Carnival Cruise Line resumes the cruises from Tampa with Carnival Pride as its first ship since the pandemic shut down. Carnival Paradise will follow as a second ship in this port in March 2022.

A ceremonial ribbon was cut during an event at the port of Tampa, named “Back to Fun” in order to commemorate the special day. Carnival's Vice President of Guest Operations Sarah Beth Reno, Carnival Pride Captain Rino Costanzo, and Port Tampa Bay's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Raul Alfonso officially welcomed the first guests onboard. Carnival Pride has departed on a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean, with scheduled Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel and Belize and Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras.

"We have been a proud member of the Tampa community for more than 25 years, having been the first cruise line to sail from Tampa in 1994, so we're absolutely thrilled to provide our guests an opportunity to get back to Fun from the port while supporting the local economy," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. 

"We are so pleased to have Carnival Cruise Line returning to Port Tampa Bay today. The return of cruising has a far-reaching impact on our region, with many local businesses standing to benefit. It's estimated that a ship like Carnival Pride generates an average of $334,000 in passenger and crew onshore spending per call," said Raul Alfonso, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Port Tampa Bay.

The retired Tropicale was the Carnival Cruise Line’s vessel, on which the first year-round cruise program from Tampa was launched in 1994, carrying a satisfying number of passengers annually, which now increased nine times, making it one of the largest cruise operators in the area. Cruise operations in Tampa are part of Carnival's close-to-home ship deployment strategy which positions ships near large U.S. population centers along the East and West Coasts and the Gulf of Mexico to make cruising convenient for everyone.

Carnival Pride's offerings from Tampa include six-, seven- and eight-day Western Caribbean sailings.

Currently, Carnival has more than half of its U.S. fleet resumed in guest operations, and its aim by March 2022 is to bring back all 22 of its U. S.-based ships in guest operations.