Willdra's Peculiar Carnival Panorama Oct 16-23 Cruise

[mcgore83]

Loving this!  Glad you guys had fun!

[HeyJut]

Just finished reading page 1 (yes I’m slow). Just love your style and so happy you’re back and cruising. And you look great-love the hair.

[BelowDeck4us]

On 12/6/2021 at 7:40 PM, willdra said:

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.

In your photo you had two small condiment cups, but they forgot to give you a third cup.  Their shrimp are "Buffalo" shrimp because they should have given you a condiment cup of Buffalo dip/sauce to dip the shrimp into.  Or at least that's what they gave me when I ordered the Buffalo shrimp aboard the Panorama in early 2020.

 

Keep up your great reviews....they are simply the best!!  You're sense of humor is to die for and is a great reminder of the primary coping mechanism some of us use to stay sane throughout life, especially in these trying times!!  

[willdra]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:35 PM, princess76021 said:

hey there!!  so glad to be aboard with you guys!

thanks for allowing me to join in.  

missed you guys

hugs

nicki

 

Thanks! Glad to have you onboard! 😁

[willdra]

On 12/9/2021 at 11:51 AM, mcgore83 said:

Loving this!  Glad you guys had fun!

 

Thank you! 

[willdra]

On 12/9/2021 at 9:50 PM, HeyJut said:

Just finished reading page 1 (yes I’m slow). Just love your style and so happy you’re back and cruising. And you look great-love the hair.

 

Thank you for joining our journey! 

[willdra]

Cabo San Lucas

 

I did almost no research on the ports like I normally do beforehand. I was too busy trying to figure out how to wrap W in bubble wrap, so that he didn’t catch anything, reading the new protocols, and not making sure that he scheduled the correct COVID test. So, I didn’t realize this was a tender port until a few days prior. I would like to speak with the manager, tho cuz that 6:30am arrival and 1:30pm departure time was not working for me! I don’t even get up that early for work. Unnatural.

 

My alarm was set for 7:15, however that felt really ungodly, so we got up around 7:30. That was a wee bit better. We had to tender in and be at the excursion meeting point at 10:15. Breakfast was uneventful, thank goodness. It wasn’t overcrowded. In fact, there were no lines anywhere. We could just jump in and jump out with our food choices.  We ate quick, stared into space for a few minutes (this is always required), then went to debark. So far, we have debarked on Deck 0 at every port. This day was no exception.

 

 

We walked down and stepped right on the tender. It was empty. A few minutes later more people showed up. Let me say this is nothing like what we are used to. There was no going to the lounge, getting a number, then waiting an eternity for your number to be called, before you can get in line to go to the tender. Can we pretty please tender this easy on EVERY cruise???

 

 

 

 

We sailed over to the pier, and it was packed. There were bodies everywhere. Oh. Maybe we were just getting off way later than everyone else. I guess peeps started leaving the ship when the Panorama docked.  Not us, at our age, sleep is precious. We try to get as much of it as we possibly can. No apologies.

 

 

 

 We still had an hour to kill so we went into some of the shops. The tour vendors were all over the place, and I swear they start talking when they detect motion. As soon as you walk by, they activate and start yelling and following you. I needed a shirt that said ”No gracias, I already have a tour booked”. I mean after 5 minutes, we were saying “no no no no no no no no no no no no no no and no!” I understand their livelihood depends on this, but bruh. No.

 

 

 

After I found what I was looking for in the shops, we went back to wait by our tour sign. The Carnival excursions had lots of signs, so it was easy to find our spot. It was hot in the sun, but there were some shady spots to sit in. Thank God, cuz nobody came to Cabo to fry, bake, or burn. 

 

 

[willdra]

When it was time, we met up with our guide, and were led over to the boat. We were doing the Catamaran Snorkel With Open Bar. The guides were awesome. They took care of the snorkel part first. We sailed over to a spot where all of the snorkeling happens. There were a few boats there, and lots of people in the water. I stayed on the boat cuz, no. This was W’s excursion that he picked. The last time we did this was in Aruba, so it had been a while since he snorkeled. I stayed on the boat then too. Also no. I needed to stay onboard and take pics for insurance purposes should it become necessary for me to prove that "something" in the water did in fact eat W alive. Stay woke fam.

 

[willdra]

[willdra]

After all of the snorkeling was concluded, we sailed around the area. We had phenomenal views all around the Arch. The crew relaxed a lot after they collected everyone from the water. I know it must be stressful to have to account for all of these souls. The bar was open and the music was thumping. It was a vibe. I could definitely fly back to Cabo and stay in one of the resorts. It was gorgeous.  

 

[willdra]

We sailed for a couple of hours, listening to music, drinking, and chillaxing. When the margaritas and tequila shots started kicking in, some of the guys started dancing, which was really funny to watch. We had to be back on board the Panorama by 1:30. We got back to the port right at 1 and some change. We went right around, and jumped on a tender, as soon as we docked. No waiting, no worry.

 

[willdra]

Tendering here is fast like maybe 5-7 minutes, and nothing like Belize. By the time we got back, my body was not working properly from all of the drinks. My limbs were doing their own thing, which is generally not desirable. When they said open bar on that excursion, they freakin' meant open bar! When W and I got back onboard, we went to Guy's for burgers. Then we immediately went to take a nap. I’m talking curtains closed, all the way in the bed, under the covers nap. We could only sleep a little while tho, cuz the Diamond/Platinum Party was at 3:30. 

