by Jim Byers
Last updated: 12:05 PM ET, Sun August 22, 2021
Carnival Cruise Line is the first cruise operator to resume sailing from California since the industry-wide pause in operations 17 months ago. Carnival Panorama departed on a seven-day cruise from Long Beach on Saturday. The week-long voyage includes visits to three popular Mexican resort towns including Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas.
As part of the festivities, a #BackToFun celebration was held in the cruise terminal prior to sailing during which Carnival President Christine Duffy and Carnival Panorama Captain Luca Lazzarino cut the ribbon to officially welcome guests back on board.
"Carnival is the leader in West Coast cruising, and we're thrilled that Carnival Panorama is resuming service as the first cruise ship to sail from California," said Duffy. "We've implemented extensive protocols on board to keep our guests, crew and the destinations we visit safe and healthy. We want to thank our partners and local officials in Long Beach for working closely with us to restart our cruise operations from Southern California. We're ready to show our guests the vacation of a lifetime while providing a boost to the local economy."
Added Captain Luca Lazzarino, "This is the moment all of us on Carnival Panorama have been so patiently waiting for - the return of our beloved guests to this beautiful ship. We are ready to welcome our guests on board - our crew members are so excited that we're getting Back to Fun."
Carnival is the number one cruise operator on the West Coast with three ships operating three- to 15-day cruises to Mexico and Hawaii from the Port of Long Beach's historic cruise terminal. In addition to Carnival Panorama's seven-day cruises, Carnival Miracle will resume the line's popular short cruise program starting in September while the totally transformed Carnival Radiance, fresh from a $200 million dry dock, will make its debut from Southern California later this year.
Carnival Panorama debuted in December 2019 from Long Beach and is the newest cruise ship on the West Coast offering a wide range of amenities, including the first Sky Zone trampoline park at sea, the SkyRide aerial attraction, a massive WaterWorks aqua park, the Carnival Kitchen culinary experience, a luxurious Cloud 9 Spa and more.
Carnival Cruise Line's onboard protocols exceed CDC guidelines. For more information on our requirements and protocols, visit the Have Fun Be Safe section of Carnival.com.
Topics From This Article to Explore
