The cruise line will instead offer refunds for those with reservations in the affected area.
Carnival Cruise Line has announced that they are removing San Juan from the upcoming Mardi Gras sailings. They have also released a statement saying that this is due to “the current situation” in Puerto Rico. Read more in detail here: carnival cruise line news.
Carnival Cruise Line has notified booked customers on forthcoming Mardi Gras sailings of an itinerary change that would remove San Juan, Puerto Rico from the itinerary and replace it with Nassau, Bahamas. This itinerary modification will affect a number of Exotic Eastern Caribbean cruises in the following months, starting with the ship’s planned departure on February 26, 2022.
San Juan has been removed from the schedule.
There has been no explanation for the itinerary modification, although it’s probable that current COVID-19 testing requirements or health and safety standards are to blame.
“As we continue to improve our operational preparations for your voyage, we have made certain itinerary modifications to your sailing,” the email wrote on February 18, 2022. Our trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been replaced with a stop in Nassau, Bahamas. Within 24 hours, the whole itinerary will be available on Carnival.com.”
When municipal officials introduced severe testing requirements in late December 2021, several cruise companies postponed scheduled trips to San Juan. However, early this month, those rules were to be loosened, with cruise ship passengers no longer required to produce negative test results within 48 hours after arriving in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico Tourism Company (photo credit)
Instead, cruise passengers only to show evidence of vaccination to visit San Juan as a port of call, while harsher regulations applied if ships used the port for embarkation or debarkation.
“As of February 2nd, vaccinated passengers are no longer necessary to submit a negative test,” according to Puerto Rico’s Official Tourism Website.
Furthermore, rules relating to cruise ship port of calls specify that “all visitors 12 years of age or older must be completely vaccinated with an FDA or WHO vaccination before being authorized admission to Puerto Rico.” Except for youngsters under the age of 12, unvaccinated travellers are not permitted to depart in Puerto Rico.”
There are no additional limits for cruise ship visits, but tourists should verify with their cruise company for the most up-to-date instructions.
Other probable factors for the continuous port of call cancellations include other ships visiting San Juan at the same time, causing congestion at the port, or the high expense of running cruises across such a long distance.
Carnival Cruise Line provided this image.
Some have speculated that the Mardi Gras may be suffering engine problems that are affecting her peak cruising speed, making the journey to Puerto Rico – which is around 1,150 miles from the ship’s home port of Port Canaveral – more difficult. Nassau, on the other hand, is around 310 miles from Port Canaveral. However, there has been no proof of this possibility.
While some sailings have been affected, there is no estimate on how many itineraries will be altered. Guests who have reservations for Mardi Gras in the coming weeks and months should be on the lookout for changes to their itinerary from Carnival Cruise Line.
Refunds on Shore Excursions
For booked guests who had already pre-paid for San Juan shore excursions through Carnival Cruise Line, those charges will be refunded to guests’ Sail & Sign accounts for the February 26 sailing, and back to the original form of payment for future impacted sailings.
Guests will be able to pre-book shore excursions for Nassau as soon as the schedule change is posted on Carnival.com.
MORE IDEAL THINGS TO DO IN NASSAU, BASIN ISLANDS
Except for a slight rearrangement of the days at sea, there are no further modifications to Mardi Gras’ Exotic Eastern Caribbean itinerary for the time being. The ship will spend the first day at sea before arriving in Nassau the following day. The ship will be parked in Nassau from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the same hours that it was scheduled to be in port in San Juan.
Following the day in Nassau, the ship will spend another day at sea before visiting the other two ports of call – Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos – before returning to Port Canaveral.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carnival leaving San Juan?
Has Carnival Cancelled Mardi Gras cruises?
A: No, Carnival has not cancelled their 2019 Mardi Gras cruises. The Cruise Ship companies are responsible for providing accurate information, and theyve said that the Mardi Gras cruise is still going ahead as planned!
Is Carnival Cancelling cruises from Puerto Rico?
A: Unfortunately, Carnival Cruise Line is cancelling all cruises from Puerto Rico as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Maria.
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