Hurricane Polo has become a powerful Category 5 hurricane in the Pacific, and cruise lines operating in the region are having to reroute ships. One of the ships rerouted to safer waters is the Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Cruise Line has informed guests of the change.
The cruise line sent out an advisory on September 25 to booked guests on Carnival Panorama’s September 26 sailing out of Long Beach, California. The ship will no longer be calling at Puerto Vallarta on September 29 and Mazatlan on September 30.
“With support from our Fleet Operations Center, we are closely monitoring Hurricane Polo in the Eastern Pacific. Given the current forecasts, it is necessary to partially modify our itinerary to remain a safe distance from the storm,” Carnival’s advisory notice said.
After a full day at sea on September 27, the Carnival Panorama will instead sail to Ensenada on September 28 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Following two days at sea, the vessel will still make its original calls to La Paz on October 1 and then Cabo San Lucas on October 2. The return to Long Beach is also still expected to be normal on October 4.
Carnival said, “Because forecasts can change, we will continue to monitor the storm along the way and make further changes if necessary.” The line added, “It is always our goal to deliver our original planned itinerary and we are sorry the weather is not cooperating with our plan. We are confident you will agree that it is better for us to prioritize safety.“
The cruise line is also making sure that any shore excursions booked through Carnival for the two cancelled ports of call will be refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. Shore excursions for Ensenada will be available to book.
According to the National Hurricane Center’s 8:00 PM Advisory 22, Hurricane Polo has maximum sustained winds of 175 MPH and is located 380 miles south of Cabo San Lucas. Polo is moving west-northwest at 10 MPH and is a major Category 5 hurricane.
