A Carnival cruise turned chaotic after angry passengers were told they wouldn’t be enjoying the Caribbean voyage they were expecting due to mechanical issues.
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The incident occurred on Carnival’s Vista, which was booked for an 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida on Aug. 10. It was intended to make stops in Aruba and Curacao as well as Turks and Cacaos.
However, after the boarding process had already begun, the cruise line sent out a notification. It revealed there were changes made to the itinerary. The Carnival cruise crew had reportedly discovered a “technical issue affecting the ship’s cruising speed,” causing the cruise line to alter the initial travel plans.
The Vista would instead be traveling to the Bahamas. It would also be making stops in Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay.
Unfortunately for Carnival, some of the cruise passengers became angry by the itinerary changes. They then demanded refunds while the cruise staff attempted to explain what happened.
“Give us our money,” several angry passengers aboard the ship chanted to the Carnival cruise crew.
One of the angry passengers claimed he spent $6,000 to go on the original Carnival cruise. An 8-day cruise aboard the Vista is on average $779 per person.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the way you’re going about this with the noise and chaos isn’t going to solve any issues,” one cruise employee said while explaining the situation.
Carnival Said It Offered Passengers Numerous Options After Changing the Cruise Itinerary
Passengers were given several choices after Carnival decided to change the cruise itinerary.
“We communicated directly with guests on board regarding their options for the sailing,” the cruise line said. “Those that sailed were given an onboard credit as well as a future cruise credit toward another cruise to make up for the unexpected change, and those who preferred not to sail were offered a 100 percent refund.”
Despite having the choices, passengers were still frustrated and angry about Carnival changing the cruise itinerary at the last minute.
“They knew about the problem prior to us getting onto the ship,” one passenger, Ashley Ball, stated. “They just didn’t say that until we were already on the ship, and, you know, went through customs and the lines and securities and all that, and then decided to display that information.”
The Vista notably has been on multiple cruises since the Aug. 10 incident. However, it was forced to cancel its cruise from Port Canaveral on Sept. 7.