Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line has alerted guests that fog may delay Carnival Miracle in Tampa on Sunday, December 28.
- Carnival Miracle is finishing an 8-night sailing and will begin a 7-night New Year itinerary.
- No delays have been confirmed but guests should wait for a Sunday morning update for final details.
‘Tis the season for fog delays at Port Tampa Bay, but Carnival Cruise Line is proactively alerting guests to the possibility of delays that may impact embarkation for Carnival Miracle on Sunday, December 28, 2025.
With the Weather Channel predicting fog and low wind (so it won’t clear out quickly) for Sunday morning throughout the Tampa Bay area, Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on Carnival Miracle‘s New Year sailing.
“Fog may impact the Tampa area overnight, and this could affect the arrival of the ship and your embarkation,” the text notification sent to guests stated. “We will continue to monitor the weather and provide another update by 9:00 AM (ET), Sunday, December 28.”
Guests are urged to be sure they are signed up for text alerts for further updates, but are also advised to heed the morning’s update.
“Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received our update,” the message concludes.
If fog were to significantly delay Carnival Miracle, the cruise terminal will not open to embarking guests until the ship has arrived and onboard guests are able to debark and leave the area. Limited space, personnel, and parking mean incoming guests must wait until debarking guests have left.
While there is not yet any confirmed delay for Carnival Miracle, the ship is hastening toward Port Tampa Bay ahead of the expected foggy conditions.
Satellite tracking estimates the ship reaching the cruise terminal at approximately 3:30 a.m., though that time will likely be adjusted as the vessel changes speed on her approach into Tampa Bay.
Carnival Miracle is finishing an 8-night Christmas cruise that departed Florida on Saturday, December 20. The ship enjoyed visits to Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel and is spending Saturday, December 27 at sea as she makes her way back to the Sunshine State.
No Changes at This Time
To be clear, there are not yet any confirmed changes to Carnival Miracle‘s debarkation on Sunday morning or embarkation for incoming guests.
Carnival Cruise Line is simply being proactive with its communication to incoming guests in case such delays are necessary.
The 85,942-gross-ton, Spirit-class ship will be starting a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary on Sunday, with visits planned for Cozumel on Tuesday, December 30; Ocho Rios on Thursday, January 1; and Grand Cayman on Friday, January 2, before returning to Tampa on Sunday, January 4.
Read Also: What Are the 10 Different Carnival Ship Classes?
Carnival Miracle can welcome 2,124 guests aboard and is also home to more than 900 international crew members. This ship is homeported in Tampa through mid-April, at which time she will reposition to Seattle for the 2026 Alaska sailing season.
Preemptive Adjustments When Fog Is Predicted
This is not the first time Carnival Miracle‘s arrival (and the next subsequent departure) has been threatened by fog this season. In early December, the cruise line sent out a similar warning about fog and possible delays. Fortunately in that instance, the expected fog was not thick enough to cause delays.
Nevertheless, the warnings do alert guests to possible adjustments, and most guests appreciate that heads up as they get ready for their sailing.
Text alerts aren’t the only way the cruise line prepares for possible foggy arrivals, however. One guest onboard Carnival Paradise‘s Christmas cruise that departed Tampa on Monday, December 22 shared their experience.
“We came to port early [because] of the fog and were docked by midnight last night to make sure people were back home on time,” they explained on Facebook.
Carnival Paradise‘s 5-night sailing returned to Tampa on Saturday, December 27.
Royal Caribbean is taking a similar early arrival approach with Rhapsody of the Seas. Though the ship isn’t due back in Tampa until Sunday morning, tracking data confirms that the vessel is already docking at the cruise terminal before 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, December 27.
While early docking will cause some inconveniences to guests onboard, such as the casino and retail shops closing early, this is far less inconvenient than the possibility of being delayed for several hours and missing flights or other post-cruise arrangements.
Also due in Tampa on Sunday morning is the Celebrity Constellation. That ship is also en route to Tampa, making good speed that may bring her to the cruise terminal early.
