Just off Carnival Panorama - Quick review/thoughts

[Fire6]

We just got home from the Feb. 15 sailing.  We are a couple in our early 50's and this is our 6th cruise (5 Carnival, 1 Princess).  Here are some quick observations.

 

I was a bit concerned about the Vista class, since we have never sailed on a ship this large.   I can say that it did not feel any more crowded than any of the other Carnival ship we've been on.  I don't know where everyone hides, but there were never any crowds or really long lines (even on the last sea day when not as many people ventured outside due to the weather). 

 

The ship  is beautiful!!  I was never a big fan of the usual Carnival decor...this ship is very nicely decorated and feels more "upscale" than the other Carnival ships we've been on.

 

We did MDR a couple of times and it was typical of any other Carnival cruises.   No complaints on the food and we were in and out in about an hour.  We did anytime dining and this is the first cruise we've been on where we've used the Carnival Hub app to ask for a table in advance.   That feature was great!   There was usually a 5-10 minute wait, which was about the same amount of time it took us to get from our cabin to the dining room. 

 

The buffet was hit and miss, but there is something for everyone and it took me a couple of days to realize that the two buffet areas (fore and aft)  have different menus...so there are even more choices than what you see in a single buffet.   We are big fans of Blue Iguana, Guy's Burgers, the pizza, and the deli for most of our meals.  We also tried the Mongolian Grille and the Italian place for lunch  on sea days.  Both were good.  

 

It was a school break for a lot of people so there were a ton of kids on the ship.   We've raised two kids and my wife works in an elementary school so kids don't bother us too much, but I heard some other cruisers complain.   If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise.   Still, we spent a lot of time at Serenity for some peace and quiet but I also enjoyed seeing all of the kids having fun on Lido deck.  I liked the salad bar on sea days at Serenity - that was new to us since our last Carnival cruise.

 

The staff on the ship were typical of what we've seen on past Carnival cruises...extremely friendly and helpful!   No complaints whatsoever. 

 

My wife did both the sky cycle and the ropes course several times and had a lot of fun.   She did those on port days when it wasn't so crowded.   I heard that on sea days the lines could be up to an hour long (but they are both free).

 

And now for the only negative (at least for us).   The show venue (Liquid Lounge) was a real disappointment.   It does not have riser seating like every other ship we have been on, so there are a lot of bad seats with obstructed views and the chairs are not very comfortable.  I only went to two performances (one on the main deck and one on the mezzanine).   The performers were great, but I could't see half of the show.   After the second show, I just wasn't interested in going the other nights (and we usually go to a show every night when we cruise).  We were told by some of the technical staff that Carnival has gone back to riser seating on the Mardi Gras.

 

There is so much more to this ship that I haven't touched on.   100 people could go on this cruise and have 100 different experiences depending on what you like to do (clubs, upscale dining, casino, water slides, etc.).   

 

This is our second time sailing this itinerary and there are a lot to do in the ports (which have been covered many times on this board).   We had some engine problems and got into Mazatlan 2 hours late but I noticed that Carnival refunded around $15 per person in port fees for that day.   I didn't expect that, and thought it was a nice touch.   The ship stayed an hour later so we really only "missed" an hour in Mazatlan.

 

We would definitely sail the Panorama again.  It would take a few voyages to try everything on this ship.

 

I hope this is helpful to anyone considering this ship or this itinerary.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks for your review. We are sailing in June.

[TNcruising02]

I sailed on the Panorama and agree with many of your comments.  It's great to hear that the Mardi Gras will have a different type of theater.

[EmmasNana]

Do you happen to remember if the excursion called Rhythm of the Night was available at Puerto Vallarta? We did this a few years ago but we over nighted in Puerto Vallarta. My SIL wants to do this itinerary partly because of that excursion.

[TNcruising02]

43 minutes ago, EmmasNana said:

Do you happen to remember if the excursion called Rhythm of the Night was available at Puerto Vallarta? We did this a few years ago but we over nighted in Puerto Vallarta. My SIL wants to do this itinerary partly because of that excursion.

It was when I went on the Panorama in December.  My husband and I loved it.

[EmmasNana]

11 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

It was when I went on the Panorama in December.  My husband and I loved it.

Thank you! We loved it too. 

[BelowDeck4us]

4 hours ago, Fire6 said:

We just got home from the Feb. 15 sailing.  We are a couple in our early 50's and this is our 6th cruise (5 Carnival, 1 Princess).  Here are some quick observations.

