Major Carnival Cruise Ship Itinerary Change Due to Tropical Storm

Guests aboard Carnival Magic have had a significant itinerary change to remain far from the worst weather of Tropical Storm Franklin, which is currently crossing the island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic.

The Carnival ship was supposed to call on Grand Turk on Wednesday, August 23 and Amber Cove on Thursday, August 24, but neither of those calls will now happen.

Carnival Magic Itinerary Change

The 128,000-gross ton, Dream class Carnival Magic is sailing an 8-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary that departed from Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday, August 19, 2023. The ship called on Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas as planned on Tuesday, August 22, but the rest of the itinerary has been altered due to Tropical Storm Franklin.

Instead of calling on Grand Turk on Wednesday and Amber Cove on Thursday, the ship will instead call on Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, today, and will also be visiting Bimini.

“Our Fleet Operations Center at the mothership continues to monitor the path of storm Franklin,” said John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador. “Yesterday the Carnival Magic Captain informed the guests at approximately 4:30 p.m. that there would be a change in itinerary and to keep everybody safe and out of the path of the bad weather that the ship would sail to Bimini and Nassau Bahamas.”

While the announcement was undoubtedly disappointing to some guests, Heald commended the passengers onboard for their understanding and not inundating the Guest Services team onboard with complaints.

Above all, the safety of the passengers, crew, and ship is always the highest priority, and staying out of troublesome weather is essential to ensure that safety.

Meanwhile, guests currently onboard Carnival Magic have reported the crew remaining positive and continuing to offer excellent service, regardless of the situation.

Tropical Storm Update

Tropical Storm Franklin is currently over land in the Dominican Republic, with the most recent eye report showing the center of the storm 63 miles (101 kilometers) south of Amber Cove.

The storm is moving north at 13 miles per hour (21 kilometers per hour), with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph), just over the 39 mph (62 kph) threshold for an official tropical storm. The system may continue to weaken slightly while the eye remains over land, but is expected to strengthen again when it moves out over the northern Caribbean in the next 24-48 hours.

Several other cruises have been impacted by Tropical Storm Franklin, especially as the Dominican Republic closed cruise ports at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22. No time has been set for when the ports will reopen, as that will depend on the storm’s path, strength, and any resulting damage.

Carnival Celebration has reversed its complete itinerary to remain clear of the storm but will still be able to call on all three ports of call on its 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing, albeit on different days and at slightly different times than originally planned.

It is also possible that Carnival Horizon may also need an itinerary adjustment in the coming days, depending on how the storm progresses. No announcements for Carnival Horizon have yet been confirmed.

The ship is currently sailing an 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary that departed Miami, Florida on Saturday, August 19. The ship is scheduled for two ports of call in the Dominican Republic this week – La Romana on the southeastern coast on Thursday and Amber Cove on the northern coast on Friday, before returning to Miami on Sunday, August 27.