Every cruiser knows that itinerary changes can happen for a variety of reasons, whether ports must be cancelled or times adjusted for different operational reasons.
Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on four different upcoming sailings of Carnival Paradise to alert them to such changes.
Fortunately, all four sailings are only having port times adjusted, and the Fantasy-class ship is still scheduled to visit each port of call on her various itineraries.
The impacted cruises are all departing from the Port of Tampa in September 2024, and the same itinerary change notice has been sent to booked guests on each sailing.
“We have made adjustments to the itineraries for the following cruises, which include yours,” the notification read. “Port times for the destinations listed below have been modified.”
The first cruise impacted is Carnival Paradise‘s September 2 departure, a 6-night Western Caribbean sailing with visits to Key West, Montego Bay, and Grand Cayman. While the Key West call is unaffected, port times for both Montego Bay and Grand Cayman have been adjusted.
Up next is the ship’s September 16 departure. That cruise is a 5-night voyage to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, and only Cozumel is being changed.
The third affected cruise is the September 21 departure for a 5-night Western Caribbean sailing to Roatan and Cozumel. For this cruise, Cozumel remains the same, but the times in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, have been changed.
Finally, the fourth impacted sailing is the September 30 voyage. This 6-night sailing is scheduled to visit Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel. Both Roatan and Cozumel are unaffected, but the first port of call – Belize City – is being adjusted.
To clarify, Carnival Paradise will still visit each port of call on her planned itineraries, but the selected ports now have their times adjusted. The exact time adjustments – 30 minutes, an hour, two hours – will be posted on Carnival Cruise Line’s website as soon as they are finalized.
If guests have already booked and paid for shore tours through Carnival Cruise Line for their destinations, those excursions will be automatically adjusted to the new port times if needed. Because tours leave at different times of day, however, not all excursions may be changed.
Any travelers who made independent tour plans for the ports, however, will need to contact their tour operators to see if adjustments are possible or needed once port times are confirmed.
The 71,925-gross-ton Carnival Paradise is homeported year-round from Port Tampa Bay, offering 4-, 5-, and 6-night sailings. While most of her cruises are Western Caribbean itineraries, the ship does have the occasional Bahamas voyage as well.
In fact, in summer 2025, Carnival Paradise will be one of the first ships to visit Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination, Celebration Key, with her August 28, 2025 departure. For that special 4-night Bahamas cruise, Celebration Key will be the ship’s only port of call, but it will certainly be something to celebrate as travelers are among the first to enjoy the new Bahamian hotspot.
Why Port Times Can Change
While Carnival Cruise Line has not offered any detailed explanation for the changes in port times for the four different cruises, there could be a variety of reasons.
Many cruise lines are seeking to lessen their environmental impact by slowing speeds for better fuel efficiency, which in turn lowers emissions and reduces pollution. Even just a slight change in port times could make this worthwhile.
Carnival Paradise Cruise Ship Docked in Cozumel (Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks)
It is also possible that port congestion is impacting how Carnival Paradise will be able to arrive and depart these ports of call. With multiple ships visiting these destinations, there needs to be sufficient port staff, including pilots, to accommodate each vessel on a smooth schedule.
Read Also: What Does a Ship Pilot Do?
Fortunately, booked guests will still be enjoying each port of call with only minimal time changes, and hopefully they will not notice a significant impact on the amount of fun they’re able to have during their cruise vacations.
Carnival Paradise – one of the last remaining but much beloved Fantasy-class ships still in service – can welcome 2,124 guests at double occupancy. The ship is also home to more than 900 international crew members who work diligently to ensure everyone enjoys a taste of paradise on every sailing.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
