Carnival Ship Changes Itinerary for First Alaska Sailing of 2024

Carnival Luminosa‘s very first Alaska itinerary for the 2024 sailing season will not be the same as originally published. The cruise line has reached out to booked guests to advise them of the change. While the ship will be visiting all the planned ports of call (weather permitting), the exact times in those ports have been adjusted.

Carnival Luminosa Itinerary Change

On May 1, 2024, Carnival Luminosa will depart Seattle for the first official sailing of her Alaska season. While this will not be the first time she has visited Alaskan ports of call this year – they are part of the itinerary for the ship’s 30-night repositioning from Brisbane to Seattle that departed on April 1 – this is the ship’s first exclusive Alaska voyage of 2024.

The 8-night sailing will depart Seattle, Washington on Wednesday, May 1, with scheduled visits to Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, Ketchikan, and Victoria before returning to Seattle on Thursday, May 9. Booked guests have now received an email notification that the first two ports of call will be slightly altered.

“We have made an adjustment to the itinerary for your cruise – port times for Icy Strait Point and Juneau have been modified,” the email said.

The exact modifications have not been disclosed, but should be updated on the cruise line’s website, and most likely the Carnival Hub app as well, within 24 hours.

The original schedule had Carnival Luminosa visiting Icy Strait Point from 12-8 p.m. on Friday, May 3, followed by the visit to Juneau from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

It should be noted that neither port of call is cancelled, only that the times are going to be adjusted. Carnival Luminosa should still be visiting each destination on the appropriate scheduled day.

Shore Tours to Be Adjusted

Any pre-booked shore excursions through Carnival Cruise Line will automatically be adjusted to accommodate the new port times, the email confirmed.

If any tours must be cancelled because they cannot be suitably adjusted, they will likely be refunded either as onboard credit or back to the original form of payment. Unless the port time changes are drastic, however, it is unlikely that many tours would need to be cancelled.

Read Also: What’s the Best Cruise Line for Alaska?

Travelers who have booked independent tour arrangements will need to reach out to their tour operators for rescheduling or cancellation as necessary.

No Reasoning Explained

No details about why the time changes are necessary have been confirmed. Cruise lines often adjust port times based on navigational challenges, weather, or port congestion. In Alaska, local restrictions on travel speeds to protect whales and other wildlife may also impact exactly when ships can arrive or leave different destinations to keep their itineraries intact.

At this time, there are no technical difficulties with Carnival Luminosa, and these changes do not appear to be related in any way to the ship’s operational capability.

The 92,720-gross-ton vessel joined the Carnival fleet in 2022 and operates from Seattle for the Alaska season and sails from Brisbane during the summer months down under. Carnival Luminosa is just finishing her transpacific cruise from Brisbane to Seattle, having already visited Guam, Japan, and Alaska on her way to her summer homeport, where she will offer 7-night sailings through mid-September.

The ship can welcome 2,826 guests, and is also home to approximately 1,050 international crew members.