Key Aspects:
- Carnival Sunshine is reversing the order of port visits because of unfavorable weather for her April 18 sailing.
- No ports are cancelled, but the times in each port are also adjusted on the new itinerary.
- Weather conditions are continuously evaluated and the ship’s safety is always the top priority.
While guests had some challenges boarding Carnival Sunshine in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday, April 18 due to a local event, even more challenges are in store for the 8-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary.
On Sunday, the first full day of the cruise, guests received letters updating them on the sailing schedule. All three ports of call are impacted, though none are cancelled.
“With help from our Fleet Operations Center, we’re monitoring weather forecasts for our itinerary,” the letter, signed by Captain Antonio Gargiulo, explained. “Unfavorable conditions are expected, therefore, weather permitting, we will follow a revised voyage plan.”
Following two full days at sea, the 103,900-gross-ton Carnival Sunshine was originally scheduled to visit RelaxAway Half Moon Cay on Tuesday, April 21, followed by Grand Turk on Wednesday and Amber Cove on Thursday. Two more days at sea would bring the ship back to Virginia for debarkation on Sunday, April 26.
Now, however, the ship is reversing the itinerary and will visit Amber Cove on Tuesday, Grand Turk on Wednesday, and Half Moon Cay on Thursday. The days at sea are unchanged.
In addition to the change in visit days (except for Grand Turk), the time in all three ports has also been adjusted on the revised schedule.
Amber Cove’s visit will now be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., when it was originally planned for 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., cutting one hour off the in-port time. Grand Turk’s visit is now also from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but was originally 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This adds an hour to the port visit.
When Carnival Sunshine reaches Half Moon Cay, the ship will be at the port from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Originally, the schedule for that day was 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the same amount of time for the port visit, just shifted one hour earlier.
Any shore tours purchased through Carnival Cruise Line for any of the ports of call will be automatically adjusted for the revised schedule. Guests do not need to visit the Carnival Adventures Desk on Deck 3 unless they want to cancel their tours or purchase new ones.
Reversing Itineraries Not Uncommon
Cruise Hive has regularly reported on itinerary reversals when cruise ships must avoid widespread weather systems. By reversing the order of ports, it is possible for the ship to still visit all the planned destinations, albeit on different days than the original schedule.
Because the first and last ports on Carnival Sunshine‘s sailing; Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove, are roughly 470 miles apart, the ship can easily avoid rough weather that may be affecting one port at the time the ship was scheduled to visit.
Even if strong storms may not seem to be in the forecast for each port of call, if tendering is necessary, the port may be impacted.
While a pier is currently under construction for RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, it is not yet complete and ships must still use water shuttle service to ferry guests to shore. Because Carnival Sunshine can welcome up to 3,758 guests, this can take some time even in the best conditions.
If strong swells are expected in the area, tendering is not possible and the port must be skipped.
Forecast expectations for Half Moon Cay on Tuesday, when Carnival Sunshine was originally scheduled, include a 65% chance of rain and winds up to 22 miles per hour. During the rescheduled visit for Thursday, however, there is only a 10% chance of rain and winds should only reach 15 miles per hour.
Safety is always the first priority for cruise ships visiting any port of call. Even on days that may seem mild, winds or swells from the wrong direction can still impact docking or tendering operations.
The ship’s captain will always take all current information into account and make the most responsible decision about whether or not to visit a port. Forecasts can and do change, and it’s not unusual for a port to be cancelled at the last minute if conditions aren’t suitable.
