Carnival Cancels Sailing for Ship Impacted by Propulsion Issue

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on the next sailing of Carnival Pride to inform them that the 9-night cruise from Dover, England departing on Friday, July 21, 2023, has been cancelled.

Impacted guests have different options to choose from for this last-minute cancellation, depending on whether or not they have already traveled to Europe in advance of Friday’s embarkation.

Next Sailing Cancelled for Carnival Pride

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that the next sailing of Carnival Pride, which is currently docked in Kiel, Germany, must be cancelled as the vessel undergoes emergency repairs to its propulsion system.

The stop in Kiel was not previously planned, and because of the repairs, the ship will not be able to return to its homeport of Dover, England on time for the next cruise.

“Carnival Pride is experiencing a technical issue and is making an unplanned stop in Kiel, Germany today so that we can board expert technicians,” the email explained. “While we are working to make the repair and get the ship back to Dover as quickly as possible, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 9-day cruise that is scheduled to depart from Dover on Friday as planned.”

The cruise line is offering several options to booked guests, depending on their travel plans.

Guests who have not yet traveled to Europe will automatically receive a full refund of their cruise fare, port fees, taxes, and pre-paid onboard expenses, as well as a 100% future cruise credit (FCC) for another sailing. Any airline cancellation fees will also be covered by Carnival Cruise Line as guests submit receipts for reimbursement.

This option will most obviously affect guests who have booked airfare through Carnival Cruise Line, but will also apply to guests who have not yet begun their travels to meet the ship in Dover in two days.

Guests who are already in Europe will be reimbursed for two nights of hotel stays, up to $300 (USD) per night, along with a food per diem of $100 per day, per person, beginning on Friday, July 21, to cover expenses as they make arrangements to return home. Any airline change fees will also be covered by the cruise line.

Carnival Cruise Line is also investigating any availability on its sister lines – P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises – for 7-night sailings from Southampton departing on Saturday, July 22. P&O Cruises’ Iona and Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess are both offering Scandinavian itineraries on that departure date.

Shorter Cruise May Be Possible

Depending on the nature of the necessary repairs and any special equipment or parts that may be needed, a shorter sailing may be possible for Carnival Pride.

“Based on when we can make the repairs and return the ship to Dover, we may be able to operate a revised itinerary with a shorter cruise that will end in Dover on the originally scheduled debarkation date of Sunday, July 30,” the email said.

Carnival has said it will reach out to booked guests with follow-up details for the possibility of a shorter sailing on Thursday, July 20.

If a shorter cruise is possible, guests will receive a prorated refund of their original cruise fare as well as an onboard credit for the adjustment, depending on the finalized plans for an altered sailing. Because guests who have not yet begun traveling to Europe are being automatically refunded, this option will only apply to those travelers already in Europe.

The now-cancelled Carnival Pride cruise was to have been a 9-night European itinerary calling on ports in Scotland and Ireland.

Carnival Pride Propulsion Issues

The Spirit-class Carnival Pride – which just underwent an extensive, month-long drydock in Spain this spring – began experiencing issues Tuesday evening after departing Kiel, Germany while sailing a 12-night European itinerary roundtrip from Dover, England.

The call to Kiel was to have been the next-to-last port of call after successful visits to destinations in Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, and Sweden.

The final port of call – Gothenburg, Sweden – was cancelled due to the propulsion issues which dramatically reduced the ship’s cruising speed and forced the unplanned return to Kiel. At times late Tuesday evening and into early Wednesday morning, the ship was at a dead stop in the Baltic Sea.

Guests onboard were issued refunds for pre-purchased Carnival shore tours to Gothenburg, as well as the taxes and fees associated with the port call. For compensation for the missed port, guests were also given a $100 per stateroom onboard credit.

At this time, guests onboard now in Kiel have been informed that the cruise line will assist with return plans to the UK, but details are still being developed. As many guests are booked on successive, back-to-back sailings, the arrangements may take some time to finalize.