Hurricane Rafael has strengthened throughout Wednesday, causing greater concern for cruise travelers with sailings in the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days. Carnival Cruise Line has made several adjustments to different vessels, all with guests’ safety as the top priority.

While the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially runs through November 30, such strong storms later in the season are a bit unusual. Still, all cruise lines are carefully watching the storm to ensure their ships remain safe.

“Our Fleet Operations Center in Miami continues to actively monitor Rafael, which has developed into a hurricane. The safety of our guests and crew is our priority and our ships will always maintain a safe distance from the storm,” Carnival Cruise Line said.

Carnival Valor Adjustments

Carnival Valor is currently sailing a 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary that departed New Orleans on Saturday, November 2. While the ship has not had any changes to this particular sailing, she is speeding up and will be arriving back at Port NOLA earlier than scheduled on Thursday, November 7.

This means that the debarkation of the current sailing will happen earlier than usual in order to get the ship ready for her next sailing and begin embarkation. Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that Carnival Valor will depart New Orleans earlier than expected in order to keep out of the storm’s path.

“To sail safely away from the storm, we will depart at 2:30 PM (CT), earlier than scheduled,” the cruise line said.

Guests must still stick to their terminal arrival appointments, but all travelers must be checked in at the cruise terminal no later than 2 p.m. for the ship’s earlier departure.

The 4-night Western Caribbean cruise is still expected to visit Cozumel as planned on Saturday, November 9, but that port of call may be adjusted if necessary.

Guests are urged to sign up for text alerts in case of further updates. The Carnival Hub app will also be updated and announcements will be made onboard if there are further changes for Carnival Valor.

Carnival Paradise – No Changes

Port Tampa Bay remains open but at Port Condition Whiskey, with the possibility of gale force winds within the next 72 hours. At the moment, however, all port operations remain open and there are no impacts to cruise schedules.

Carnival Paradise is finishing a 4-night Western Caribbean sailing that visited Cozumel on Tuesday, November 5, and the ship should arrive back in Tampa on schedule on Thursday, November 7.

There are no expected changes for the Fantasy class ship’s next itinerary, her November 7 departure, which is another 4-night Western Caribbean cruise visiting Cozumel.

Carnival Miracle – Port Cancellation

Carnival Miracle departed Galveston, Texas on Sunday, November 3 for a 12-night Southern Caribbean Carnival Journeys voyage. Unfortunately, Hurricane Rafael forced the cancellation of the ship’s first port of call, Grand Cayman, on Wednesday, November 6.

The Spirit class vessel is continuing as planned on the remainder of the itinerary, with visits scheduled for Aruba on Friday, November 8; Bonaire on Saturday, November 9; and Curacao on Sunday, November 10, with no changes anticipated.

Furthermore, the ship’s visit to Ocho Rios, Jamaica on November 12 is not expected to be impacted, nor is her return to Galveston on Friday, November 15 adjusted at this time.

Carnival Horizon – Port Cancellation

Carnival Horizon is the most impacted ship in the Carnival fleet at this time. The Vista class vessel is currently sailing a 6-night Western Caribbean voyage that departed Miami on Sunday, November 3.

Guests were notified onboard that it was necessary to reverse the ship’s itinerary to steer clear of the rough weather, and ultimately, the call to cancel the call to Grand Cayman that had been planned for Wednesday, November 6.

Announcements will be made onboard if further changes are necessary, and the Carnival Hub app will also be updated as needed.

Hurricane Rafael Update

Hurricane Rafael is currently located about 55 miles west-northwest of Havana and is moving northwest at 13 miles per hour.

The storm’s intensity did peak at 115 miles per hour as a Category 3 hurricane late Wednesday afternoon. After making landfall across Cuba, however, Rafael has weakened somewhat with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph at of the most recent update from the National Hurricane Center, making it a Category 2 storm.

At this time, the storm is expected to maintain intensity over the next couple of days, though it will continue to generate rough water significantly away from its center.

Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather

Travelers with any cruises booked for the Western Caribbean over the next few days should stay in close contact with their cruise line to keep updated about any itinerary changes, port cancellations, or other adjustments as necessary.

Guests wanting to enjoy something extra special on their next Carnival cruise will be paying more for the experience in 2025. The cruise line has quietly increased prices for various specialty dining options, which booked guests are noticing for their upcoming sailings.

Impacted venues include the popular Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – a classic choice for many travelers – as well as the energetic Bonsai Teppanyaki and the fresh-from-the-sea Rudi’s Seagrill.

The price increases are not necessarily significant, but may be an unexpected surprise for guests who were already investigating reservation options only to now see higher fees associated with the different venues.

