Guests booked on the September 15, 2024 departure of Carnival Vista received a welcome late night update just hours before embarkation was to begin, confirming that their ship was now repaired and ready to welcome them aboard.
The notification was sent at approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 14, as Carnival Vista left Port Canaveral for several hours of at-sea testing following her engine repairs.
“The engineering work on Carnival Vista has been completed and the ship is now at sea completing post-repair testing and maneuvers before returning to Port Canaveral on Sunday morning,” the notification read.
Cruise ship tracking data showed the ship moving out into open waters off the Florida coast, doing several turns in different directions before returning to the port for embarkation as planned.
As the ship was repaired well ahead of the scheduled embarkation times, no further delays or adjustments were necessary for guests boarding their 6-night Eastern Caribbean sailing.
“Embarkation will take place as planned. Please get to the cruise terminal for check-in within your pre-selected Terminal Arrival Appointment. In preparation for departure, all guests must be on board by the final boarding time indicated on the boarding pass,” the late-night notification confirmed.
This will be a great relief to guests, as the previous Carnival Vista sailing was cancelled just a few days before her September 7, 2024 departure. As the ship has been out of service for repairs, great concern has been swirling about whether additional voyages would need to be cancelled for the work to be completed.
Thankfully, this has not been the case and Carnival Vista has now embarked passengers and left Port Canaveral on schedule for her next voyage. After a day at sea, her first stop will be Half Moon Cay, Carnival Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas.
The ship will also visit Grand Turk on Wednesday, September 18 as well as Amber Cove on Thursday, September 19 before another day at sea and her return to Port Canaveral on Saturday, September 21.
Tracking data shows the ship well underway and gaining speed as she increases her distance from Port Canaveral, which is common as ships leave their homeports.
Since Carnival Vista has a full day at sea before her arrival to Half Moon Cay, it isn’t necessary for her to amp up to full speed as soon as possible to make her scheduled visit.
Will the Engine Trouble Return?
Passengers with upcoming sailings on Carnival Vista may understandably be nervous about whether or not the repairs are, in fact, complete and if the ship will develop propulsion difficulties again.
The 133,596-gross-ton ship, lead in her class when she debuted in 2016, has had numerous similar propulsion difficulties in her relatively short service life, beginning in November 2016 and followed by problems in June 2019, May 2022, and now August/September 2024.
Read Also: What Is Wrong With Carnival’s Vista-Class Ships?
Carnival Cruise Line has never clarified whether each round of difficulties is the same or brought on by different engineering elements. Regardless of the cause, the result has always been a failure for the ship to maintain top speed which results in altered or cancelled itineraries and repairs.
To be clear, each time only the ship’s propulsion has been impacted. All onboard operations, including safety, navigation, hotel work, entertainment, restaurants, and entertainment have always remained fully operational. At no time have guests ever been in danger from these recurrent problems.
Here’s hoping that Carnival Vista will have smooth and swift sailing ahead as she continues her Caribbean cruise offerings from Port Canaveral, welcoming 3,934 travelers aboard at double occupancy for each voyage and with 1,450 international team members to ensure everyone has an unforgettable oceangoing getaway.
