delivered to guests' staterooms, but Carnival is trying to minimize the number of deliveries to staterooms. Now guests will be able to pick these items up at the photo gallery, according to John Heald's Facebook. 

I highly recommend guests keep watching Carnival's VIFP Club page for any changes as well as ask guest services once onboard your cruise if you are unsure if a particular benefit is being offered or if it is being done in a different way. Please keep in mind things could change again. 

​Carnival's VIFP Club Page:  Click Here To View (Link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to Carnival's website) 

For John Heald's Facebook page please check out his Facebook page. I included a screenshot of the post below for quick and easy reference. Please click the pictures to make them larger! 

     This morning I made a quick trip down to Galveston to see the Carnival Vista and Carnival Sensation docked. The Carnival Vista was docked at Cruise Terminal #1 and the Carnival Sensation at Cruise Terminal #2. The main reason for this trip was wanting to see the Carnival Sensation in Galveston. Carnival has the Carnival Sensation temporarily using Galveston as its homeport for now, but when the Carnival Sensation resumes cruises the ship will be sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from Mobile, Alabama. I did not want to miss out on an opportunity to see the Carnival Sensation in Galveston because the ships' schedules have not been predictable lately due to the shutdown. Here are some pictures I took during this visit to Galveston:

Carnival Vista
           From Harborside Drive I was able to see crew members moving around on the Carnival Vista. A few crew members were walking the ship's Lanai on the Promenade Deck and others were on the lifeboat embarkation deck (it looked like they may have been doing safety training). I did see a few crew members on the balconies. These crew members are likely new to the ship and still undergoing their mandatory quarantine before being able to move around the ship with the rest of the crew. Here are a few pictures of the Carnival Vista from today's visit to Galveston: 

Carnival Sensation
                  I was able to see a couple of crew members on the Carnival Sensation, but did not spot very many crew members. There were several large trucks parked in between the cruise terminals bringing supplies to the ships. The Carnival Sensation is one of Carnival's four remaining Fantasy class cruise ships and is Carnival's second oldest ship in the fleet. It was exciting to see this ship docked in Galveston. Here are some pictures of the Carnival Sensation: 

It was great seeing the ships in Galveston today!

      Yesterday Carnival Cruise Line announced additional operations plans for ships sailing out of Texas, Florida, California, and Washington as well as additional cancellations. The process of getting Carnival's fleet up and running is a gradual process because it takes time to get the crew back onboard and Carnival has to make sure the CDC's conditions for sailing are met. 
             Below is a list of by month of Carnival ships that currently have plans for a cruise re-start. The specific procedures for these sailings should be communicated to booked guests as well as posted on Carnival's website. As procedures, protocols, & itineraries are constantly changing you should check Carnival's website for the latest information as there is a chance by the time you read this something has likely changed.  Click Here to go to Carnival's Guest Protocols webpage (link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide). 

July 2021 Re-Start

• The Carnival Vista is scheduled to resume cruises out of Galveston, Texas starting in July 2021. The Carnival Vista will be sailing 7 night cruises in July 2021 that are scheduled to visit Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. The Carnival Vista's first cruise back in service is currently scheduled for Saturday, July 3, 2021.
• The Carnival Breeze is scheduled to begin cruises again starting on Thursday, July 15, 2021 out of Galveston, Texas and will sail 4 & 5 night cruises.      
• The Carnival Horizon is scheduled to sail 6 & 8 night cruises from Miami, Florida, starting on Sunday, July 4, 2021.
• The Carnival Miracle is scheduled to sail 7 night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting Tuesday, July 27, 2021. 
• Carnival Cruise Line announced its newest ship, Mardi Gras, is now scheduled to begin sailing seven night cruises from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida starting on Saturday, July 31, 2021. The Mardi Gras' first sailings are considered to be pre-inaugural as the ship. It is unclear when the "official" inaugural voyage will be scheduled.

