With its California debut now less than a year away, Carnival Panorama’s exterior completion was celebrated at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, during which a commemorative coin was welded to the ship’s mast in a time-honoured maritime tradition.
The coin itself took a memorable journey throughout the state of California before winding up at the Fincantieri shipyard, as captured by the celebratory video released by Carnival Cruise Line.
The coin ceremony – whose origins can be traced back to the ancient Romans who believed that attaching coins to a ship provided divine protection – signifies the successful completion of Carnival Panorama’s exterior outfitting.
Benoit Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of newbuilds, represented Carnival at the ceremony with Antonella Cazzin, an employee of Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera for more than 35 years, serving as godmother for this event.
The 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama – the third in the highly successful Vista-class that includes Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon – is set to debut from Long Beach on December 11th next year, marking the first new Carnival ship homeported on the west Coast in 20 years.
A wide range of accommodations will also be available, including spa staterooms with exclusive privileges at the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, extra-roomy staterooms in Family Harbour, and tropical-inspired Havana staterooms and suites with exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.
Carnival Panorama will make a special three-day voyage, followed by the launch of year-round Mexican Riviera cruises beginning December 14th.
Voyages will depart from the newly renovated Long Beach Cruise Terminal and feature stops at popular destinations including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
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Take a look at a series of images from the event here.