Carnival Vista Experiences a Technical Issue While Docked in Puerto Rico

Passengers aboard Carnival Vista experienced an unforeseen interruption during their voyage as the ship faced mechanical issues while docked in Puerto Rico. The incident was highlighted by a passenger, who shared an update via social media.

“We are currently on the Vista in Puerto Rico, and the ship broke down,” he posted, indicating that the vessel was temporarily immobilized due to technical problems.

The specifics of the mechanical issues have not been fully disclosed by Carnival Cruise Line, but the disruption caused Carnival Vista to overnight in Puerto Rico on its May 7 call as engineers worked on repairs.

Originally set to depart from San Juan at 5:30 p.m., the ship did not depart until about 7:30 a.m. on May 8. The unscheduled overnight has resulted in Carnival Cruise Line rearranging the itinerary of its 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise.

The cruise line said in a statement to Cruise Hive, “Carnival Vista’s engineers resolved a technical issue that caused a delayed departure from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The ship’s itinerary has been modified, changing the order in which it visits St. Thomas and St. Maarten on Wednesday and Thursday, to maximize guests’ experience.”

Carnival Vista is currently sailing directly to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands a day ahead of schedule. It will sail to Philipsburg, St. Maarten on May 8 before returning to Port Canaveral on May 12.

Details regarding shore excursions were not revealed, but traditionally, any changes or cancellations to excursions booked through Carnival Cruise Line are remediated by the cruise line and require no further effort from passengers. Guests who booked private excursions must contact providers to make changes and cancellations.

Propulsion Problems Growing on Vista-Class

Carnival Vista’s current journey began in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, on May 4, 2024. Sailing first to Puerto Plata/Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic on May 6, the nearly 4,000-passenger, 133,500-gross-ton ship sailed into San Juan, as scheduled, on May 6. Passengers disembarked for what was intended to be a 7-hour call.

As passengers re-embarked, chatter began to erupt when Carnival Vista did not depart on time, with many sharing they would rather be at port dealing with technical issues than at sea.

Passengers received word from the captain during the evening that the ship was experiencing mechanical issues and that the crew was working on repairs. Further updates shared on social media reported the issues to be related to propulsion.

This is not the first time a Carnival Vista-Class ship has experienced propulsion issues. Carnival Vista, Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Horizon have each experienced propulsion system issues and additional technical challenges. Each event has also resulted in itinerary changes, as well as cruise cancellations.

Carnival Vista’s propulsion problems were first noted in 2016 during a sailing from New York on November 16. The issue caused the ship to replace a Grand Turk call in Turks and Caicos with one in Nassau, Bahamas. In addition, three cruises were canceled in June 2019, and the ship was put into unscheduled dry dock for repairs of the system.

It wasn’t long before propulsion problems returned, with more itinerary changes enforced due to problems in May 2022.

Read Also: What Is Wrong With Carnival’s Vista-Class Ships?

Vista-Class ships from Carnival use Azipod Drive propulsion systems located outside of the vessel. This means, when it requires repair or maintenance, it cannot be accessed via the engine room and instead requires more complex repairs.

Despite the setbacks, Azipods are considered the best for fuel efficiency and maneuverability, which is why the cruise line continues to use it as its propulsion system.