Carnival Splendor: Fire-damaged cruise ship won’t return to sea before Feb. 20

The Carnival Splendor cruise ship, famously stranded off the Pacific coast last month after an onboard fire, won’t be sailing any time soon. That’s the word from Carnival Cruise Lines, which released a statement Wednesday saying that repairs will force the cancellation of cruises from Long Beach to Mexico until at least Feb. 20.

The Nov. 8 fire in the engine room, which disabled the ship, kept 4,500 crew members and passengers adrift in the Pacific Ocean for several days. The ship was finally towed to San Diego.

Carnival said repairs to the 952-foot-long Splendor have slowed because the needed parts aren’t readily available. The ship remains in San Diego but will sail to San Francisco in mid-January for more repairs. The cruise line had earlier said the Splendor would be out of commission until Jan. 16.

The latest cancellations affect seven-day cruises departing from Long Beach on Jan. 16, 23 and 30 and Feb. 6 and 13. Carnival said passengers will receive a refund or future cruise credit as well as be reimbursed for change fees related to flights. Depending on the ship and sailing date, those who re-book may receive a discount on future cruises or shipboard credit, it said.

If you are holding tickets for these cruises, contact Carnival or the travel agent who made the reservation. Carnival has posted details on the compensation rules on its website.