Key Aspects:
- MSC Seashore will be leaving Port Canaveral 30 minutes earlier than scheduled on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
- The cruise line has alerted guests to the change and everyone must arrive at the terminal for check-in no later than 2:30 p.m.
- No other changes to the ship’s 7-night Western Caribbean and Bahamas itinerary have been announced at this time.
Guests setting sail on MSC Cruises’ MSC Seashore will get the party started a little earlier than expected for the ship’s Sunday, September 6, 2026 departure. The cruise line has sent notifications to booked guests to alert them to a change in embarkation time and when the ship’s doors will close as the vessel prepares to set sail from Port Canaveral.
“Due to operational reasons, the scheduled departure from Port Canaveral, Florida has been updated to 4:30 PM EST,” the email stated. “To ensure a smooth embarkation, we kindly ask you to arrive at your assigned check-in time shown on your latest e-ticket, and no later than 2:30 PM EST.”
The 5,632-guest MSC Seashore is setting sail on a 7-night Western Caribbean and Bahamas sailing on September 6. Port visits are planned to Nassau, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve.
Originally, the ship was scheduled to depart Port Canaveral at 5 p.m. Moving the departure 30 minutes earlier may impact travelers who were planning to board later in the afternoon and could be especially challenging for anyone arriving on later flights.
The email notes that “doors will close promptly at 3:30 PM EST.” It is standard procedure that once a cruise ship’s doors close, no late guests are permitted to board, even if the ship may still be loading supplies, cargo, or luggage at that time.
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Only the ship’s departure time from Port Canaveral has been changed and no changes to any other parts of the 7-night itinerary have been announced.
Why the Change?
MSC Cruises has not given any further information about why MSC Seashore will now be leaving Port Canaveral earlier than originally scheduled.
Five homeported ships are in Port Canaveral on Sunday, September 6. According to the port’s schedule, in addition to MSC Seashore, Disney Fantasy, Norwegian Prima, Caribbean Princess, and Star of the Seas are all scheduled that day, with departure times ranging from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Both MSC Seashore and Star of the Seas will be departing at 4:30 p.m. MSC Seashore is planned for Cruise Terminal 10 on the port’s west end, while Star of the Seas will be using Cruise Terminal 1, in the center of the port.
Port Canaveral is a very active commercial port as well as servicing other operations, including fishing vessels, the recovery of rocket boosters from SpaceX launches, and local boating traffic.
It is possible that other operations have now required the cruise ship departure schedule to shift slightly. Pilot availability and refueling operations could also be factors in the change.
Cruise Hive has reported when other cruise lines have also shifted embarkation schedules and ship departure times. For example, in November 2024, Carnival Cruise Line adjusted nearly 200 cruises with earlier departure times on two different ships.
On August 17, 2025, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas moved up her embarkation at Cape Liberty by one hour due to military exercises.
Guests should always plan for plenty of time to reach their cruise terminal on time on embarkation day. It would be incredibly disappointing to arrive at the terminal only to see the gangway pulled back and the ship departing on its next cruise without you.
Fortunately, such a situation can be avoided by being aware of departure time changes and adjusting one’s travel schedule accordingly.