​
August 2021 Re-Start

• ​The Carnival Magic will start cruising again starting Saturday, August 7, 2021, and will be taking over the Carnival Elation's scheduled cruises from Port Canaveral that were scheduled between August 7 - October 7, 2021. Guests booked on the Carnival Elation will be moved to the Carnival Magic. Carnival also announced three new 6 night cruises and one 8 night cruise will take place between October 11-31, 2021. 
• The Carnival Sunrise is scheduled to start cruising on Saturday, August 14, 2021 from Miami, Florida. 
• The Carnival Panorama is scheduled to start cruising on Saturday, August 21, 2021 from Long Beach, California to sail 7 night Mexican Riviera itineraries. 

Additional Cancellations
           In Carnival's press release it was noted cruises on the Carnival Pride from Baltimore, Carnival Sunshine from Charleston, Carnival Dream from Galveston, Carnival Ecstasy from Jacksonville, Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral, Carnival Conquest from Miami, Carnival Sensation from Mobile, and Carnival Glory from New Orleans have cruises now cancelled through August 31, 2021. 

Vaccine Requirement & Onboard Protocols
                 Carnival's Guest Protocols page has the following line written when describing the August cruises, "Carnival plans to operate the following August sailings with vaccinated guests. We will be providing more details directly to guests next week on guidelines and protocols." The exact details of the vaccine requirement as well as any other onboard protocols has not been fully released at the time of writing. If you are on one of these cruises keep watching your email for messages from Carnival or check Carnival's website. 
To visit Carnival's Guest Protocols webpage: Click Here (link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide). Please note, this page has been changing throughout the past couple of weeks so as procedures and details get fine-tuned and CDC guidance changes the content of this page is subject to change. 

For Carnival's press release over the August re-start: Click Here 

Please keep in mind information is subject to change at any time. I highly advise you consult Carnival's website, talk to your travel agent, or call Carnival for the latest information. Onboard procedures and protocols are likely to change as well. 

          Carnival Cruise Line has published a schedule of cruise directors 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.

UPDATE (June 17, 2021)  Carnival Cruise Line has announced the cruise directors for additional cruise ships. 
Here is who is currently scheduled to each ship:
​- Carnival Vista: Kyndall Magyar 
- Carnival Horizon: Chris Salazar 
- Carnival Breeze: Jonathon "Cookie" Adams
- Carnival Miracle: Jen Baxter 
- Carnival Magic: Gary Blair 
- Carnival Sunrise: Felipe Couto   
- Carnival Panorama:  Lee Mason
-  Mardi Gras: The first series of voyages will have Chris Williams as the cruise director as Mike Pack will be out due to having a newborn baby. It is unclear which date Mike Pack will be taking over. 
At this time the actual schedule is not posted, but I will update this post as soon as things are ready. Keep in mind the cruise director schedule is always subject to change!

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  - [Please See Note Above About Coronavirus Situation]
​                    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 mid-2020 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 summer 2020. 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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       The 2021 Alaska cruise season is expected to be modified and shorter than prior years, but several cruise lines including Princess, Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean have all announced plans to sail Alaska cruise itineraries this year. This page compiles some ships and basic itinerary information for some of the ships with current plans to sail to Alaska in 2021. 
            Due to the COVID-19 pandemic health protocols and requirements are constantly evolving. Each cruise line on this list has a vaccination requirement for COVID-19 at the time of writing (some make exceptions based on age). I highly recommend before booking anything you check your cruise line's website or discuss with a travel agent the latest vaccination requirements or onboard protocols. Also, keep in mind things are subject to change in terms of procedures and/or itineraries. If COVID-19 is detected on your cruise that could also have an impact on your itinerary. 

Carnival Miracle
Carnival Cruise Line
​​        The Carnival Miracle is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting July 27, 2021. During the ship's shortened Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops in Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan as well as a scenic cruise day in Tracy Arm Fjord. 
             As of the time of writing, the Carnival Miracle's 2021 Alaska cruises are for guests that are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Carnival's website explicitly states, "Guests who are not vaccinated, including children who are not eligible for the vaccine, will not be permitted to sail". 
For information on Carnival Cruise Line's Alaska protocols: Click Here

Majestic Princess
Princess Cruise Line
​​         The Majestic Princess is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting July 25, 2021. During the Majestic Princess' Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan and a scenic cruise day in Glacier Bay. 
            As of the time of writing, the Majestic Princess' 2021 Alaska cruises are for guests that are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. For more information on Princess' health protocols please click here. 

