Florida Cruise Ports Smash Passenger Records as Industry Makes Comeback

PortMiami and Port Everglades have reported record-breaking passenger numbers for fiscal year 2024 as cruisers returned to the high seas en masse following the pandemic.

PortMiami, the nation’s busiest cruise port and often called the “Cruise Capital of the World,” has set a new record with an astounding 8.2 million cruise passengers in fiscal year 2024, marking a 12.79% increase from the previous year’s record.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades in Broward County has also surpassed its previous records, welcoming 4,010,919 cruise passengers in the same fiscal year. This represents a remarkable 39% growth in passenger numbers and a 23% increase in cruise ship calls compared to the previous year, demonstrating the port’s rapid recovery and expansion. Of note, Port Everglades achieved passenger records with just 648 calls, highlighting the growing size of cruise ships.

Both ports’ fiscal years run from October 1 through September 30.

“Cruising is in high demand, and our cruise line partners are poised for greater gains with new itineraries and a variety of sailing dates,” said Joseph Morris, CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades.

Both ports are looking ahead to even more growth. PortMiami is preparing to welcome several new cruise ships in the upcoming 2024-2025 season, including vessels from Explora Journeys, Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Oceania. The port is also expanding its infrastructure, with MSC Cruises’ new Cruise Terminal AA set to become the world’s largest cruise terminal.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades expects the new record to be short-lived, with a whopping 4.4 passengers expected across its terminals in FY2025.

PortMiami also launched its shore power project in June, allowing cruise ships to plug into landside electrical power while docked, reducing emissions and noise. This initiative, a collaboration between the port and major cruise lines, positions PortMiami as the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard to offer shore power capability at five cruise berths.

Port Tampa Bay Announces Re-Opening

Port Tampa Bay Announces Re-Opening

Port Tampa Bay has resumed vessel operations and our port’s shipping channels are officially re-opened, with vessel movements restricted to daylight hours, the port announced on Saturday.

Throughout the storm, Port Tampa Bay coordinated with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the maritime community, to respond to the impacts of Hurricane Milton.

In coordination with the Port Heavy Weather Advisory Group, and following detailed assessments of the port, waterways, and channels, the U.S. Coast Guard has reopened the port and set the port condition to normal, with a daylight hour restriction and one-way travel. Port staff fully assessed the docks, wharves, and terminals for safety.

Some of the first vessels to return will be fuel tankers, cruise ships and vessels carrying perishable cargo.

There will be changes to the following cruise schedules: Carnival Paradise, Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas and Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

Celebrity Cruises to Deploy Nine Ships in the Caribbean For Winter 2022-2023

Celebrity Cruises to Deploy Nine Ships in the Caribbean For Winter 2022-2023

Celebrity Eclipse at the Hubbard Glacier photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr) 

For its first full winter season since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Celebrity Cruises is deploying a total of nine ships in the Caribbean. In addition to the new Celebrity Beyond, two other Edge-Class ships and four Solstice-Class vessels will be sailing in the region during the winter.  

The season will also see the premium brand offering varied itineraries in Australia, South America, the West Coast and the Galapagos.

Cruise Industry News looked into the company’s full deployment for the Winter of 2022-2023. Here’s the breakdown:

Caribbean and Bahamas

Celebrity Millennium
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests
Built: 2000
Homeports: San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: Three to ten nights
Itineraries: Seven-night cruises to Southern and Eastern Caribbean departing from San Juan, in addition to varied itineraries departing from Fort Lauderdale in December and January
Sailing Season: October 15 to April 15

Celebrity Summit
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests
Built: 2001
Homeports: Miami (United States)
Length: Four and five nights
Itineraries: Short cruises to Key West, Mexico, the Bahamas and more
Sailing Season: October 27 to April 22

Celebrity Silhouette
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,886 guests
Built: 2011
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Length: Four to ten nights
Itineraries: Short cruises to Key West, Mexico and the Bahamas, in addition to ten-night voyages to Eastern Caribbean visiting St. Croix, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and more
Sailing Season: November 3 to April 10

Celebrity Beyond
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 3,260 guests
Built: 2022
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: Five to eight nights
Itineraries: Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Honduras and more
Sailing Season: November 4 to April 16

