To regular Long Beach cruisers:Will you try the Panorama???

We've been doing the Mexican Riviera yearly for a while now. We see it as our yearly Mexican "honeymoon". Not sure that the new gigantic Panorama is for us?? What do you think???

We've been doing the Mexican Riviera yearly for a while now. We see it as our yearly Mexican "honeymoon". Not sure that the new gigantic Panorama is for us?? What do you think???

If I was of a mind to return to Carnival, sure...I am certain that the regular Carnival customers will be overjoyed to have a brand new ship here on the West Coast. So often the cruise lines seem to send their older, outdated ships here...

OTOH, it would take some incredible turn of events to get me back on Carnival. My wife refuses to let me book them at all.

Is the Panorama REALLY "gigantic"? NO...

It is only 133,000 gross tons. In this day and age, that is pretty much an average sized ship. The big Royal Caribbean ships are well over 200,000 gross tons. For comparably sized ships, look at the Celebrity S-class: 122,000 to 125,000 gross tons...But THOSE are designed to carry 2,850 passengers at full double occupancy. The Panorama is at OVER 4,000. AND, we know that due to Carnival's marketing and target demographics, the Panorama will NEVER sail with only 4,000...With ALL berths filled, it's over 4,700 (and Carnival is really good at marketing to people who fill those third and fourth berths). So, in a slightly larger ship, Carnival will have almost 2,000 more passengers (but only 200 more crew members!).

So, it's not that it's a "gigantic" ship...it's that it's an OVERCROWDED ship...with less service...

My recommendation is to do that Mexican Riviera cruise on Princess...until Royal Caribbean/Celebrity catches hold of its senses and returns to Los Angeles...

<sigh> We enjoy our Carnival cruises! I can understand why some folks don't like them but they have been fun for us and we are seniors who don't party much!! I am sure that "technically" it is not a larger ships but it seems like it just has more of what we don't want(tons of extra pay restaurants) and wild activity areas.

I am not excited about the new Havana area that everyone is chatting about.

We are platinum on Carnival and as you see we are also taking a Princess cruise and an Oceania cruise in the future but this Mexican Riviera one has been a staple for us and they are changing our "diet". Not sure I like the new stuff?

Interesting--I just looked at Princess and their ship that does the cruise in the spring that we usually book only has suites either on Deck 14 which we'd not like or at the very forward edge of the ship. Looks like we won't be doing that cruise after next year !

It’s not the ship but parking at port scares me. Barely enough space now. It’ll be ‘fun’ while the new parking structure is being built.

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I cruised on the Vista for 33 nights on her last 2 Meds and TA when she came over in 2016. I liked the Vista. The theater is the biggest negative, but as a solo traveler, I found the perfect spot and would try to get that spot for the shows.

Also being a solo traveler, I don’t use the MDR for dinner anymore, because I don’t like to sit and wait, plus I usually eat a big lunch and a snack at dinner time. I like the variety of free spots to eat and the open spaces around the decks outside. I never felt the crowding, although some people have in certain areas like the Comedy Club, which I don’t attend. There are plenty of places on the ship to find a quiet spot.

At this stage in my life, I am more interested in visiting new places, and longer cruise, so I may or may not go to Mexico again. I would consider the cruise getting to LB, but rumor has it that it is coming over empty. I have not seen any official word on that yet.

So I think since you are close, I would try it at least. Go with an open mind, and you don’t have to go back if you don’t like it. You can choose to look at negatives or go with a positive attitude and have fun.

We've been doing the Mexican Riviera yearly for a while now. We see it as our yearly Mexican "honeymoon". Not sure that the new gigantic Panorama is for us?? What do you think???

I'm not sure. There were times the Splendor felt crowded. Not sure I want to add 1,000 more people to that feeling.

On the other hand, I can ride a bike in the sky. How cool will that be?

But I'll know better about how I feel after I take another cruise next February on the Splendor. One where we don't have to attempt to wedge the 3/4 ton truck into a parking spot that is much too small because all of the handicap spots are taken up.

Interesting ? We liked the Splendor. It was our first time and I just kept saying,"I like this ship". We have one more cruise booked on her for April 2019.

We don't hang out at the main pool so maybe that was why we didn't notice much crowding. I am concerned that the Panorama will have more people but I see that many are excited to try the new bells and whistles. They don't excite me!

Interesting ? We liked the Splendor. It was our first time and I just kept saying,"I like this ship"...

riff,

I am guessing that one reason you like the Splendor...and don't notice the crowding...and why you'll probably like the new ship as well...and not be bothered by the crowding there...is...

...that you appear to be a Carnival "regular" and have little else to base all of this on...

The psychology of this works like this:

People take a first cruise with a particular cruise line....Carnival, for example...and they enjoy it. After all, what is not to enjoy? Any first cruise would be fun and exciting. Any cruise would be better than staying home and working. Any cruise would be an easier experience than taking a vacation where, for example, you pack your family into a car and drive somewhere, check in and out of hotels and try to figure out how to keep everybody entertained. So, whatever cruise line you originally go on immediately becomes your favorite...and becomes the standard by which you judge future cruises. There also becomes a great urge to book a second cruise on the same line. Why? Because you enjoyed the first one. And that, likely, is about as enjoyable as the first...so, you book a third...and so on...

