A power outage delayed the return of the Carnival Sunshine to its homeport in Norfolk on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

According to a statement shared by Carnival Cruise Line, the technical issue caused a significant delay in embarkation plans for the ship’s current sailing.

“The Carnival Sunshine experienced a brief power outage, which was quickly resolved by the ship’s engineers,” the company said to guests set to board the vessel.

“To comply with U.S. Coast Guard requirements to enter Norfolk, the ship must be assisted by tugboats, and this will result in an unplanned delayed arrival by early afternoon,” Carnival continued in the statement issued on Sunday.

As a result, embarkation plans had to be revised, with terminal arrival appointments being delayed by as many as three hours.

“Once the ship docks, guests from the returning cruise must leave the terminal and parking areas before we can accommodate your arrival,” the company explained.

Carnival added that passengers who arrived earlier for their new check-in slots were turned away and asked to return later.

The company offered a $25 onboard credit per person to guests’ accounts as compensation, the statement added.

Carnival also said that due to an expected later departure from Norfolk, the ship’s planned itinerary was also expected to be changed.

“Carnival Sunshine’s Captain, Antonio Gargiulo, and our Fleet Operations Center are reviewing the alternatives,” the company explained, noting that guests would be informed once more information became available.

Sailing roundtrip from Norfolk, the Carnival Sunshine is offering a six-night cruise to the Bahamas.

The itinerary was originally set to visit Nassau and Bimini, as well as Carnival’s private destination of Celebration Key in Grand Bahama.

“We apologize for this unexpected change of plans and thank you for your patience and understanding,” Carnival added.