Carnival Ship Unable to Dock Due to Windy Conditions

Despite weather that may have looked picture-perfect to guests, Carnival Magic was still unable to call on Grand Turk on Friday, March 1, 2024 due to unfavorable winds and instead spent the day at sea.

Fortunately, the ship has been able to arrange an alternative port visit and will be calling on Nassau, The Bahamas on Saturday, March 2.

Itinerary Change for Carnival Magic

On her current 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailing, Carnival Magic has largely enjoyed sunny skies and fine temperatures. It is the winds, however, that have caused some weather-related challenges for the ship and she was unable to visit Grand Turk as planned on Friday, March 1. The ship was close to docking when the attempt was called off for safety concerns.

“We’re sorry we were not able to visit Grand Turk today. Although not clearly noticeable, wind conditions were a bit higher than expected, impacting our ability to safely dock the vessel,” a letter signed by Captain Francesco La Farina and delivered to guests’ staterooms, said. “We recognize this change impacts your plans and we appreciate your understanding.”

Instead, Carnival Magic spent Friday at sea, and to make up for the missed port of call, will visit Nassau from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. That visit is the last full day of the cruise and was originally planned as a day at sea before Carnival Magic returns to Miami on Sunday, March 3.

Read Also: Things to Do in Grand Turk During a Cruise Vacation

No delay is expected with the ship returning to PortMiami nor should there be any impact to her next sailing, a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary.

All shore tours purchased through Carnival Cruise Line for the cancelled call to Grand Turk will be automatically refunded back to guests’ onboard accounts, while tours for Nassau will be available for purchase via the Carnival Hub App or at the Carnival Adventures desk on Deck 3 (Lobby Deck), on the port side just outside the Showtime Theater.

But Another Ship Visited!

One thing that may have caused confusion to guests aboard Carnival Magic is that as they approached the dock in Grand Turk but ultimately turned away, Carnival Vista was already successfully docked.

“Some of you may have noticed that our sister vessel, Carnival Vista was in port. The ship arrived earlier today under more favorable weather conditions and was able to complete docking,” the letter to guests explained.

It should be noted that the two ships, while both part of the Carnival fleet, are not classmates and Carnival Vista is slightly larger – 133,596 gross tons compared to Carnival Magic‘s 128,000 gross tons.

This may make Carnival Vista slightly less susceptible to wind effects, depending on the strength and speed of the winds. Carnival Vista is the lead ship of the Vista class, while Carnival Magic is part of the Dream class.

Whenever docking conditions may be challenging, it is wise to either delay docking or abandon the attempt altogether. In early February, while Carnival Magic was already docked in Jamaica, when bad weather – including swells as well as high winds – caused a partial dock collapse and damage to the ship, which was forced to temporarily leave port.

To be clear, the docking attempt in Grand Turk was called off well before the ship was close to the pier and there was no damage to either the ship or the pier.

Carnival Magic can welcome 3,690 passengers at double occupancy on each sailing, or up to 4,724 guests when fully booked with all berths filled. The ship is homeported from Miami year-round, offering primarily Eastern Caribbean cruises, but also with the occasional Southern Caribbean or Western Caribbean itinerary as well.