Carnival Cruise Line has provided an update to guests onboard Carnival Magic about the ship’s condition and plans for the remainder of their 6-night “ShipRocked” cruise.

This follows a confusing day on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, when the ship inadvertently made contact with the pier in Jamaica, resulting in unusual but essential responses to ensure everyone’s safety.

Carnival Magic Spending Another Day in Jamaica

After heavy swells and strong winds caused the pier to collapse in Jamaica while Carnival Magic was docked, resulting in the ship making contact with the pier, the cruise ship will be remaining in port in Ocho Rios for another full day. This extra time will permit a team of experts to thoroughly assess the ship.

Photos circulating on social media show significant dents and paint scratches on Carnival Magic‘s hull, but it is unknown whether the ship will require immediate repair before continuing her sailing.

Carnival’s notification letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained the incident, the immediate response, and the plan for Wednesday so everyone is aware of what comes next.

“As you know, Carnival Magic was involved in an incident [Tuesday] morning when strong winds and swells caused the pier fender to collapse under pressure, and the ship made contact with the pier. There were no injuries, and all the ship’s services remain operational,” the letter explained.

“For the safety of everyone on board, it was necessary to leave the area and return to dock at another nearby pier. This allowed guests who went ashore to rejoin the ship.”

Carnival Magic was originally planned to depart Ocho Rios at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, but will now remain in port until 5 p.m. on Wednesday while the ship undergoes assessment. The cruise line is making new shore tours available, and guests may also go ashore independently to enjoy more of what the Jamaican hotspot has to offer. All guests must be back aboard Carnival Magic no later than 4:30 p.m.

Next Port Cancelled

The next stop on the itinerary was to have been Grand Cayman, but that visit had already been cancelled due to forecasted weather conditions. The ship staying in Ocho Rios will give passengers more time to have fun ashore. At the same time, the ShipRocked activities for this themed sailing will continue onboard.

“Your hosts ShipRocked and our team will have a full day of concerts and activities for you on board,” the letter read. “We were looking forward to delivering the full itinerary you had expected and share your disappointment, but trust you understand this decision was made with everyone’s safety in mind.”

All Carnival shore excursions, taxes, fees, and port expenses for Grand Cayman are being automatically refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.

The next destination on the itinerary is Bimini in the Bahamas. Carnival Magic is scheduled to visit there on Friday, February 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. At this time, there are no changes to that plan, but the cruise line will keep guests updated if further alterations to the schedule are necessary.

The 130,000-gross-ton, Dream-class Carnival Magic is currently homeported from Miami, offering 6-, 7-, and 8-night Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries. The ship can welcome 3,690 guests aboard at double occupancy, or as many as 4,724 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled.

Also onboard are more than 1,300 international officers and crew members to ensure everyone remains safe and has a truly magical cruise vacation.

Poor weather impacting Princess Cays on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, caused Carnival Sunshine to cancel her planned visit to the private island.

Unfortunately, this means passengers have missed their final port of call on the 5-night cruise, as no viable alternative destination is available.

Carnival Sunshine Itinerary Change

Carnival Sunshine is currently sailing a 5-night Bahamas itinerary roundtrip from Charleston, South Carolina. Due to a severe weather front that is moving east across the region, however, the ship was unable to call on Princess Cays as originally planned on Tuesday, February 6. Guests were notified of the change by letters delivered to their staterooms onboard on Monday evening.

“Our Fleet Operations Center has been actively monitoring the weather system that is moving in an easterly direction across the region. Unfavorable conditions that would make water shuttle operations unsafe are expected for Princess Cays tomorrow,” the letter explained.

“Regrettably, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our planned visit. Since there are no viable alternatives to add a port visit, we will spend Tuesday at sea.”

While there was no indication of rain or other unpleasant weather at Princess Cays on Tuesday, strong winds were undoubtedly generating swells that would have made water shuttle operations dangerous for moving guests between the cruise ship and the dock on the west coast of the island.

Carnival Sunshine was to have been visiting Princess Cays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During that time, steady wind speeds from the northwest and west-northwest reached as high as 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour), with gusts recorded as high as 36 mph (58 kph).

In those conditions, severe swells could make it very challenging for guests to move on and off the water shuttles as they are held against the cruise ship. Even though the dock area is sheltered, entering the docking basin with the water shuttle could also be challenging, particularly if a gust rocked the boat.

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Furthermore, a severely rocking shuttle could be very uncomfortable for guests who may be susceptible to motion sickness.

Cruise lines never want to change itineraries or cancel ports of call, especially at the last minute, but such decisions are always made with guests’ safety and comfort in mind.

All shore tours purchased through Carnival Cruise Line for Princess Cays will be automatically refunded to guests’ onboard accounts, along with taxes, fees, and associated port expenses.

What Goes On When a Port Is Cancelled?

With last-minute arrangements, the Fun Squad onboard Carnival Sunshine would have put together extra activities, including trivia contests, games, dance lessons, and other options for guests to enjoy since they cannot enjoy Princess Cays. Likewise, the entertainment staff may have planned an impromptu performance, or an onboard comedian might do an extra show.

The exact options available during an unexpected day at sea vary based on ship’s resources and crew members, and might even include options such as a language lesson from crew members, board games for use, or crazy deck games. Of course, the ship’s facilities – including the spa, pools, and casino – would also be available.

Carnival Sunshine – formerly Carnival Destiny before her extensive 2013 renovation – is a 103,000-gross-ton ship capable of welcoming 3,002 guests at double occupancy, or up to 3,758 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled. Also on board are more than 1,000 international officers and crew members.

The ship is currently homeported from Charleston, South Carolina, offering a range of Bahamas itineraries from from 4-6 nights. The ship also occasionally offers 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailings.

