Carnival dangles US$28-a-night fares to get luxury cruise ships sailing again even as global coronavirus pandemic lingers

Carnival plans to resume sailing on August 1, becoming the first major cruise operator in the Americas to outline a return to operations after coronavirus outbreaks on several ships closed the industry.

The company’s flagship Carnival brand said on Monday that it will restart initially from Galveston, Texas, and Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida. Departures from other home ports in North America and Australia are cancelled through August 31, and other pauses will last even longer.

With several states starting to reopen their economies, the company is offering fares as low as US$28 a day to get customers back. Still, many questions linger about the safety of cruising. When the industry shut down in mid-March, coronavirus outbreaks at sea wreaked havoc by trapping passengers, some of whom died, and placing demands on local health care systems at a critical time in the pandemic.

“We will use this additional time to continue to engage experts, government officials and stakeholders on additional protocols and procedures to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve,” the company said.

As of Monday, the company was offering five-day cruises from Galveston, to Cozumel, Mexico, in early August starting at US$139, plus taxes, fees and port expenses. The base rate comes to about US$28 a day including food, cheaper than staying home for many people.