Carnival Corp. & plc's German brand, AIDA Cruises, will resume cruising in Italy on Oct. 17, becoming the second Carnival brand to resume sailing after Italy-based Costa Cruises restarted in early September.
The resumption of sailing from the two European brands is part of a gradual, phased-in approach by Carnival Corp. to restart operations regionally with limited itineraries, reduced passenger capacity and enhanced health protocols.
AIDA's operations will resume with AIDAblu departing from Civitavecchia, the port near Rome, on seven-day itineraries visiting Palermo and Catania in Sicily, Naples and La Spezia. Voyages are offered weekly until Nov. 28.
A Carnival Corp. spokesperson said there are no restrictions on which nationalities can sail. However, AIDA attracts a German-speaking clientele, so it is expected most of the initial guests will be from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Costa Cruises further expanded on Oct. 10 with a third ship, flagship Costa Smeralda, sailing on one-week itineraries in Italy.
In working with global and national health authorities and medical experts, AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises have developed a comprehensive set of enhanced health protocols.
"For all our brands, there is no higher responsibility and no higher priority than compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, our crew and the communities we visit," said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corp. "As we offer travelers a phased return to cruise vacations, we will continue sharing important learnings and best practices among our world-leading cruise line brands and across the industry to help ensure the resumption of cruise operations is done with the best interests of public health at the forefront."
The protocols include guests and crew being tested for COVID-19 with negative results required before boarding, regular temperature and health checks for guests and crew, physical distancing guidelines, facial coverings, capacity controls and increased sanitization measures, as well as guided shore excursions managed by AIDA. Further details on the AIDA health and safety program can be found here.
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