3HrTourist

3 minutes ago, JTSpitfire said:

So for Alaska cruises to go ahead the US feds will have to suspend the Jones Act to allow departure from a US port.

Only the ones departing from the US would benefit from this action.

Greg,  You have probably covered this question before, but what are you using to take your photos, and what is your process to edit them for the thread?  Your framing is quite excellent.  Thanks

Your review has been an epic.  You found many interesting areas that I totally missed and obviously you are the czar of the Cheers package!  Congrats

6 hours ago, mr. godfredo said:

The only option for a seven night would Ensenada, Catalina, and/or heading north on a California Coastal if Mexican Riviera ports are closed. 

45 minutes ago, woodey said:

There are plenty of ports that are a little farther south besides the major 4 ports Carnival uses. but i dont think you will dock there, because of a few reason, security for one, Another is time, plus Port Authority permissions and staffing.

I have been to all of these port and on  Carnival cruises. I wish they would start docking there again.

They are 

Acapulco

Manzanillo

La Paz

Iztapa /Zihuatanejo

also  Huatulco 

They stop these cruises after the Cartels reared there ugly heads .

Going north the next possible stop would be Santa Barbara, and the authorities here are, of course, very nervous about cruise ships.  I think what you should be most concerned about are problems getting back into California as experienced by the last cruise on the Panorama.  It is common to have to bypass one of the Mexican Riviera ports, but not all three.  The Panorama will be doing the same weekly itinerary into next year(and other lines as well), so there will be an opportunity to reschedule when this situation hopefully settles down.  And also San Diego is a another possible port going south.

4 minutes ago, IDKaren said:

I have been excited for a year for my March 28 cruise on the Panorama!I have not been worried about the virus as I think they are doing a great sanitation job. HOWEVER after the guests this weekend being delayed disembarking for 24 hours over ONE person the hospital decided to test..I am thinking maybe I will cancel. With airlines traveling full and over full these days all I can see is a NIGHTMARE changing and trying to rebook a flight out of LA to Spokane when there are not that many airlines coming here! I can see us getting stuck in LA for days! With carnival now giving credits for another cruise I guess it might be wise to cancel and rebook. Anyone else with these thoughts?

The Panorama will be doing the same itinerary at least until the end of the year, so completely logical to postpone your trip.  Actually the weather may be a little better if you do go later.

39 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Well they do have other coffee places but this one doesn’t open till 7, the ocean plaza one doesn’t open till 8, and Havana doesn’t open till 10.

Somewhat obligatory to spend time in line at the JavaBlue.  They charge extra for decent coffee, but I guess most cruise lines do not make enough money to make it convenient.

12 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I think they go up higher than that. I think they go up real high.

I took the Elegant Affair class and it was $59.  I need to write up my review, but basically we cooked four not-so-simple courses similar to a Food Network format(think Chopped).  At the end we sat down and ate the Chef's version of the menu (what it should have tasted like).  They also served us wine.  Actually a pretty serious class for Carnival.

On 3/1/2020 at 11:57 AM, Saint Greg said:

I’m not happy with the seating situation. I asked for a table for one. They put me at a table for four where five tables for four are basically pushed together into one table. Nobody was at the other tables so I went with it.  Now they’re seating people at all of the other tables.

 

 

I was also on Panorama as a solo, and the dining options are not great for a single.  Doesn't seem to matter if you say you want your own table or not.  I always ending up shoulder to shoulder with other pax.  Bonsai Sushi was the most pleasant situation for me.

It's really difficult to characterize what one may encounter in terms of entertainment today.  Case in point, the new Carnival Panorama MDR still thinks it is cool to request diners to do La Macarena during "showtime".  At the same time,  they had an incredibly talented Latin band in the Havana Bar.  I always check out the live performers first.  Most larger ships seem to have one or two gifted groups.

Bob, Thanks for the very useful comments about Costa.  I may try them despite their poor reviews.  I was on a cruise recently that had dance hosts, but unfortunately a couple of them were so incompetent, that our group leader invited them to our lessons.  I still admire them as they truly attempt to dance with every idle follower who is in the room.  They are probably selected mostly for social skills and I would not disagree with this as a cruise is designed to be for pleasure.     

As stated in this thread, the focus of Cunard's dance music is Int'l Ballroom, which takes a lot of room.  It is very useful to know other compact styles such a Balboa, Salsa, WCS, etc. when space is at a premium(most ships actually).  I have a pretty good list of agents/clubs in the US that book dance voyages and can filter out Cunard trips if someone wants to look at dates.  Not sure that we can PM each other on this forum, though.   Also dance groups tend to reserve rooms for private dances when they are available, which is what we did on QM2 because the group that I was with did not do any ballroom/Latin.    

Bob, I think the most likely way to assure having good dance partners is to be a part of an organized dance group.  I have gone on many dance group cruises, all different styles.  The chances of finding a good partner improves with the size of the group, and it always favors the leaders.  I have only encountered a couple of female hostesses, and they were members of the ship's dance troupe.  They were wonderful followers to whatever I wanted to lead because of their skill level, not necessarily specific style training.  Most of the time, due to the unpredictable nature of the demographics of each voyage, it always seems like a test of adaptation and fundamental leader skills.   Some groups do take hosts, but they are always leaders.  Thankfully some female group instructors make a point to social dance with all the participants.

