Carnival Ship Delayed After Dry Dock, First Cruise Shortened

Carnival Vista has completed her dry dock refreshment and refurbishment in Cadiz, Spain, but poor weather during the ship’s transatlantic crossing to return to her Florida homeport is delaying her return to service by one day.

Guests booked on the first cruise will now be sailing a 2-night itinerary instead of the originally planned 3-night cruise with embarkation pushed back a full day, and travelers have been given some options for the inconvenience.

Carnival Vista Delayed

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on the first post-dry-dock sailing of Carnival Vista to alert them to a delay in the ship’s return to service.

Because of inclement weather in the Atlantic Ocean that has slowed the ship’s return to Port Canaveral, coupled with a slight delay leaving Spain, the cruise will now depart on Friday, February 16, 2024 rather than Thursday, February 15 as originally scheduled.

“We know you were looking forward to the full itinerary we intended to operate and sincerely apologize for this unexpected change of plans,” the email notification read.

Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, also noted the change via Facebook to ensure the word gets out to all guests.

“This means the ship will sail on a two day cruise rather than a three day,” explained Heald. “Obviously this will be a big disappointment and I truly am so very sorry.”

Guests should also note that embarkation times have been revised, with all embarkation appointments moved forward one hour. An 11-11:30 a.m. terminal arrival appointment will now be 10-10:30, for example.

Carnival Vista will now be visiting Nassau on Saturday, February 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. rather than on Friday, but will no longer have a day at sea.

Shore excursions for Nassau that have been booked through Carnival Cruise Line will be moved to accommodate the change in visit date. Passengers who may have made independent tour arrangements will need to contact their tour operators for options, including cancellation or adjustment if available.

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Carnival Vista‘s Cruise Director, Marty Pitts, has reached out through social media to let guests know that the activities onboard the ship will still be moving forward, with plenty of great options for everyone to enjoy despite the shorter sailing.

“Myself and the team are so excited to have you onboard the ship,” Pitts said. “Let me tell you that 2-day cruise, we are going to have it jam-packed, full of fun events happening all around the ship.”

Options onboard will include the legendary Sail Away party as Carnival Vista departs Port Canaveral, giveaways at the Fun Ashore, Fun Aboard talk, live music, both family-friendly and adults-only comedy shows, a full production show, an atrium music party, and so much more, including the ever-popular ’80s Rock-and-Glow Party.

Compensation Offered

All guests on the now-shortened sailing will be receiving a pro-rated one-day refund of their cruise fare and other onboard expenses to account for the new cruise length. Carnival Cruise Line has also offered $50 (USD) of onboard credit for all guests (up to $100 per stateroom) to make up for the inconvenience.

If passengers need to reschedule flights for their new embarkation day, Carnival Cruise Line will provide up to $200 per person for reimbursement of non-refundable air travel change fees. Receipts documenting that change must be submitted to the cruise line for approval.

Travelers may also opt to cancel their cruise if they no longer wish to remain on the shortened sailing, but must contact Carnival Cruise Line or their travel agent before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14 to confirm their cancellation.

There will be no penalties for the cancellation, and guests can choose either a full refund back to the original form of payment or a 100% Future Cruise Credit to book a different Carnival cruise.

No Additional Cruises Impacted

Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that no additional cruises are impacted by this change, that it is just poor weather causing the ship to be slightly delayed as she returns to service.

“No other cruises or schedules will change, it is just this cruise,” said Heald.

The concern for future impacted sailings is a justified one, as Carnival’s Vista-class ships have a history of propulsion difficulties that impact sailing speeds and have led to adjusted itineraries and cancelled cruises.

Fresh from her 30-day dry dock, however, Carnival Vista is operating well and ready to show off new public spaces and upgrades for everyone aboard.

After the two-day sailing, the 133,500-gross-ton ship will offer a variety of 6- and 8-night Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean cruises, and in July 2025, she will be one of the first vessels to visit Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s exclusive new destination on Grand Bahama Island.