Fog Delays Carnival Spirit Arrival, Embarkation Shifted by Several Hours
Key Aspects:
Carnival Spirit has been delayed by several hours returning to Mobile, Alabama due to heavy fog.
The port reopened later in the morning and the ship was able to dock at roughly 12 p.m.
Embarkation for the next sailing is delayed several hours but no itinerary changes have been confirmed.
Despite Carnival Cruise Line alerting guests boarding Carnival Miracle in Tampa on Sunday, December 28 to the possibility of fog delaying their embarkation, that isn’t the ship that has actually been delayed due to low visibility.
Instead, Carnival Spirit has been delayed returning to Mobile, Alabama.
“Together with our Fleet Operations Center in Miami, we have been actively monitoring all conditions in the Mobile area. The pilots have currently closed the port to all marine traffic,” an announcement onboard Carnival Spirit early in the morning explained.
“We will remain at sea at the channel entrance until conditions improve.”
Guests were permitted to remain in their staterooms to wait out the delay, and breakfast was available at the buffet as well as in the main dining room and coffee shops. Several new activities were also added to the morning schedule while the ship waited for clearance to enter Mobile Bay.
Booked guests scheduled to depart on Sunday were also advised of the delay, with a later update at 10 a.m. Central Time providing the final details and timing for the ship’s arrival.
“Good news! The port of Mobile has reopened, and the ship is expected to arrive late morning,” the late morning update confirmed.
This was certainly good news for guests planning to set sail on the ship’s 8-night New Year Bahamas cruise.
As a matter of interest, Carnival Miracle was not delayed after all, as the ship was able to enter Tampa Bay and dock ahead of schedule to beat the expected morning fog.
Embarkation Delayed Several Hours
Carnival Spirit was approaching the cruise terminal shortly after 11 a.m., with expected docking at roughly noon. This does not mean embarkation could begin immediately, however.
“Once the ship arrives, we must allow debarking guests to leave the cruise terminal and parking facilities before embarking guests can be accommodated,” the email notification to incoming guests explained. “As a result, embarkation for your cruise has been revised.”
All cruise terminal arrival appointments were pushed back by several hours. For example, if guests had selected the 10:30 a.m. arrival appointment, they should not arrive to the cruise terminal until 3:30 p.m. for their revised appointment.
These extended delays are necessary to permit guests debarking the ship to process through customs, collect their luggage, and exit the port area before arriving guests can be accommodated.
.Cruise terminals do not typically have adequate space for hundreds or thousands of guests to simply wait for several hours when a ship is delayed. Furthermore, there may not be enough parking for two cruises’ worth of guests from the same ship.
The 85,920-gross-ton Carnival Spirit can welcome 2,124 guests aboard at double occupancy and up to 2,667 travelers when fully booked. Because of the holiday season, the ship is more likely to be fully booked with higher numbers of guests onboard.
Fortunately, there are plenty of things guests can do close to the cruise terminal with the extra time. A favorite is to visit the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, just three miles away. Visitors can tour the battleship and the USS Drum submarine, explore the aircraft pavilion, and more.
Will the Itinerary Be Impacted?
There are not yet any confirmed changes to Carnival Spirit‘s next itinerary. The 8-night sailing has visits planned for Celebration Key from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, followed by New Year’s Day in Nassau from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Princess Cays on January 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The first two full days of the cruise are days at sea, which gives Carnival Spirit plenty of time to adjust speed to make up for today’s delay.
It is not unusual for cruise ships to sail at slightly slower speeds during days at sea to provide more comfortable and less windy conditions for guests to enjoy the pools and activities on the outer decks. Picking up the speed slightly will ensure an on-time arrival to Celebration Key.
Of course, if any itinerary adjustments are necessary, guests onboard will be notified as soon as such changes are confirmed.
Fog Delays Carnival Spirit Arrival, Embarkation Shifted by Several Hours