Another California Adventure! – Baja Mexico & Mexican Riviera aboard the Miracle & Panorama (with pics) – October 2021.

Hogladyrider · November 24, 2021

@Jamman54...did you have the Cheers pkg?

Jamman54 · November 24, 2021

5 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Jamman54...did you have the Cheers pkg?

No I didn't. Patti is not a big drinker so the Cheers Package doesn't work for us. 🍺

Hogladyrider · November 24, 2021

11 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

No I didn't. Patti is not a big drinker so the Cheers Package doesn't work for us. 🍺

Ditto same for us, I'm the light weight for sure.

Webecruzindh · November 24, 2021

Same for us. On a typical 7-day cruise our combined bar bill will be just a little over half of what the Cheers package would have cost us. On port days we certainly wouldn’t come close to getting our money’s worth.

smellywax · November 24, 2021

7 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Here are the instructions. There are no floor buttons inside the elevators. Currently, these types of elevators are only on the Vista Class ships.

Thank you! Seems like lots of germs if everyone has to do it

smellywax · November 24, 2021

I am enjoying your review! I used to work for Carnival many moons ago so it’s been a long time since I have sailed on one of her ships.

luvcruzing · November 24, 2021

On 11/22/2021 at 7:09 PM, Jamman54 said:

Afterwards, we stayed for the Military Appreciation Show hosted by Lee, and it was extremely well done, and very emotional.

I recently returned from sailing on the Carnival Horizon and attended the Military Appreciation Show onboard. I never would have attended if not for your mentions in your reviews. I always thought it was strictly for former military. So, thank you, Jeff, for bringing it to my attention. It was well worth my time.

Edited November 24, 2021 by luvcruzing

Saint Greg · November 24, 2021

9 hours ago, smellywax said:

Thank you! Seems like lots of germs if everyone has to do it

I think they actually get cleaned more than regular buttons because the fingerprints on the glass are so obvious. But it's not like if you have a family of five each person touches it. One person does. That person should hit it five times but they don't. They hit it once, five people get on, the elevator never knows when its full, and it stops on floors it shouldn't. Ideally the elevator would ask you how many people are in your party and would give you a number screen.

I think this is a very cruise ship specific problem. If I'm in a hotel it's not a situation where people are going to a movie theater on floor 10, a trampoline park on floor 6, a show on floor 5, a casino on floor 4, dinner on floor 3, and their room on floor 2 all at the same time. I think it's a very cruise ship specific problem and they don't want to pay what it would cost to customize it.

Edited November 24, 2021 by Saint Greg

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

Day # 18 (October 26^th) - Puerto Vallarta 9 am – 9 pm.

We woke up at 7 am to a beautiful sunny day with the temperature in the mid 80’s.

Here are today’s “Fun Times”…..

A little after 8 am, Patti and I went to grab some breakfast at the Ocean Plaza, just as the Panorama was docking in Puerto Vallarta. At 9 am Lee Mason announced that we were free to go ashore. The four of us will be heading out to an all- inclusive hotel today. Here is where we are going:

Hotel RIU Jalisco

All - inclusive beachfront resort day pass!

Resort for a Day Experience:

A Hotel RIU Jalisco day pass includes unlimited dining, cocktails & nonalcoholic drinks options. It overlooks a beautiful beach & even has a pool with a swim-up bar! Even towels, lounge chairs and umbrellas are included for your comfort. Relax by one of two swim-up bars while the kids enjoy special activities organized by the staff just for them. This Puerto Vallarta day pass is perfect for couples, families and groups!

Resort Description:

Hotel Riu Jalisco is a beautiful all-inclusive property with an assortment of dining options, beach access, two swimming pools with swim-up bars AND a children's pool with a small waterslide. Day Passes at the Hotel Riu Jalisco are a great option for cruisers!

Getting There:

Taxi service is easy to get at the cruise ship terminal; the resort is a 25 minute drive from the cruise pier. Although the cruise port is nearby, we always suggest you depart the resort 2 hours prior to your ship’s scheduled departure time.

What's Not Included:

Guest rooms/accommodations

Transfers to/from your cruise ship.

