EllieinNJ

We had an 11am check in time for the Panorama. Got there around 10:45 and was directed to enter the dome. This is where the embarkation process goes bananas. We inch along a very long line for about an hour until they process our papers. Then we are placed in a holding area along with the other 5000 guests. Boarding has not yet started. They are still disembarking people from the previous cruise. It seems like taking forever but finally boarding starts around 12:30. We are only gold so had a B8 boarding. After all the handicap, diamond, platinum and two wedding parties boarded we were finally allowed to board. Made Guys around 2pm. This cruise we had a regular balcony 6452, right above the Havana area. We could see right down into their lounge areas and the walkway leading to their pool area. No privacy for them. But to tell the truth it seems most didn't use this area. We only saw a few people out there taking pictures when we entered a port and departed a port. The demographics of people on this cruise was very different from the hip hop generation of the previous one on the Radiance. It was basically a young family cruise. I was very surprised at the amount of school aged kids that the parents took out of school for the week. There were no holidays at this time but the kids took over all the pools and hot tubs. We were finally able to get into a hot tub when we got back early on Cabo day. Everyone seemed to really love the CD Deon but we felt he was too into himself. The daily MDR food was repeated as the previous cruise except with three extra nights they gave us lobster, beef wellington and filet. We still enjoyed the food but due to our bad colds could not eat much. I had to skip four different slot pulls that were arranged because I did not want to get anyone sick. As before we went to the early theater but skipped the Punchliner shows because we went to bed early. This production cast was not as good as the previous one and only enjoyed the 60's rock show which we also saw on the Radiance. We also skipped most of the game shows. This is sad because we like entertainment and it was not entertainment for us. We did see one Family Feud show because there was nothing else to do that evening. In Puerta Vallarta we took a Carnival excursion of city highlights and tequilla tasting. It was mostly tequilla tasting which we did not take part of. They went to two tequilla places and the people were drinking all the different flavors of tequilla like it was water. This was a mistake on our part, In Mazatlan we took a private excursion through Viator. It was a really good tour in an air conditioned mini bus. We stopped at many places and was able to go to the beach too. In Cabo we did the Carnival excursion to the arch by boat only because we heard that if you didn't go with Carnival excursions you might not get off the boat until very late and we had to be back on the ship by 1:30pm. We had to meet up by 6:30am and nothing was opened yet except for light snacks in the buffet. After the excursion we walked around the pier for a bit. The vendors were the most aggressive that any of the other ports. This time we tried all the other free lunch venues. We really enjoyed the Asian wok and the Cucina pasta and meat dishes. We did not care for Guys Pig and Anchor. Debarkation was also a mess. We weren't sure what time we would dock as per reading many posts here so we had a 2:45pm flight out of LAX back to Newark. We could have done a 1pm flight but wasn't sure there would be enough time. We self debarked with our luggage and was off the ship around 10 am. Tried to get an Uber or Lyft but they kept cancelling us. Finally one told us to walk over to the Queen Mary and he would pick us up. We did not get to the airport until around noon. I would be very stressed if we had the 1pm flight. Told that it was all booked up anyway, standby only. Our 2:45 left on time and we finally got home around midnight NJ time. Slept and rested for the day on Sunday and had to go back to work Monday. Final thoughts coming up. Any questions please ask. Ellie

