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Carnival Cruise Line policies and procedures: What the “new normal crew life" will look like?

Carnival Cruise Line released detailed instructions and rules for crew members who received a Letter of employment and expected to join the ships. As the company prepares to restart cruise operations Carnival wanted to help the joining crew set the right expectations by presenting more information for the joining crew on the new way of crew life on board.

“All around the world, there have been changes to the way we dine, shop, travel, and socialize. Living and working on board is no exception. These updated measures have been designed to help ensure everyone's health and safety. Please review the information below carefully as you will be asked to confirm your understanding and comply with these policies and procedures should you choose to accept your contract. If you do not feel safe or comfortable complying with these policies and procedures, you may reject the notification at the end of this letter to decline your upcoming contract.” Carnival later to the crew reads.

Before joining ships, Carnival Team Members will have to sign a health declaration form and self-quarantine at home for 14 days before the travel date back to the ship. The crew will need to complete a COVID-19 "RT-PCR SWAB TEST” 72 hours before leaving the country of origin. The cost for the test will be reimbursed on board, so please keep your receipt. The only test Carnival will accept is a PCR test. You must have a NEGATIVE result on hand 24 hours before your flight leaves.

Once on board crew must complete a 14-day quarantine. Carnival released the following information and guidelines for the crew during the quarantine period:

• -During our initial start-up, all team members will be assigned to a single cabin.
• -All meals will be delivered to your cabin.
• -Self-monitor your health and immediately report any symptoms of respiratory illness to the medical staff.
• -Adhere to twice-daily temperature and respiration checks conducted by the medical staff.
• -Pay attention to announcements and instructions from the leadership team.
• -Complete any unfinished courses in GLADIS.
• -Also use this time to stay in touch with family and friends, exercise in your stateroom, meditate, read and participate in activities to stay physically and mentally active.
• -If you are a smoker, we encourage you to quit. If you must smoke, you may do soon the cabin balcony on. Smoking on your balcony is only allowed while you are in quarantine. Once out of quarantine, you may only smoke in the designated smoking areas.

WHAT WILL CREW LIFE BE LIKE ON CARNIVAL SHIPS?

• - Face masks must be worn at all times (on and off duty) when indoors, and outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• - Face masks are not required indoors only in the following instances:
•  While eating and drinking seated at a table with your cohort. (team members who work in your same department).
•  When inside your own cabin.
• - All team members who have high volume contact with guests will be tested for COVID-19 weekly on board the vessel. All other team members will be tested monthly.

TEAM DINING

• -You will eat all your meals with your cohort at a specified time in a designated team dining room.
• -All meals will be served assisted buffet style.
• -Due to new health and safety protocols for guests and crew, guest area dining privileges are suspended.
• -Depending on your assigned ship, take-out purchases from specialty dining and the Pizzeria will be delivered to a specified crew area.
• -The crew gym will be closed at this time. However, you may enjoy the guest gym during posted hours as long as you are seated with your cohort.
• -The crew lounge will be open with limited capacity. Bar seating will not be permitted.
• -A satellite bar station for nonalcoholic purchases including water, sodas, and snacks will be available.
• -A coffee shop will be available in the crew lounge (subject to ship).
• -Fun Team activities will be advertised in the monthly crew activities calendar.
• -The crew open deck(smoking and non-smoking area) will be available.
• -Access to guest areas will be limited to only those team members who are on duty.
• -A bi-monthly company newsletter will be printed and distributed on board to keep you informed of what’s happening around the fleet.

RETAIL &SERVICES

• -The crew launderette will be open 24 hours except for one hour each day for deep cleaning.
• -The Learning Resource Center will be open during posted hours for computer-based learning and general inquires.
• -The HR Director and HR Service Office will be available during posted hours for general inquires and team members are encouraged to call them if they have any questions.
• -The crew barbershop will be open during posted hours.
• -Pop-up stores for crew sales will be placed on I-95.
• -The 24-hour social media plan and internet vouchers will be made available to you during the ramp-up at no charge.
• -You may have packages delivered to the ship in homeport.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

• Once you begin work, it’s essential to adhere to proper physical distancing guidelines, as follows:
• -Keep approximately 2 meters (6feet) or more apart from others while working, socializing and eating.
• -Avoid gatherings such as parties end events where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• -Avoid physical contact with other people including shaking hands, giving hugs and cheek kissing.
• -Follow the floor markings or signs used to facilitate physical distancing.
• -Where essential tasks require more than one person, the team will be kept as small as possible and if work requires people in close proximity, the number of work partners will be minimized.
• -When physical distancing while working is not possible, avoid facing each other. Instead, work side-by-side or back-to-back.

