Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Firenze is stuck in the Port of Long Beach, California, due to connectivity issues.
The Venice Class cruise ship was supposed to depart on a 6-night sailing to Ensenada, Mexico, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on December 15. However, according to a TikTok shared by Sharvon, a current guest, the crew has been forced to indefinitely delay their departure due to a "connectivity matter."
During an announcement made over the ship's public address system, a crew member told guests that technicians were actively working to resolve the issue, but couldn’t provide a clear timeline for when it would be resolved.
"Since we must have a working system before we can set sail, we will continue to troubleshoot and are hopeful that we will be able to resolve it tonight," the announcement continued.
Unfortunately, as of 3:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 16, Cruise Mapper shows that Carnival Firenze remains docked in Long Beach, revealing that Carnival could not fix the issue overnight.
As such, the ship will skip its stop in Ensenada, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 20, and continue straight to Cabo San Lucas for a double call on Thursday, Dec. 18, and Friday, Dec. 19.
"We'll have more details about our voyage plan as they are updated," the crew member shared over the loudspeaker. "We know that this uncertainty is very disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption. We also ask for your understanding during this time, and of course, your patience, as well."
Although the crew member reassured guests that most scheduled entertainment was continuing as planned, the TikTok caption noted that Wi-Fi was unavailable and that power outlets were not working. Additionally, the casino remains closed while the ship is in port, and passengers cannot order room service.
Still, some guests say the ship isn’t as lively as Carnival usually promises.
"[I'm] on the same ship and [it's] 12am and we still [haven't moved]," shared a frustrated passenger in the comment section. "[We're] honestly just staying in the room because [ain't] nothing really going on."
"As of 4:30am I can't see (literally) 2 Feet in front of me because of fog. I'm curious what happens if somebody has a medical emergency. No one around and you can't use the phone. It connects to no one," someone else added.
Other guests commented that the previous voyage had a few minor issues, too.
"I just [got] off yesterday and [I] couldn't get my pics because the systems were down," wrote one user.
The internet has been restored
As of around 10:30 a.m. PST, Carnival Firenze’s internet has been restored, as shared on TikTok by Sharvon.
"I have great news at this time: Our internet has officially been restored," a crew member said over the public address system.
The announcement was met with enthusiastic applause from guests, many of whom have been eagerly awaiting the ship’s departure since yesterday afternoon.
After reminding passengers to log into the HUB app, the crew member added that the app would be updated shortly to reflect the day’s lineup of events.
With the ship finally cleared for departure, the plan is to set sail around 1:00 p.m. PST. Additionally, every stateroom will receive $100 in onboard credit (OBC) to make up for the missed port in Ensenada.
This is a developing story, and we will update this article as more information becomes available. The last update was at 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
