Guests looking forward to an autumn sailing next year aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Liberty have been notified that their ship has been chartered and their cruise cancelled.

The impacted voyage is the October 19, 2025 departure, which does give affected guests more than a year to make different cruise vacation plans.

Carnival Cruise Line reached out with the news on Thursday, August 15, 2024 – more than 14 months before the now-cancelled cruise was to have set sail from New Orleans.

“We are very sorry to inform you that the ship has been chartered and your cruise has been cancelled,” the notification read. “We have a variety of alternatives and are confident you will find another Carnival cruise that is filled with an equal amount of fun.”

The cruise line is offering booked guests both rescheduling and cancellation options with no fee. If travelers want to plan a different Carnival cruise, their overall fare rate will be protected “on a comparable sailing, in similar accommodations.” The replacement cruise does not need to be aboard Carnival Liberty or sailing from New Orleans.

Some terms and conditions do apply to replacement cruises, however. Holiday cruises or voyages to Alaska, Hawaii, or Europe are not eligible for the fare protection.

Similarly, chartered cruises are not eligible. Any replacement cruise may be no longer than the original cruise length, but shorter cruises could be chosen if preferred.

If guests do rebook on an alternative sailing, they will also receive a $100 (USD) onboard credit to enjoy on their new cruise.

If travelers prefer not to book a different cruise or don’t find one that works for their vacation plans, however, they will receive a full refund of the cruise fare, including the deposit, any pre-paid add-on items, and any taxes or other fees. This also applies to any Early Saver reservations and no fee will be deducted from the refund.

Refunds will be processed automatically if impacted guests do not contact Carnival Cruise Line or their travel agent to book an alternative sailing by Thursday, August 29, 2024. Depending on individual financial institutions, refunds may take up to three weeks to process.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

Why the Cancellation?

Carnival Liberty‘s October 19, 2025 departure was to have been a 7-night sailing. The 110,428-gross-ton, Conquest-class ship is homeported year-round from New Orleans, offering 7-night cruises on both Eastern and Western Caribbean routes, with occasional 6- and 8-night options.

During her Eastern Caribbean cruises, Carnival Liberty visits ports such as Key West, Freeport, Nassau, Half Moon Cay, and beginning in the summer of 2025, Celebration Key – Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination on Grand Bahama Island.

The Western Caribbean sailings may visit Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, or Jamaica. Exact ports of call vary based on departure date and cruise length.

Other than the notice that the sailing has been chartered, Carnival Cruise Line has not announced what company or event will be taking place on board. To be clear, the ship is not being taken out of service for any sort of refurbishment or repairs, but will simply be sailing a private cruise at that time.

Different companies offer chartered sailings for music festivals, fan events such as the popular Star Trek cruise, or lifestyle cruises such as nudist sailings or LGBT voyages. Chartered cruises may even be arranged by large companies as a corporate retreat or teambuilding event.

While canceling a cruise in favor of a chartered sailing can be disappointing for already-booked guests, cruise lines do try to provide such notification as far in advance as possible so guests can make alternative vacation plans.

With 14 months to go before Carnival Liberty‘s new charter sailing, guests have plenty of time and hundreds of Carnival cruises to choose from for their next oceangoing getaway.

Guests boarding Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Vista on Sunday, August 18, 2024 are relieved to learn that their 6-night Eastern Caribbean sailing will go ahead as planned following repairs to the ship’s propulsion system.

Booked guests were notified on Thursday, August 15 of the plan for their cruise, which does include a slight modification on embarkation day with a later-than-typical departure planned.

“This week, our shipboard and shoreside technical teams have been working to resolve an issue that is limiting Carnival Vista’s cruising speed. Otherwise, there is no impact to ship operations,” the notification email explained.

“To accommodate our repair plan, the ship will be arriving very early Sunday morning, August 18, to Port Canaveral (approximately 3:30 AM) to allow for a full day of work with our engineers and technical experts. We are also planning a later departure that evening to maximize the workday, but given the sea day on Monday, this will not affect our arrival time for Half Moon Cay on Tuesday, August 20.”

The exact departure time was not listed in the email, and will likely depend on how quickly repairs can be finished on Sunday. Nevertheless, the ship is sure to set sail as soon as possible.

Guests are advised to stick with their original cruise terminal arrival appointments on Sunday, despite the ship’s later departure that evening. Certain venues onboard, however, will not be able to open until the ship reaches international waters, including the casino and retail shops.

The 1,450 international team members onboard, however, are sure to be planning additional activities and entertainment for that first evening. All the rest of the ship’s amenities, including the Punchliner comedy club, Serenity Deck, SportSquare ropes course, waterslides, and more will be operating as normal.

Carnival Vista developed a technical problem affecting its top speed at the very end of her August 4 sailing, which resulted in a slight delay as the ship returned to Port Canaveral.

