Carnival Cancels Four Sailings Due to Engine Issues

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on four upcoming sailings of Carnival Panorama that their voyages must now be cancelled.

The ship has developed difficulty that affects her maximum cruising speed and must be removed from service for repairs.

Four Last-Minute Cruise Cancellations

Guests booked on the next four sailings of Carnival Panorama will not be able to set sail as planned, as Carnival Cruise Line is making the extreme move to cancel the sailings for repairs to the ship. For the first of these cancellations, the notification comes just 48 hours before embarkation.

In a notice emailed to booked guests, Carnival Cruise Line has announced the impact to the ship’s November 11, 18, 26, and December 2, 2023 sailings.

“Carnival Panorama is experiencing an issue affecting its maximum cruising speed,” the email explained. “It is necessary to remove the ship from service to complete the required repairs.”

The now-cancelled cruises are all Mexican Riviera cruises. The November 11 and December 2 sailings are 5-night cruises to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas, while the November 18 departure is an 8-night sailing that also included a visit to La Paz.

The November 26 departure was to have been a 6-night voyage visiting Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

All cruise fares on the listed voyages are being fully refunded, including pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions and other onboard purchases, including drink packages, Wi-Fi access, stateroom decorations, bottled water, prepaid gratuities, and other items.

Furthermore, Carnival Cruise Line is reimbursing air change fees of up to $200 (USD) per person if the fees are otherwise non-refundable and no other compensation is provided from travel insurance or the airline. Supporting documentation must be provided for the reimbursement to be considered.

Compensation Offered

In addition to the full refunds, Carnival Cruise Line is offering guests a 100% future cruise credit of the cruise fare for the cancellation of the November 11 and November 18 voyages due to the last-minute notification of these cancellations, and a 50% future cruise credit for guests booked on the November 26 and December 2 sailings.

The future cruise credits will be available for use from November 13, 2023, and must be redeemed by November 30, 2024, on any sailing available for reservations. The credits cannot be used as deposits and may not be applied for taxes, fees, or port expenses, onboard purchases, or Carnival Vacation Protection.

“Once again, we are very sorry for the disappointment this has caused and thank you for your understanding,” the email concludes.

Guests will understandably be disappointed at this news, particularly since the November 18 cruise was to have been over the Thanksgiving holiday. With such late notice, it will be very difficult – if not impossible – for guests to make alternative arrangements during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

Carnival Panorama Engine Issues

The 133,868-gross-ton, Vista-class ship developed engine difficulties on her most recent cruise that resulted in cancelling two ports of call in order for the vessel to return to Long Beach as scheduled.

For that adjusted sailing, guests were refunded pre-paid shore tours for the cancelled ports, as well as providing $400 of onboard credit per stateroom.

Carnival Panorama has had engine issues for several months, with varying degrees of impact on different sailings. In early June 2023, the ship was unable to return to Long Beach on schedule, which also delayed the next sailing. Itineraries were also adjusted for additional sailings for the issue to be corrected.

Similarly, the ship had engine problems resulting in reduced speeds in December 2022, as well as August 2021.

It should be noted that at no time have the ship’s safety and emergency systems, navigational capabilities, or hotel, food, and beverage operations been impacted – only the maximum cruising speed has been affected.

At this time, further details of the engine problems have not been disclosed, nor has any information been released about whether or not just these four sailings are affected or if additional cruises may be cancelled or adjusted. Guests booked on Carnival Panorama in the coming weeks should stay in close contact with Carnival Cruise Line or their travel agent for timely updates.