Carnival Cruise Line has opened sales on more 2025-26 voyages from Long Beach, California, and announced an earlier debut of Carnival Firenze, the second ship that will offer its new Fun Italian Style onboard experience. This will bring amazing new vacation opportunities to the West Coast even sooner than expected.

New 5-Day Itinerary Unveiled on Carnival Radiance

New sailings aboard two Carnival ships, Carnival Radiance and Carnival Firenze, have opened for bookings from Long Beach, California. Available from November 8, 2023, Carnival Cruise Line has added more 2025-26 sailings on Carnival Radiance, offering 3-, 4-, and 5-day itineraries to the Mexican Riviera and Baja Mexico.

Some cruises from Long Beach aboard Carnival Radiance, along with Carnival Panorama, had previously opened for sale in early October 2023, when the line revealed that the 3,000-guest Carnival Radiance will operate alternating 3- and 4-night cruises visiting Ensenada. The 4-night sailings add a call at Catalina Island. Now, the ship will also offer a 5-night option visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Carnival Cruise Line also announced that the 4,100-guest Carnival Firenze will debut earlier than previously scheduled. The ship’s inaugural sailing from Long Beach is now set for April 25, 2024, roughly a week earlier than her original launch date under the Carnival brand. The ship’s maiden voyage will be a 7-day sailing with calls at the Mexican Riviera ports of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas.

Carnival Firenze formerly operated as Costa Firenze for Italian line Costa Cruises before she transferred to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet. Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line are both brands of Carnival Corporation.

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The third Carnival Cruise Line ship sailing from Long Beach, Carnival Panorama, currently sails 7-night cruises. The 4,000-guest ship will switch to 6- and 8-night voyages in spring 2025, including overnights in Cabo San Lucas. No new sailings have opened for sale on this vessel.

Carnival Firenze to Bring Italian Vibe to West Coast

Carnival Firenze will sail 4-night cruises to Catalina Island and Ensenada and 5-night cruises calling at Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas. With a themed design meant to evoke the city of Florence, the ship will have a distinctly Italian vibe, similar to Carnival Venezia, another transfer from the Costa Cruises fleet that debuted as a Carnival Cruise Line ship on June 15, 2023.

Like Carnival Venezia, which is home-ported in New York, Carnival Firenze will sport Italian-themed restaurants such as Il Viaggio, and offer Italy-inspired venues and activities.

Carnival Firenze is a newer ship, having launched in 2021 as a Vista-class ship operated by Costa Cruises. Constructed at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy, Carnival Firenze is a sister ship to Carnival Venezia.

A third former Costa Cruises ship, Costa Luminosa, also transferred to Carnival Cruise Line in 2022 and was renamed Carnival Luminosa. The 2,260-ship is not part of the line’s new Fun Italian Style concept; rather, it was renovated to include several Carnival Fun Ship venues such as the Alchemy Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and the popular RedFrog Rum Bar, among others.

New Carnival Journeys Voyages Sail to Hawaii

Carnival Cruise Line also opened for sale six Carnival Journeys voyages that will operate aboard Carnival Radiance and sail from Long Beach to Hawaii in 2025 and 2026.

These 14-day cruises will offer guests the opportunity to explore the Hawaiian Islands, with port calls to Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Kauai; and Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. A port call also will be made in Ensenada.

Carnival Journeys sailings are particularly special because of exclusive destination-oriented programming and activities onboard that make these longer sailings even more immersive and memorable.

In 2025, the dates for these special cruises are October 18 and November 29. In 2026, the Hawaii departures are set for January 10, February 7, March 7, and April 4.

The ship offers the signature Carnival Fun Ship venues such as BlueIguana Cantina, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, and Shaq’s Big Chicken, ensuring everyone great signature Carnival fun as well as an amazing opportunity to explore and enjoy Hawaii.

The imminent arrival of Carnival Jubilee to the Port of Galveston has many excited. However, before thousands of cruise passengers can set foot onboard the newest member of Carnival Cruise Line’s Excel-class fleet, preparations need to be made. 

One of those is how the vessel will be refueling while in port. Carnival Jubilee runs on the more environmentally friendly LNG, or liquified natural gas, and not on the standard marine diesel or heavy fuel oil that most cruise ships operate on. 

Seaside LNG and Carnival Corporation Enter Bunkering Agreement 

Preparations for the arrival of Carnival Jubilee are underway at Galveston Wharves, where the vessel is expected to arrive in December.

One crucial area that needs to be addressed is how the Excel-class cruise ship will be refueling between cruises. To tackle the issue, Carnival Corporation has entered a new agreement with LNG supplier Seaside LNG. 

