Cruise guests boarding Carnival Vista for an 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary learned as they embarked the ship on Saturday, August 10, 2024 that they will not, in fact, be visiting the planned ports of call.
Text messages were sent to guests in the early afternoon – even as some passengers were already onboard – about the change of plans.
Carnival Vista is due to depart Port Canaveral on a Southern Caribbean cruise with visits scheduled for Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk. Due to mechanical problems, however, the planned itinerary is no longer possible.
“The ship is experiencing an issue that is affecting its maximum cruising speed. Our engineers are working on a repair plan,” the text notification read. “While we will be able to sail, it is necessary for us to revise our itinerary.”
Instead of her Southern Caribbean destinations, the 133,596-gross-ton Carnival Vista will instead enjoy a Bahamas itinerary with stops to Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay. The exact times of those visits are still being determined.
By visiting the Bahamas instead of the Southern Caribbean, Carnival Vista can travel at a much slower speed. This will allow onboard engineers to work on the ship’s propulsion system while the vessel is still moving, as individual engines can be taken out of service for repair work. Furthermore, longer time in port may permit additional technical work during the cruise.
Guests are being provided with options and compensation. All travelers who choose to remain on Carnival Vista to enjoy the modified cruise will receive a $400 (USD) onboard credit per stateroom.
Carnival Cruise Line stated to Cruise Hive: “Due to a technical issue affecting the ship’s cruising speed, Carnival Vista has revised the itinerary for its eight-day Southern Caribbean cruise departing Saturday from Port Canaveral.
“The ship will sail a revised itinerary visiting Nassau; Princess Cays; Freeport; and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. We have communicated directly with guests on board regarding their options for the sailing. We appreciate their understanding and sincerely apologize for the necessary change,” Carnival added.
If passengers prefer to disembark instead, they will receive a 100% future cruise credit of their cruise fare, along with a full refund for pre-purchased items such as prepaid gratuities, drink packages, or internet access.
As a matter of course, all guests will receive a full refund of any pre-paid shore excursions booked through Carnival Cruise Line for the now-cancelled calls to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk.
Guests who do set sail on the Bahamas cruise will be able to book appropriate tours through the Carnival Hub app or at the Carnival Adventures desk portside on Deck 3 in the Vista Lobby.
Details of the technical problem impacting the ship’s cruising speed have not been announced, but guests on the previous sailing have noted on social media that the ship seemed to arrive at Port Canaveral later than expected.
While Carnival Vista was to have departed Port Canaveral at 4 p.m. on Saturday to head for Aruba, satellite tracking data shows the ship still docked more than two hours after that departure time.
Furthermore, her destination is now listed as Nassau, arriving at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 12, indicating a full day at sea before she will arrive at the capital of the Bahamas, just 310 miles from Port Canaveral.
Read Also: What Is Wrong With Carnival’s Vista Class Ships?
It should be noted that only the ship’s propulsion is impacted at this time. All onboard services are functioning properly, including hotel, restaurant, and entertainment operations, including all the ship’s amenities.
This is not the first time the lead ship of the troubled Vista class has had propulsion difficulties. The ship has had engine trouble several times over the years, including in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Guest Reactions
Passengers onboard Carnival Vista are obviously distressed at such a dramatic itinerary change, especially as Southern Caribbean itineraries are quite rare and sought after as bucket-list sailings. Many guests booked this specific sailing for the opportunity to visit Aruba.
Furthermore, Southern Caribbean cruises are often much higher priced than Bahamas sailings. The onboard credit compensation does not necessarily make up for the price difference, especially for families.
Some guests are most upset at the timing, believing that Carnival Cruise Line should have provided notification sooner, before travelers made their way to the homeport. It is unclear, however, how recently these propulsion problems may have developed.
Another strong complaint is the idea that Carnival must have “known” about the change earlier, but chose to purposefully wait until guests had embarked before making the change announcement.
What is more likely, however, is that the cruise line waited to make the announcement until new port plans were in place, in order to provide guests with as much information as possible.
Not all reactions are negative, however. Some travelers note that there is no “bad” day on a cruise, and with at least some passengers debarking, the ship will be less crowded and will have shorter lines.
The opportunity to visit two private islands – Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays – is also exciting to some travelers, and certainly creates a unique cruise experience.
If you were onboard this sailing, would you happily set sail for the Bahamas or would you leave the ship? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!
