My Carnival Panorama Review 10/23/21 - 10/30/21

[klfhngr]

We're in our 50's and traveled with 2 other couples. One couple were newbies, other couple has about 5 cruises under their belt and we have about 20.

 

Embarkation: We were part of group A5. We arrived at port at about 11:30. Parked our vehicle, checked our luggage in. Did the whole process in about 30 minutes! It was quick and great!!!! No complaints! Got our 4 bottles of wine onboard, they never checked nor asked. Newbies were expecting the worse in regards to getting on, due to some reviews, but they were amazed at how fast we got on. Once on board, the staff was amazing! They were all so happy to see us!

 

Cabin: We upgraded for 200 more to the premium balcony 8470. The layout is sort of a pain in the butt, the long hallway feels cramped. But the views and the size of the balcony is awesome!!! We were able to entertain all 6 of us with no problem! Could've fit about 4 more easily! Wife did NOT like the room, I was ok with it. If we travel alone, we'll get the regular balcony, if in a group, we'll book this one again.

 

Ship: The ship looks great!! Still looks new, super clean! Easy to navigate! Staff throughout the ship was super friendly! We hung out by the pool. At first it seems small, but for now, with limited capacity, it seems to work. Not sure what's going to happen once it's at 100%!!! Enjoyed not having a large crowd!!! No lines for anything! Food, drinks, shows, etc., walk right in!! Pizza had a line late night, but that's normal!

 

Food: I know this is subjective, so this is my opinion. We attempted to try different stuff, but it's hard to do that with so many options.

The Steakhouse was ok. Food was good, somewhat salty. Service was ok, but nothing outstanding! Our group felt the same way.

Gigi's: Have to admit, this was our favorite! The soups, the different dishes, etc.!! At first, we didn't think that it would be enough food, we were wrong!!! The chef's know how much to make for a small group! Some in our group thought that some of the dishes were salty, we didn't notice that here.

BBQ: It was ok. The fact that knowing that this is an option is great! If you like BBQ, I think you'll enjoy.

Deli: We had it on last day and wish we made more visits! Sandwiches were great!

Pizza: It was hit and miss, but how can you go wrong with pizza?! The service was the part that was lacking.

Guys Burgers: The bomb!!! I wish they had them here in SoCal!!! Great flavor and variety of stuff to put on your burger!

The Mexican Place (forgot the name!): Great breakfast burritos!

Lido Buffet: It was also ok, but still many options. Food wasn't terrible, so not sure what some people are complaining about.

Dining Room: We enjoyed most meals! The lobster was pretty good, we had too many tails to count! The steak that's offered every night is not good at all, stay away from it if you can! Yes, dishes are MUCH smaller than before, but you can order more or get a soup and salad, and I guarantee that you'll be filled!

 

Piano bar was fun. The Havana Club was awesome! The vibe, the band, etc.! We got to talk and enjoy interacting with the band while they played, lol!! Chino on percussion killed it! The brewery on board was probably our favorite hangout! Good beers and really good drinks!!! Should've spent more time here! Alchemy Bar was ok. I heard great things about it, but it was ok. Atrium bar is a cool place to hangout. The 3 violin players were awesome!!! I heard that they played Metallica, so I yelled it out. One of the players told me that they played 3 of their songs then proceeded to play one! They later played a Nirvana song! Great players!!!

 

Puerto Vallarta: We hired a driver for $30 pp, I negotiated after walking out of all the madness. He had an agenda, but I told him that I've been here many times and that we had our own list. He said ok. We asked to have breakfast where the locals go. He took us to a place by the church, it was great! We ate and drank some great food, chilaquiles, tacos, beans, etc. Our bill was $9!!! We then went to the Malecon, shopping, beer run. We then headed to the jungle to El Eden. Hung out there and had some drinks. Be careful, a little kid got bit by a leach! We then did a tequila tasting, it was great info but the tequilas were not that great. We then headed back and asked for a good dinner place where the locals go. He took us to a really nice restaurant. We had ceviche, huge shrimps, drinks, etc. Our bill was $30! Our friend had a huge snapper, he said it was great! We then headed back to the ship and hung out by the ship to have a few drinks. We must've been the last ones on the ship. Back in the day, this area was hopping, this time, there was no one hanging out!

