CCL-Carnival Cruise Line kicked off the first voyage of the company in ~16 months from PortMiami Florida, The Cruise Capital of the World, on Sunday, July 4, with the departure of Carnival Horizon, providing a boost to the local economy and the jobs in South Florida supported by the cruise industry.
Florida is number one in the nation in cruise ship embarkations with the industry contributing over US$9 billion in direct purchases and responsible for 159,000+ jobs. In Miami-Dade alone, cruise ship activity generates ~US$7 billion of spend and 40,000 jobs per year. Of the 437,000 cruise industry-supported jobs in the US, ~37% are in Florida.
Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Carnival Corporation's President and CEO Arnold Donald, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald commenced the festivities with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming guests onboard.
Carnival Horizon set sail on Sunday, July 4, at 4 pm for a 6-day voyage with calls in Amber Cove (Dominicana) and the line's private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.
In addition to Horizon’s departure, Carnival Vista departed Galveston Texas on July 4, with Carnival Breeze departing from the same port on July 15 and Carnival Miracle kicking off her Alaska cruise season from Seattle WA on July 27. The line’s newest ship, Mardi Gras, sets sail from Port Canaveral FL on July 31. Other ships in the Carnival fleet are scheduled to begin service in August.