Carnival, Royal Caribbean cruise ships will dock in Gulfport amid coronavirus concerns

By Blake Kaplan

Updated March 24, 2020 10:36 AM

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New coronavirus concerns mean three cruise ships will be docked on the Mississippi Gulf Coast until further notice, according to Carnival Cruise Line and Gulfport officials.

Carnival confirmed Sunday that two of its ships will dock at the Port of Gulfport this week. A ship for Royal Caribbean cruise lines, Majesty of the Seas, is expected to arrive Wednesday and anchor 18 miles offshore.

The Carnival Valor and the Carnival Freedom will travel to Gulfport during the company’s month-long pause in operations, officials said. Four major cruise companies announced a suspension in operations on Friday because of concerns about the coronavirus.

The Carnival Valor arrived Sunday in Gulfport, while the Carnival Freedom is expected Monday.

The company describes the move as a “layup of vessels” until such time Carnival is operating again.

“This is not a cleaning operation,” said Jonathan Daniels, CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport.

The Carnival ships will arrive with only crew on board, and out of an abundance of caution, the crew will not be granted shore leave.

Two of the three ships coming to Gulfport had no case of COVID-19 on board, Daniels said. A man from Ohio tested positive for new coronavirus after cruising on the Carnival Valor.

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Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com

Daniels said the Port of Gulfport has been actively talking to cruise companies for years. When the cruise lines needed dock space, they called Gulfport.

“The fact that Gulfport will serve as a location for Carnival and Royal Caribbean is a testament to the work done during the past year to serve the industry,” Daniels said Sunday morning.

Daniels said the port has been in contact with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and state health officials about having the ships in Mississippi. Both have signed off on the move.

Federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, were involved in signing off on the ships’ docking plans.

This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 10:13 AM.