Itried4498

That's pretty naïve. Most every company will tend to act as if "everything is great and normal," until they're forced otherwise -- and even then they'll provide a softened, plush explanation. The goal is not to disturb the customer. Per the Vista's AIS data, it does appear to have been experiencing a significant number of delays lately, but most are modest (30 - 60 minutes). Is the issue due to mechanical? Weather? Human error? If it was the former, I suspect Carnival would've made adjustments to the itinerary by now. Multiple delays into Cozmuel collectively lead into a huge loss of tour commissions, and I doubt Carnival wants that...

Delta will make numerous schedule changes over the next 7 months, so I wouldn't sweat these details at this moment in time. Next January, DL is operating a 12PM flight to MSP from SNA (John Wayne/Orange County). I'd feel a lot more comfortable with that option than LAX. Yes, you're allowed to change onto this flight, even if your inbound remains LAX.

I didn't, but it wouldn't have surprised me. I did see a much poorer etiquette than normal... things like lots more people than normal blaring their music via speakers, a strong stench of weed on the deck some evenings, etc. On Sunday, a group of young (probably middle school aged) girls removed their coverings and began twerking in a string bikini while one of their mothers filmed (TikTok performance?) screaming at anybody walking by who appeared to be watching (something like 'perverts...they're just little girls.') It's like flying Spirit Airlines... The great news is (a) the cruises are cheap (the next few Panorama cruises are sold out, but when interior rooms open up there's a special CA resident rate of around $550 all-in for two adults); (b) if you like people watching, you'll have a blast; and (c) none of this has to impede of your vacation -- you'll still have a great time. Especially for $550.

Card games are still a popular socializing activity especially among older ethic groups, and Los Angeles is home to some of the largest ethic groups in the country. Few people are going to pay the average pre-COVID cruise fare and spend the entire week playing cards.... but depressed fares make it a lot more attractive.

Yes it was. Large groups rearranged tables and sat directly in front of the windows playing cards literally the entire day. Very few people remained onboard the ship at port, so it wasn't much of an issue midweek, but definitely impeding during sea days. Thankfully, few people know about Pig & Anchor...

I strongly disagree. I disembarked the Panorama the same day the OP embarked. There's absolutely NO evidence to support that the ship is woefully understaffed, or that staff is woefully undertrained. The majority of staff have been with the ship for months (many since last July), and staff coming aboard are experienced. Carnival sold tens (hundreds?) of thousands of rock-bottom fares. Many, if not most, of the people who purchased them are first-time cruisers. A lot of them are large families traveling together, large parties looking to have a good time, etc. As I previously posted, much of the "chaos" will subside after a day or so when people learn how to navigate the ship. where "stuff" is, how to make reservations, etc But there's nothing you can do about the people who are there to party, the Chinese-speaking tourists who rearrange the tables around the windows within the buffet area and then play cards all day. These are people who wouldn't be traveling if not for the rock-bottom fares... you have to tolerate them, or wait it out until "traditional" cruisers return.

PV, Cabo & Cancun (including surrounding areas) account for nearly all of the international beach tourism into Mexico, so it isn't surprising PV & Cabo are the highlights of Mexican Rivera tours. I haven't been to Stone Island, but IMO, Mazatlán is the most underrated beach destination in Mexico. The beaches aren't the best in the world, but they're nice and uncrowded, and the adjacent walkway stretches for miles (one of the longest in the world). Food/drinks is delicious (and much cheaper than PV & Cabo) and anything you're tempted to buy in Mexico will be much cheaper here. There's a large number of Canadian ex-pats living here (as well as winter snowbirds), and many volunteer to help when ships are docked. A few years ago (mid 2010s), Mazatlan was dropped from most itineraries due to safety perceptions, and replaced with either a second night in PV, second night at Cabo, Ensenada or La Paz. I'm glad Mazatlan is back....

The dome was built by Long Beach in the early 1980s to house the Spruce Goose, as a companion tourist attraction to the Queen Mary intended on boosting attendance. The owners of the Disneyland Hotel held the leases to operate both attractions; Disney acquired them in the late 1980s when it purchased the company (because it wanted to own the Disneyland Hotel). Yes, Disney proposed turning the area into a theme park w/a cruise terminal, but abandoned the project in the early 1990s and terminated its leases, claiming operating losses on both attractions. The dome was converted into a cruise terminal in the late 1990s, when Carnival acquired the lease to half the facility; they acquired the lease to the full facility a few years ago and expanded operations. But even pre-COVID, the facility couldn't handle 4,000+ passengers arriving and 4,000+ passengers departing at the same time...

