When you embark on a cruise, your ship becomes your home away from home for the duration of your sailing. However, it’s important to remember that you’re sharing your temporary home with thousands of other people. 

Two recent Carnival passengers learned this the hard way when they were asked to relocate their card game from the busy Lido deck during prime lunch hour so that other guests could sit and eat. Of course, this caused offense. 

When the incident occurred, the unidentified duo were taking part in a limited edition Carnival Journeys sailing, which are extended voyages to destinations like Hawaii, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal, although it’s not clear which voyage the pair was on. 

“Two people were playing cards at 12:45pm, the busy time on Lido for lunch. They were politely asked to stop because the guests wanted to sit there to eat. And so they wrote to me saying that the crew member was rude and, well you get the picture,” Brand Ambassador John Heald wrote on Facebook.

Carnival’s brand ambassador also defended the crew member, stating that the staff has been asked to help make sure the popular dining hours go more smoothly by making sure there are enough places for everyone to sit and eat. 

“She was not rude, she was doing her job as we have been asking the crew to help us with this. I know that people want to play cards and this ship had the upper level of the dining room for this with tables cleared of cutlery, plates and starfish,” continued Heald in his post. 

According to Heald, the two guests were taking up a table of six for their card game, when other guests could not find a place to sit and eat.

While the players could have relocated elsewhere on board, such as a lounge or the unused dining room Heald mentioned, the people trying to eat lunch don’t have quite as much flexibility.  

Rush Hour on the Lido Deck

Across cruise lines, and certainly across Carnival’s 27 ships, few places onboard get busier than the Lido deck – especially during prime dining hours. 

Along with being the home to pools, hot tubs, and lounge chairs, this deck is also where guests will find the popular Lido Marketplace buffet, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

With a wide array of options, such as deli, BBQ, salads, Asian cuisine, pasta, and desserts, Lido’s is a quick and popular dining option. The only problem is there is not always enough seating to go around on the Lido deck – especially during peak hours like during breakfast and from noon to 2 p.m.

With this in mind, the consensus among the hundreds of commenters on Heald’s Facebook post was that the card players were being inconsiderate of other passengers. 

“So many places on board to play cards… I’m actually happy that the crew member asked the people to move. There are times where it feels like it’s impossible to get a seat for lunch,” wrote one person in the comments.

“Anyway, you can play cards on Lido but not during breakfast and not between noon and 2pm please,” Heald personally added.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)

To be clear, Carnival Cruise Line has nothing against cruise passengers playing cards at sea – as long as they are mindful of their fellow passengers. It’s actually quite a popular activity. 

According to a poll Heald posted on his Facebook page, playing cards is the second most popular activity onboard – only behind reading books. 

But if guests see the area filling up for breakfast or lunch, the kind thing to do would be to relocate until prime dining hours have passed so other passengers can enjoy their meal.

Carnival Valor, already delayed returning to her New Orleans homeport due to Tropical Depression Francine, will now operate her next sailing without any ports of call.

While this is not an ideal situation, passengers will still be able to enjoy all the ship’s amenities and service even if they aren’t stopping at any ports.

Carnival Cruise Line provided the update to booked guests on Thursday morning, September 12, 2024, after confirming that the ship would already be delayed at least a full day in returning to Port NOLA.

“We remain in close contact with port officials in New Orleans and are still working on our operational plans for your cruise, which we expect to depart tomorrow, Friday, 09/13/2024,” the brief email update read. “Given the shortened duration, we will operate as a voyage without a port of call visit.”

Carnival Valor had originally been scheduled to depart on Thursday, September 12, for a 4-night Western Caribbean itinerary. The only planned port of call was Cozumel, Mexico, where the ship was to have spent the day on Saturday, September 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Because the ship will now not be leaving until Friday, September 13, there is not enough time for the vessel to cover the approximately 700 miles from New Orleans to Cozumel with adequate time for guests to enjoy the destination.

While details are still being worked out, Carnival Cruise Line will undoubtedly refund all port fees and taxes related to Cozumel to passengers’ onboard account.

