Willdra's Peculiar Carnival Panorama Oct 16-23 Cruise

[willdra]

SEA DAY 1

 

W set his alarm for 9am. He got up, then I got up. I smelled like a hippopotamus, so I hopped in the shower right quick to wash that off. Icky. I don’t know about y’all, but the shower is usually where I have tons of thoughts. My brain is always like “There’s a million things I haven’t done but just you wait”. So it occurred to me in the shower that we didn’t find out how the platinum benefits worked during COVID. There’s a QR Code to scan for VIFP benefits on a paper in the cabin, but it doesn’t tell me how to redeem the water or drinks. What’s the tea with VIFP Carnival? We will see.

 

While I was getting ready, W checked us into Sea Day Brunch on the app. 5 minutes later, our table was ready. When the table is ready, the app gives you the option to click "I'm on my way" or "cancel". If you select "On my way", they will hold the table 10 minutes. W cancelled the first time cuz his wife wasn’t quite finished with her hygiene yet. She really needs to get her life together. After 10 minutes of playing “Where’s my, should I,  and what do I?” W’s lethargic wife was ready. He checked into the app again, and this time there was an immediate “your table is ready” message, and we were on our way.

 

We got to the restaurant, and there was a small line outside of the restaurant. The hostess at the door said that we had to wait to be escorted to our table. I asked W what our table number was, and he said ”It wasn’t on the app”. A few minutes later, it was our turn to be seated, so the hostess asked for the table number, and W said “we didn’t get one” to that the server replied, "You have to have it".  W opened the app and magically it was there, so he says "Oh I guess we did get one". Me: Eye roll. I’m going to have to give him less things to do in the morning. Apparently one job is now too many. Especially if that job requires reading or looking for something. Or maybe I'm getting punk'd. This might be his diabolical way of making sure that I do everything. Hmmmmm.

 

As I pondered this, we were led to the table. Speaking of pondering, I was today years old, when I found out that not everyone has an Internal Monologue. I have had one my entire life, and I swear I don’t know if I could survive without my internal ongoing narrative. I have whole adult conversations in my head, where I think about things like possums, cake, and catfish ALL OF THE TIME. My inner voice is the right combination of razzmatazz and ravenclaw realness, and I'm stunned that some peeps don’t have it.

 

When we sat down, we got coffee orders in right away, then we scanned the code for the menu. You will be pro QR code scanners by the end of your cruise. Surprisingly, there were still people who had to be shown how to do it. Alright Mrs. Hazel. Get it together. Don’t leave the cabin without your phone, or you may not be able to order food or drinks. It’s 2021 (almost 2022) out here. It’s ok to learn how to do more with your phone than playing solitaire and calling Mrs. Myrtle.

 

I pulled up the menu, and holy what the heck Batman! The Sea Day Brunch menu was completely new! The first pass thru didn’t reveal anything familiar or welcome to me. Cuz. New. This must be payback for me talking about Mrs. Hazel and Mrs. Myrtle! I'm sorry y'all! I took a deep breath, then went back to the top and slow scrolled back thru. This time I started to see some light. I locked my eyes on the House Specials section and made my choices. Now I understand how W felt when he had to go sit all the way down to consider the Diet Coke vs. Pepsi change. I hope this isn't a theme.

 

Here's the new menu:

 

 

[willdra]

While we were waiting for our food, we took some pictures and admired the dining room. The whole Panorama color scheme is natural and muted with the possibility to be bold if necessary. I was digging it. Our coffee cooled off a lot while we were studying this new menu. I got a chill, but I didn’t bring my sweater (W's fault for rushing me) so I got more coffee and it warmed me up. I also left my sweater because at my age, my body temp changes every 3 secs. It has A.D.D., A.D.H.D., and multiple personality disorder.

 

 

 

Our food arrived, and it was yummy! I had the 12 Hour French Toast along with a cheddar omelet and bacon (without question). W had steak and eggs. That's usually on all of the menus, so he's happy.

 

 

We sat and ate and talked. Our Lead Server was Prudence, and she was on point. She kept pulling up and asking if we were good. I can say that so far overall, the crew seems to be happy to get back to work. It is clear that they need us. We will try hard not to mess it up. 

