Carnival Cruise Line returns to guest operations from PortMiami

Carnival Cruise Line kicked off its first cruise in nearly 16 months from PortMiami, the cruise capital of the world, today with the departure of Carnival Horizon, providing a significant boost to the local economy and the tens of thousands of jobs in South Florida that They are supported by the cruise industry.

Carnival's resumption of Miami service provides guests with a much-anticipated vacation and is an additional boost to the economy both locally and across the state. Florida is number one in the country for cruise ships, with the cruise industry contributing more than $ 9 billion in direct purchases and responsible for more than 159,000 jobs. In Miami-Dade alone, cruise activity generates approximately $ 7 billion in expenses and 40,000 jobs a year. Of the 437,000 jobs supported by the cruise industry in the US, nearly 37% are in Florida.

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald, and Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald kicked off the festivities with a grand opening ceremony that officially welcomed guests. guests on board. Prior to Duffy's remarks, a moment of silence was held to honor those affected by the Surfside tragedy.

"PortMiami is our number one home port in terms of ships and passenger vessels, and today's return to cruises with Carnival Horizon represents an important first step in getting our business back up and running as we inject much-needed capital by the thousands of workers who rely on the cruise industry for their livelihood, "Duffy said. "The past year has been challenging, to say the least, and I want to thank our state and local officials, PortMiami, and our business partners and suppliers for their incredible support and patience during this time."

 "Restarting cruises from Miami is an exciting day for Miami longshoremen. We have approximately 800 members in PortMiami and their salaries dropped by as much as 80% during the nearly 16-month suspension of the cruise. With the first Carnival Horizon voyage, we get back to work and look forward to supporting our families again, "said Torin Ragin, president of International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Local 1416.

Carnival Horizon set sail yesterday at 4 pm for a six-day cruise with stops in Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.

In addition to the Carnival Horizon departure, Carnival Vista has departed Galveston on July 3, with Carnival Breeze departing from Galveston on July 15 and Carnival Miracle kicking off the line's Alaska season from Seattle on July 27. Mardi Gras, the newest ship on the line, sets sail from Port Canaveral July 31. Other ships in the Carnival fleet will begin service in August.