Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line has opened new West Coast sailings from Long Beach for its 2028-2029 season.
- Baja Mexico cruises ranging from 2 to 3 nights will be offered aboard Carnival Radiance, plus a special 4-night Christmas sailing in December 2028.
- Meanwhile, Carnival Panorama will operate longer 5-night Mexican Riviera itineraries.
Carnival Cruise Line is looking ahead to 2028 and 2029. The cruise line has opened a new slate of West Coast cruises aboard Carnival Radiance and Carnival Panorama from California.
The new cruises run from May 2028 to April 2029. They will sail from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, continuing the cruise line’s short Baja Mexico getaways and longer Mexican Riviera voyages.
Carnival Radiance offers 2-night getaways, visiting Ensenada, Mexico, along with 3-night Ensenada voyages also visiting Catalina Island. The ship will also sail a special 4-night holiday cruise departing from Long Beach on December 21, 2028. This sailing will visit Catalina Island, Cabo San Lucas, and Ensenada.
The 101,509 gross-ton Carnival Radiance is one of the oldest ships in Carnival’s fleet. The Sunshine-class vessel first entered service as Carnival Victory in 2000, before an extensive transformation in 2021, when she also adopted her new name.
Meanwhile, the larger Vista-class Carnival Panorama will sail 5-night cruises featuring two days in Cabo San Lucas along with visits to Ensenada. Longer 7-night sailings aboard the 133,500 gross-ton ship will extend the Mexican Riviera experience with visits to Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta.
These cruises are now available for booking. Cruise Hive counted 144 available sailings across the newly opened schedule aboard Radiance and Panorama. Together, the two ships will offer West Coast cruisers a mix of options from quick getaways to week-long vacations.
Carnival Maintains A Strong Presence In Long Beach
Carnival describes Long Beach as a key homeport for the brand, carrying more guests from the California port than any other cruise line.
The cruise line has offered sailings from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since it first opened in 2003. The first ship to sail from the port was the former Carnival Ecstasy, which retired in 2022.
Carnival Radiance and Carnival Panorama are already familiar sights in Southern California, with both vessels currently sailing from the Port of Long Beach. However, Carnival’s lineup at the port is undergoing some changes before the newly announced 2028-2029 season begins.
Notably absent from this lineup is Carnival Firenze, which joined the Long Beach fleet in 2024. The 4,126-passenger vessel is scheduled to leave California in early 2027. She will reposition to the East Coast by way of a series of South America cruises before beginning a spring season from Miami and a Summer 2027 debut in New York.
Long Beach will also temporarily welcome another Carnival ship before the newly announced season begins. The 2,124-passenger Carnival Legend is scheduled to sail from the port from October 2027 through April 2028, offering 6- to 14-night itineraries to Hawaii and Mexico.
Once Legend’s seasonal deployment concludes, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Radiance will continue Carnival’s year-round Long Beach program. The newly released schedule confirms both ships will remain in Southern California through at least April 2029.
