LONG BEACH, CA — Carnival has resumed sailings out of California, the first cruise line to do so since the start of the pandemic.

On Aug. 21 Carnival Panorama set sail on a seven-day cruise from Long Beach, to ports of call 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 passengers 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. 

She added: “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.”

With three ships operating three- to 15-day cruises to Mexico and Hawaii from the Port of Long Beach’s historic cruise terminal, Carnival bills itself as the leading cruise operator on the West Coast.

In addition to Carnival Panorama’s seven-day cruises, Carnival Miracle will resume Carnival’s short cruise program starting in September 2021, while the transformed Carnival Radiance, fresh off a US$200 million dry dock, will debut from Southern California later this year.