| Carnival stops & starts

IT has been a mixed 24 hours for Carnival Corporation, with Costa Cruises confirming a restart date of 31 Jan, but Holland America Line and Princess Cruises pausing their cruise vacations through to 30 Apr and 14 May respectively.

Costa Deliziosa (pictured) will restart operations in Italy at the end of the month, sailing itineraries originally planned for Costa Smeralda, with options of three, four and seven days.

The restart date will mean other Costa sailings up until then have been cancelled.

“The decision to operate Costa Deliziosa will allow greater itinerary flexibility to respond to any changes in the local COVID-19 scenario while maintaining a unique and exclusive cruise experience on board one of the most beautiful and welcoming ships of Costa fleet,” the cruise line said, adding Costa Smeralda’s deployment would be announced shortly.

The news is not as positive for Holland America and Princess, which are both continuing to prepare and develop their plans to meet the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order issued by the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CW 09 Nov).

Holland America’s cancellations will include voyages to Canada, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Mexican Riviera, New England and the West Coast of the United States.

The cruise line also will cancel all Alaska cruises through to mid-May, and on Eurodam, Oosterdam and Zuiderdam through to early Jun.

A range of Land Sea Journeys have also been cancelled.

Affected Princess sailings include early season Alaska and Europe cruises, as well as sailings to Coastal California and the Caribbean.