TAMPA, Fla. — Editor's note: Video above is from June 2021.
After more than a year-and-a-half away due to the ongoing pandemic, Carnival Cruise Line is coming back to Tampa.
Carnival Pride will depart Sunday from the Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal and embark on a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise.
Carnival says the week-long voyage will visit the Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, in addition to Belize and Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras.
It's Carnival's first cruise ship to depart from Tampa since the industry resumed operations in July.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently extended its COVID-19 protocols on cruise ships until mid-January 2022. The agency says after Jan. 15, it plans to move to a voluntary program for cruise companies to detect and control the spread of COVID-19 on their ships. An industry trade group pledged to continue working with CDC on health measures onboard ships.
In October, Port Tampa Bay saw its first cruise set sail since the pandemic began in Mar. 2020. The Serenade of the Seas required all passengers and crew to be vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test.
A federal judge let Royal Caribbean keep that requirement, despite Governor Ron DeSantis' ban on companies in Florida requiring proof of vaccination.
Port Tampa Bay has been busy this year. Before cruises even resumed, the port has been working overtime to ease supply chain backlogs worldwide.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.