Once you get acclimated to the particular cruise line, you start developing a mental image of what it is you like about the cruise. Even if you try a different line later down the road, the tendency becomes to compare it to the things you like about your "favorite" So, when you finally try Princess, you'll likely find it "stuffy" and less fun. (Personally, my opinion of Princess is that it IS a major step up from Carnival...but not in areas that you are likely to notice--their ships tend to feel a little crowded as well--though not as crowded as Carnival. For example, like Carnival, their show rooms are undersized for the passenger capacity. The dining rooms are a bit less crowded, but not the best run either. Service is a little better...but it may not be that important to you if you have been satisfied by Carnival). What you will miss is that there's not quite as much noise and late night activity. Another problem with Princess is that, unless you have a mini-suite or above, your cabin will feel less spacious than Carnival's due to poor design/layout (something that would not be an issue on other lines).

Oceania will be a FAR different experience. The food and service are EASILY multiple steps above Carnival. The ships are FAR less crowded. However, as a Carnival loyalist, clearly you will find certain things you have become used to lacking. On the smaller Oceania ships like Insignia, there is no dedicated show room--entertainment is in a lounge-so it lacks the production value. The clientele tends to be a bit older (as there are no Children's programs and the cost is a bit higher)...and the ship can almost seem to "shut down" after dinner.

We all develop our own criteria and standards...Different things become important to different people. Regular Carnival cruisers become conditioned to value the noise, activity and late hours. Celebrity or Oceania cruisers or regulars on the even more expensive luxury lines are conditioned to value comfort and service.

I was lucky to have a different cruising experience than you...My first cruise was on a line that doesn't quite exist anymore (Premier--which was replaced, for all intent and purpose, by Disney) and which did only a narrow-focused sort of cruise. So, my next three or four cruises were on different lines--NCL, Royal Caribbean, Carnival...within a few cruises after that, I tried Princess and Celebrity. I never became stuck in an early pattern...I began to notice the differences I saw each cruise. At one point, I took a Royal Caribbean 7 night cruise and a Carnival 8 night cruise back-to-back...and things started to come clearly into focus. Taking cruises that close together served to highlight the differences--like how many passengers my dinner waiters had to cover at one time on each line, how easy or hard it was to get a seat in the showroom or a lounge chair at the pool or a table in a bar...or how easy or difficult it was to move around the ship at prime hours.

The differences in cruise lines can seem subtle. After all, ALL mass market cruise lines do a lot of the same things--they all take you from port to port, they all feed and entertain you, they all have pools, jacuzzis, spas and a casino...The differences are in a lot of smaller things--and in the detail and quality of service...and in the spaciousness or the crowding of the ship.

50 or so cruises into my history...and having cruised on 8 lines, most of them multiple times, I have developed somewhat of a preference and a patter for my cruising. I first look at where it is I want to go...and when. That causes some limitations...and since, often, it's to cruise close to home (Southern California) due to time and money constraints, that limits which lines are available--and a lot of the year, that's Princess versus Carnival. If I'm flying somewhere, it opens up the possibilities--most lines do the Caribbean or Europe or Alaska. Then I look at quality first--and I equate that with spaciousness and service...So, for me, that means I look at Celebrity first, Royal Caribbean second, Princess third...I take a look at Oceania as well--since I love their overall experience, but price often enters into the equation here--since they do tend to be a bit more expensive. But, what I have found with most mass market lines, is that the pricing is really quite comparable across the board. One might think Carnival would always be the cheapest, but that's not always true...Often, Royal Caribbean is more competitive...and even Celebrity...And the pricing is similar enough that it really doesn't make a difference.

Anyway, to circle back, for me, the only reason to go with the new Carnival ship would be if there were zero competition in the market and I absolutely didn't want to fly out to a cruise. But, most of the time when I want to cruise, Princess is also running cruises out of LA...and even though it's only my third choice, for ME, it's a clear-cut improvement over Carnival. BUT, OTOH, for YOU, you may be so ingrained into the Carnival model...and find what Carnival does to so fit the criteria and standards you've developed for yourself, that the new ship will be just a newer version of what you've come to like anyway...

I would advise to shop around elsewhere WITH AN OPEN MIND--you may just find that what you've always valued as important in the past may have changed with age and experience. BUT, if you really love what you have been doing, go ahead and try the new ship...

I'm not a regular LB cruiser...yet, but 3 of my next 4 cruises are from there. We will fly in, so parking isn't a concern. We like the Conquest/Splendor sized ships the best, but we're giving the Panorama a try. We will be in the Havana area. We are spa and serenity fans, and figure the Panorama Havana area gives us what we're looking for on a larger ship. I look forward to the experiment.

Wow!! @BruinSteve,

You make a lot of assumptions about us that are not true!

I won't bother to take them one by one because your attitude is not one that I admire! I asked a question and you answered by making disparaging remarks about me instead of merely giving an answer to the question.

