Carnival Panorama encounters another hurdle as Carnival Cruise Line races to fix the ship. This time, a section of its funnel will be removed so that it can pass under the bridges of the Columbia River and reach the drydock in Portland, Oregon.
Earlier in November, Panorama experienced problems with its steering and propulsion systems that cut its cruising speed in half. This led Carnival to cancel four cruises initially.
After facing limitations in drydock facilities that could accommodate the Panorama, the cruise operator announced canceling two more voyages.
Repairing large cruise ships
Few dry docks in Southern California can handle urgent repair jobs for vessels over 1,000 feet long. The Panorama measures 1,060 feet in length.
Since then, Carnival has decided to send the vessel to the Vigor Shipyard in Oregon. However, the Panorama was too tall for the vertical clearances of the bridges along the way. Carnival removed a large section of its funnel to reduce the air draft, otherwise known as the “whale tail.”
The temporary fix will allow the ship to make the 95-mile trip through the Columbia River. The Panorama originally docked in Astoria, Washington, on November 15.
In 2021, Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess and Norwegian Sun underwent refurbishments at Vigor.
Since they could not remove the whale tail in Astoria, the vessel was first routed to Victoria, British Columbia, where it arrived at Ogden Point on November 20. A huge crane and scaffolding have already been readied for the operation.
The plan is to remove the funnel, send the cruise ship to Portland, fix it, send the Panorama back to Victoria, and reinstall the funnel for the Christmas cruise on December 23 and the New Year’s sailing on December 30.
Historically, Vista-class cruise ships like the Panorama have had several issues. Sister ships Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon have also been known to require emergency repairs due to propulsion-related issues.