Motorized water sports

Lockers are not available so pack light

Items of a personal nature including spa and gift shop

What's Included:

Day Pass Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm

Unlimited dining for lunch and snacks

Unlimited drinks (alcohol & non- alcohol)

Beach, pools, whirlpools

Use of sauna, gym and whirlpool bath

Loungers, towels & umbrellas

2 poolside bars with swim-up bar

Daytime entertainment programs for adults (daily) and children ages 4 -12

Children's playground

Free WiFi throughout hotel

Bathrooms are available for changing

$89.00 per Adult

$49.00 per Child

We are off the ship…..

After we exited the terminal, through the shops of course, we are able to grab a cab to take us over to the Riu Jalisco. The fare for the four of us was $40 / one way for the about a half hour drive. Here are a couple of views of the Panorama as we leave the terminal area…..

Here is a view of HAL’s Westerdam. She is laid up here in Puerto Vallarta without passengers…..

We pass a nearby Flea Market…..

After a long bumpy ride, we have arrived at the RIU Jalisco…..

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

This is the Lobby of the RIU Jalisco, and also the front desk where we need to check in…..

Once checked in, Patti models our wristbands…..

Once we exit the lobby, it is a long walk to reach the pools and beach. This place is HUGE! You get a nice view of the mountains as a bonus…..

We pass the kiddie pool.....

This is one of the two large pools….

We head over to the other pool, and set up our stuff in the back there under the shade…..

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

That’s the swim up bar in our pool…..

But you don’t need to get wet to get a drink, just walk around to the other side. Even with the large amount of people there, you never had to wait long to be served…..

Of course you need bathrooms nearby…..

It isn’t long before Patti makes friends with an Iguana…..

Patti gets up to take a picture tour of the vast grounds. Here is the closest buffet to the beach…..

This is the Spa…..

Here is another place where you could eat…..

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

This is the view from the pools looking back towards the lobby entrance…..

Here are some more pool views…..

Here is another small poolside bar…..

According to the sign, there are a multitude of places to eat and drink here…..

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

Patti heads towards the beach…..

The surf doesn’t look that rough, but there is a pretty heavy undertow…..

That means that I am only going knee deep in it!

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

Around 2:30 pm or so we decide to pack it up and head to the Lobby Restaurant and get something to eat before heading back to the ship. On the way, Patti makes another friend…..

This is the view from the lobby entrance looking towards the pools and beach….

This is the Lobby Restaurant, though we chose to eat inside. Their buffet was really good and we filled our bellies…..

We asked the concierge to get us a cab, so while we waited Patti got some more shots of the lobby….

The cab came fairly quickly, and the fare back to the ship was only $25. I guess we overpaid on the way here! Here we are leaving the RIU Jalisco…..

To sum it up briefly, we didn’t enjoy this property as much as we have other all-inclusives. I think that this place is just too big, and with too many people, so personal service is non-existent here. All of RIU’s properties are large like this, so we’ll be steering clear if we can. On the plus side, getting a drink or something to eat was never a problem. YMMV.

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

Here are some views as we made our way back to the Panorama…..

The terminal where the Panorama docks is called Puerto Magico…..

To be continued…..

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

We are getting back on board the Carnival Panorama…..

We all head back to the Havana Bar and Pool area…..

It looks like it’s going to rain but it never does…..

Now that looks like a party!

To be continued…..

Hogladyrider · November 25, 2021

@Jamman54having done those ports once I think I would opt to stay on the ship and enjoy the Havana pool area and bar if I were in a Havana cabin. The more "senior" I get the less I am a fan of crowds.

While the pools at the resort were huge it sure looked crowded.

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

1 hour ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Jamman54having done those ports once I think I would opt to stay on the ship and enjoy the Havana pool area and bar if I were in a Havana cabin. The more "senior" I get the less I am a fan of crowds.

While the pools at the resort were huge it sure looked crowded.

I'm in agreement with you. Not a fan of crowds either, that's why I don't think we will do a RIU property again. Just too big and too many people.

Jamman54 · November 25, 2021

While Jim, Pat, and I continue to hang out at the Havana Pool area, Patti heads up top to get some pictures of some of the venues she missed earlier, especially since the ship is still pretty empty. Here are some views of the port area from up on Deck 12…..