IMPORTANT HEALTH GUIDANCE

• -As you may not be able to get prescription medicines, we strongly recommend you bring extra two month’s supply of your regular medications.
• -Carry disinfectant wipes with you so you can clean seats, handrails, and other common surfaces you may touch.
• -Wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer often.
• -Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and face. Sneeze/cough into your elbow and dispose of any tissues promptly.

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EXCITED FOR AN ADVENTURE?

READY TO TAKE ON SOMETHING NEW?

If your answer is “YES,” then you are ready to get started with a Carnival career! Check out our process and FAQs below to know what to expect at every step.

• Use our online application tool and set the pace of your application.
• Review and acknowledge position requirements.
• Complete your personal profile, educational background and work experience.

- A cover letter and resume

- Certified copies of your professional qualifications and certificates

- Details of specific skills

• Allow us to share more detail through pre-recorded virtual introductions to our shore-side and shipboard teams.
• Participate in an online screening interview in your own time.
• Listening, comprehension, English language skills for the position will be assessed.
• Successful applicants will receive a provisional offer, subject to review of references and recommendations for employment.

Accepting a formal offer of employment, and all terms and conditions, will allow us to start the “manning” or “administration” process to get you ready as a seafarer. This is also known as “onboarding”. As these next steps typically take place locally in your country of residence, your application will be handled administratively by our fabulous recruiting teams!

Our local administration offices will contact you with guidance on the next steps. These include, but are not limited to:

• Pass a Seafarer Medical Fitness examination.
• Obtain the necessary travel documents and visas (including C1/D visas for non-American or Canadian applicants).
• Criminal background checks or Police Clearance.
• Personal preparation and consideration of notice period.
• Additional requirements may be imposed by certain countries, flag states or regulatory bodies, dependent on your nationality and country of residence.

• Your employment will only be confirmed once you pass all onboarding steps and accept a contract for your first shipboard assignment.
• Onboarding may take several days or even weeks, although we will always try to assign you to one of our vessels as soon as possible!
• Always wait for precise instructions before engaging in any professional or personal arrangements in anticipation of joining a ship.
• Depending on our operational needs, you may need to wait several weeks for assignment to become available.

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Crew Code of Conduct and Rules on Cruise Ship

Cruise lines have a set of rules and regulations in place for all crewmembers to live by. These policies and procedures govern how you should conduct yourself, how you treat others, your personal appearance, and your work ethic and performance. When policies have been violated, discipline is necessary. Here’s what to expect from the code of conduct and rules for crew on cruise ships.

Personal Conduct of Cruise Ship Crew

Crew members are expected to behave a certain way on the ship which is not only their work place but their home. Since you have the right to work and live in a safe and professional environment, cruise lines have put these policies and rules in place. Here is a typical list of what is not tolerated or allowed on a cruise ship and which may lead to disciplinary action:

• Drunkenness is not tolerated and cruise lines practice blood alcohol content testing.
• Do not chew gum in passenger areas.
• Do not use offensive language.
• Vandalism is not tolerated.
• Theft of ship’s property or a guest’s property is not tolerated.
• Fighting is not tolerated.
• Drugs and weapons are forbidden.
• Sexual harassment is not tolerated.
• Smoking is not allowed in unauthorized areas.
• Guests are not allowed in crew areas.
• Unauthorized persons are not allowed to board the ship.
• Absenteeism of safety drills is not tolerated.
• Violation of USPH rules concerning hygienic working practices is not tolerated.

Cruise Ship Crew Dress Code

Cruise lines expect that their employees take pride in their presentation and conform to the cruise lines’ appearance standards. Here are some typical rules that pertain to cruise ship crew dress codes:

• Wear the appropriate uniform with regards to time of day, ship’s itinerary, function or location.
• Name tag must be worn on the side of the uniform determined by the cruise line.
• Shoes and socks must be conservative and some cruise lines require women to wear pantyhose. Shoes should be polished and in good shape.
• Only the top button of a shirt may be open as to not show cleavage or hairy chests.
• Safety clothing and equipment must be worn as required.
• All clothing worn as part of your uniform must be clean, pressed, and free of stains or damage.

