Carnival Plans to Run Test Cruises From Galveston

[kelleherdl]

Disney has plenty of “staff” 45 miles away from Port Canaveral.  They will have no problem filling their volunteer pool.  I would think most of the port-based staff will be part of the simulation.

 

Dennis

[TNcruising02]

Carnival also stated that they will use employees, so all should go well with the test cruises.

[MrMan]

View from my house in the Strand

[Joe817]

7 minutes ago, MrMan said:

View from my house in the Strand

We REALLY miss Y'all too!!!!! Hope to see you soon!!!

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, MrMan said:

View from my house in the Strand

Nice!  It's exciting that cruising is actually going to start up again this year.

[Joe817]

I don't know why I didn't find this earlier, but this article is chocked full of good, informative information about Carnival restarting cruising out of Galveston....and how Carnival and the port of Galveston is going to achieve this.  Note this announcement is dated June 1. 

 

"WE'RE 1 STEP CLOSER TO CRUISING

We’re 1 Step Closer to Cruising

It could really happen! Thanks to the hard work of many, the Port of Galveston could be the first cruise port in the United States to host cruise passengers since March 2020 when sailings were suspended due to COVID.

 

On May 28, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved Carnival Cruise Line’s processes and procedures to resume sailing, just three days after the plan was submitted to the CDC. This approval gives Carnival the green light to move forward with plans to resume sailing from the Port of Galveston as early as July 3, as planned.   "

 

https://www.portofgalveston.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=171

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Joe817

[Joe817]

11 hours ago, Joe817 said:

I don't know why I didn't find this earlier, but this article is chocked full of good, informative information about Carnival restarting cruising out of Galveston....and how Carnival and the port of Galveston is going to achieve this.  Note this announcement is dated June 1. 

 

"WE'RE 1 STEP CLOSER TO CRUISING

We’re 1 Step Closer to Cruising

It could really happen! Thanks to the hard work of many, the Port of Galveston could be the first cruise port in the United States to host cruise passengers since March 2020 when sailings were suspended due to COVID.

 

On May 28, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved Carnival Cruise Line’s processes and procedures to resume sailing, just three days after the plan was submitted to the CDC. This approval gives Carnival the green light to move forward with plans to resume sailing from the Port of Galveston as early as July 3, as planned.   "

 

https://www.portofgalveston.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=171

 

 

 

Every time I read the link of the article, I get more and more excited. 🍹  🙌

[TNcruising02]

A July sailing out of Galveston would be amazing.  I hope it happens!  Since the test cruises can be short, I guess it can really happen.

[Joe817]

33 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

A July sailing out of Galveston would be amazing.  I hope it happens!  Since the test cruises can be short, I guess it can really happen.

It sure is looking that way! FINALLY! 

[Radiioman46]

Just watched a video on Facebook by John Heald that shows hundreds of crew members in the Galveston embarkation building filling out papers and loading on to the Carnival Vista! 

 

They are definitely planning on cruising in July, one way or another, with the CDC approval or not. LOL! They could be maybe, crew members that will be the voluntary passengers on a test cruise. If they do it this way, maybe they don't have to make any big announcements?? And that's is why we haven't heard from Carnival?

Edited June 3, 2021 by Radiioman46

[BrotherCraig]

5 minutes ago, Radiioman46 said:

Just watched a video on Facebook by John Heald that shows hundreds of crew members in the Galveston embarkation building filling out papers and loading on to the Carnival Vista! 

 

They are definitely planning on cruising in July, one way or another, with the CDC approval or not. LOL! They could be maybe, crew members that will be the voluntary passengers on a test cruise. If they do it this way, maybe they don't have to make any big announcements?? And that's is why we haven't heard from Carnival?

 

 

It was awesome.

[sushitex]

I don’t know how long the Vista has been in port, but I saw her yesterday on one of the Galveston Port Cams when I was looking for the arrival of Royal’s Independence of the Seas. I was also wondering what was going on, with both ships respectively. 
 Back to the Vista, I certainly hope that they are getting ready to do a test cruise. We booked a cruise on her for this coming July 17th - not too far away! 