While no other compensation is required, there may be additional onboard credit or a partial refund offered as a gesture of goodwill and acknowledgment of the dramatic vacation change.

Read Also: What Is a Cruise to Nowhere?

Any pre-paid shore tours booked through Carnival Cruise Line will also be automatically cancelled and refunded, as is standard practice whenever a port of call is cancelled.

Guests may also be permitted to cancel their sailing for a full refund, but that decision is up to the cruise line and has not yet been confirmed. A further update for available options will be provided later on Thursday afternoon.

“Thank you again for your patience and please do make sure you stay tuned to the text alert and your emails,” said John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador. “I truly hope everyone is safe that has been or will be in Francine’s path.”

What About Guests Onboard?

Of course, with Carnival Valor delayed, guests onboard are also having an unexpectedly extended cruise. To be clear, the vessel is in no danger and all onboard operations – hotel features, entertainment, navigation, safety, restaurants, etc. – are perfectly fine.

Instead, Carnival Valor is remaining at sea until Port NOLA has cleared inspections and is able to safely resume operations. This includes ensuring the mouth of the Mississippi River is clear of any debris and navigable for different vessels.

Guests currently on the ship have received updates about their extra day onboard.

“It will take some time to fully assess the Mississippi River channel to ensure that the ship can safely sail into New Orleans,” the letter delivered to staterooms read. “It is now clear that we will not be able to return to port until sometime Friday, September 13. We do not yet know the actual arrival time, but we will advise you as soon as possible so you can accurately make travel plans.”

To help guests make plans and stay in touch with family and friends not on the ship, internet service is being provided for all guests at no charge.

Furthermore, there will be no charge for the extra cruise day, including for any pre-purchased beverage packages, Wi-Fi, or gratuities.

Finally, Carnival Cruise Line’s partners at the Port of New Orleans will be waiving the extra day’s parking fee for any travelers who have a vehicle parked at the port.

“We know you are eager to get home and appreciate your patience and understanding. My team and I will continue to take great care of you during our extended time together,” the letter finished, signed by the ship’s master Captain Giuseppe Castrogiovanni.

Stay tuned to Cruise Hive for further updates on Carnival Valor‘s status and how the next sailing will be impacted by any further delays.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Valor is unable to return to her homeport of New Orleans as planned on Thursday, September 12, 2024 due to the lingering influence of what is now Tropical Depression Francine.

Guests were previously notified that the ship would be at least delayed several hours, but now that delay is extended to a full day or possibly longer.

Instead, the ship will not return to Port NOLA until Friday, September 13, once the port has been inspected and safely cleared to restart operations. Booked guests have been notified of the delay and will be further updated as the situation is clarified.

“If you are living in an area that is being affected by Hurricane Francine, we hope you are safe,” the notification email from Carnival Cruise Line began. “The storm made landfall in Louisiana earlier this evening, and the New Orleans Area is still being affected.”

Power outages, localized flooding, and minor damage is being reported in New Orleans as the storm moves further out of the area.

“It will take some time for port officials to fully conduct a post-storm assessment tomorrow, September 12, and it is now clear that the ship will not be able to return to New Orleans until sometime Friday, September 13, 2024,” the email explained.

The post-storm assessment will include inspection of the cruise terminal and docks to ensure the ship can be safely accommodated, as well as checking relevant channels and basins for debris that might impact the ship as she sails into port. Power must also be restored to the cruise terminal so the ship can be processed for debarkation and embarkation.

Such inspections are carried out as soon as safely possible once a storm moves out of the area and wind speeds drop appreciably.

Carnival Cruise Line has not yet confirmed exactly when Carnival Valor will be able to dock for disembarkation and embarkation for incoming guests, but will provide a further update as soon as more details are confirmed.

For now, the ship remains well south of New Orleans in smoother waters, waiting for clearance to return to the port. Guests onboard have reported rough seas, but otherwise, the ship is unaffected, and all onboard operations are as normal.

