Carnival Ship Delayed a Full Day, Next Cruise Shortened

In addition to the propulsion difficulties that lowered the ship’s cruising speed temporarily, Carnival Legend also had an early morning medical evacuation that required diversion to shore.

Combined, these issues have delayed the ship’s return to Baltimore by a full day, and the next sailing will be operated as a 6-night sailing rather than a 7-night cruise.

Guests booked on the now-shortened sailing have several options to choose from and are being provided with compensation for the change in their cruise vacation plans.

Carnival Legend Delayed

On Friday evening, Carnival Legend developed an engine issue that impacted its cruising speed. The ship was stopped for some time while onboard engineers completed repairs.

Once the ship was able to resume course toward Baltimore, however, a medical emergency required diversion to Port Canaveral early on Saturday, February 24 to debark a guest who required urgent medical attention ashore.

Guests booked on the ship’s next sailing have been notified of these issues and how they are impacting plans for the February 25, 2024 departure.

“As a result of the lost time, the ship is now scheduled to return to Baltimore early Monday, and your cruise will now be operated as a six-day voyage departing Monday, February 26,” the notification read.

The original itinerary for the now-shortened cruise featured two days at sea followed by visits to Nassau, Princess Cays, and Freeport before another full day at sea as the ship returns to Baltimore for debarkation on Sunday, March 3.

Because Carnival Legend will not be leaving Baltimore as early as planned, however, the visit to Nassau is being adjusted. Originally, the ship was to have been in port from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Now, that port visit will be from 2-8 p.m., an overall loss of three hours in the capital city of The Bahamas.

The rest of the itinerary is unchanged, and any pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions for Nassau will be adjusted to the revised port time as needed. If tours are not able to be offered on the adjusted schedule, impacted guests will be notified onboard.

All passengers need to be onboard by 2 p.m. on Monday for the ship’s departure, and all the fun onboard that awaits. It should be noted that no onboard operations have been impacted by the engine issue, which has now been repaired.

“The ship had some problems with the speed from the engine, which has now been fully and properly repaired,” confirmed John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador. “To everybody waiting to cruise, I promise the fun will be waiting for you.”

Compensation Offered

Guests sailing on the revised itinerary are being offered compensation in several ways. All travelers will receive a one-day, pro-rated refund of the cruise fare, returned to the original form of payment.

Each stateroom will also receive $100 (USD) of onboard credit. That credit will be equally distributed to the onboard accounts of each guest in the stateroom ($50 each for two travelers, $25 each for four travelers, etc.).

All pre-purchased packages, including Wi-Fi access, drink packages, and pre-paid gratuities, will be pro-rated with one-day refunds credited to guests’ onboard accounts.

If travelers need to reschedule a flight to coincide with the new embarkation date, Carnival Cruise Line will provide up to $200 per person for reimbursement of non-refundable change fees. Appropriate receipts must be submitted for reimbursement consideration.

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No confirmation is available about whether or not reimbursement may be possible for if guests need to arrange additional hotel rooms if they have already traveled to the Baltimore area. If impacted guests have travel insurance, they will need to check the terms and conditions of their policy to see what may be covered.

Cancellation Possible

If booked guests prefer not to sail on the now-shortened cruise, they have the option to cancel for either a full refund without any penalties or a 100% future cruise credit for use on a different Carnival cruise (terms and conditions will apply).

Travelers who wish to cancel their cruise vacation must contact Carnival Cruise Line or their travel advisor no later than 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 25 to confirm the change in their travel plans.