One thing I've noticed about CC, is that when it comes to negative reviews, when it rains, it pours. it is very unlikely, for example, that the OP checked in for dinner, was assigned a table, arrived at the restaurant on-time... and then found out his table was given away and was added to the bottom of the wait list. It could be that the OP missed the 10-minute window to check-in to the restaurant after his table was assigned (you have more time in practice... if you click 'I'm On My Way," you get 10 more minutes, and even if you didn't, I'd bet staff would wait 15-20 minutes before reassigning it). You'd have far less symphony for the OP if he admitted that on a busy night, he took 15+ minutes to check-in after this table was assigned :). From the OP's comments that he didn't realize restaurants were open beyond 9PM, or that he could view his sign-and-sail account detail through it (that kiosk has been broken for months, and there's little reason for Carnival to fix it), I'm betting that most likely, he was just unfamiliar with it. Most likely, the OP did what 4,000+ other passengers on the ship did -- book a super cheap cruise ($249pp with free/discounted spa treatments is hardly full fare...) and is now overwhelmed by the crowds, many of which are first-time cruisers and just learning the ropes of cruising let alone the ship. We experienced this last week... things will get better within a day or two. Most of his other concerns -- package inclusions, room cleanliness, incorrect billing, etc. will be thoroughly addressed once he brings them up with staff. If they were as bad as described, and time consuming to correct, then the OP should let guest services know and request an OBC of some amount for compensation.

The Great Vacation Guarantee was short-lived and hasn't been around for many years. IIRC, it began circa 2013 in response to poor bookings following the so-called Poop Cruise, and was extended until 2015 after NCL or Royal matched it. IIRC, while it began as no questions asked, toward the end you had to have experienced a problem that Carnival was unable to reasonably address. Unfortunately, such program wouldn't work in today's world. Millennials and Gen Z (and I'm an older Millennial) live in a "deals" world where this would be marketed as "get PAID to take a 3-day cruise from Long Beach to Puerto Vallarta."

Yes. Me and probably at least half the people on the floor will peak at any unsealed item that's garnering attention (e.g. glossy postcards). Surprise!

A few thoughts: -- As it is, Carnival Corporation is having a hard time getting its legacy passengers -- largely the big-spending 50+ crowd -- back. Any MAJOR cut-back would have to be well thought out, or they'd alienate (possibly forever) their core consumer. -- It's inevitable that prices for bingo, alcohol, premium restaurants, etc. will increase. But as these are avoidable charges, there's a ceiling to these price increases. If you double the price of bingo card, I'm not going to play. If you increase drinks by 33%, I'm going to do most of my drinking in Mexico off ship. $50 to get into the steakhouse? That's on par with what I'd pay at many steak restaurants even in Los Angeles. Why bother to pay for a meal, when plenty of good food is available for free? -- Offering limited, crappy meal selections in the buffet or in the restaurant would constitute a major cutback. A change like this... would probably having me seeking refunds on future bookings, and spending my vacation money elsewhere.

I just got off the Panorama yesterday and can help address a few of your points: -- The ship left Los Cabo on-time on Thursday, but we experienced rough seas on our way back to Los Angeles -- easily one of the roughest rides I ever experienced, which is uncharacteristic for early May. On Friday morning, Joey announced that the captain was hoping to arrive by 8:30AM Saturday, but it could be as late as 9:30AM. Miraculously, we docked around 7:40AM, but it wasn't until around 9AM when the first passengers were able to leave the ship. We had Zone 25 (the last zone) baggage tags, and were called to leave & left the ship shortly before 11AM, but there were hundreds of passengers still onboard (way more than there should be). Normally the ship begins unloading shortly after 7:30AM... the delay likely lead to more people staying in their cabins until 9AM (and probably later), which impacted the level of cleanliness. Obviously the entire event also delaying the boarding process. -- The Long Beach Terminal is a converted museum; it's hardly an ideal cruise terminal, and certainly isn't designed to handle thousands of people trying to board and de-board a cruise ship at the same time. But while it may seem chaotic, it's very organized (it'd be better organized if they enforced arrival times when entering the line extending outward from the building). Luggage drop-off is adjacent to the parking garage/through (drop-off) area. If you arrive early, there's going to be more people trying to drop off their bags than there are porters, and the porters will generally serve first those who dangle large bills in front of them. -- If you experience any problems with your cabin, let your steward know. Our bathroom had a foul, sewage smell, and at least six people were sent into our cabin to clean it up. The floor supervisor and guest relations manager personally visited our cabin to ensure it was cleaned up. That said, I'd freak out if I saw roaches... they're on every cruise ship, but I've never seen them in my cabin. Given the large number of people who piggishly stockpile dirty plates in their rooms, I'm not surprised. -- Cheap cruise fares attract a large number of first time cruisers. After a day or two, they will learn the ship, and things will get better. -- Always use the app to plan your day around restaurants, shows, activities and events you'd like to see. The hours may not be the same as your prior cruises, but you should never be surprised.

Carnival's prices are on the rise and I wouldn't expect that to reverse itself anytime soon. Carnival literally gave away staterooms, hoping it'd make up the difference in incidental spending, but for many bottom feeders, I doubt that is happening, which will force Carnival to rethink its pricing strategy and be more selective to who receives such offers. In one of its earnings calls last year, Wynn Resorts (Las Vegas) mentioned how they lowered room rates thinking it'd attract a crowd that could provide some revenue, but instead attracted bottom feeders who were more interested in taking advantage of cheap rooms and partying (BYOB). Wynn acknowledged it would be very selective in discounting going forward. I bet Carnival will come to the same conclusion.

