Guests setting sail aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise on Saturday, August 24, 2024 have been asked to briefly delay their cruise terminal arrival appointments.
While the Fantasy-class ship is arriving back to Tampa today, her arrival has been slightly delayed due to a medical evacuation and poor weather. Therefore, the subsequent embarkation is also delayed.
Text and email notifications were sent out to ensure guests are aware of the change.
“Due to a medical debarkation and unfavorable weather on the return to Tampa, Carnival Paradise will be arriving later than scheduled tomorrow, Saturday, August 24. As a result, your embarkation has been revised,” the notification read. “Please delay your terminal arrival appointment by 30 minutes.”
For example, any traveler who selected a 1-1:30 p.m. arrival time appointment when they checked in for their cruise should now plan to arrive at Port Tampa Bay from 1:30-2 p.m.
Just a 30 minute delay is not exceptionally significant, but it is necessary. This will ensure enough time for travelers onboard to debark the ship and leave the terminal and parking areas before new guests arrive, minimizing crowding and confusion.
All guests must be onboard Carnival Paradise no later than 4:30 p.m. for the ship’s departure from Tampa on her 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary. The ship’s planned visits to Roatan on Monday and Cozumel on Tuesday are not impacted at this time, and she will return to Tampa as scheduled on Thursday, August 29.
To protect the impacted guest’s privacy, as well as that of their traveling companions, friends, and family members, no details about the medical debarkation have been disclosed.
“Our thoughts are of course with the guest who needed that urgent care and who we wish a full recovery,” said the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, after sharing the embarkation adjustment on his popular Facebook page.
The 71,925-gross-ton Carnival Paradise is homeported year-round from Tampa, offering short Western Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. While most of her cruises are 4- or 5-night voyages, she does offer the occasional 6-night sailing as well.
Depending on sailing date and cruise length, Carnival Paradise is a frequent guest at top ports such as Key West, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Nassau, and Bimini. In August 2025, the ship will be one of the first to visit Carnival Cruise Line’s new destination in the Bahamas, Celebration Key.
Carnival Paradise is one of the smallest ships in the Carnival fleet, able to welcome only 2,124 guests when booked at double occupancy. As one of only two Fantasy class vessels remaining – along with her sister ship, Carnival Elation – she has a tremendous following of cruise fans who prefer smaller, nostalgic vessels.
Why Delays Happen in Tampa
While cruise ship delays can easily happen at any homeport, Port Tampa Bay does tend to have more than its fair share of delays. This is due to the unique geography of Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, which create an exceptionally long channel that ships must navigate to reach the cruise terminal.
Read Also: Tampa Cruise Port – Terminals, Transportation, What’s Nearby
Ships must also take great care when passing underneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge near the mouth of Tampa Bay.
In total, it takes a cruise ship nearly three hours from first entering the channel until reaching the cruise terminal. Heavy fog, high winds, or other weather difficulties can temporarily close the bay, prohibiting ships from even beginning their transit to the terminal.
Only when the channel is safe to reopen can ships begin moving toward the cruise terminal, but at that point they are still three hours away. This can make delays add up significantly.
Furthermore, the Tampa area and all of Florida’s west coast is subject to tropical storms and hurricanes, which can further cause delays for homeported ships. Cruise lines always keep safety as a first priority, ensuring ships are well out of danger until such storms pass.
Have you ever had a delay when sailing from Tampa? Share your experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!
