Carnival Cruise Ship Speed Issue Having a Lasting Impact

Guests booked on upcoming sailings of Carnival Panorama have begun receiving notifications of the ship’s ongoing technical issues that impact its maximum cruising speed and therefore are causing itinerary delays, including delaying the ship’s return to its Long Beach homeport.

This can cause expensive complications for guests with post-cruise travel plans, and impacted travelers will want to make appropriate arrangements to adjust for the delays.

Carnival Panorama Cruising Speed Still Affected

The June 10 and June 17 sailings of Carnival Panorama – both 7-night Mexican Riviera itineraries – are just two of the future cruises impacted by the ship’s ongoing technical difficulties impacting its maximum cruising speed, and guests booked on the voyages have begun receiving notifications about itinerary adjustments.

“The ship is experiencing an issue that is affecting its maximum cruising speed and our team is working on a repair plan. As a result, we have made an adjustment to the itinerary for your cruise,” the emails explained. “Departure from Cabo San Lucas is now set for 2:00 PM and the return to Long Beach will be at 9:30 AM.”

In the original itinerary plan, the ship was expected to depart Cabo San Lucas at 2:30 p.m. and arrive in Long Beach at 9 a.m.

These changes – leaving Mexico just 30 minutes earlier than expected, and arriving in California 30 minutes later than expected – may seem minor, but they can have a dramatic impact on travelers who may have early flights scheduled from Long Beach Airport (LGB) or Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

“We recognize that this may present an inconvenience and apologize for this change,” the emails concluded.

Similarly, guests who may have booked independent shore tour arrangements will need to contact their tour operator to advise them of the time adjustment to ensure they are not late returning to the ship.

If the “issue” affecting the ship happens to worsen, the Vista-class ship may be further delayed and return to Long Beach even later, impacting even more travelers’ post-cruise plans.

It should be noted that the ship’s safety systems, food and beverage operations, and hotel services are not impacted by this issue in any way, and all venues and activities continue to operate as planned.

Issue Unidentified

Carnival Cruise Line has not specified what issue is impacting Carnival Panorama‘s cruising speed, only that a repair plan is being formulated.

Guests booked on upcoming cruises, however, have reported similar letters and time adjustments at least through early July, and additional sailings may continue to be impacted if the proper repairs cannot be made to the vessel in the next few weeks.

Specialized parts or the expertise of individual engineers could be necessary to implement appropriate repairs, and it may be some time before Carnival Panorama can be back up to full cruising speed.

The 133,500-gross ton vessel has had similar issues previously, most notably in August 2021 when sailing on the same itineraries with similar time adjustments to compensate.

Carnival Panorama is currently homeported in Long Beach, California, offering 7-night round-trip Mexican Riviera itineraries that call at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

In October, the ship will begin offering more varied itineraries, including 6- and 8-night options with La Paz and Ensenada added as ports of call depending on cruise length and sailing date.

Hopefully, the engine issues will be resolved long before the new itineraries begin, and cruise travelers can enjoy their full time in port and on-time arrivals back to Long Beach without difficulty.