Carnival Cruise Line Cancels Sailing in Favor of a Charter
Full-ship charters can be lucrative opportunities for cruise lines, and that’s why decision-makers will sometimes choose to disappoint booked guests by cancelling a scheduled voyage in favor of a charter.
On March 20, 2025, Carnival Cruise Line became the latest brand to notify guests that their sailing — a 2026 voyage onboard Carnival Liberty, has been nixed in favor of a charter. It was the second time in less than a year that the ship’s schedule was interrupted for that reason.
The 3,000-guest Conquest-class ship that debuted in 2005 is homeported in New Orleans, sailing mostly 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. In its notice to booked guests, the line noted that several alternatives are available to replace the April 26, 2026 departure.
“We are very sorry to inform you that the ship has been chartered and your cruise has been cancelled,” Colleen Oliverio, vice president of guest services-contact center for Carnival Cruise Line, wrote in a letter to guests.
“Our team is ready to discuss options and rebook you on another Carnival cruise right away,” Oliverio added.
As an incentive to rebook, the notice confirms that each guest’s cruise rate is protected on a comparable sailing in similar accommodations, meaning that if a new voyage is booked in the same stateroom category and for the same duration, the original cruise fare applies.
Moreover, a $100 per stateroom onboard credit will be applied to the new sailing. The cruise line set a deadline of April 3, 2025 for booked guests to contact the line directly or the travel agent who handled the reservation.
The notice also advises that those who do not reschedule will automatically receive a full refund of their cruise fare and any pre-purchased services, such as shore excursions, drinks packages and the like.
The refund process can take up to three weeks to be completed, the line noted.
Guests Can Choose Another Voyage From the Big Easy
Since Carnival Liberty is based year-round in New Orleans through at least April 2027, guests are likely to find another itinerary that suits their vacation schedule. Seven-night Western Caribbean voyages typically call at Roatan Island’s Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Read Also: Eastern vs. Western Caribbean Cruise: Which Will I Prefer?
Eastern Caribbean sailings visit Key West, Florida; Celebration Key, the new private island destination set to open in July 2025 in the Bahamas; and Nassau, Bahamas.
In addition to 7-night sailings, some 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises are offered.
It is not unusual for full-ship charters to upend the plans of booked cruisers. It happens on virtually all of the major cruise lines from time to time, and the reason for the charter is rarely made known. They often are focused on specific themes, such as music, for instance.
The newly announced cancellation was not the first for Carnival Liberty. Guests booked on the ship’s October 19, 2025 cruise also received the bad news that the voyage was cancelled in favor of a charter.
In that case, the notice was sent out to booked guests in August of 2024, again providing sufficient time to find another alternative.
Other cruise lines swap out scheduled sailings for charters, too. A February 6, 2025 cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy was cancelled due to a charter. The 5-night itinerary was a Mexican Riviera cruise sailing roundtrip from Los Angeles. Guests learned of the cancellation in December 2023.