Not nice!

riff,

Sorry that my post offended you...Truly, that was not the intent. It was just my general observations as to human nature when it comes to loyalty to a cruise line and how it develops...and that I understand that. I was just differentiating how I came to dislike Carnival as opposed to how I understand that some people can develop a loyalty to Carnival. I didn't think I said anything disparaging about Carnival cruisers other than that they have developed that loyalty. I am really not sure why you took that as "not nice".

To my mind you were smug and condescending.

You have already answered my initial question but thought it necessary to write a treatise on what you believe to be my reasons for having my own opinion about the Splendor.

I think that takes a lot of nerve and is "not nice".

No more need be said on the topic since it is not the original intent of this thread.

We are booked in a Havana interior cabin in February, 2020. We live in Ohio and have been sailing out of Florida, New Orleans or San Juan for the past 8 years on Carnival. We decided we wanted to see some new ports, and the bonus of sailing on a new ship and trying out the Havana area were the added determining factors. The pictures we have seen of the Havana areas look incredible, and the exclusive access during the day should eliminate the possibility of it being overcrowded.

Any recommendations on pre-cruise hotels and local restaurants would be appreciated, as I am not familiar with the port area at all.

riff,

 

Sorry that my post offended you...Truly, that was not the intent. It was just my general observations as to human nature when it comes to loyalty to a cruise line and how it develops...and that I understand that. I was just differentiating how I came to dislike Carnival as opposed to how I understand that some people can develop a loyalty to Carnival. I didn't think I said anything disparaging about Carnival cruisers other than that they have developed that loyalty. I am really not sure why you took that as "not nice".

I actually thought it was a very interesting and well thought post. Thanks for sharing it.

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We are booked in a Havana interior cabin in February, 2020. We live in Ohio and have been sailing out of Florida, New Orleans or San Juan for the past 8 years on Carnival. We decided we wanted to see some new ports, and the bonus of sailing on a new ship and trying out the Havana area were the added determining factors. The pictures we have seen of the Havana areas look incredible, and the exclusive access during the day should eliminate the possibility of it being overcrowded.

 

Any recommendations on pre-cruise hotels and local restaurants would be appreciated, as I am not familiar with the port area at all.

Check out Hotel Maya. It is right there on the water front, closest to the port. If you contact them directly, they have a rate for Carnival guests. You can stay there for one night, plus park your car while you cruise. (You wouldn't need that service unless you get a rental). They have a shuttle which will take you to the cruise terminal. There is also the shoreline village and shopping nearby, which their shuttle can also take you to. There are a lot of restaurants in that area. Also, the Queen Mary is right there too if that is something that interests you. They have tours, restaurants, and you could even choose to stay on board for the night. Its a little pricey, but also historic and kind of cool. There are some Hyatt's and Hilton's within that area also. They get great reviews, but if you call or email hotel Maya directly, you can get a better rate. Hope that helps.

We've been doing the Mexican Riviera yearly for a while now. We see it as our yearly Mexican "honeymoon". Not sure that the new gigantic Panorama is for us?? What do you think???

I am just waiting for my husband to give me the okay to book it!!! :) I think you should try it at least once. You know that you like Carnival and cruising. You could try the Havana area or serenity if you want a less crowded, quieter part of the ship, but you might find you like the other areas also. As made clear above, we are the best judge of what we like. We are not all cookie cutter images that all enjoy spending our money in the same way. I think trying it once could be exciting, and you could compare the differences to the Splendor . If you like it, then you will know, and if you don't like it then you will know. :)

The Maya is a Doubletree by Hilton so if you have Hilton points it's a great place to stay. If you don't have Hilton points join their free Honors program to have free wifi. The Maya also often has special cruise n park rates . You might not need to park your car but sometimes the rate is still better than the normal one on the web site.

I agree that we might try the Panorama once. IF we end up loving Princess on our Panama Canal cruise we might end up booking a Princess ship too. We have more OBC/perks on Princess( since we often book suites) -than we even get as Platinum on Carnival so we may become "Princess people" soon too.

Thanks for all the replies to my question.

Riffatsea,

I don’t know if you like lots of sea days, but the Splendor 24 day Transpacific just opened for booking. Oct 5 2019, LB to Singapore.

I will be booking today, since I have never been to Guam, Malaysia or Viet Nam.

PS I love sea days!

@crzndeb, I am happy with sea days and ports but 24 days on any ship is just a bit too much for us! I have friends who have been on land trips to Viet Nam and found them really interesting!

I am sad Splendor is leaving just when I got to like her!!

BTW we had a spa cabin and it was delightful!!

I totally understand. I booked the 24 and the 7 day prior. I love long cruises. My longest was B2B2B (35) when the Spirit went to Australia and I boarded in Seattle for Alaska, and Hawaii first. Then I did B2B2B (33) on the Vista last 2 Meds and TA in 2016. I have a B2B (23) coming up in August on RCI Serenade to Baltics and TA to Iceland, Greenland, etc.

I cruise for itinerary now and trying to get to as many places I’ve never been to. I’m originally from San Diego and luckily my oldest ended up back down there, so I have a place to stay, and a ride to Long Beach.