The next cruise, however, was dramatically impacted. The planned 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk had to become a Bahamas itinerary instead to permit repairs.

This understandably made guests on the next sailing – the August 18 departure – nervous about whether or not their cruise might be altered or outright cancelled if more extensive repairs were needed. Fortunately, that will not be the case.

The upcoming itinerary includes not only the private island of Half Moon Cay, but also a visit to Grand Turk on Wednesday, August 21 followed by Amber Cove on Thursday, August 22. At this time, there are no changes planned to the overall itinerary.

Another full day at sea will follow the port visits as the ship makes her way back to Port Canaveral for debarkation on Saturday, August 24.

Embarking guests are naturally happy with the news, as are guests booked on upcoming sailings in the next few weeks.

The 133,596-gross-ton Carnival Vista is homeported year-round from Port Canaveral. She offers a selection of 6- and 8-night Caribbean sailings, including Eastern and Southern itineraries, both of which are popular options for both new and experienced cruisers.

Depending on the cruise length and departure date, Carnival Vista visits such top destinations as San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, and more.

Beginning in August 2025, the ship will also be one of the first to visit the upcoming Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination under construction on Grand Bahama Island.

A History of Difficulties

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Carnival Vista has experienced propulsion difficulties. The ship had an unexpected emergency dry dock in 2019 due to similar difficulties, and had also had propulsion problems in 2016 as well as more recently in 2022.

Read Also: What Is Wrong With Carnival’s Vista Class Ships?

This repeated history of problems – always with the propulsion system – has made guests familiar with the ship nervous about any upcoming cruises when such difficulties arise again. While the exact details of each breakdown have not been released, it can be troubling that the same critical system is always impacted.

Hopefully, the issues this time have been minor, and the extended embarkation day will ensure a thorough repair so Carnival Vista can sail at her typical speed of 18 knots without difficulty.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced a leadership change, with Ben Clement set to become the Executive Vice President of Maritime & New Builds starting January 2025. Clement will succeed Lars Ljoen, who will transition to a new role as Chief Maritime Officer at Carnival Corporation.

Clement, with nearly three decades at Carnival, has been instrumental in the development and innovation of the cruise line’s fleet as the Vice President, New Builds & Refurbishment.

“Ben has continually pushed us to think about ship design, features, venues, and products in ways that have helped redefine Carnival, grow guest loyalty, and build a vibrant customer base that has propelled our growth,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

She continued, “He is also an outstanding mariner, with vast knowledge and experience acquired during his time in the French navy, merchant marine, and shipyard management.

“That unique combination of talent and experience across so many aspects of maritime operations will allow us to maintain our leadership in operational and cultural excellence,” she said.

Clement joined Carnival in 1996 and has since played a pivotal role in the design, refurbishment, and construction of the cruise line’s expansive 27-ship fleet. 

Under his leadership, Carnival Cruise Line introduced several innovative ship classes, such as the 130,00-gross-ton Dream Class, the 133,500-gross-ton Vista Class, and 180,000-gross-ton Excel Class, which debuted in 2009, 2106, and 2024, respectively.

He also pioneered features like the first roller coaster at sea, Carnival Jubilee’s BOLT.

Before his tenure at Carnival, Clement served as a navigation officer in the French navy and held various positions on merchant ships. He also managed a shipyard in Toulon, France.

Clement’s academic credentials include a diploma of merchant marine officer from the Ecole Nationale Superieure Maritime French Navy officers’ school in Marseille, France, where he was valedictorian, and an executive program certificate from the Stanford University School of Business in Northern California

Clement to Steer Next Phase of Growth

In his new role, Clement will oversee Carnival’s maritime operations, technical operations, and compliance functions. During this time, Carnival Cruise line will introduce five new ships, starting in 2027, including a new, yet-to-be-named class of ship.

In July 2024, Carnival Cruise Line announced it will add two new sister Excel-class ships following the successful launch of Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee, which debuted in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively, each of which can accommodate 6,500 passengers.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

Carnival Jubilee, which embarked on its inaugural voyage from Galveston, Texas, on December 23, 2023, quickly gained popularity for its impressive features and guest experiences. It was named Best New Cruise Ship of the year by Cruise Hive.

A new order for three additional ships slated for delivery in the summers of 2029, 2031, and 2033. The vessels, which are part of a new class weighing nearly 230,000 gross registered tons each, will be constructed at Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Clement will be based in Carnival Cruise Line’s Miami headquarters, which is in the process of relocating. The transition plan at the cruise line involves backfilling his current position.

A heated encounter with a frustrated stranger is usually the last thing anyone wants to deal with first thing in the morning (or ever) – and especially not when you’re supposed to be relaxing on your cruise vacation. 

But John Heald, the brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Lines, received a rude awakening from a fellow passenger on the morning of Wednesday, August 14, 2024, while onboard Carnival Mardi Gras. 