Celebrity Constellation
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests
Built: 2002
Homeport: Tampa (United States)
Length: Five to ten nights
Itineraries: Southern, Western and Eastern Caribbean sailing to Panama, Mexico, St. Maarten, Colombia, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Grand Cayman and others
Sailing Season: November 6 to April 7

Celebrity Edge
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,900 guests
Built: 2018
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: Four to 11 nights
Itineraries: Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal visiting St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Bonaire, Curaçao, Aruba and more  
Sailing Season: November 7 to April 7

Celebrity Apex
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,900 guests
Built: 2020
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: Six to eight nights
Itineraries: Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting Mexico, Grand Cayman, Belize, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and more
Sailing Season: November 12 to April 15

 Celebrity Reflection
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 3,030 guests
Built: 2012
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: Five to eight nights
Itineraries: Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean visiting Aruba, Jamaica, Mexico, Bahamas, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and more
Sailing Season: November 13 to April 16

Celebrity Equinox
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,850 guests
Built: 2009
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: Nine to 11 nights
Itineraries: Southern, Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Barbados, Martinique, Antigua and more
Sailing Season: Year-round

Australia and New Zealand

Celebrity Eclipse
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,850 guests
Built: 2010
Homeport: Sydney (Australia)
Length: Three to 13 nights
Itineraries: Varied itineraries visiting New Zealand, Fiji, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, Tonga and more
Sailing Season: October 22 to April 19

South America

Celebrity Infinity
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests
Built: 2001
Homeports: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Valparaiso (Chile)
Length: Nine to 14 nights
Itineraries: Brazil, Patagonia, Antarctica, Falklands and more
Sailing Season: December 12 to April 4

West Coast

Celebrity Solstice
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,850 guests
Built: 2008
Homeport: Los Angeles (United States)
Length: Seven and eight nights
Itineraries: Mexican Riviera and Pacific Coast visiting Cabo San Lucas, Catalina Island, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Monterey, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara and more
Sailing Season: September 24 to April 22

Galapagos

Celebrity Flora
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 100 guests
Built: 2019
Homeport: Baltra (Ecuador)
Length: Seven nights
Itineraries: Galapagos Expeditions sailing to Rabida Island, Puerto Egas, Elizabeth Bay, Las Bachas and others
Sailing Season: Year-round

Celebrity Xploration
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 16 guests
Built: 2007
Homeport: Baltra (Ecuador)
Length: Seven nights
Itineraries: Galapagos expeditions visiting Black Turtle Cove, Sullivan Bay, Calega Tagus, Punta Espinoza and more  
Sailing Season: Year-round

Celebrity Xpedition
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 100 guests
Built: 2001
Homeport: Baltra (Ecuador)
Length: Seven nights
Itineraries: Galapagos expeditions visiting North Seymour, South Plaza, Santa Fé Island, Puerto Ayora, Bahia Post Office and more
Sailing Season: Year-round

Ship History: Carnival Sensation

Ship History: Carnival Sensation

As the Carnival Sensation is retired from service, Cruise Industry News looks at the history of this popular Fantasy-class vessel.

1990: The Fantasy entered service as the lead ship of an eight-vessel class that also includes the Sensation – a 2,040-guest vessel built by the Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Finland, at a cost of $300 million.  

1993: The Sensation is christened in November, with four Carnival vice presidents serving as godmothers: Vicki L. Freed, Roberta Jacoby, Cherie Weinstein and Geri Donnelly. The vessel then sets sail on its inaugural voyage, launching a year-round program of weekly Caribbean cruises from Miami.  

1998: After undergoing its first mandatory drydock, the Sensation is repositioned, debuting in Tampa. In December, the vessel launches a series of week-long cruises to Grand Cayman, Cozumel and New Orleans from its new Florida homeport.

2000: The Sensation is reflagged, with its registry port changing from Monrovia, Liberia, to Nassau, Bahamas.

2002: As Carnival shifts its fleet around Florida and the Gulf Ports, the Sensation is transferred to the short cruise market. Still sailing from Tampa, the vessel takes over the 1986-built Jubilee’s schedule in August, offering four- and five-night cruises to the Western Caribbean.

2004: With the new Carnival Miracle debuting in Tampa, the Sensation is once again repositioned. This time, the vessel debuts in New Orleans, launching a series of four- and five-night cruises to Mexico in October.  

2005: As Hurricane Katrina hits Louisiana in September, the Sensation is diverted to Galveston with two of its scheduled cruises now departing from the Texas port.