 

I was a bit concerned about the Vista class, since we have never sailed on a ship this large.   I can say that it did not feel any more crowded than any of the other Carnival ship we've been on.  I don't know where everyone hides, but there were never any crowds or really long lines (even on the last sea day when not as many people ventured outside due to the weather). 

 

The ship  is beautiful!!  I was never a big fan of the usual Carnival decor...this ship is very nicely decorated and feels more "upscale" than the other Carnival ships we've been on.

 

We did MDR a couple of times and it was typical of any other Carnival cruises.   No complaints on the food and we were in and out in about an hour.  We did anytime dining and this is the first cruise we've been on where we've used the Carnival Hub app to ask for a table in advance.   That feature was great!   There was usually a 5-10 minute wait, which was about the same amount of time it took us to get from our cabin to the dining room. 

 

The buffet was hit and miss, but there is something for everyone and it took me a couple of days to realize that the two buffet areas (fore and aft)  have different menus...so there are even more choices than what you see in a single buffet.   We are big fans of Blue Iguana, Guy's Burgers, the pizza, and the deli for most of our meals.  We also tried the Mongolian Grille and the Italian place for lunch  on sea days.  Both were good.  

 

It was a school break for a lot of people so there were a ton of kids on the ship.   We've raised two kids and my wife works in an elementary school so kids don't bother us too much, but I heard some other cruisers complain.   If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise.   Still, we spent a lot of time at Serenity for some peace and quiet but I also enjoyed seeing all of the kids having fun on Lido deck.  I liked the salad bar on sea days at Serenity - that was new to us since our last Carnival cruise.

 

The staff on the ship were typical of what we've seen on past Carnival cruises...extremely friendly and helpful!   No complaints whatsoever. 

 

My wife did both the sky cycle and the ropes course several times and had a lot of fun.   She did those on port days when it wasn't so crowded.   I heard that on sea days the lines could be up to an hour long (but they are both free).

 

And now for the only negative (at least for us).   The show venue (Liquid Lounge) was a real disappointment.   It does not have riser seating like every other ship we have been on, so there are a lot of bad seats with obstructed views and the chairs are not very comfortable.  I only went to two performances (one on the main deck and one on the mezzanine).   The performers were great, but I could't see half of the show.   After the second show, I just wasn't interested in going the other nights (and we usually go to a show every night when we cruise).  We were told by some of the technical staff that Carnival has gone back to riser seating on the Mardi Gras.

 

There is so much more to this ship that I haven't touched on.   100 people could go on this cruise and have 100 different experiences depending on what you like to do (clubs, upscale dining, casino, water slides, etc.).   

 

This is our second time sailing this itinerary and there are a lot to do in the ports (which have been covered many times on this board).   We had some engine problems and got into Mazatlan 2 hours late but I noticed that Carnival refunded around $15 per person in port fees for that day.   I didn't expect that, and thought it was a nice touch.   The ship stayed an hour later so we really only "missed" an hour in Mazatlan.

 

We would definitely sail the Panorama again.  It would take a few voyages to try everything on this ship.

 

I hope this is helpful to anyone considering this ship or this itinerary.

We were on the same cruise.   Agree with your comments.  The Liquid Lounge sight lines aren't good for many seats.  Besides no riser seating, there are a number of columns.  If you want to guarantee yourself a good seat at popular shows, you'll need to line up 10-15 minutes before the doors open.  It could just be my imagination, but it's capacity doesn't seem as large as some main theaters on other comparable sized ships.  Rock revolution was a very good show.

 

Would also make the observation that the Atrium was small for a ship of this size.  Even with it on multiple levels, when attending a popular activity, such as listening to a musical group or participating in trivia, the area became crowded.

 

But these were minor issues.  Overall the crew was very friendly.  Our cabin steward Kadek was great.  Lots to do on the ship on sea days.  Definitely a fun ship.  Had a great cruise and would definitely sail again on the Panorama.   Hope Carnival is able to keep her on the west coast.  

[Fire6]

3 hours ago, EmmasNana said:

Do you happen to remember if the excursion called Rhythm of the Night was available at Puerto Vallarta? We did this a few years ago but we over nighted in Puerto Vallarta. My SIL wants to do this itinerary partly because of that excursion.

 

Yes...it was available last week.   From what we have heard about it, we will definitely consider doing it the next time we sail this itinerary.   Everyone had very good things to say about it.

[rideroftheseas]

Do you happen to remember if the excursion called Rhythm of the Night was available at Puerto Vallarta? We did this a few years ago but we over nighted in Puerto Vallarta. My SIL wants to do this itinerary partly because of that excursion.