 

 

After we were done eating we went back to the cabin to regroup. W went out on the balcony and immediately came back saying that someone was out there smoking that haze. How do people even smuggle it on the ship?? The day before, I heard at least 2 PSA’s about the penalty for lighting up illegal substances on the ship, and none of it seemed worth it to me. 3 seconds later there was a knock on the door. W opened it, and it was a housekeeping manager asking if we were ok, and if we needed anything. Girl bye. We figured they were coming around to see who was hittin' that gas. Not us ma’am. Not us.

 

Since the Funtimes are no longer distributed in the cabins, I will try to remember to save the PDF version daily. No promises tho. Y’all know my brain is a can of mixed nuts. Unreliable. 

As I was rollin' thru the digital Funtimes, I didn’t see Lip Sync Battle. It’s usually the First Sea Day. You’re killing me Carnival. Not really. We will find something else to do.

 

We left the cabin and went up to Serenity. In case you were wondering, yes there were more confused peeps trying to just run into any open elevator. We helped them on their way. If we could. Some folks just aren’t gonna get it. We got up to Serenity and it was FREEZING!! It was Stone Cold Steve Austin out there. Nope. Not today.

 

We about faced and got back on the elevator. This time we went down to Guest Services to ask about the Platinum benefits. Here’s the real deal fam. For the water, you can just take one of those in your cabin for each Platinum Guest. You will get a credit after they charge you for it. If you need more you can get it from a bar. You get the Platinum gift at Pixels on deck 5. W was right about the Sea Day Brunch cocktail. You order it at brunch, and they charge $0 to your account. We didn’t want to wait in a line so we went ahead to Pixels to get our gifts. We got a luggage tag and a pin. We walked out on the Lanai to see if it was an option to sit out for a while. It wasn’t as windy as Serenity but it was still cold. Big pass. This will be one of those cruises when having a cove balcony comes in handy. We opted to go back to the cabin to drop off our stuff. The launderette is on this deck and no one was in there so W ran back down there to iron his shirt for elegant evening. We pulled up the entertainment on the app and nothing called out to us. Cove Balcony here we come!

 

 

 

I didn’t preorder the case of water this time because they only had spring water available. There was also spring water in the bottles in the cabin. I don't particularly enjoy the taste of Spring Water. It taste like yesterday. I'm convinced that Spring Water is filled with the tears of our disappointed ancestors. No gracias. The water in the dispenser on the Lido Deck is ok, so I will survive on that for the week.

[willdra]

We sat out on the balcony until I got really sleepy. Since the bed was you know, right there, I climbed in. That’s why W tries to keep me out of the cabin. He knows the closer I am to the cabin, the more likely I am to take a nap. Naps are the real MVP. While I napped, W went to the American Heroes Bar to watch sports and do manly things. Hooah!

 

When I woke up, I started getting ready for elegant evening.  I have to start a couple of hours early cuz I’m still learning how to put on makeup. I don’t know what I’m doing. While I was applying my makeup, I was listening to Hamilton. It was almost over when I finished. That’s how long it takes. Help me. W came back and started getting ready with me. Satisfied with my transformation, cuz it was as good as it was gonna get, we left for dinner. Y’all already know W was trying to rush me, but no sir this takes as long as it takes. We left around 8:18.

 

When we got there our table was seated. Everyone looked really nice. I forgot to bring my glass of wine so I ordered a chocolate martini. This is nectar of the gawds. Liquid perfection. For dinner,  I had shrimp cocktail, lobster, and the spaghetti carbonara. For dessert I had the warm chocolate melting cake.

We ate and talked to our table mates, then around 9:15 everyone started to get notifications from the app for 9:30 activities. W and I didn’t have an activity until 10:30 so we went to promenade and take pictures. We took some on the stairs then we took some ourselves in the main lobby.

 

 

 

[pcvtmom]

I always love your reviews, Willdra! Your writing style is so entertaining!  Thanks for taking time to keep us giggling again!🤣😍

[willdra]

We had not visited Alchemy Bar yet and this was the perfect time. W got The Remedy and got my 40 is the new 20. Even tho I adore my choice, I really liked his drink, so I think I will get that next time.