 

Mazatlan: We went to Lety's on Stone Island. It was ok, not as good as that last few times. We had some shrimp, drinks, shots, coke, etc. Bill was about $40. Be careful here too. Carlos said I want to give you a free shot. So he gave one to me and to a friend. He then charged me 12 bucks! He then proceeds to say, oh, those double shots that I gave you. So one is free and the other is the regular fee!! What a crock and a crook! I was pissed off and told him! As we were leaving, he approached me and apologized and gave me a free one. We then headed to the golden zone, Sr. Froggs, drank at a place next door then headed back to ship. The small tour only costs us $3 pp.

 

Cabo: I was just there in July, so we had an agenda based on the limited time that we had there. We walked the Marina, then walked out and shopped. We then did a tequila tasting, it was a cool hangout spot and we purchased some tequila. We then went to Los Paisas tacos, which were the bomb! We then hopped on a van and headed back to the ship.

 

Props to the following:

Our waiter Putra and his helper Alfred! Putra was amazing! The kindest and friendliest waiter that we've had in years!! He made sure that we were happy with our food and amount of food that we ate, lol!!! If we told him that we wanted to see a show later, he had our meals brought out super fast!! He really enjoyed talking about life in general, his family, home, etc. I feel so bad for them at how hard they work.

Omer at the brewery was awesome!!! We got to know a lot about him and him about us!! The service he provided was awesome! Vitali, Nikolai and Bro were also awesome, these guys work hard to make us happy!!!

Our cabin steward Eric was awesome! Our room was kept tidy, he was very friendly and enjoyed talking!!!! Sometimes we had to run so that he wouldn't engage us (if we were running late). I feel as though they miss people, miss having true conversations, having friends, etc. So when we could, we'd talk for about 5-10 minutes just to spend some time with him.

 

The bad: Not really too much. By the pool, they try to push the 4 beers really, really hard! Be careful, this is why: First stop after get on the ship at Red Frog, I ordered 1 Bloody Mary and 1 IPA. The girl asked if I wanted the 4 beer special. I kindly said no, I'll just take 1 and 1. The other bartender made the Bloody Mary, he then started pouring 1 beer, 2 beers. I said, wait, I only wanted 1! She turns around and said, sir, you said 4! I said NO, I never said 4, I told you no!!! The other bartender tells here to cancel my order. 30 minutes later I'm in my cabin and notice a $46 charge and a $14 charge. I'm thinking, what did I get so far? So I headed to Guest Services. To make a long story short, one charge was for 1 Bloody Mary and 4 beers! The other charge was for 1 Bloody Mary and 1 beer! She charged me for both! I explained what happened to the Guest Service person, and he noticed that I was upset. He said that he didn't understand why she did this but that he would be emailing her manager. Anyhow, be careful and look at your charges!

 

All in all, everyone onboard was kind! The guest on board were all great, seems like everyone wants to get back to normalcy. Many wore masks, there was a small minority that didn't. Also, I noticed many people not washing their hands when exiting the bathroom!! That was gross!!! On some occasions, I'd say 'forgot to do something!' None came back, lol!

 

We'd go back on the Panorama in a heart beat! We selected to be last off the ship and were off at about 1030. Debarkation was a BREEZE!!!! No lines, nothing! No customs was the best part!!! Just showed our face and walked straight out!

 

Another great cruise under our belt! BTW, the newbies are hooked on cruising, lol!!

Edited November 23, 2021 by klfhngr

[CMOTO]

We will be on this ship in April, I'm kinda nervous to see what the changes might be at the end of March when they re-evaluate everything with covid and all the rules.  I'm hoping the 48hr testing and the masks are wayyyy more laxed.      You mentioned the brewery, did you do the tour??  is it a nice size bar or do you need to get there early to get a good seat?    

Thanks for your review!

[klfhngr]

8 minutes ago, CMOTO said:

We will be on this ship in April, I'm kinda nervous to see what the changes might be at the end of March when they re-evaluate everything with covid and all the rules.  I'm hoping the 48hr testing and the masks are wayyyy more laxed.      You mentioned the brewery, did you do the tour??  is it a nice size bar or do you need to get there early to get a good seat?    

Thanks for your review!

You're gonna love it! We'll see what they do with the rules. 

 

No tours due to covid. I'm a home brewer and wanted to do it, but no go. I did talk to the head brew master for a while, he was showing me some stuff. The computer stuff that they use is CRAZY! It's a pretty large area, bar counter gets heavy activity at night, but usually can find seats there or in the lounge area. Like I said, pretty large area!

 

You're welcome!

[CruiseMGM]

Thanks so much for your review! We'll be on the Panorama in April, with a bunch of family members (3 cabins, 9 people). It will be our first Carnival cruise and our first cruise out of Long Beach. Can you expand a little on the parking for the cruise? Lots of spaces? Easy to locate and use? I'm a little nervous about this aspect of the trip!

