LaRue1975

Thanks for the review, I enjoyed reading it and congrats on coming out ahead in the casino! I am wondering why you didn’t debark early with the Diamonds and Platinums. They had the new system on the New Years cruise and in February but we were told we didn’t need to use it if we had priority debarkation. New Years we checked our luggage but in February we did self debark for the first time and will do it from now on, it was very organized and fast. We were supposed to meet in the Liquid Lounge at 8:30, got there a little after 8 and there were already a lot of people in there. They started debarkation at 8:30 and we were in the car and on the road by 9. Embarkation and debarkation in Long Beach can be frustrating, we’ve found the best way to handle it is get there early and relax in the lounge and get off early and get the heck out of there before chaos ensues, lol! I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise, we love the Panorama! We board the Celebration one week from today, our first Exel class, can’t wait!

I am so excited you got to see the whales and boy howdy you saw whales! I thought it would be too late in the season but you saw way more than I did on the New Years cruise and in mid February which is prime whale season. We saw breaches both times but not as many as you did and no babies. The small boat is definitely the way to go. I was on the big Carnival excursion boat both times and while fun you do not get as close to the whales and they can’t chase as well as the smaller boats. We’ll be back and I am definitely booking a small boat in port next time. Good job making them honor the quoted price! Your pics are fabulous, Cabo is a gorgeous port and you captured it beautifully. Our first time there was in October and the water was warm but no whales. I have a Pancho pic so I’ll include it in my comment, he’s the best! Can’t wait for the rest of your review, we leave for Fort Lauderdale Tuesday morning and are boarding the Celebration next Saturday for a B2B. I’ll have something to read on the plane, thanks!

Medano Beach in Cabo is perfect. When you walk out of the dock area there will be tons of barkers selling water taxi tours of the arches and they can also drop you off and pick you up from Medano beach. We paid $17 per person but we had 7 in our group, I think it is normally $20 PP. The tour of the arches was fabulous and so was the beach. You tell the captain what time you want to be picked up and he comes back to get you, you are required to stay at least 2 hours. The beach and water are wonderful, closest to the Caribbean I have seen on the Pacific Ocean. The beach is lined with bars and restaurants with beach loungers and inside covered seating. The most popular are Mango Deck and the Office. We went to the Hungry Shark because it was the closest to where we were dropped off and really enjoyed it. You can look them up online and make reservations if you want to. In Puerto Vallarta there are nice beach resorts in Puerto Nuevo about thirty minutes from the port. You can book day passes through Resort For A Day and taxi to and from. The beaches and surf are very similar to Southern California so I think you will find them appropriate for swimming if is not an exceptionally rough day. We took our grandson to the Marriott because it is in town and close the port. The beach there is not as nice as Puerto Nuevo but he was out there anyway rolling around in the waves. I think people that are used to the Caribbean and Florida beaches are intimidated by the big surf in the Pacific Ocean. The pool was huge and gorgeous, we had a great day there. The nearby Westin is also an option. Look into Stone Island in Mazatlan, I have not been there but heard good things and the beach looks lovely. You can find lots of info and pics on Trip Advisor. It’s a short walk from the ship where you can hire a water taxi to take you there. I’ll add a few pics of Cabo and the Marriott for reference.

Lastly they had these Rubber ducky Lanyards at Cherry on top marked down to $1.75. I bought one for each of us. Not to sound old fashioned but, I’m not into the new lanyard styles that have the boat wheel at the bottom, makes the lanyard feel too bulky for me The hubby and I didn’t like the heaviness and length of the new lanyards so he took the boat wheels off and they are perfect now. I am going to put cruise pics in the boat wheels and use them for Christmas ornaments. I’m enjoying your review, we did this cruise over New Years and had a fantastic time. It was raining before we boarded also and the parking ticket machine was broken back then too. The port is really dropping the ball on this issue as it makes the drive in so much longer, just fix the dang thing! 😡 I am looking forward to the rest of your report, thanks!

