With multiple massive wildfires raging out of control in the Los Angeles area, it is understandable that cruise travelers with sailings booked from Long Beach would be concerned about whether or not their departures will be impacted. Guests have reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, for details.

Fortunately, Heald has confirmed that at this time, no Carnival cruises are impacted and the Port of Long Beach is operating as normal.

“I wondered about Long Beach and sailings from there in the next couple weeks,” one guest asked. “Will we be notified by text or email if anything changes?”

The concerned guest is setting sail on Carnival Panorama‘s January 25, 2025 departure, a 7-night Mexican Riviera itinerary visiting Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

For now, however, there are no operational changes expected at Long Beach, though Carnival Cruise Line is monitoring the situation and will make adjustments if they become necessary.

“We do not anticipate any impact to Carnival’s homeport schedule in Long Beach but will, of course, follow the direction of local law enforcement,” Heald explained. “Safety is always a priority, and we urge our guests to do the same.”

The raging wildfires are tearing through multiple Los Angeles neighborhoods. As of Thursday, January 9, 2025, The Palisades fire has burned approximately 17,200 acres, including many homes and historic buildings. The Eaton fire has burned 10,600 acres, and the Sunset fire has burned more than 40 acres.

Together, the fires have devastated an area equivalent to more than 43 square miles. All three fires are zero percent contained at the time of this writing.

For cruise guests, however, it is important to note that the Los Angeles area is extensive, and the worst of the fires are 30 miles north of the cruise port.

Nevertheless, travelers with upcoming cruises will still want to keep in close contact with Carnival in case of any delays or disruptions. Furthermore, air travel is likely to be impacted, and guests should be in touch with their airline to ensure they will be able to reach the cruise homeport as planned.

Carnival Cruise Line currently has three vessels homeported from Long Beach: Carnival Firenze, Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Radiance.

In addition, ships from Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises are also homeported from the nearby Los Angeles Cruise Port. No cruise lines have made any sailing adjustments at this time.

Many Natural Disasters Impact Cruises

It is not unusual for different natural disasters to impact cruise operations, either by closing homeports or forcing itinerary changes for ports of call.

Hurricanes and coastal storms are the most familiar incidents that affect cruises, but other disasters can certainly cause disruptions depending on where, when, and how they occur.

For example, Carnival Cruise Line and other cruise lines diverted sailings away from Port Vila, Vanuatu, following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on December 17, 2024.

In August 2023, extensive wildfires on Maui destroyed much of the popular port of Lahaina, and cruise lines likewise changed ship itineraries to alternative ports of call or days at sea.

While it may seem that shifting cruise ship visits would cause even more difficulty for ports that depend on tourist income, doing so permits emergency services to work effectively without attending to visitors as well.

Furthermore, when different disasters strike, port communities may be unable to offer services to travelers until recovery efforts are underway.

Cruise lines are not without compassion, however, and often offer assistance to devastated port communities.

Carnival Cruise Line’s President, Christine Duffy, recently held a skydiving fundraiser to support Tampa Bay and other communities impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The cruise line has also donated $60,000 to paramedic services in Vanuatu.

Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with everyone impacted by the California wildfires and other incidents, with hopes that communities can rebuild and regain their strength over what will be a long recovery period in the years ahead.

While the idea of taking one’s pet dogs on vacation is a thrill for dedicated dog owners, canine companions will not be welcome on Carnival Cruise Line anytime soon.

This is in response to growing interest in the upcoming dog-friendly cruise from Margaritaville at Sea, along with eager requests from pet owners.

It is inevitable that larger cruise lines would start receiving requests from guests about the possibility of bringing their dogs onboard as they enjoy their cruise vacations. Some travelers have reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, about the possibility.

“Has Carnival considered a cruise where you can take your dog (not service animal) like some cruise lines are testing?” one guest asked. “I understand the logistics would be insane, but thinking perhaps on one of the smaller cruise ships it would be nice to have a few dedicated dog cruises.”

To be clear, only a single cruise line is confirmed as “testing” a dog-friendly cruise – the upcoming “Tails of the Seas” cruise aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

That first-of-its-kind sailing is welcoming pet dogs aboard, but there are many restrictions and guidelines that must be followed to ensure a smooth voyage.

Heald, who himself is a dedicated dog owner of a German Shepherd named Quantum, responded to the guest’s excited inquiry, but not in a way they might want.

“No, we’ve never considered this,” he said. “I think whilst someone would definitely like it, I may even be one of them, I think from a cleanliness point of view and from actually being able to fill a ship, and to have the facilities where the dogs would be happy on board, means that this will probably never happen.”

Heald followed up with a bit more explanation, noting that service dogs remain welcome onboard all Carnival cruise ships.

“I think it’s safe to say that most people understand why we will not do a dog-friendly cruise, outside of the service dogs I mean,” he confirmed. “I know many of us who are dog lovers would really like it, but we all understand the problems that would come with this. And I know the housekeeping department would be horrified if we decided to do this.”

There are many logistics that would need to be considered for any dog-friendly cruise. Not only relief areas and proper waste disposal, but also such issues as behavioral control, proper pet vaccinations, barking and noise, appropriate food, where on board dogs wouldn’t be permitted, pet size restrictions, and much more.

Furthermore, the restrictions on importing domestic animals to foreign ports of call would also need to be taken into consideration, as not all ports would necessarily welcome a ship full of canine cruisers.

Still, Heald is always welcoming to comments and inquiries, and he included the idea of dog-friendly cruises in a daily poll on his Facebook page.

Of more than 46,000 votes, only 3% of respondents (roughly 1,400) agreed that they’d love to see Carnival Cruise Line offer a dog-friendly sailing. For comparison, 32% of voters (approximately 15,000) firmly preferred “No dog cruise for me, please.”

Interestingly, the cruise ship that will be welcoming dogs onboard in November 2025 is a former Carnival-owned vessel, having previously been Costa Atlantica of Costa Cruises, part of the Carnival Corporation & plc family.

What Dogs Are Welcome on Carnival Cruises?

Carnival Cruise Line has always welcomed fully trained service dogs onboard, and makes every possible accommodation to ensure the dogs and those who rely on their services feel comfortable and welcome.

Read Also: 10 Reasons Why I Would Never Take a Dog-Friendly Cruise

“A service dog is legally defined and individually trained to meet the specific needs of a person with a disability,” the cruise line’s website notes. “Pets, or service dogs in training, are not allowed aboard. Emotional support dogs, which are not recognized by the US Department of Justice, are also not permitted on Carnival ships.”

Travelers must abide by all the appropriate policies for traveling with a service dog, including vaccinations, a registered microchip, and applicable paperwork, both for the cruise line as well as any ports of call they will be visiting.

Relief areas are provided for service dogs onboard, and the animals are welcome in most public areas of the ship, including dining areas, but must be on a leash at all times.