Thanks in advance!

[klfhngr]

3 hours ago, CruiseMGM said:

Thanks so much for your review! We'll be on the Panorama in April, with a bunch of family members (3 cabins, 9 people). It will be our first Carnival cruise and our first cruise out of Long Beach. Can you expand a little on the parking for the cruise? Lots of spaces? Easy to locate and use? I'm a little nervous about this aspect of the trip!

Thanks in advance!

We drove up at about 1030/1100, plenty of spots on first level. Keep in mind that those getting off the ship were still leaving. I wouldn't worry about parking. Easy to find. When you drive in, stay on the second lane to the left. If you go to far left, you'll be heading to Queen Mary. Second left lane will take you to structure, you can't miss the sign that says CRUISE SHIP PARKING, lol!

 

We've done Royal, NCL, X and Carnival, liked them all and really enjoy Carnival also. 

[TheSeagoer]

I was on the cruise before. Its was the friendliest staff. I was in 9471, nice cabin in the aft. Now you mention , they hallway were a bit narrow, but they are long but its a big ship. Elevators were always close

[sanmarcosman]

The only thing I do differently is drive to the porters who check my luggage and then I continue up to park so I'm not lugging it to them. 😉 

 

I agree, the beef sirloin in the MDR and lido is not good, tough with sinew and gristle running through it. Never reordered it. The petite filet mignon served at Sea Day Brunch is the best piece of beef served that is included in the cruise fare. Its charcoal flavor and tenderness is outstanding.

 

Edited November 25, 2021 by sanmarcosman

[LaRue1975]

Thank you for the review, lot’s of great info in there. We will be on the Panorama for the Sailibration in March in our first cove balcony. I remember you asking lots of questions about them but see you must have upgraded, the price for our cruise has gone way up so we will be staying put. Glad to see you had a great time even with the Covid protocols as we will have to deal with them too, tired of waiting so this one will finally be a go, can’t wait! 

[Markmom18]

I enjoyed reading your review, thank you!
 

 My hubby & I going back on the Panorama in March. 😁  We plan on seeing  the Playlist Production shows, the Comedy Club, the Rope Course and generally go to whatever our son is Hosting.  
 

He said the Fun Squad has been getting ready to start the new CLUE substitute mystery participation thing. Boy, I can’t remember what he called it???  Maybe someone here has heard what the name is?

 

I’m on a little 3 day Radiance cruise in January. Excited to see the upgrades .. 

 

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

Edited November 26, 2021 by Markmom18

[smellywax]

Do you remember the name of the restaurants you ate at for breakfast and dinner in Puerta Vallarta?

[Jamman54]

10 hours ago, Markmom18 said:

I enjoyed reading your review, thank you!
 

 My hubby & I going back on the Panorama in March. 😁  We plan on seeing  the Playlist Production shows, the Comedy Club, the Rope Course and generally go to whatever our son is Hosting.  
 

He said the Fun Squad has been getting ready to start the new CLUE substitute mystery participation thing. Boy, I can’t remember what he called it???  Maybe someone here has heard what the name is?

 

I’m on a little 3 day Radiance cruise in January. Excited to see the upgrades .. 

 

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

We saw Mark hosting karaoke, the Michael's event, some trivia, at Deal or no Deal, and other events. They seem to be keeping him busy! 👍🤗

[kdr69]

On 11/25/2021 at 9:18 AM, LaRue1975 said:

We will be on the Panorama for the Sailibration in March in our first cove balcony.

We will be on same cruise then.  First time in a cove as well and 2nd time on this beautiful ship.

[Markmom18]

12 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

We saw Mark hosting karaoke, the Michael's event, some trivia, at Deal or no Deal, and other events. They seem to be keeping him busy! 👍🤗

   Love my son’s job …. He hosts the activities that I love “to do” when I’m on a cruise anyway!!   It’s extra special that he gets to be THE Host too❣️
 

Just think if were on the Sports Crew??  I might have to play a round of basketball 🏀 … 🤣🤣

 

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

[gotscrapz]

What was was the Michael’s craft? 
We sailed the panorama in October and we’re in the spa when they had it.

the cruise before us was just origami so I wasn’t leaving my lounger In the spa to go check😂

Before  the covid shut down I did crafts on the vista and they were nice projects and I enjoyed them!

Hoping good crafts come back!