 

The Motown Showdown was next. It was not as great as it normally is, but it was something to do at the very least. It felt like this was just another task that the CD had to complete and it was halfhearted. Like he really wanted to be someplace else, and so did I. We left before it ended. I can pull up Motown Songs on iTunes, so yeah, I’m good.

 

 

 

Back at the cabin I washed my face and started getting ready for bed. Even tho W’s birthday was on the 13th, our cabin steward still wished him a happy birthday on the mirror. Oh and speaking of the mirror, ladies it’s also a ring light, and a great place to put on your makeup. I almost packed mine, and I’m happy that I didn’t. It will definitely help you look like you didn’t get your makeup from Office Depot. 

 

W went to the casino, and I went up to make my evening tea. I also got ice cream. While I was on Lido, I noticed the late night snacks, so I got a ham and cheese sandwich, and a tomato mozzarella sandwich. The ham sandwich was a hit. The other was a miss. The bread on the tomato mozzarella sandwich was hard and crunchy. Not worth cracking a tooth on.

 

 

Before I fell asleep, I said a prayer thanking God for pillows. Shout out to whoever decided that sleeping on rocks was not the business. Good job. 

 

 

[Angua]

Willdra, if I ever see you on a cruise, I am definitely coming up to say hi because I want you to be my best friend on the cruise!  I love your writing style and you and your W are obviously lovely people!  I apologize for gushing in advance ;-).

[willdra]

SEA DAY 2

 

For Sea Day Number 2, we didn’t set an alarm before bed. We decided to let the universe choose when we were getting up. I woke up around 9am ships time. The ship went forward an hour that night, so it was really 8am Pacific Time. This is really early for vacay, so universe you get an F on this choice. Make better choices next time.

 

I was a little hungry, so I took a few minutes to look at the brunch menu. I don’t know about y’all fam, but when stuff changes like this, I need to take my time to look at all the options several times.  Assessments. 

 

W heard me moving around, so he got up and started his process too. When we were almost ready, I checked us into the app. At that time, the app stated that there was less than 10 minutes wait. While I was waiting for the table notification I walked out on our balcony. I thought maybe I could see some evidence of the sun out there, but I couldn’t tell for sure. The sun hits different in the Pacific. It did feel warmer though, which was already nice.

 

We got the notification that the table was ready 5 min later. This time when we got there, we knew the drill. Table number, wait, someone comes to escort you. Got it. We were seated by the window next to 2 mature ladies. They were not having it with the toast the server kept bringing, and they could not get enough butter for whatever reason.  Ethel and Gertrude were not gonna be satisfied, until they got what they wanted. Can't say that I blame them. They were really giving the server the business (in a nice, but firm way) over there. They legit closely inspected both sides of the toast before taking it. The server had a look that said "Ma’am, it’s toast. Mkay?" Don’t ask what they were looking for, I was afraid of the question and the answer. This is where knowing how to mind your own business pays off.

 

We got coffee as soon as we sat down. I asked for a lot of cream, but since the servers were busy with the ladies it took a while. We never got spoons either. We were forced to stir our coffee with a butter knife like some vagrants. When it was finally our turn to order, I ordered the skillet cake, the frittata, and cheese grits. While we were waiting, I started talking to the ladies. They told us they were not about this app life that Carnival has switched to. They needed paper menus and face to face interactions. I asked what their plans were for our first port, and for real Ethel searched her phone for 10 minutes and still couldn’t find it. I honestly forgot that she was still looking for it, when she finally exclaimed that she was giving up. Gertrude said that she missed her spa appointment that morning because technology and the time change were her enemies. She told me you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and she couldn't remember the old tricks either. Oddly, that made sense.