Nieuw Amsterdam
Holland America Line
​​         The Nieuw Amsterdam is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting July 24, 2021. During the Nieuw Amsterdam's Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops in Juneau, Icy Straight Point, Sitka, Ketchikan, and a scenic cruise day in Glacier Bay. 
            As of the time of writing, the Niewu Amsterdam's Alaska cruises are for guests that are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Holland America's press release announcing the Alaska cruises for the ship stated, "These Holland America Line cruises in 2021 to Alaska are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination. Shipboard crew vaccinations will also be in accordance with CDC guidelines". To read this press release by Holland America please click here. 

Serenade of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
​​         The Serenade of the Seas is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting July 19, 2021. During the Serenade of the Seas' Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops that vary by sailing date. One cruise route shows the the ship stopping in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, and having a scenic cruise day in the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier. The other route shows the ship stopping at Icy Straight Point, Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, and having a scenic cruise day in Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier. 
             As of the time of writing, the Serenade of the Seas' Alaska cruises are requiring COVID-19 vaccines, however there are some exclusions. Royal Caribbean's press release notes, "Vacationers sailing to Alaska who are 16 years of age or older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and those 12 or older as of Aug. 1." To view Royal Caribbean's press release please click here. 

​Ovation of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
​​         The Ovation of the Seas is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting August 13, 2021. During the Ovation of the Seas' Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, and scenic cruise days in the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier. 
           As of the time of writing, the Serenade of the Seas' Alaska cruises are requiring COVID-19 vaccines, however there are some exclusions. Royal Caribbean's press release notes, "Vacationers sailing to Alaska who are 16 years of age or older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and those 12 or older as of Aug. 1." To view Royal Caribbean's press release please click here. 

Norwegian Encore
Norwegian Cruise Line
​​         The Norwegian Encore is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting August 7, 2021. During the Norwegian Encore's Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops based on the specific cruise departure date. One type of itinerary being offered includes port stops at Icy Straight Point, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. The other type of itinerary being offered includes port stops at Juneau, Icy Straight Point, and Ketchikan. 
            As of the time of writing, the Norwegian Encore's Alaska cruises are requiring COVID-19 vaccines. Norwegian Cruise Line's website states, "All guests and crew must be fully vaccinated, at least 2 weeks prior to departure, in order to board. Guest vaccination requirements are currently for all sailings embarking through October 31, 2021– we will follow the science to make determinations on requirements for all other future sailings." For Norwegian Cruise Line's health page click here. ​
            

Celebrity Millennium 
Celebrity Cruises
​​         The Celebrity Millennium is scheduled to sail seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington to Alaska starting in July 2021. During the Celebrity Millennium's Alaska cruise season these seven night cruises have planned itinerary stops based on the specific sailing departure date. One type of itinerary being offered includes stops at Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and scenic cruise areas such as Endicott Arm and the Inside Passage. The other type of itinerary being offered includes stops Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Straight Point, and scenic cruise areas such as the Endicott Arm. 
            As of the time of writing, Celebrity's website states, "All guests ages 16 and older must be fully vaccinated with all COVID-19 doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. As of August 1, 2021, all US guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated. For UK residents, all guests 18 and over must be fully vaccinated with all Covid-19 vaccine doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. Crew members onboard will be vaccinated." For additional information on Celebrity's health protocols please click here. 
            

Important Note:  Some cruise lines with smaller ships are also sailing Alaska during the 2021 season. I generally do not cover these lines in on my blog, but wanted to mention you might be able to find cruises with some of these cruise operators for 2021 as well. 

       Carnival Cruise Line announced today an important step in the cruise restart process. Carnival Corporation has received approval from the U.S Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that the Phase 2A Port Agreements for Miami, Galveston, & Port Canaveral have been accepted.
             The Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze are currently scheduled to re-start cruising from Galveston and the Carnival Horizon is scheduled to re-start cruising from Miami in July 2021. Carnival's press release notes Port Canaveral is a re-start priority and specific plans from the port will be announced in the coming days. 
                    This acceptance is an important step in the process to resume cruises because under the CDC's Conditional Sail Order cruise lines must have agreements with homeports prior to the start of simulated cruises or full guest operations. However, there are still more steps to go before cruising can resume.

