Carnival Cruise Ship Becomes 'Cruise to Nowhere' Thanks to Bad Weather The ship's only planned stop was canceled due to windy weather, resulting in passengers receiving partial refunds.

By Steve Huff

Gary Hershorn | Getty Images
The Carnival Sunshine cruise ship passes by midotwn Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York City.

Passengers on a recent cruise between Charleston, South Carolina, and the Bahamas could not leave the boat due to bad weather, effectively turning it into a "cruise to nowhere." The ship in question was the Carnival Sunshine, which has a 3,000-passenger capacity.

"Cruise to Nowhere" is an unofficial nickname for any journey that leaves port, travels for a time in international waters, then returns home without ever stopping at a second destination.

Business Insider reports that Sunshine left Charleston on January 12, 2023. It traveled for two days in chilly, windy weather and was about to dock in Nassau, The Bahamas, on January 14, complete with eager kids in bathing suits waiting to leave. That was when the crew made a snap safety decision at the last minute not to allow passengers to go ashore. The captain announced the bad news over the ship's PA: it was too gusty for the vessel to dock. Business Insider reported winds on the 14th were gusting up to 30 miles per hour.

Passenger Kat O'Donnell told Business Insider that she, her husband, and her children felt like they "missed out" and didn't get what they were there for. O'Donnell said that although the situation was "very disappointing, she understood "the safety concerns."

"I'm glad they were keeping us safe," she said.

A Carnival spokesperson told Insider that passengers received refunds for their port fees, taxes and shore excursion expenses. Kat O'Donnell added that each occupied stateroom was given a $100 onboard credit and a voucher for a discount on a future cruise.

Steve Huff

Entrepreneur Staff

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Money & Finance

How Much Money Do You Need to Retire Comfortably in Your State? Here's the Breakdown.

Regardless of where you spend your golden years, it pays to be realistic about the cost of living.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Money & Finance

Turn Simple Ideas Into Never-Ending Paychecks With This Low-Effort Passive Income Strategy

A micro-hustle lets you build once, sell forever and earn money while you sleep.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'It Was Unfair': Warren Buffett Reveals the Real Reason He Stepped Down as CEO

Buffett said he noticed differences between himself and his successor, Greg Abel, 62.

Business News

Coinbase CEO Says Company Won't Pay Hackers' Ransom

In a company blog post, Coinbase outlined how it planned to respond to a recent massive breach.