Some people book a cruise because of the ship. They may get off in a port, or even a few, but to them, the ship is the destination.
There are other cruisers, who see the ship as their way to visit multiple exotic locations in just a few days. They like the ship and enjoy its amenities, but mostly see it as a way to get from one place to another.
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The vast majority of cruisers sailing Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, and other family-friendly cruise lines sailing in the Caribbean likely fall somewhere in the middle. They enjoy the ship and like spending time in ports.
Many port-first and down-the-middle cruisers look for a cruise itinerary that stops places they really like or places they have never been. Some ports are more rare as stops than others and it's always disappointing when you book a cruise because you want to visit a certain location and weather (or other circumstances force a change).
Bad weather is by far the most common reason, a cruise ship's itinerary will be changed. Sometimes it's because the seas are too rough to dock and in other cases, the captain opts to sail away from potentially dangerous weather as safety is always the first concern.
In very rare cases, ships change itineraries because of problems onboard. They may be working with limited engine power and that could force changes based on the distance that needs to be traveled.
Image source: Getty Images
This is Carnival's policy on port changes
Cruise lines make every effort to communicate changes in itineraries as soon as they know them. In many cases, however, the change happens after the ship has already departed.
If that happens, the cruise line will refund all port fees and taxes for the missed stop as well as any cruise line-sponsored excursions. That's all it's obligated to, which Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) makes very clear on its website.
"Carnival may change the duration and/or itinerary of the cruise at any time," the cruise line states.
It's also allowed to "deviate in any direction or for any purpose from the direct or usual course, and to omit or change any or all port calls, arrival or departure times, with or without notice, for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to health and safety, security, adverse weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, strikes, tides, hostilities, civil unrest, port closings, emergency debarkations of guests or crew, late air, sea, car or motor coach departures or arrivals, mechanical breakdowns, declared pandemics, public health emergencies or outbreak of communicable disease, quarantines, national or regional emergencies, US or foreign governmental advisories or travel warnings"
When that happens, the cruise line does not owe its guests anything.
"Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages in such circumstances for any change in itinerary, ports of call, ports of embarkation and debarkation, and/or duration of the cruise (including a longer than planned duration of the cruise due to port closings)," the cruise line added.
When a cruise is shortened, however, its policy does call for a pro-rated refund of the cruise fare and day-based packages like internet and drink packages.
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Carnival Vista has an engine problem
Carnival recently notified passengers on Carnival Vista that their entire itinerary would be changing due to mechanical problems with the ship. That notification was sent after some passengers had already boarded the ship.
"Guests on the Vista only learned on the day of departure that instead of heading to Aruba, Curacao, and Turks and Caicos, the ship would be stopping in the ports of Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay," Inside Edition reported.
Many were angry at the late notification and videos went viral on social media showing angry guests and what multiple news outlets called "mayhem."
"The Carnival Vista video taken on Aug. 10, when guests first learned of a revised itinerary, does not capture the fact that guests were given a choice of disembarking with a full refund or staying for the cruise and receiving an onboard credit plus a future cruise credit. The vast majority chose to stay on board and continue with the cruise," according to a statement from Carnival in response to a Come Cruise With Me email.
The change notification came late because Carnival's engineers believed they could fix the problem but were not able to in the time they had.
Carnival gave people who opted to stay onboard $400 in credit that could be spent during the revised sailing. They were also given future cruise credit (in amounts that varied based on cabin type) toward a future cruise.
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The cruise line was not obligated to offer refunds, onboard credit, or future cruise credit. Its opting to do so was not due to a small number of angry passengers, it's broadly how the cruise industry responds when a disappointing itinerary change is made.
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Both Royal Caribbean (RCL) and MSC Cruises have recently offered passengers onboard credit to make up for stops missed due to weather. Neither cruise line was obligated to do that.
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