Carnival Cruise Line will increase capacity in Southern California when Carnival Splendor launches week-long Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, Calif., beginning in 2018.

With this capacity expansion, Carnival is further bolstering its leadership position in a popular and convenient homeport, adding a newer, larger vessel on the West Coast with Carnival Splendor.

Carnival recently announced that it had signed an agreement with landlord Urban Commons and the City of Long Beach to expand the Long Beach Cruise Terminal facility to accommodate larger ships like Carnival Splendor and enhance its terminal operations. Carnival has operated the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since 2003 using a partial area of the Geodesic Dome that was the former museum housing Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" attraction. The agreement gives Carnival 100 percent use of the Dome, nearly tripling the size of its current terminal facility. Construction is slated to be completed in late 2017.

Prior to launching service from Long Beach, Carnival Splendor will offer a 13-day Panama Canal cruise in January 2018 that will feature a variety of spectacular ports throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Carnival Splendor will also operate unique 14-day Hawaii cruises round-trip from Long Beach.

"Long Beach is a highly convenient and popular homeport and we're delighted to provide our guests with exciting new year-round cruise vacation choices aboard a newer, larger ship in this market," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "At the same time, we're also very pleased that we're able to expand our terminal facilities in Long Beach with full utilization of the dome which will ensure we can provide our guests with a high quality and efficient experience at the port."

Week-Long Mexican Riviera Cruises Aboard Carnival Splendor
The 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor will launch a year-round schedule of seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, beginning Jan. 27, 2018, replacing Carnival Miracle and representing a 41 percent capacity increase on the line's week-long cruises from the West Coast.

Three different itineraries will be offered, each featuring stunning destinations along the Mexican Riviera. One itinerary visits Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, another spends two days at Cabo San Lucas and a full day in Puerto Vallarta, and a third overnights in Puerto Vallarta with a day-long call in Cabo San Lucas, as well. On these cruises, guests can relax on beautiful beaches, visit centuries-old historical sites and enjoy unforgettable dining and shopping experiences.

Carnival Splendor will join Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination which both offer three- and four-day Baja cruises from Long Beach. With the addition of Carnival Splendor, the line will carry upwards of 700,000 guests annually from Southern California, operating nearly 250 three- to 14-day cruises a year.

Exciting Panama Canal and Hawaii Cruises
Prior to its repositioning to Long Beach, Carnival Splendor will also offer a special 13-day Panama Canal cruise departing Miami Jan. 14, and arriving in Long Beach Jan. 27, 2018, [becoming the first Carnival ship to transit the newly opened Panama Canal locks] and providing guests the opportunity to experience this engineering marvel firsthand. The cruise will visit Cartagena prior to the Panama Canal transit, then call at Puntarenas, Puerto Quetzal and Cabo San Lucas.

Instead the ordered 142,000 grt new cruise ship will join the Carnival Cruises own fleet !

The last time P & O Australia had a new ship operating a cruise was in 1932 when the ' RMS Strathaird ' made a cruise to Norfolk Island from Sydney after completing her maiden voyage from the UK to Australia.

The fleet there now is mostly made up of cruise ships from other group companies and not up to the expected standards of cruising with the ex HAL Cruises ship now named ' Pacific Eden' not even having a fridge in some cabins !

As the P & O Australian cruise ships have ' Pacific ' added to their names it has been suggested that as the ' Carnival Splendor ' got nicked named the ' Pong Ship ' when she broke down, food had to be dropped to her by helicopter, and nothing inside the ship was working including the toilets, due to lack of power supplies, perhaps when she joins P & O Australia she should be re-named ' Pacific Pong ' !

As a Carnival Group shareholder I agree as it is another problem ship being dumped in that area for cruises !

No wonder RCI have some of their newest cruise ships now operating out of the Australian and New Zealand ports including one cruise ship which is not yet a year old ! I know who I would be cruising with if I lived in those areas.
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[ 12-21-2016: Message edited by: Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES ]

The ' ss Oriana ' was ordered and built for the ' Orient Line ' which in those days was an independent managed company and one of the 35 shipping companies then part of the UK owned P & O shipping group which also included the ' New Zealand Shipping Company ' !

Not sure if you know but on the ' ss Oriana's ' final Australian cruise in March 1986 the P & O Australian management, who controlled the operation of the ship, and not P & O UK, had some copies of the original 'Orient Line ' house flag made.

Some were put up around the ship to have a photo taken with one in the background and one was flown instead of the usual P & O houseflag during the final cruise.