October 2, 2026 — Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Panorama has now lost every Mexican Riviera port on its current eight-night cruise to two back-to-back hurricanes, the line has told guests on six upcoming sailings to expect a full in-person muster drill, and its 2028–29 West Coast program from Seattle, San Francisco and Long Beach is open for booking.
Update: Carnival Panorama’s second itinerary change
What changed since yesterday’s report: Carnival Panorama left Long Beach on September 26. Hurricane Polo first replaced Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán with a September 28 call at Ensenada. Hurricane Rachel has now removed the remaining calls at La Paz and Cabo San Lucas as well. The ship made a second Ensenada call on Thursday, October 1, and is spending the rest of the cruise at sea before returning to Long Beach on October 4 as scheduled. Carnival is giving each stateroom a $300 onboard credit; no refund was mentioned in the reports. Carnival told guests the revised plan was “the safest option.”
The National Hurricane Center’s 2 a.m. MST advisory on October 2 put Rachel at Category 3 with 115 mph winds, turning west away from Baja California with no coastal watches or warnings, but with dangerous swells along the coast through the weekend. Local media reported on October 2 that the port of Cabo San Lucas remained closed to all nautical activity; a reopening date is TBA. Cabo is a tender port, so swell alone can cancel a call. Carnival Firenze’s October 12 Mexican Riviera sailing from Long Beach is scheduled to call there.
Full muster drills on six sailings
Carnival normally uses a self-service e-muster, but it runs traditional in-person drills periodically to meet regulatory requirements. Attendance is mandatory and checked against Sail & Sign cards, and food and drink service closes during the drill, which takes place shortly before departure.
| Ship | Sailing date | Cruise |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival Spirit | Oct. 8, 2026 | 16-night Panama Canal, Seattle to Mobile |
| Carnival Luminosa | Oct. 9, 2026 | 14-night Tokyo to Singapore |
| Carnival Legend | Oct. 11, 2026 | 12-night Eastern Mediterranean from Civitavecchia (Rome) |
| Carnival Radiance | Oct. 11, 2026 | 14-night Hawaii round trip from Long Beach |
| Carnival Firenze | Oct. 12, 2026 | 7-night Mexican Riviera from Long Beach |
| Carnival Miracle | Oct. 12, 2026 | 10-night Western Caribbean from Galveston |
2028–29 West Coast deployment now on sale
Bookings opened October 1 for three ships. Carnival Adventure moves from Australia to Seattle, Carnival Legend sails from San Francisco, and Carnival Spirit splits its time between Seattle and Long Beach.
| Ship | Homeport | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival Adventure | Seattle | 18 seven-day Alaska cruises, May 9 – Sept. 5, 2028 (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Endicott Arm, Victoria); 9-day Alaska on Sept. 12, 2028; 16-day Hawaii round trip on Sept. 21, 2028 |
| Carnival Legend | San Francisco | 13-day Alaska on April 28, 2028; nine 10-day Alaska cruises, May 15 – Sept. 4, 2028; ten 4-day Ensenada cruises, April–August 2028; 15-day Hawaii on Sept. 14, 2028 |
| Carnival Spirit | Tampa, Seattle, then Long Beach | 16-day Panama Canal, Tampa to Seattle, April 16, 2028; 18 seven-day Alaska cruises from Seattle, May 11 – Sept. 7, 2028; from Long Beach, October 2028 to spring 2029: 11 Hawaii sailings plus 3-, 5- and 8-day Baja and Mexican Riviera cruises |
Parent company: five big dry docks in 2027
Carnival Corporation’s chief financial officer, David Bernstein, said 2027 will bring five major dry docks, up from two in 2026: AIDAblu (January–March 2027), Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 (March 31 – May 9, 2027), Holland America’s Oosterdam (September–October 2027) and AIDAsol (October–December 2027), with AIDAmar’s work starting later in 2026. Exact dates for AIDAmar are TBA.
What it means for airline travelers
- Mexican Riviera this month: expect more changes while swells persist and Cabo San Lucas stays closed. Weather reroutes brought onboard credit on Panorama, not refunds, so do not count on getting money back if ports are swapped.
- Muster drill sailings: the in-person drill happens before departure and is mandatory. If you are flying standby to Seattle, Long Beach, Galveston, Tokyo or Rome for one of the six sailings, arrive the day before; a same-day arrival that slips leaves no margin.
- Airports: Long Beach sailings are served by Long Beach (LGB), Los Angeles (LAX) and Orange County (SNA); Seattle by SEA; San Francisco by SFO and Oakland (OAK); Galveston by Houston Hobby (HOU) and Houston Intercontinental (IAH).
- One-way cruises: the Panama Canal and repositioning sailings start and end in different cities (Seattle to Mobile, Tampa to Seattle), so plan standby travel for two different airports.
- Interline rates: none of today’s reports mention any change to travel-industry rates or eligibility.
Sources
- Cruise Industry News: Carnival Panorama: Second Itinerary Change Due to Hurricane
- Cruise Hive: Every Cruise Ship Impacted By Hurricane Rachel So Far
- National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Rachel Public Advisory Number 21
- The Cabo Sun: Beaches & Port Closed In Cabo Due To Hurricane Rachel
- Cruise Hive: Carnival Tells Guests on Six Ships to Expect Full Muster Drills
- Cruise Industry News: Carnival to Deploy Adventure, Legend, Spirit to West Coast in 2028-29
- Cruise Critic: Carnival Cruise Line Opens 2028-29 West Coast Sailings
- Carnival Cruise Line newsroom: Carnival Cruise Line Opens 2028/29 West Coast Sailings Featuring Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico Cruises
- Cruise Industry News: Five Major Drydocks to Lift Carnival’s 2027 Capital Spend
