Carnival Panorama to Have Funnel Removed Before Drydock in Portland

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.

Lamb of God and Sixthman Announce ‘Headbangers Boat 2024’ Cruise

Lamb of God announced a second metal celebration at sea, Lamb of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2024, presented by Sixthman.

Lamb of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2024 sails from October 28 -November 1, 2024, from Miami, Florida to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic aboard the Norwegian Gem.

The sailing will feature live music day and night on several stages throughout the Norwegian Gem. Highlights of the cruise are two exclusive shows from Lamb of God, featuring a range of special guests, including Dethklok, Chimaira, Poison The Well, At The Gates, Soulfly, Exodus, Napalm Death, Corrosion Of Conformity, After The Burial, Currents, Bleeding Through, Unearth, EYEHATEGOD, Frozen Soul, UnityTX, Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton (Solo Band), plus standup comedy from Shayne Smith and Mike Abrusci, and more. In addition, guests will have a chance to engage in a variety of onboard activities.

 “The sense of connection and family that was shared on the Headbangers Boat has been overwhelming,” said Lamb of God Guitarist, Mark Morton. “We were all reminded of the power that music has to bring joy, inspiration, and healing. We are beyond grateful to have had the chance to bring so many people from the heavy metal community together to share and celebrate this music we all love. And it doesn’t end here! We are thrilled to announce Headbangers Boat 2”

Port of Bilbao Closes Season with 80 Ships and 150K Passengers

The Port of Bilbao has concluded the 2023 season with 80 cruise ships and 148,791 passengers, according to a statement.

The last cruise ship of the year was the Bolette, which docked on November 16.

Most of the tourists have been transit passengers coming from the UK (41%), North America (27%), or Germany (13%). Thirteen  cruise ships made their first call at the port in 2023.

“We continue to position the Port of Bilbao and its terminal in Getxo on the route of the major cruise shipping companies, and this is making a significant contribution to the increase in tourism in the Basque Country and, by extension, to boosting our economy,” said Ricardo Barkala, president of the Port Authority of Bilbao. “As a result, we continue to support this activity and to promote the development of the economic fabric of Bizkaia and the Basque Country”.

“In a sector as competitive as the cruise sector, the shipping companies choose Bilbao because of the infrastructure and services it offers, the operability of the terminal, the flexibility and ease with which stopovers can be managed, and the convenience for their passengers,” Barkala added.

In 2019, 50 cruise ships arrived at the Port of Bilbao. In 2020, cruises were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fourteen calls were made in 2021, and 78 cruise ships arrived at the port in 2022.

The Port Authority has announced the BilbOPS project to deploy shore power technology in several of the port’s docks, including the cruise ship docks. The aim of the initiative is to improve service delivery, and, in turn, contribute to environmental sustainability. The facilities will become operational in the beginning of 2026.