Key Aspects:
- Carnival Panorama has cancelled two ports on her current sailing, changed visit dates for two others, and added a new port as an alternative.
- The ship left Long Beach, California on Saturday, October 10 for the 8-night Mexican Riviera itinerary.
- Multiple port changes have been necessary due to Hurricane Simon, which is expected to impact the Baja Peninsula through the weekend.
Carnival Panorama‘s 8-night Mexican Riviera itinerary that departed Long Beach, California on Saturday, October 10, 2026 has had significant changes from the original plan, due to the influence of Hurricane Simon.
Guests onboard have been kept updated on the changes and have now received confirmation letters about the situation, noting an alternative port that has been added to the itinerary.
Originally, the cruise was to have visited Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, October 13; followed by Mazatlan on Wednesday, October 14; La Paz on Thursday, October 15; and Cabo San Lucas on Friday, October 16.
Because of Hurricane Simon’s position off the Pacific Coast of Mexico, however, the itinerary was altered. The ship was to have visited Cabo San Lucas first on Monday, October 12, but that turned out not to be possible.
“We’re sorry we were not able to visit Cabo San Lucas yesterday, as weather conditions made it unsafe to operate water shuttles,” the letter, delivered to guests on Tuesday, October 13, explained. “Weather permitting, we will make another attempt to visit Cabo San Lucas, Wednesday, October 14, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.”
There are several spots where cruise ships may anchor at Cabo San Lucas for water shuttle operations. At times, anchorages closer to the dock may be safe enough for water shuttles, but anchorages further out could be deemed too rough or unstable. Whether a ship can safely visit or not depends on which anchorage is available for which vessel.
Carnival Panorama was able to visit La Paz on Tuesday, and AIS tracking on Wednesday morning confirmed the ship was successful in reaching Cabo San Lucas for that day’s visit. This is not the end of the itinerary adjustments for the sailing, however.
“Regrettably, due to Hurricane Simon’s location, we will not be able to visit Puerto Vallarta or Mazatlan,” the letter confirmed. “Instead, we have arranged a visit to Ensenada on Saturday, October 17, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.”
The letter also noted that any shore excursions purchased through Carnival Cruise Line for the now-cancelled visits to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan will be automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard Sail & Sign accounts. If guests had booked tours for Cabo San Lucas, those arrangements were shifted to Wednesday’s visit.
Guests can purchase tours for Ensenada through the Carnival Hub app or by visiting the Carnival Adventures or Guest Services desks forward on Deck 3 (Lobby Deck). The Carnival Adventures desk is located on the port side of the Panorama Atrium, while the Guest Services desk is on the starboard side.
Hurricane Simon May Impact More Ships
According to the Wednesday morning update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Simon has maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, making it a strong Category 1 storm, weakened from its Category 4 strength over the weekend.
The expected track of the storm has shifted, as several days ago it was expected to make landfall on the Mexican mainland east of the Baja Peninsula.
Now, the updated track shows the storm moving toward the Baja Peninsula. The storm may skirt just to the west of the peninsula or could make landfall on the peninsula itself over the weekend.
Because Hurricane Simon is moving very slowly at just 2 mph, there are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Watches are issued 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected, while warnings are issued 36 hours in advance.
“Simon is a very small hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km),” the NHC explained.
Nevertheless, the storm will still be felt in ways that could impact further ships with itineraries that include Cabo San Lucas.
“Swells generated by Simon will affect portions of the coast of west-central Mexico and Baja California Sur during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the discussion said.
Cruise Hive has already reported on changes to Royal Caribbean’s current sailing of Voyager of the Seas due to Hurricane Simon.
Voyager of the Seas is expected to be back in Cabo San Lucas on Sunday, October 18 as part of her next cruise, a 6-night itinerary which departs Los Angeles on Friday, October 16. Carnival Firenze is scheduled for the port on Friday, October 16, while both Discovery Princess and Brilliant Lady are scheduled for the port on Monday, October 19.
By Monday the storm is expected to have weakened to a tropical depression, but may still be causing rough weather along the peninsula. Booked guests should stay in close communication with their cruise line for any adjustments or updates as they are confirmed.
