Carnival Cruise Line has announced that Vanna White will serve as the godmother to the new Carnival Panorama during the ship’s naming ceremony, which will take place in Long Beach, CA, on December 10.
Carnival Panorama departed from the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy on November 1, and it is en route to Long Beach for its naming ceremony on December 10 and inaugural sailing December 11. The vessel is the first new ship Carnival has deployed to the West Coast in 20 years, and is the third in Carnival’s popular Vista Class, joining its sibling vessels, Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon.
Vanna and her colleague Pat Sajak have had a long relationship with Carnival Cruise Line. The Wheel of Fortune slot machines are attractions in the casinos across the Carnival fleet, and the two TV hosts have been on board to tape segments for Wheel of Fortune as part of several successful cross-promotions between the brands over the years.
Over the course of her 37 years on Wheel of Fortune, Vanna has appeared in more than 7,000 episodes. Combining her passion for crocheting and helping children, the Myrtle Beach, SC, native launched her own line of yarn called “Vanna’s Choice,” with a portion of the proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, of which Carnival is a longtime supporter.
Following an inaugural three-day cruise, Carnival Panorama will launch year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera service from Long Beach, CA, December 14, departing every Saturday on week-long voyages to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.
The new ship – the first new vessel from Carnival to homeport on the West Coast in 20 years – will have a number of new amenities, including a Sky Zone trampoline park and a first-in-the-fleet culinary studio where guests can participate in hands-on cooking classes, tastings and other food-related activities hosted by the ship’s chefs. Other amenities include a WaterWorks aqua park, the bike-in-the-sky attraction Sky Ride, a suspended ropes course and dining venues such as Bonsai Teppanyaki and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse with barbecue dishes from Food Network star and Carnival partner Guy Fieri along with craft beers brewed on board.
A wide range of staterooms choices are available as well, including spa staterooms with exclusive privileges at the Cloud 9 Spa, larger staterooms in Family Harbor and tropical-inspired Havana staterooms with access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.
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