Carnival ends cruise early to avoid developing Nor'easter

Carnival Cruise Line is ending one of its cruises early to avoid the developing Nor'easter that's expected to slam the East Coast over the weekend. 

Passengers on the current sailing aboard Carnival Sunshine were informed on Wednesday that their sailing will be cut short by one day due to the worsening weather forecast. 

The Sunshine Class ship was supposed to call at Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos on Thursday, January 29. However, the final port visit of the 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise was canceled at the last minute. 

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Now, the 102,853-gross-ton ship will spend Thursday at sea en route to Norfolk, with plans to arrive in Virginia around 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. 

"With support from our Fleet Operations Center, we have been actively monitoring weather forecasts, as we look ahead to our return to Norfolk this weekend. A winter storm will be moving into the northeast and, in addition to that, unfavorable weather is set to impact the U.S. East Coast," read a letter sent to guests. 

"Combined, these situations are forcing us to make modifications to the rest of our itinerary as we will need a little extra time to sail ahead of the storm to get back to Norfolk before it fully develops. We are now planning to dock Saturday, January 31, at 7:00 AM."

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That said, Carnival Sunshine passengers do not have to disembark from the ship on Saturday morning; they can remain on board until Sunday as originally planned. 

All guests have been asked to complete a questionnaire by noon on Friday, Jan. 30, to let the crew members know who intends to remain on board. 

"If you intend to remain on board until Sunday, it will not be necessary to carry your luggage off the ship when you go ashore for processing. You will, however, be required to remain in the cruise terminal until all guests have been cleared by [Customs and Border Protection]," the letter continued. 

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Cruise Mapper shows that as of Thursday at 9:15 a.m. EST, Carnival Sunshine had already passed The Bahamas and was heading up the Florida coast. 

Carnival Sunshine departed Norfolk on Sunday, Jan. 24. There were no impacts to the first part of the itinerary, with the ship calling at its scheduled ports of Celebration Key and Princess Cays before the sailing was forced to change. 

Compensation for the early return

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All passengers will receive a one-day prorated refund of the paid cruise fare to the original form of payment. The refund will be issued within three weeks.

Guests will also receive a one-day prorated refund for any pre-purchased drink packages, Wi-Fi plans, and prepaid gratuities. These refunds will be credited to passengers’ Sail & Sign accounts by the end of the day on Friday, Jan. 30.

Additionally, Carnival is offering all guests a complimentary Value Wi-Fi plan so they can stay connected and handle any necessary travel changes.

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Finally, all pre-paid Carnival shore excursions for Grand Turk were automatically canceled and refunded to Sail & Sign accounts. 

"Once again, we are truly sorry that the weather is affecting our plans this week and thank you for your patience and understanding. My team and I remain committed to taking good care of you for the rest of our time together," concluded the letter signed by Captain Leonardo Contarino.

No impacts to the next sailing

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Carnival also sent a letter to passengers on the Feb. 1 cruise from Norfolk. While the ship is returning early, the cruise line assured guests that, at the time of writing, the shortened voyage would not impact their sailing. 

"A winter storm is set to move into the northeast and, to stay ahead of that, Carnival Sunshine's current voyage will be returning Saturday, January 31. Although the ship will be returning early, your embarkation remains as scheduled for Sunday, February 1," the email reads. 

"Currently, there are no operational modifications for embarkation, but we will continue to monitor the weather and keep you updated if it becomes necessary to adjust our plans." 

This weekend's winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow to the Carolinas, Virginia, and Coastal New England

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According to The Weather Channel, the storm is forecast to intensify into a bomb cyclone. Winter Storm Gianna is expected to bring worsening conditions, such as heavy snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding, from the Carolinas to New England. 

Local reports in North Carolina suggest that Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro could be facing their biggest snowstorm in decades, with forecasts calling for two to seven inches of snow in Charlotte alone — a city that hasn’t seen at least one inch of snow in a single day in four years.