2005: Soon after, the vessel is chartered to FEMA as part of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans. During a six-month period, the Sensation remained docked in the Gulf region while serving as a temporary house for people affected by the natural disaster.

2006: After its first significant renovation, the Sensation resumed service in March. With new features that included a nine-hole mini-golf course, larger kid facilities and a reconfigured aft lounge, the vessel kicked off a series of short cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral.  

2007: In line with other ships of the fleet, the Sensation received the Carnival prefix to its name, becoming the Carnival Sensation.

2009: As part of the Evolutions of Fun, a $250-million fleet update program, the Carnival Sensation saw a major refit in 2009. At the 35-day drydock, the vessel also received 98 balconies, which were retrofitted to existing cabins.

2016: As part of a deployment shuffle, the ship is replaced in Port Canaveral by the Carnival Victory and returns to Miami. Starting in February, the Carnival Sensation debuts a program of five- and four-night cruises from its new homeport, with itineraries visiting the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas.  

2017: In February, the vessel emerges from another extensive renovation, sporting a selection of new food and beverage concepts, as well as a new children’s play area and more.

2019: During the first months of the year, the Carnival Sensation offered cruises to Havana, Cuba. The Miami-based program was halted in June, as the U.S. Administration banned recreational travel to the country. 

2020: On March 9, the vessel departed on what ended up being its last revenue cruise. Leaving from Miami, the five-night voyage included visits to Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. Soon after the voyage, the vessel entered a lay-up status, along with the entire Carnival fleet.

2020: In October, while out of revenue service near Florida, the Sensation answered a distress call and rescues 24 individuals from a sinking boat.

2022: As part of reviews of its fleet and homeport strategies, Carnival announced the retirement of the Carnival Sensation in February. A few weeks later, in late March, the vessel sailed from Miami to Aliaga, where it is set to be scrapped over the next months.

Royal Caribbean Ship Welcomes Guests Back in Tampa

The Brilliance of the Seas is resuming service for Royal Caribbean International today.

After a 21-month hiatus, the vessel is welcoming guests back to Tampa, Florida.

Kicking off a program of four- and five-night cruises from the port, the Brilliance has become the 19th of Royal Caribbean’s 25-ship fleet to resume guest operations.

The Radiance-class ship is now offering a series of itineraries to Mexico and the Bahamas, featuring visits to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Nassau, CocoCay and more.

The first sailing, for instance, cruises four nights and includes a call in Costa Maya, in addition to two days at sea.

The Tampa departures are set to take place until late March and will be followed by a summer season in Europe.

Starting in May, the Brilliance of the Seas is poised to offer seven-night cruises to the Greek Islands, Montenegro and Croatia, sailing from Italy’s Ravenna port.

Built in 2002, the vessel has a capacity for 2,100 guests, who can enjoy amenities that include three pools, 12 lounges and bars, a rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole miniature golf course, an interactive golf simulator, and a 9,000-sq. ft. fitness centre and spa.

With the Brilliance now in service, Royal Caribbean has added two ships to the active lineup in December.

The vessels will be followed by the Enchantment of the Seas, which is set to return to guest operations on Dec. 23, in Baltimore.

Previously, on Dec. 5, the Grandeur of the Seas launched a Barbados-based program in the Caribbean.

Norwegian Dawn Kicks Off Tampa Program as the 10th NCL Ship Back in Service

The Norwegian Dawn is welcoming guests back today as the tenth vessel to resume commercial service for the Norwegian Cruise Line.

The 2002-built ship is also marking the company’s return to homeport operations in Tampa after a 21-month hiatus.

Through April, the Dawn is set to offer 15 cruises from the Florida port, sailing to the Bahamas, the Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

The five- to 11-night itineraries feature visits to popular destinations such as Cozumel, St. Thomas, Curaçao and Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s private resort in Belize.

Originally ordered for Star Cruises, the Norwegian Dawn entered service in 2002. The 92,250-ton vessel is a sister to the Norwegian Star and can carry up to 2,200 guests in double occupancy.

The Germany-built ship also introduced the concept of hull art, a feature that was later added to the entire fleet.

In 2016, the Dawn underwent an extensive revitalization as part of The Norwegian Edge program, which aimed to elevate the standard of the NCL fleet. During the refit, the vessel received several new features, including Los Lobos Cantina, a Mexican speciality restaurant, and the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.

