PANORAMA...give me those cruise reviews to Mexican Riviera

[mitsugirly]

We just booked the Panorama to the Mexican Riviera and I'm super excited! This will be the first time we have ever cruised to the Mexican Riviera. 

 

So, any of you that have reviews, blogs and/or websites for the Panorama OR the ports in the Mexican Riviera, please give me a link. I'm ready to soak up as much information that I can about this ship and the ports and love reading the reviews (especially if there's pictures involved) 😉 

 

Itinerary:

Day 1: Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Departs at 4:30 PM

Day 2: Fun Day At Sea

Day 3: Cabo San Lucas | 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Day 4: La Paz | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Day 5: Mazatlán | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Day 6: Puerto Vallarta | 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Day 7-8: Fun Day At Sea

Day 9: Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Arrives at 9:00 AM

[Saint Greg]

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/category/port-of-call/mexican-riviera/
 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/category/cruise-blog/panorama/
 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/category/port-of-departure/long-beach/
 

 

[Jamman54]

I have one in my signature Kim. Slightly different itinerary. 

[Lil Angels]

Question about ship time vs the port time.

Puerto Vallarta | 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM does the ship stay on Pacific Time meaning is this stop actually 11am - 11pm Puerto Vallarta time?

[mitsugirly]

37 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/category/port-of-call/mexican-riviera/
 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/category/cruise-blog/panorama/
 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/category/port-of-departure/long-beach/
 

 

 

I have your blog saved...I should have thought to look on there for one. Thanks!

 

36 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

I have one in my signature Kim. Slightly different itinerary. 

 

Thanks Jeff!

[edspec]

Here's mine, 

 

Also, the ship and port times are often different.  I find it easiest to wear a not smart watch to track ship time, and my phone for port time.  I've been on Panorama three times, all three great cruises.

[john91498]

here's a great review:

 

 

[mitsugirly]

36 minutes ago, edspec said:

Here's mine, 

 

Also, the ship and port times are often different.  I find it easiest to wear a not smart watch to track ship time, and my phone for port time.  I've been on Panorama three times, all three great cruises.

 

Awesome! Thank you. You gave me an idea on a place to stay maybe. 

[mitsugirly]

7 minutes ago, john91498 said:

here's a great review:

 

 

 

Yes, I've already been reading hers. Thank you

[edspec]

3 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

 

Awesome! Thank you. You gave me an idea on a place to stay maybe. 

Residence Inn, The Maya, and Queen Mary are all on the terminal side of the harbor so all within walking distance.  We stayed at the Queen Mary the first time we sailed on Panorama.  The night before boarding Panorama I told DH it was ok but I didn't need to stay there again.  When we walked across the parking lot to the terminal the next morning I changed my mind.  QM was closed during Covid but recently re-opened.  If you want to combine history with a modern cruise you may want to give it a whirl.  Also, parts of the Poseidon Adventure were filmed on QM2 so there is that cruise connection. 

[vwrestler171]

I love that ship and the 7 day itinerary.  I haven't been to La Paz, so I can't comment on there.  Mazatlan and Cabo are 2 of my favorite ports.

[mitsugirly]

1 hour ago, edspec said:

Residence Inn, The Maya, and Queen Mary are all on the terminal side of the harbor so all within walking distance.  We stayed at the Queen Mary the first time we sailed on Panorama.  The night before boarding Panorama I told DH it was ok but I didn't need to stay there again.  When we walked across the parking lot to the terminal the next morning I changed my mind.  QM was closed during Covid but recently re-opened.  If you want to combine history with a modern cruise you may want to give it a whirl.  Also, parts of the Poseidon Adventure were filmed on QM2 so there is that cruise connection. 

 

You have to tell me more about this Queen Mary. I seen pictures of it in the water but didn't realize you could actually stay there. 😶

[notscb]

The itinerary you posted is the preferred route as you get a full day in Cabo versus the other way around where you'd only get half of a day in Cabo. Overall, the Panorama gets pretty favorable reviews around these boards and others have posted their reviews for you to see. @deladane has a review on the main page that you might want to check out as well!

 

We just went to PV for a week (after our Panorama cruise got cancelled) and loved every minute of it. We will definitely be back and there's plenty to see and do.

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Love the Panorama!  Probably my favorite ship!

 

One of my favorite parts of Panorama is the steakhouse.  It is right next to the piano bar and they open the wall so you can hear the piano music during dinner.  Just love it!

 

In PV, we've done the swim with sea lions and Rhythms of the Night excursions.   We loved both of those.  Different kinds of fun, but tons of fun nonetheless.

 

Gotta see the arch in Cabo. We did a pirate ship excursion (we have an 8-year old).  It was okay.  A little cheesy, but fun.  If you like massages, Sandbar offers them.  It's a beachfront bar/restaurant with the massages happening on the second floor.  We tried to get in for some on our last visit, but we didn't book ahead so we were SOL.  I feel like Cabo is just fun regardless of what you do.  Medano Beach is great and just walking around is cool, too. 