Rhythm of the Night was available for us this past week, it was the most not to be missed excursion ever!


Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Moviela]

Rhythms of the Night is an experience that is part Cirque du Soleil, part Disney, and part Chinese Acrobats. The show has changed since last year. From Panorama we boarded the catamaran directly from the ship. A tasty buffet was served at the venue prior to the show. Views of the bay in the rustic settings are beautiful. The paths are lit with tea candles. At show time the audience is led up a tiny hill to a natural amphitheater with bench seating. The show lighting and sound equals anything on Broadway. The show is wonderful, a well stitched collection of acts that must been seen. The ride back to the ship has the boat boys entertaining in a funny if not somewhat bawdy show. The show is worth your time. 

[naxer]

We got off the Panorama a couple weeks ago after a B2B.  I found the theater to be brilliantly designed.  It is the first theater I've been in where every seat is an obstructed view. 😀  Otherwise I very much liked the ship and would not hesitate to sail on a Vista class again.

[mpdog42]

10 hours ago, Fire6 said:

We just got home from the Feb. 15 sailing.  We are a couple in our early 50's and this is our 6th cruise (5 Carnival, 1 Princess).  Here are some quick observations.

 

I was a bit concerned about the Vista class, since we have never sailed on a ship this large.   I can say that it did not feel any more crowded than any of the other Carnival ship we've been on.  I don't know where everyone hides, but there were never any crowds or really long lines (even on the last sea day when not as many people ventured outside due to the weather). 

 

The ship  is beautiful!!  I was never a big fan of the usual Carnival decor...this ship is very nicely decorated and feels more "upscale" than the other Carnival ships we've been on.

 

We did MDR a couple of times and it was typical of any other Carnival cruises.   No complaints on the food and we were in and out in about an hour.  We did anytime dining and this is the first cruise we've been on where we've used the Carnival Hub app to ask for a table in advance.   That feature was great!   There was usually a 5-10 minute wait, which was about the same amount of time it took us to get from our cabin to the dining room. 

 

The buffet was hit and miss, but there is something for everyone and it took me a couple of days to realize that the two buffet areas (fore and aft)  have different menus...so there are even more choices than what you see in a single buffet.   We are big fans of Blue Iguana, Guy's Burgers, the pizza, and the deli for most of our meals.  We also tried the Mongolian Grille and the Italian place for lunch  on sea days.  Both were good.  

 

It was a school break for a lot of people so there were a ton of kids on the ship.   We've raised two kids and my wife works in an elementary school so kids don't bother us too much, but I heard some other cruisers complain.   If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise.   Still, we spent a lot of time at Serenity for some peace and quiet but I also enjoyed seeing all of the kids having fun on Lido deck.  I liked the salad bar on sea days at Serenity - that was new to us since our last Carnival cruise.

 

The staff on the ship were typical of what we've seen on past Carnival cruises...extremely friendly and helpful!   No complaints whatsoever. 

 

My wife did both the sky cycle and the ropes course several times and had a lot of fun.   She did those on port days when it wasn't so crowded.   I heard that on sea days the lines could be up to an hour long (but they are both free).

 

And now for the only negative (at least for us).   The show venue (Liquid Lounge) was a real disappointment.   It does not have riser seating like every other ship we have been on, so there are a lot of bad seats with obstructed views and the chairs are not very comfortable.  I only went to two performances (one on the main deck and one on the mezzanine).   The performers were great, but I could't see half of the show.   After the second show, I just wasn't interested in going the other nights (and we usually go to a show every night when we cruise).  We were told by some of the technical staff that Carnival has gone back to riser seating on the Mardi Gras.

 

There is so much more to this ship that I haven't touched on.   100 people could go on this cruise and have 100 different experiences depending on what you like to do (clubs, upscale dining, casino, water slides, etc.).   

 

This is our second time sailing this itinerary and there are a lot to do in the ports (which have been covered many times on this board).   We had some engine problems and got into Mazatlan 2 hours late but I noticed that Carnival refunded around $15 per person in port fees for that day.   I didn't expect that, and thought it was a nice touch.   The ship stayed an hour later so we really only "missed" an hour in Mazatlan.

 

We would definitely sail the Panorama again.  It would take a few voyages to try everything on this ship.

 

I hope this is helpful to anyone considering this ship or this itinerary.

In reference to your comment on "If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise" Would you like to inform the rest us us when kids today are in school???. What idiot school systems has there break in the middle of Feb?

[Markmom18]

2 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

In reference to your comment on "If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise" Would you like to inform the rest us us when kids today are in school???. What idiot school systems has there break in the middle of Feb?