 

They finished their food and hopped up. A few minutes later, ours arrived. The skillet cake y’all. This thing tasted and smelled like the hands that made this were washed in the holiest of waters, then anointed and appointed with the purest oils. John the Baptist himself prayed over these hands y’all. The marshmallows and sweet ricotta toppings set the whole thing off! This was exactly what I didn’t know my mouth needed. The frittata was fluffy and flavorful. W was immediately hatin' on my food cuz he just ordered his basic boring steak and eggs. Again. Y’all know I couldn’t eat all that (especially after coffee), so unfortunately I had to share with him.

W and I took our time eating. We had absolutely no place to be. Per usual.

 

Frittata

 

Skillet Cake

 

Pastry

 

[vicky3vicky]

I have a question about the menu. Do we order on the app or does the waiter still come by and take it?

 

[willdra]

It’s generally frowned upon to eat then linger for hours, so when we finished, we left and walked back down to the cabin. Our cabin on Deck 2 was midship adjacent. This made getting to dining rooms super easy. Either walk forward or aft, then up 1 level of stairs and you’re there. Actually it’s really simple to get to Deck 5 or lower. We didn’t have to use the elevator for that. So far the ship has not been crowded at all. It still felt pretty empty everywhere. Love it.

 

W decided to go up to Serenity to check it out. The plan was for him to go explore, and if he didn’t come back I would meet him there. After he left I made the bed, because we selected evening room service only. I know it’s not everybody’s thing, but we have to make up our bed every day. We love the feeling of coming home to a freshly made bed. It just feels right. It also feels like something was accomplished. I straightened up the cabin a little afterwards, and completed my daily devotional. Stay prayed up cousins.

 

W hadn’t come back after all of that, so I went to find him. He was in a clamshell in Serenity, but I could tell he wasn’t 100% happy with it as soon as I got there, cuz he was sitting on the little ottoman. Plus his backpack was still completely packed. That means he isn’t committed. I could see why when I sat down. It was mostly in the sun, no breeze, hot as hades, and turning it would have us staring in the faces of a bunch of people behind us. Not ideal. In true W fashion, he walked around and found a better option. This is one of the many reasons that he’s a keeper. He wants me to be comfortable. Awwwwwwww.

 

We moved to the new clamshell and it was instantly way better. It was close to the door so you got a nice air conditioned breeze when someone came thru and it could turn with the sun and still be semi private. It was also quieter. No big groups of people gathered around talking and laughing which is the absolute opposite and enemy of Serenity. That ain't serene.

 

The ride was smooth, and we enjoyed chillaxing out on deck. There were lots of available seats all day, many of which were in the shade. It is so unusual to be on a ship that isn’t filled to the brim. I could really get used to this action.

 

 

I checked out the food options on the app, then I took a page out of W’s cruising 101 book, and set a reminder alert on my phone to order Seafood Shack. That place seems to be jumpin' all the time, cuz there’s only 1 or 2 servers back there. It’s one of the places that lets you order on the app, so let’s see how it goes.

 

Another thing that Panorama got right is putting restrooms in Serenity. It’s so much more convenient to not have to search for one when you really gotta go. Now will someone tell one-piece swimsuit manufacturers to put snaps in the crotch like a onesie, so we don’t have to strip to potty?!?! Please and thank you! Oh and on the subject of going to potty, my next Public Service Announcement is on that topic. Please wash your hands afterwards. It is so hard to believe that in the year of our Lord 2021, there are still people who don’t wash their hands after utilizing the facilities. If I didn’t see it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it either. This is a big reason why the pandora won’t go away. I might have to start snitching when I see people do it. Where are the hand washing police when you need em? Sheesh.

 

I started to get hungry, so I checked my online order in the app. I placed my order at 1:56, the estimated time was less than 30 minutes, but the order status was still on “preparing order”. Since it was 2:40, I walked down to Lido to see what was the dealio. I stopped to get ice and lemonade, then waited a little while longer. At 2:47 I got a notification that my order was canceled. Canceled y’all! Excuse me but I ordered 2 items. They ran out of both items?? There were several people there getting food, so something had to be available.

 

Carnival, if you don’t want me to have a lobster roll and buffalo shrimp, just say that. Don’t make me wait almost an hour, then suddenly and randomly cancel on me. They left me on read. How are y’all gonna have my mouth ready for a lobster roll then renege?  What if I needed that food to stay alive? They don’t know my life. Somebody could’ve been holding W hostage, and all I had to do was get the lobster roll and shrimp for him to go free!  Now who's gonna save W??? 

