Carnival Cruise Line resumed operations March 7 from JaxPort.
The ship headed out with about 1,500 passengers at 5 p.m. on a five-day Bahamas cruise with stops in Nassau and Princess Cays as part of the first major cruise line departure from Jacksonville in nearly two years since the pandemic lockdowns.
Carnival Spirit’s cruise also is part of the line’s Sailabration festivities, which celebrate Carnival’s 50th Birthday.
Carnival Cruise Line Vice President of Guest Operations Sarah Beth Reno and JaxPort board Chair Wendy Hamilton hosted a “Back to Fun” and 50th Birthday event at the cruise terminal, according to a news release.
“After nearly two years, the wait is over, and the sight of our guests boarding a Carnival ship at JAXPORT once again is certainly a welcome one,” said Sarah Beth Reno, vice president of guest operations at Carnival Cruise Line, in the release.
“We’re proud to be the first major cruise line to return to Jacksonville and to contribute to the Jacksonville area economy.”
Hamilton said Carnival brings passengers from across the U.S. to Northeast Florida.
“As a drive-to cruise market with nearly 100 million residents within a day’s drive, Jacksonville offers convenient cruise access for passengers throughout the Southeast US and beyond,” Hamilton said.
Carnival Cruise Line began offering itineraries from Jacksonville to the Bahamas in 2004 and eventually to the Eastern Caribbean.
In 2019, before the pandemic, Carnival had about 150,000 guests on more than 70 cruises departing from Jacksonville.
The release said Carnival Spirit sailings from Jacksonville include four- and five-day Bahamas itineraries.
Carnival announced last month that Carnival Spirit replaced Carnival Ecstasy in Jacksonville for cruises until April 23, 2022, when Carnival Elation will move to Jacksonville and sail through 2024.
Carnival Elation sailings from Jacksonville will include four- and five-day Bahamas itineraries, and seven-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean, the release said.
As part of Carnival’s 50th birthday celebrations, 17 commemorative birthday Sailabrations cruises are sailing through March 10, 2022.
The release said that with the restart in Jacksonville, Carnival will have all its year-round homeports opened, and then its entire fleet will be back in service by the summer.
Carnival started its operations with one ship from PortMiami in 1972 and has since grown to 23 ships carrying more than 6 million guests annually and employing more than 40,000 people.
