The Carnival Spirit will return to Seattle later than scheduled after undergoing repairs earlier this month, Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement.
Wrapping up a 15-night cruise to Hawaii, the ship was scheduled to return to its homeport early on October 8, 2026. The arrival, however, was postponed by nearly 24 hours.
In a letter sent to guests boarding the vessel for its next cruise, Carnival said that the delay was caused by an issue that required additional time for repairs on October 3, 2026.
“As a result, the ship’s return to Seattle will be delayed until Friday, October 9, resulting in a shortening of your cruise by one day,” the company explained.
Upon returning to Washington, the Carnival Spirit is scheduled to kick off a repositioning voyage to Mobile, Alabama.
The 16-night cruise will feature a full transit of the Panama Canal, in addition to visits to destinations on the West Coast of Central America and the Caribbean.
Carnival said that due to the later departure from Seattle and to keep the ship’s time slot for crossing the Panama Canal, a planned visit to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, had to be cancelled.
The company said that planned visits to Puntarenas in Costa Rica and Cartagena de Indias in Colombia will still go ahead as scheduled.
“We know this is disappointing news and we apologize for these unexpected adjustments,” Carnival added, noting that guests will receive a pro-rated refund for their cruise fare and pre-purchased service packages, including Wi-Fi and beverage packages.
Shore excursions booked through Carnival for Cabo San Lucas will be automatically cancelled and refunded as well.
The company also said that it will offer a $250 onboard credit per stateroom as a gesture of appreciation for passengers’ understanding.
Guests who purchased air travel using Carnival’s FLY2FUN program will have their flights automatically adjusted to reflect the changes.
For those with independent travel plans, the company will also reimburse up to $200 per person for any expenses associated with non-refundable air change fees and other travel-related costs.
Carnival said that further details regarding new embarkation plans for October 9, 2026, will be released ahead of the cruise.
The Carnival Spirit is currently wrapping up a 15-night cruise to Hawaii and Canada that sailed from Seattle on September 23, 2026.
Part of the Carnival Journeys program, the itinerary originally included visits to Honolulu, Nawiliwili, Kahului, Hilo and Victoria.
