Carnival Cruise Cut Short, Returning to Homeport Early Due to Storm

Carnival Cruise Line has notified passengers on Carnival Sunshine that their cruise ship will be returning to Norfolk, Virginia sooner than originally planned.

Just as many states in the U.S. are getting back to normal after a massive winter storm swept through last weekend, another winter storm is impacting cruise ship operations along the northeast of the United States.

Carnival is trying to get ahead of the storm to make sure passengers stay safe.  A current 8-day Carnival Sunshine cruise is heading home a day early, and guests will have the option to continue their vacation on the ship as it sits in port or go home early.

Guest Advisory

A “guest advisory” sent to Sunshine guests stated that the vessel would be returning to Norfolk on Sunday, January 31 instead of February 1.

But this doesn’t mean that the next cruise will start any earlier, as passengers on the next cruise will still have their embarkation day on February 1^st.

A letter sent to guests stated, “Currently, there are no operational modifications for embarkation, but we will continue to monitor the weather and keep you updated if it becomes necessary to adjust our plans.”

Carnival also recommended that guests stay up to date by signing up to their text alert service by texting code CCL1 to CRUISE (278473).

For Passengers Currently on the Ship

Passengers currently on the Carnival Sunshine cruise will have the option to stay on board overnight until February 1, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires all guests to be processed when the ship arrives.

Guests will not need to carry off their luggage if they plan to remain on the ship, however, they just need to go through the terminal and then can circle right back around to hop on the ship.

Those who just want to go home will be able to do so as well, and Carnival has stated that they will arrange for those guests to leave the ship first.

A questionnaire form was sent to all passengers so they could inform the cruise line if they intended on staying on the ship or not.

Carnival also stated they would make the Internet Value Plan available so passengers could make travel arrangements while on board the ship.

A one-day pro-rated refund will be going to all impacted guests on this cruise.

The Storm

Forecasters are warning that this nor’easter could be a big one. Meteorologists expect the storm to bring blizzard conditions and damaging winds.  Heavy snow is forecast for much of the Northeast (especially for states like Virginia and North Carolina), with some areas that could have 70+ mph wind gusts.

Along with the snow, some frigid Arctic air will cause temperatures to drop well below freezing as well.

Social Media Reactions

Several users online warned that the storm would bring “20-foot waves” and “blizzard conditions” to the Norfolk area, with some local residents noting that the region “doesn’t do snow well.”

While some travelers were disappointed about missing port days, others were more cautious about the timing of the trip. “This is why I don’t cruise out of Virginia, DC, or New York in the winter,” shared one commenter.

Despite the frustration of a cruise cut short, others pointed out that the ship’s early return was a smart move for safety, with one passenger noting that being allowed to stay on the ship until Sunday would at least “save people a hotel fee.”

Carnival Sunshine is currently just off the coast of Florida, traveling at 17 knots, as it heads towards Norfolk.  Originally, the ship was scheduled to stop at Grand Turk today before those plans were changed.