Carnival Cruise Line has begun reaching out to guests booked aboard two sailings of Carnival Miracle to inform them that due to dry dock scheduling, their cruises must be cancelled.
The impacted sailings are out of Galveston and not until April 2025, giving travelers plenty of time to adjust their plans for a different oceangoing getaway.
Two Carnival Miracle Cruises Cancelled
Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled two cruises aboard Carnival Miracle and has contacted impacted guests about their options for refunds or rebooking. The two cancelled sailings are the April 6 and April 15 departure dates in 2025, just as the Spirit-class vessel is reaching the end of her deployment to Galveston, Texas.
“In our continuous effort to enhance our product, Carnival Miracle has now been scheduled for dry dock and we’re sorry to inform you that your cruise has been cancelled,” the notification letter read.
No details of the dry dock have been announced, but it will likely include standard updates and maintenance for technical and engineering systems, public areas, and different onboard venues, as well as refreshing staterooms and doing other maintenance that is unable to be completed while guests are onboard.
Carnival Miracle‘s most recent dry dock was in late 2022 and also included regular maintenance, hull cleaning, and repainting the hull with the cruise line’s new signature red, white, and blue livery.
While in Galveston prior to this new dry dock, the 88,500-gross ton Carnival Miracle will be offering longer itineraries from the Lone Star State, ranging from 9-12 nights and visiting amazing ports of call such as Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Belize, Costa Rica, Aruba, and Curacao.
No explanation of the change of dry dock dates has been offered, but it is not uncommon for schedules to be adjusted so far in advance of a dry dock depending on the facility used, other cruise lines scheduling maintenance, and berth availability.
Compensation Offers
Guests booked on the two now-cancelled sailings have two options for compensation. Full refunds will be processed automatically after September 11, 2023, with monies returned to the original form of payment. The cruise line does stress that refunds may take up to three weeks to process, depending on the policies of individual financial institutions.
If guests wish to rebook on a different cruise, however, Carnival Cruise Line is offering some incentives. Guests’ cruise rates will be protected on comparable sailings with similar accommodations, which could be a great bargain for rebooking to an earlier sailing or choosing a different vessel.
If guests rebook, they will also receive a $50 (USD) onboard credit per person, up to $100 per stateroom, to enjoy on the new cruise.
The onboard credit offer is only valid through September 11, 2023, however. Guests wishing to take advantage of the deal must reach out to Carnival Cruise Line or their travel agent prior to that date to plan their alternate sailing.
Read Also: All Carnival Cruise Ships by Age: Newest to Oldest
No further compensation is offered, nor is the cruise line offering any assistance with adjustments for pre- or post-cruise travel plans. If such plans, including hotels, port transfers, or airfare, were booked through Carnival Cruise Line, guests will be refunded for those costs along with the cruise fare refund.
Since the cancelled sailings are 20 months away, it is unlikely that booked guests have made additional arrangements so far in advance. Most hotels and airlines do not offer such reservations this early, or if they do, cancellations policies would likely apply without fees or penalties.