Cruise Ship Crew Grooming Rules

Cruise ship crew are also expected to adhere to personal hygiene standards and other appearance standards at all times. Most cruise lines have similar grooming rules when it comes to cleanliness, hair care, shaving, tattoos, makeup and jewellery. Here are some guidelines to follow.

• Crew member must be clean and odour free this includes hair, hands, nails, mouth, body and clothing.
• Avoid use of strong perfumes and colognes.
• Beards and moustaches are only allowed if kept well-trimmed. (Crewmember is not allowed to start growing facial hair during their contract.)
• Visible tattoos are not permitted.
• Visible body piercings are not permitted (except one earring in each ear for women).
• Women should wear only conservative makeup and jewellery.

Men’s hair must not be longer than to a shirt collar

Crew member Use of Guest Areas

Depending on cruise line and rank will determine if you are allowed to use or be in guest areas while off duty. Some cruise lines allow officer-ranking employees to use the pool deck, passenger gym and restaurants. If you are allowed to be in passenger areas during off duty times, remember that guests have first priority.

For example, in Royal Caribbean’s “Getting Onboard” employee handbook, they specify the following crew restrictions for public areas:

If you are found in a guest stateroom and you are not fulfilling a guest accommodation (ie. cabin service), you will be dismissed immediately.

Shipboard casinos, guest swimming pools, and whirlpools are off-limits to shipboard employees.

Elevators are for guest use only.  

Crew Members Conduct with Guests

How you conduct yourself with the guests can make or break your career working on a cruise ship.  This is exceptionally important. To start, never argue with a guest. Instead, report any problems with a guest to your supervisor.

Second, never cross the line between guest and crew member. Never invite a guest into a crew area. Avoid guest elevators. Be aware of young guests with parents that misinterpret your interaction with their son/daughter. Also, be careful with how overly social you are with a guest that it isn’t interpreted as romantic or worse yet, sexual harassment.

Crew Member Conduct While Working

You are expected to follow all  rules and regulations set out for the department that you work in. At the very least you must be punctual to all shifts and follow all USPH rules concerning hygiene. Other policies may include accuracy if dealing with money or sales quotas when dealing with concessionary departments.

In addition, a crew member’s actions must not impede the progress or navigation of the ship. This could mean anything from phoning the bridge during a red zone period or arriving back to the ship after the allowable time for crew.

Furthermore, each Captain has the authority to establish additional rules and regulations for his ship (known as Captain’s Standing Orders). He may have different uniform requirements for a turnaround day. He may specify passenger areas that officer-ranked employees are able to use or not use such as pool areas and bars. Understanding the basic code of conduct for cruise lines may make you reconsider if ship life is for you.

Cruise Lines Code of Conduct – Additional Resources

To learn more about what happens when a crew member violates the code of conduct, read Disciplinary Action and Appraisals for Cruise Ship Crew.

Here are a few specific cruise lines’ code of conduct and rules for shipboard employees:

• Royal Caribbean:  Getting Onboard 2006
• Princess Cruise Lines:  Terms and Conditions of Employment 2007    [PDF]
• Holland America Line: House Rules

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Carnival Corporation HR: Workforce Planning Strategy

• April 11, 2023

Carnival Corporation brands need to recruit more than 30,000 seafarers annually, according to Bettina Deynes, global chief human resources officer.

“With bigger ships we need more seafarers,” she added. “So, as you can imagine, our workforce planning strategy is quite significant. And we have to constantly adapt to the challenges we face, which are quite different today than they were just a few years back.”

Deynes is overseeing more than 152,000 seaboard crew members across Carnival’s global fleet. She transitioned to the corporation from Carnival Cruise Line, which she joined in 2019 after holding a variety of executive HR positions in the public sector and private industry.

“My global role is to create and set strategy and do the long-term planning in all that we do in HR. So, we work collectively and collaboratively with all the brands,” she told Cruise Industry News in an exclusive interview.

“Every brand is unique, not just in terms of their market segment and guests, but also in terms of where they are located and the national laws that may apply.”

The pillars of the organization are its culture and efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion, Deynes said. That means, she explained, that they are going about the recruitment on a more global scale, not as traditional as the industry has been in terms of having certain nationalities in typical roles onboard.

She said the company has worked hard to put policies in place for an inclusive culture and hopes that those changes will lead to not only a female captain, but captains and chief engineers from other nationalities.

“We are doing the same on the hotel side,” she added

“Everyone should have opportunities. So, we are doing a lot in terms of promotions, learning and development, getting employees and crew members ready for the next level.”

