October 20, 2026 — Carnival Spirit’s Panama Canal repositioning cruise to its new winter base in Mobile, Alabama, is now down to a single port call after the ship missed its Puntarenas, Costa Rica, stop. Separately, Carnival has published the dates when holiday decorations go up across all 29 ships. Parent company: Carnival Corporation & plc.
Carnival Spirit: one port left on a 15-night crossing
Carnival Spirit left Seattle on October 9, a day late, on a repositioning voyage to Mobile. The delay followed an unscheduled repair stop in Honolulu on the previous sailing, and Cabo San Lucas was already dropped from the route to protect the ship’s Panama Canal transit slot.
What is new: the ship has now also missed Puntarenas, Costa Rica, scheduled for Saturday, October 17. Cruise Industry News reports the ship took a wider course to stay clear of Hurricane Trudy, and strong opposing currents slowed it down. In a message to guests, Captain Lorenzo Calogero said the ship “will not be able to arrive within the required entry window.”
| Date | Original plan | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 9 | Depart Seattle (originally Oct 8) | Departed Seattle one day late |
| Tue, Oct 13 | Cabo San Lucas | Cancelled (sea day) |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Puntarenas, Costa Rica | Cancelled |
| Mon, Oct 19 | Panama Canal transit | Panama Canal transit |
| Tue, Oct 20 | Cartagena, Colombia | Cartagena (the only remaining port) |
| Following days | Caribbean sea days | Four sea days, then Mobile, Alabama |
Shore excursions booked through Carnival for Puntarenas were cancelled automatically and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. No other compensation for the Puntarenas miss was reported. Carnival Spirit is scheduled to sail from Mobile from October 2026 through April 2027, with Carnival Valor taking over the homeport in May 2027.
Holiday decorations: when they go up on each ship
Brand ambassador John Heald posted the fleet’s 2026 decorating schedule. A separate decorating team boards each ship at its homeport, and the decorations stay up through New Year’s Eve sailings, with countdowns and balloon drops to welcome 2027. Some decor may start coming down on or after January 1.
| First decorated departure | Ships |
|---|---|
| Nov 22 | Carnival Encounter (from Brisbane) |
| Nov 27 | Conquest, Glory, Firenze |
| Nov 28 | Magic, Mardi Gras, Paradise, Radiance, Jubilee, Sunshine, Splendor (Australia) |
| Nov 29 | Celebration, Venezia, Legend, Panorama, Liberty, Pride |
| Nov 30 | Freedom, Spirit, Breeze, Adventure (Australia) |
| Dec 3 | Sunrise, Miracle, Valor, Elation |
| Dec 5 | Horizon, Dream, Vista |
| Dec 14 | Carnival Luminosa (from Brisbane, after a Singapore dry dock from Oct 23 to late November) |
What it means for airline travelers
- Carnival Spirit guests flying home from Mobile: the ship has not announced a change to its arrival in Mobile, but with weather and currents already slowing this voyage, avoid booking or listing for the earliest flight out on debarkation day. Mobile Regional (MOB) is the closest airport and has limited service; Pensacola (PNS) and New Orleans (MSY) are the usual backups.
- Spirit’s Mobile season: sailings from Mobile run through April 2027. Fly in a day early, especially on standby, since few flights serve MOB and a missed connection can mean missing the ship.
- Holiday sailings: decorated sailings run from late November through December 31, which overlaps peak holiday air travel. Expect full flights and plan to arrive the day before embarkation.
- No travel-industry or interline rate changes were mentioned.
Sources
- Cruise Industry News — Carnival Spirit Down to Single Port Call on 15-Night Repositioning Cruise
- Cruise Radio — Carnival Spirit Delayed Back to Seattle After Unscheduled Honolulu Repair Stop
- Cruise Hive — Carnival Reveals When Christmas Decorations Go Up on All 29 Ships
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