We had a fantastic cruise on the Panorama last week. Here's some raw thoughts comparing this cruise to our last on the Panorama in early February. -- We saw way more Blue cards than anything else, which is consistent with some of the observations reported on this forum, and some hard numbers recently posted by Jon Herald for a cruise out of Jacksonville. Unfortunately, it appears much of this is driven by the historically low fares Carnival offered, as the crowd was reminiscent of a Spirit Airlines flight and largely lacked cruise etiquette. No, you cannot reserve the seats around you in an otherwise full comedy club, claiming it's for other passengers safety because you recently came into contact with somebody who tested positive for COVID (yes, this really happened). No, you cannot have the elevator to yourself, justifying it by loudly proclaiming that you watch Dateline, know what happens on cruise ships, and a grown man (who is traveling with his family, who are elsewhere on the ship) shouldn't be alone with a mother and her teenage daughters. No, it's a not a good idea to re-arrange the tables overlooking the window in the buffet area, then play cards all through the lunch and dinner hours -- please let others enjoy the view; there are plenty of tables off the beaten path that can accommodate you (it wasn't just one group, but rather multiple Chinese-speaking groups). And, of course, the most memorable: a group of middle school aged girls wearing nothing nothing but a string bikini (that's inappropriate for an adult), twerking and doing other dances while their MOTHER filmed, insisting that anybody who watched is a pervert. -- The cruise was largely full. The evening before the cruise, everything but a handful of interior rooms were sold out. Easily 1,000+ more people than in early February. TBH, I was really surprised by the number of kids -- I wasn't expecting to see hundreds of school aged kids during the first week of May. When I was in school (I graduated in 2000), if we missed more than 3 days per quarter / 10 days per school year, we had to make them up. Times have changed! Ironically, in spite of the larger crowd, it was LESS difficult to find a spot in the hot tub, bars, lounges, etc. than in February. Every single show in the theater had a modest crowd at best, way fewer than in February; the turn out to Celestial Strings was extremely poor. The comedy club was an outlier, as shows generally filled before show time. Waits in the MDR hit 45 minutes the first night, 2+ hours the second (first formal)... then dropped to 5-15 for the remaining nights, sans Thursday (second formal), when it was 30 minutes. -- The Fun Squad and Playlist Performers (no staffing changes) were awesome and the comedians (lead by Sebastian) were the best we've seen. I do wish Carnival would update its shows... Deal or No Deal hasn't been relevant in ages, and while other cruise lines are adding full theatrical performances, Carnival is going all-in on Celestial Strings - a show so dull that it generated maybe one-fifth the audience of the Love & Marriage. Most of the ships' crew has been with the Panorama since last July (when it re-entered service), and despite the long tenure, all were excellent. It's my understanding that Carnival isn't allowing them to stay on beyond ~10 months, so a large number of them are gradually exiting the ship (including one Fun Squad member last week). -- This was Joey's second cruise since taking over Cruise Director from Christian... we much preferred Christian's energy, but warmed up to Joey's laid backness and sense of humor. It seems that the crew overwhelming enjoys working with Joey, so I assume his personality is genuine. -- My PSA: Los Angeles is a huge population center relatively close to Mexico, so historically we've seen a ton of cruise ships, operating primarily Sep/Oct - Apr/May. However... Los Angeles is NOT a tropical climate. Cruises will generally feel cold year-round on the first and last day. Often, finding a place under the sun will nullify this. But sometimes (e.g. those few days when it's cold out - generally in Dec/Jan, after the sun goes down, etc.) there's nothing you can do about it, like the last day of this cruise when the sea was rocky and wind overwhelming. Please, please, please do not book a cruise expecting the same experience as that out of Miami, or you'll just wind up @&$&@ to everybody. -- Late night service was cut back. This includes food and entertainment. The late (limited) Lido buffet (previously until 1:30am) is no longer offered and pizza is now served until either 1am/3am (previously 24 hours). The deli remains open until 11pm, but ridiculously long lines are off-putting. The Family Harbor lounge closed at 9pm (previously 24 hours), and you now have to pay to access the internet on the lounge computers (previously included, but typically hoarded). There were fewer late evening entertainment options, but plenty remained. There's two buffet lines (one midship and one AFT) and both now feature the same lunch offerings (in February, they were different). On the plus side, the food was very good and they brought back soft serve ice cream (all froyo in February)!! -- My sole regret: we avoided the casino, but on the last day, the lion's share of rooms on our floor had a card on their door from the casino offering them a FREE cruise in an ocean view room. Darn!

Carnival’s website indicates that a birth certificate and government issued photo ID is valid for transportation, and I can confirm that at the Long Beach terminal, there’s signs indicating that you need either a passport, enhanced driver’s license or birth certificate / valid government ID.