A combination of propulsion issues and a medical emergency delayed Carnival Liberty’s arrival in New Orleans, forcing a late-night embarkation for its next cruise, which remained in port overnight.
During the final day of Carnival Liberty’s seven-night Caribbean sailing, passengers received an email from Guest Services explaining the reasons for the delay.
The ship had encountered technical issues and had to return to Key West, its first port of call, to debark a passenger requiring urgent medical care medically.
Letter from Carnival Cruise Line
“…we had to deviate course to Key West to disembark a guest from the current voyage, who needed urgent medical care ashore,” the email stated. “In addition, the ship has developed an issue that is only affecting its sailing speed.”
Later updates provided details on the repair progress and the revised arrival time in New Orleans. “Our engineers have been making progress with the repair work, and we are now expecting to dock in New Orleans late afternoon Sunday, December 1,” read the notice.
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Marine Traffic confirmed that Carnival Liberty arrived in New Orleans at 5:59 p.m. on December 1.
However, this delay meant that embarkation for the next cruise began 5.5 hours later than scheduled. Instead of the original 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. embarkation window, passengers were welcomed onboard between 7:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., with boarding concluding around midnight.
Due to the delays, guests needed to cover their lunches, so Carnival Cruise Line granted each passenger $25 in onboard credits. The cruise line also told guests their staterooms might not be ready when they board the ship.
The ship is now underway.
A History of Propulsion Issues
This is not Carnival Liberty’s first round of propulsion issues. In 2016, propulsion limitations affected its cruising speed, resulting in the cancellation of two voyages departing on October 31 and November 5.
Subsequent itineraries were modified, and Carnival redeployed the ship from Galveston, Texas, to Port Canaveral, Florida. Starting in December 2016, the ship operated shorter Bahamas cruises from Central Florida better suited to its reduced speed capabilities.
Compared to Carnival Vista
While Carnival Liberty has faced its share of propulsion-related challenges, Carnival Vista has experienced repeated issues in recent years.
In 2024 alone, the eight-year-old ship encountered propulsion problems during May, August, September, and October, affecting several of its itineraries.