In early 2025, Carnival Sunshine will be repositioned to homeport from Norfolk, Virginia, offering similar sailings from the new embarkation port.

Update:

The Dream-class Carnival Magic was forced to temporarily depart the port in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, during its visit on February 6, 2024. Bad weather conditions, including string swells and winds, caused the vessel to hit the pier. This resulted in the passengers already ashore being left until Carnival Magic could safely return.

Carnival stated to Cruise Hive, “Carnival Magic was involved in an incident while in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday morning, Feb. 6 when strong winds and swells caused the pier fender to collapse under pressure, and the ship made contact with the pier. The ship was alongside at 8:10 a.m. and the incident occurred at 11:00 a.m. There were no injuries, and all the ship’s services remained operational.“

Those passengers who were still ashore were taken care of by the cruise line’s Care team and local tour partners. Also docked in Ocho Rios was Costa Pacifica from sister line Costa Cruises. That vessel was docked at the nearby Reynolds Pier, and Carnival Magic was able to dock there instead once the Costa vessel departed the port.

“The ship left the area for the safety of everyone on board and later docked at another nearby pier so that guests who went ashore Tuesday morning could rejoin the ship. The guests who were ashore at the time were taken care of by the Carnival team and shore excursion partners. Given the weather conditions in the region, Carnival Magic will remain in Ocho Rios on Tuesday night. Its visit to Grand Cayman is cancelled for Wednesday,” Carnival added.

The Miami-based cruise line is keeping all guests updated on the situation, and more details are set to be released in the coming hours. The damage to the Carnival cruise ship is unknown at the time and would likely take time to be assessed. Carnival Magic’s scheduled visit to Grand Cayman has been cancelled, and the vessel is remaining overnight docked in Ocho Rios.

Previously:

During a visit to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, Carnival Magic impacted and significantly damaged the pier. There is no word yet on how severe the damage is, though videos circulating online show the entire structure shifting and extensive broken concrete. The ship may likewise be damaged, but any damage on the vessel is not yet confirmed.

Carnival Magic Hits Pier in Ocho Rios

Carnival Magic was not originally intended to visit Ocho Rios today, but the ship was in fact in port. This is due to weather-related itinerary changes that brought the ship to the port a day earlier than initially planned due to a severe weather system moving across the region.

Unfortunately, the weather still proved to be an obstacle for the ship, as strong winds drove the vessel into the dock, causing extensive damage to the concrete structure.

A short video clip of the incident shows the end of the dock – where refueling equipment is kept on hand – cracking and crumbling under the pressure from the ship’s impact. The rest of the dock structure likewise shifts somewhat as the ship pushes against it.

There is no word as to whether or not the ship was damaged in the impact, though at least cosmetic damage – scratches or minor dents on the hull – are unavoidable. No injuries have been reported.

The ship’s master, Captain La Farina, did reach out to guests to alert them to the situation, as crew members were called to muster stations to respond to the emergency.

“Earlier, due to strong winds, the ship made contact with the pier, impacting a small area of the vessel,” the notification read. “These wind conditions are making it unsafe for us to remain docked. So, for safety reasons, it was necessary for us to sail out to sea.”

Because a number of guests were onshore enjoying Ocho Rios at the time, it was necessary for those passengers to be left behind as the ship moved away from the damaged dock. They are not left behind at the port in the same manner as if they had missed the boarding time, however.

“We are now in contact with our local partners and our Fleet Operations Center and are working through plans to get our guests who are ashore back on board as soon as possible,” La Farina said.

Winds near Jamaica today are from the north and west, steady at speeds up to 17 knots (20 miles per hour / 31 kilometers per hour). From that direction, the winds would have been pushing broadside on the ship alongside the dock, exerting considerable force to move the vessel into the dock structure.

At this time, there is no confirmation of whether the cruise ship may be able to move back into position to reboard guests, or if smaller boats may be used to bring passengers out to the ship. Another option may be for Carnival Magic to move to Montego Bay – 62 miles (100 kilometers) west – to reboard guests, who would be shuttled from Ocho Rios to Montego Bay, a 2-hour drive.

On her revised itinerary, Carnival Magic was scheduled to be docked in Ocho Rios from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6. Wednesday will now be a day in Grand Cayman, Thursday a day at sea, and Friday a visit to Bimini – if there are no further weather-related itinerary adjustments or if no changes are needed due to this incident.

Carnival Magic is due back in Miami on Saturday morning to begin debarkation at 8 a.m.

What Will Happen Next?

A full investigation into the collision will be initiated, and both the ship and pier will be thoroughly inspected for structural soundness and operational capability. Undoubtedly, part of the pier will need to be closed while repairs are made, though there is no confirmation yet whether or not that may impact visits from additional ships in the coming days.

In addition to Carnival Cruise Line, ships from Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Line, TUI Cruises, and Costa Cruises are all scheduled to visit Ocho Rios throughout February.

As this is the busy season for cruise visits to Jamaica, it may be challenging to accommodate multiple ships if the pier damage is too extensive or cannot be repaired to safely dock vessels.

It is important to note that Carnival Magic remains safe with all hotel operations functional at this time, and guests on board are in no danger. Some services have been temporarily suspended as crew members are called to emergency duties, but will be resumed as soon as possible.

The 130,000-gross-ton, Dream-class Carnival Magic is currently homeported from Miami through April 2026, offering 6- and 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, with occasional Southern Caribbean itineraries. She can welcome 3,690 guests aboard at double occupancy, or as many as 4,724 passengers when fully booked. Also onboard are over 1,300 international crew members.

This particular sailing – the February 4 departure for a 6-night sailing, is the themed “ShipRocked” cruise with “The Dark Lord Count Von Skully” hosting an amazing lineup of rock artists, theme nights, and more for the undead-themed sailing.