It is as much about retaining as attracting seafarers, according to Deynes. The process starts with apps whereby employees learn what to expect before joining their ship.

“We call it the journey and it starts weeks before coming aboard. It continues with us providing an experience where they know they have our support. We have done a lot of work in terms of wellness programs, emotional support and career guidance.

“One initiative we launched is called Better Together, where we promote a supportive, inclusive culture, basically creating a safe haven for everyone, especially for those individuals who may be in the minority in terms of numbers aboard.”

Always planning ahead, Deynes said: “My main goal is to ensure that we can continue to enhance the entire lifecycle for our crew members, not just in terms of how we hire them, but their entire experience, basically their entire journey until they retire.

“I understand that what has brought us to where we are today is not what is going to deliver us into the future,” she continued. “As with everything else, we have to evolve. We have to learn from the past while preparing for the future. Our workforce is our number one strategy in securing that success.”

Excerpt from the Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine Spring 2023

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Here’s How Much Carnival Pays Its Employees

No other topic can raise as much controversy among cruise passengers as tipping. Many people see it as a way that cruise lines nickel and dime guests. It’s not unusual for automatic gratuities to add up to $13-15 per person, per day. A couple taking a cruise for a week can expect another $200 added to their bill for gratuities alone.

Still, according to our recent survey , more than 80% of those surveyed said they leave additional gratuities (in addition to those automatically charged) at least sometimes.

A common reason for being so generous with tips? Not only does the staff work extremely hard to keep passengers happy, but the general consensus is that people working on a cruise ship are paid relatively little while working long hours.

But we wanted to get the real scoop on what a cruise line pays its employees. For that, we turned to some recent financial statements from Carnival Corporation.

Carnival is the world’s biggest cruise line. Across 10 brands (including AIDA, Holland America, and Costa), it has more than 100 ships sailing around the world. In total, the cruise line carried more than 11.5 million passengers on its ships last year.

As a public company, Carnival is required to release periodic reports on its financial performance. This gives us a glimpse into everything from the value of its ships to exactly how much it pays its crew.

What the latest financial report reveals about worker pay may surprise you…

Uncovering Average Salaries on a Carnival Ship

For our analysis, we looked through Carnival Corporation’s latest 10-K. This is an annual report that covers all 2016. Within this report are facts and figures about every aspect of the cruise line’s business… including what it pays employees.

Digging through the report, we found the following passage regarding the cruise line’s employees:

“Our shipboard and shoreside employees are sourced from over 100 countries. We employ an average of 84,600 crew members, including officers, onboard the 102 ships we currently operate, which excludes employees who are on leave.”

You read that right — across more than 100 ships the cruise line has nearly 85,000 crew members, coming from over 100 countries! These workers range all the way from engineers that keep the ship running to the captain to the waitstaff in the dining rooms.

So how much do these employees make?

In another section of the report, we see exactly how much Carnival spent to pay these employees for all of 2016:

This number is in millions, so the company spent $1,993,000,000 (nearly $2 billion) to pay its employees in last year.

Meanwhile, the annual report also says exactly who is included in this payroll figure:

“Payroll and related costs, which represent all costs related to our shipboard personnel, including deck and engine officers and crew and hotel and administrative employees, while costs associated with our shoreside personnel are included in selling and administrative expenses”

In other words, this is the payroll for all those crew members working on the ship. People that work in Carnival’s offices, such as executive, marketing, and more, aren’t figured into the payroll figure shown above .

Determining an Average of About $24,000 Per Person

Now that we know the total payroll amount for all the ship employees and the number of employees, it’s simple division to see that the average Carnival employee working on a ship earns $23,558.

What we don’t know is exactly how much each different employee makes. The average salary listed here includes everyone from the captain of the ship to the steward cleaning the room.

According to an article on CruiseCritic , salaries can range wildly, with the captain bringing in six-figures, with a cabin steward earning between “$650 and $1,150 per month.”

All in all, however, with an average salary of under $24,000, it’s clear that most cruise lines employees aren’t getting rich by American standards. So be sure to tip generously for the staff and crew that make your trip so enjoyable.

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Another point I would like to make is that the staff is hired from 100 different countries but I have yet to meet any from the USA. These young people are drawn from countries that have a very low annual income in comparison to the US and Canada. For them this is a well paying job. I spoke to a fellow a few years ago that was planning to switch ships at the next port to catch one headed to a port that he could switch again to finally arrive back at his home port. This way, he would work his way home. He also planned to take a season off to spend with his family then catch another ship to get back into the work force of Carnival.

