Carnival Cruise Line has just scrapped about a month’s worth of short West Coast sailings for late 2026.
The cruise line reached out to impacted guests to let them know about these changes. While it’s not uncommon for cruise lines to adjust itineraries or cancel cruises because of schedule changes, this notification caught some off guard as the cruises would have taken place in just seven months.
The Canceled Cruises
The cancelations impact future cruise passengers on Carnival Firenze and its 3- and 4-night Baja Mexico itineraries departing from Long Beach, California.
11 sailings scheduled between October 12 and November 16, 2026, have been removed from the schedule.
In an official advisory sent to guests, Colleen Oliverio, Vice President of Guest Services, stated:
“We have made some changes to the itinerary plans for Carnival Firenze and, unfortunately, your cruise has been cancelled.”
While the notice doesn’t provide a technical reason, some cruisers noticed that the timing is around the ship’s upcoming repositioning.
In early 2027, the Firenze is scheduled for a cruise around South America to begin new seasons in Miami and New York City. These cancelations might prove to provide a little window for maintenance or dry dock refurbishments before that move.
But then again, we don’t know for sure.
Impacted Dates
The canceled departures all fall on Mondays and Fridays:
- October 2026: 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30
- November 2026: 2, 6, 9, 13, 16
Your Options as a Passenger
If your booking is affected, you have until March 25, 2026, to choose between rebooking or receiving a refund.
Option 1: Rebooking with Some Perks
Carnival is encouraging travelers to sail on another ship in the fleet, saying in the letter that their “team is ready to discuss options and rebook you on another voyage right away.”
If you choose a comparable sailing on other Long Beach-based ships, like Carnival Radiance, Panorama, or Legend:
- Price Protection: Your original cruise rate will be protected in similar accommodations.
- Onboard Credit: Carnival is offering an incentive of “US$50.00, per person (maximum of US$100.00, per stateroom)“ as a credit to your Sail & Sign account.
Option 2: Full Refund
If you prefer not to reschedule, the letter clarifies that “no action is required on your part.”
A full refund of the cruise fare and any pre-purchased items (like drink packages or excursions) will be issued to your original form of payment after March 25, 2026.
This applies to fares with non-refundable deposits as well.
Bottom Line
If you do plan to rebook and take option 1, I highly recommend you grab that new sailing right away. There are thousands of impacted guests who will be doing the same thing so those “ideal” cabins might fill up pretty quickly.
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