Guests looking forward to a weekend getaway on Carnival Radiance later this year have just been informed that their cruise has been cancelled due to a full ship charter.

While this will be a disappointment to booked guests, the cancelled voyage is not until December, giving travelers plenty of time to make alternative plans and take advantage of the compensation Carnival Cruise Line is offering.

Carnival Radiance Cruise Cancelled

Guests booked on the December 8, 2023 sailing of the Sunshine-class Carnival Radiance have been informed that their cruise is now cancelled. The sailing was to have been a 3-night roundtrip sailing from Long Beach, California to Ensenada, Mexico, with one day at sea. Now, guests have received an email about the cancellation.

“We are very sorry to inform you that the ship has been chartered and your voyage will be cancelled,” the email 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.”

Booked guests do have several options. Full refunds of the cruise fare and pre-purchased items such as drink packages, pre-paid gratuities, shore tours, and spa treatments will be automatically returned to the original form of payment.

This also applies to Early Saver reservations, but guests should be aware that refunds can take up to three weeks to process, depending on guests’ bank or credit card policies.

If impacted guests prefer to reschedule to a comparable sailing, their cruise rate will be protected in any similar stateroom, regardless of the vessel. Carnival Radiance is offering 3- and 4-night sailings from Long Beach every week, giving guests plenty of alternative dates to choose from.

In addition to Carnival Radiance, two other Fun Ships are also sailing from Long Beach in December 2023 – Carnival Miracle and Carnival Panorama.

While Carnival Panorama is only offering longer 6-, 7-, and 8-night itineraries, Carnival Miracle is offering shorter 4- and 5- night sailings, as well as the occasional 3-night cruise, that may be eligible for the rate protection. Interested guests should reach out to Carnival or their travel agent for other possible cruises.

“Our team is ready to discuss options and rebook you on another Carnival cruise right away,” the email read.

Guests who do rebook on a different sailing will also receive an added bonus, $25 (USD) per person, up to $50 per stateroom, of onboard credit for the new cruise.

Carnival Cruise Line will also consider reimbursement for independent air arrangements, up to $200 per person for any nonrefundable tickets or change fees. Supporting documentation must be submitted for reimbursement consideration, and acceptance is not guaranteed.

Full Ship Charters

The email does not provide details about the charter, in order to protect the privacy of the charter company and its guests. Many different companies offer charter cruise arrangements through major cruise lines, including not only Carnival Cruise Line but also Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Princess Cruises.

Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Line to Host 13 Back-to-Back Charters

Full-ship charters are often arranged for larger groups and made available for purchase to anyone interested or affiliated with the group. These might be LGBTQ+ cruises, church group charters, music or entertainment themes, corporate retreats, or other groups.

While many full ship charters are arranged more than a year in advance to minimize any disruption to already booked guests and to provide the maximum amount of time for charter guests to book their cruise, these cancellations do happen occasionally.

For example, Royal Caribbean International cancelled the October 22, 2022 sailing of Navigator of the Seas just a few months before the sailing due to a charter sailing, and similarly cancelled the September 12, 2022 sailing of Spectrum of the Seas for a full-ship charter. Norwegian Cruise Line cancelled the January 22, 2023 sailing of the new Norwegian Prima for a private charter sailing.

While every cruise line has different policies for these types of arrangements, guests are often offered alternative sailing choices, future cruise credits, or onboard credit for new sailings. Full refunds are also an option if guests choose not to make, or cannot make, alternative plans.

Carnival Cruise Line is well known for treating loyal guests, what it calls “Very Important Fun Person” or “VIFP” guests, to fun gifts, and a trio of new gifts is coming soon, along with more flexibility in how guests receive the gifts. The news is exciting to many returning guests, who have already collected many of the cruise line’s most recent gift item.

New Loyalty Gifts Coming Soon

In a recent video, Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald announced the new VIFP gifts for Platinum and Diamond-level loyalty guests. Unlike previous gifts, the new options are a matched collection and Heald hinted that guests may have the option to choose which item they prefer in the coming months, rather than just have a single gift option.

The new gifts are a bag set, with three different sizes. The first is a navy blue tote bag with red canvas handles, with a leather “Carnival VIFP Club” patch on the outside and a light-colored interior lining printed with the iconic Carnival funnel and “Very Important for Pool Days” as a pattern.

The second gift is a matching fanny pack/bum bag, also navy blue and with a red zipper. The “Carnival VIFP Club” leather patch is stitched on the front, and the waist strap appears to be adjustable with a plastic clip closure.

The third gift is a smaller toiletry bag, also navy blue with the matching leather patch, a red zipper, and “Very Important for Packing” printed on the interior. The toiletry gift also appears to have an exterior pocket on the front for even more convenience, and could be used for any items, such as chargers, cables, makeup, or other essentials.

Heald did note that the new gifts will not begin distribution for a couple of weeks, as they must still be delivered to various ships. He also explained that the new plan is to move more quickly between gift options, which will be welcome news to very frequent cruisers who might have previously received several of the same item before supplies were changed.

“We’ll start off with one, then we’ll go move very quickly a couple of months later exchanging for something else, then exchanging for the third one,” Heald explained.

An exact start date has not been announced, and it is likely that some ships may begin distributing the new bags earlier than others depending on how supplies are delivered, what past gifts still remain to be distributed on individual ships, and how many Platinum and Diamond guests are onboard various sailings.

Gifts must be collected at the Pixels Photo Gallery onboard each ship no later than two days before the end of the cruise. For the time being, gifts are only being offered one at a time, but Heald did stress more flexibility to come as the VIFP program is being refreshed, with further details to come in the months ahead.

Who Receives Gifts?

All cruise guests who set sail on a Fun Ship are part of Carnival’s VIFP program from their very first sailing, but it isn’t until reaching the higher levels of loyalty that guests receive free logo gifts. Both Platinum and Diamond guests receive the gifts, the same for all guests.

“We have well over a million and a half of these incredible people who have stayed loyal through the good times and the challenging times. That’s growing every day as we get more Diamond and Platinum guests,” Heald said. “Thank you for your incredible loyalty.”

Guests reach Platinum status when they have accumulated 75 points in Carnival’s loyalty program, and Diamond status begins at 200 points. Points are earned for every day cruised – 3 points for a 3-night sailing, 7-points for a 7-night sailing, and so forth. Points do not expire and will continue to build with every cruise guests take.

Past Loyalty Gifts

Carnival Cruise Line has given a wide variety of gift items to loyal cruisers over the years, including beach bags, journals, hats, insulated tumblers, chess games, luggage tags, sling bags, bluetooth speakers, headphones, fleece blankets, and more.

The most recent loyalty gift, and one that has drawn a good deal of criticism, is a beach-themed “slap koozie” meant to wrap around cans to keep them insulated. Because it is a slap design, it can easily fit cans or bottles of different sizes.

In comparison to past gifts, however, many guests have considered the koozie as less than desirable, especially as it has been the only gift available for many months and frequent cruisers may have already collected several. Because of this, the new gifts will be especially welcome.

In addition to the VIFP logo gifts, all Platinum and Diamond-level cruisers also receive collectible pins with the ship’s name and year on every sailing. Gold-level cruisers (25-74 points) receive Gold VIFP pins as well. Pins must also be collected at the Pixels Photo Gallery onboard.