Sky Zone is awesome, there is an extra charge but it is reasonable. They have regular sessions during the day and glow in the dark ones in the evenings. Those are a bit more but the kids get a souvenir glow in the dark t-shirt and it’s pretty wild with loud music. My grandson loved the staff, they made it super fun with lots of kidding around. The Rock & Glow deck party is fun too, I brought a bunch of glow in the dark baseballs from the Dollar Tree for him to share with his new friends and they had a ball tossing them around. They can have dinner with the kids club too, he would have gone every night if we let him, lol! They serve it in a roped off area in the buffet and they’ll take them directly from the club or you can just check them in at the buffet at 6. Then you can have a nice quiet kids free dinner. The water park and slides will be a huge hit with your boys too. They have them on all the ships but the ones on the Vista and Panorama are bigger and better than the older ships. Plus you are closer to Long Beach than LAX so you can save gas, another good reason to choose the Panorama! 😜

I think you should definitely consider the Panorama this time and save the Caribbean for your next cruise. The Panorama is the crown jewel of the Vista class ships, I have been on her 5 times in the last two years. We took our 9 year old grandson on his first cruise on the Panorama in October 2022 and are taking him again this August. He had the time of his life on the ship, we didn’t do that much in the ports other than a day pass to the Marriott in PV which he loved. This year we are going with our friends and their two grandsons and have excursions booked. The Panorama has the Sky Zone trampoline park which the Vista does not plus Guys Smokehouse & Brewery and the Teppanyaki Grill. The Teppanyaki restaurant was so much fun, the Chef was very entertaining and our grandson had a blast. We have it booked again with the three boys. The kids club is fantastic, he wanted to go every day. The water park, Sky Zone and Sky Ride were huge hits and so were the deck parties, they are kid friendly. The money you save on airfare will be more money for the ports, excursions and specialty dining. You will also need at least one night hotel if you sail out of the East Coast. Plus all the hassle of flying and dealing with airports, it is so easy to drive to the port and no weight limits on your bags! 😜 I love the Caribbean and enjoy the ports more but the Panorama and the ease of sailing from your home port would make it an easy choice for me. We do plan to take him to the Caribbean on an Exel class ship for his 13th birthday. Have a great time whatever you decide, Carnival is great for family cruises, they are serious about their Fun Ship reputation!

The full inside restaurant with table service is only open for dinner and is not free. You pay for the items ordered and the prices are reasonable. The outside lunch buffet is free and open on embarkation and sea days. It’s good and you are welcome to eat inside the restaurant but they have a lot of tables outside on the deck too. Embarkation is a great time to try it, most people don’t know about it so it’s not busy. My friend and I were the first ones to arrive and a server was out there to take our drink order too. We got a lovely table overlooking the dome, it was perfect!

I was on this cruise and did the Platinum carry off luggage debarkation. We were in our car pulling out of the garage shortly after 8:30. You meet in the showroom at 8:30, we got there at 8 and there were already a lot of people in there. They had us line up our suitcases near the exit which is down front by the stage. The people that were already seated in the theater suitcases were lined up on the deck outside the exit. We had only been sitting for a few minutes when the ship was cleared and debarkation began. We didn’t stop moving except for the few seconds it took for the customs camera to verify our passports. If you are on the 7 or 8 day cruise there is a chance you could arrive later but the Panorama has been doing well since the recent repair. Also, the taxi/Uber situation is terrible at the terminal but hopefully you will be off early enough to avoid the worst of it. Around 9 to 10 AM the traffic entering the port gets backed up to a stand still with the large trucks supplying the ship and people arriving early for departure. Ubers stop accepting rides and you could wait an hour or more to get one, not sure about the taxi availability. This was our first time doing carry off and we will be doing it from now on, it couldn’t have been easier. The Panorama is our favorite ship, enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for the heads up. On the Panorama now and had no idea this was an option, just checked the Hub app and it is. I am definitely going to order the teriyaki pizza tomorrow, we always order delivery for pizza anyway so the cost is the same.

We were on the Panorama for the New years cruise in a 6th deck aft wrap and hubby’s brother was in the aft balcony next to us. We had no soot on our balconies and didn’t notice any in the Havana pool area. It was only its second week back in service and the weather was cooler, not sure if that makes a difference. We loved our cabins and the whole Havana experience, enjoy!

Thanks to reading your reviews I booked a pool cabana the day I booked my Celebration cruise over a year ago. It’s in May, absolutely can’t wait and these pics make me even more exited. I also booked a beach cabana in Mahogany Bay last year which we loved. With the price increase we are one and done for cabanas unless traveling with others but thank you for the recommendations. Oh, and I booked Paradise Beach in Cozumel yesterday for our Jubllee cruise in November, you haven’t steered me wrong yet. 😜 Now I need to catch up on this review, it’s been another fun ride so far!