The employees we spoke to were on board for at least a 6 month tour of duty. Most if not all of them have chances to leave the ship at different ports to shop or visit on shore. I am sure this is scheduled to allow everyone a chances to get off at different ports of call.

Just returned from a 5 day Carnival cruise. Was told by three different employees (wait staff) that they were paid only from tips and some thing about having to split tips with 5 different areas. Which according to them gave then very little in pay per month. I also take into account that you have to figure in the room and board of living at your job. I did notice that some of the staff were moved around the ship to perform duties in different areas Not just as one job.

Not sure of the specifics of who is paid what. Our article just looks at the financial reports published by the company, compared to the overall workforce.

I recently cruised with carnival and was also told they are paid only on tips.

We ask a hotel steward and she said $585 per month. This was a person mopping the deck…not a cabin steward. Another staff member told us dish washers make somewhere in the $500’s per month.

Thanks for the anecdote. We don’t know if that’s accurate or not. Also keep in mind that room and board is usually included as well.

A friend is on a Carnival cruise right now, and hotel staff are saying they are paid ONLY in tips. WTF?

We don’t know the specifics of who is paid exactly what, but we would be very surprised if any staff is paid no wage and only tips.

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‘She had cookies in the bottom of her bag’: Carnival Cruise dogs are now everywhere, expert warns. They’re even better than you think

‘carnival is still not playing.’.

Grace Rampaul

Posted on Apr 10, 2024   Updated on Apr 10, 2024, 12:40 am CDT

As marijuana consumption has increased once again to its peaking usage rates of the ’70s, Carnival Cruise line is cracking down on regulating both medical and recreational drugs to ensure that all cruise-goers can satisfy their desire of “All for Fun. Fun for All.”

In a TikTok posted on Monday, cruise enthusiast and influencer Melissa ( @professormelissa ) warns voyagers of Carnival Cruise’s newest apparent tactic to combat on-ship drug usage, more prevalent drug dogs. Receiving 1,716 likes and more than 130,600 views, Melissa briefly walks viewers through the embarkment process, which includes a K-9 narcotic detection team. 

“Y’all Carnival is still not playing when it comes to the drug-sniffing dogs,” Melissa forewarns. “Here’s what you can expect.” 

Dressed to the nines, Melissa stands in the doorway of her Carnival stateroom after making it safely on-board and continues her caveat via voice-over. 

At this point, the TikTok flashes to a security notice posted by Carnival, directly outside the maritime passenger terminal doors, presumably giving voyagers a chance to prepare prior to entering the way station. 

“Canine dogs on duty, drug free zone,” the sign reads in large lettering, accompanied by finer print directly below. 

“As per federal law, marijuana including maijuana for medical purposes and any other illegal drugs, are not allowed on board. Anyone in possession of illegal drugs will be disembarked at the guest’s expense and is subject to prosecution by the authorities,” the sign explains. 

Once again Melissa emphasizes just how strongly Carnival has been cracking down in recent years. 

With Tory Lanez’s song “ Hurts me (Alone At Prom) ,” echoing in the background, Melissa pans to her series of seemingly infinite bags on the floor, each being individually sniffed by a drug dog. 

“UH OH!” titles the short clip, but based on the introduction to the TikTok, it’s apparent Melissa had nothing to worry about.

Now a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 times stronger than humans , and it’s proven that virtually no machine can compare to a dog’s nose. For example, when sniffing dogs search for explosives, they are accurate 90% of the time in comparison to their mechanical counterparts who only reach rates of 14% success. 

Similar accuracy rates for narcotic detection canines have been found as well. 

So, it’s clear why some Carnival passengers may be a little extra nervous when boarding their vacation at sea. 

“Bags down for the dogs,” another sign reads, showing how clear Carnival is with its expectations. 

And according to the website, Carnival reserves the right to do this as well, and states this explicitly:

“ Under U.S. federal law, all cruise terminals in the U.S. are federal facilities and, along with our ships, are drug-free zones. Customs and law enforcement authorities in U.S. homeports and foreign destinations are present and have the right to conduct routine and random inspections with the assistance of narcotics-sniffing dogs. There is zero tolerance for possession of narcotics (which includes marijuana, even in those states where marijuana has been decriminalized). All guests and their personal items may be subject to screening by law enforcement and any guest found in possession of illegal drugs and other prohibited items may be subject to fines, arrest, and denial of boarding without refund or compensation. This is beyond Carnival’s control. Furthermore, Carnival reserves the right to deploy narcotics-sniffing dogs in terminals and on board our ships in order to enforce our obligations to uphold federal law.”

