Cruise Ships That Got Retired or Sold for Scrap Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Faced with decreasing revenues and a lack of passengers during the global COVID-19 pandemic, some cruise line operators are taking an unpopular but necessary step: selling off their ships or taking them out of service and recycling them.

Most modern cruise vessels have service lives of 40 years or more. It is not uncommon to see cruise ships built in the 1970s and 1980’s go to the breakers. Older vessels are often sold first to another, smaller cruise operator — a market that is often referred to as “second-hand tonnage.” However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, you can see now relatively young vessels to be sold or scrapped, as the cruise lines are looking to trim operational costs.

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MSC Seaside and Divina Both to Sail from Port Canaveral

MSC Cruises to base ships at Port Canaveral next spring, starting November 2020 and becoming the fifth cruise line here.

MSC Cruises announced Thursday that it will begin sailing from Port Canaveral for the first time this winter and offer a year-round presence.

Starting with the MSC Seaside from November to March 2021 and followed by the elegant The MSC Divina that begins sailing at the end of March, the Swiss-based cruise line becomes the fifth major cruise line to have ships based at Port Canaveral.

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Carnival Plans to Restart Cruises on Eight Ships from its Miami and Texas Ports in August

Carnival said a few days ago it plans to restart some of its cruise itineraries from North America in August as it tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Cruises from Miami, Port Canaveral, and Galveston are set to resume on August 1, however, trips for all other North American and Australian markets would remain suspended through August 31.

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Carnival Cruise Line Plans to Sail Again Starting in August

Carnival Cruise Line announced last week its plans to gradually resume cruising in North America in August, nearly five months after it stopped operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sailings will begin on August 1 with eight ships setting off from Galveston, Texas; Miami; Port Canaveral, Florida. The company noted they decided to resume operations at these ports as the majority of customers can easily drive to them.

According to Carnival’s website, the cruises will sail to destinations including the Bahamas and Cozumel, Mexico.

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Coronavirus Found on Diamond Princess Surfaces 17 Days Later

Coronavirus stays on surfaces far longer than scientists first thought. Traces of coronavirus remained inside cabins of the Diamond Princess for more than two weeks after the 3,711 passengers and crew were removed, according to alarming new research.

A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Monday traces of the coronavirus is found in cabins on the stricken cruise ship 17 days after they were abandoned. More than five times longer than it was believed at first. Scientists had initially claimed the potentially deadly bug live two to three days on some surfaces.

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