Carnival Cruise Line has made an itinerary change to Carnival Firenze on one particular cruise in February 2025 (and February 2026) that may be upsetting to sports fans.
While the ship will still be sailing to the planned ports of call, the day of the port visits has been changed and will now conflict with Super Bowl Sunday on her February 6, 2025 and February 5, 2026 departures.
Booked guests were notified of the change less than a month before the ship’s 2025 departure date. Savvy travelers noted that the change – moving the call on Ensenada, Mexico from Saturday, February 8 to Sunday, February 9 – now means Carnival Firenze will be in port on game day.
“We have made an adjustment to the itinerary for your cruise – changed day of port visit for Ensenada,” the notification read.
No further explanation was offered for why the port visit date has been changed, though any pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions will be moved to the new date if possible. If adjusting tours is not possible, those tours will be cancelled and refunded.
Port congestion is a common reason for such changes, but on both February 8 and February 9, 2025, Carnival Firenze would be docked in Ensenada with just one other vessel. Carnival Radiance is visiting on Saturday, while Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas is visiting on Sunday.
For comparison, Carnival Radiance can welcome 2,984 travelers, while Navigator of the Seas can welcome 3,376 guests. This means that Carnival Firenze – with the largest passenger capacity at 4,208 guests – will now be visiting Ensenada on a day when even more travelers will likely be in port.
The change is the same for Carnival Firenze‘s February 5, 2026 departure. The visit to Ensenada has been moved to Sunday, while Saturday will be a day at sea. For both sailings, the time in the popular Mexican port remains as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Super Bowl begins at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time. With pre-game specials and analysis beginning hours before, travelers may now have conflicts with shore tours if they had hoped to watch the game onboard.
Admittedly, guests booked on the ship’s 2026 departure still have plenty of time to cancel or change their cruise date if they prefer. This is not necessarily an option for the 2025 departure, as travelers would lose 75% of their cruise fare as a cancellation penalty at this point in time.
Watching the Super Bowl at Sea
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has confirmed that the Super Bowl will be broadcast onboard Carnival ships. Several guests have inquired about the game, and Heald has been positive about his answers.
“Yes, we will be playing it on the big screens,” he confirmed. “It certainly is a wonderful, wonderful event.”
This gives Carnival guests the unique opportunity to cheer on the biggest sporting event of the year with a passionate, enthusiastic crowd, while at the same time enjoying Carnival’s amazing service and hospitality.
Cruise Passengers On Ship During Port Day (Photo Credit: Emrys Thakkar)
Read Also: What Is the Carnival CHEERS! Package?
If one’s cruise ship is in port that day, however, shore excursions may take up most of the pre-game part of the day, while cleaning up afterward and going to dinner would conflict with gametime.
Many experienced travelers may recommend that sports fans not book a cruise at all over Super Bowl weekend if watching the game is that important. However, being able to watch the game at sea with a group of friends may be exactly what guests had hoped for in booking an itinerary when Super Bowl Sunday is a day at sea.
Cruise lines have the right to adjust ship itineraries at any time and for any reason, without offering compensation to travelers. Unfortunately, this may mean that guests on Carnival Firenze hoping to watch Super Bowl LIX could miss out if they planned to explore Ensenada.
It is always an option for guests to cancel their shore tours, which are fully refundable up to the time of sailing (if tours have been pre-purchased). This could open up the day and permit plenty of time to enjoy Ensenada in the morning while still being ready for kickoff.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