For the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, the new fee is $52 per person, compared to the earlier price of $49 per person. The same prices are also now seen at Rudi’s Seagrill – $52 per person for sailings in 2025, $49 per person for sailings through the end of 2024.

Both the Bonsai Teppanyaki Lunch and Dinner prices have increased. The lunch has gone up just under $2 per person, from $44.84 to $46.02. Dinner is a more significant increase, from $49.56 per person to $57.82.

Prices at Bonsai Teppanyaki already include a service charge for the entertainment aspect of the high energy, skilled performance of the hibachi chefs.

While Carnival Cruise Line has not made any official announcement of the price increases, they appear to take effect from early 2025 across the fleet.

It is possible that some 2024 holiday sailings may also be impacted, or the rates may be reflected on varying sail dates for individual vessels depending on their departure schedules.

Cruise lines regularly adjust prices for specialty experiences such as dining, cooking classes, or behind-the-scenes tours. Carnival Cruise Line last adjusted its specialty dining prices in December 2023, when the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse was $48 per person.

Several other specialty dining experiences have not changed prices at this time. For example, the fresh Italian restaurant onboard Carnival Firenze and Carnival Venezia, Il Viaggio, remains at $42 per person. Likewise, the whimsical Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Breakfast available fleetwide is still $15 per adult and $10 per child.

Prices are always subject to change at any time, and travelers should be mindful of those extra costs when they make reservations. Booking early will often – though not always – lock in current pricing, even if a cruise is not setting sail for several months.

Are the Price Increases Worthwhile?

Most cruise guests understand occasional price increases, especially as inflation impacts the cost of supplies – expenses that impact every restaurant, on land and at sea, not to mention travelers’ own grocery budgets.

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

What many Carnival fans are concerned about, however, is the quality of the dining experience, even in onboard specialty restaurants.

While the prices can be considered comparable to land-based restaurants, travelers are noting that the overall experience appears to have declined in recent years.

“It’s no longer the ‘upscale’ experience it once was and their portions … are ridiculous. My husband’s lemon garnish was bigger than his filet,” one recent cruiser commented. “We won’t go back, especially with the new pricing.”

Other tweaks to the experience, made in the name of eliminating food waste, are also raising some travelers’ eyebrows. For example, Carnival Cruise Line has recently tested a simplified menu with smaller portions of sides in the steakhouse, which had mixed reactions from passengers.

Guests can still customize their steakhouse dinners and the per-person fee already includes the starter, entrée, dessert, and gratuities, but many travelers may decide not to make future reservations at the increased prices.

What price point do you think is fair for onboard specialty restaurants? Are these price increases going to change your mind about future reservations? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!

The introduction of “Ducky the Duck” to Carnival Cruise Line’s lineup of fun characters has caused some confusion. Is the new quack-tastic “crew member” an official mascot taking over from Fun Ship Freddy, or does the feathery friend have a different role to play?

The cruise line has clarified that while Ducky is not actually an official mascot of the cruise line, he will be a fun character making appearances onboard.

“The duck character introduced by our photo team is one of many characters available for guests to take fun photos with and is not an official mascot,” Carnival Cruise Line said.

Ducky is a fun nod to the wildly popular cruising ducks phenomenon. The guest-led scavenger hunt game involves hiding toy rubber ducks or similar small ducks – often with identification tags noting the sailing, ship, and original cruiser – around the ship for other guests to find.

Travelers can get very creative with themed ducks and even 3D printed, bedazzled, or customized ducks for extra flair.

Other fun photo characters onboard Carnival ships include the towel animal elephant and beloved Dr. Seuss characters such as the Cat in the Hat and the devilish duo of Thing 1 and Thing 2.

During the holiday season, additional characters are often spotted, such as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, as well as that “nasty wasty skunk, king of sinful sots,” the Grinch.

Of course, Fun Ship Freddy reigns supreme with his Fun Squad attire and iconic funnel-shaped head, a whimsical nod to Carnival’s characteristic whale tail ship funnels on 23 of the fleet’s 27 ships.

Fun fact – Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze, and Carnival Luminosa have straight funnels, while Carnival Freedom is temporarily missing its whale tail following a fire in March 2024 – the second time that ship’s funnel has been damaged by fire.

Photo Ops with Fun Characters

Carnival Cruise Line’s onboard photo team offers a wide range of fun and interesting photo ops, both onboard the ship and in ports of call.

The fun cast of characters – now including Ducky – are often found around different parts of the ship, such as strolling down the promenade, posing in the main atrium, or hanging out by the Lido pool. Guests can always take photos with them in those locations.

Sometimes, the characters will visit the Main Dining Room, along with other fun fellows such as pirates.