The design and décor in all of the ship’s public rooms and staterooms were also updated, including a complete makeover of the Garden Villas, the largest suites in the Norwegian fleet.

In addition to the Norwegian Dawn, the Norwegian Pearl is also resuming guest services this month. The 2,400-guest ship is set to welcome passengers back on Dec. 23 in Miami, kicking off a program of Caribbean and Panama Canal itineraries.

After a 500-day operational pause, Norwegian Cruise Line first resumed revenue services in July, with the Norwegian Jade. During the summer, the vessel offered a series of destination-intensive cruises to the Greek Islands.

The brand later expanded its restart to additional destinations, including Alaska, the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean, the West Coast, Bermuda and more.  

Currently, Norwegian is offering cruises in the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Mexican Riviera and Europe from nine different homeports. 

Carnival Cruise Line Extends Homeport COVID Testing Through Year-End

Carnival Cruise Line has extended the availability of coronavirus testing at its homeports through the end of December 2021. This was announced in a Facebook post by the cruise line’s brand ambassador John Heald.

The testing is available for vaccinated guests who sail from Galveston, Baltimore, New Orleans and Long beach through DocGo and for vaccinated passengers sailing from Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa via Rapid Cruise Testing.

Appointments must be made online and are non-refundable at the price of $100 per person.

Heald asked Carnival guests to use the homeport testing services only if they “exhausted all other ways to get tested such as tests by your local pharmacy, monitored home tests etc.”

“This will be more affordable plus most importantly it will give you peace of mind knowing you already have your negative result 48 hours before your fun starts,” Heald explained.

Any appointment made with the testing centres and not taken will not be refunded in December, according to him.

“The reason for this is that we had people not show up and then ask for a refund which in turn meant that people who wanted appointments could not get them. So, for December there will be no refunds made,” Heald explained.

Here Are All Of Carnival Cruise Line's Homeports For 2021

Carnival Legend

Big Thank you to https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/ 

Carnival Cruise Line has the most U.S. homeports of any cruise brand, plus a seasonal operation in Europe and year-round cruising in Australia.

Here's a look at the company's planned homeports for 2021:

Port Canaveral

Ships:

- Carnival Breeze (March to April);

- Carnival Elation (March to December);

- Carnival Liberty (March to December);

- Carnival Magic (November and December);

- Mardi Gras (April to December).

---

Miami

Ships:

- Carnival Conquest (March to December);

- Carnival Freedom (October to December);

- Carnival Horizon (March to December);

- Carnival Sunrise (March to December).

---

Jacksonville

Ships:

- Carnival Ecstasy (March to December).

---

Tampa

Ships:

- Carnival Paradise (November and December);

- Carnival Pride (November and December).

---

Galveston

Ships:

- Carnival Breeze (May to December);

- Carnival Dream (March to December);

- Carnival Freedom (March to April);

- Carnival Vista (March to December).

---

Mobile

Ships:

- Carnival Sensation (March to December).

---

New Orleans

Ships:

- Carnival Glory (March to December);

- Carnival Valor (November and December).  

---

Baltimore

Ships:

- Carnival Legend (November and December);

- Carnival Pride (March to October).

---

Charleston

Ships:

- Carnival Sunshine (March to December).

---

San Diego

Ships:

- Carnival Miracle (March and April/October to December).

---

San Francisco

Ships:

- Carnival Miracle (April to September).

---

Seattle

Ships:

- Carnival Freedom (April to September).

---

Long Beach

Ships:

- Carnival Panorama (March to December);

- Carnival Radiance (November and December).

---

Europe

Ships:

- Carnival Legend: Barcelona (May and October), Dover (June to August), and Civitavecchia (August to October).   

---

Australia

Ships:

- Carnival Spirit: Brisbane (June to December);

- Carnival Splendor: Sydney (March to December).

'Positive Signs' as Holland America Moving Six Ships Toward U.S.

Holland America Line is preparing for a gradual restart and is said to be moving six cruise ships toward the U.S. citing positive signs and a new conversation around the return to service.

The news came in a letter sent to crew from President Gus Antorcha, reported by Crew Center, and also obtained by Cruise Industry News.

"Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing," Antorcha said in the letter sent to the crew.

The ships heading to U.S. waters are the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Holland America did not specify port information but the line has traditionally had a strong presence in the winter from Port Everglades and Tampa, which would pull from a large drive-to market.

