Guests sailing aboard Carnival Pride for the first of the ship’s three Greenland sailings this year are missing yet another port of call. After previous itinerary adjustments, including canceling both Greenland ports of call, the ship has now been unable to make its visit to St. Anthony on Monday, June 3.
Originally, the ship was to have visited St. Anthony on Tuesday, June 4, but the visit was bumped up a day after the Greenland ports were removed from the itinerary. Carnival Pride did approach St. Anthony and anchor as planned, but poor weather precluded the use of the ship’s water shuttles as it would have been unsafe to move guests back and forth from the cruise ship.
“We anchored in St. Anthony, but as you could see, extremely dense fog and large waves made it unsafe to operate water shuttles to take you ashore,” a letter delivered to guests’ cabins stated. “Because your safety always comes first, we had to abort today’s visit.”
The letter was signed by the ship’s master, Captain Vito Giacalone. Carnival cruise ship captains are always in touch with the line’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami for the most detailed and updated weather forecast information possible.
Carnival Pride was to have been in port for St. Anthony from 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. At the time the ship was to have begun shuttle guests ashore, winds were from the east at 8-9 knots (9-10 miles per hour), which higher gusts up to 18 knots (21 mph). This helped create significant waves, and would have made docking the smaller tender boats too dangerous for guests.
Furthermore, heavy fog in the region would have made navigation of the smaller craft exceptionally difficult, and the moisture in the air would create slippery, hazardous surfaces.
“We know you were looking forward to seeing St. Anthony and are sorry for this change of plans,” the captain’s letter stated. “We are now proceeding to Corner Brook for Wednesday’s visit.”
Read Also: What You Should Know About Cruise Port Cancellations
All pre-paid Carnival shore excursions for St. Anthony are being automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. Likewise, the taxes and port fees for the destination will also be refunded to guests’ accounts.
How Many Days at Sea Are Too Many?
Since departing Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, May 26, Carnival Pride has not been able to make any port of call. Days at sea are to be expected when attempting to cruise to remote locations such as Greenland, but the loss of now three port visits is making the situation extreme.
So far, Carnival Pride has now had eight full days at sea, and Tuesday June 4 will be another day at sea as planned before the visit to Corner Brook on Wednesday, June 5. Thursday, June 6 is also expected to be a port day in Sydney, Nova Scotia – the last port visit on the itinerary.
While the ship’s 930 crew members will do everything possible to provide unique games, activities, and entertainment onboard, so many days at sea could start to feel repetitive to passengers. Unique options are sure to be introduced, however, such as craft projects, guest contests, and impromptu comedy or talent shows.
Many guests onboard are understandably disappointed, however, at the loss of so many ports of call on this Carnival Journeys cruise. It is important to remember that safety is always the ultimate priority, and it is never acceptable to take out disappointment or frustration on crew members.
The 88,500-gross-ton, Spirit-class Carnival Pride can host 2,124 guests per sailing. The ship will make two additional attempts to reach Greenland in 2024, both during the highly popular fall foliage season. The first will set sail on August 18, and the September 8, both 14-night roundtrip sailings from Baltimore.
Hopefully, the autumn sailings will have smoother weather and better success at fulfilling their planned itineraries.
