Our review of the Panorama 5/28 - 6/4

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Let me know if you guys can see the photos in the last post.  Thanks!

 

[Itried4498]

17 hours ago, Morebeer said:

Just got off the same cruise. Though Joey for being a new cruise director did a really good job. Found the 4 production shows in the Liquid Lounge in the evening to be quite poor. The female lead singer just screeched. Had a cove balcony on deck 2 it was nice being so close to the water but although the weather was clear it was never really warm enough to sit out on the balcony much. The other big complaint I had was the lack of late night food options. The Deli closed at 10pm and the buffet lines on Lido deck earlier then that. After 10pm it was the Pizzeria with a outlandish line or the soft serve ice cream machines and that was it. Debarktation being platinum guests went very smoothly just facial recognition and on our way home. Would certainly like to hear any others comments from this Panorama cruise. 

 

I've seen those production shows, with the same cast, several times.  I was convinced that until recently, the black dude with the dreads was the only one singing live; it seems as if another gentleman took over lead vocals on our last cruise.  But I though all the women were on playback.  Maybe I'm wrong :).

[cruisingguy007]

1 hour ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Let me know if you guys can see the photos in the last post.  Thanks!

 

 

Yes! 

[totz808]

1 hour ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Let me know if you guys can see the photos in the last post.  Thanks!

 

I can see those but not from your previous review posts!

[Coffeehound510]

18 hours ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Day Two - Fun Day at Sea

 

Also, for my vegetarian friends, Guy's DOES have a veggie burger, even though it is not on the menu.  I learned this as my hubby waited for the non-seasoned fries and his burger and some other gentlemen order eight (yes, eight!) veggie burgers for them and their families!  Upon learning this, I, too, went to Guy's and waited for a veggie burger and it was great!  Sadly, there were so many vegetarians on this cruise (or at least I am guessing that was the case), that the delicious veggie burgers were gone by the tail end of the cruise and I was kinda sad.  The staff did try to made their own veggie burgers, but they just weren't the same

 

I am glad to hear things have changed on the Panorama!  On our last cruise on her in January we were told no veggie burgers at Guy's.  We were sent to the deli where we had to wait close to 30 minutes for them to serve us mushy veggie puree patties on dry bread.  It made us so mad we actually complained not only to carnival but Guy's headquarters telling them that carnival was not representing his brand well.

 

Hopefully they won't disappear again.

[john91498]

Nice pics!!! 

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Hooray!  Glad they are showing now.  I will post more, but am a little tired.  Just tested positive for the covid.  Guessing it was from the cruise.  Noticed a lot more coughing at the end of the week than at the beginning and did hear that there was at least one family in quarantine.  Guess these are the chances we take these days.  All three of us have mild symptoms so we are grateful for that.  

[cruisingguy007]

47 minutes ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Hooray!  Glad they are showing now.  I will post more, but am a little tired.  Just tested positive for the covid.  Guessing it was from the cruise.  Noticed a lot more coughing at the end of the week than at the beginning and did hear that there was at least one family in quarantine.  Guess these are the chances we take these days.  All three of us have mild symptoms so we are grateful for that.  

 

Hope you all feel better soon, looking forward to the rest of the review.

[Matco]

seems like more and more people testing positive a day or 2 after returning home... makes me worried about our trip on the 18th, me and my wife already had Covid, she had it September 2021 and I just had it in January this year, we are both vaxxed. To the OP hope you feel better and looking forward to the rest of the review 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Matco

[cruisingguy007]

10 minutes ago, Matco said:

seems like more and more people testing positive a day or 2 after returning home... makes me worried about our trip on the 18th, me and my wife already had Covid, she had it September 2021 and I just had it in January this year, we are both vaxxed. 

