Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on upcoming sailings of Carnival Pride to let them know that two weeks of sailings are now cancelled due to a change in dry dock scheduling. The impacted sailings are from March 29 through April 12, 2026, when the ship was scheduled to be offering 7-night cruises from Baltimore, Maryland.
Instead, however, the ship will be entering dry dock for updates and renovations, and sailings during that window cannot move forward.
“In our continuous effort to enhance our product, Carnival Pride has now been scheduled for dry dock and we’re sorry to inform you that your cruise has been cancelled,” the notification email read.
Fortunately, the impacted cruises are more than 22 months away, which makes it easier for affected travelers to rearrange their vacation plans.
The cruise line is offering an incentive if guests would like to rebook on a different sailing, either on Carnival Pride or on a different ship. The fare rate of the now-cancelled cruise will be protected on comparable voyages when booked in similar accommodations.
Furthermore, if guests rebook, they will get a $50 (USD) onboard credit per person, up to $100 per stateroom, to use on the new sailing as a thank you for continuing their plans to set sail with Carnival Cruise Line.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Anticipates Return to Baltimore
If travelers are unable to rebook or choose not to do so, they do not need to take any action. The cancelled cruises will be fully refunded, including any Early Saver reservations, with no fees or penalties. Similarly, all prepaid purchases, such as gratuities, drink packages, or internet packages will also be fully refunded back to the original form of payment.
Refunds will be processed after May 28, 2024, but may take up to three weeks to process through different financial institutions.
What Updates May Be Planned?
Carnival Pride‘s most recent dry dock was a month-long renovation in May 2023. That major refurbishment took place in Cadiz, Spain, and included adding the Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge, Carnival Adventures Shop, and Dreams Photo Studio to the ship.
Other public areas were renovated, the arcade relocated, and the David’s Steakhouse was rebranded to Fahrenheit 555. This included the removal of the sometimes controversial statue of David from the restaurant, which has recently reappeared most appropriately on Carnival Firenze.
The 2023 dry dock also included repainting the ship’s hull in the new red, white, and blue livery colors that first debuted on Mardi Gras and have gradually been rolled out across the Carnival fleet.
Because the 2026 dry dock is only half the length of time of the 2023 renovations, it is unlikely that the changes will be quite as extreme. All cruise ships enter dry dock every 2-3 years for general maintenance and upgrades, however, which typically include new decking and flooring where necessary, updates to lighting and upholstery, and technical upgrades to ensure the best possible operation.
At the time of this planned dry dock, the 88,500-gross-ton, Spirit-class Carnival Pride will be homeported from Baltimore, offering 7-night Bahamas sailings. Of special interest on these tropical sailings are calls to the upcoming Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination currently under construction on Grand Bahama Island.
The ship should continue those itineraries immediately following the dry dock. At this time, the cruise line has not announced where the dry dock renovations will be done, nor is there any plan for one-way sailings to or from the dry dock location.
Carnival Pride‘s itineraries past spring 2026 have not yet been announced, as cruise lines typically don’t release new itineraries so far in advance. That information should be announced in the coming months as new seasons are revealed for the entire Carnival fleet.