Safety is always the first priority for a cruise line, and when hurricanes threaten either ports of call or homeports, ships may be rerouted or delayed as needed to keep the ship, passengers, and crew safe.

The 110,438-gross-ton, Conquest class Carnival Valor is homeported year-round from New Orleans offering primarily 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean sailings.

The current cruise, now extended for an extra day, was originally a 5-night voyage that departed on Saturday, September 7 and called on Cozumel and Progreso.

Because of the delay, it is likely that the next itinerary – a 4-night trip to Cozumel – may also be adjusted.

Tropical Depression Francine Update

While Francine has been downgraded to a tropical depression and is now located over central Mississippi, she is still generating significant rainfall and showing sustained wind speeds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts at times.

The storm made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane at approximately 5 p.m. local time in Terrebonne Parish, roughly 80 miles southwest of the Port of New Orleans.

As is typical once a hurricane makes landfall, the storm weakened quickly and slowed, but that also raises the risk for flooding and damage. Fortunately, while New Orleans is prone to flooding, the area does also drain quite rapidly once rainfall stops.

Travelers with any cruise booked during hurricane season – June 1 through November 30 – should always stay alert to weather forecasts and sign up for text and email alerts from their cruise line to be updated immediately in case of weather-related itinerary changes, delays, or other adjustments.

Guests on a 5-night Carnival Cruise Line Western Caribbean voyage have discovered they may spend more time at sea due to a homeport closure. 

The Port of New Orleans closed on September 11 due to Hurricane Francine, which is currently bringing 90 miles per hour winds to Louisiana.

The hurricane, which made landfall as a Category 1 storm today, is bringing life-threatening storm surges and hurricane-force winds to the coastline of Louisiana and Mississippi and is not expected to pass until early morning hours of September 12, as it heads inland.

As a result, the 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor, which had set sail ahead of the storm on September 7, 2024, will not be able to make its 8 a.m. arrival on September 12. The news comes during a sea day after the ship enjoyed calls in Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, posted the news on his Facebook page, stating, “It is now clear that the ship will not be able to return to New Orleans at the scheduled time tomorrow.”

He continued, “At best, we are very tentatively anticipating arriving tomorrow afternoon.” He also said the arrival could be delayed further “depending on the storm’s impact.”

Carnival officials will provide further updates for passengers on the 110,000-gross-ton ship, as well as those scheduled to sail on its next voyage, a 4-night roundtrip cruise to Cozumel, which was scheduled to depart at 5:30 p.m. on September 12.

“As the safety of our guests and crew is our priority, we will continue to monitor the storm, and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard, and the local port authorities to provide timely updates as more information becomes available,” said the cruise line.

Carnival Valor, along with its sister 3,756-passenger Carnival Liberty, homeports in Port NOLA. However, Carnival Liberty is currently in Roatan, Honduras, and its itinerary is unaffected by the storm. It will return to NOLA on September 15.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Getaway and Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, also homeport in New Orleans but are currently spending the remains of summer and fall in the Aegean Sea and Alaska, respectively.

The port also services six river vessels that sail along the Mississippi River, including those operated by American Cruise Lines and Viking.

The port’s operations are pending until terminal operators can assess damage after the storm. It is hoping to resume operations at noon on September 12, weather-permitting.

Francine Evokes Memories of Katrina

Francine developed as a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico on September 9, with weather forecasters accurately predicting it would intensify into a hurricane by September 11.

Originally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initiated a Storm Surge Watch for the Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines, prompting the Port of Galveston in Texas to warn vessels to make storm preparations.

However, Francine experienced an eastward shift on September 10, sending the storm directly towards New Orleans, which infamously endured the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

That storm, a Category 3 with wind speeds up to 140 miles per hour when it hit the Louisiana coastline, brought intense flooding that destroyed the city’s levees, placing 80 percent of New Orleans underwater. 

It took NOLA 18 months to dry out from Katrina, which killed nearly 1,400 people and is one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States.

As Francine pummels the area, it is expected to intensify into a Category 2 hurricane, with the City of New Orleans closing government offices and more than 130 flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport cancelled.