 

You should have a lot of antibodies from the previous infections and the additional protection from the vaccine/booster. I'd say your odds are pretty good. I'm pretty sure we had the OG covid just before all heck broke lose and after testing like 20 different times for cold symptoms (I have kids in school and we got notified almost daily of cases), none were positive for covid. We didn't wear masks for our April cruise and were negative when we got home. I did avoid comedy club and shows though, so I'm not sure if that is where most folks are  picking it up, laughing/drinking in close proximity is probably the riskiest event on a ship, even though most seem to blame the dining rooms. I did do excursions, dining rooms, casino, and talked to various passengers onboard and on excursions and made it out unscathed. My kids also did the kids club. Hope you have a great trip and the odds are in your favor.  

Edited June 6, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[jerseygirlinAZ]

On 6/5/2022 at 7:20 PM, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Day Two - Fun Day at Sea

 

Got up at a decent hour and headed to breakfast.  Daughter had ice cream, chocolate milk, and mini croissants.  I had huevos rancheros from Blue Iguana.  We were both happy!

 

 

Daughter went to hang with the grandparents and hubby and I went to check out Cloud 9 spa, which he paid for for me.  It was pretty crowded on sea day and he decided to leave and hit the gym.  The gym was pretty large for a ship and I heard someone say it looked like an LA Fitness.  I can't speak to that as my fat ass did not get to the gym this cruise except to tell hubby it was time for lunch.  I checked out a few of the rooms, some of which I liked and some of which I didn't care for.  Right before lunch, I was able to get a heated lounger, which was nice.  Hubby never made it back to Cloud 9 during the cruise.  I went twice more, but I'm not sure it was the price we paid.  Here is my view (and non-gym legs) from Cloud 9:

 

 

Next we hit Serenity for a drink and to check out the salad bar.  The salad bar was amazing and not crowded anytime we were there.  The chef prepares it for you and there is a lot more available than in the Marketplace.  The Serenity salad bar is only available during lunch on sea days, fyi.  There were a lot of towel animals out by the bar on Serenity:

 

 

 

We went down to Marketplace for lunch as my daughter is picky.  Guy's was packed as was the pizza area.  We liked the fries at Guy's on this ship better than on the Radiance (not sure if they were fresh-cut or frozen).  Had to wait for non-seasoned fries (see "picky daughter").  The biggest issue with this was that my hubby wanted in one line to order a burger and then was told that he had to wait in another line to request non-seasoned fries, even though all the cooks were within 15 feet of one another.  That was annoying, but not anything to ruin a cruise!  

 

We sat in the Tides Bar area as it was outside and never crowded.  If you want a nice spot and to avoid crowds, Tides Bar area is calling you!  Daughter sat at a table while I waited for pizza (and could still see her) and hubby was at Guy's.  It made things easier.  We asked for the whole pizza since we knew there weren't many later night options for eating.  Stashed half the pizza in the fridge.

 

 

Also, for my vegetarian friends, Guy's DOES have a veggie burger, even though it is not on the menu.  I learned this as my hubby waited for the non-seasoned fries and his burger and some other gentlemen order eight (yes, eight!) veggie burgers for them and their families!  Upon learning this, I, too, went to Guy's and waited for a veggie burger and it was great!  Sadly, there were so many vegetarians on this cruise (or at least I am guessing that was the case), that the delicious veggie burgers were gone by the tail end of the cruise and I was kinda sad.  The staff did try to made their own veggie burgers, but they just weren't the same.  

 

After lunch, daughter wanted to go to Club Ocean so we obliged and headed to the Pub Tour/Tasting at Pig and Anchor.  There were about 20 of us there.  It started a bit late, but it was a good time.  It was cool to learn about how they brew beer on a ship. The samples kept coming and we were all friends by the end of the "tour," lol.

 

 

 

After that, we picked up daughter and went to get ready for dinner.  This was our first elegant night.  We ate in the MDR with my parents.  They had eaten there the night before with our daughter and were upset that their table hadn't been moved as one of the chairs was in the main thoroughfare of the waiters.  Hubby and I weren't aware of this, so we were in the dark about what was happening.  We weren't able to change tables that night, but the maitre d came over and offered to move us upstairs to the Horizon dining room for the duration of the cruise.  He also offered a complementary bottle of wine to the table.  Everyone was so nice.  My parents were happy to be moved, but said the staff there was wonderful and they felt a little bad about leaving them.  

