Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International will resume visits to Mexican ports of call since the Centers for Disease Control is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to the country. Voyages with previously modified itineraries will continue and revert to their original routes in Mexico; most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. A ship-by-ship listing, including dates for when each vessel will resume its original itinerary, is available at www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/itinerary_updates.aspx.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean will resume its port calls in Cozumel beginning with sailings that depart on or after May 24. Ships with Cozumel port calls include Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Enchantment of the Seas. Mariner of the Seas will continue its modified Pacific Northwest itinerary, up to and including, its June 14 sailing. Several other lines that operated Mexico itineraries this past winter have since repositioned ships to Alaska for the summer.
?We are very pleased to resume our previous itineraries to Mexico, one of the cruise industry?s most popular destinations, and we thank those guests who were impacted by the modified schedules in recent weeks for their understanding and patience,? said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. ?The health and well-being of our guests and crew is our highest priority and we are returning to Mexico after careful evaluation and consultation with the CDC. It is important to note that the concentration of H1N1 flu cases in Mexico has been inland rather than in the coastal resort areas where our ships visit.
As the cruise lines announced their return to Mexico, Puerto Costa Maya President Teofilo Hamui noted that ?neither Costa Maya nor Mahahual, its neighboring fishing village, have had any reported cases of the H1N1 virus, which further solidifies this region as a safe place for travelers. With Costa Maya located in a remote and pristine area on the Yucatan Peninsula, we have remained unaffected by the virus that had hit other parts of our country and the world. We hope cruise ships and passengers returning to our shores will feel secure knowing that they can enjoy our destination once again without concern for their health and well-being.
Carnival and Royal Caribbean both said they will continue to follow CDC guidelines, which include pre-boarding health questionnaires, sanitizing, and stocking of influenza test kits and anti-viral medications. ?Mexico has so many wonderful sites and attractions and feedback from our customers suggests that the majority support a resumption of port calls in Mexico, Cahill said. ?We know that they and our port destination partners are very much looking forward to our return.
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