Thanks for the great review, I loved every minute of it! Especially because for this one I was literally along for the ride. I don’t think we ran into each other except I think I was watching the Rock & Glow party from the 11th deck port side not far from you. If I would have known you were on the ship I had recognized your gorgeous hair and introduced myself. My hubby’s number was picked for Deal Or No Deal and our friend’s number was called for the second game which was crazy! Neither did very well but it sure was fun! I see you have an upcoming cruise in May, us too, the Celebration. I hope we cruise together again!

This is from 2021 and obviously hasn’t happened as yet but it would be wonderful for West Coast cruisers if it did. The Ensenada plans sound doable but I am not sure they can get approval for something that big and touristy in La Paz. It has stayed pristine for a reason and giant cruise ships would completely change the landscape. The resistance would be huge but they don’t have to deal with the California Coastal Commission, so maybe! 😜

I don’t see it in coming to the West Coast, there are only two ports that would work with that size ship, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. I am not sure how efficient tendering would be in Cabo and La Paz doesn’t have the infrastructure to support 6000 passengers. The town is 30 minutes from the pier and there is very little to do there, not many restaurants or shops. The on the water excursions are limited because the areas with the excellent snorkeling, sea lions and whale sharks are in a protected area of the Sea Of Cortez and only a small number of boats are allowed in daily. The famous Balandra Beach also has limited access with morning and afternoon sessions and it is an hour from the pier. Ensenada would be swamped with 6000 passengers plus it sucks anyway, lol! Sure would be nice though, I would be happy with the two ports and 4 sea days on a new Exel ship!

I noticed this on the Panorama last month but not for every drink. I think it might be when you order premium liquor and it showed up when I ordered Grey Goose or Patron. I just looked at my invoice and it either says On Us Premium - bar name or just lists the bar name, it was like that for all the bars. I don’t remember seeing it listed like that before, maybe they are thinking of selling two tiers of drink packages and they could do the same with Drinks On Us comps. I’ll ask the bartenders about it when I’m on the Panorama again next week.

I enjoyed your review so much, thank you! Especially because I was on board with you, first time to read a review for a cruise I was also on. Now there is another one as I was on the Panorama in October with Wildra too, who knew? We were a group of 10 retired friends celebrating my hubby’s 70th birthday on NYE, to say we had a completely different cruise experience would be an understatement, lol! I loved reading about Ian and how well he did and all the family fun you had together. The Panorama is my favorite ship so far, will board her again on the 18th with my best gal pal, Girls Cruise! Or more accurately Mature Ladies Cruise! 🤣🤣🤣 I look forward to your next review!

The post with the scary excursion story from La Paz is in Deladane’s review that is active now. I think they posted in our Facebook group too and I wasn’t as disappointed our excursion was cancelled hearing how rough it was on the water that day. I totally understand your desire to get to Balandra Bay, it looks fabulous! The problem is the capacity limits, once they are reached they don’t let anyone else in. We were told a lot of people get all the way there, can’t get in and waste their whole day. It’s also split into morning and afternoon sessions which make it hard to do from a cruise ship. I think it is 9 to 1 and 1 to 5. I don’t think you can get there by 9 so risk not getting in at all. The afternoon session doesn’t give you much time on the beach before you would have to leave to get back to the ship in time. The tour company you are working with can explain the rules and time frames so you will have a good idea whether it could work for you or not. Maybe they could suggest a local taxi or Uber driver that you could prearrange to pick you up at the ship and get you to the harbor on time. I hope it works out for you, looking forward to your review!