Edited June 3, 2021 by sushitex

[firefly333]

4 minutes ago, sushitex said:

I don’t know how long the Vista has been in port, but I saw her yesterday on one of the Galveston Port Cams when I was looking for the arrival of Royal’s Independence of the Seas. I was also wondering what was going on, with both ships respectively. 
 Back to the Vista, I certainly hope that they are getting ready to do a test cruise. We booked a cruise on her for this coming July 17th - not too far away! 

I'm watching independence too, and wondering why she is there. Rumor liberty is swapping and going into dry dock ... hmmm. But I did watch her come in on the cams.

[BrotherCraig]

5 minutes ago, sushitex said:

I don’t know how long the Vista has been in port, but I saw her yesterday on one of the Galveston Port Cams when I was looking for the arrival of Royal’s Independence of the Seas. I was also wondering what was going on, with both ships respectively. 
 Back to the Vista, I certainly hope that they are getting ready to do a test cruise. We booked a cruise on her for this coming July 17th - not too far away! 

 

Vista arrived on May 2nd.

[Radiioman46]

You know, I think the problem Carnival is having right now, is more about the itineraries than the protocols. That's why they have been so silent in the media, and on our accounts.   

Jamaica and Caymen are both off the table right now.

 

Sorry for the bolded fonts and size. it was a mistake. 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Radiioman46

[sushitex]

Here’s a Cruise  Critic news update: 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/news/6165/

 

note that it states that the Carnival Vista was approved for test sailings out of Galveston. Yeehaw, those July cruises just may happen 🛳🎈🎊🎈🎉! 

Edited June 3, 2021 by sushitex
Capitalization

[SCBarker]

12 minutes ago, sushitex said:

Here’s a cruise Critic news update: 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/news/6165/

 

note that it states that the Carnival Vista was approved for test sailings out of Galveston. Yeehaw, those July cruises just may happen 🛳🎈🎊🎈🎉! 

Well.  That explains why Independence of the Seas is in town.

[sushitex]

Yep, the Independence is also mentioned in this article, lol. Maybe it will also replace the Liberty while she’s dry dock next month.

 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by sushitex

[Eli_6]

16 hours ago, MrMan said:

View from my house in the Strand

Do you live in one of the condos on The Strand? My husband and I have considered getting a condo in the Strand Lofts or The Henley Building as a second "home" but haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet. We live in Houston. 

[Lee Cruiser]

4 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

A July sailing out of Galveston would be amazing.  I hope it happens!  Since the test cruises can be short, I guess it can really happen.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't a test cruise have to go to at least one port of call?  While test cruises can be as short as two nights, that doesn't seem possible from Galveston.  It would probably have to be at least four nights.  Still not a long time though.

[SCBarker]

18 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't a test cruise have to go to at least one port of call?  While test cruises can be as short as two nights, that doesn't seem possible from Galveston.  It would probably have to be at least four nights.  Still not a long time though.

Probably doesn't have to be a foreign port. Just guessing.

[Lee Cruiser]

11 minutes ago, SCBarker said:

Probably doesn't have to be a foreign port. Just guessing.

The Jones Act typically requires a ship to call on a foreign port.  Congress passed an exception for Alaska cruises this year, but I think that was specific to Alaska since Canada has axed cruise ships until 2022.

[Bgwest]

32 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

The Jones Act typically requires a ship to call on a foreign port.  

PVSA

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6422/~/passenger-vessel-services-act

[Lee Cruiser]

1 hour ago, Bgwest said:

PVSA

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6422/~/passenger-vessel-services-act

That's what I thought, so I'm guessing that would apply to these test cruises as well.

 

As a general rule, a foreign-flag vessel like Carnival’s vessels may transport passengers on round-trip voyages originating in the United States if the vessel stops at a nearby foreign port during the course of its voyage.  This type of voyage can also include stops at U.S. ports where passengers can go ashore for sightseeing and shopping, so long as the passengers do not permanently disembark at those U.S. ports.  Nearby foreign ports include Canada, Mexico, Central America, Bermuda, and most Caribbean Islands.

 

Foreign-flag vessels like Carnival’s vessels may transport passengers between U.S. ports without violating the PVSA if the vessel stops at a distant foreign port and the passenger traveled with the vessel to that distant foreign port.  Distant foreign ports include South American countries, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, European countries, and Asian countries.

[TNcruising02]

Where is the closest foreign port for a cruise out of Galveston?