Carnival Cruise Ships Delayed Out at Sea, Latest Update Released

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With Hurricane Milton now impacting all of the Florida peninsula and many of the Sunshine State’s cruise homeports closed, Carnival Cruise Line is working to keep guests updated on which ships are affected and how their sailings are being adjusted.

Many guests are worried about upcoming sailings, and with ships being forced to return late, following departures are starting to be impacted.

Carnival Paradise, sailing from Port Tampa Bay, will not be returning on October 10 as planned, and her next voyage – a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel – has been cancelled.

It is not known when the ship may be able to return to Tampa, as that area of Florida will be the hardest hit by the storm and the entire port and marine channel must be thoroughly assessed before the cruise terminal can reopen.

Carnival Elation, homeported from Jacksonville, will also not be returning to her homeport as originally scheduled on Thursday, October 10. A post-storm assessment must be completed for the St. Johns River before the cruise ship can safely navigate back to the terminal, and there is no estimate yet on when that may be completed after the storm.

Carnival Glory, currently sailing a 4-night Bahamas itinerary, will not be able to return to Port Canaveral as scheduled on Friday, October 11. At this time, it is estimated that the ship will be able to dock on Saturday, October 12, but there is no confirmed time for docking or debarkation.

Because Carnival Glory‘s next cruise must be shortened from its original 3-night Bahamas visit to Bimini, guests booked on that sailing have the option to cancel for a 100% future cruise credit if preferred. The ship will sail with the shortened itinerary.

Likewise, Carnival Sunrise will not be able to return from her 5-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary to PortMiami as planned on Thursday, October 10. The ship is estimated to return sometime on Friday instead.

Carnival Valor, sailing a 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary from New Orleans, was unable to visit Cozumel as part of her planned schedule, but instead spent the day at sea. The ship will be returning to Port NOLA as planned on Thursday, October 10, but will arrive in the afternoon rather than the morning.

Carnival Pride‘s 7-night sailing to Bermuda was shifted slightly to provide an earlier visit to that tropical destination in order to ensure the ship is well out of the storm’s path. The ship should be returning to Baltimore, Maryland without any delays on Sunday, October 13.

“As the safety of our guests and crew is our priority, we will continue to monitor the storm, factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates as more information becomes available,” the cruise line said in its most recent weather-related update.

Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has also been busy keeping many worried guests updated on Hurricane Milton on his hugely popular Facebook page.

Hurricane Milton Update

Hurricane Milton is close to making official landfall on Florida’s west coast, just south of Tampa Bay. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (mph), making it a Category 3 hurricane.

The wind field has increased significantly and impacts from the storm are being felt from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle. Hurricane-force winds can be felt up to 35 miles from the center of the storm’s eye, while tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 255 miles from the center.

Hurricane Milton, October 9, Advisory 19
Hurricane Milton, October 9, Advisory 19

For comparison, the Florida peninsula is roughly 150 miles wide at its widest point, and 385 miles long from north-to-south.

Read Also: List of All Cruise Ships Impacted by Hurricane Milton

As Hurricane Milton makes landfall, the storm is expected to weaken significantly but is likely to remain at official hurricane strength as it crosses the peninsula on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Significant rainfall, localized flooding, and storm surge all remain as ongoing hazards at this time.

Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with everyone impacted by this severe hurricane, as well as all those at sea waiting to ride out the waves before returning home.

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Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.

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