 

Oh well, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe God was saving me from the worse stomachache ever by not letting me eat there. I’m still side eyeing you tho, Carnival Panorama. Disrespectful.

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

8 minutes ago, vicky3vicky said:

I have a question about the menu. Do we order on the app or does the waiter still come by and take it?

 

 

The waiters still come by to take the orders in the dining rooms. Some venues allow you to order the food on the app, tho. 😀

[willdra]

It’s a good thing I passed by Guys on the way to the Seafood Shack, and made a note to go back when I could. There was no line when I went back, so I clutched a burger and fries. It was actually really good and I wasn’t mad that I had it.

 

 

After I ate we sat out another hour or so. We had reservations for Cucina del Capitano and we wanted to get ready for that and get our lives together to start exploring Mexico the next day. I have to admit I was ready to get off of the ship. They gave us the 2 sea days in the front because of that propulsion problem, which hopefully they will fix soon. We were happy that our cruise was not canceled, so we didn’t complain too much about the change. We also didn’t book independent excursions this time, so the inconvenience to us was minimal.

 

 

 

As we were getting ready for dinner, I started making a plan to drink more wine. I’m trying to do better and drink all of the wine that I bring first, then buy cocktails afterwards. I usually end up taking a bottle of wine back home because I forgot to drink it during the cruise. W doesn’t really drink wine so we bring 2 bottles for me.  W also reminded me that we had Chefs Table on Wednesday and that would involve copious amounts of wine. I completely forgot about that! I need to do some liver exercises before Chefs Table. My "check liver light" has already been on since yesterday. I apologize in advance to my liver.

 

Dinner was fast and quiet. We had Arancini, Calamari (of course), Trofi E Verde Mare Maria, and Gnocchi. I ordered dessert but I don’t think the server heard me, which must've been God's plan. 

 

 

 

We thought about going to see a show and comedy club, but since we had an early excursion the next day, we hung out in the cabin until bedtime. Dull. And. Boring. 

 

Before I fell asleep, I said a prayer thanking God for the sunshine and beautiful day. If W and I had to spend another whole day inside, it would not have been pretty! One of us (W) would not have survived. God knows.

 

 

[natefish95]

It's probably a good thing you didn't get that lobster roll. On Freedom I waited 40 minutes for one of the saddest lobster rolls I've had! It had about 2.5 small chunks of lobster and tasted like it had been swimming in some polluted pond. I know someone who got the buffalo shrimp and it was just regular shrimp with a side a buffalo sauce. No ma'am, that is not real buffalo shrimp! 

[bunnyette]

Happy to see your review!  Looking forward to reading more

[CMOTO]

Very good review, totally what I needed today!!

I am curious when they might fix the ships propulsion problems, I am set to sail in April of 2022, I am hoping its fixed and things don't get cancelled.

 

Keep the review coming, great job!!!

[MeMetwo]

Liver exercises???  Willdra, you crack me up and I’m so glad to see another of your fabulous reviews. Thanks so much for the laughs. 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

On 12/4/2021 at 1:59 AM, willdra said:

They were singing the Equate version of some popular songs. Songs that I used to like.

Hahahahahahahaha!!! 😂

[2wheelin]

3 hours ago, CMOTO said:

Very good review, totally what I needed today!!

I am curious when they might fix the ships propulsion problems, I am set to sail in April of 2022, I am hoping its fixed and things don't get cancelled.

 

Keep the review coming, great job!!!

Our Jan 29 cruise just reversed the itinerary to PV first.

[willdra]

Puerta Vallarta

 

I set my alarm for 7am Pacific time, which was 8am ships time. I woke up early cuz the way these hot flashes are setup, they really are a natural alarm clock. Why didn’t y’all tell me about this??? Sharing is caring.

