PaddleAddict

4 hours ago, pirate4me2 said:

For mains, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Indian Vegetarian dishes! They're something I can't really make at home, and I have yet to have one I didn't like. I also like the crawfish fettuccini, and there was an herb crusted salmon one night that was really yummy!

So Carnival still offers the rotating Indian meals in the MDR? I can’t tell you how happy this makes me!! I haven’t cruised in so long I was worried this might have gone away. My absolute favorite!!

11 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

Because of school calendars, we did this cruise last August.  Brutally hot, very humid.

 

My recommendations:  Take it VERY slow.  Bring those water bottles with battery-powered fans.  Parasols and big floppy hats.  

 

Beaches:  Cabo, Medano Beach.

Mazatlan:  Stone Island.  Seach this forum for instructions.  Not a water taxi but a regular run "ferry" a short walk from the ship.

Puerto Vallarta:  Playa Los Muertos.  

Thank you! Same, we have to stick with the school schedule so August it is! I know it's going to be crazy hot. The water bottle spray fans are such a great idea!

5 hours ago, CheckersMidwest said:

We sailed this itinerary on the Panorama. We love Mexico - Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, etc. But was very disappointed in this cruise. We went in July. First off, the sea days at the front and end are cold. It's the air blowing off the Pacific. VERY different than any Caribbean cruise out of Texas or Florida. People mostly stayed inside to do things. The weather during Mexico days was nice but we were also disappointed in the beaches. In Cabo, our excursion included beach time but the waves were too strong to even get out into the water. We won't sail from the West coast again for these reasons.

I have set my expectations low for Mexico. I do think my boys will enjoy the ship though! 

What was your weather like in Mexico in July? I'm reading 90s, which makes me nervous that we're going to fry. We live in a very temperate place in SoCal so we're not used to being roasted, ha ha. My husband and I are fine, I love the Caribbean, but I can see my kids melting. I think we will be good with the weather in the beginning and return since it's kind of what we're used to here.

6 hours ago, LaRue1975 said:

Medano Beach in Cabo is perfect. When you walk out of the dock area there will be tons of barkers selling water taxi tours of the arches and they can also drop you off and pick you up from Medano beach. We paid $17 per person but we had 7 in our group, I think it is normally $20 PP. The tour of the arches was fabulous and so was the beach. You tell the captain what time you want to be picked up and he comes back to get you, you are required to stay at least 2 hours. The beach and water are wonderful, closest to the Caribbean I have seen on the Pacific Ocean. The beach is lined with bars and restaurants with beach loungers and inside covered seating. The most popular are Mango Deck and the Office. We went to the Hungry Shark because it was the closest to where we were dropped off and really enjoyed it. You can look them up online and make reservations if you want to. 
 

In Puerto Vallarta there are nice beach resorts in Puerto Nuevo about thirty minutes from the port. You can book day passes through Resort For A Day and taxi to and from. The beaches and surf are very similar to Southern California so I think you will find them appropriate for swimming if is not an exceptionally rough day. We took our grandson to the Marriott because it is in town and close the port. The beach there is not as nice as Puerto Nuevo but he was out there anyway rolling around in the waves. I think people that are used to the Caribbean and Florida beaches are intimidated by the big surf in the Pacific Ocean. The pool was huge and gorgeous, we had a great day there. The nearby Westin is also an option.

 

Look into Stone Island in Mazatlan, I have not been there but heard good things and the beach looks lovely. You can find lots of info and pics on Trip Advisor. It’s a short walk from the ship where you can hire a water taxi to take you there. I’ll add a few pics of Cabo and the Marriott for reference. 

Thank you soooooo much! This is such wonderful information! I think the arches and that beach will be perfect for Cabo. 

I keep reading all these messages about how the water is too rough to swim in the Mexican Riviera, it was making me nervous! But if the water is similar to Southern California, yes, we will be just fine. My kids love playing in the surf here.

8 hours ago, pinto18 said:

Try Stone Island in Mazatlan, easy to get to, long stretch of beach with lots of beach restaurants where you can get loungers and umbrellas. The water is pretty swimmable . In Mexico, its hard to avoid vendors on a beach unless you pay to go to a private resort, but to us its no biggie.

I'll have to check this out, thank you!

13 hours ago, audcc77 said:

Try resortforaday.com.

 

I don’t do Mexico. But if I did, I would definitely do a resort.

 

You can get ideas from TripAdvisor or the ports of call boards on CC here.  
 

As someone who doesn’t tolerate sun or being hot, this is what I do:

 

-Wear a brimmed hat. 
 

-Bring a parasol or umbrella for walking around. 
 

