Guests booked on Carnival Sunrise sailings have been informed that their cruise has been cancelled due to the ship undergoing some annual maintenance. A letter was sent out on November 16 informing guests of the change and their options moving forward.
Carnival Sunrise Cancellations
Many disappointed guests today were looking forward to their cruise aboard the Carnival Sunrise in 2022. Carnival Cruise Line has informed guests booked on multiple sailings between April 23, 2022 and May 21, 2022, that their voyages have been cancelled.
The reason for the cancellations is due to the Sunshine-class vessel undergoing some annual maintenance. No other reason was provided.
In the letter sent to impacted guests, Carnival says, “In our continuous efforts to enhance our product, Carnival Sunrise has now been scheduled for her annual maintenance. As a result, we’re sorry to inform you we will not be operating your cruise, and your reservation will be cancelled.”
The cruise line continues with, “We have a variety of other cruise alternatives and are confident you will find another Carnival vacation that is filled with an equal amount of FUN.”
It’s not yet known what will take place during the maintenance, but the ship will enter dry dock on April 23 and leave on May 25, 2022. It’s likely the ship will receive the new red, white, and blue livery that’s already been rolling out across the fleet. There could also be the usual minor updates in certain areas, along with new carpeting and tiling.
Carnival Sunrise restarted operations from Miami in Florida on August 14, 2021. The Carnival cruise ship is sailing on four-day and five-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and the Bahamas, including popular ports such as Ocho Rios in Jamaica, Nassau in the Bahamas, and even the cruise line’s private island of Half Moon Cay, also in the Bahamas.
The vessel was also the first in the fleet to return to Jamaica on August 17, bringing much-needed revenue to the local business that relies on cruise ship visitors.
Impacted Guests
The timing for the Carnival Sunrise cancellations could not be worse as guests were looking forward to enjoying the ship that had already been on hold for more than 17 months. Many have also wondered why the cruise line is scheduling the maintenance now, rather than during the months the ship was on hold.
To make up for the cancellations, guests are being offered a $25 per person of onboard credit applied to their Sail & Sign Account for a future sailing. Guests can find another cruise and have their cruise rate protected on a comparable sailing.
Carnival Cruise Line also allows the option for a full refund, which includes pre-purchased packages booked through the cruise line. The full refund could take up to three weeks to process. Guests are being asked to contact Carnival directly or through their travel agent by November 30, 2021, to confirm their preferred option.
Carnival Sunrise’s last dry dock took place in 2019, a massive transformation that saw the ship change from the Carnival Triumph to the currently named Carnival Sunrise.
The cruise line has made a number of cancellations recently due to the fluidity of protocols in certain ports. Carnival Miracle’s Hawaii sailing in November was cancelled, and changes for multiple ports for three ships on sailings as far as 2023.