Carnival Cruise Ship Becomes First in the Fleet to Visit Manila

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Carnival Panoramaย sailed into Manila, on October 18, making Carnival Cruise Line history as the first ship in the fleet to visit the Philippinesโ€™ bustling capital city.

Once a key trade hub during the Spanish Colonial period, the city boasts one of the worldโ€™s largest and busiest ports. 4,008 passengers and 1,450 crew aboard the newly renovated vessel were greeted at the port by the lively brass sounds of the local Zamora marching band.

The arrival at the South Harborโ€™s Eva Macapagal Super Terminal set the stage for a memorable day ashore as part of the 133,500-gross-tonโ€™s ships 25-day transpacific Carnival Journeys extended voyage that began in Singapore on October 12, 2024.

Read Also: What Is a Transpacific Cruise?

As passengers explored Manilaโ€™s vibrant streets, Captain Luca Lazzarino and the crew welcomed special guests onboard, including local dignitaries, media, and the families of Carnival Cruise Lineโ€™s 400 Filipino crew members.

A ceremonial plaque exchange, a maritime tradition honoring a shipโ€™s first visit to a port, capped off the festivities, followed by a lunch to celebrate the momentous occasion.

John Heald, the cruise lineโ€™s brand ambassador, shared a video of Carnival Panoramaโ€™s arrival and said, โ€œThey were given quite the welcome.โ€

Heald mentioned the port only provided one useable gangway for the ship, causing a slight delay in disembarking, but did note the special day for crew members.

โ€œI know there will be so much pride and so much joy from the crew and from their families as they see where their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, wives, and husbands, mothers, and fathers work, and from where they provide such a better life for them,โ€ he said.

An Epic Transpacific Voyage

Carnival Panorama, which joined the fleet in 2019, recently emerged from a 24-day dry dock in Singapore on October 11, 2024. During which, it received several updates, most notably the application of Carnival Cruise Lineโ€™s signature red, white, and blue hull livery.

The final ship in the companyโ€™s fleet of 27 to get the new look, Carnival Panoramaโ€™s renovations included guest-facing additions like a new nonsmoking casino, a new Effy Fine Jewelry store, a new mini golf course, a new Carnival Adventures area, and a new Dream Studio portrait gallery.

Additionally, the 1,055-foot-long ship was outfitted with new carpeting, decking, and tiling, and it received technical updates.

Manila's Zamora band welcomes Carnival Panorama
Manila’s Zamora band welcomes Carnival Panorama (Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line)

The ship is now on a 25-day transpacific Carnival Journeys voyage through November 5, 2024. Beyond this historic visit to Manila, the journey began with an 11-hour call in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and a 10-hour visit in Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

Carnival Panorama will next spend three days at sea before arriving in Guam in the U.S. Mariana Islands on October 22. It will then enjoy six more sea days as it heads to Honolulu on Hawaiiโ€™s Oahu on October 29.

It will take an additional four days at sea before the vessel concludes the voyage on November 5 in Long Beach, California, outside of Los Angeles.

There, it will offer 5- to 7-night roundtrip cruises to the Mexican Riviera year-round, beginning with a November 10, 2024, cruise to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico.

Carnival Cruise Line, owned by Carnival Corporation, joins its sister cruise lines in calls to Manila. Holland America Lineโ€™s Noordam will next arrive on November 5, 2024, and Silversea will visit with Silver Dawn on December 30, 2024,

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Lissa Poirot
Lissa Poirot
Lissa Poirot has been covering travel for more than a decade, including sites such as TripAdvisor, CruiseCritic, The Points Guy, Family Vacation Critic, and Family Traveller. Her love of travel has led Lissa to visit more than 43 countries and has her on a mission to see every state in the U.S. (only 4 states to go!). When she's not traveling, she's exploring new attractions and events on the weekends, be it in New York City or Philadelphia, as Lissa lives between both fabulous cities.

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