 

When I initially got up, I peeked out of the window, and we were still sailing. We were scheduled to dock at 9am ship's time. This ship's time situation is hella perplexing. The ship's time went ahead an hour Sunday night/Monday morning. It would be good if local time matched up with that, but it didn’t. How did they decide this new time??? Did they go “oh let’s choose a time that will confuse people the most”, or….?

 

When we docked, I switched out of airplane mode, and my phone's time went from 7am to 9am. Ship's time was 8am. See what I mean? Our shore excursions would also work on ship's time since we booked everything with Carnival. Hopefully we make it.

 

We already had our bags packed and clothes out, which meant we only needed to handle our hygiene and get breakfast. W went first since it only takes him 15 minutes. I went next, it takes me a whole day.

 

For breakfast we were doing Lido which means we make a left turn out of the cabin, walk to the Aft elevators, push the button for Deck 10, and ding we’re there. The elevator stopped along the way to pick people up and drop them off.  Time for my next Public Service Announcement. If you know you need to get off at a low number floor, and you see that the people who just got on are going all the way up to 10, move to the front so you can get out. Or at the very least when it’s your turn to exit, say it with your chest! When the elevator is full of women ki-ki -ing, we can’t hear you whisper this is your floor. Put some bass in your voice. Clear communication is key.

 

While we were completing our elevator tour, we overheard a conversation that some ladies were having about the noise in their cabin, cuz they were under a restaurant. They heard the chairs scraping, stuff moving, and pink elephants on parade all throughout the night. Here’s how to avoid that in the future: Ask your PVP or travel agent for cabin advice, if you are utilizing their services to book. If you go it on your own, before picking your cabin, look at the ship's deck map on Carnival's site. Look at the deck above you and the deck below you to make sure you are away from restaurants, lounges, and kids clubs. You can also check to see how close you are to elevators, or other gathering spots. If you will be under the Lido deck, avoid the areas under seating. Another good tip is to bring earplugs. There are lots of different versions online at Amazon. Try out a few types at home, a couple of weeks before the cruise, to see which ones are the most comfortable for you. A good set of earplugs will give you the ability to sleep thru almost all cruise ship noises.

 

Ok on to breakfast. While W was getting omelets, I slid over to Blue Iguana to get my arepas and huevos rancheros minus the huevos. On the way there and back, every crew member that I passed said “Good morning”. It was nice, and I’m so happy that they were all still in a good mood, and we hadn’t started to work their nerves yet like you know we do.

 

[willdra]

Breakfast was consumed quick. I was super excited for Puerta Vallarta because they used to go there on The Love Boat, and it always looked fabulous (even in the 70's) on TV. While we were eating, I pulled up the PDF of the Funtimes on my phone cuz W said he didn’t see where the gangway was located on the app. On the Funtimes it’s usually on the first page right under the port name. I found it and the gangway was on deck 0 forward. We left breakfast around 9:30, picked up my bag from the cabin, and went out to find our meeting spot. All of the tours had the signs and they were lined up next to the ship. We located our tour and stood in line. Our tour was scheduled for 10am, but at 9:50 we boarded the bus. The bus pulled out at 10:05. Hopefully we accounted for everyone.

 

 

It was about a 24 minute ride from the port to the Sabal Playa Beach Resort where we would be spending the day. We really didn’t know what to expect, as the description was a little vague and the pictures do it no justice on Carnival's website. Alicia was our hostess and guide for the day. When we got there Alicia gave us instructions. She even had to figure out what time to tell us to be back, since ship's time was weird. Basically we got 4 hours there. We could choose our chill spot for the day upon arrival. I chose 2 loungers by the pool. I’m so glad that I did because looking at the ones by the ocean, I could see the vendors rolling up with whole closets full of clothes on to sell. That has to be hot as fish grease, and annoying as all get out. They must not be allowed past the beach cuz they never came up by the pool. Thank God.

 

The resort itself was absolutely gorgeous. The grounds were immaculate and well-tended. The bar area was nice and clean and so were the restrooms. They had a pretty full-size bar menu and good food selections. The only bad part was that it was so close to breakfast, and we really weren’t hungry yet. We are always thirsty tho! I got a mojito and a strawberry daiquiri which were both good. W got a couple of Dos Equis. Later on in the day, we ordered guacamole and carne asada nachos. We really didn’t even put a dent in the food. 