 

 

 

 

 

Later, daughter went to Camp Ocean and hubby and I were in the casino again, lol.  Things were up and down in the casino. It was a fun day at sea!  And Wayan again took care of our cabin and critters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More tomorrow!

 

 

Adding the pics from day two since they weren't viewable in my original post.

[jerseygirlinAZ]

DAY THREE - FUN DAY AT SEA

 

Decided to sleep in since we were all out the night before.  Daughter didn't start stirring until after 10:30 a.m.!  I read a book (something I rarely get to do) while she slept and hubby went to the spa.  Daughter couldn't get moving in time for us to catch the late lunch on Lido (closes at 11:30 a.m.) so she had ice cream for dinner and I waited until things opened at noon.

 

Had a pretty low-key day.  Caught the ice sculpting by the pool, which was fun.  Daughter went to build-a-bear, which she enjoyed.  Hubby and I sort of bar hopped around the ship, stopping in to a few places to make sure we got our money's worth from Cheers!

 

My parents had reservations for the steakhouse this night, so it was just the three of us for dinner.  We were moved upstairs, which is where the people who have anytime dining eat.  Our table was beautiful.  We had a great view of the ocean.  We really enjoyed it. The staff were excellent!  Funny thing happened though. Somehow there was a shard/piece of glass on our table.  My husband was running his hands on the table cloth and the glass got stuck in his thumb. Not a major deal, but also not great.  The staff made sure he was fine and asked if he wanted to go to see the ship's health staff.  Nope, not that major. Just needed a band-aid.  A supervisor came over later and offered him a drink, which he declined since we have Cheers!  He was then offered a steakhouse selection, which he said he would use another night.   I was very impressed with all the concern from the staff as it really was a minor thing.  

 

This night the MDR was offering one of my favorite things:  spring rolls!  I took a pic because I just had to.  Sorry we don't have many other pics from this night, and I honestly can't remember what else was offered besides the dessert (remember, we were bar hopping earlier).  Hubby said the chocolate panna cotta was very good.  I obviously had the molten lava cake, which was delicious. 

 

Daughter wanted to go to Camp Ocean again so we let her go for an hour since we had an excursion planned for the next day.  Hubby and I went to the piano bar and enjoyed a set by Dara.  She was awesome!  Definitely a must see.  The piano bar is small, so get there early if you want a seat.  Dara mentioned she would be taking a hiatus to travel and perform up and down the West Coast so she may not be there during your cruise.  

 

Didn't stay out too late since we were going to Puerta Vallarta the next day.  When we got to our cabin, we saw that Wayan continued to take care of our fluffy friends.

 

Next up: Puerta Vallarta!

[bunnyette]

On 6/6/2022 at 2:59 PM, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Let me know if you guys can see the photos in the last post.  Thanks!

 

Yes!  Great photos

[mondello]

On 6/6/2022 at 2:36 PM, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Can I edit my posts?  I can't seem to figure out how to do that.  

Edit button only available for…I think it’s 15 minutes after posting.

 

Thank you for sharing the photos and taking the time to post your review. We like trying different ports so, hope to sail from the West Coast in the near future.

[jimbri]

I can see your photos now.  They are great!

[Drazil65]

me and my wife already had Covid, she had it September 2021 and I just had it in January this year, we are both vaxxed. 

 

Amost same vax (and boosted) and prev covid situation with our family of 3 as you, got off Sunshine on May 28th.  I tested positive 3 days later (congested, sore throat and headache early on), DS tested negative same day but positive couple days later and DH negative (2x) and no covid.  Your guess is as good as anyone elses,  we were somewhat particular about being around crowds for the most part and made the effort (but had a great time).  Who knows where and how but happy we were vaxed and boosted with some antibodies at this point.  