The two parties have entered into a term bunkering agreement to fuel the first LNG-propelled cruise ship to call Galveston, Texas its homeport. LNG is widely considered to be a much cleaner burning fuel than traditional maritime fuels and is an important transition fuel for the cruise industry’s pledge to achieve its 2050 net carbon-zero goals.

“LNG delivers immediate greenhouse gas emission reductions and is the best available market-ready fuel to help cut ship emissions now – so Carnival Corporation is investing in LNG-powered vessels as part of our ambition to achieve net-zero carbon ship operations by 2050,” said Tom Strang, Senior Vice President of Maritime Affairs, Carnival Corporation.

The bunkering procedure will utilize the Clean Jacksonville, Seaside’s dedicated LNG barge, which will be repositioning from Florida to Texas. This ensures that Carnival Jubilee receives its inaugural LNG delivery by December 2023, with the infrastructure being put in place by the Port of Galveston and multiple stakeholders.

“We were the first to introduce LNG-powered cruise ships into the North American market, and we’ll be the first to introduce our LNG fleet to Galveston with the Carnival Jubilee. We appreciate Seaside for moving quickly to mobilize, find supply, and bring the parties together to create a new LNG supply chain to support our LNG bunkering needs,” Strang continued.

Sea Trials Signal Approaching Debut

Following a transit through Germany’s Ems River, Carnival Jubilee reached Eemshaven, the Netherlands, earlier this month in preparation for her final outfitting and sea trials.

Scheduled to begin on November 5, Carnival Jubilee is currently at sea sailing north of Denmark. Once her sea trials have been successfully completed, and Carnival Cruise Line and Meyer Werft sign off, she will be officially handed over to the cruise line. 

Carnival Jubilee is set to embark on its first cruise with guests from the Port of Galveston on December 23, offering guests 7-night Western Caribbean cruises visiting Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico as well as Roatan, Honduras.

Once she does arrive in Galveston, she will be welcomed to a fully remodeled and re-imagined Terminal 25. The Port of Galveston has invested $53 million in the cruise terminal, both to welcome Carnival Jubilee guests to a terminal that befits the newest ship in the Carnival fleet and as something that will boost the cruise industry in Galveston. 

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the beautiful new Carnival Jubilee to our improved cruise terminal,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO. “We’re proud to have Carnival Cruise Line, our long-time cruise partner, choose Galveston as the home port for its newest ship.” 

The terminal’s upgrade includes state-of-the-art gangways, elevators, escalators, and a revamped roof, all contributing to a seamless embarkation and debarkation process for guests. 

The 250,800 gross tons Carnival Jubilee is the sister ship to Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, accommodating over 5,000 guests, with a total capacity of 6,631 when fully booked. 

Popular and dynamic Carnival Cruise Director Chris “The Flying Scotsman” Williams has accepted a promotion within the cruise line and will become a Fleet Cruise Director beginning the week of November 13, 2023.

The position gives Williams new duties and the opportunity to help direct all cruise directors in the Carnival fleet to create amazing experiences for every guest that sails with the cruise line.

Chris Williams Promoted

Chris “The Flying Scotsman” Williams, who first joined Carnival Cruise Line nearly 12 years ago and has been an engaging and energetic crew member ever since, is moving up to spread his unique style to more cruise directors throughout the Carnival fleet. Williams made the announcement on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, though he has been aware of the promotion for roughly two weeks.

Williams began his work with the cruise line as a singer, then moved up to a playlist productions performer, and then to a cruise director. His unique style includes comedy, singing, dancing, and a larger-than-life personality with a flair for interacting with guests.

Now, as a Fleet Cruise Director, he will be able to share his experience and expertise with other cruise directors on all Carnival ships, helping support new cruise directors and integrating new activities and programming across the fleet.

“This is a new chapter in my life, a chapter I’m so excited about,” said Williams. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be in this role.”

“For me, it’s all about the integrity of Carnival, and pushing out that top entertainment that we do, and now I get to be part of that process.”

Williams joins Chris “Donkey” Salazar and Mike Pack in the Fleet Cruise Director position. All three are instrumental in ensuring that Carnival’s cruise directors offer the best possible experiences for all guests, no matter what ship they are enjoying.

Previously, Williams has served as cruise director aboard a range of Carnival ships, including Mardi Gras, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Dream, and many others.

What a Fleet Cruise Director Does

While an individual cruise director is responsible for coordinating entertainment, activities, and guest experiences onboard a single ship, a fleet cruise director is a broader position based not on one ship, but from the cruise line’s corporate shoreside offices.

Fleet cruise directors travel to all different ships, sailing in different regions of the world, with temporary placements as they support, train, and encourage individual cruise directors. A fleet cruise director might be onboard one ship for just a few days or even a few weeks, depending on each assignment.

