Passengers scheduled for Carnival Vista’s August 18 sailing were relieved after receiving confirmation that their Sunday itinerary would push through.
The Carnival Cruise Line vessel has faced multiple breakdowns and undergone several repairs due to ongoing propulsion issues.
Carnival Vista guests received the notice from the line late Thursday afternoon.
| “This week, our shipboard and shoreside technical teams have been working to resolve an issue that is limiting Carnival Vista’s cruising speed. Otherwise, there is no impact to ship operations.” |
The announcement told guests they could board the vessel as planned with only slight changes. Vista would arrive at Port Canaveral at around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday and leave later than initially scheduled to make way for repairs. According to Carnival’s Guest Services, cruisers can still look forward to their day at Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s exclusive resort in the Bahamas.
“We are also planning a later departure that evening to maximize the workday, but given the sea day on Monday, this will not affect our arrival time for Half Moon Cay on Tuesday, August 20,” the notice read.
Vessel Issues Force Drastic Itinerary Change
It was welcome news, particularly concerning last week’s engine problems. Instead of sailing to Grand Turk, Aruba, and Curaçao, the Southern Caribbean sailing had to follow a more straightforward route to the Bahamas. This enabled the 2016-built ship to receive necessary repairs at the cost of several port calls.
Vista was already experiencing issues before the August 4 cruise. The sailing before it could not sail at optimal speeds, delaying its return to Florida.
Last February, the 133,500-ton vessel emerged from a month-long dry dock in Spain, but it was forced to shorten its first voyage after facing dry dock and weather-related concerns on the transatlantic cruise back to Florida.
In May, mechanical issues again impacted Carnival Vista’s itinerary. Repairs required Vista to reschedule two stops, introducing slight changes to its route.
A Ship Riddled With Technical Issues
Specific information regarding the cause of these problems is limited. The cruise line has mostly cited technical challenges that affect the ship’s propulsion and ability to travel at top speeds.
Since its launch in 2016, the 3,936-passenger vessel has been plagued by technical issues. In addition to its recent emergencies, it underwent an unplanned dry dock in 2019 to address similar complications.
Last November, they canceled a series of Carnival Vista sailings due to technical issues.