“While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operation," the letter said.

"Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees."

Royal Caribbean Announces Sweeping Updates to 2021 Summer Cruises

Independence of the seas in Southampton photo credit Dave Jones

Royal Caribbean International has announced a number of upcoming changes in itineraries and homeports to its summer 2021 cruises. 

Highlights of the updated summer cruises for 2021 include new four- and five-night Mediterranean getaways from Barcelona, and more time in the Caribbean with ships sailing from additional  U.S. cruise ports next summer including Tampa, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

New Itineraries and Homeports

Europe
• Adventure of the Seas, which was previously scheduled to sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm, will head for Barcelona to sail a mix of new 4- and 5-night Mediterranean itineraries.
• Jewel of the Seas, originally planned to homeport in Amsterdam and Barcelona, will now sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm on 7-night cruises calling on Northern Europe’s ports.

The Caribbean
• Independence of the Seas, originally sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. offering 3- and 4-night cruises, will now make Miami her home for the summer season and offer a combination of 6- and 8-night cruises to the Southern and Western Caribbean.
• Vision of the Seas, which was previously planned to sail from Barcelona, will sail from San Juan, offering a new summer program. She will offer 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries.
• Brilliance of the Seas will stay in Tampa for the summer offering a new drive to port for guests. She will sail 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to the Caribbean.

In Europe, the Odyssey of the Seas will join Anthem and Harmony of the Seas and make its debut in Rome to kick off its inaugural Europe season.

In Alaska, the region will see the cruise line’s biggest season yet with four ships, including the Quantum of the Seas.

The Caribbean also includes the Mariner and Navigator of the Seas sailing 3-night weekend and 4-night weekday itineraries to The Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Oasis of the Seas cruising from the New York area for the first time. In Asia, guests can sail aboard the region’s newest ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, offering 4- and 5-night sailings from Shanghai and visiting Japan.

Carnival recovery to focus on ports in drive markets

The Carnival Horizon in Miami. Carnival Cruise Line is putting a renewed focus on U.S. homeports. Photo Credit: Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line will fall back on a tried-and-true strategy when the line eventually resumes service: It will bolster deployment throughout its network of homeports in mainland U.S. drive markets.

The line has always been the leader in U.S. homeport deployment, but it doubled down after 9/11 when many Americans were scared to fly.

When cruise ships sail again out of U.S. ports, all but three of its 23 ships (24, after the Mardi Gras comes on line in February) will be sailing from U.S. mainland ports. One vessel will be based in Europe seasonally and two in Australia.

And even the ships Down Under will rely on the Aussie drive market. 

Fred Stein, vice president of deployment for the line, said that two ports outside the mainland U.S. will lose a Carnival ship in the reshuffle: San Juan and Barbados, where passengers had been able to join seven-day San Juan cruises. Stein said the redeployment is directly tied to the effort to "focus more on our drive market business in North America."

By getting rid of its older and smaller Fantasy-class ships -- the Fantasy and the Inspiration are being dismantled, and the Fascination and Imagination are moving into long-term layup -- and adding both the 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras and a sister ship to the fleet later, by 2022 Carnival will have fewer ships but more capacity deployed in its North American homeports. 

While an increased emphasis on homeport deployment is part of Carnival's return-to-service strategy, it has long been a major focus for the line. It was the first, for example, to base ships in Tampa, Fla.; New Orleans; Mobile, Ala.; and San Diego. It expanded into Charleston, S.C., and Baltimore as it added new ships to the fleet. 

"Historically we have deployed from 18 North American homeports, and that has been very successful for us," Stein said. "It delivers a lot of drive-market guests. We're very popular with families -- for families of four to buy an airline ticket on top of a cruise is very expensive."

Coming out of the pandemic, the strategy is even more important, Stein said. 

"It makes more sense now," Stein said. "Not having to get on an aeroplane gives an advantage during the initial startup phase once all the protocols are put in place." 

Among the winners in Carnival's U.S. homeport strategy will be California, which will get newer and larger ships and departures from more ports. San Francisco will get more options, with Carnival offering its first Alaska cruises from that port. In another first for San Francisco, four-day "long weekend" trips to Ensenada, Mexico, will be scheduled.

In Long Beach, Calif., it will replace two Fantasy-class ships with the Carnival Radiance. The departing Fantasy-class ships were built in the early 1990s, whereas the Radiance will have recently completed a $200 million upgrade. 