 

In La Paz, we attempted to swim with the whale sharks.  I know everyone says to do this, but we had an awful experience.  Tour company kept changing the time on us.  I get that the government regulates how many boats can go out and at what time, but don't tell me to check in at 10 if we aren't going out until 1 p.m.  We waited three hours for our tour to leave.  I was nervous about getting back to the ship on time.  They assured me we would make it.  We had horrible seas that day.  The boat was overloaded.  The offered wet suits and fins, but there was no space to actually put them on.  After a long time, we finally spotted some whale sharks.  The first four people went into the water.  They lost their snorkel gear and immediately called for the boat to come get them.  The rest of us ten passengers refused to get into the water.  The swells were so high and the boat was slamming down so hard that the battery disconnected multiple times.  The operators said they would drop us at a port close to the ship and have a van waiting for us.  They didn't.  They put us off on a beach without securing the boat.  My husband got injured getting off the boat.  We ran to the road and just happened to see a taxi.  We flagged him down and he got us to the ship with five minutes to spare.  Of the 14 of us on the boat, nine of us were cruise ship passengers.  I've never been so stressed.  I know others have had great experiences doing this and I wish we had, too, but that's not how it was.

 

In Mazatlan, we went to Stone Island and enjoyed a beach day.  Had a nice time.  On our second time to Mazatlan, we wanted to hike to the lighthouse, but it was the day after La Paz and we were both feeling sore from the previous day.  

 

You'll have a blast in Mexico!  It's a great place and Panorama is a great ship!

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Oh, another thing about Panorama is that great feature in the atrium!

 

[LatinaInTexas]

How exciting, a new itinerary for you. I loved the ship and the Mexican Riviera was my favorite itinerary so far. There were so many interesting, fun excursions I wanted to do so had a hard time choosing. This is the first itinerary I actually want to do again.

[smarterman64]

7 hours ago, Lil Angels said:

Question about ship time vs the port time.

Puerto Vallarta | 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM does the ship stay on Pacific Time meaning is this stop actually 11am - 11pm Puerto Vallarta time?

you will at least change one hour ahead to be no more than 1 hour from ship time to port time. the 2nd change is usually up to captain's discretion

[oakridger]

4 hours ago, smarterman64 said:

you will at least change one hour ahead to be no more than 1 hour from ship time to port time. the 2nd change is usually up to captain's discretion

 

The other cruise lines I have been on all change the ship time to match port time.  It seems so much less confusing that way.

 

Why does Carnival do this with the ship time being different than the port time?  They must have a reason, but I can't guess what it might be.

 

~Nancy

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, notscb said:

The itinerary you posted is the preferred route as you get a full day in Cabo versus the other way around where you'd only get half of a day in Cabo. Overall, the Panorama gets pretty favorable reviews around these boards and others have posted their reviews for you to see. @deladane has a review on the main page that you might want to check out as well!

 

We just went to PV for a week (after our Panorama cruise got cancelled) and loved every minute of it. We will definitely be back and there's plenty to see and do.

 

Good to hear I have to good itinerary! 🙂  

 

I have a feeling that after we do this cruise, we will fall in love with the Mexican Riviera and do a land vacation to some of the ports. (That's what we've done with the Caribbean ports and absolutely love our land vacations because we get to do and explore everything you wouldn't otherwise get to do on a short port stop). Do you have any suggestions on things to do in PV?

[mitsugirly]

11 hours ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Love the Panorama!  Probably my favorite ship!

 

One of my favorite parts of Panorama is the steakhouse.  It is right next to the piano bar and they open the wall so you can hear the piano music during dinner.  Just love it!

 

In PV, we've done the swim with sea lions and Rhythms of the Night excursions.   We loved both of those.  Different kinds of fun, but tons of fun nonetheless.

 

Gotta see the arch in Cabo. We did a pirate ship excursion (we have an 8-year old).  It was okay.  A little cheesy, but fun.  If you like massages, Sandbar offers them.  It's a beachfront bar/restaurant with the massages happening on the second floor.  We tried to get in for some on our last visit, but we didn't book ahead so we were SOL.  I feel like Cabo is just fun regardless of what you do.  Medano Beach is great and just walking around is cool, too. 

 

In La Paz, we attempted to swim with the whale sharks.  I know everyone says to do this, but we had an awful experience.  Tour company kept changing the time on us.  I get that the government regulates how many boats can go out and at what time, but don't tell me to check in at 10 if we aren't going out until 1 p.m.  We waited three hours for our tour to leave.  I was nervous about getting back to the ship on time.  They assured me we would make it.  We had horrible seas that day.  The boat was overloaded.  The offered wet suits and fins, but there was no space to actually put them on.  After a long time, we finally spotted some whale sharks.  The first four people went into the water.  They lost their snorkel gear and immediately called for the boat to come get them.  The rest of us ten passengers refused to get into the water.  The swells were so high and the boat was slamming down so hard that the battery disconnected multiple times.  The operators said they would drop us at a port close to the ship and have a van waiting for us.  They didn't.  They put us off on a beach without securing the boat.  My husband got injured getting off the boat.  We ran to the road and just happened to see a taxi.  We flagged him down and he got us to the ship with five minutes to spare.  Of the 14 of us on the boat, nine of us were cruise ship passengers.  I've never been so stressed.  I know others have had great experiences doing this and I wish we had, too, but that's not how it was.

