Key Aspects:
- Carnival Horizon will not arrive in Miami until Sunday afternoon on November 16, instead of early morning.
- All cruise terminal arrival appointments for embarkations are now delayed by eight hours.
- The ship’s itinerary has not yet been changed, but adjustments to the 6-night sailing may be necessary.
Guests setting sail on Carnival Horizon have been waiting anxiously to learn if their cruise will be delayed or cancelled following the development of propulsion difficulties.
Carnival Cruise Line did alert guests to the embarkation delay for their November 16 departure on Friday, November 14. It wasn’t until Saturday evening, however, that the extent of the delay has been confirmed and new embarkation plans announced.
Now, Carnival Horizon will be docking in Miami in the mid-afternoon on Sunday rather than the early morning. This means embarkation must be delayed and it is imperative that guests onboard be permitted to debark before incoming guests can be welcomed aboard.
Guests have been provided with an updated schedule for their terminal arrival appointments, showing an 8-hour delay.
This means that guests who selected the original 10:30-11 a.m. terminal arrival appointment will now be arriving at the cruise terminal from 6:30-7 p.m. The latest arrival appointment was originally 1:30-2 p.m. but will now be 9:30-10 p.m.
“All guests must be on board by 10:30 PM,” the email states. “We plan to depart shortly after embarkation and loading supplies are completed.”
Because of the late embarkation, dinner will be served as open seating in the main dining rooms rather than at assigned times. The Lido Marketplace buffet will also be available.
At this time, there is no change to the ship’s 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary. The schedule calls for visits to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, but changes may be necessary as the ship’s speed is further assessed.
“Repairs are still underway, and technicians will be boarding to work with our teams to deliver the scheduled itinerary,” the email noted. “If our plans change, we will let you know.”
Exact details of the propulsion difficulties have not been released, but such challenges are not uncommon with the Vista-class ships.
Depending on the nature of the repair, the ship may be able to resume top speed soon, or the entire itinerary could be changed to accommodate slower speeds.
Compensation Provided for the Delay
With the significant disruption to the start of the cruise, Carnival Cruise Line is offering compensation to guests on the somewhat shorter sailing.
All guests will receive a one-day, pro-rated refund of the cruise fare that will be credited back to the original form of payment. Similarly, any pre-purchased packages, such as drink packages or internet service, will also have a pro-rated refund as onboard credit.
Gratuities will also be adjusted “accordingly” for the shorter sailing.
Ship Returning to Different Cruise Terminal
Guests currently onboard Carnival Horizon have likewise been alerted to the delay and when they can expect to arrive back in Miami. Announcements have noted that guests should place luggage outside their staterooms by 10 a.m. Sunday morning and vacate their staterooms by 3 p.m.
This will give the stateroom stewards time to begin preparing the rooms for the next cruise’s guests for as smooth of a turnover day as possible, given the circumstances.
In addition to the delayed arrival, Carnival Horizon will be docking at a different cruise terminal than at embarkation. They will now be arriving at Terminal D instead of Terminal F.
“While you can walk to Terminal F, it is a little distance away, especially if you will be carrying luggage,” a letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained. “If you have a vehicle parked at Terminal F, complimentary shuttle service will be available to transport you there.”
Depending on exactly which doors one uses to exit Terminal D and where one parked at Terminal F, the two cruise terminals are just over one-third of a mile apart.
More From Cruise Hive
The change in terminal is not necessarily related to Carnival Horizon‘s mechanical difficulties. As Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world, terminal adjustments are occasionally necessary to accommodate a wide range of ship schedules and other port operations.
On Sunday, November 16, 10 different cruise ships from seven different cruise lines will be in Miami, which will definitely create scheduling challenges.
