Carnival will return to US seas in July with Alaska cruises - for fully vaccinated passengers only

Carnival, the world’s largest cruise operator, has told travel-starved American customers that three of its brands will return ships to the water from July - for fully vaccinated passengers only.

The dual-listed FTSE 250 firm said its Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line brands will send one ship each on seven-day round-trips to Alaska from Seattle.

Destinations will include the stunning Glacier Bay National Park, and travellers will have to provide proof of full vaccination.

The restricted season is being lined up to adhere to current Alaskan government and US health body guidelines, the company said.

Carnival’s chief executive, Arnold Donald, said: “We express our deep gratitude to all national, state and local officials who have worked collaboratively with us, the CDC and our entire industry to make this possible. It is great news for cruising, for travelers ready to again explore the world and for all the communities in Alaska that depend on cruising and have suffered great hardships over the past year.”

Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, said: "We have been working towards this moment to return to service for over a year."

The group is already sailing with two of its brands in Europe – AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises - with more set to follow this summer.

Carnival's share price has plunged since Covid hit, and the firm has raised billions to help it see out the pandemic.

Shares were up 1.1% on Friday morning.