Carnival Cruise Line has notified guests booked aboard the Monday, August 5, 2024, departure of Carnival Elation out of Jacksonville in Florida, that their embarkation and departure will now take place one day early on Sunday, August 4. The current voyage, which departed the homeport on August 1, will now end a day early.
This decision has been made to permit plenty of time for the ship to be away from the port as Tropical Storm Debby approaches on Monday.
Guests preparing for their cruise on Monday now have to finish their preparations and arrive at the cruise terminal a full day early, as they received email alerts on Saturday, August 3, about the change in embarkation.
Carnival Cruise Line has attempted to ensure everyone is notified of the change as soon as possible with email and text alerts. The cruise line’s popular Brand Ambassador, John Heald, also sent a quick note to his more than 580,000 followers to look for the email or text alert.
“Monday’s embarkation has moved to Sunday to avoid the storm,” Heald confirmed.
Guests will not be charged any additional fare for the extra time onboard, as is typical in this sort of very unusual situation.
Of course, this also means that the current sailing – a 4-night (now 3-night) Bahamas cruise that departed Jacksonville on August 1 – will also end a day early.
Similarly, those guests will likely be offered a one-day prorated refund for their shortened sailing, as is standard practice for losing a cruise day. Other compensation may also be offered, but each situation is different and it is never guaranteed.
The August 5 (now August 4) departure was to have been a 5-night Bahamas cruise with port visits to Nassau and Princess Cays. The cruise will now be six nights long, though it is unlikely that the ports of call will be changed. Instead, the ship will enjoy an extra day at sea.
The 71,909-gross-ton, Fantasy-class Carnival Elation is the oldest ship in Carnival’s fleet. She can welcome 2,190 passengers and is also home to approximately 900 international crew members. Homeported from Jacksonville, Florida, Carnival Elation offers year-round Bahamas itineraries.
While many travelers will be scrambling to reach the ship before she sets sail on Sunday instead of Monday, it should also be noted that many cruisers who depart from Jacksonville drive to the port and will be able to adjust their plans slightly more easily. Flying in to a cruise homeport a day or two before sailing is also a wise precaution for travelers.
Tropical Storm Debby Track
The change to Carnival Elation‘s itinerary is due to Tropical Storm Debby, which was officially named on Saturday. As of Saturday evening, the storm’s center is 100 miles west-southwest of Key West, Florida and moving northwest at 15 miles per hour.
“The Fleet Operations Center in Miami is keeping a very close eye on what is happening in the tropics,” said Amy Sweezey, a weather contributor for Carnival Cruise Line. “The team at Carnival is working very hard behind the scenes to make sure that you are safe and of course can have fun.”
Tropical Storm Debby Track (Credit: NOAA)
The storm is expected to strengthen as it makes a northward turn west of the Florida peninsula, and an eastern turn in the Florida Big Bend area will bring the storm – likely as a Category 1 hurricane – to landfall on Monday, August 5.
Because the tropical storm wind field extends up to 100 miles east of the center, the Port of Jacksonville may be feeling the storm’s impact even as it makes landfall across the state.
Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise
The storm is expected to continue moving east after landfall, and will be strongly within the Jacksonville area by late Monday and through Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how its movement changes as it moves back out into the Atlantic.
Any cruisers sailing from or around Florida for the next few days will want to stay in close communication with their cruise line for updates and notice of any changes.