Occasionally, the different characters will offer more themed photo ops, such as during the Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Breakfast event or with coordinating backdrops and fun props at different photo points around the public decks.

At different ports of call, even more unique characters may appear. At some top Mexican destinations, for example, an Aztec warrior or Mayan goddess figure might be available for fun photos on the pier. Local characters with colorful tropical costumes and festive folk attire are other typical guest appearances at appropriate ports of call.

Travelers should be aware, however, that character appearances are always for a limited time, and there is no guarantee that future photo opportunities may be available later in any individual sailing.

Fortunately, there is no charge such as a sitting fee or other cost to have a photo taken with a character, and the ship’s professional photographers are experts at capturing those instant moments and happy memories on every cruise.

Guests can check out all the photos they’ve taken either in the Pixels Photo Gallery onboard, or on newer ships, through stateroom television account access.

There is no obligation to buy any photo, but different sizes are available and the cruise line often offers package deals or specials throughout each sailing.

With Hurricane Rafael now spinning south of Cuba and forecast to move into the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days, all cruise lines are watching the storm carefully and making what operational adjustments are necessary to keep their fleets safe.

Carnival Horizon has reversed her current itinerary and dropped a port of call to steer clear of the storm, while maintaining as much of the original Western Caribbean experience as possible.

At first, the plan was a simple itinerary reversal, as guests were notified with letters in their staterooms on Sunday, November 3, 2024, embarkation day for the 6-night sailing.

“With help from our Fleet Operations Center here in Miami, we have been monitoring a tropical system that is developing in the Caribbean. Given the storm’s forecasted path for the early part of this week, we have made some adjustments to our itinerary,” the letter explained.

“The days visiting Cozumel and Ocho Rios have been swapped. We will call on Cozumel Tuesday, and visit Ocho Rios Thursday. Our stop in Grand Cayman remains set for Wednesday.”

Unfortunately, guests were later informed onboard with announcements from the ship’s master, Captain Rocco Lubrano, that the visit to Grand Cayman would not be possible after all. Instead, Carnival Horizon will spend Wednesday as a fun day at sea.

Carnival Horizon was to have been in Grand Cayman from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the morning hours, some hurricane conditions are expected on the island, including strong wind gusts, heavy rains, and storm surge.

Any shore excursions that had been purchased through Carnival Cruise Line will be adjusted to the new port days as appropriate, or cancelled and refunded automatically if necessary.

Captain Lubrano has also advised guests onboard to take extra care when moving about the ship due to the expected rough weather.

“If we happen to encounter adverse weather, winds or waves may cause added movement of the ship. Our highly trained and experienced officers and I will do everything possible to minimize any discomfort,” the letter read. “For everyone’s safety, please take extra precaution while walking around the ship and use handrails when possible.”

There are currently no changes to Carnival Horizon‘s onboard activities. All entertainment, restaurant, bar, and other operations are sailing full steam ahead, with extra fun added to the schedule for the extra day at sea. Guests onboard should check the Carnival Hub app for updated daily activities.

The 133,596-gross-ton, Vista class ship can welcome 3,960 travelers at double occupancy, or up to 4,977 guests if fully booked. Also onboard are approximately 1,450 international crew members eager to ensure travelers are safe and everyone has a wonderful cruise, no matter what the weather.

Other Ships Being Monitored, But No Adjustments Yet

While Carnival Horizon is currently the only Carnival ship to have itinerary adjustments, the Fleet Operations Center is closely monitoring Hurricane Rafael and will make additional changes to other vessels if necessary.

“It could be impacting more itineraries than it already has, and that is why the Fleet Operations Center in Miami and of course the entire Carnival team is keeping a very close eye, 24/7, watching the weather forecast, keeping updated from the National Hurricane Center, and making sure that you are safe,” said Amy Sweezey, Carnival’s meteorologist weather contributor.

The cruise line is advising travelers with sailings in the Gulf of Mexico or Western Caribbean this week to stay in close contact through emails and text alerts. This will ensure everyone is updated as soon as possible if there are additional changes.

“It is way too early to say whether or not this storm will have an impact on homeport operations or any kind of upcoming embarkations,” Sweezey noted.

Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise

Hurricane Rafael is currently located 160 miles south-southeast of Havana. Maximum sustained winds are recorded at 100 miles per hour, making the storm a Category 2 hurricane, though further strengthening is still expected.

The storm is moving northwest at 14 mph but is expected to turn west-northwest once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Later in the week and over the weekend, a turn north is also expected but is yet uncertain.

Cruisers with any voyages booked this week or into next week will want to stay in touch with their cruise line for updates on potential itinerary changes or other adjustments due to Hurricane Rafael.