by Carnival Cruise Line is offering something it almost never does: a cruise to Japan.
The second-largest cruise brand in the world announced Wednesday that the Carnival Panorama, which can accommodate 4,008 passengers, will operate a one-way trip from Long Beach, California, to Yokohama, Japan (the Port of Tokyo) on August 22, 2024.
The voyage will be unusually long for a carnival sailing — 18 nights — and will call in both Alaska and Japan as the ship circles the top of the Pacific basin en route to Yokohama.
While cruising along the coast of Alaska, the ship will call at Ketchikan, Endicott Arm Fjord, Sitka and Icy Strait Point. Calls in Japan include the northern ports of Kushiro and Aomori. The itinerary includes 11 days at sea, plus a full day of scenic cruises in Endicott Arm.
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The trip comes as Carnival Carnival Panorama moves to Asia for a month for an overhaul in a dry dock at a shipyard. There are currently no cruises scheduled for the ship in September 2024.
After spending a month in Asia, the Carnival Panorama will return to North America on another unusual itinerary announced Wednesday: a 25-day transpacific voyage from Singapore to Long Beach.
The final voyage will begin on October 12, 2024 and will include stops in Phu My, Vietnam (the port for Ho Chi Minh City); Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Guam; and the islands of Oahu and Maui in Hawaii as the ship heads east across the Pacific to California.
Related: The 5 Best Destinations to Visit on a Carnival Ship
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Such extensive itineraries are extremely rare for Carnival, which is known for its focus on short cruises from US ports. Almost all ships of the line sail from American ports. The only regular exceptions are a small number of ships that operate in Australia to provide cruises aimed at the local market; occasionally the shipping company offers one-off cruises from European ports.
One of the ships Carnival is deploying to Australia is the 3,012-passenger Carnival Splendor, which will also operate two unusually long itineraries in 2024.
In addition to announcing the long Carnival Panorama sailings on Wednesday, Carnival said Carnival Splendor would operate a 15-night voyage from Sydney to Singapore on July 21, 2024, with two stops in Indonesia and several call-ups in Australia.
The ship will make a 16-night return trip to Sydney on August 24, 2024, including several stopovers in Indonesia.
Like the Carnival Panorama sailings, the longer Carnival Splendor sailings are also related to the ship sailing to Asia for an overhaul in a dry dock at a shipyard.
As of Thursday morning, rates for the 18-night sail to Japan started at $1,979 per person, excluding taxes and fees. Rates for the 25-night sail from Singapore to California start at $1,359 per person.
The long sailings to and from Singapore on Carnival Splendor start at $755 per person.
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