Carnival Cruise Line changes itinerary to keep 'Legend' on schedule

TAMPA — Carnival Cruise Lines says it's changing the itinerary of cruise ship Legend after mechanical problems on its latest voyage.

Legend set sail Sunday for a seven-day cruise around the Caribbean but skipped a port of call in the Cayman Islands on Friday after a problem with one of its Azipod propulsion units.

The ship is expected to return to Tampa on time this morning. Guests who had planned a stop in Grand Cayman will get a $100 credit and refund, plus a 50 percent discount on future cruises.

But when the vessel heads out a few hours later as planned for another seven-day cruise, it will do so with a schedule change.

Because of the propulsion issues, Costa Maya will replace a port of call at Grand Cayman to keep the ship on schedule, the cruise line said Saturday.

The mishap is the latest in a spate of problems for Carnival.

Passengers aboard cruise ship Dream were stuck in St. Maarten on Thursday after a generator failed.

A week earlier, Elation encountered mechanical problems, requiring a tugboat to accompany the vessel up the Mississippi River.

And, in the most publicized of incidents, more than 3,000 passengers were stranded aboard the Carnival ship Triumph last month after an engine fire. It had to be towed ashore.

The cruise line insists Legend is functioning normally and the rest of next week's cruise will go as planned, with stops in Cozumel, Belize and Mahogany Bay, and Roatan.

Guests scheduled to sail today will have the option of canceling and receiving a full refund, or rescheduling for a future cruise, the cruise line said.

Contact Rich Shopes at rshopes@tampabay.com or (813) 661-2454.