No cruise passenger wants their vacation disrupted by a hurricane, but it can be inevitable at times. Unfortunately, Carnival Valor is having such a disruption for her next sailing from New Orleans, but Carnival Cruise Line has offered generous compensation for impacted guests.
The ship was originally scheduled to depart on the 4-night Western Caribbean sailing on Thursday, September 12, 2024, with a visit to Cozumel, Mexico.
Because Hurricane Francine impacted the New Orleans region as a Category 2 storm, however, Carnival Valor has been delayed and is unable to maintain that original plan.
Instead, the ship will operate as a 3-day sailing without any port of call, though guests will still be able to enjoy all the amenities, entertainment, activities, and other options on the 110,438-gross-ton, Conquest class vessel. No onboard options are impacted in any way and the ship is fully functional.
Because of the shortened sailing and loss of the port of call, however, Carnival Cruise Line is offering compensation options for passengers.
Guests who do choose to continue on the abbreviated sailing will receive a pro-rated, one-day refund for any pre-purchased packages, including Wi-Fi access and drink packages. Every stateroom will also receive a $100 (USD) onboard credit.
All taxes and fees related to Cozumel will be refunded, as will any shore excursions pre-purchased through Carnival Cruise Line.
All of these items will be posted to guests’ onboard Sail & Sign accounts for their use onboard during the sailing.
In addition, all travelers who set sail will receive a one-day, pro-rated refund of their cruise fare to compensate for the loss of a vacation day. That refund will be processed back to the original form of payment but may take approximately three weeks, depending on individual financial institutions.
Guests will also receive a 50% future cruise credit (FCC) to use on another Carnival cruise, with some exclusions. The FCC must be used no later than September 30, 2025, but can be applied to any cruise open for sale. The credit cannot, however, be used for a deposit, onboard credit, or gratuities for the new sailing.
If guests have non-refundable air travel change fees, they can submit change fee receipts for reimbursement consideration up to $200 per person.
It should be noted that Carnival’s Cruise Ticket Contract, Section 8(d), specifically notes that no compensation is due if an itinerary is changed due to weather.
“Carnival may change the duration and/or itinerary of the cruise at any time … including but not limited to … adverse weather [and] hurricanes. … Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages in such circumstances for any change in itinerary.”
The cruise line does provide compensation as a gesture of goodwill for guests, but such compensation should never be expected or demanded.
Guests Who Stay Home
Not all travelers will be willing to travel on the now-shortened cruise to nowhere. Carnival Cruise Line is also offering options for those travelers, whether they simply are not interested in the adjusted cruise or they may be unable to reach the embarkation port or have local damage and prefer to stay home.
Read Also: What Is a Cruise to Nowhere?
Guests who do not wish to set sail may contact Carnival Cruise Line or their travel agent no later than 8 p.m. Eastern Time to cancel their vacation. They will receive a 100% future cruise credit for their cruise fare as well as a full refund for any pre-purchased add-ons for the sailing.
Anyone who chooses this option should note that they need to make the decision by 8 p.m. Eastern Time, whereas Port NOLA is located in the Central Time Zone (therefore 7 p.m. local time). Carnival Cruise Line’s headquarters are in Miami, Florida, in the Eastern Time Zone.
