After Carnival finalized the ship's order with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in December 2016, the vessel had her keel laid in January 2018.

She was formally delivered in October 2019 as the last Vista-class vessel and as the flagship of the fleet; she has served in the latter role until the Mardi Gras debuted in 2021.

One distinct feature is a Sky Zone trampoline park in place of the IMAX theater found on her older sister ships.

[15] To travel from Marghera to California for her christening and debut, Panorama embarked on a 38-day journey that took her across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Strait of Magellan to sail up the western coast of South America, making stops in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Montevideo, Santiago, and Puerto Vallarta.

[19] Upon returning to Long Beach, she began sailing 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta on a year-round basis, taking over the week-long itinerary from Carnival Splendor.

Initial reports stated that the ailing guest did not meet the criteria for coronavirus, but the CDC wanted to take "extra precautions".

[22][23] The CDC confirmed later in the evening that the guest tested negative for COVID-19, but the rest of the passengers spent the night onboard and disembarked the following morning.