Carnival Will Make 100+ Port Calls to Jamaica by April 2022

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Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald said his company has committed to 110 or more cruise calls to Jamaica between October 2021 and April 2022.

The news was announced during a meeting on Tuesday with Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, local tourism officials, and other senior Carnival Corporation executives.

“Carnival is a critical partner for Jamaica’s tourism and wider economic recovery. We are seeing a welcome return of vessels with the recognition that Jamaica’s Resilient Corridors offer a safe environment for our visitors, tourism workers and the general population,” said Bartlett.

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The meeting with Carnival was one of a series of engagements that Jamaica’s tourism board had with travel industry professionals from the United States and Canada, which also included major airlines and investors.

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Bartlett was joined by the chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board, John Lynch; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Senior Strategist in the Tourism Ministry, Delano Seiveright and Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas, Donnie Dawson.

The good news for the island nation comes despite the slowing of travel around the world, triggered by the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

Jamaica is one of several destinations that have welcomed cruise ships back since the global pandemic shut down the cruise industry for over a year. The country has strict requirements in place, which includes that all cruise passengers must be fully vaccinated.

READ MORE: Dunn’s River Falls Jamaica Review

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photo: flickr/Chris Ford

“With the return of stopover visitor arrivals since June 2020, we have been seeing steady growth towards pre-COVID-19 levels and now that cruise is back, we are looking forward to significant growth in our numbers,” said Bartlett.

“I must underscore that the cruises have to meet strict measures governing the restart of cruise shipping, requiring passengers over the age of 12 and crew to be fully vaccinated and for all passengers to provide evidence of negative results from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of sailing. In the case of unvaccinated passengers, such as children, a PCR test is mandated, and all passengers are also screened and tested (antigen) on embarkation.”

The agreement between Jamaica and Carnival Corporation is contingent on Jamaican authorities’ decisions as the global health situation evolves.

Carnival Corporation owns several cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, and Cunard.

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