Carnival Tech Outage Delays Boarding for Thousands at Homeports

Carnival Cruise Line experienced a fleetwide technology disruption beginning Sunday, February 8, 2026, that slowed debarkation and embarkation at multiple homeports and delayed boarding for thousands of guests.

Carnival attributed the problems to planned system maintenance on February 8, saying the issues were “resulting in the delay of debarkation and embarkation of guests, as well as slowing down some other technology tools.”

How the disruption surfaced at cruise terminals

The issue first became widely apparent on February 8, when guests boarding Carnival Liberty in New Orleans faced a two-hour embarkation delay. Carnival told guests it was managing a “system-related matter impacting debarkation and embarkation operations” and asked them to adjust their arrival times.

By Monday morning, February 9, Carnival confirmed similar delays for additional sailings, including Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Freedom. In guest communications, the cruise line instructed passengers to arrive two hours after their pre-selected Terminal Arrival Appointment and said it was “planning for all guests to be on board by 4:30 PM” so ships could still depart on schedule.

Some guests with earlier terminal windows said the shift was substantial. One example described pre-assigned arrival times between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. being moved to 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., with updates delivered via email, text, and phone calls.

Itineraries tied to the February 9 terminal delays

On February 9, the ships specifically cited in guest advisories as experiencing delayed debarkation and embarkation were Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Freedom. The referenced itineraries included:

• Carnival Breeze: A five-night Western Caribbean sailing from Galveston calling on Cozumel and Progreso. Guests were told to arrive two hours later than their Terminal Arrival Appointment.
• Carnival Glory: A four-night Bahamas itinerary from Port Canaveral visiting Nassau and Celebration Key. The cruise line said it was targeting an all-aboard time of 4:30 p.m.
• Carnival Freedom: A five-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral with calls including Celebration Key, Nassau, and Half Moon Cay. Carnival’s messaging similarly pushed arrivals back by two hours.

Carnival Liberty’s February 8 sailing from New Orleans was also delayed at the terminal, but the ship was still expected to operate its scheduled seven-night Western Caribbean cruise. That itinerary included Mahogany Bay (Roatan) on February 11, Belize on February 12, and Cozumel on February 13.

Text alerts and other guest communications

Along with emails, texts, and phone messages about revised arrival windows, Carnival also directed guests to opt in to terminal updates via its text alert system. For the February 9 affected ships, the cruise line told guests to text CRUISE (278473) and use ship-specific codes, including CCL1 (Freedom), CCL2 (Breeze), and CCL3 (Glory).

Onboard impacts: app disruptions, payment interruptions, and paper schedules

Guests also reported knock-on effects onboard as the outage affected tools typically used during turnaround operations and in the guest experience. Among the issues cited were problems with the Carnival Hub app, including glitches and disconnections that affected activities such as dining check-ins and messaging.

Some guests also encountered disruptions to electronic transactions onboard. As a workaround to keep programming and daily planning accessible, paper versions of the daily schedule (including paper copies of the Fun Times newsletter) were made available on some sailings.

Sail & Sign cards and a security-driven change

Another highly visible change involved Sail & Sign cards, which function as stateroom keys and onboard charge cards and are often kept as souvenirs. During the disruption, some guests reported the cards were collected rather than scanned and returned.

Carnival brand ambassador John Heald addressed the issue by telling guests the cards could not be returned or reprinted for security reasons, which added to passenger frustration.

How widespread the incident became, and the effect on departures

As the disruption continued into February 9, the list of ships referenced as affected during the incident included Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Pride, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. Separate reporting also described delays involving additional vessels, including Carnival Firenze.

Some sailings left later than planned. Carnival Celebration departed PortMiami after midnight during the disruption window; one report described the ship leaving after midnight instead of its planned 3:30 p.m. departure. AIS ship-tracking data also showed Carnival Venezia, Carnival Spirit, and Carnival Pride beginning their cruises after midnight while the systems issues were ongoing.

Navigation and safety systems: conflicting messages

In its website statement about the planned maintenance and resulting technology problems, Carnival told guests: “Navigation and safety systems are working.”

Heald, however, separately indicated that critical navigation and safety systems were also impacted and that errors would need to be corrected before ships departed. Carnival did not provide an explanation in the available information to reconcile the difference between the website statement and Heald’s comments.

What Carnival said about voyages already underway

On the operational status of voyages after the initial homeport delays, Carnival told Cruise Radio: “While Sunday departures from homeport were delayed, all ships are now at sea and sailing their itineraries.” The cruise line said its IT teams continued working to restore impacted systems, and it advised guests on upcoming sailings to keep watching for direct updates in case terminal arrival windows changed again.

Compensation and trip-planning pressure points

The delays created practical challenges for travelers with tight post-cruise schedules, particularly guests trying to reach airports soon after arrival. The available information also emphasized that passenger rights for embarkation and debarkation delays are limited, and that any reimbursement or credits typically depend on the cruise line’s passenger contract rather than a universal standard.

A similar disruption was noted in December 2025, when delays onboard Carnival Firenze were reported to have extended to more than 21 hours. Carnival has not provided details on potential reimbursement for passengers affected by the February 2026 outage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which ships were affected by Carnival’s IT outage?

Ships referenced as affected during the incident included Carnival Breeze, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Glory, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Sunshine, and Carnival Jubilee. Separate reporting also cited impacts involving Carnival Firenze.

Why did Carnival ask guests to arrive two hours later than their Terminal Arrival Appointment?

Carnival told guests it was dealing with a “system-related matter” affecting debarkation and embarkation operations, and it used later arrival times to manage terminal flow while systems were restored.

Were itineraries changed because of the IT outage?

The sailings referenced in guest advisories were expected to keep their scheduled port calls, and Carnival said ships were sailing their itineraries even though some homeport departures were delayed.

How can guests receive the fastest updates during embarkation delays?

Carnival directed guests to monitor emails, text messages, and phone calls, and it also offered opt-in terminal updates via its text alert system by texting CRUISE (278473) and using ship-specific codes where provided, including CCL1 (Freedom), CCL2 (Breeze), and CCL3 (Glory).

Will affected passengers receive compensation?

The available information indicated compensation is not guaranteed for embarkation and debarkation delays, with reimbursement or credits typically depending on the terms in the cruise line’s passenger contract rather than a universal requirement.