Image: Carnival Cruise Line
Passengers preparing to board Carnival Spirit in Seattle will have to wait an extra day after a repair issue delayed the ship's return from Hawaii.
Carnival Cruise Line has advised guests that its upcoming repositioning cruise will now depart Seattle on Friday, 9 October, instead of Thursday, 8 October.
The delay reduces the planned 16-night cruise to 15 nights and has also forced Carnival to cancel the ship's scheduled visit to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Carnival Spirit's highly anticipated Panama Canal transit will still go ahead as planned.
Carnival Spirit required additional time for repairs in Hawaii
Carnival told passengers that Spirit had to extend its time in Hawaii on Saturday, 3 October to address a repair issue that required additional time to complete.
The delay means the ship won't return to Seattle in time for the next cruise to begin as originally scheduled.
Carnival has not disclosed the nature of the repair issue.
The ship is currently making its way back towards Seattle and there has been no suggestion from Carnival that further repairs will be required once it arrives.
Guests booked on the next cruise have been told Carnival will provide another update by 6pm on Tuesday, 6 October, Seattle time, with further embarkation details.
Cabo San Lucas cancelled to protect Panama Canal transit
Losing a day at the beginning of the cruise has also created a problem further down the itinerary.
Carnival Spirit was originally scheduled to leave Seattle on 8 October for a 16-night Carnival Journeys repositioning cruise to Mobile, Alabama.
The itinerary included Cabo San Lucas, Puntarenas in Costa Rica, a full Panama Canal transit and Cartagena in Colombia before arriving in Mobile on 24 October.
With the departure now pushed back by a day, Carnival has removed the scheduled Cabo San Lucas visit on 13 October.
The change allows Spirit to make up time while preserving its booked Panama Canal transit slot on Monday, 19 October.
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has also reassured passengers that the Panama Canal transit remains unchanged.
For many passengers, that's likely to be welcome news. The full canal transit is one of the major attractions of this particular repositioning cruise and far more difficult to rearrange than a conventional port call.
Entering Panama Canal Image: hester6903
Passengers receiving refunds and onboard credit
Carnival has announced several forms of compensation for affected passengers.
Guests will receive a pro-rata refund equivalent to one day of their cruise fare, returned to their original form of payment.
One-day pro-rata refunds will also be provided for prepaid packages affected by the shorter cruise, including drinks packages, Wi-Fi and prepaid gratuities.
Carnival-purchased shore excursions for Cabo San Lucas will be refunded.
In addition, each stateroom will receive US$250 in onboard credit as a gesture of appreciation for passengers' understanding.
Passengers who incur non-refundable airfare change fees or other travel-related expenses as a result of the delayed departure can also submit receipts to Carnival for reimbursement consideration, up to US$200 per person.
Guests who booked flights through Carnival's FLY2FUN program will have their arrangements adjusted by the cruise line.
An awkward delay for a repositioning cruise
A one-day departure delay can be disruptive on any cruise, but repositioning cruises create an additional complication.
Passengers are beginning their cruise in Seattle and finishing more than two weeks later on the opposite side of the United States in Mobile, Alabama.
That means many will have separate flights, hotels and other travel arrangements at both ends of the voyage.
The sailing is also unusual because it connects Carnival Spirit's two seasonal US homeports.
Spirit spends the northern summer sailing Alaska itineraries from Seattle before repositioning to Mobile for its winter cruise season.
The October voyage was originally promoted as a 16-day journey linking those two homeports via Mexico, Costa Rica, the Panama Canal and Colombia.
Seattle cruise terminal
Carnival Spirit has a long connection with Australian cruising
The ship will also be very familiar to Australian cruisers.
Carnival Spirit spent years sailing from Sydney and became one of Carnival's best-known ships in the Australian market before eventually returning to North America.
Today, the 88,500-gross-tonne ship operates seasonally between Alaska cruises from Seattle and voyages from Mobile.
What happens next?
For now, Carnival Spirit is expected to arrive in Seattle on Friday, 9 October, with embarkation for the repositioning cruise taking place later that day.
The ship will then begin the shortened 15-night journey towards Mobile.
Cabo San Lucas is the only port Carnival has confirmed as cancelled, while Puntarenas, the Panama Canal transit and Cartagena remain on the itinerary.
Carnival is expected to provide passengers with another update on Tuesday evening local time.
Until then, one important question remains unanswered: exactly what required Carnival Spirit to spend the additional time undergoing repairs in Hawaii.
Whatever the issue was, Carnival appears confident enough in the completed work to send Spirit straight back across the Pacific towards Seattle, with the cruise line focused on making up enough time to keep that all-important Panama Canal appointment.