 

 

When visiting Mexico, it’s helpful if you have a “Sesame Street Level” knowledge of Spanish. There was a new server there who spoke very little English, so it was hard to tell if she was saying yes because she got it, or yes because that was one of the only words she knew. We asked for drinks shortly after we settled in. After 20 minutes I asked if she placed our order, and she said “yes”. A couple next to us wanted Diet Coke so they asked for it, but the server didn’t understand, so she said “no”. I looked at the menu and they did have Diet Coke, it’s Coca Cola Sin Azucar. The couple asked if they had anything diet, and the server said “no”, but they also had Sprite Zero. It was actually funny because her answer to every question was either yes or no. Dat's it. The other staff was better at communication, and it was all good cuz she will learn in time. I’m sure she was terrified, as I would have been, but she was there doing her best, and we appreciated that.

 

Ya'll those 4 hours flew by! It was so nice there, we could’ve stayed another 4 hours for real. We spent $38 for 4 drinks and all of that food. All in all 5 Stars, highly recommend this excursion.

[willdra]

The bus ride back is always quieter than going. It seemed like it took longer to get back too. We piled off of the bus when we arrived and dinged back onboard. W wanted to do stuff on his phone while we still had a signal. I took some pictures of a shore excursion leaving right below our balcony. If you go to Puerta Vallarta, and you forgot important stuff, there’s a Walmart right across the street from the port. We thought about walking back over there, but the thought alone of going back thru security twice, then risking our lives to cross 7 lanes of traffic was tew merch. Serenity is always calling us, so we obliged. While W was being W, I went foraging for food. I checked the options in the app and there really was only Guys, Seafood Shack, Deli, or Room Service. I decided to start with Seafood Shack and work my way forward. Who knows I might get lucky.

 

 

[Quilcruisers]

Hello. I am excited to read your review. It’s been wayyyyy too long. ❤️❤️❤️

[willdra]

When I got down to the Seafood Shack, it was pretty empty. When it was my turn to order, I will admit I was a little intimidated. Will they curve me again? Will they at least put me in the Seafood Shack friend zone? I plucked up my courage and asked for the lobster roll and buffalo shrimp. Then held my breath. The server said "ok". I was like huh? He said "ok, anything else?" Wayment is this a joke? Am I getting played? You’re just gonna get it for me??? I said "that’s all", cuz I wanted to quit while I was ahead. He asked for my folio number and gave me a buzzer. I got a buzzer y’all! By then I didn’t know how to act. I didn’t want to go too far away and put it out of range, but I also didn’t want to stalk the guy either like a weirdo. I decided to go and get juice, then I came back and sat a comfortable distance away. 10 minutes later the buzzer buzzed and scared the tater tots out of me! I went back to the counter and traded the buzzer for lobster rolls, fries, and buffalo shrimp. You couldn’t tell me nothing! I skipped all the way back to Serenity! Well as much as someone can skip with a plate full of hot fried food, that they didn’t want to spill. I couldn’t wait to show W. I had to tell myself to calm down, don’t trip and fall, cuz that would be a shame. When I got back to Serenity, W clapped when he saw me with my bounty. Jackpot! I’d just won the Seafood Shack lottery. Somebody get me a pile of scratch offs. This is my lucky day!

 

 

 

The food was good overall. The only thing that was questionable, was why they call those shrimp Buffalo? There was not one thing Buffalo about those shrimp. Unless the shrimper who caught them was named Buffalo, or from Buffalo. They actually did not have one drop of seasoning on 'em. Maybe call them plain fried shrimp, cuz naming them Buffalo is misleading. I know how Carnival rolls tho, so I did not have my mouth ready for Buffalo sauce. With Carnival you gotta wait and see. Don’t assume. Sometimes details are lost in translation.

 

I shared my bounty with W since I had so much. Afterwards, I went to take some pictures of the ship, since back on board wasn’t until like 8pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[blarko]

Is it wrong that I’m REALLY enjoying your photos of the food? 🤣🤣

[willdra]