Carnival Cruise Line experienced company-wide IT problems starting on Sunday, February 8, 2026, affecting a significant portion of its fleet and thousands of passengers. The incident allegedly occurred during planned IT maintenance according to Carnival.
Carnival ships experienced a wide range of problems including delayed embarkations, cash-only transactions, and disabled mobile apps. The cause of the IT failure and the scope of the problem has not yet been disclosed by Carnival.
Ships Affected by the IT Outage
At least 11 of Carnival’s 29 ships have been affected by the outage. A list of affected ships is as follows:
- Carnival Breeze: Embarkation delayed on 2/9/2026 (Cruise Hive)
- Carnival Glory: Embarkation delayed on 2/9/2026 (Cruise Hive)
- Carnival Freedom: Embarkation delayed on 2/9/2026 (Cruise Hive)
- Carnival Liberty: Embarkation delayed on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Hive)
- Carnival Pride: Embarkation delayed on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Industry News)
- Carnival Sunshine: Embarkation delayed on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Industry News)
- Carnival Venezia: Embarkation delayed on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Industry News)
- Carnival Spirit: Embarkation delayed on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Industry News)
- Carnival Panorama: Check-in delayed on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Radio)
- Carnival Celebration: Embarkation delayed 8 hours on 2/8/2026 (Cruise Radio)
- Carnival Jubilee: Cabin charges were down and casino transactions were cash-only (Cruise Radio)
Carnival’s Statements
Carnival issued several statements regarding the IT outage. Carnival published a statement on its websites stating, “Carnival is experiencing some IT issues that occurred during planned maintenance, resulting in the delay of debarkation and embarkation of guests, as well as slowing down some other technology tools. Navigation and safety systems are working. We appreciate our guests’ patience and encourage embarking guests to watch their emails, text, and phone call messages for updates.”
John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, contradicted Carnival’s statement and said that IT outage “affected the navigation and safety systems,” according to CruiseHive. Carnival has not explained the contradiction between its official statement and Heald’s comments.
Regarding Sunday’s delays, Carnival told Cruise Radio “While Sunday departures from homeport were delayed, all ships are now at sea and sailing their itineraries.” Whether the sailings are operating safely remains in question given the discrepancy between Carnival and its brand manager.
What are Passengers’ Rights for Delays
Passengers’ rights for delayed embarkations and disembarkations are limited. Maritime law does not protect passengers from significant delays and there are no laws or federal guidelines that guarantee compensation for passengers regardless of whether the cruise line is at fault.
Any potential compensation for passengers would be outlined in their passenger contract when they buy a ticket. These contracts are written by the cruise lines and have favorable language protecting them from liability. Passenger contracts are unlikely to require Carnival to reimburse its passengers for the delays across its fleet.
Photo Credit: Britannic via Wikipedia
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