Key Aspects:
- Carnival Splendor is about to embark on one of its rare 10-night New Zealand sailings on March 23.
- But because of stormy weather impacting New Zealand’s North Island, itinerary changes may be coming.
- Carnival Cruise Line is monitoring the weather and will issue another update ahead of embarkation.
Cruise lines like to give guests as much warning as possible when it comes to itinerary changes, even when that means there is simply a chance of a last-minute switch.
Because of stormy weather, Carnival Splendor’s next sailing may have to adjust. The 10-night New Zealand itinerary will embark in Sydney, Australia, on March 23, 2026. No changes have been announced just yet, but they could be coming.
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
“Our Fleet Operations Centre is actively monitoring the weather forecasts for our New Zealand itinerary, as unfavourable conditions are expected later in the week,” Carnival wrote in a letter to impacted guests.
Assuming nothing changes, the 3,012-guest ship is supposed to visit Napier, Tauranga (Rotorua), Auckland, and Bay of Islands (Russell) in New Zealand. The cruise would then conclude in Sydney on April 2, 2026.
When Will Carnival Issue Another Update?
As this is still a developing situation, and weather can sometimes be unpredictable, it’s possible that no itinerary changes would be made until the 113,573-gross ton ship has begun the voyage.
However, Carnival has promised to issue another update before embarkation on March 23, 2026, regarding the forecast and potential adjustments. Guests can also sign up for Carnival Text Alerts to receive immediate, real-time updates.
“At present, there is no change to our itinerary, but as everyone’s safety is our priority, we will continue to monitor the weather and provide you with another update ahead of embarkation tomorrow, Monday, 23 March 2026,” Carnival wrote.
Though safety has to come first, it would be a shame if significant changes needed to be made, as the Splendor-class flagship only rarely offers these extended New Zealand itineraries.
Cruise Hive also reported that Carnival has cancelled the October 12, 2027, sailing in favor of a ship-wide charter, which was one of the few times that this same New Zealand itinerary was being offered by Carnival Splendor. This could make potential changes hurt just a bit more.
The Sydney-based vessel primarily offers shorter sailings that last for less than a week, with some longer voyages sprinkled in occasionally.
How Bad is the Storm?
The North Island of New Zealand is under multiple severe weather watches due to a deep subtropical low-pressure system, which is expected to bring heavy winds and rain.
“A deep subtropical low moves to the west of the upper North Island, bringing frontal rain and strengthening northeasterly winds to the north of the North Island. There is moderate confidence for warning amounts of rain, and severe gale northeast winds, in Northland,” the Met Service predicts.
The weather is currently expected to be at its worst from March 25 through March 27, with the upper North Island under both a heavy rain watch and a strong wind watch.
Tauranga, Auckland, and Bay of Islands are close to where the storm is expected to hit, though the Carnival Ship will not call at these ports until March 28-30.
If cruisers are lucky, the timing may work out where the storm passes before the ship is due to arrive. Cruise Hive will continue to monitor for itinerary changes and will share updates if and when more information comes to light.
