Crew Shortage As Carnival to Limit Dining Options Across Fleet

Carnival Mardi Gras

Carnival Cruise Line is limiting dining options across its 23-ship fleet.

According to the cruise line, the measure is part of an effort to reduce the impact of crew shortages, which are impacting its culinary team. The company is one of many facing crew challenges.

“We are making modest adjustments to some of our service offerings for the time being, so that we can maximize the guest experience and our guest service,” Carnival said in a letter sent to booked passengers, noting that the “challenge of securing visas for cruise industry employees” are impacting staffing levels onboard.

While most of the adjustments will have a “negligible impact” on the guest experience, the company continued, two specialty experiences are being temporarily closed for dinner.

Described by Carnival’s website as a “VIP multi-course dinner,” the Chef’s Table will be suspended through the end of June across the fleet for dinner.

Cucina Del Capitano, the company’s Italian restaurant, will also be closed for dinner, with some of its special menu items being service in the main dining rooms at no extra charge.

The venue, currently available on nine ships across the fleet, will continue to operate as normal on the Mardi Gras, Carnival noted.

Guests that had already reserved dinner at the restaurants will receive refunds to their original form of payment.

Carnival is the latest on a list of cruise lines affected by crew shortage issues in the past months.

In a similar move, Norwegian Cruise Line reduced the dining options aboard the Pride of America due to the lack of staff.

A few weeks later, P&O Cruises was forced to take the Arcadia out of service citing “crew availability issues.

Other cruise lines affected by crew shortages include Cunard, which is capping the capacity on some cruises due to a reduced number of staff members.

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