Carnival Celebration encountered a rainstorm on March 30, resulting in a delayed departure from Miami. The ship’s planned departure was initially set for late afternoon for a scheduled 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, with stops in Puerto Plata, Amber Cove Dominica, San Juan, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The delay was minor, with the departure time shifting from 4:00 PM to 4:15 PM, and the captain did not formally announce the delay, according to Dennis Post from PostCard Travel Planning.
During the rainstorm, supervisors were present on all decks to manage the situation, with towels being used on deck 18 to prevent water from entering the elevator lobby, as reported by Post. The ship departed safely, albeit with adherence to maritime law that required the ship to sound a prolonged horn blast every two minutes due to reduced visibility in port areas. At one point, the captain issued five short horn blasts, indicating danger, as crossing yachts appeared in the channel.
The Carnival Celebration is currently captained by Rino Costanza. Construction of the ship was completed in 2022, and it has a total size of 183,521 gross tons. The ship measures 1,130 feet (344 meters) in length and is part of Carnival’s XL Class. At full capacity, it can accommodate 8,375 individuals, including 6,630 passengers and 1,745 crew members. The vessel features 2,682 staterooms, according to GangWaze.com.
