Diamond Princess, known for its COVID outbreak, returns to service for first time since 2020
The country will reopen to international cruise ships for first time since the pandemic
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The ship will sail a mix of itineraries with stops along the coast of California, the Mexican Riviera and Hawaii, ranging between five and 16 days, through February 2023. Diamond Princess will also sail a round-trip 20-day Central America cruise from San Diego, departing Nov. 27, according to the release.
the cruise line canceled 11 sailings scheduled to take place on the ship from Sept. to Nov. due to staffing issues.
Diamond Princess saw early COVID-19 outbreak
Diamond Princess saw a large COVID outbreak in early 2020, and was quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. The outbreak resulted in more than a dozen deaths and over 700 cases, and became the subject of multiple documentaries.
told USA TODAY at the time of the release. “And, you know, it’s interesting, the doctors that went on the boat said, ‘We knew everything we needed to know about COVID at the end of the Diamond Princess.’ “
The vessel’s return comes as major cruise lines, including Princess, have dropped their remaining vaccination and testing requirements for many voyages.