Supporting NOLA
Carnival Cruise Line today announced that Carnival Glory will answer the call for help in New Orleans. The Glory was initially scheduled to make her long-awaited return to sailing on September 5, 2021. Carnival canceled that sailing after Hurricane Ida had ravaged the area making it impossible for guests and supplies to reach New Orleans, let alone the cruise port. Carnival Glory's September 12, 2021 sailing has also been canceled so the ship can host first responders as the clean-up for the area continues. Currently, Carnival Glory is set to commence operation on September 19, 2021 sailing out of New Orleans. In a statement Carnival Cruise Line's President, Christine Duffy had this to say:
"While we want to provide the city of New Orleans with an economic boost by restarting guest operations, we want to first provide this critical housing support to address emergency needs and to get power restored to the region, We appreciate the understanding of our guests, who we know love New Orleans as much as we do."
Carnival continues with its long history of assisting in times of need. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005, Carnival ships housed first responders and the newly homeless residents. During the height of the 2020 COVID-19, Pandemic Carnival offered their ships to serve as hospitals if needed. In times of need, the cruise industry answers the call if needed. Even during the most challenging time in the cruise industry's history, the Explorer of the Seas housed first responders attending to the Surfside condo collapse clean up in summer 2021. The cruise industry will always answer the call for help.