Guests onboard Carnival Vista's September 7 were notified that their cruise was canceled due to ongoing propulsion issues, which have affected multiple sailings and led to reduced cruising speeds and itinerary changes.
"Our engineers have been working to address an issue that is limited Carnival Vista's cruising speed," read an email sent by Colleen Oliverio, the VP for Guest Services - Contact Centers.
"We were hopeful that the issue had been resolved with some recent work, but we are not quite there and, unfortunately, we must remove the ship from service to complete some additional repairs, resulting in the cancellation of your upcoming cruise."
Carnival is issuing a full refund for all booked passengers, as well as extending a 100% future cruise credit to be redeemed before August 31, 2025.
Additionally, they will reimburse up to $200 per person for non-refundable airfare tickets, so long as supporting documentation is provided. However, if any reimbursement is provided through the airline or travel insurance provider, Carnival will not offer any additional compensation.
The issues began at the end of Vista's August 4 sailing, and Carnival has yet to indicate whether future sailing will be impacted.
Read more: 10 things I wish I had done differently on my Carnival Vista cruise
Changes to Carnival Vista's August 24 sailing
Currently, Carnival's namesake Vista Class ship is on an 8-night cruise to the Caribbean. The ship departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on August 24 and was scheduled to visit San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St Maarten; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Though Carnival Vista called at all ports, the time docked was shortened to account for the ship's reduced speed.
"We are working on a new plan to make some additional repairs. We will be able to keep the remaining ports of call on our itinerary but will make some modest adjustments to our time in port to allow us to return to Port Canaveral in good time, Sunday, September 1," read a letter provided to guests shared by Cruceros Puerto Rico.
Carnival automatically adjusted pre-purchased shore excursions and provided $50 in onboard credit per stateroom.
Read more: I paid $3,600 for a suite on Carnival Vista
Carnival altered Vista's itinerary for the September 1 voyage
Jean Kepley Martin shared to a public Carnival Vista Facebook group that the September 1 cruise will no longer be visiting its scheduled ports of call.
Instead of sailing to Amber Cove and Grand Turk, Carnival Vista will be staying in The Bahamas, calling at Nassau and Freeport.
Viral TikTok shows passengers' frustration
Guests onboard the August 10 sailing weren't made aware of the cruise's itinerary change until they were onboard.
TikTok user @bkeire32 shared videos of the heated discussion in the Limelight Lounge. The first shows an upset guest expressing frustration over the change, having paid over $2,500 for a cruise to the Southern Caribbean.
Instead, the ship was rerouted to visit Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay.
"What we paid for this...is not adding up to where we're going," she says.
She suggests that in addition to the $400 promised from Carnival, they should be eligible for a discount on a future cruise, as well as a partial refund for the current sailing.
A second video was shared ten days later; however, it's a precursor to the second, with a senior officer stating guests who are unhappy with the new itinerary can disembark before sailaway and receive a future cruise credit.
An angry passenger can be heard saying, "I don't want [a future cruise credit]. I want the cash back."
Carnival Vista has a history of propulsion issues
In July 2019, Carnival Vista was taken out of service for three weeks after a revised itinerary resulting from reduced cruising speeds.
Originally, the June 15 sailing was slated to call at Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. The itinerary was modified to include Honduras and two stops in Mexico: Costa Maya and Cozumel.
During the aforementioned cruise, the July 6, 13, and 20 sailings were canceled, so repairs could be made to the ship's two azipods.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
