Carnival cruise faces delay; new cruise dock coming to Alaska
As a number of cruise ships set off on repositioning voyages to Seattle for the upcoming Alaska cruise season, one Carnival cruise ship is getting a late start on its journey west due to ongoing maintenance work.
The ship just wrapped up a season of winter cruises to The Bahamas that ended with a sailing that missed one Bahamas port of call due to in-service maintenance work, as reported by Cruise Industry News. Now, the ship's repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal is facing itinerary changes, too.
Before departing on a long 16-day voyage from the Gulf Coast to Seattle, the ship is spending some extra time in its winter home port while necessary maintenance work is completed to prepare it for the journey ahead. The delay means that passengers on board the ship won't get to visit a planned port of call before their Panama Canal transit.
Meanwhile in Alaska, a top cruise port is preparing for future growth while more cruise lines alter itineraries for the season ahead due to safety concerns in a scenic destination for glacier viewing.
Doug Parker shared more details on the Carnival cruise ship's repositioning cruise delay, and the latest cruise news from Alaska, on the April 13 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Carnival Cruise Line ship delayed by maintenance work
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here is your cruise news for Monday, April 13th.
Carnival Cruise Line delayed the departure of Carnival Spirit over the weekend due to maintenance issues. Guests boarded as scheduled yesterday in Mobile, but the ship has remained in port and is now scheduled to depart later on today.
Related: How to get great service at busy cruise ship casino bars
Because of the delay, Carnival will miss its first port stop in Colombia to stay on track for its Panama Canal transit.
Carnival says onboard services were not impacted and provided guests with $100 per stateroom onboard credit for the inconvenience.
Juneau, Alaska approves plan for new downtown cruise ship dock
And Juneau, Alaska is moving forward with new plans for a new downtown cruise dock. City officials have finalized an agreement clearing the way for construction of the new project. The development will include a new cruise berth along with retail, dining, and cultural spaces.
The dock will also feature shore power capabilities to reduce emissions while ships are sitting in port. Officials say the project is aimed at handling the growing cruise demand.
The project does move forward as Juneau continues to balance growing demand with daily limits on cruise traffic.
MSC Cruises joins other cruise lines in canceling visits to Tracy Arm Fjord
And MSC Cruises is the latest cruise line to adjust Alaska itineraries for the season. The MSC Poesia will no longer travel through Tracy Arm Fjord due to those safety concerns tied to the icy conditions and geological instability, they say.
Instead, the ship will visit Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, a nearby alternative known for the similar scenery. The change impacts MSC's inaugural Alaska season, which begins next month from Seattle.
Related: 4 new ways to cruise to Alaska this summer
And cruise stocks were mixed on Friday. Carnival Corporation: up a half percent, 27.98. Royal Caribbean: up slightly, 276.94. Norwegian: flat, 19.96. And Viking: down 1.4%, 77.17.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips at cruiseradio.net.
And have yourself a great Monday. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 10:44 AM.