Carnival Cruise Line cancels more cruises, adds adults-only cruises
While some Carnival cruise passengers received cancellation notices, others were offered the chance to try out a new adults-only Carnival cruise.
"We are sorry to inform you that the above cruises, including yours, have been canceled.”
That’s a notice that most cruisers never expect to receive, but unfortunately, it’s one that some Carnival cruise passengers were blindsided by recently.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy
First, it was some Carnival Magic and Carnival Horizon passengers who received this type of news in April, and now passengers booked on certain sailings on another ship have learned their cruises are canceled, too.
Why is Carnival Cruise Line canceling cruises?
It all stems from changes made to the schedule for Carnival cruise ship dry docks — changes that were likely outside of the cruise line’s control, since the shipyard manages that schedule.
Like most cruise lines’ ships, Carnival cruise ships are scheduled to go to dry dock every few years for routine maintenance and updates.
Cruise lines typically know far in advance when each ship will be out of service for its dry dock, and they plan their cruise itineraries around that. However, sometimes schedule changes happen.
Unfortunately, when those changes happen, a few cruises usually get canceled as a result.
And in this case, as some Carnival cruises were canceled, a few controversial new cruises were added too — adults-only sailings that break with family cruise line tradition.
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Carnival cancels cruises on Carnival Conquest
Like Carnival Magic, Carnival Conquest just had its dry dock postponed from 2025 to early 2026.
Carnival Conquest, which sails short Bahamas cruises from Miami year-round, was originally scheduled to go to dry dock in late summer 2025. Now, the ship will go in January 2026 instead, resulting in the cancellation of multiple cruises that were scheduled to depart on the ship between Jan. 5 and Jan. 26, 2026.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line cancels multiple sailings on two ships
Impacted passengers will receive full refunds of their cruise fares and any pre-purchased items, but are also being offered the opportunity to book an alternative voyage.
Carnival is protecting these passengers’ cruise rates on comparable sailings in similar accommodations. If they rebook on another voyage, they will also receive an onboard credit of $50 per passenger ($100 maximum per stateroom).
The cruise line is also reimbursing passengers up to $200 per person for any nonrefundable air expenses and/or change fees incurred.
Carnival adds adults-only cruises due to dry dock schedule changes
Just as the cruise line did as a result of Carnival Magic’s dry dock schedule change, Carnival has now added additional sailings on board Carnival Conquest in August and September 2025 in order to fill the schedule gap left by the ship’s postponed dry dock.
Rather than add more of the ship’s usual three- and four-day Bahamas cruises during that time, the cruise line decided to take the opportunity to add four specialty adults-only sailings that caught many cruisers by surprise.
These adults-only cruises, which are similar to a few of the sailings already added on Carnival Magic, have been a hot topic among loyal Carnival cruisers, since they don’t fit with Carnival’s family cruise line image.
More Carnival cruise news:
- Carnival Cruise Line celebrated for heroic rescue
- Carnival Cruise Line gives passengers Titanic-like warning
- Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have this surprising extra charge
It’s important to understand, though, that the newly added SEA cruises — sailings exclusively for adults — are adults-only because they’re casino cruises, which aren’t for kids. The SEA cruises feature expanded casino access, casino-friendly ports, and other perks to help adult passengers maximize casino playing time.
These Carnival SEA cruises also aren’t open to the general public, at least not yet. Right now, they’re only being offered to Carnival Players Club casino loyalty program members during an early-access period that runs until June 9. After that, the limited sailings will open to the public, if they’re not already sold out.
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