Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked aboard the January 25, 2025 departure of Carnival Magic with notification that their sailing will have a delayed embarkation. As a consequence, all terminal arrival appointments have been revised.
The impacted cruise is an 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailing with visits scheduled for Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas, before the ship returns to Miami, Florida on Sunday, February 2.
“Saturday, January 25, the ship will be returning from a chartered voyage, and we will need some extra time to disembark guests and offload special equipment before accommodating your arrival,” the notification read. “Consequently, embarkation for your cruise has been revised. Please delay your Terminal Arrival Appointment by two hours.”
Carnival Magic‘s current sailing is the ShipRocked Cruise, a special event featuring more than 35 different rock artists and bands, including returning performers as well as those on their first ShipRocked sailing.
The 6-night sailing is filled with concerts, meet-and-greets, photo ops, theme nights, and more, along with all the typical activities and entertainment onboard.
The chartered cruise departed PortMiami on Sunday, January 19, with calls to St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay on the itinerary.
The “special equipment” that needs to be offloaded before the next embarkation can begin is likely extra sound and stage equipment used for the various concerts during the ShipRocked cruise.
Furthermore, the ShipRocked debarkation may be a bit more logistically challenging to ensure the onboard artists can leave the ship smoothly before fans begin debarkation.
Because of the delay, guests on Carnival Magic‘s January 25 departure will now simply move their Terminal Arrival Appointments to two hours later than planned.
For example, if a guest initially selected an appointment of 12:30-1 p.m. to get checked in and board Carnival Magic, now they will need to arrive from 2:30-3 p.m. All guests must arrive at the cruise terminal no later than 4 p.m.
Carnival Cruise Line is also advising travelers that seating is limited within the cruise terminal and it is not possible to accommodate guests who arrive ahead of their revised appointment times.
It is essential to permit enough time for guests from the previous cruise to clear the cruise terminal and parking areas before arriving travelers can be welcomed.
At this time, there is no expected impact to Carnival Magic‘s January 25 itinerary. All her ports of call are intact and no port times have been changed.
Even leaving Miami slightly later than planned will not be a problem, as the first day of the sailing is a day at sea and it will be easy for the vessel to make up any lost time on her way to Amber Cove.
Why No Earlier Notification?
While guests who must now delay their boarding for Carnival Magic by two hours may be understandably upset, the delay is relatively minimal. This is especially true when compared to fog-related delays that may be several hours, or could even last a full day as happens occasionally in ports like Tampa or Jacksonville.
Still, given that the ShipRocked cruise was planned and chartered months ago, it’s interesting that Carnival Cruise Line did not account for the extra debarkation time in advance.
Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise
Extra notice would have given travelers the opportunity to arrange for later pre-cruise flights or hotel check-outs if necessary, or find some other way to enjoy the time in Miami before boarding the ship.
Personal hint – Bayside Marketplace, just on the base of Port Boulevard next to the cruise terminals, is a great place to spend a couple of hours with the Skyview Miami Observation Wheel, local shopping and restaurants, boat tours, and a huge candy store to explore.
Whenever guests do board Carnival Magic, the ship’s nearly 1,400 international crew members will be waiting to provide exceptional service and ensure that everyone aboard has a truly magical cruise getaway.