Carnival Cruise Line Reverses Itinerary for New Ship

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked aboard the November 9, 2023 sailing of the upcoming Carnival Venezia to alert them to significant itinerary changes. While the ship will still be visiting the same ports of call, the order of ports has been changed and times in port have also been adjusted.

Itinerary Changes for Carnival Venezia

Carnival Cruise Line is letting guests know that their anticipated cruise aboard Carnival Venezia will be the same but different from what they booked.

“We have made an adjustment to the itinerary for your cruise,” the email said. “Port visits have been reversed and port times modified.”

The impacted sailing is an 11-night Eastern Caribbean voyage departing from New York on Thursday, November 9, 2023. The ship will still be visiting all the planning ports of call – Grand Turk, Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten – but in a different order and with different port times.

In Grand Turk, guests will now be able to explore the island from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., rather than from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. This gives guests an extra hour of time to explore the popular destination.

In Amber Cove, guests have the same length of time to visit. The original itinerary had Carnival Venezia in port from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., now that visit will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. – still a 9-hour visit, but shifted two hours earlier.

Similarly, while visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico, guests will also have the same amount of time with the ship visiting from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. instead of from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In St. Thomas, guests will enjoy an earlier time in port from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of the original itinerary’s time of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Finally, in St. Maarten, the ship will be visiting from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., whereas the original schedule had Carnival Venezia in port from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Overall, despite every port time being changed, guests gain one hour in Grand Turk but keep the same amount of time in every other port. The overall number of days at sea will also be the same, but in reverse – the cruise will now begin with three days at sea en route to the Southern Caribbean, and two days at sea while returning to New York.

Excursions to Be Adjusted

Because Carnival Venezia will not be visiting ports of call on the previously planned days or during the original visit hours, the cruise line is shifting all shore excursions to the new dates as necessary.

“Pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions will be automatically adjusted to the new dates and times prior to your cruise,” the email read. Guests who have booked private, independent tours will need to reach out to the individual tour operators for adjustment or cancellation as needed.

“Thank you for your understanding,” the email concluded. “We look forward to welcoming you aboard for a FUN and memorable cruise.”

Why the Changes?

Carnival Cruise Line has not offered a reason for why Carnival Venezia‘s itinerary has been changed, but it is not unusual for cruise lines to tweak sailing schedules in order to create a better experience for guests.

This could mean shifting the days certain ships are in different ports of call to minimize crowding, adjusting times to arrive and depart ports to work better with tidal schedules for channel navigation, or working around other port projects, such as maintenance, dredging, or repair work.

By alerting guests to the change nearly seven months before the departure date, passengers have plenty of time to make alternative plans or even to cancel or rebook their cruise if they prefer.