Carnival Panorama will not be making its scheduled port visit to Mazatlán on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, due to an incident at the port involving a damaged and possibly sinking cargo vessel.
Because the port must restrict traffic while the incident is cleared, the cruise ship will instead head to the next port of call for an extended, 2-day visit.
Carnival Panorama Itinerary Change
Because of a damaged cargo container ship in Mazatlán, Carnival Panorama will not be able to visit the popular Mexican port of call as planned on Wednesday, September 13.
The ship is currently sailing a 7-night roundtrip Mexican Riviera cruise from Long Beach, California. Carnival Panorama set sail on Saturday, September 9, and has already called on Puerto Vallarta.
Mazatlán was to have been the second port of call on the sailing, followed by Cabo San Lucas. Because of the port closure at Mazatlán, however, the ship is skipping the visit.
“The ship could not call to Mazatlán because of an incident involving a cargo ship at the pier,” explained John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador. “So that port was canceled and instead the guests will have an overnight stay in Cabo San Lucas.”
Satellite tracking data currently shows Carnival Panorama en route to Cabo San Lucas. Guests onboard have reported that the ship is estimated to arrive at approximately noon and will remain until 7 p.m., and will then return to the same port for another visit Thursday morning, not leaving until 2 p.m. that afternoon.
There are no other expected itinerary impacts on Carnival Panorama, and at this time, no other cruise ships are visiting Mazatlan and so no other itineraries are likely to be impacted.
Carnival Panorama is expected to be the next ship to visit Mazatlán on her next sailing, arriving at the port on Wednesday, September 20.
It is unknown at this time whether the dock area will be cleared and reopened for that visit, which will depend on overall salvage operations and any environmental contamination.
The 133,500-gross ton, Vista class Carnival Panorama is currently homeported from Long Beach, offering 6-8 night Mexican Riviera itineraries.
The ship can welcome 4,008 guests onboard at double occupancy, or as many as 5,146 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are approximately 1,450 international crew members to ensure excellent service.
Cargo Ship Blocks Mazatlán Port
Early on Monday morning, September 11, 2023, the container ship Chiapas Star began listing to starboard while near the dock in Mazatlan, eventually severely listing and possibly touching the bottom.
While the incident will be thoroughly investigated, preliminary reports indicate that improper ballasting may have caused the stability loss and listing.
Poor maneuvering as the ship began to depart could also have played a part in the listing and subsequent partial sinking of the vessel. At this time, tugboats are keeping the vessel stable and it may yet be possible to refloat the ship.
Read Also: PortMiami Reopens Nearly 12 Hours After Boat Collision
Authorities are currently working to contain any possible environmental hazard from the damaged cargo ship, and will reopen the port to navigation as soon as the work is completed to clear the damaged vessel.
“[This] is premised on the safeguarding of human life, the safety of navigation, and the protection of the marine environment,” port authorities said in a statement.
It must be noted that at the time of the incident, Carnival Panorama was in no way near the port and was uninvolved in the situation. Only the ship’s itinerary has been impacted.
No injuries have been reported from the cargo ship, and all proper authorities have been notified of the incident.
