Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on three upcoming sailings of Carnival Horizon to alert them to a destination change when visiting Jamaica.
Rather than calling at Ocho Rios as originally planned, the ship will now be visiting Falmouth. This will impact some shore tours, but overall, the impact to each itinerary is expected to be minimal.
Carnival Horizon Itinerary Changes
Guests booked on the next three Western Caribbean sailings of Carnival Horizon will not be visiting Ocho Rios, Jamaica as originally planned. The cruise line has notified guests that the ship will instead be docking at Falmouth, which is 38 miles (61 kilometers) further west along the island’s northern coast.
“We have made some temporary docking arrangements when your cruise visits Jamaica while repairs are completed on the pier in Ocho Rios,” the email notification explained. “The alternative call into Falmouth is nearby and ensures minimal impact to your experience and our arrival and departure times remain the same.”
The essential repairs followed last week’s rough weather when part of the pier in Ocho Rios collapsed, causing Carnival Magic to impact the damaged section. The chaotic situation involved Carnival Magic temporarily heading out to sea to avoid further damage until arrangements could be made to reunite all passengers with the ship when the weather calmed.
Three upcoming voyages for Carnival Horizon are now adjusted to Falmouth rather than Ocho Rios – the ship’s February 11, February 25, and March 10 departures. Each of those sailings is a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary that will also be visiting George Town, Grand Cayman as well as Cozumel, Mexico.
While Carnival Horizon won’t be able to visit Ocho Rios, the time in Jamaica remains the same, with the port of call visit planned from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each sailing.
The 133,600-gross-ton, Vista-class Carnival Horizon can welcome 3,960 guests aboard at double occupancy, or as many as 4,977 passengers when fully booked. The ship is homeported year-round from Miami, offering alternating Western Caribbean and Southern Caribbean cruises.
Shore Tour Adjustments
Because Ocho Rios and Falmouth are not too far apart, Carnival Cruise Line is able to preserve most of the shore tour options. This means different excursions will remain the same, even though the ship will be visiting Falmouth instead.
“Our shore excursions team is in touch with local tour operator partners and have confirmed that except for a few packages, we will be able to keep tours that were purchased for Ocho Rios,” the email said.
Tours to Montego Bay – which is an additional 23 miles (37 kilometers) west on Jamaica’s northern coast, are also able to be preserved.
Tour times or durations will likely be adjusted, but booked guests will be informed of any changes, including any excursions that cannot be kept intact, once they board.
Read Also: Jamaica Cruise Ports – Full List and Overview
The shore excursions team is also actively working to put together additional options for both Falmouth and Montego Bay that will be available for purchase online before sailing or at the Carnival Adventures desk onboard on the port side of Deck 3, adjacent to the Horizon Atrium.
Will Other Cruises Be Impacted?
At this time, it is only three Carnival Horizon cruises that are impacted by this itinerary adjustment. It is possible, however, that other future cruises may also need adjustment if the pier repairs take longer than anticipated.
No other Carnival cruise ships are scheduled to visit Ocho Rios through mid-March, though Carnival Sunrise is planned to be in port on March 20, and Carnival Horizon again on March 26. Both ships will also be visiting the port of call twice in April.
It should be noted that Carnival Magic will not be visiting Ocho Rios again in 2024, so that ship’s itineraries are not impacted by the incident it was involved in with the pier’s initial damage.
Other cruise lines also have visits planned for Ocho Rios in the coming weeks, including vessels from MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, and P&O Cruises. Because the port can accommodate multiple ships, however, not all cruises will be impacted by the temporary loss of dock availability.
Nevertheless, booked passengers will want to stay in close contact with their cruise line for any possible itinerary adjustments so they can revise their travel plans if necessary.
