Carnival Cruise Line had to deliver quite a bit of bad news to large numbers of passengers recently.
For some passengers booked on several soon-approaching sailings, cruise itinerary changes meant they won’t get to visit Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. Due to operational changes, their cruises will sail to Carnival’s private destination in the Dominican Republic — Amber Cove — instead.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line drops popular port from multiple sailings
Cruisers booked on a few other sailings got news that was far more disappointing, however.
Changes to the schedule for Carnival cruise ship drydocks — routine maintenance and refurbishment that cruise ships undergo every few years — resulted in multiple cancelled cruises.
The drydock for Carnival Magic, which sails Caribbean cruises from Miami year-round, was recently postponed from fall 2025 to spring 2026. This change made it necessary for the cruise line to cancel the spring cruises scheduled on the ship during that time period.
The change resulted in the cancellation of a bucket-list voyage on another ship, too.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.
Carnival Magic sails Caribbean cruises from Miami year-round.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival cancels cruises on Carnival Magic, Carnival Horizon
Carnival Magic will now be out of service for its drydock from April 18 through May 24, 2026, and multiple spring 2026 sailings that were scheduled on the ship are now cancelled as a result.
Adding Carnival Magic to the spring drydock schedule also meant pushing back the next ship’s drydock, so Carnival Horizon’s transatlantic voyage from Barcelona, Spain to Miami that was scheduled to depart on June 15 was scrapped, too.
“We have had to reschedule Carnival Magic’s drydock to the spring of 2026 and we’re sorry to inform you that your cruise has been cancelled,” the cruise line explained in an email to impacted passengers.
Carnival Cruise Line is providing affected passengers with full refunds of their cruise fares and any pre-purchased items, and assisting passengers with finding and booking alternative cruise options.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line quietly cuts free drink selection
The cruise line is protecting these passengers’ cruise rates on comparable sailings in similar accommodations. Impacted passengers who book an alternative voyage will also receive an onboard credit of $50 per passenger ($100 maximum per stateroom).
Some affected passengers are having difficulty finding comparable voyages, however, according to posts on Reddit and Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page.
“I cannot find any six-day comparable sailings during the middle of May 2026 leaving out of Miami,” shof515 wrote in the CarnivalCruiseFans Reddit community. “Carnival’s website shows only one six-day sailing in the beginning of May on the Horizon and none the rest of the month. I cannot find any comparable sailing that fits my schedule.”
Replacing a transatlantic cruise is extra challenging
Multiple passengers shared similar concerns about finding a comparable transatlantic cruise option in comments posted on John Heald’s Facebook page.
“Our first transatlantic cruise was canceled yesterday, very sad. Totally have no clue how we can replace this cruise when no similar cruises are available for the months we need to cruise,” Marshall Shirley, Jr. wrote. “We were sailing from Barcelona, Spain to Miami. I know the drydock has been changed and nothing can be done, but I just needed to vent a little bit, John Heald.”
Another passenger chimed in to express the same frustration.
“We were just on the phone with Carnival for nearly an hour regarding the cancellation of the Carnival Horizon in June 2026. Their words: ‘They’re being unusually restrictive about this’ in terms of what they’re counting as a comparable sailing,” Vicki Leonard Henderson wrote. “There is literally nothing that we can shift to that fits our schedule and Carnival’s restrictions.”
More Carnival cruise news:
Carnival Cruise Line embraces poolside entertainment change ideaCarnival Cruise Line offers stern message on vaping, smokingCarnival Cruise Line shares key passport news travelers need
While it brought disappointment to many Carnival passengers, the change to Carnival Magic’s drydock schedule did come with some good news for Carnival cruisers who want to sail with John Heald. The brand ambassador hosts annual fan cruises that are very popular with his many devoted Facebook followers, and now his fans have another opportunity to join him for a cruise.
Because the ship won’t be out of service as originally planned for a few weeks in October and November 2025, the cruise line has added additional sailings aboard the ship during that time period. Heald will host special activities on the Nov. 15 departure, a six-day Eastern Caribbean cruise visiting Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, and Princess Cays and Nassau in The Bahamas.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at [email protected] or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
