Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Firenze departed Long Beach nearly a full day late due to computer issues.
- The ship’s itinerary was revised, with one of two port calls being cancelled.
- Passengers received a $100 onboard credit, per stateroom, as compensation.
What a difference a day makes. Well, 21.5 hours, actually.
That’s how long the departure of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Firenze was delayed at her homeport of Long Beach, California, due to a massive computer failure on December 15, 2025.
The 4,232-guest ship sat at her berth in Long Beach until roughly 1:30 p.m. on December 16, 2025, following a technology glitch that temporarily lost guest information, including booking records and other data.
Originally scheduled to depart Long Beach at 3 p.m. on December 15, 2025, the 4-year-old ship was to sail a 6-night Mexican Riviera voyage calling at Cabo San Lucas for an overnight stay, then Ensenada, before returning to the California port.
Guests were informed of the issue during embarkation on December 15, 2025. At that time, the delay was expected to be just a few hours, but the tech issue persisted, forcing the ship to stay put for nearly a full day.
Revised Itinerary Leads to Compensation Credit
The computer problem was finally solved, and the ship began her Mexico itinerary, but not without substantial changes. First, a $100 onboard credit was issued to each stateroom as compensation for the lost day.
Also, while the ship will visit Cabo San Lucas as planned, the call to Ensenada was cancelled, leaving guests disappointed.
The original itinerary had the ship arriving at Cabo San Lucas on December 17, 2025, staying overnight, then calling at Ensenada on December 20, 2025.
A shipboard announcement during the delay informed guests that, if the delay continued into the evening, the ship would ultimately reverse the calls, visiting Ensenada first, on December 16, 2025, followed by Cabo San Lucas on December 18 and 19, 2025.
However, since the delay extended far beyond what ship officials imagined, Ensenada was removed from the schedule entirely.
Is $100 Onboard Credit Enough? Some Say No.
Guests aboard Carnival Firenze posted their frustrations on social media and garnered some sympathy from commenters.
“Depending on how much I actually paid for the cruise, I’d be pretty upset with that deal. I missed 1/5th of my five day cruise and 1/2 the ports? I’d want about 25% of what I paid,” posted one observer.
Another person had this advice for guests: “You aren’t missing anything by not stopping in Ensenada. Enjoy the rest of your trip!!”
A recent passenger offered this perspective: “Things happen and the ports are not guaranteed, it says so in the cruise contract. We missed two ports on our last cruise because of the hurricane and got nothing.”
The 135,500-gross-ton Carnival Firenze operates 3- to 6-night cruises to Mexican Riviera ports year-round. Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada are ports of call on most itineraries, with some sailings also including Catalina Island.
The ship initially deployed to Long Beach in 2024, when she was transferred from Costa Cruises, a sister brand to Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival Firenze and Carnival Venezia, also a former Costa ship, represent the cruise line’s Fun Italian-Style experience.
