By the Caribbean Journal staff

Carnival Cruise Line is making moves in Mexico.

The company has announced plans to deploy its Carnival Panorama ship to Long Beach beginning next year, the first new Carnival ship based in Southern California in two decades, while reopening its 146,000-square-foot cruise terminal in Long Beach, all part of an expansion in Mexico cruise offerings.

Carnival is also planning a multimillion-dollar port development project in Ensenada, Mexico.

“This is a momentous occasion for both Carnival and the City of Long Beach – not only are we celebrating the grand re-opening of this magnificent cruise terminal, but also demonstrating our commitment to the West Coast with the deployment of the spectacular new Carnival Panorama in 2019 and the announcement of an exciting new port development project in Ensenada,” said Duffy. “The West Coast is an important market with vast growth potential and these initiatives further demonstrate the confidence in our future success in Long Beach. We are very much looking forward to having Carnival Panorama homeported here beginning next year.”

Carnival’s third Vista-class ship, Panorama, will operate seven-day cruises to the Mexican Riviera, while the Carnival Splendor ship will arrive in Long Beach to operate seven-day Mexico cruises as well.

Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration will be operating three and four-day cruises that include a stop in Ensenada.

“[The Ensenada project] will provide our guests with a truly unique shoreside experience while making our short cruises from Long Beach even more attractive to consumers,” said Torres de Navarra.  “This port development project will make Ensenada one of the West Coast’s premier destinations.”