As Tropical Storm Debby moves northward west of the Florida peninsula, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise will not be able to return to Port Tampa Bay as scheduled in the early morning hours of Monday, August 5, 2024. The port is currently at Condition Zulu and closed to all traffic.
At the moment, Carnival Paradise is well away from the storm on her current itinerary enjoying a day at sea following her visit to Cozumel, Mexico, just as planned on her 4-night itinerary. However, the ship cannot proceed back to her homeport until the storm has passed and the port has reopened.
Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to booked guests, as well as notified guests onboard, of the storm-related delay and what the next steps will be for the vessel.
“Once the storm passes, officials will conduct an assessment, after which we will have more information,” the cruise line said. “We hope to be able to return this voyage to Tampa sometime late afternoon or early evening, Monday, although there is a possibility it may be Tuesday morning.”
After the storm has cleared the area, Port Tampa Bay authorities will inspect the cruise terminal, docks, sailing channel, and other facilities to ensure the port can reopen safely.
Only then will ships be given clearance to return and operations will resume. It does take approximately 2-3 hours for a cruise ship to transit all of Tampa Bay to the cruise terminal.
Inspections will happen as quickly as possible once storm winds drop to safe levels, usually just a few hours after the storm’s peak passes. If any damage or dangerous conditions are noted, repairs will need to be made before the port reopens.
It should be noted that the 71,925-gross-ton, Fantasy class Carnival Paradise is in no danger at the moment and the cruise line always keeps the vessel’s safety as the top priority.
Because it is likely that the ship will be delayed, however, Carnival Cruise Line has also notified guests on Carnival Paradise‘s next sailing that their embarkation will most likely be impacted.
That cruise is planned as a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary departing on August 5, with visits to Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel. For now, no itinerary changes have been confirmed.
“Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received confirmation from us on when your cruise will operate,” the notification read.
Booked guests are encouraged to sign up for text alerts to ensure they are notified of changes as soon as possible. Another update will be posted on Monday morning to keep guests informed of the plans.
If the ship is significantly delayed, guests will likely be provided with a prorated refund for a shortened sailing or onboard credit to compensate for the time lost.
These changes for Carnival Paradise follow significant changes for Carnival Elation, which was accelerated in her return to Jacksonville. This has permitted the ship to end her current sailing a day early and embark her next guests before the impact of Tropical Storm Debby arrives in northeast Florida.
Latest on Tropical Storm Debby
By Sunday afternoon, Tropical Storm Debby was located approximately 125 miles west-southwest of Tampa, moving north-northwest at 13 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds were recorded at 65 miles per hour, less than 10 miles per hour below the threshold of an official hurricane.
The storm is expected to continue strengthening and is likely to be a hurricane when it makes impact in the Big Bend area of Florida on Monday morning. At that time, the storm is forecast to shift to a northeast track, bringing her impact toward Jacksonville and all of the southeastern US.
The tropical storm force winds extend up to 140 miles from the storm’s center, making it a large storm with significant impact great distances from its actual center.
Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise
Storm surge, flooding rain, and high winds are expected along much of the western Florida coast, and both watches and warnings are in place from Cape San Blas all the way to the southern tip of the peninsula.
Similarly, tropical storm watches are already in place along the east coast from Jacksonville to north of Charleston, South Carolina.
All cruise travelers should stay in close communication with their cruise line for official updates about any delays, itinerary changes, or other alterations to their sailings over the next few days as the storm continues.
