Humid conditions across Florida have created heavy fog at two ports of call on Monday, February 3, 2025, impacting two Carnival cruise ships. Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise have both had delays, but to different degrees.
Carnival Elation is homeported from Jacksonville and is finishing a 4-night Bahamas itinerary. Due to fog that made navigation up the St. Johns River tricky in the early hours of Monday morning, the ship was slightly delayed.
Fortunately, the impact on Carnival Elation was minimal and the ship was able to dock after the fog lightened. While embarking guests will also be slightly delayed, there should be no impact on the ship’s next itinerary, a 5-night Bahamas sailing to both Nassau and Freeport.
Unfortunately, the delay is more extensive for Carnival Paradise, as the fog is much thicker in the Tampa Bay area and the US Coast Guard (USCG) has temporarily closed the port.
“Due to heavy fog, the arrival of the Carnival Paradise has been delayed. The decision to delay the arrival was made in an abundance of caution by the US Coast Guard, due to low visibility in the area,” Port Tampa Bay confirmed.
Carnival Paradise is returning from 4-night Western Caribbean itinerary that visited Cozumel, Mexico. The ship’s next sailing is a 5-night Bahamas cruise to visit Bimini and Nassau.
Carnival Cruise Line has been in touch with guests booked on today’s departure to update them about the delay. At this time, there is no confirmed time for Carnival Paradise to dock at Cruise Terminal 3.
“Port of Tampa remains closed due to fog. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide another update by 12:00 PM (ET),” the latest text update read. “Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received our final update. Thanks for your understanding.”
At the moment, Carnival Paradise is holding position outside the entrance to Tampa Bay, as it is not navigationally safe for the ship to proceed into the bay.
Once the USCG determines the fog has cleared enough for the ship to enter the bay, it will take 2-3 hours for Carnival Paradise to reach the cruise terminal. That transit time is normal, and the ship would usually be making that journey in the early hours of the morning.
Passengers Being Kept Busy While They Wait
Guests onboard have confirmed very heavy fog and minimal visibility. They are still permitted to remain in their staterooms, and all onboard systems and activities are proceeding as planned.
The ship’s Cruise Director and Fun Squad team are undoubtedly offering new activities for travelers to enjoy as they wait out the fog delay. Furthermore, many of the ship’s venues – pools, miniature golf, etc. – remain open and available for guests.
At some point, guests will be asked to vacate their staterooms and wait in public areas so the housekeeping teams can begin turning over cabins in preparation for the next cruise.
Turnover day – when one group of guests is debarking and another group is beginning their cruise – is always chaotic, and the fog adds an extra complication to the process.
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
Guests onboard should take the opportunity to enjoy their extra time onboard and be patient with the ship’s 900 crew members as they all try to make this difficult situation as smooth as possible.
Fog is a common occurrence for Port Tampa Bay, especially in the winter months when cooler air from the north interacts with the warm waters of the bay, creating very dense fog banks.
Guests with any Carnival Paradise sailings booked in the winter should be mindful of weather conditions and stay in close communication with Carnival Cruise Line in case of delays and itinerary adjustments.