No food porn or excursion pics, just a few facts from our trip that may be of interest to some. We arrived in LAX two days before the first cruise and stayed at the Marriott Fairfield Inn in El Segundo. Very nice hotel with a great breakfast. There was a Ralph's grocery across the road where we were able to pick up soda. The second day we took a tour of LA with LAVIP tours. They picked us up at our hotel which was very convenient. We did have to stop at several other hotels but we didn't mind. The tour was great but exhausting. Weather was a little chilly so glad we brought our windbreakers, especially for Venice Beach which was freezing. Took Lyft to Long Beach terminal. $38. Not bad. We had 11:30am embarkation time for the Radiance and was eating at the Deli by 12:30pm. We had balcony room 6424 which was an L shaped room with a double balcony. We really enjoyed the different arrangement but only could use the lounge on the balcony a few times. Weather was too cool. We mostly went to the 7:30pm production shows and the late comedy shows in the Limelight Lounge after dinner. It was confusing finding the lounge. There is a staircase in back of the casino bar. The first time the line was up through the casino then down the stairs and through several doors. All seats were taken but someone had just removed the "reserved" signs from two seats so we got them. The second time we went we knew to come earlier so no problem. We enjoyed the cast for the production shows but the comedians not so much. We did MTD around 8:15 each night. I'm very picky about where I sit so if I don't like our table I just ask for another one. I will not sit at a table 3 inches from another one or a table where one of us has to face a blank wall. We wait a few minutes but they always are able to find us a table we like. The food was very good. We also ate at Guys, Pizza and Big Chicken and enjoyed all. I have to say this was definitely a party crowd with lots of kids so couldn't get near the hot tubs even in Serenity. The CD Mike did a decent job and we had fun. Planned on renting golf carts in Catalina but the lines were so long so we just walked around for a while. In Ensenada we took the bus to town for $4pp r/t. My husband was on a mission to get some Albuterol inhalers. We must have stopped in 10 pharmacies but he said they were too expensive. He finally found a pharmacy which had a good price at $3 each so he bought several. When you get off the bus walk through the tunnel and turn left. Debarkation was also good. We were off the ship by 10am and walked over to the Queen Mary where we were staying for the night. It was too early to check in so we left our bags with the bellhop and walked to the free Passport bus stop. We rode to Shoreline Village and walked around. Then continued on to downtown First Ave. & Long Beach Ave. and walked a few blocks to a Von's grocery to pick up some things. Took the bus back to the hotel and checked in. I was feeling tired so took a nap while my husband went exploring. He crashed several tour groups and enjoyed seeing how the ship was. Our stateroom was very stark. No fridge, no coffee. Two porthole windows. White subway tiled bathroom. Then there is the air conditioning. There is no way to control it from the room so we were freezing the whole night. Went to the front desk to complain so they took a few dollars off our bill. But that was the start of bad colds for the two of us. Next morning we walked back over to the cruise terminal to board the Panorama and we couldn't believe how different the experience was. More to come.

We are on the Panorama now in Cabo. We have eaten breakfast every day in the MDR and liked the service. Today we had an excursion at 6 30am and the only thing opened before was light fare at the buffet. You would have assumed that the would open dining earlier but no.

We took United from Newark to LA. Can't sleep on a plane so was expecting to watch a few movies. We flew to Europe with them last May and it was good but now we find out they took away the backseat movies and you have to use your cellphone. I'm a little hard of hearing and can't get the volume up enough so it was 6 hours of just doing nothing. Make it 8 because there was maintenance problems and we sat in the plane for two hours before we even left. Ugh!!!

We are on the Panorama now but only 7 days so no La Paz. Tomorrow will be our first stop PV. Enjoying your review.

We stayed at the Queen Mary for convenience. I did not like it. Too stark with no amenities. You couldn't control the AC from the room so it was freezing over night. Easy walk though especially coming off the Carnival Radiance the day before.

We embarked the Panorama yesterday when you disembarked. We had a 11am boarding time. When we got to the terminal at that time no one had as yet embarked. We waited and waited with no one telling us what was happening. Finally about 12pm they started embarking. We were having Guys burgers about 12 45.

Looking forward to more.

We just stayed in a regular balcony on the Venezia on deck 6 just above this area. We could see everything on the patios below so not much privacy. But the walkway was seldom used. We are on the Panorama in two weeks in the same area. There should be more activity on the walkway because there is a pool which the Venezia did not have one.

What a tragic thing to happen.

Saw a really cheap excursion on Viator for the glass bottom boat to the Arch and it says meeting up place is Dock D Marina. Is this near where you get off the tender? I know you can book them once you are on shore but would like to know anyway. Thanks.

Prices for the Internet just became available for both my Odyssey and Symphony sailings next year at $21.99/day. I paid $19.99/day for my Liberty sailing in September. Do you think the price will come down later in the year? And if I book it now and use my OBC will Royal return the OBC for me to use if I cancel and rebook?

If I book a Mexican bus tour through Viator, do they charge a foreign transaction fee on your credit card if that card does not have the foreign transaction exemption? I called them but got someone whose accent was hard to understand.

Got it. Thanks.

Don't criticize her. JustSam won American Idol a few years ago.