First Cruise Ship Departs From California to Mexico After 17-Month Pause Due to COVID Pandemic

By Jess Smith (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Aug 23, 2021 08:31 AM EDT

A Carnival Panorama cruise ship is seen docked in Long Beach, California on March 7, 2020, as passengers await onboard for the results of a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) test given to an ill passenger. - Long Beach city officials said on Twitter that a passenger aboard the cruise was taken to a local hospital by the Long Beach Fire Department and is being tested for the coronavirus. The ship is docked at a Long Beach terminal, but "in an abundance of caution, [the CDC] has decided to hold passengers on board until the patient can be evaluated." Siehara Kennedy, who is aboard the cruise ship, said passengers have been waiting more than three hours to disembark. Passengers are not being isolated in their rooms and have been allowed to gather in the ships bars and casino, she said. (Photo : MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

After 17 months off, a cruise ship set sail from the Port of Long Beach and headed for the Mexican Riviera on Saturday, making the first cruise ship to depart from California after a pause on its operations.

According to ABC News, Carnival Corporation shared in a statement that the cruise ship Carnival Panorama is on a seven-day voyage and would make its stops in the ports of Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan in Mexico before it would return to Long Beach.

The 1,060-foot cruise ship Carnival Panorama started to offer its services to tourists in those destinations in 2019.

California Cruise Industry: Back to Business

One of the passengers, Bob Lechtreck, said he and his wife were on the inaugural sailing of the cruise ship back on Dec. 11, 2019. In a text to the Press-Telegram, Lechtreck noted that he was so excited that he would be one of the passengers of the Panorama in its inaugural return to service.

"It's been way too long since we've sailed, and we couldn't be happier returning to our favorite activity," Lechtreck added.

The cruise industry was hard-hit by the ongoing pandemic, with some of its passengers and crew members tested positive for COVID-19. Some ships were even turned away from ports. The cruise industry has been battling the health requirements set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in order to resume sailing in U.S. waters.

The company, Carnival Corporation, said its operational protocols already exceed the recommendations set by the CDC. Based on the CDC recommendations, the cruise ship must have all employees vaccinated and require all passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test.

Passengers must also be vaccinated, but the company would allow "a small number of exemptions" for those individuals who would be unable to get the vaccine. It includes children under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccinations.

Based on the Carnival's COVID-19 guest protocol, those who were not vaccinated would have to follow additional precautions.

Latest COVID-19 Cases on Cruise Ship

Twenty-seven individuals tested positive for COVID-19 last week on a Carnival cruise just before the ship made a stop in Belize City, Belize. The ship set sail and headed back to Galveston, Texas on Friday after making a stop in Mexico.

Belize Tourism Board released a statement, saying that the positive results were from 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista. The cruise ship was carrying over 1,400 crew and almost 3,000 passengers, Market Watch reported.

All 27 individuals who tested positive were vaccinated, and only had mild or no symptoms, and were already in isolation based on the statement. The tourism board stated that 99.98 percent of the ship's crew was vaccinated, and 96.5 percent of its passengers had been inoculated.

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Carnival Cruise Ship Takes Off From Long Beach Port For First Time In 18 Months - From CBS Los Angeles

Tags cruise, industry, California, Mexico, resume, business, COVID-19 pandemic