 

In Mazatlan, we went to Stone Island and enjoyed a beach day.  Had a nice time.  On our second time to Mazatlan, we wanted to hike to the lighthouse, but it was the day after La Paz and we were both feeling sore from the previous day.  

 

You'll have a blast in Mexico!  It's a great place and Panorama is a great ship!

 

Who did you use to swim with the sea lions? We are trying to decide if we want to swim with them or dive with them. I thought swimming with the sea lions was in Cabo? I have seen pictures of people going to the arch, Pelican Rock for the sea lions and then mention going to lovers/divorce beach afterwards. ??  Or can you swim with the sea lions in both ports?

 

Thanks for the heads up on Medano Beach in Cabo. I will look that up as well. 

 

I was reading your story over on deladane's review and OH MY GOSH! I would have had heart failure. Thank goodness we've swam with the whale sharks during our land vacation to Isla Mujeres and it was the most amazing experience we've ever had. I hope you get to try this again some day and be successful. 

 

I have seen people mention Stone Island in Mazatlan. I'm going to research a little more about it (have also seen mention of Goat Island). 

 

Thanks for all of the info! I appreciate it. 

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

How exciting, a new itinerary for you. I loved the ship and the Mexican Riviera was my favorite itinerary so far. There were so many interesting, fun excursions I wanted to do so had a hard time choosing. This is the first itinerary I actually want to do again.

 

I'm so excited but yet a little nervous because I have read and seen pictures about the water not being as clear, the water being colder, the water being harsher with waves, and it's not the aqua blue color so I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about it. lol  But we will see. 

 

 

3 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

The other cruise lines I have been on all change the ship time to match port time.  It seems so much less confusing that way.

 

Why does Carnival do this with the ship time being different than the port time?  They must have a reason, but I can't guess what it might be.

 

~Nancy

 

Exactly! I'm wondering why they don't change as well when the other cruise lines do. This is going to be so confusing and stressful. 

[LatinaInTexas]

35 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

 

I'm so excited but yet a little nervous because I have read and seen pictures about the water not being as clear, the water being colder, the water being harsher with waves, and it's not the aqua blue color so I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about it. lol  But we will see. 

 

 

 

Exactly! I'm wondering why they don't change as well when the other cruise lines do. This is going to be so confusing and stressful. 

This is all true lol. That's why I didn't chance booking anything beach related. We did a horseback riding with a bbq lunch that was awesome and a whale watching excursion, saw plenty of whales. This was in February, we had perfect weather.

[smarterman64]

52 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

 

I'm so excited but yet a little nervous because I have read and seen pictures about the water not being as clear, the water being colder, the water being harsher with waves, and it's not the aqua blue color so I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about it. lol  But we will see. 

 

 

 

Exactly! I'm wondering why they don't change as well when the other cruise lines do. This is going to be so confusing and stressful. 

if you want to figure out what port time is, i would look at the official port calendar, if they have one, since that will be on local time. 

[edspec]

@mitsugirly Here is a link to the QM site, https://queenmary.com/

and a link to an article on what's been going on w/ her since we stayed in December 2019. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-04/queen-mary-once-a-sinking-white-elephant-shows-signs-of-remarkable-revival#:~:text=Although the ship still needs,for weddings and other gatherings.

What I didn't like about the hotel in 12/19 was that our rooms weren't decorated in a glamourous Art Deco style, more of a mid 60s hotel decor with what looked like indoor outdoor carpet.  Also, we had drinks at the Observation Lounge and the carpet was filthy.  The LA Times article explains that there was some upkeep, including a revamp of the Observation Lounge and new flooring.  Given that I will definitely book QM again.

The ship itself was amazing.  A huge promenade deck with larger than life size blow up photos of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and other historical figures.   There are a lot of tours you can take as well, depending on interests and arrival/departure time. Finally, you cannot beat skipping across the parking lot to the terminal 🙂

[mkcurran]

I've done this cruise many times.

 

For Cabo I recommend any Carnival excursion, makes tendering easier and less stressful.

For Mazatlan I've used this vendor: Mazatlan Tours, Activities, and Excursions

The Stone Island beach break gives you a brief catamaran tour, beach time, open bar, lunch and two activities each, such as snorkeling, banana boat rides, horseback riding, etc.

I've used them in PV as well: Puerto Vallarta Tours, Activities, and Excursions

There I did the city and tequila tour. Lately I've been going to Playa del Muerto, and hitting the beach club at La Palapa. It's got a minimum spend, which is easy to reach with lunch. The parasailing guys set up right there, so grabbing a quick ride is easy.

Just know the first and the last sea days can be breezy and cool, so bring a jacket. 

As for the ship, I sailed on her for the first-time last year and was pleasantly surprised. Never seems too crowded. The lay out is nice. We spent a lot of time outside of Ocean plaza at the tables and daybeds catching sun and relaxing.