Delayed Embarkation for Carnival Cruise Ship

Guests booked on the April 22, 2023 departure of Carnival Dream have been notified to adjust their embarkation time by one hour, possibly indicating a slight delay in the cruise ship’s return to Galveston. This may also impact guests on board and how quickly they can debark the vessel after the current sailing.

Carnival Dream Embarkation Revision

Guests planning to set sail aboard Carnival Dream on Saturday, April 22, 2023 have been alerted to delay their arrival time to the Galveston cruise terminal.

“Embarkation for your cruise has been revised,” the email read. “Please delay your arrival appointment by one hour.”

While no explanation has been given for the short delay, the email does advise that “guests who arrive prior to their new time will be asked to return at their assigned time.”

It is possible that weather conditions, tidal patterns, or other ship traffic at the port is causing the slight revision to the docking schedule.

Guests should note that everyone should be onboard no later than 3 p.m. in order for the ship to set sail on time for its next cruise. “Thanks for your cooperation,” the email finishes. “We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.”

Carnival Dream is currently sailing a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary that departed Galveston on Sunday, April 16, with calls in Costa Maya, Belize City, and Cozumel. The cruise began and is ending with a day at sea to give guests plenty of opportunity to enjoy all the amenities onboard.

The next cruise, which will have the slightly later embarkation, is an 8-night roundtrip Eastern Caribbean itinerary, visiting Key West and three ports in The Bahamas: Freeport, Half Moon Cay, Carnival’s private island destination, and Nassau, before returning to Galveston on April 30.

Carnival Dream joined the fleet in 2009, and is able to welcome 3,646 guests at double occupancy, or up to 4,631 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled. The ship is homeported at Galveston at least through spring 2025, offering both Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries.

Delays Common in Galveston

Delays of different types are not unheard of at Port of Galveston. Fog-related delays are a seasonal hazard and may keep ships from docking for several hours, while storm-related delays are always a concern during hurricane season.

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Rapidly increasing cruise traffic at Port of Galveston can also be a factor in the precise schedules for ship to embark and debark, with larger ships such as Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class Allure of the Seas and the upcoming Excel-class Carnival Jubilee from Carnival Cruise Line bringing more and more guests to the port.

Furthermore, MSC Cruises’ commitment to developing a dedicated terminal in Galveston will bring even more ships and passengers to the facility.

At times, local roadwork and other complications also make reaching the cruise terminals at Port of Galveston challenging for guests, but these issues are well outside any cruise line’s control and do not generally impact ship arrival and departure times.

With increased traffic, crowded parking, and more passengers than ever needing to move through the cruise terminal, delays are to be expected as port staffing refines how to handle larger crowds.

Booked guests departing from Galveston should stay in close contact with their cruise line for updates as their sailing date approaches in case of any schedule revisions or delays.