-Bring a personal fan.  Amazon has lots of options. I use this one, which clips onto your shirt and stays charged and blows a good breeze. It can blow air up your shirt if clipped on your waistband or clip it on your neckline to blow on your face.  
 

https://a.co/d/aPAf4y7
 

Or this is a good one for your face. 
https://a.co/d/3xOJ62w

 

This one looks interesting 

https://a.co/d/9Ywaz1E

 

 

Thank you, great tips! I don't usually do Mexico either but it is what it is!

14 hours ago, Ranyw said:

We tend to get a day pass at a hotel.  In puerto Vallarta we went to the Westin which is an on beach resort.  You have the options of the manicured beach or you can always fall back on the multiple pools they have.  Plus it’s nice to have amenities such as a bathroom, showers and food as you need it.  I used a site called resort pass .com and you can browse the options.  In the pass the waves have been pretty knarly and there were riptides.  Wasn’t like the brochure.

 

Thank you so much for this! Would you recommend the West specifically or should I look for something else?

Hello! We are booked on the Panorama 7-day sailing to Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. I have never been to any of these ports (nor anywhere in Mexico other than the Caribbean side).

We are sailing in August so it's going to be hotter than hot and I just want the kids to be able to swim and have some shade. Ideally, beach, beach and more beach, but after doing some research I'm feeling so dismayed. Are there really so few swimmable beach options available at these ports? I even look through all of Carnival's excursions and read all the reviews and I'm just at a loss. The beaches sound not very nice or seem not appropriate for kids or swarming with vendors. 

There were a few sailing/snorkel tours that sounded nice but the age limit doesn't work for those unfortunately as I have a 5 year old (they were 8+). In the Caribbean I always book private tours, but I'm really hesitant about doing that in Mexico with the kids. 

I could REALLY use some pointing in the right direction to get my kids in the water and hubby and I under some guaranteed shade! 

Alrighty folks, I think you've convinced us to forego the cross-country flights and allure of the Caribbean Seas for the convenience of no flying and the draw of a very cool new ship. We will get back to the Caribbean as soon as we can but for this summer, I think it's the Panorama for us! Can't thank everyone enough for the valuable input!

11 hours ago, LaRue1975 said:

Sky Zone is awesome, there is an extra charge but it is reasonable. They have regular sessions during the day and glow in the dark ones in the evenings. Those are a bit more but the kids get a souvenir glow in the dark t-shirt and it’s pretty wild with loud music. My grandson loved the staff, they made it super fun with lots of kidding around. The Rock & Glow deck party is fun too, I brought a bunch of glow in the dark baseballs from the Dollar Tree for him to share with his new friends and they had a ball tossing them around. 
 

They can have dinner with the kids club too, he would have gone every night if we let him, lol! They serve it in a roped off area in the buffet and they’ll take them directly from the club or you can just check them in at the buffet at 6. Then you can have a nice quiet kids free dinner. The water park and slides will be a huge hit with your boys too. They have them on all the ships but the ones on the Vista and Panorama are bigger and better than the older ships. Plus you are closer to Long Beach than LAX so you can save gas, another good reason to choose the Panorama! 😜

This is such great advice, I can't thank you enough!

2 hours ago, LaRue1975 said:

I think you should definitely consider the Panorama this time and save the Caribbean for your next cruise. The Panorama is the crown jewel of the Vista class ships, I have been on her 5 times in the last two years. We took our 9 year old grandson on his first cruise on the Panorama in October 2022 and are taking him again this August. He had the time of his life on the ship, we didn’t do that much in the ports other than a day pass to the Marriott in PV which he loved. This year we are going with our friends and their two grandsons and have excursions booked. 
 

The Panorama has the Sky Zone trampoline park which the Vista does not plus Guys Smokehouse & Brewery and the Teppanyaki Grill. The Teppanyaki restaurant was so much fun, the Chef was very entertaining and our grandson had a blast. We have it booked again with the three boys. The kids club is fantastic, he wanted to go every day. The water park, Sky Zone and Sky Ride were huge hits and so were the deck parties, they are kid friendly. The money you save on airfare will be more money for the ports, excursions and specialty dining. You will also need at least one night hotel if you sail out of the East Coast. Plus all the hassle of flying and dealing with airports, it is so easy to drive to the port and no weight limits on your bags! 😜

 

I love the Caribbean and enjoy the ports more but the Panorama and the ease of sailing from your home port would make it an easy choice for me. We do plan to take him to the Caribbean on an Exel class ship for his 13th birthday. Have a great time whatever you decide, Carnival is great for family cruises, they are serious about their Fun Ship reputation! 

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! My boys will flip for a trampoline park, had no idea that was on the ship.

5 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

I think the beaches and water in the Caribbean are warmer, clearer and cleaner than the waters off of Mazatlán or Puerto Vallarta. Given the choice, I would be packing the kids on a plane so they could experience swimming in the Caribbean.