[leitmotif]

I'm also a homebrewer. I'll be on the Panorama in just over 2 weeks and I am pretty excited, I haven't been on a cruise in 10 years and this time I am by myself but also with some friends so I get to do whatever the heck I want! I've got no plans for excursions or what to do in Cabo/Ensenada but I figure I'll follow my nose and find some food and maybe a couple bars to post up at in town.

 

What's the situation with masks on board? I'm hoping to wear one as little as possible and I've read so much and it has become overwhelming so I figure first-hand experience would be the best info.

Edited November 30, 2021 by leitmotif

[klfhngr]

On 11/25/2021 at 11:44 PM, smellywax said:

Do you remember the name of the restaurants you ate at for breakfast and dinner in Puerta Vallarta?

I'm sorry, I do not!!! Bad move on my side! But the breakfast place is right across the street from the main church, right on the corner if that helps! The dinner place, it was up in the hills where the locals live. I should've gotten the names! If I have time, I can post a picture of the inside, lol?!

[klfhngr]

46 minutes ago, leitmotif said:

I'm also a homebrewer. I'll be on the Panorama in just over 2 weeks and I am pretty excited, I haven't been on a cruise in 10 years and this time I am by myself but also with some friends so I get to do whatever the heck I want! I've got no plans for excursions or what to do in Cabo/Ensenada but I figure I'll follow my nose and find some food and maybe a couple bars to post up at in town.

 

What's the situation with masks on board? I'm hoping to wear one as little as possible and I've read so much and it has become overwhelming so I figure first-hand experience would be the best info.

Beers were pretty good, not great, but better than the bottled cr ap  that they have 😉 

I was in Cabo in July, you might want to hit up Baja Brewery. Great view, beers pretty good, I liked the Red. Taco Lele's or Tacos Paisa are good spots. Plenty of bars, lol!

 

Most people wore masks, a few didn't. Staff would remind you to put on when entering any food establishments. Some would remind you when you walked around, but that was rare. I chose to wear mine most of the time, but when you're at the pool, no need to wear. No haters if you didn't wear them, so that was nice.

[bmar808]

On 11/23/2021 at 10:21 AM, klfhngr said:

 

Thanks for your great review. I am researching like crazy for our April cruise and yours is the perfect amount of energy and info!! Love it.

 

When you left Stone Island, were there taxis or pulmonias at the ferry dock? We wanted to go to Stone Island and then grab a quick tour of Carpa Olivera and Malecon before returning to the ship? Do you think that would be doable? There are 6 of us altogether but I figure we could take 2 pulmonias if they are easily available?

On 11/23/2021 at 10:21 AM, klfhngr said:

 

Mazatlan: We went to Lety's on Stone Island. It was ok, not as good as that last few times. We had some shrimp, drinks, shots, coke, etc. Bill was about $40. Be careful here too. Carlos said I want to give you a free shot. So he gave one to me and to a friend. He then charged me 12 bucks! He then proceeds to say, oh, those double shots that I gave you. So one is free and the other is the regular fee!! What a crock and a crook! I was pissed off and told him! As we were leaving, he approached me and apologized and gave me a free one. We then headed to the golden zone, Sr. Froggs, drank at a place next door then headed back to ship. The small tour only costs us $3 pp.

 

 

 

 

[klfhngr]

13 hours ago, bmar808 said:

Thanks for your great review. I am researching like crazy for our April cruise and yours is the perfect amount of energy and info!! Love it.

 

When you left Stone Island, were there taxis or pulmonias at the ferry dock? We wanted to go to Stone Island and then grab a quick tour of Carpa Olivera and Malecon before returning to the ship? Do you think that would be doable? There are 6 of us altogether but I figure we could take 2 pulmonias if they are easily available?

 

Awesome, glad it helped!! Yes, when you take the boat back to the 'mainland' and walk out, there are taxis at the dock or on the main street. You do have plenty of time. We left Stone at about 2, we had time to cruise around, shop and have a drink at a bar! This was in Oct. 

[klfhngr]

14 minutes ago, klfhngr said:

Awesome, glad it helped!! Yes, when you take the boat back to the 'mainland' and walk out, there are taxis at the dock or on the main street. You do have plenty of time. We left Stone at about 2, we had time to cruise around, shop and have a drink at a bar! This was in Oct. 

Heads up: I have larger reviews/posts under Mexico Ports.

[bmar808]

10 hours ago, klfhngr said:

Heads up: I have larger reviews/posts under Mexico Ports.

 

Yassss...I'm checking it out now. Thank you!!