Carnival Cruise Line’s flagship Vista-class vessel, Carnival Vista, continues to face technical difficulties that impact its sailing schedule.
The vessel has experienced ongoing propulsion issues that have affected its cruising speed, leading to multiple itinerary changes and now, a full cancellation of an upcoming cruise.
Current Sailing of Carnival Vista
Carnival Vista, which is currently on an 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailing that began on August 24, 2024, from Port Canaveral, Florida, has already seen its itinerary adjusted to accommodate the ship’s reduced cruising speed.
| Guests were informed that the time in port would be shortened, although all scheduled destinations—San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands—would still be visited. |
Know more about Carnival Vista Returns to Service Following Propulsion Repairs
Carnival offered a $50 onboard credit per stateroom as compensation for the changes.
Carnival Vista Changes for September 1, 2024
Carnival has announced a partial itinerary change for the cruise scheduled to embark on September 1, 2024, due to the same propulsion issues.
The revised itinerary will replace planned visits to Grand Turk and Amber Cove with stops in Nassau and Freeport, The Bahamas.
Affected guests are being offered a $200 onboard credit per stateroom and full refunds for any pre-purchased shore excursions.
Guests also have the option to cancel their cruise for a full refund if they decide that the new itinerary does not meet their vacation expectations.
Cancellation of the September 7, 2024
Carnival Cruise Line has now made the decision to cancel the September 7, 2024 cruise entirely to allow more time for the necessary repairs.
In a letter to guests booked on this cruise, Carnival apologized for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation.
All guests will receive a full refund for their cruise fare, shore excursions, and any pre-purchased items from the FUNShop.
| In addition to the refund, Carnival is offering a 100% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to all affected guests. This credit is valid for any cruise booked by August 31, 2025, and can be used on any departure that is open for sale. Carnival will also reimburse up to $200 per person for air change fees for those with non-refundable flights, provided they submit the necessary documentation. |
Impact on Future Sailings
Carnival Vista, operating out of Port Canaveral, was scheduled to continue alternating between 6- and 8-night Caribbean itineraries through 2026.
Carnival has not yet announced how long the ship will be out of service or whether additional cruises might be impacted.
Ongoing Carnival Vista Propulsion Issues
Propulsion issues are no stranger to Carnival’s Vista-class ships. In June 2023, Carnival Vista was taken out of service for repairs.
In 2019, the company had to take Carnival Vista out of service for two weeks to repair propulsion units. This was done by bringing the world’s largest floating dry dock down from Northern Europe and lifting the ship out of the water off the Bahamas coast.
The most recent issues manifested during the ship’s August 4 sailing and have persisted through the following voyages, causing multiple delays and changes.
Despite efforts to repair the ship’s engines while docked at Port Canaveral on August 24, 2024, the technical difficulties have not been fully resolved.
