Last month, I wrote a post asking readers if they would go on a cruise in 2020. This was after a tweet I sent out on March 27, in response to a news story tweeted by NBC 6 South Florida, that read: “#BREAKING: Four people on a Holland America cruise ship that was trying to get to Fort Lauderdale have died, and dozens of passengers and crew on board have reported flu-like symptoms with at least 2 testing positive for coronavirus, officials said.” I wrote in my retweet: “I don’t think any sane person is going on a cruise for at least a year.”
I don’t think any sane person is going on a cruise for at least a year. https://t.co/sZc4MZT4px
— JohnnyJet (@JohnnyJet) March 27, 2020
Some people disagreed with me, including a writer from the United Kingdom’s Telegraph who wrote a story inspired by my tweet. But the overall majority agreed with me and I still stand by my statement to this day (May 7).
Carnival Cruises made worldwide news this week when the company not only announced its plan to sail again on August 1, but that it’s also offering deals for as low as $28/night! That’s cheaper than staying at home for many Americans since cruises include accommodations, food, non-alcoholic beverages, and entertainment. Keep in mind, though, that the fine print states that taxes, fees and port expenses are additional, which we all know will raise the costs significantly, and that rate doesn’t include alcohol, gambling money (if you gamble), dining at specialty restaurants, and shopping, all of which executives hope passengers do to offset their bottom line.
Here’s a portion of Carnival’s official statement:
- All North American cruises from June 27 to July 31 will be cancelled.
- Beginning August 1, we may operate cruises on the following ships:
- Galveston: Carnival Dream, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Vista
- Miami: Carnival Horizon, Carnival Magic and Carnival Sensation
- Port Canaveral: Carnival Breeze and Carnival Elation.
- Other than the above referenced service from Galveston, Miami, and Port Canaveral, all other North American and Australian homeport cruises will be cancelled through August 31.
- All Carnival Spirit Alaskan cruises from Seattle will be cancelled, as well as the Carnival Spirit Vancouver-Honolulu cruise on September 25 and the Honolulu-Brisbane transpacific cruise on October 6.
- All Carnival Splendor cruises in Australia from June 19 to August 31 will be cancelled.
Carnival also went on to state: “We are committed to supporting all public health efforts to manage the COVID-19 situation. We are taking a measured approach, focusing on the potential for sailing from a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests.”
As I’ve said many times before, I have cruised often and have had wonderful experiences. I used to be one of those naysayers who said they didn’t like cruising before even going on one. But since then, I’ve been on all kinds of ships (see links below) including the largest to some of the most luxurious and almost everything in between.
I personally wouldn’t go on an ocean cruise (though possibly a river cruise) until there’s a vaccine because I don’t want to risk being stuck at sea without a port. I think those images and stories of passengers not being allowed off and quarantined in a small cabin will prevent even seasoned cruisers like myself to think twice. However, those $28-a-night Carnival cruise deals and the new regulations (i.e. face masks, temperature checks, physical distancing, contactless buffets) will probably attract plenty of takers.
How about you? Would you go on a $28-a-night Carnival cruise in August if they do indeed sail?
Past cruise stories
My cruises:
- First Look: Celebrity Edge, the “Most Anticipated Ship of 2018”
- 20 Reasons to Sail on Royal Princess
- 23 Reasons to Sail on Viking Ocean Cruises: Viking Star
- Windstar’s Star Pride Mediterranean Cruise: Day 5 (Portoferraio, Italy on the Island of Elba)
- Seabourn Spirit Adriatic Cruise: Day 8 (Sali, Croatia)
- 12 Reasons to Take a Scenic River Cruise in Europe
- Visiting Europe’s Christmas Markets on a Viking River Cruise
- Viking European Christmas Market Cruise: Passau, Germany
- 20 Reasons to Go on a European Viking River Cruise
- 20 Reasons to Go on a European River Cruise with Uniworld
- 17 Reasons to Go on an AmaWaterways European River Cruise
- 10 Reasons to Go on a Lower Danube River Cruise
- 10 Reasons to Take a River Cruise in 2017
Cruise stories by contributors:
- A 3-Day Tall Ship Cruise in Camden, Maine
- Inside: The MSC Divina in Miami
- Viking Launches Expedition Voyages
- 10 Highlights From Norwegian Encore’s Inaugural Cruise to the Bahamas
- 10 Reasons to Sail the Harmony of the Seas, the World’s Largest Cruise Ship
- 11 Things to Know About the Food on a Carnival Cruise
- 10 Reasons to Cruise the Baltic Sea on Viking Jupiter
- Tip-Toeing Through the Tulips on AmaWaterways’ Tulip Time Cruise
- Onboard the Europa 2—a One-of-a-Kind Hapag-Lloyd Luxury Cruise Ship
- Jerome Shaw: Part III of Aranui 3: Cargo Cruise Ship
You asked if I would go for $28 a night, I would on most any other cruise line, but not Carnival. Get me that price on Celebrity, Holland or Princess and ensure the ports are open and you can sign me up!
Even if they were to pay me $28/night to go on the cruise, I would have to decline. Not until there is a vaccine will I be going on another cruise and we LOVE cruising. Did 3 last year.
I am afraid to get on a plane right now let alone a cruise.
Carnival can talk all they want but they have to get CDC clearance to accept passengers.If the CDC clears them I would be ok to go.
As long as I get a suite in case we get stuck, I am in!
Oh, I forgot, I take it…as before, buy 1 week, get 2 free!
I would but won’t until the DHS and CDC lift the commercial flight ban for cruises arriving in the US since I’m not an easy car- or train-ride away from the cruise ports.
Only if you have a death wish.
Bunch whiny ass babies, I have NO problem With traveling by plane train automobile or cruise ship – I’ve had to work this entire time face to face with clients, no masks no gloves No problem. Still haven’t met anyone that knows anyone that got covid And I have friends worldwide from my travels. I’ll take
My 1% of dying and trump your much higher percentage just driving to work.
I booked a cruise in July about a month ago. Don’t know if we will get to go, but am not scared. Way to much fear these days, and the media just encourages it.
I would go, but not on Carnival again. They are the Motel 6 of cruise lines. You get what you pay for, or in this case and at this time, $28/day is what it is worth. I’m waiting for someone to say they enjoyed their buffets.