What specific protocols are involved with these first ships back in service? 
      Unfortunately, this information has not yet been announced for the Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Horizon's first cruises back. Carnival originally was planning on making an announcement this week, but due to changing guidance and information Carnival is now saying by June 14th. This was communicated in an email to guests traveling on the ships' July and August sailings. 

For more information please check out Carnival's press release:  Click Here (link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide and to the Carnival News website). 

        Carnival Cruise Line has started the process of releasing the cruise itineraries and departure schedules for summer 2023, fall 2023, and spring 2024. Typically, Carnival makes bookings available in small batches and starts with ships that are staying in the same homeports. Within the next few months, I expect Carnival to continue opening itineraries and when homeport changes are being made Carnival will likely do a press release. For now, we just have to wait and see what additional ship deployments are coming. Please keep in mind itineraries and ship deployments are subject to change & updates may not be posted here. 
​This post was last updated: 5/28/2021

Galveston, Texas
Carnival Vista
The Carnival Vista is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 7 night cruises from Galveston. Cruises for the Carnival Vista out of Galveston are now open for booking through April 2024.

Carnival Breeze
The Carnival Breeze is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from Galveston. Cruises for the Carnival Breeze are now open through April 2024. 

Miami, Florida
Carnival Horizon
The Carnival Horizon is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 6 & 8 night cruises from Miami. Cruises for the Carnival Horizon out of Miami are now open for booking through April 2024.

Carnival Celebration
The Carnival Celebration is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 7 night cruises from Miami. Cruises for the Carnival Celebration are now open for booking through April 2024. 

Carnival Sunrise
The Carnival Sunrise is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from Miami. Cruises for the Carnival Sunrise are now open for booking through April 2024. 

New Orleans, LA
Carnival Glory
The Carnival Glory is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 7 night cruises from New Orleans. Cruises for the Carnival Glory out of New Orleans are now open for booking through April 2024. 

Carnival Valor
The Carnival Valor is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from New Orleans. Cruises for the Carnival Valor out of New Orleans are open for booking through April 2024.

Los Angeles (Long Beach), CA
Carnival Panorama
The Carnival Panorama is scheduled to continue sailing from Los Angeles, CA and has bookings open through April 2024. The newly released sailings show the Carnival Panorama will have a variety of 6, 7, and 8 night cruise options. 

Carnival Radiance
The Carnival Radiance is scheduled to continue sailing from Los Angeles, CA and has bookings open through April 2024. The newly released sailings show the Carnival Radiance will continue primarily sailing 3 and 4 night cruises. 

New York, NY
​Carnival Magic
The Carnival Magic has cruises from New York, NY scheduled to sail from June 2023 - September 2023. During the Carnival Magic's deployment from New York the ship will primarily sail 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 night cruises. 

San Francisco, CA
​Carnival Miracle
The Carnival Miracle is scheduled to sail from San Francisco from May 2023 - August 2023. During this time the ship will sail alternating 4 and 10 night cruises. The 10 night cruises are scheduled to sail to Alaska and the 4 night cruises are scheduled to sail to Baja. 

Tampa, FL
​Carnival Paradise
The Carnival Paradise is scheduled to continue sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from Tampa, Florida. Cruises for the Carnival Paradise are now open for booking through April 2024. 

Mobile, AL
​Carnival Sensation
The Carnival Sensation is scheduled to continue primarily sailing 4 & 5 night cruises from Tampa, Florida. Cruises for the Carnival Sensation are now open for booking through April 2024. 

All information was compiled from Carnival Cruise Line's booking engine. Please visit Carnival's website for more information. All information is subject to change at any time! Make sure you check Carnival's website or with your travel agent for any changes to the ship's itineraries. ​

       Last week Carnival Corporation announced three of its brands, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Holland America, intend to have Alaska cruises sailing for part of the 2021 Alaska cruise season. 

Vaccine Requirement
     One important note in Carnival Corporation's press release is the Alaska cruise sailings will be for vaccinated guests only. The final dose of the vaccine must have been given at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and the press release notes guests will be required to present proof of the vaccination. 

