Months into the cruise industry shutdown, Carnival Cruise Line is nearing the end of its crew repatriation efforts.
To date, more than 26,000 crew members have been repatriated worldwide, including thousands of crew members who are citizens of more than 25 different nations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
The cruise line said The Bahamas, Barbados, Colombia, Curacao, Mexico, Panama, St. Maarten, and Nicaragua have all assisted in getting crew home.
READ MORE: Carnival Fantasy Reportedly Sold
Each of the above countries went above and beyond with humanitarian efforts to get employees home, including chartering planes and using local ground transportation.
“Many of our partners in the Caribbean and Latin America have gone above and beyond in supporting our repatriation efforts and played a vital role in helping our team members return home safely,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We offer our most sincere thanks to government officials, private transportation operators and maritime partners for their cooperation, hard work and gracious hospitality.”
By July 20, the company expects to have less than 400 crew members remaining onboard the 27 cruise ships, awaiting bordering openings and travel restrictions eased.
Carnival currently has a return to service date scheduled for October 1, 2020, pending the outcome of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control once return-to-service plans are submitted and approved.
