Carnival Liberty Suffers Triple Threat Delay Causing Guests To Board After Midnight

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Guests waiting to board Carnival Liberty in New Orleans for the 14-night Panama Canal Carnival Journeys cruise faced extended delays on Sunday, 1st December 2024, after three separate issues caused extended delays,

Carnival Liberty

The cruise line had already advised guests that the ship would be late back to port following a diversion to Key West to disembark a passenger who needed medical assistance.

During this diversion, a problem developed with the cruise ship’s propulsion system, impacting her top speed and further slowing her down.

And if that wasn’t then enough, due to the delays the ship then hit unexpected Mississippi River traffic, meaning she returned to port even later than originally feared.

Initially scheduled for 10 a.m. check-ins, the first boarding group was instead asked to arrive no earlier than 8:45 p.m., with the final check-ins taking place as late as 12:15 a.m. on Monday morning.

Carnival Cruise Line urged guests to strictly adhere to these revised times to minimise congestion and delays at the cruise terminal.

“With more than 7,000 travelers moving through the New Orleans cruise terminal, cooperation with the revised schedule is essential to ensure smooth operations,”

Carnival clarified that the delay was not due to further technical issues but rather the complex scheduling involved in navigating the Mississippi River.

Cargo ships, recreational vessels, and other marine traffic impacted the cruise ship’s timing along the 120-mile route from the coast to the Port of New Orleans.

Of course, this didn’t just impact the guests waiting for their cruise to begin, but the many passengers onboard the ship who were due to disembark and may have missed connecting flights, or faced an unexpected overnight drive home.

To compensate for the lost day of onboard activities and entertainment, Carnival Cruise Line gave guests $25 per person in onboard credit and a pro-rated refund of the missed day’s cruise fare.

Guests who pre-purchased packages, such as drink plans, gratuities, or onboard Wi-Fi, will also receive pro-rated refunds.

Late arrivals to the ship were still granted access to the main dining rooms and Lido Marketplace buffet for open seating meals. However, many travellers may choose to dine elsewhere in New Orleans before boarding.

Refunds will be processed back to the original payment method but may take up to three weeks after the end of the cruise.

Despite the delayed embarkation, Carnival has assured passengers that the Carnival Liberty will now sail as scheduled for the 14-night Panama Canal cruise. The first two days of the itinerary are at sea, allowing the ship to recover lost time before arriving at the first port of call, Grand Cayman.

The voyage includes visits to iconic Southern Caribbean and Central American destinations such as Oranjestad (Aruba), Willemstad (Curaçao), Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama), Puerto Limon (Costa Rica), and Cozumel (Mexico).

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