Carnival Cruise Line guests are scheduled to sail on the line’s ship, Mardi Grashave been notified of a port change, with 21 different cruises affected.
Some of these cruises are more than a year away, but the port swap is the same for each affected cruise.
Mardi Gras itinerary changes
For affected journeys, Mardi Gras will no longer visit San Juan, Puerto Rico. Instead, the ship will call Nassau, Bahamas.
Guests booked on affected sailings were notified of the change by email on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, regardless of when their sailing was scheduled.
“As we continue to work out our operational plans for your cruise, we have replaced our call in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a visit to Nassau, Bahamas.” email read. “Thank you for understanding. We look forward to welcoming you on board for a FUN and memorable cruise.”
21 in total Mardi Gras sailings are affected by this change, including the following departure dates:
- 2022 Departures: 31/12
- 2023 Departures: 21/1, 11/2, 25/2, 18/3, 8/4, 22/4, 3/6, 29/7, 23/9, 7/10, 28/10, 18/11 , 2/12, 23/12
- 2024 Departures: 13/1, 27/1, 17/2, 9/3, 23/3, 13/4
Each of these cruises are 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries. These aren’t the only Eastern Caribbean cruises Mardi Gras however it is sailing but other launch dates have yet to be touched upon. The remaining Eastern Caribbean cruises still include San Juan on the itinerary.
In February, Carnival Cruise Line did one similar move to exchange Mardi Gras‘ San Juan calls Nassauand this last change appears to be a continuation of that arrangement.
Trips to be reimbursed
Further details about the port swap, including whether or not port times will be affected, have not been discussed.
The 181,808 gross ton ship was expected to be in San Juan from 7am to 4pm on the hit sailings, bringing 5,282 guests (doubles) or up to 6,500 guests (fully booked) to visit the island each time.
Pre-booked shore excursions already scheduled for San Juan will be automatically canceled and refunds will be processed back to the original guest form of payment.
What “Operational Plans” can mean.
While Carnival Cruise Line has not clarified what “operational plans” are being refined that have resulted in so many itineraries dropping San Juan as a port of call, there are several possible options.
It may be that other cruise ships scheduled for San Juan at that time may make the port more crowded than desired to provide the best possible guest experience, or berths may not be available. suitable.
It is also possible that other port operations or pier construction in San Juan will affect the Excel-class ship’s ability, the largest in the Carnival Cruise Line fleetto dock at will on the affected dates.
It is not uncommon for cruise lines to change scheduled itineraries, even well in advance, as ongoing fleet deployments, dry dock and maintenance schedules, and berth availability can change.
While such changes can be frustrating for guests expecting specific ports of call, advance notice allows travelers some time to adjust their plans or move their cruises to different itineraries if preferred.
Cruise lines are under no obligation to provide compensation, even as a refund, credit on boardor other bonuses, when ports of call are changed.
Mardi Gras first called in San Juan on August 3, 2021. It was part of the ship’s maiden voyage and its first port of call, as well as the first time a ship brought passengers to the island in 17 months, signaling the official post-pandemic resumption of sailing to Puerto Rico.
