Carnival Panorama, operated by Carnival Cruise Line, became the first cruise ship to return to Puerto Vallarta in the Mexican Riviera on August 24. The ship arrived during its first sailing out of California in more than 17 months.
First Cruise Ship Returns to Puerto Vallarta
The Carnival cruise ship became the first to return to Puerto Vallarta in the Mexican Riviera on Tuesday, August 24. Carnival Panorama had an arrival time of 8:00 AM and is spending most of the day in port until departure at 8:00 PM.
The vessel has already sailed two sea days after departing the Port of Long Beachcruise terminal on Saturday, August 21. Puerto Vallarta is the first port of call as part of Carnival Panorama’s seven-day voyage. There will also be a call at Mazatlan on Wednesday and then Cabo San Lucas on Thursday before returning to California and ending the cruise on Saturday.
“We are delighted to resume our Carnival Panorama sailings and to offer guests an opportunity to experience all of the beauty of Puerto Vallarta while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “On behalf of Carnival, I would like to thank our partners at the Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port for working with us to bring safe cruising and our guests back to Mexico.”
Photo Credit: Howard Freshman / Shutterstock.com
For the first two Carnival Panorama sailings, Carnival Cruise Line sent out an important update to booked guests, including the requirements when in port, including for Puerta Vallarta. The update, which was sent out on August 18, says that the Mexican authorities require that all guests wear a face mask indoors and outdoors except while eating, drinking, or swimming.
Despite protocols, guests have been enjoying their time around the port, and they have brought a much-needed increase to local business due to no cruise ships in over a year. According to the Government, the ship arrived with 98% of guests fully vaccinated, and all guests tested negative before the voyage began. The ship is sailing at 70% capacity, the same as other Carnival cruise ships currently sailing.
The Mexican port of call is an important part of the cruise industry on the west coast, and in 2019, there were 181 cruise ship calls at Puerta Vallarta, bringing 482,335 cruise visitors. In 2020 before the industry shut down, there were 73 cruise ship calls resulting in 151,359 cruise passengers.
Now that cruises have resumed, the hope is for the number to keep growing. However, authorities have made it clear that it’s important to keep locals safe and protected, hence the updated requirements.
Carnival Panorama will be the only cruise ship to visit the port through the remainder of August and most of September, but eventually, more ships from other cruise lines will make a return too. The Carnival cruise ship is the third Vista-class at 133,500 gross tons with a guests capacity of 4,008 at double occupancy along with 1,450 crew members.
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