I guess things have changed a lot in the last few years.  When I was there, there was nothing at the end of the pier(think it was the first one that was destroyed in the hurricane).   The location was basically a pickup point for just a couple excursions.  I decided to explore on my own, walked on a unpaved road to Mahahual, and found a Aussie with small boat who took me snorkeling for a small amount of change.  Returned to the pueblo and had lunch while a local dog flopped at my feet hoping for morsels.  I was the only tourist there that day - had a great Corona moment.  Cruising can sometimes be very rewarding and peaceful.  I hope you find similar experiences.

On 1/28/2020 at 12:00 PM, MarkBearSF said:

 

Yes, although I did order a steak once, about four cruises ago, I'll order a Caesar Salad or a Shrimp Cocktail (no matter how shrimpy) once or twice a voyage when dining in Britannia. 

Luckily, unlike eroller, it's not been an issue for me thus far.

Never been on a ship that serves Caesar Salad with the proper anchovies.  Upon request they always give to one a side dish of enough anchovies for 10 salads.

Beyond the contamination issue, taking a very long flight is never a good idea if one think's they may be in the first stages of a virus, particularly this one.  Not necessarily an easy decision for some pax to make without personal medical advice.  

On the Panorama the White Party was one of the nightly events(maybe 1 hour in length) that the CD hosted in the Atrium.  As other observers have noted, the Vista Class Atrium holds fewer pax at max capacity.  I did not attend but concur with Snooptoo that not many dressed for it based on what everyone was wearing that night in the rest of the ship.   Wouldn't pack a suit or dress for it if that helps. 

I have not read any posts about the Spa Cafe in the Solarium.  It was my favorite for breakfast as it was healthy, quiet, and uncrowded on my voyage.  Smoothies and some juices were extra $.  All vegan choices, but all very delicious and a wonderful offset to the excessive calorie intake that is likely to occur later in the day.🙂  I did not get a chance to try their lunch buffet. 

On 5/31/2019 at 1:07 AM, HolsAddict said:

I agree with all the comments above! The ads say the cruise is aimed at the "18-35 year old's that have never cruised before"! I'm booked on the Dominican Daze in October 2020 with some friends that I made on my first solo cruise at Christmas on the Epic. The average age of the 4 of us is 50 (i'll be 55!!) and we intend to give the younguns' a run for their money!!!! 😀 Bring it on!!!😀

I have been on the Epic twice and in contrast I really hope this new ship is modern, sophisticated and has a logical design.  In regards to the demographics, one's mental age is more important  than chronological age when considering fitting into a social setting.  My guess is that VV will be creative and will not be requesting their guests to do the chicken dance during the middle of dinner.  I look forward as well to sailing on her.

On 2/8/2020 at 11:12 AM, cbaker1974 said:

I think this is a great perspective...at the end of the day, what we may be looking for is "something new" or "something different".  I admire all of the folks who are diamond or platinum or whatever top loyalty statuses are for different lines - some of the perks are really nice.  However that also comes with having to eat a lot of Guys Burgers or Chops steakhouse, or Cagney's ... I'm sure it gets old after awhile.  I'm eager to check out NCL next and will probably try to rotate lines to keep things fresh...some people like consistency, but I want to be careful not to fall into too much of a routine while on vacation.

Having returned to Carnival on a Vista class after many years, I agree with your assessment.  Carnival is focused on certain demographics, and I came to the conclusion that  I am no longer within that demographic.  Having gone with groups in the past, maybe I ignored some of the negatives.  Their entertainment is still excellent.  "Free" food is average, but many good options for extra $.  Their new app is very good.  Quiet areas can be found.  Some public areas are crowded.  The Havana area is a plus.  But to get back to this thread's topic - for a second cruise, yes, I would try Carnival again. 

Well, it is Carnival so no black tie requirements.  Surprisingly many pax actually made a effort to dress for dinner on the two elegant nights.  

I did the Elegant Dinner class.  Carnival is usually all about simple pleasures, but....

It was a little serious - really more like being on "Chopped".   Four not so simple dishes prepared in two hours.  I think the shorter classes would probably be better for most people.  Also it is good to enroll as a couple or partners.  I will be doing a review of my experience as soon as I recover my pride.👨‍🍳     

Serenity being in the bow is windy when at sea, is rather busy, and usually it is cooler as well.  They have a salad bar for lunch.  Loud music from the pool area may be heard at times.  Wind is also a factor regarding the deck areas of the eateries on Deck 5 and I found them to be the most pleasant and quiet while in port.  I guess I should write up a separate review as I do not want to further hijack this thread. 

I was on this same sailing and I agree with you about the food going downhill.  Basically, to get good eats, one needs to pay extra.  I found the very limited dinner buffet to be particularly awful, even for Carnival, and should be avoided at all costs.

Thanks for the directions.  I wish I had found this area as the "Serenity" area is anything but serene and does not come close to the solitude of Celebrity's Solariums.