The cruise expert was on his way to grab a morning cup of coffee when he was approached by an angry guest who had enough of the popular cruising ducks game. 

For those who aren’t familiar, the act of hiding rubber ducks around cruise ships has become increasingly popular in recent years – typically bringing joy to the guests and crew members who happen upon the toys. 

“It was 7:40 AM and I took a break from answering questions to go and get my coffee. The lady comes rushing towards me walking really really quickly and I can see she’s holding a medium-size duck in her hand. She’s shouting my name over and over again,” Heald said in a post on his popular Facebook page.

Initially, Heald thought that the anonymous woman was approaching him because she was enjoying the game or might be gifting him a rubber duck of his own – but that was not the case.

“She got within spittle distance and spent the next three minutes, telling me that the ‘duck thing had gotten out of control’ and that other cruise lines have done the right thing by banning them,” continued Heald.

Worth Reading: Carnival Brand Ambassador Hopes Some Cruisers Will Improve for 2025

The cruise ambassador tried to explain how the game could be fun for other guests, but the irked passenger would have none of it. And making matters worse, Heald couldn’t even enjoy his morning coffee after their encounter. 

“I explained that it was just a little bit of fun and if the other cruise lines want to cancel that fun then that’s entirely up to them. She told me that we were ‘ignorant.’ I have a cold coffee,” Heald added. 

The cruising personality is currently onboard the Excel-class vessel for a 6-day Eastern Caribbean cruise that embarked from Port Canaveral, Florida, on August 11, 2024 – and will still call on Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos, before it disembarks at the Orlando-based port on August 17. 

The 6,500-guest ship already visited Nasseau, Bahamas, on August 12, and Puerto Plata / Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, on August 14. 

Cruising Ducks are Here to Stay

If Heald’s post doesn’t make it obvious enough, cruising ducks aren’t going anywhere – at least as far as Carnival Cruise Line is concerned. 

Heald’s followers were also quick to come to the ambassador’s defense and express their disdain for the passenger who confronted him, arguing that cruising ducks are a welcomed addition onboard Carnival’s 27 ships. 

At best, the game adds joy, and at worst, it does no harm – and there is no requirement for uninterested passengers to play.

“If you don’t want to participate in the ducks then don’t pick them up! Walk on by to let someone that is into them get it! Simple!,” one Facebook user commented. 

“I fail to understand how the ducks harm anyone in any way. If you don’t like them, don’t hide them and don’t look for them…just keep doing your thing and move on… People just have to find something to complain about,” added someone else. 

Read Also: Cruise Ducks: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know!

But apparently, something as innocent as hiding rubber ducks is controversial – as it’s not the first time this activity has caused debate this summer.

In July, Heald’s Facebook page found itself at the center of a debate on if crew members should be allowed to participate in the game after an unidentified cruiser complained that the employees were “stealing” the hidden ducks. 

The overwhelming consensus was that the crew members should be welcomed to play – especially if the game brings them joy while they are working long hours away from their homes and families. 

With Hurricane Ernesto impacting the cruise industry in the eastern Caribbean, guests are undoubtedly experiencing unexpected changes.

However, Carnival Cruise Line has issued a rare urgent alert to passengers on Carnival Magic’s current August 11 sailing. Due to the deteriorating weather conditions in the region, the cruise line is asking all passengers to return to the ship earlier than originally scheduled, during the current in Grand Turk today, August 14.

Even Carnival’s hugely popular brand ambassador, John Heald, posted the recent notice on his Facebook page. His page has over 582,000 followers, many of whom will likely be guests on Carnival Magic.

Worth Reading: Carnival Cruise Guests Reassured Following Grand Turk Hurricane Impact

Heald said, “This is an update for Carnival Magic guests only. If you are ashore in Grand Turk, please return to the ship by 2:30 PM. Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate this evening, and the ship will have to sail earlier than planned.“

Guests are being asked to return to the ship by 2:30 PM rather than the original scheduled return time.

The Dream-class vessel is currently operating out of Miami, Florida on a modified seven-night Caribbean voyage due to Hurricane Ernesto.

Read Also: Grand Turk Cruise Port – Pier, Facilities and What’s Nearby

The ship was set to visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, on August 14, but that was cancelled, and the call to Grand Turk is instead taking place on the same day. The cruise line adjusted the order and times for ports, as well as adding a call to Nassau on August 16. Carnival Magic is still set to return to Miami as scheduled on August 18.

Ernesto Becomes a Hurricane

According to the National Hurricane Center, Ernesto has now become a category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75mph. The storm is currently located approximately 365 Km northwest of Puerto Rico, a popular Caribbean cruise destination that was closed temporarily due to Ernesto.

The hurricane is moving northwest at 16 MPH and is expected to reach the cruise destination of Bermuda by Saturday morning, August 17. The ports on the island are expected to close, including for cruise ship visits.