 I also had NO idea that kids get a week long break in February .... due to President’s Day!!   And, they’ll still get Spring Break. Thanksgiving is now a week as well (been for quite awhile), just mentioning it in case.

🛳🛳

 Bobbi 

[grima625]

Thanks for the review.  We will be sailing on the Panorama in October.

[mumofsons]

We are sailing at the end of September - thanks for the review - we have sailed the Vista and I have booked the same inside room in the Havana area to ensure that we don't feel crowded around the pool - first cruise out of California.

[Sagittarius traveler]

I love your review I thought the same thing on the Horizon like where were everyone at hahaha lines weren't that long at all even for food. Most people I believe booked specialty restaurants for dinner I booked two jiji dinners . That was the biggest ship the last big ship I was on was conquest I mainly sailed fascination lol.

[Denverdonkeys]

13 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

In reference to your comment on "If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise" Would you like to inform the rest us us when kids today are in school???. What idiot school systems has there break in the middle of Feb?

 

I suppose you could be agitated, or feel attacked, so you replied with a very sharp tongue. Many people might reply to that attitude with an "OK, Boomer..." response, but maybe I can give you some more color around the calendar.

 

(In my region in the Midwest) In February many schools have a short break for conferences around president's day. it is not our spring break. your tone reeks of a mentality of "that's not how we did it when I was in school".  Whenever holidays are present, it seems our school district tries to stretch them into longer weekends. As a result, some parents see great value in taking their kids out of school for only 1 day, and getting a much cheaper family trip out of it. 

 

Bottom line is that carnival is family friendly, if people are that disgruntled with kids, they should select a different line. parents should also continue to parent while on vacation🙂.

[jimbo5544]

16 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

In reference to your comment on "If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise" Would you like to inform the rest us us when kids today are in school???. What idiot school systems has there break in the middle of Feb?

The majority of the northeast to make best use of presidents week.  I will leave the idiot comment stand on its own.  

[jimbo5544]

3 hours ago, Denverdonkeys said:

 

I suppose you could be agitated, or feel attacked, so you replied with a very sharp tongue. Many people might reply to that attitude with an "OK, Boomer..." response, but maybe I can give you some more color around the calendar.

 

(In my region in the Midwest) In February many schools have a short break for conferences around president's day. it is not our spring break. your tone reeks of a mentality of "that's not how we did it when I was in school".  Whenever holidays are present, it seems our school district tries to stretch them into longer weekends. As a result, some parents see great value in taking their kids out of school for only 1 day, and getting a much cheaper family trip out of it. 

 

Bottom line is that carnival is family friendly, if people are that disgruntled with kids, they should select a different line. parents should also continue to parent while on vacation🙂.

Bingo

[AandBmom]

On 2/23/2020 at 9:17 PM, mpdog42 said:

In reference to your comment on "If you don't like sailing with a bunch of kids, then check your calendar when you book a cruise" Would you like to inform the rest us us when kids today are in school???. What idiot school systems has there break in the middle of Feb?

Perhaps a school system that teaches students the difference between "there", "they're" and "their"....🤣

[belleriverking]

Can I ask those of you who are recently off this ship what time it returned to Long Beach?  Was it the 9:00 am that it shows on the Carnival website itinerary?

[mpdog42]

2 hours ago, AandBmom said:

Perhaps a school system that teaches students the difference between "there", "they're" and "their"....🤣

Says somebody who lives in a country with socialist principles, I was talking about American Schools not Canada... Don't pick fights you cant win...Say hi to Justin for me please!

Edited February 27, 2020 by mpdog42
addition

[Roscoe13]

10 hours ago, belleriverking said:

Can I ask those of you who are recently off this ship what time it returned to Long Beach?  Was it the 9:00 am that it shows on the Carnival website itinerary?

We were docked by 0700 and with self disembarking, off the ship by 0830. YMMV 

[nissach]

10 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

Says somebody who lives in a country with socialist principles, I was talking about American Schools not Canada... Don't pick fights you cant win...Say hi to Justin for me please!

American or Canadian schools...we all spell there, their and they're the same.  Some just have to learn how to use them correctly.

[mpdog42]

3 hours ago, nissach said:

American or Canadian schools...we all spell there, their and they're the same.  Some just have to learn how to use them correctly.

Listen I am sorry if I offened you guys in Canada, I some times forget that we on CC have people of other nations on here as well..but she/he/it or what ever pronoun the poster uses... attacked first and I am getting tired of that

Go Blues