Belize Welcomes Carnival Vista Cruise

Belize City, Belize, Thursday, July 8, 2021 –  On Wednesday, Belize warmly welcomed Carnival Vista, the first ship to call on the country since the cruise industry in our region was suspended over a year ago.  Carnival Vista, which is operated by Carnival Cruise Line, embarked from Galveston, Texas and arrived in Belize early Wednesday morning. Over 2,000 passengers were entertained by the rich, cultural sounds of the Isieni Drummers as they disembarked at the Fort Street Tourism Village (FSTV) in Belize City.

There were a total of 2,810 passengers aboard the ship, which had over 97 per cent vaccination rate, and there were rigorous protocols in place for disembarking passengers. Fully vaccinated cruise passengers had the option of self-guided tours or guided tours with Gold Standard approved operators, while unvaccinated passengers were able to book bubble tours. The majority of the cruise passengers booked scenic city tours, breath-taking marine tours and excursions to visit Belize’s historic Mayan sites.

The arrival of Carnival Vista is a welcome sign for Belize’s Tourism sector, which provides employment for thousands of Belizeans. However, the successful recovery of the tourism industry depends on our continued adherence to the COVID policies and health guidelines that are in place, as well as getting vaccinated against the virus.  In view of this, the Belize Tourism Board has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to launch a vaccination campaign aimed at giving vaccinations to as many people as possible by the end of August.

Another cruise ship is expected to arrive in Belize on July 14th. Tourism industry stakeholders are encouraged to keep abreast of real time information on cruise ship calls to Belize Ports via the BTB Cruise App:https://www.btbcruiseapp.com/ as these are changing daily.