Carnival Cruise Line
             The Carnival Miracle is scheduled to be Carnival Cruise Line's only Alaska ship for the 2021 Alaska cruise season. It was previously announced the Carnival Miracle was taking over for the Carnival Freedom's Alaska itineraries. The Carnival Miracle's Alaska cruises are scheduled to sail round-trip seven night cruises from Seattle, Washington starting July 27, 2021. In September 2021 one 8 night cruise is scheduled to take place to end the Alaska cruise season for the Carnival Miracle.

Princess Cruises
                Princess Cruises has the Majestic Princess scheduled to sail Alaska cruises from July 25 - September 26, 2021. The ship will offer seven night cruises and is scheduled to sail to ports such as Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and have a scenic cruise day in Glacier Bay National Park. 

Holland America Line
                      Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam is scheduled to begin sailing Alaska cruises from Seattle, Washington starting July 24, 2021. The ship has port of calls scheduled for Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and scenic cruises scheduled for Glacier Bay and Stephens Passage. 

For Carnival Corporation's press release please click here. This link will open in another window away from RyG's Cruise Guide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous changes to the cruise industry, including operating plans. Please note the information contained in this post is subject to change and could change at any time. I highly recommend checking your cruise line's website and any recent press releases for the most up to date information. 
                

      Carnival Cruise Line announced this past week a new Red, White, & Blue exterior paint hull design for all ships. The paint scheme will be similar to the one on Carnival's newbuilds, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. 
           According to Carnival's press release, the Carnival Magic will be the first ship to have this new paint scheme. The Carnival Magic is currently in dry-dock in France and will leave dry-dock with the new paint design. The next ship to receive the paint scheme will be the Carnival Glory, which is scheduled for dry-dock in June 2021. Carnival did not mention the exact order for which ships will be next, but their press release other ships will receive the new colors as they go to dry-dock. 

To View A Rendering Of The Carnival Magic's Exterior Paint Scheme: 
Click Here
This link will take you to Carnival's News website. The rendering of the Carnival Magic is at the bottom of Carnival's press release.

       Today the Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze sailed into Galveston, Texas. The ships will be spending time in Galveston to get the crew vaccinated and continue preparing for an eventual return to cruising. There have not been cruise ships docked in Galveston since April 2020. After the shutdown lasted longer than a month, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean repositioned their ships in their efforts to repatriate crew members home. Since that time Galveston's two cruise terminals have sat without cruise ships. 
              The Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze are the first cruise ships back in Galveston in over a year! This occasion was marked by a "Sail-A-Bration" hosted by the Port of Galveston in between the two cruise terminals. The gathering was open to the public. 
                      I was in Galveston for the Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista's arrivals. I watched the ship's arrival on the pier outside of the Harborhouse Hotel and Oceanstar Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum. There was quite a crowd out here and many people brought lawn chairs. I arrived two hours prior to the ships' arrivals and nearly every space along this pier was claimed.  After the watching the ships get close to docking, I headed towards the area in between cruise terminal 1 and 2 for some pictures since this area was open to the public for today's special occasion. 

Carnival Breeze's Arrival
                  The Carnival Breeze sailed out of Galveston until 2018 as a seven night cruise ship, but is now back to sail 4 & 5 night cruises from Galveston when cruises resume. The ship arrived first and turned around before docking at cruise terminal #2. Click any photo to make it larger!

Carnival Vista's Arrival
              The Carnival Vista arrived shortly after the Carnival Breeze and did not turn around. The ship docked at cruise terminal #1. Prior to the COVID shutdown, the Carnival Vista sailed 7 night cruises from Galveston. Here are some pictures of the Carnival Vista arriving in Galveston: 

Area In Between Cruise Terminal 1 and 2
This area is normally closed to the public and when cruise ships are in is used to facilitate the delivery of food, supplies, and fuel to the ships. The Port of Galveston opened up the area between the two cruise terminals for public viewing of the ships' arrivals. After the ships docked I walked over to this area to take a look at both ships. A gate separated each cruise terminal from this area, but the gates were opened. The police officers and security guards allowed pictures of the ships to be taken, but we were not allowed to walk onto the cruise terminal piers. 

Additionally, I want to give a shoutout to EZ Cruise Parking. They opened one of their parking lots for today's special event and allowed FREE parking. Thank you to EZ Cruise Parking for their generosity!