We walked about a mile and I don’t remember seeing a Marina so the Marina must be at least that far from the bus depot. We didn’t get off until an hour or so after they started letting people off but I would think as soon as the first bus filled up it would leave. I think there are taxis and probably Ubers too, we were in the line for the busses and didn’t walk around outside the port. The beach stop is just a hop off so didn’t take extra time, it was 30 to 40 minutes to get into town. If the line is long or the bus has to wait to fill up that will take time too. We waited in line 15 minutes or so but got off at peak time. On the link for the beach there are reviews and info, it has a restaurant for food and drinks. Someone that did go there on my cruise said there was not a lot there and it wasn’t busy but it was the off season. When you go it will be busier and maybe more stuff will be available but it does have clean bathrooms and a restaurant for sure. The shore excursion was through Carnival. I looked at private excursions and decided we would be docked too far from La Paz and since it was a new port for Carnival and not many ships go there I was worried the tours are not designed for cruise ship passengers. I didn’t want to risk getting back to the ship in time plus there can be safety issues with some of the smaller companies, especially if you want to go out on the water. I know I sound like a broken record and would not hesitate to book a private tour in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta from an established tour company. Cabo is fine too as long you get off in time and don’t end up paying for something you don’t get to do. The one we booked through Carnival was an all inclusive snorkeling with sea lions. It was all day and took you up the Sea Of Cortez to Espirito Island, not sure what the age limit was and it was the most expensive.. They also had one that goes to Balandra Bay with snorkeling. another with swimming with the sea lions and one to a different island/beach. Learning about all the entry restrictions for these protected areas gives me more reason to book with Carnival. The story posted in the current review scared the c**p out of me, lol! From what I have read the snorkeling, beaches and water are spectacular and I didn’t want to miss my chance to experience them. So I booked with Carnival and missed it anyway. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I hope you have better luck and have a wonderful day with your family whatever you decide.

I think you just had bad luck mustering in the Liquid Lounge. On this cruise and in the aft MDR on the New Years cruise it was just the quick do you know this a life vest test. In fact on this cruise we ran up to the lido deck before mustering to save seats for the rest of our group. I left hubby up there to hold the table and took his card with me. With a little persuasion from me he clicked the hubby done too. I pushed the Platinum card which helped, Diamonds shouldn’t have to muster at all, lol! We were in cabin 10285, our first time on Lido deck and we loved it!

We didn’t have any issues with noise except when we walked through the Havana Bar when the band was playing, it was LOUD! We couldn’t hear it from our cabin and they stop by midnight and earlier some nights. My BIL who was in the adjacent cabin did have a problem hearing the music the first night but his wife slept through it. He wore ear plugs the rest of the cruise, problem solved. Here is a YouTube on one of the 6th deck cabins on Horizon, it’s was what sold me and we weren’t disappointed!

Deck 6 has the biggest balconies and cabins, the higher you go the smaller they get. I am pretty sure the 6th deck are the only ones that have couches in the cabin. We were in one on the Panorama for the New Years cruise and loved it! You can find videos on YouTube, not sure if the layout is exactly the same on Venezia but the size of the cabin and balcony should be.

I’m on a roll so I’ll share our experiences in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, we have been to each twice in the last 15 months. In Mazatlan the group did a Pulmonia tour with City Tours Pulmonia, it was wonderful! I booked 3 Pulmonias for our group of 10, they each hold 4 people but it is tight with 4 adults. They were $150 each and required an upfront deposit of $50 each payable through Venmo or Zelle with the rest due in cash to your driver day of the tour. I booked through Facebook with Freddy, he was great at keeping me up date with directions on where to meet, etc. I heard about him through the Facebook group and there were a lot of us, I think 25 Pulmonias total. We all took the same city tour but we were broken up into smaller groups. Junior was in charge of our three, he was fantastic! First he led us to us to a Quick Mart about a block away where we bought beverages for the ice chests in the Pulmonias which are a cross between a mini car and golf cart. Of course we bought way too much so the leftovers were an extra tip for the drivers. We waited around a bit for the tour to start then Junior said they were ready and our drivers went to get our rides. We all hopped in and watched as they started to roll and jumped in the parade, it was so much fun!! My SIL, BFF and I rode with Junior, he was definitely the best of the three. Poor hubby, BIL and BFF’s hubby got a dud that was boring and didn’t speak English but still had a blast. First we went to a place in the harbor where they have a statue of lady that protects the city and fishermen from hurricanes, we learned a lot about the shrimping industry, it’s huge in Mazatlan. We toured the waterfront and the old city which was very impressive, Junior was a wealth of knowledge, there is so much more to Mazatlan than I imagined! We parked a block away from the town square and the beautiful cathedral. He said we had an half hour to explore and we immediately looked lost and confused so he offered to go with us, whew! He gave us a great tour, the cathedral was spectacular and the town square was charming, we all loved it. Then it was back to our cute cars and we were off to the top of the hill to see the beautiful views with stops for photo ops. Again Junior was filling us in on everything we would have never known about the city, it still has so much old Mexico charm. I have a new appreciation for sure and would even consider staying there on a land vacation. Next we stopped to see the cliff divers which were amazing! Then it was time for our lunch stop, it was open air seafood restaurant on the water but not on beach, it was at the far end of the harbor fairly close to the ship. The food and drinks were very good and very reasonably priced. The hubby and each got the coconut shrimp and a margarita and it was $50 with tip! The plates were huge, we should have just shared one. After lunch your driver will take you to the beach, the Golden Zone or wherever you want to go but we all decided after that big meal and all the fun we were pooped and decided to go back to the ship. Hubby was celebrating his 70th birthday so we are kind of old! 🤣🤣 Here in the link for Pulmonia City Tours: https://www.facebook.com/freddybtours IMG_6062.mov

