Key Aspects:
- Carnival Pride will be arriving in Baltimore one day late because of Winter Storm Fern.
- Embarkation will not be able to take place until the late afternoon on January 26 due to snowy conditions.
- Aside from skipping Bimini on January 28, no additional itinerary changes are expected.
Thanks to the historic Winter Storm Fern wreaking havoc throughout the US East Coast, Carnival Pride was forced to spend an extra day at sea to avoid the worst of the weather.
Instead of returning to Baltimore, Maryland, on January 25, 2026, the Spirit-class ship will arrive to disembark its current 14-night Caribbean sailing on January 26, 2026.
Carnival Cruise Line has now issued a more specific embarkation update for the up to 2,134 guests who were supposed to embark on a 7-night Bahamas cruise on the 25th.
“Carnival Pride is expected to arrive in Baltimore tomorrow, Monday, January 26, at noon, and your embarkation time has been updated accordingly,” the cruise line wrote in a letter.
“We apologize for this weather-related delay and thank you for your patience and understanding. If you are impacted by the storm, please take extra precautions in staying safe while traveling.”
Read Also: All Cruise Ships Impacted by Winter Storm Fern
Terminal arrival appointments were adjusted with the snowy conditions in mind and to allow current passengers time to disembark and make their way out of the parking facility.
Embarkation Will be Late
Because of the delay, guests have been asked to push their pre-selected terminal arrival appointments back by four hours.
This means that a guest who was supposed to arrive from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. on January 25 shouldn’t come to the port until 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on January 26, and so forth. All guests must be checked in by 7 p.m. local time.
It will take a significant amount of time for current guests to disembark and make their way home, especially because the parking facility and vehicles have been buried in snow.
“Our partners at the port have advised us that the parking facility and vehicles are covered in heavy snow. It will take significant time to clear this,” Carnival advised.
Per weather reports, Baltimore received anywhere from six to ten inches of snow depending on the neighborhood.
“To properly manage the embarkation process, we kindly ask for your full cooperation with this revised operational plan,” the cruise line continued.
“Importantly, we must allow guests from the current cruise to disembark the ship and leave the parking facility before we can accommodate your arrival,” they added.
Guests who arrive early cannot be accommodated, though it may still be important to plan for potential delays reaching the cruise port given the hazardous conditions.
No Additional Itinerary Changes for Carnival Pride
When the delay was first announced, guests were informed that the call to Bimini, Bahamas, on January 28, 2026, would have to be cancelled.
However, the cruise line can now confirm that no additional ports on the itinerary will be adjusted.
“As shared in our previous email, due to our Monday departure, we will no longer be visiting Bimini. The rest of the itinerary remains unchanged,” Carnival confirmed.
The remaining ports are both Carnival-owned private islands. The 88,500-gross ton vessel will call at Princess Cays on January 29 and the new Celebration Key on January 30.
Compensation Provided
Because guests are embarking a day late and will miss their first port call, Carnival is providing compensation as a gesture of good faith.
It is generous, as the cruise contract does not require the cruise line to compensate guests for itinerary changes that are outside of the company’s control. Guests will receive a one-day, pro-rated refund of their cruise fare to their original form of payment in the next three weeks.
They will also get a pro-rated refund for pre-purchased beverage and Wi-Fi packages, as well as pre-paid gratuities. These will come in the form of an onboard credit and will be available in guests’ Sail & Sign accounts by Tuesday, January 27.
Though there seems to be a plan in place now, further operational adjustments are still possible. Guests should look out for additional communication from the cruise line and sign up for text alerts for immediate updates.
