With Port Tampa Bay remaining closed following the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise may not be able to return to her homeport for the debarkation of her latest sailing and embarkation of her next guests.
The ship departed Tampa on Sunday, October 6, 2024 on what was to have been a 4-night Western Caribbean sailing to Cozumel, Mexico. Hurricane Milton had other plans, however, and the ship will remain at sea longer in order to reach an open, operational homeport.
The ship’s next sailing – planned to depart Tampa on Thursday, October 10 – has already been cancelled, which gives the cruise line time to make alternative arrangements to debark the up to 2,124 travelers onboard.
Now, Carnival Cruise Line has notified guests on the October 14 departure that Carnival Paradise may be embarking not from Tampa after all, but could instead embark from Port Canaveral. The two cruise homeports are roughly 130 miles apart, approximately a 2-3 hour drive, depending on local traffic.
The final decision has not yet been made, but it will be determined when Port Tampa Bay is able to reopen safely. Following the storm, power outages, localized flooding, and some building damage are already being assessed around the port facilities.
At the moment, Carnival Paradise is heading for PortMiami to debark guests from the October 6 sailing. A complimentary shuttle will return travelers to the Tampa cruise terminal if desired, or guests may reboard the ship to remain onboard as a hotel option until Monday, October 14.
Guests onboard have been provided with a questionnaire about their debarkation plans, including whether or not they will remain onboard the ship and if they require a transfer to Tampa.
All services aboard Carnival Paradise are fully functional, including hotel, restaurant, and entertainment operations. Travelers who opt to remain onboard the ship will still be able to enjoy all the 71,925-gross-ton vessel offers.
Cruise Lines Scrambling for Alternatives
All cruise lines are working hard to make shifts and adjustments following Hurricane Milton’s devastating impact on the Sunshine State, with cruises delayed, homeports closed, and itineraries cancelled.
Port Tampa Bay is the most strongly impacted, as the storm made landfall as a Category 3 major hurricane at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9, at Siesta Key – less than 25 miles south of Tampa Bay.
Because the extensive channel now requires thorough assessment and inspections, as well as local flooding and damage near the cruise terminal, it may be several days before the port can resume normal passenger operations, leaving cruise lines seeking alternatives.
Carnival Paradise Docked in Tampa, Florida
Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, for example, is delayed for her return to Port Tampa Bay.
Other ships are experiencing similar delays and even more radical adjustments, such as Carnival Elation‘s now shortened cruise-to-nowhere due to the extended closure of the Port of Jacksonville.
Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Margaritaville at Sea, and Celebrity Cruises have likewise had to make different adjustments for their own cruise operations out of various Florida homeports.
Read Also: List of All Cruise Ships Impacted by Hurricane Milton
As of Thursday evening, while the storm has now been downgraded to a post-tropical-storm, Port Tampa Bay remains closed, as does the Port of Jacksonville.
Port Canaveral has begun its initial post-storm assessment and landside operations have reopened, but all marine operations remain closed.
The three southernmost and least impacted of Florida’s cruise homeports – Port Everglades, Port of Palm Beach, and PortMiami – have all fully reopened for all operations, and are doing their best to assist cruise lines with alternative arrangements wherever possible.
Because such arrangements can be fluid, cruise travelers are strongly urged to sign up for text and email alerts directly from their cruise line to stay updated on the most current delays, adjustments, and options for their individual cruise vacations.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com