In La Paz you dock in an industrial harbor about 30 minutes from town. There is nothing there but some local vendors set up a flea market style shopping area next to the ship. They have all the basics for souvenirs. There is a building with bathrooms and the busses will be lined up and ready to roll before they start letting everyone off, there are plenty and you should be able to get on one without a long wait. The bus ride is free and you don’t need a ticket. On the way to town they will stop at a local beach and you can get off there. The bus is not supposed to stop on the way back to the ship from town as it is across the road but it did stop and let people off on our return. Here is the link for the beach: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150771-d11913448-Reviews-Playa_El_Coromuel-La_Paz_Baja_California.html The bus drops you off at a bus station in town. They have bathrooms but you have to pay in pesos, luckily someone in our group had them. Another person in the group desperately needed them, lol! I think it was 10 pesos and two people can go in the bathroom. When you walk out the door the walkway along the waterfront is across the street. You can walk in either direction for at least a mile or probably more, we didn’t get very far, maybe a mile. On the other side of the street there are restaurants and shops but not many souvenir type shops, I think we only saw one. It was very pretty but not a whole lot going on, I think we were only there an hour. We had booked an all day yacht excursion that included breakfast, lunch, open bar, snorkeling with sea lions and a beach stop. We were notified the day before when we got back on board in Cabo it was canceled, so disappointing! What I have since learned is that all the excursions that involve going into the protected areas of the Sea Of Cortez are not guaranteed. They only allow a set amount of boats in at a time, not sure exactly how it works but it seems you have to get lucky to get a chance to get in the water with the sea lions or whale sharks. Also the sea can get rough and dangerous as described by another CC member in the trip report from my cruise. If we had not booked an excursion I would have done more research and I am sure we would have gone to the beach first and then checked out the town. We have this itinerary booked again in March 2025, I plan to book the same excursion with the beach as a back up. It is the same situation with Bandalera Bay Beach, it looks absolutely gorgeous but it is another 30 minutes past the town of La Paz. They limit how many people can be on the beach and have morning and afternoon sessions. Carnival did have an excursion if you want to go there, I don’t think it’s something you can do on your own. I have a few pics I can add.

They are going to wait for you so you’ll be fine, especially since you’ll be there all day. You should have time to explore the port after too. Our grandson had fun with us at Senior Frogs but we were there early, might not be kid friendly later in the day. And you saved $$ not buying FTFF, win, win! I should have time this afternoon to share what we have done in the rest of the ports.

You now have the perfect plan. 😎🐋😎 FTTF is the same as platinum/diamond so you will get a letter the day before where to go and what time. It will most likely be the Liquid Lounge, get there early. Then sit near the exit and when they announce that it is time to board the tenders get up and move quickly to line up behind the Carnival person that will lead everyone to the tender. The small boat is definitely the way to go. We were a group of 10, my hubby and I were the only ones with priority and I knew the NYE cruise would be packed to the gills and have lots of Platinums and Diamonds which it was. We booked the easiest option and it was a success, we got our own big table on the boat, the drinks flowed the whole time plus we saw tons of whales. You will also board early and be able to drop your bags in your cabin at embarkation and use the Diamond/Platinum line a guest services, bonus perks!