Owned by Carnival Corporation, the cruise line is a part of the world’s largest cruise ship operator, accompanied by sister lines Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard Lard.

The Daily Dot has talked with other experts on the subject as well. In an exclusive with the Daily Dot, cruise-planner Mandy ( @mandythecruiseplanner ) warned of similar scenarios on the cruise line. And though she wants her followers to have as pleasurable of an experience as possible, Mandy warns that nothing can ruin a cruise more than having to disembark for a small marijuana charge. 

Even commenters on Melissa’s TikTok acknowledged how persistent the drug dogs can be, detecting almost everything that was out of the ordinary. 

“My sister has a medical card in Florida, but had nothing in her bag and they still pulled her aside we think because her canvas bag smelled like it,” one commenter said. 

“Back in November the dog pulled my sister’s bags for a search because she had cookies in the bottom of her bag (regular cookies),” another warned.

@professormelissa This now seems to be standard practice. #Cruise #cruiseship #cruisetok #cruiselife #cruiser #travel #traveltiktok #cruisewithme #cruisetips #cruisetipsandtricks #cruisehacks #vacation #cruiseships #cruisecontent #cruisingcontent #cruisevacation #cruiselover #cruiseblogger #firsttimecruiser #cruisequestions #cruisefacts #goingonacruise #crusingtok #cruiseessentials #traveler #royalcaribbean #carnivalcruiseline #choosefun #virginvoyages #norwegiancruise #hollandcruise #hollandamericaline #disneycruiseline #msccruise #princesscruises #carnivalcruise ♬ Hurts Me (Alone At Prom) – Tory Lanez

Though of course there were some commenters debunking Melissa’s advice. Saying that they had gotten one or two small things across the terminal, at the end of the day it comes down to risk mitigation. It is up to the passenger to decide what they are willing to test, and if they decide to bring drugs on board, it is their own vacation at risk.

The Daily Dot reached out to Melissa ( @professormelissa ) for comment via TikTok DM and Carnival Cruise Line via their media email. 

Grace Rampaul is a social and multimedia intern at the Daily Dot. She is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, with a major in Journalism and focus on Media and Entertainment Studies. Grace is based in Austin and covers trending stories, entertainment, cultural phenomenon, and all things social.

Featured Local Savings

Carnival Puts Miami Headquarters Up for Sale as Florida Real Estate Soars

(Bloomberg) -- Carnival Corp. has listed for sale its sprawling headquarters on the outskirts of Miami, seeking to cash in on real estate the cruise giant has owned for roughly three decades.

The company is now looking to downsize to about 300,000 square feet (27,871 square meters) of new office space in the Miami area, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named citing private discussions. 

Carnival expects to remain at its current headquarters in the city of Doral for the next two years. The building dates back to the 1980s and encompasses 470,000 square feet. A spokesperson confirmed that the firm is “exploring options for new office facilities.”

Carnival hired brokerage Cushman & Wakefield Plc to handle the sale, a spokesperson for the brokerage confirmed, declining to add further details. The last recorded sale of the property dates back to 1983, when it was acquired for $16.6 million.

The decision to sell reflects a broader trend of companies reevaluating their office space needs in the post-pandemic era. While some tenants are looking to upgrade their facilities to entice employees back to the office, others are downsizing to reduce costs. 

For Carnival, the sale is a chance to unlock a potential windfall from decades of real estate growth in Doral, where property values have soared alongside the area’s condo boom and the popularity of Donald Trump’s Blue Monster golf course. But it will also mean the company will be navigating a red-hot market to find new office space in the Miami region.

Currently, Carnival’s Doral headquarters is about 15 miles away on gridlocked highways from the port of Miami, where Carnival ships dock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which unlike Carnival is based inside the port, has recently broken ground on a new 10-story headquarters building in the vicinity. MSC Cruises SA, which is building a new cruise terminal at the port, said it will move its US headquarters to a downtown Miami office building near the port as well.

Carnival’s move to upgrade its headquarters underscores how well the cruise industry has done in recent years. Carnival, one of the largest cruise companies in the world, has seen bookings bounce back to a record since the pandemic. The company has 120,000 employees globally and serves about 13 million cruise vacationers per year.

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