Edited June 8, 2022 by Drazil65

[jerseygirlinAZ]

DAY FOUR - PUERTA VALLARTA

 

Woke up and sent hubby to grab breakfast from the marketplace.  We had an excursion to swim with sea lions to get to!  The breakfast was your typical stuff ... eggs, pastries, sausage, fruit.  Ate a bit and headed off the ship.

 

I've never been on a Carnival excursion before.  We mostly book off-ship or just explore on our own. We got down to the meeting place and stood around for what seemed like a long time though, in actuality, I think we were just early.  We left at about our planned time on an air-conditioned bus with 50 of our newest friends.  

 

The drive to the excursion was about 20 minutes and our driver was great.  We arrived and were taken to our three different groups (some were swimming with dolphins and I don't know what the others were doing).  We got a brief safety briefing and then were off to see the sea lions!

 

This excursions gets mixed reviews on the Carnival site, so we we're sure we were making a good choice.  All in all, we had a great time!  Yes, the time in the tank with the sea lion was about 30 minutes.  Yes, you are with other people you may not know.  And, yes, the photos are gonna cost you some money (and you're kind of on the hook because you are not allowed to take your own photos).  That said, we would recommend this excursion and do it again.  The buffet lunch was pretty good and we ran into some local cats at lunch.  We explored the area a little bit as I believe our excursion wrapped up before the others.  

 

[Joe817]

Incredible pics! Bravo! I love them! 👍

[jerseygirlinAZ]

DAY FOUR - Continued

 

After a while, we all loaded back onto the bus where our super driver maneuvered the huge bus through tight spots and a bunch of traffic.  For those of you heading out on your own, be aware that there is a traffic circle/roundabout that despite its objective to keep traffic moving does the exact opposite.  We sat in traffic for probably a good 20 - 30 minutes. Just something to calculate if you need an uber or taxi back to the pier.  We took a few pics from the bus on the way back to the ship.

 

Once we got back to the pier, we checked out a shop of two.  Got some yummy filled chocolates.  Definitely worth a stop.

 

Once back on board, the kiddo wanted to go to Camp Ocean so off she went.  Hubby and I headed to Lido to grab a snack as we had dinner reservations at 7:30 p.m. at the steakhouse (compliments of the casino).  Had a drink or two and them grabbed the kiddo at 5 p.m. when Camp Ocean closed.  Got her some dinner and took her to the arcade.  The arcade is small and your claw machines aren't worth the money, but my daughter had fun and the others kids seemed to as well.

 

At 7 p.m., we took our daughter to Camp Ocean and headed to Alchemy bar for a drink before dinner as it is right across from the steakhouse.  My parents arrived a little later and then we headed in for dinner.  

[Joe817]

You all are giving yourselves, AND your daughter cherished memories that will last a lifetime for all. 

[jerseygirlinAZ]

DAY FOUR - continued

 

We had another great meal at the steakhouse.  My husband was talking to the casino reps about his play and ratings and managed to get the four of us comped for dinner.  We also got a free bottle of wine, which was great for me as I'm really the only one who drinks wine out of the four of us!  

 

Mom and dad had the shrimp and the Caesar salad.

 

Hubby and I had the tuna tartar and stuffed mushrooms, of which I already posted pics.  Didn't get pics of the steak entrees tonight, but did take pics of my vegetarian meal.  I had the mac and cheese, a baked potato, and onion rings.  Yum!

 

 

 

For dessert, I had the selection of cheeses.  Now, I was stuffed by then, but I totally ordered it knowing I would take it back to the room for later.  It did not disappoint.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't stay out too late this night as we were pretty tired from the day's activities and being out late the night before.  Plus. there was no Night Owls this evening on the ship.  When we got to our room, we saw that Wayan continued to take care of our critters ...

 

 

 

Next up - Mazatlan!

 

Also, I THINK I figured out how to insert pics properly so they don't all show at the end. Please let me know if I was successful or not, lol!