Additional duties might include crafting new onboard activities, overseeing hiring of new Fun Squad members, revising existing programming, evaluating cruise directors, and making recommendations for cruise director assignments or promotions.

It should be noted that a fleet cruise director – and indeed, an individual cruise director – is a separate position from an entertainment director. Each ship’s entertainment director coordinates with performers and positions for onboard entertainment, but is not heavily involved with activities such as a trivia, games, dance contests, and other onboard offerings.

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With Williams’ promotion, Carnival Cruise Line will now have three Fleet Cruise Directors. None of the individuals appear to have a more senior position over the other two, but are sharing similar duties.

The cruise line has not indicated how many of the positions may eventually be created, but as the fleet grows with more new ships setting sail – including Carnival Jubilee in December 2023 and Carnival Firenze in May 2024 – it is reasonable that there may be additional cruise directors promoted to the fleet position.

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on four upcoming sailings of Carnival Panorama that their voyages must now be cancelled.

The ship has developed difficulty that affects her maximum cruising speed and must be removed from service for repairs.

Four Last-Minute Cruise Cancellations

Guests booked on the next four sailings of Carnival Panorama will not be able to set sail as planned, as Carnival Cruise Line is making the extreme move to cancel the sailings for repairs to the ship. For the first of these cancellations, the notification comes just 48 hours before embarkation.

In a notice emailed to booked guests, Carnival Cruise Line has announced the impact to the ship’s November 11, 18, 26, and December 2, 2023 sailings.

“Carnival Panorama is experiencing an issue affecting its maximum cruising speed,” the email explained. “It is necessary to remove the ship from service to complete the required repairs.”

The now-cancelled cruises are all Mexican Riviera cruises. The November 11 and December 2 sailings are 5-night cruises to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas, while the November 18 departure is an 8-night sailing that also includes a visit to La Paz.

The November 26 departure was to have been a 6-night voyage visiting Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

All cruise fares on the listed voyages are being fully refunded, including pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions and other onboard purchases, including drink packages, Wi-Fi access, stateroom decorations, bottled water, prepaid gratuities, and other items.

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Furthermore, Carnival Cruise Line is reimbursing air change fees of up to $200 (USD) per person if the fees are otherwise non-refundable and no other compensation is provided from travel insurance or the airline. Supporting documentation must be provided for the reimbursement to be considered.

Compensation Offered

In addition to the full refunds, Carnival Cruise Line is offering guests a 100% future cruise credit of the cruise fare for the cancellation of the November 11 and November 18 voyages due to the last-minute notification of these cancellations, and a 50% future cruise credit for guests booked on the November 26 and December 2 sailings.

The future cruise credits will be available for use from November 13, 2023, and must be redeemed by November 30, 2024, on any sailing available for reservations. The credits cannot be used as deposits and may not be applied for taxes, fees, or port expenses, onboard purchases, or Carnival Vacation Protection.

“Once again, we are very sorry for the disappointment this has caused and thank you for your understanding,” the email concludes.

Guests will understandably be disappointed at this news, particularly since the November 18 cruise was to have been over the Thanksgiving holiday. With such late notice, it will be very difficult – if not impossible – for guests to make alternative arrangements during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

Carnival Panorama Engine Issues

The 133,868-gross-ton, Vista-class ship developed engine difficulties on her most recent cruise that resulted in cancelling two ports of call in order for the vessel to return to Long Beach as scheduled.

For that adjusted sailing, guests were refunded pre-paid shore tours for the cancelled ports, as well as providing $400 of onboard credit per stateroom.

Carnival Panorama has had engine issues for several months, with varying degrees of impact on different sailings. In early June 2023, the ship was unable to return to Long Beach on schedule, which also delayed the next sailing. Itineraries were also adjusted for additional sailings for the issue to be corrected.

Similarly, the ship had engine problems resulting in reduced speeds in December 2022, as well as August 2021.

It should be noted that at no time have the ship’s safety and emergency systems, navigational capabilities, or hotel, food, and beverage operations been impacted – only the maximum cruising speed has been affected.

At this time, further details of the engine problems have not been disclosed, nor has any information been released about whether or not just these four sailings are affected or if additional cruises may be cancelled or adjusted. Guests booked on Carnival Panorama in the coming weeks should stay in close contact with Carnival Cruise Line or their travel agent for timely updates.

Carnival Panorama suffered significant technical issues this week, resulting in Carnival Cruise Line canceling four cruises onboard the vessel in the coming month. However, this is not an issue that stands alone.

