Carnival Vista is having propulsion problems again

Guests on board Carnival View get a slightly longer cruise than expected, but not in a good way.

Once again, the ship has developed a propulsion problem and is unable to sail at top speed, which will delay its return to Port Canaveral for disembarkation and cause further delays for guests boarding for her next sailing.

On Saturday, October 12, 2024, letters were delivered to the staterooms of guests aboard the 133,500 gross ton ship with news of the difficulties and what to expect upon their return to Florida.

“The ship has developed a problem that limits its speed. Our technicians are now working hard to resolve the issue, but our return to Port Canaveral will be later than planned.” the letter explained. “We now expect to dock around 10 a.m., Sunday, October 13, 2024.”

Just before 10 a.m., satellite tracking data showed Carnival View approaching the mouth of the inlet leading to it Port Canaveral. This means the ship is on time for the delayed arrival.

The ship completes an eight-day Southern Caribbean itinerary departing Florida on Saturday, October 5, to visit Aruba, Bonaire and Amber Cove.

Carnival Cruise Line will provide a reimbursement of up to $200 (USD) per person currently on board the ship to cover any change fees or other costs associated with adjusting independent travel plans after disembarkation.

If guests booked an airline ticket through the cruise line’s FLY2FUN program, further details and adjustments had to be communicated individually.

Of course, this delayed return to Port Canaveral will also have consequences Carnival View‘s embarkation for her next cruise, a six-night voyage in the Eastern Caribbean with plans to visit Half Moon CayGrand Turk and Amber Cove.

Guests departing on October 13 have been notified of their delayed embarkation and have been asked to delay their cruise terminal arrival arrangements by two hours.

This means that travelers who selected 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM as their arrival appointment when checking in for their cruise will now need to arrive between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM instead.

“Please adhere to this new plan as we will need to allow the disembarking guest to depart before we can accommodate your arrival,” read the text message.

All passengers on the ship’s next cruise must be on board Carnival View no later than 5:00 PM for a slightly delayed departure, but at this time the sailing is expected to continue as planned. No travel changes or other delays have been announced.

A history of the same problem

This isn’t the first time Carnival View has developed propulsion problems, and in fact it is not the first time the ship has had the same problems this year.

Carnival View suffered sporadic problems with sailing speed during the summer, which gradually worsened until the ship was withdrawn from service along with her September 7, 2024 departure canceled due to emergency repairs.

Although only one cruise was canceled while the ship was undergoing these repairs, travelers were assured that the repairs were successful as was the ship left for her next voyage on September 15.

Now, less than a month later, the same or similar problems have occurred again. This will understandably be frustrating for guests as it could not only mean delayed embarkation, but also lead to missed port calls or shorter port visits.

To be clear, at this time all of the ship’s systems – with the exception of propulsion – remain fully operational and there is no impact on safety, navigation, hotel, restaurant or entertainment activities on board.

Also read: What’s wrong with Carnival’s Vista-class ships?

Carnival View has a long history of similar propulsion problems, having developed these problems in November 2016, just months after her inaugural voyage, and followed by additional problems in June 2019, May 2022, and now in August/September 2024 and October 2024.

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