 

[jerseygirlinAZ]

7 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

You all are giving yourselves, AND your daughter cherished memories that will last a lifetime for all. 

 

We had a great time!  Wouldn't trade it, even with the covid.  

[jerseygirlinAZ]

DAY FIVE - Mazatlan

 

Our original plan for Mazatlan was to leave our daughter with my parents on the ship and hike to El Faro Lighthouse.  Well, after partying on the ship and in the casino for a few days, we decided to do something more low-key.  At the recommendation of Dara, the piano player, and some cruise mates who rode next to us to the terminal, we decided to check out Stone Island.

 

Now, here is a tip if you haven't been to Mazatlan and are looking for a taxi.  You have to get on the little jitney pictured here first.  We didn't realize that because there were busses right there to take people on their tours, just no taxis.  So, just an fyi to save someone from looking silly like we looked.

 

 

 

Once we got to the port, we asked how to get to the boat to take us to Stone Island.  We were told to go outside the terminal and turn left and head toward the orange buildings.  We did that and had no issues.  Most of the people along the way were taxi drivers lined up in hopes of taking people somewhere.  We felt pretty safe. 

 

After about a 10 minute walk, we arrived at the boat launch.  It was pretty cheap, like $5 each round trip if I recall correctly.  There are life jackets on the boat, which was good because the boat was not the best I've seen though it did do the trick.  Plus, I get seasick so there's that.  

 

We got across to Stone Island and were greeted by a guy in a pickup who took us in to town.  It wasn't a long drive, but we didn't know where we were going so we paid the $5. Apparently, you can either head to the beach or into town.  We chose the beach.  Our driver dropped us right in front of a restaurant (totally unplanned, right, lol?) and we were welcomed in.  We first walked down to the beach and then came back and went in.

 

 

 

Here you can see the lighthouse up top the mountain.  And in the next picture you can see our view and better choices.  

 

 

 

 

 

The name of this place was El Velero and we enjoyed it very much.  The staff was wonderful.  They offered to get us lounge chairs on the beach, but we were fine with being in the shade.  They brought us free chips and salsa and the drinks were nice!  

 

After a little while, we decided to mosey.  We were dressed to hike so we had on our kicks and work out clothes.  We made due and just took them off, tied them to my backpack, and walked along the shore.  There were some vendors there.  Some were very nice.  Some were a little pushy.  We never had a problem.  

 

There were banana boat rentals and horses on the beach you could ride.  We were just happy to have some relaxing time to ourselves.  So we walked and then popped into another bar.  After a drink, my hubby mentioned that he had heard about a botanical garden somewhere close.  It was just off the beach so we headed up there.  There was a security guard there and, despite having taken five years of Spanish in jr. and sr. high and living in Arizona for the past 16 years, I could not figure out what he was telling us, lol.  Eventually, he charged us $4 each to come in and explore.  I don't think they are officially open yet (or they weren't that day), but we didn't mind.  We were on vacation!

 

 

After exploring the gardens, we decided to head back the way we came.  Found ourselves back in El Velero and ordered some more drinks and a quesadilla.  All of it was great.  Also purchased some jewelry from a vendor there.  The place next store had a band playing so that was nice.  All in all it was a good choice!

 

 

 

Then it was back to the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued....

[jerseygirlinAZ]

The rest of DAY FIVE was pretty uneventful.  We had dinner in the MDR and went to the casino.  Not much else to report.  Sorry ... no pics of dinner tonight.

[urbanhawk]

25 minutes ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

The rest of DAY FIVE was pretty uneventful.  We had dinner in the MDR and went to the casino.  Not much else to report.  Sorry ... no pics of dinner tonight.

I have been following along, and very much enjoying your most informative travelog and pics.. My favorite  photo is of you and the seal, sticking your tongues out!😁. Enjoy those cool  ocean breezes. Summer has arrived in AZ.😯...Steve/Tucson