All of Carnival Cruise Line’s Vista-class ships, Carnival Vista, Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Horizon, have faced significant technical challenges in the past few years, primarily with their propulsion systems.

These issues have led to itinerary changes and cruise cancellations, impacting guest experiences and the company’s operational schedule. The issues come down mainly to the type of propulsion systems built into these cruise ships, the Azipod drive system. Although it has been a system that has brought increased fuel efficiency and maneuverability, it has come at a cost. 

The Azipod Drive System

At the core of the issues that we’ve seen since 2016 with the Vista-class cruise ships lie the Azipod drive system that has been installed onboard.

The Azipod propulsion system, used in many modern cruise ships, not just the Vista-class vessels, offers several benefits alongside certain challenges. This system involves placing the ship’s propellers and motors in external pods beneath the hull, which can rotate independently.

One of the main advantages of the Azipod system is its enhanced maneuverability. The pods can turn in any direction, allowing ships to navigate tighter spaces and dock more easily. Additionally, Azipods are more fuel-efficient than traditional propulsion methods, resulting in significant fuel savings.

This efficiency also contributes to the flexibility in ship design, as the need for long drive shafts and rudders is eliminated.

However, the Azipod system is not without its challenges. These units can be complex and, at times, prone to technical issues, as seen with the Carnival Vista-class ships. When problems arise, they can significantly impact a ship’s operational capabilities, including its cruising speed and ability to maintain scheduled itineraries.

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The fact that the Azipod propulsion units are located outside the vessel and cannot be accessed from engine room spaces presents a significant challenge in terms of maintenance and repair. 

When issues arise, they often require specialized and sometimes external procedures to address. The external placement of the pods means regular maintenance and quick fixes, which might be more straightforward in traditional internal propulsion systems, are more complex and demanding for Azipods.

This shows as we look at the issues that have plagued Carnival Cruise Line’s Vista-class cruise ships since the maiden season of cruising for Carnival Vista.

Propulsion Problems Aboard Carnival Vista

Since the vessel first entered service in May 2016, Carnival Vista has experienced a series of propulsion system issues. The problems have been so severe that they necessitated an unscheduled dry dock in 2019 for repairs. These technical challenges have affected the ship’s ability to maintain scheduled itineraries, leading to significant alterations and disruptions.

The first recorded instance of Carnival Vista experiencing propulsion issues occurred during its November 16 sailing from New York in 2016. This issue impacted the ship’s maximum cruising speed and led to changes in the planned itinerary, such as replacing the call in Grand Turk on November 19 with Nassau, Bahamas​

In June 2019, Carnival Cruise Line announced the cancellation of three scheduled cruises due to performance issues with Carnival Vista‘s propulsion system. This necessitated the use of a heavy-lift ship from Netherlands-based maritime service provider Boskalis as a floating dry dock for repairs to the ship’s azipod propulsion system.

Then, in May 2022, the problem came back again, and Carnival Cruise Line was once again forced to change itineraries due to propulsion issues. 

Azipod Woes on Carnival Panorama

The newest Vista-class cruise ship, Carnival Panorama, has not been immune to technical difficulties, facing engine issues that have impacted the ship’s maximum cruising speed on at least two occasions. 

The first time Carnival Panorama suffered propulsion-related issues was in August 2021, and again in 2022, affecting the vessel’s cruising speed and forcing changes to itineraries. 

On November 9, 2023, perhaps the most significant issue so far for Carnival Panorama occurred. Carnival Cruise Line canceled four upcoming sailings of the Carnival Panorama due to issues affecting the ship’s maximum cruising speed. These last-minute cancelations, including two just 48 hours before embarkation, affect voyages scheduled for November 11, 18, 26, and December 2, 2023, all Mexican Riviera cruises.

This happened after Carnival Panorama faced several months of engine difficulties, impacting various sailings.

Operational Challenges for Carnival Horizon

Similar to its sister ships, Carnival Horizon has encountered difficulties related to cruising speed and mechanical reliability. 

The first recorded technical issue with Carnival Horizon occurred in August 2018. During an 8-day Eastern Caribbean cruise, the ship encountered a mechanical issue that affected its ability to safely maneuver for docking and its maximum speed. This led to a change in the planned itinerary, specifically the cancellation of a port call at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.

In 2021, Carnival Horizon suffered the same problem again, leading to the cancelation of two cruises. 

Despite the challenges that we’ve seen with the Vista-class cruise ships, the benefits of Azipods, particularly in terms of maneuverability and fuel efficiency, continue to make them a popular choice for many cruise lines.

While efforts are being made to address these issues and improve guest experiences, the balance between technological innovation and operational reliability remains a key focus point for Carnival Cruise Line.