Travel: Past Carnival flagship Panorama turns 5, looking better than new
When a product launch involves both a blimp and a parade float, whatever the company is bringing to market has got to be big. But 133,868 gross tons big? That’s absolutely titanic — poor choice of words as that may be considering the subject matter.
Six winters ago, Carnival Cruise Line introduced the public to its next flagship at the 130th Tournament of Roses Parade. The world’s largest vacation company on the seas took to the skies with a 120-foot branded airship flying over Pasadena and on land with a 55-foot-long ship-shaped float that blossomed along the 5 1/2-mile route on a brisk and sunny New Year’s Day.
A bright and shiny Carnival Panorama was still 11 months away from her inaugural voyage out of the Port of Long Beach, but with a live worldwide audience of nearly 80 million, the opportunity to generate some serious buzz early in the luxury liner’s future backyard was clearly too great for the “Fun Ship” company to pass up. Plus, even though the debut of any ship is a momentous occasion, this one was a particularly big deal. Not only was Panorama to become the largest ship in Carnival’s fleet, but among other fun facts, it was the first to come to the West Coast straight from the yard in more than 20 years.
The 4,008-guest Panorama has celebrated a shipload of milestones over the years, but one that may have been reached only a few weeks ago seemingly went unnoticed. Number crunching indicates that Panorama welcomed its one-millionth passenger in December, a feat that got a reaction of “that sounds about right” from the company when presented with the math. Even cooler, there’s a chance that the mystery millionth guest sailed on the cruise coinciding with the ship’s fifth anniversary of its christening on Dec. 10, 2019. Apparently without fanfare, Panorama was docked in Mazatlan, Mexico, five years to the day the ship’s godmother, “Wheel of Fortune” co-host Vanna White, presided over the bottle-breaking ceremony.
A cumulative guest registry reaching seven digits after only half a decade is as impressive as Panorama’s work ethic and loyalty to Southern California. Since her grand arrival in Long Beach, Panorama has been sailing roundtrips of six to eight nights solely to the Mexican Riviera. Those years of running south of the border would be continuous, too, if not for a few detours related to repairs, refurbishment and, of course, the pandemic. COVID-19 cut Panorama’s honeymoon short only three months after establishing roots in Long Beach. Looking for a silver lining, the 17-month operational pause did yield yet another milestone for the Panorama as when the shutdown was lifted, she was the first ship to return to service in California.
Of the four ships exclusively making roundtrips to the Mexican Riviera this year, Panorama is the only one without an itinerary that includes Catalina Island or Hawaii. As for the other three vessels, two are fleet mates of Panorama: the 4,232-guest Carnival Firenze that offers cruises of four to six nights, and Carnival Radiance, generally sailing year-round on alternating three- and four-night getaways. The remaining ship devoted to the Mexican Riviera — the one without a Carnival atmosphere — is Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas (www.royalcaribbean.com). The 3,286-passenger vessel will continue to rotate between weeklong cruises and three- to four-night escapes through spring 2026.
As for Panorama, Carnival (www.carnival.com) is keeping her current deployment in the Pacific intact through at least April 2027. May she look as good two years from now as she does after turning 5. Appearing none worse for wear after all those nautical miles and fun-seeking passengers, Panorama, thanks in part to a recent refurbishment, only shows her age when one takes inventory of Carnival’s active fleet.
The cruise line’s big kahuna in 2019 is currently the sixth-largest ship in the fleet, surpassed by two former Costa vessels that were rebranded in the past two years (Carnival Venezia and the aforementioned Firenze), and three Excel-class ships (Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and the company’s current flagship, the 183,521-gross-ton, 5,228-passenger Carnival Jubilee).
The third and final ship in Carnival’s popular Vista class, Panorama sports features both new and improved since being drydocked for 24 days in Singapore. On her first six-night sail upon returning from Southeast Asia, this writer and other guests got an early look at the work done to key public areas during Panorama’s maiden makeover.
Starting with the exterior, Panorama’s front design is now in line with the rest of Carnival’s fleet, meaning it’s out with a virtually all-white bow and in with a livery highlighted by a stately navy blue hull with vibrant red and white accents running the entire length of the ship.
Inside are a slew of enhancements that seemed to get a thumbs up from returning passengers, this non-smoking three-time Panorama guest included. We mention this tobacco-related trait because guests who want to win without a waft can breathe easier knowing there’s now a smoke-free casino onboard. Located steps from the main gambling area where lighting up is still allowed, the non-smoking casino takes over a space where cooking classes were held; Carnival Kitchen is now only on Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee.
The outdoor recreational areas on Panorama look spiffy with an updated mini-golf course, renovated basketball court and a cornhole set-up where there had been a giant chess board. Moving back inside, Sky Zone, the first and still only trampoline park in the fleet, looks like new. Fun Shops now include an Effy Fine Jewelry store and added space for Carnival-branded merch. The sweet shop and photography studio have been relocated, and carpeting has been replaced in common areas. The ship is now more ADA compliant with such improvements as a wheelchair-friendly counter at the bar inside Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse.
What wasn’t refreshed in dry dock, or for that matter, since Panorama’s inaugural cruise, is the lineup of stage shows presented in the 1,400-seat Liquid Lounge. Three of the ship’s original productions — the Woodstock-meets-Burning Man “Rock Revolution,” gothic-inspired “Soulbound” and the trippy “Celestial Strings” — are still playing in the main theater after half a decade, not that this matters to first-time Carnival cruisers. So, even though the trio of shows may be encore performances for past guests, they are fresh to those whose Sail & Sign cards are blue in color. And on that recent six-day cruise, 47% of all guests were of that green group, according to the ship’s hotel director.
Entertainment that is exciting and new since Panorama first earned her sea legs is the audience-participatory “Legend of Lido” competition in which volunteers vie for the honor of being the wildest and craziest cruiser. Victory is achieved by winning over the poolside audience in multiple rounds, one of which involves wooing a towel animal in ways that skirt community standards, whatever that is on a Carnival cruise. “There’s kids here, keep it to PG-13,” they’re often warned to no avail. Essentially replacing the hairy chest contest that got shaved after the pandemic, “Legend” is a bona fide blast under the right conditions. Those would be: 1) an emcee who’s outgoing; 2) spectators with enthusiasm; and 3) above all else, fun-loving participants with the unlimited drink package.