Carnival Cruise Lines Resumes Itineraries to Mexico

It seems it is now over; the recent swine flu outbreaks which seemed to emanate from Mexico appear to have abated. The disease scare caused the Center for Disease Control to strongly recommend that travelers avoid taking trips into Mexico, but now the CDC has ceased with that recommendation, and Carnival Cruise Lines has now resumed their itineraries to the area.

The CDC has division monitoring cruise ship health, called the Vessel Sanitation Program which develops extensive policies, regulations and procedures for dealing with illness that can impact cruise ships. This division had implemented a health questionnaire that all guests and crew members were required to complete, and Carnival Cruise Lines fully plans to continue those guidelines as well as a secondary screening when any questionable situations warrant. As an added protection against type A influenza cases, Carnival ensures the inclusion of flu and anti viral medications on board each of their vessels.

After a month of alternate itineraries geared toward the safety of the passengers and crew, Carnival Cruise Lines plans to once again begin sailings to Mexico. After the current voyages whose itineraries were changed to comply with the CDC are completed, they will begin to revert back to their original Mexico port itineraries. These itineraries can be viewed at Carnival Cruise Lines’ website, www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/itinerary_updates.aspx. Expected timelines for the return to the original itineraries is approximately mid-June.

The country of Mexico is a beautiful one; rich in culture, historic sites and possessing truly breathtaking landscapes. The area has proven to be an extremely popular destination in cruise ship itineraries, and Carnival Cruise Lines believes that their passenger base is in support of the move to continue sailings to Mexico through feedback they have received. It is only after close consultations between Carnival and the CDC that the decision was made to resume the itineraries.

Traveling to foreign countries is always a draw for many passengers, and now with the strong recommendations to avoid such traffic ceased by the CDC, people will be once again be able to enjoy all that beautiful Mexico has to offer.