Speaking of kids, make sure you and the kids go to the first meet and greet for the kids club.  It truly helps in establishing friends there and makes the time while at the club more fun for them (and you if you want a little mommy and daddy time) as they make buddies.

I'm torn between embarking from Miami or PC.  7 days on a cruise is better than 6, but I'm a big fan of PC and that itinerary on Vista is beachtastic! 

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful cruise!!

Thank you for this tip about the kids club! I assume that is fairly early on embarkation day?

On 4/12/2024 at 3:42 PM, Mike45LC said:

From Orange County, CA, the obvious choice would be the Panorama out of Los Angeles (Long Beach).  Save the airfare for four people and drive to the port instead.  The Mexican Riviera ports are as nice as the Caribbean ports you are considering.  (Much as I enjoy San Juan!)

So, thank you for bringing this up. This is something to consider. Despite having lived here my entire life, I've never been to those ports (Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas). I have only been to Ensenada on the so-called "booze cruises" with friends (and once with the kids, their first and only cruise ... we did not get off at port due to covid restrictions at that time).

Is the water warm and calm at those Mexican ports like in the Caribbean? Are the beaches nice? The beaches and warm water are the draw for the Caribbean, but maybe I'm neglecting a very good different option on this coast.

On 4/12/2024 at 1:06 PM, mamiamjo said:

We haven't sailed with kids that young in quite a while but out of the cruises you listed I would go with the Vista. It's a newer (than the others listed) ship and has three easy ports with stuff to do right at the port.

Yes, pre-kids those ports wouldn't have appealed to us but with the kids I can see the draw.

On 4/12/2024 at 1:06 PM, rudechuck said:

While the Vista is a newer ship than the Magic, I personally would prefer an itinerary with San Juan. I think the kids would really enjoy exploring the forts (castillos).

 

But then again, I would love to go back to New Orleans. My first cruise was out of New Orleans on the Carnival Fantasy in 2007. I had never wanted to go on a cruise, but was bribed with a few extra days in NOLA before and after the cruise. I've been hooked ever since.

 

Enjoy!

I also would like to go back to NOLA! I've only been once pre-cruise.

On 4/12/2024 at 12:42 PM, tha sista said:

I just took my grand kids—5 of them ages 5-11 along with my DD and her husband on the vista sailing you mentioned above. They loved it. They really liked the kids club and asked to go every day. They really enjoyed the beach at Grand Turk and had a lot of fun in the pool at Amber cove. We did not get off the ship at half moon cay and just enjoyed the water park on the ship all day. We stayed in a family harbor suite and connecting balcony room and the family harbor lounge was a huge bonus for breakfast and snacks. They have asked to go again so we are going on the same ship mainly because finding connecting cabins for a group of 8 is not easy. I was used to the older carnival ships such as spirit breeze dream victory and triumph so navigating this ship was a little more difficult for me but we all had a good time. 

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

Other than a very brief weekend cruise on RCCL to Ensenada two years ago, my husband and I have not cruised in 10 years. I used to be "in the know" about cruise lines, ships, and cruise experiences, and now I feel like I just crawled out from under a rock. We also used to sail alone and now have two kids under 10, and I know nothing about kids and Carnival (kids club, shipboard activities, etc.).

Can I get some thoughts and opinions on these potential cruises? Looking at three different ships and a mix up of private islands and other POC. We've never been on a newer mega ship and have no idea what that experience is like. I've also never been to any of the private islands (nor have we been to Grand Turk) so I don't know which are better or worse. We have been to Belize, Cozumel, and San Juan, so know what to expect there (over a decade ago, though). We have been on the Liberty but that was almost 20 years ago. Our kids are 9 and 5 and this will be their second cruise, first trip to the Caribbean.

These are the cruises we are considering for this August (flying from California):

6-Day Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral (Orlando), FL

Carnival Vista 

Half Moon Cay > Grand Turk > Amber Cove 

7-Day Western Caribbean from New Orleans, LA

Carnival Liberty

Mahogany Bay > Belize > Cozumel

7-Day from Miami, FL

Carnival Magic 

Eastern San Juan > Amber Cove > Grand Turk

OR

Western: Cozumel > Belize > Mahogany Bay

Thank you all so much for the replies! Some of this makes us more inclined to book, especially if the kids clubs are operating normally again. But it would be really disappointing to cruise if the experiences are diminished due to so many staff out for covid. Maybe they should not be booking the ships so full? 
 

We all had covid already so not too concerned about picking it up. More worried about noro, which we’ve gotten on cruises. Too bad the buffets are self serve again. I really liked not having to touch the utensils. 

3 minutes ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

We cruised on Navigator b2b last week only the staff wore masks no social distancing or segregation of vaccinated or unvaccinated guests.

