Carnival Panorama to Have Funnel Removed Before Drydock in Portland

Posted on 24 November, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Too tall for the bridges of the Columbia River, the Carnival Panorama will have its funnel removed before entering drydock in Portland, Cruise Industry News confirmed.

Facing propulsion issues, the Carnival Cruise Line vessel is currently docked in Victoria, Canada, to get the work done before heading to the Vigor Shipyard in Oregon.

The Panorama will then undergo repairs and a technical overhaul before resuming service on Dec. 23, 2023.

On Dec. 23, the 2019-built ship is scheduled to sail from Long Beach on a seven-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera that features visits to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

After experiencing an issue affecting its maximum cruising speed in early November, the Carnival Panorama saw four of its scheduled cruises cancelled.

“Unfortunately, we will be unable to operate the voyages, as it is necessary to remove the ship from service to complete the required repairs,” Carnival said at the time.

The ship then spent a week docked in Astoria, while the company arranged all the details of the repairs.

Two additional week-long cruises were cancelled on Nov. 17, Carnival said, pushing the vessel’s service resumption to late December.

“While we have secured one of the limited number of drydock facilities on the West Coast for the work to be done, we do not have immediate access to the shipyard and will need more time to complete the work,” the company explained in a statement shared at the time.

The third and final ship in Carnival’s Vista Class, the Carnival Panorama entered service in late 2019. Based on the West Coast, the 4,000-guest vessel sails from Long Beach on a year-round basis.

The program features a series of six- to eight-night cruises to Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera, with visits to La Paz, Mazatlán, Ensenada, Puerto Vallarta, and ore.

Carnival Corp Posts 109% Occupancy in Third Quarter

Posted on 2 October, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

P&O one of the Carnival Group, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr account)

Carnival Corporation’s nine brands enjoyed full ships in the third quarter of 2023 as the company delivered a profit of over $1 billion and record revenue.

The ships on average were 109 percent full. Cruise ship occupancy is calculated by having two people in each stateroom, bringing a ship to 100 per cent. Any additional guests, such as children, will push a ship over the 100 per cent mark.

The company said that the 109 per cent occupancy number was better than its own expectations and marked a return to historical levels, compared to just 84 per cent in 2022 and 113 per cent in 2019, the last normal year prior to the pandemic.

“On the European front, occupancy came in better than anticipated for Costa and AIDA, with both brands hitting 119 per cent occupancy in August. Not to be outdone, P&O Cruises achieved its highest occupancy in over a decade,” said Josh Weinstein, president and CEO, on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

“And so I can’t say that their yields were higher. But I can tell you that their occupancy is back, and they are well on their way, and that’s absolutely as expected,” said Weinstein, commenting on the company’s P&O brand.

Carnival Miracle Sails from Long Beach on a 14-Night Cruise to Alaska

Posted on 12 September, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Concluding its summer program in the region, the Carnival Miracle recently sailed from Long Beach for a 14-night cruise to Alaska.

Part of the Carnival Journeys program, the voyage sails to seven different destinations in the region, including Prince Rupert, in Canada’s British Columbia.

According to Carnival, the less visited cruise destination offers photo-worthy natural sights, in addition to vast wildlife, and cultural activities including museums and restaurants.

The Carnival Miracle is also scheduled to visit Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point and Sitka.

Before returning to Long Beach, the itinerary also includes scenic cruising at the Tracy Arm Fjord.

One of the three Carnival ships sailing to Alaska this summer, the Carnival Miracle spent the last few months sailing from San Francisco.

Between May and August, the vessel offered an alternating schedule of four-night cruises to Baja Mexico and ten-night cruises to the Last Frontier and Canada.

After repositioning to Long Beach earlier this month, the Miracle is scheduled to offer a series of cruises from the port during the 2023-24 winter.

Ranging from four to 15 nights, the itineraries sail to different destinations, including the Mexican Riviera, Baja Mexico and Hawaii.

Before becoming Carnival Cruise Line’s fourth ship in Galveston, the vessel is scheduled to offer an additional season in Alaska next year.

Part of the company’s four-ship Spirit Class, the Carnival Miracle was built in Finland and originally entered service in 2004.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the vessel underwent another drydock in late 2022. In addition to regular upkeep and technical maintenance, the 2,124-guest ship also received Carnival’s new blue, white and red livery.

Created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company, the new look was inspired by officers’ uniforms and features a navy blue bow along with red and white accents running the entire length of the ship.