Carnival Cruise Line Prepares Guests For a Rough Night

Carnival Cruise Line has warned guests onboard Carnival Vista that the cruise line is expecting some bad weather in the upcoming days, even going as far as closing off portholes, ocean-view windows, and balcony partitions.

With large seas swells and strong winds expected in the Gulf of Mexico, Carnival Vista guests are up for a rough time as the vessel makes its way back to Galveston in Texas, where Vista is scheduled to arrive by Saturday morning. A delay for the following departure is also expected.

However, that’s not the end of it, with the winter storm Elliot creating chaos across the US, temperatures will be far lower in most US homeports than what most would expect from a Caribbean cruise. 

Carnival Warns Guests of Expected Poor Weather Conditions

Being able to step out onto your balcony for some fresh air while enjoying the ocean vistas is one of those experiences that people who cruise cherish. However, the situation will be somewhat different for guests sailing onboard Carnival Vista‘s December 17 sailing. The cruise line has informed guests that bad weather will prevent them from experiencing that.

With heavy swells and strong winds forecasted, Carnival Cruise Line told guests on December 22, that the ship’s personnel would be closing off portholes and windows while also locking balcony partitions due to the unfavorable weather conditions that are present in the Gulf of Mexico.

Wave heights could reach as high as 15 feet, whipped up by wind speeds up to 47-50 Mph, while temperatures will top off at around 47-50 degrees Fahrenheit. In a letter sent to guests onboard, the cruise line said the following:

“In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center in Miami, we’ve been monitoring weather conditions. Poor weather is forecasted tonight into tomorrow, causing strong winds and large sea swells. For safety reasons, your porthole/ocean view window and balcony partition doors have been locked. Please do not attempt to open until conditions improve.”

The bad weather is expected to last until Christmas Day at least, possibly impacting more cruises. Although unfortunate, Carnival Cruise Line has decided to close off various sections for the safety of everyone onboard. Just recently, one ship was caught out in Southern Argentina, which caused significant damage and loss of life. 

The Carnival Vista is currently sailing a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise, which includes calls to Roatan in Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel in Mexico. The ship has already departed the final call and is heading back to the Port of Galveston with a scheduled arrival on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve Departure Impacted

Carnival has also contacted guests booked on the following December 24 departure. The cruise line said, “Carnival Vista is experiencing adverse weather conditions sailing back to Galveston and will arrive later than scheduled tomorrow. This will impact your embarkation.”

The cruise line is set to provide a further update to those passengers on the following sailing at 8:00 AM. The ship was originally scheduled to depart Galveston not long after 4:00 PM on a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

Some Cold Days on Deck

Winter Storm Elliot is not just causing issues for those up north. All major cruise ports will be experiencing much lower temperatures in the coming days than average. In Galveston, temperatures will be freezing at around 31 degrees Fahrenheit on December 24, while even Miami will be chilly at 52 Fahrenheit.

The situation is the same in Port Canaveral and Tampa Bay, with temperatures expected to dip below the 40-degree Fahrenheit mark. However, the coldest will be guests sailing onboard Norwegian Getaway on an 8-day cruise to the Bahamas from New York City today. In the Big Apple, temperatures are not expected to top a frigid 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also Read: Rough Seas on a Cruise Ship – How They Handle it

Those sailing on a cruise in the coming days will need to consider taking some warmer clothing with them for when they set sail. Luckily, once a bit further south into the Caribbean, the effect from winter storm Elliot will wear off somewhat, and temperatures will go back to the high seventies and low eighties.