"On an overall basis, California is growing," Stein said. "It has a much higher breadth of choices, and we've upgraded the hardware significantly."

On the other side of the country, Fort Lauderdale will lose some capacity in favour of Miami, which Stein notes is only 25 miles down the road, a distance that's not a significant factor to cruisers.

Carnival's one ship that sails seasonally in Europe is its only one that will depend on a fly-in market in 2021. Most of those passengers are sourced from North America, Stein said. 

"That's where our strength is and where our largest pool of past guests are from," Stein said. "And as they graduate through cruising, Europe is a bucket list item. It skews higher to the past guest market."

Anthony Hamawy, President of Cruise.com, said that the strategy works well for Carnival because of its focus on families and the value-driven market, as well as its long experience and success with homeport cruising. 

"We will see a bigger demand for homeport cruise than we will for cruising that requires that extra flight to get to the cruise," he said. "We've seen that in the past. There is some direct correlation now to what happened around 9/11 when people felt more comfortable a little closer to home, being able to park their car and get on a ship." 

And the early, short cruises from U.S. homeports, Hamawy said, are about more than revenue. 

"In the near term, everything will be about stepping stones, going back to basics and taking it slow and easy," he said. "They are not just looking at [these initial cruises] from a revenue point of view. They are looking to show people it's safe to cruise again. They are looking to change minds and they need to sail out safely and show consumers you're not going to have outbreaks."

He did note, however, that Cruise.com has seen a surge in Europe bookings for 2021. 

"There are companies like Royal, Princess, Holland America, Celebrity -- they are all doing well with Europe," he said. "People want to travel again. I think things will reopen and this will turn around a lot quicker than people know. Next year looks very strong for international travel."

MSC Armonia to Homeport in Tampa

MSC Cruises announced it is sending the Armonia to homeport in Tampa for the 2020-2021 cruise season, adding a key new homeport to the company's arsenal.

Starting Nov. 11, 2020, MSC Armonia will begin sailing from Tampa to the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas year-round, with a full Winter season (Nov. 2020 – April 2021) of four- to five-night short cruises followed by a Summer season (May 2021-Nov. 2021) of week-long cruise options. 

Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO, said: “The introduction of Tampa as a homeport is another important milestone as we continue to grow our presence and profile in North America to meet the growing demand for our product. 

“MSC Armonia’s short cruises will be perfect for the first time U.S. guests to experience our European heritage and I’m sure that our seven-night product will appeal greatly to families.  With every sailing from Tampa including our exclusive Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve private island, all of the ship’s itineraries should also be extremely attractive for large U.S. groups and charters.”   

“As MSC Cruises expands its presence in the U.S., the introduction of Tampa as a homeport plays an important role in our long-term deployment strategy for this region,” added Ken Muskat, EVP and Chief Operating Officer of MSC Cruises USA. “We’ve seen increased demand for cruise options from Tampa as vacationers from around the world look to explore the city and surrounding areas pre- and post-cruise. We’re looking forward to bringing MSC Armonia, one of our more classic and charming ships, to Tampa and to introducing even more travellers to the MSC Cruises experience, inspired by our European heritage.”

“We are thrilled that MSC Cruises will be offering year-round cruises from Port Tampa Bay next year,” said Paul Anderson, President and CEO of Port Tampa Bay. “MSC Cruises offers an enriching and immersive cruise experience, bringing together people from around the world. Tampa is also known for the unique experiences the city offers its residents and visitors, appealing to a diverse mix of nationalities and cultures. We couldn’t be more excited for MSC Armonia’s new home to be Port Tampa Bay.” 

For the Winter 2020-2021 season, MSC Armonia will offer a variety of four- and five-night sailings, visiting destinations such as Key West; Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Progreso, Mexico; and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. 

“With a range of itineraries, including short cruise options, MSC Armonia’s itineraries from Tampa are ideal for groups, including family reunions, meetings, incentives and corporate events, as well as charters,” said Muskat. “In addition, the four- and five-night options are a great opportunity for someone who has never cruised before to try cruising as a vacation option or if they are new to MSC Cruises to check out one of our ships for the first time.”

Following its inaugural season in Tampa, MSC Armonia will then transition to 7-night sailings from May through Nov. 2021, with stops at Key West; Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve; Cozumel, Mexico; and Progreso, Mexico. Prices start at $299 per person.