Carnival Cruise Line has launched its first cruise from in almost 16 months from PortMiami, with the departure of Carnival Horizon.

The company said the move would provide a significant boost to the local economy, as tens of thousands of jobs in south Florida are supported by the cruise industry.

Florida is number one in the United States for cruise embarkations, with the cruise industry contributing more than $9 billion in direct purchases and responsible for over 159,000 jobs. 

Carnival Cruise Line president, Christine Duffy, and Carnival Corporation chief executive, Arnold Donald, kicked off the festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming guests on board. 

“PortMiami is our number one homeport in terms of ships and passenger embarkations and this return to cruising with Carnival Horizon represents an important first step in getting our company back to business while infusing much-needed capital to the thousands of workers who rely on the cruise industry for their livelihood,” said Duffy. 

“The past year has been challenging to say the least and I wish to thank our state and local officials, PortMiami, and our business partners and suppliers for their incredible support and patience during this time.”

Carnival Horizon will set sail for a six-day cruise with stops in Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.

Carnival Vista also departed Galveston yesterday, with Carnival Breeze departing from Galveston July 15th and Carnival Miracle kicking off the Alaska season from Seattle July 27th.

Mardi Gras sets sail from Port Canaveral July 31st.