 

Kids club was fully running.

 

Windjammer is completely back to self service.

 

On board experience was excellent.

 

 

Thank you so much for this report! This is the ship we will be looking at, probably the Catalina/Ensenada itinerary.

Do you happen know if unvaccinated passengers can get off the ship in Ensenada? In February it wasn’t allowed unless you booked a ship tour. 

We cruised in February for the first time in years. The on-board experience was masks for all while indoors regardless of vaccination status. They also had vaccinated and unvaccinated venues. The kids club was limited capacity and allowed only one guaranteed reservation for the entire cruise (a three-day cruise). 
 

We are thinking about booking another cruise for summer and I scoured the FAQs on the RCCl website but I can’t for the life of me get any real information. What is the on-board experience like? Masks indoors still? Distancing? Non-vaccinated passengers not allowed in certain places. Of most importance to us is the kids club. We don’t want to cruise if it’s still limited in any way as that was very disappointing to both my kids and my husband and I. 

I imagine it varies by ship, so hopefully people will chime in with experience from Oasis class in particular.
 

We recently did a three-day on Navigator and the kids were allowed to play and interact (masked). However, the capacity was very limited for us and we were only guaranteed one three-hour time slot for the entire cruise. It was a huge bummer. If similar things are happening on Oasis class I imagine you might get two or even three guaranteed reservations. We had the option to try to wait “standby” for other sessions in the hopes that kids would be no-shows, but there were always 20+ kids waiting and maybe one or two (sometimes none) would get in. Then you would see these poor kids turned away and sobbing because they couldn’t get in. It was really sad. 
 

We won’t be cruising again until these capacity limits are removed. It was a small number of kids per session, I think 20 per age group, and there were two age groups since some were combined. So 40 kids ages 3-11 got to go to AO per session (three sessions per day; 9-12, 2-5 and 7-10). 

3 hours ago, jgris90 said:

One question if you know nothing related at all to kids …. We’re you able to book shows and dining on board or we’re all the reservations gone ?  Do you have any experience with this 

We booked the ice show via the app as soon as we boarded and were able to get the show we were eligible to attend (the one where unvaccinated passengers are allowed). The other shows did not require reservations. We didn’t book any restaurant reservations this trip so no help there. 

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

They're going to start losing families if they don't get rid of the March 2020 rules they follow in Adventure Ocean.

 

It's not fun for any kid the way they're treated.

I agree, it was really sad! The kids were heartbroken. We won’t get back until that changes, even if it means waiting years (hope that’s not the case!). 

10 hours ago, rockmom said:

Yep, that hot tub was closed and almost all the casitas were roped off too.  And that one day they put the net over half the pool, not sure what happened, but they rushed to close it off mid-day and it stayed that way the rest of the day. The only people I saw swimming were pretty much kids who don't care how cold it is, very few adults braved it other than to wade over to the green lounger things.  

I found it odd that so many casitas and loungers were roped off. Do you have to pay for these?

20 minutes ago, rockmom said:

I was on this sailing and the best line was the guy that put his toe in the water and said "I've had ice cubes that were warmer than this."  It was bitterly cold.  And yes, the ship was really full compared to what had been reported on the past couple months of sailings.  The crew seemed like they were running constantly, and it felt like they were very short staffed.  The one downside, and to me it was a BIG downside, was because the pool was so cold, the hot tub on the main pool deck was packed solid.  And I mean packed. About 3/4 of those in the hot tub were little kids, I saw some parents hand over kids in swim diapers to another adult in the hot tub.  I saw one kid 'drinking' the water and then spitting it at his siblings in the hot tub.  Some kid had a swim ring.  It was crazy.   On the deck just above the pool, only one of the hot tubs was open and it was always packed as well, although with mostly adults.  Boobs to booty--squished in together.  There was a sign that said 'only members of your own party in the hot tub'.  There were members of probably a dozen parties crammed in there.  We had a 10 year-old with us, so couldn't escape to the solarium.  But when you have a ship on the west coast and it's winter, you NEED pool heat.  Kids ran through the splash pad, but after a short while, you'd see chattering teeth and blue lips.  (one morning when I was out there it was only 45 degrees--and we didn't break 70.  So no chance of the pool water getting even remotely warmed by the sun/air temps.  

Yes, we were in the hot tub the deck above the pool with our kids (did you notice the other hot tub on the opposite side on the same deck was closed for maintenance the entire cruise???). At one point some random boy joined us (no parent) and made friends with my son and they were happily playing and of course splashing a little. I tried to crack down on the splashing and keep them away from the other adults so they weren’t a bother but it was hard. I never would have had the kids in the hot tub had the pools been heated to a tolerable level.