Carnival Cruise Line has announced the cancellation of a cruise aboard the Carnival Vista due to persistent propulsion problems. The ship, built in 2017, requires repairs and will be unable to depart from Port Canaveral on its scheduled date of September 7th, 2024. This isn’t the first time the Carnival Vista has encountered propulsion difficulties. Back in 2019, the ship faced similar issues, leading to an extraordinary out-of-water repair process.
Carnival’s engineers have been working diligently to resolve the latest issue, which is limiting the Carnival Vista’s cruising speed. While recent efforts showed promise, the company determined that additional repairs are necessary, requiring them to take the ship out of service. The cancelled cruise was scheduled for an eight-night voyage to the Southern Caribbean, with stops planned in Aruba, Curaçao, and Grand Turk.
Carnival has expressed deep regret for this unexpected disruption to the vacation plans of affected guests and acknowledged their disappointment in being unable to deliver the intended cruise experience. To compensate for the inconvenience, all passengers will receive a full refund for their cruise fare, along with any pre-purchased onboard services and shore excursions. Additionally, Carnival is offering a 100% future cruise credit (FCC) that can be applied towards a new booking with the company. The FCC must be redeemed by August 31, 2025, and can be used for any departure currently available for sale.
For independent travelers who booked non-refundable air travel, Carnival will provide reimbursement for their air change fees, up to $200 per person, with supporting documentation. It’s worth noting that Carnival had previously planned to address the Carnival Vista’s propulsion issues before its scheduled August 18th, 2024 sailing. At that time, the company assured booked guests that the ship would undergo maintenance to resolve the problems before departing from Port Canaveral. To accommodate the repairs, the vessel left its homeport later than initially planned, at 3:30 AM.
