Carnival Maintenance Outage Delays Embarkation on 11 Ships

Carnival Cruise Line said a technology disruption tied to planned maintenance delayed embarkation and debarkation across parts of its North American fleet beginning Feb. 8, 2026, affecting thousands of guests and pushing some departures hours behind schedule. The outage also took several guest-facing systems offline, including Wi-Fi and the Carnival HUB app, prompting apologies from senior leaders and a promise of refunds for impacted internet packages.

What Carnival said caused the disruption

Carnival said the problems stemmed from a planned maintenance event that created wider-than-expected impacts across terminal operations and onboard technology tools. In a video update to guests, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald apologized for the delays and said, “This was during some planned maintenance,” adding that it resulted in longer debarkation and embarkation processes than guests expected.

Ships identified as impacted

Carnival acknowledged the disruption affected multiple ships, with reporting from the line indicating at least 11 ships experienced issues during the Feb. 8 to Feb. 9 window. Ships identified as impacted included:

• Carnival Breeze
• Carnival Glory
• Carnival Freedom
• Carnival Liberty
• Carnival Pride
• Carnival Sunshine
• Carnival Venezia
• Carnival Spirit
• Carnival Panorama
• Carnival Celebration
• Carnival Jubilee

Terminal delays and manual processing at ports

Guests reported extended lines at terminals as port teams shifted to manual procedures to keep guest counts and ship turnarounds moving. Carnival said some embarkation and debarkation steps took longer than usual because systems used to verify guest movements and accounts were not fully available.

Heald said that, in some cases, teams had to manually count guests leaving ships. He also said cabin key cards (Sail and Sign cards) were collected to confirm disembarkation, a step that increased wait times for both departing and arriving guests. Heald added that the cards could not be returned or reprinted for security reasons, which disappointed some passengers who keep them as souvenirs.

Feb. 9 embarkation adjustments for three sailings

On the morning of Monday, Feb. 9, Carnival told arriving guests for three ships to adjust terminal arrival times as the line worked through what it described as a “system-related matter” affecting debarkation and embarkation operations. The affected departures were Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Freedom.

Guests were instructed to arrive two hours later than their pre-selected Terminal Arrival Appointment window, with Carnival planning for all guests to be onboard by 4:30 p.m. Carnival communicated the changes via email, text messages, and phone calls, and urged guests to opt in to text alerts for updates.

Itineraries for the Feb. 9 sailings

• Carnival Breeze: 5-night Western Caribbean cruise from Galveston calling on Cozumel and Progreso
• Carnival Glory: 4-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral calling on Nassau and Celebration Key
• Carnival Freedom: 5-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral calling on Celebration Key, Nassau, and Half Moon Cay

During the terminal disruptions, port stops were not announced as changed for the listed itineraries, though Carnival said updates would be provided directly to guests if conditions shifted.

Onboard impacts: HUB app, Wi-Fi, retail purchases, and casino operations

Guests across multiple ships reported that several onboard systems were unavailable or slowed, including the Carnival HUB app and onboard connectivity. The disruption also affected onboard retail transactions and casino operations that rely on network access.

Passengers described workarounds such as handwritten receipts at bars and shops and interruptions to casino activity. Some guests reported cash-only casino play and an inability to post charges to Sail and Sign accounts until systems were restored. With app access limited on some sailings, paper versions of the daily schedule were also made available onboard.

Delayed departures, including sailings leaving after midnight

Some ships departed well after their scheduled times as terminal processes ran behind and systems were brought back online. Carnival Celebration, for example, departed PortMiami after 1:00 a.m. following a scheduled 3:30 p.m. departure on Feb. 8. The ship was set for a seven-night itinerary that included Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Nassau, and Celebration Key.

Carnival Venezia, Carnival Spirit, and Carnival Pride also began cruises after midnight as the disruption continued into the evening.

Safety and navigation statements differed across updates

Carnival’s public messaging included differing descriptions of whether the outage affected navigation and safety systems. In an earlier statement posted by the company, Carnival said its navigation and safety systems were working while acknowledging delays and slower technology tools during planned maintenance.

Heald described the situation differently in his video update, saying the issue “affected navigation and safety systems,” and that ships could not depart until systems were restored.

In a later letter delivered to guests onboard, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy disputed that characterization, writing, “At no time were any navigation or safety systems affected,” while acknowledging that guest-facing services such as Wi-Fi, casino slot machines, and the HUB app were not available for periods and that terminal processes took longer than usual.

Refunds for internet outages and what Carnival told guests

In her letter to guests, Duffy said the company’s shoreside and shipboard IT teams worked for multiple days to restore systems. “Our shoreside and shipboard teams have been dedicated to resolving these issues. We appreciate your patience as we worked to bring everything back online,” she wrote, adding that she was “pleased to say” systems were restored.

Duffy said Carnival would refund the daily internet charge for days when connectivity was unavailable. “We will be refunding the daily charge for the days you have been on board without connectivity,” she wrote, with the amount varying by ship, the length of the outage on that sailing, and the package purchased. Carnival said the refunds were expected to appear in guest accounts by Wednesday morning, Feb. 11.

Carnival sells multiple internet tiers, including a Social plan starting at $20.40 per person per day and higher-priced packages such as a Premium Multi-Device option listed at $90 per day for up to four devices, with pricing also varying based on whether the package is purchased in advance or onboard.

During the disruption, Carnival used texts, emails, and voicemail updates to reach affected passengers and encouraged guests to monitor messages and follow revised terminal appointment windows to reduce congestion.

Legal context and operational status after the outage

Legal experts noted that Carnival is under no legal obligation to offer additional compensation for the delays beyond what it chooses to provide. They pointed to maritime law and passenger contracts that generally do not guarantee refunds or reimbursements for service disruptions, leaving compensation largely at the cruise line’s discretion.

Carnival said ships sailed their itineraries after the delayed departures, and as of Feb. 10, affected ships had returned to their planned itineraries with no further delays reported. The line said post-outage follow-through included continued guest communications and account adjustments, including processing Wi-Fi refunds for impacted days.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which Carnival ships were confirmed as affected by the outage?

Carnival said at least 11 ships were affected, including Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Pride, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.

What compensation did Carnival offer guests?

Christine Duffy told guests Carnival would refund the daily Wi-Fi charge for days when connectivity was unavailable. She said the amount would vary by ship, the length of the outage on that sailing, and the internet package purchased, with refunds expected to appear in guest accounts by Feb. 11, 2026.

Why were embarkation and debarkation lines longer than usual?

Carnival said the disruption forced manual procedures at terminals. John Heald said teams manually counted guests leaving ships and collected Sail and Sign cards to confirm disembarkation, which added time for both departing and arriving passengers.

Did Carnival say navigation and safety systems were affected?

Statements differed across updates. Carnival’s earlier public messaging said navigation and safety systems were working, Heald said the issue affected navigation and safety systems, and Duffy later wrote, “At no time were any navigation or safety systems affected.”

What did Carnival tell guests to do during the disruption?

Carnival directed guests to monitor emails, texts, and voicemail updates for revised terminal arrival windows and other operational changes, and encouraged passengers to opt in to text alerts for real-time updates.