Itinerary Change, Cancelled Ports for Carnival’s Epic Cruise

Just as one of Carnival Cruise Line’s longest-ever cruises has begun, guests onboard Carnival Luminosa have been notified of an itinerary change that is causing three port cancellations and other adjustments for the voyage.

The cruise line is providing compensation and hopefully, the rest of the lengthy itinerary will have smooth sailing.

Carnival Luminosa Itinerary Change

Just as guests were boarding Carnival Luminosa on Thursday, September 14, 2023 to begin the ship’s epic 30-night repositioning cruise from Seattle to Brisbane, they received notification of an itinerary change cancelling all the ports in Alaska, as well as the scenic cruising for Hubbard Glacier.

“In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center, we are monitoring a low-pressure system in the greater Alaska region which is forecasted to create unusually high swells and strong winds that will impact the first part of our itinerary,” the notification read.

According to local radar, the rough weather and rainy conditions extend along much of southeastern Alaska, with wind speeds as high as 28 knots (32 miles per hour / 52 kilometers per hour) along the sailing route the ship would need to take to reach the planned ports of call.

In order to keep the ship safe and comfortable from the storm, a more southerly route is essential, which means it is not possible for Carnival Luminosa to visit Alaska. The visits to Ketchikan (Saturday, September 16) and Icy Strait Point (Sunday, September 17) are cancelled, and there will be no scenic glacier cruising (Monday, September 18).

Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather

“Everyone’s safety is our priority, and we really have no choice other than to change our itinerary,” the notification explained. “We know you were looking forward to visiting Alaska as part of this unique adventure and we share your disappointment.”

The letter to guests also encourages them to take extra precautions when moving around the ship over the next few days, as extra motion might be felt even with the route change.

Alternative Ports Added

In revising the itinerary, Carnival Cruise Line has added two additional Japanese ports of call. The earlier than anticipated arrival in Japan is necessitating the cancellation of one of the already scheduled Japanese ports, however, and the ship will not be visiting Kushiro on Tuesday, September 26, which was to have been the first city to visit in Japan.

Now, Carnival Luminosa will instead call on Otaru and Hakodate on Monday and Tuesday, September 25 and 26, respectively. Both port visits are full day stops, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Otaru and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Hakodate.

It must be noted that because of the cancellation of the Alaska ports, Carnival Luminosa will now spend the first 10 days of the cruise at sea, with no port visits at all in that time. This includes when the ship will cross the International Date Line, which is a momentous occasion on any transpacific sailing.

At this time, the rest of the ship’s itinerary through Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia is unchanged, and there is no impact on the anticipated October 15, 2023 arrival into Brisbane, Australia.

Compensation Offered

While weather-related itinerary changes are out of the cruise line’s control, Carnival is offering guests $200 (USD) onboard credit per stateroom to enjoy extra activities, drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, fitness class, or other offerings.

Furthermore, all pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions for the now-cancelled Alaska ports of call are being automatically refunded. Guests will be able to purchase new tours for Japan or other ports of call through the Carnival Hub app or by visiting the Carnival Adventures desk on Deck 2, portside, in the Supernova Atrium.

While it may be a somewhat rough start to this epic, 30-night Carnival Journeys voyage – one of the longest in the cruise line’s history – hopefully, it will be smooth sailing for the next 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometers) that Carnival Luminosa will be covering along the way.