MIAMI (April 23, 2018) – With its spectacular new West Coast ship already open for sale and taking reservations, Carnival Cruise Line has named its senior leadership team for the Carnival Panorama, scheduled to enter service in 2019. Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, Carnival Panorama will be based in Long Beach, Calif. – the line’s first new ship homeported on the West Coast in 20 years.
Carnival Panorama’s senior officers include some of the most talented and experienced mariners in the cruise industry:
Captain Carlo Queirolo: A 33-year Carnival veteran, the Rapallo, Italy, native joined the company as a deck cadet aboard the TSS Festivale in 1985 and, after moving up the ranks, was named captain in 1996. During his three-plus decades at sea, he has commanded just about every ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet and been part of the inaugural teams for Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Glory and Carnival Dream.
Chief Engineer Nunzio Priolo: A native of Catania, Sicily, Priolo joined Carnival Cruise Line in 1980 as a third officer after serving in the Italian Navy and working aboard a number of cargo vessels. After moving up the ranks, he was named chief engineer in 2004 and was part of the start-up team for Carnival Miracle in 2004. Over his 28-year Carnival career, he has served on nearly every ship in the fleet.
Hotel Director Damir Mrsic: Mrsic joined Carnival in 1993 as a member of the beverage operations team and was named hotel director in 2009. During his Carnival career, he has worked as bar manager and food and beverage manager, while serving on the start-up teams for Carnival Legend, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Splendor. A native of Zadar, Croatia, Mrsic graduated from the Maritime Academy in Salzburg, Austria. He worked in several hotels along the Adriatic Sea before joining Carnival.
With almost 100 years of combined experience at Carnival, these seasoned professionals will lead a team of nearly 1,400 crew members who will travel to Marghera to prepare the 133,500-ton vessel for its inaugural voyage from Long Beach – a three-day cruise to Ensenada operating Dec. 11-14, 2019.
Following its inaugural voyage, Carnival Panorama will launch year-round seven-day cruises Dec. 14, 2019, departing Long Beach every Saturday to stunning destinations along the Mexican Riviera, including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. Carnival began accepting reservations for Panorama’s west coast cruises in March.
Voyages will depart from the newly refurbished Long Beach Cruise Terminal, housed in a massive 146,000-square-foot geodesic dome that once served as home to Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose airplane. The expanded and renovated facility offers streamlined embarkation and debarkation processes along with stunning design elements that pay homage to the Golden State.
Like its name implies, Carnival Panorama will feature venues offering both indoor and al fresco experiences, including the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, Bonsai Teppanyaki and Guy Fieri’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse|Brewhouse, among others. The ship will also feature groundbreaking attractions like bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction SkyRide, a massive WaterWorks aqua park, and the SportSquare recreation area, along with vibrant Havana section with tropics-inspired staterooms and its own Cuban-themed bar and pool, Family Harbor featuring extra-roomy accommodations, the Family Harbor Lounge and the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa. It will be the third ship in Carnival’s Vista Class, following Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon.
To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line or to make a reservation, visit Carnival.com