 

When W’s alarm went off, we jumped up, showered, then made it to the party at 3:33. Nobody was there checking invitations at the door. We just walked in. When we got seated, we got the attention of the servers, and from then on, we were plowed with drinks. I took my big Yeti knockoff so I could fill it up. Once that was full, I was good, but they kept bringing us more drinks. When both of our cups were full, and we each still had 2 drinks to carry, we told them "no mas". The party lasted about 45 minutes and they were serving us until the last second. W walked out with 3 drinks in hand, and his Yeti. I had 2 drinks in hand and my big cup. We won’t need to buy drinks anymore this cruise. Just kidding. Yes, we will.

 

 

[willdra]

Afterwards, we went back to cabin to relax. W started getting antsy, so he went to the casino. A short time after he left, the phone started ringing. I ignored it and kept reading, cuz who’s calling us??? An hour or so later the phone rang again.  I answered this time. It was the spa calling for W because he hadn’t used his $50 spa credit that they gave him for his birthday (even tho his birthday was the week before, and my birthday was the day before, but I didn’t get a credit). When I told the caller he wasn't there, she said “Well what about you? I do massage for you and give you great deal. I have 8 o’clock open. Can I schedule for youuuu?” Nope. Nah. Nein. I am not getting up that early for any reason on my last cruise day, especially for a hand me down spa credit. Needless to say, I got rid of her as soon as possible. The next time the phone rang in the cabin I didn’t answer. I'm a fast learner.

 

That night was elegant evening again. I had a slight wardrobe malfunction, so I was happy that I had a backup dress. Always pack a backup just in case. My dress would’ve been ok if W and I were at a solo table, but since we were sitting with others, not so much.  On the way into the dining room, we saw somebody’s eyelash on the floor. I couldn't help but wonder what somebody went through, that caused their eyelash to chuck the deuces??? Did they know that they only had one eyelash left clinging on for dear life? Was fire involved? Was there a sudden tornado in the lobby? Was there an eyelash snatching bandit on the loose? I’ve got questions. Many. Questions. 

 

Dinner was really good as usual, but a little boring after Chefs Table. I had the Crab Cake, Shrimp Cocktail, Filet Mignon, Gran Marnier Soufflé, and Key Lime Mousse. The Key Lime Mousse was off. 3 people at our table had it, and none of us liked it. It had a very strange taste. There was absolutely nothing Key Limey nor Moussey about it. It tasted like someone dropped a sweaty gym sock that had been used as an armpit towel, left out in the rain, then baked in the sun, in the mixing bowl. Who made this, and for why? 

 

 

 

The waiters had showtime that night, so dinner ran long, which meant we missed the comedy show and love and marriage show. We went back to the cabin and chilled for the night (ooohhh exciting!).

 

Before I fell asleep, I said a prayer thanking God for electrolytes. I also thanked God that W and I remembered to bring them (for a change). Add a good squeeze of the Mio brand in your water after a long stretch of day drinking, and you are right as rain. God gives us nice things. 

[Jamman54]

Another great segment! It's a shame that the best port of the cruise is the one that had the hours cut. We originally had booked a day pass at the RIU, but when they changed the itinerary and our time in port, we cancelled. 😢

[MsJersey84]

So happy to read another review. As always you keep me laughing

[dolfndreams]

First of your reports I have read and definitely won't be the last. Love your reporting style. Thanks for the laughs along with the info. Panorama in April so taking down tips.

 

[willdra]

On 12/11/2021 at 1:53 AM, Jamman54 said:

Another great segment! It's a shame that the best port of the cruise is the one that had the hours cut. We originally had booked a day pass at the RIU, but when they changed the itinerary and our time in port, we cancelled. 😢

 

Yesssss!!! Cabo was by far our favorite port, it was so beautiful there, but we only had 75 seconds to enjoy it! 

[willdra]

On 12/11/2021 at 7:56 PM, dolfndreams said:

First of your reports I have read and definitely won't be the last. Love your reporting style. Thanks for the laughs along with the info. Panorama in April so taking down tips.

 

 

Thanks for reading along! 

[willdra]

On 12/11/2021 at 4:01 PM, MsJersey84 said:

So happy to read another review. As always you keep me laughing

 

Thank you so much! 

[willdra]

Last Sea Day

 

On our last day at sea, we didn’t set an alarm, we decided to go au naturelle. We woke up around 10:30. Not too shabby. We handled our hygiene then checked in for brunch. I didn’t notice this before, but I also got the notifications for brunch on my Apple Watch and my phone, even tho W checked us both in. They notify you a lot. When we got up to brunch, it was quiet in the dining room for the most part. I guess peeps are sad about being kicked off the ship the next day. That whole going back to reality thing really bites after a sweet vacay like this one.

 

 

Since this is our 3rd brunch with this menu, we knew what we wanted (W always knows).   I had the Skillet Cake and Omelet with bacon on the side. We were still sleepy, so we enjoyed a quiet brunch, with lots of caffeine. There was drama going on around us, but today was absolutely mind your own business day. No exceptions. Every time W was going to interact with people, I would turn into the guy from that GEICO commercial that keeps you from turning into your parents, and say: “Uh uh, you don’t know them”.

 

We sat with Chi Chi and her team of servers. They seemed to be having a lot of fun doing their jobs, which is refreshing to see. I'd much rather get paid to laugh than frown. I also remembered to order my complimentary drink at Brunch. I got a blue margarita for nostalgia’s sake.

 

[willdra]

After brunch I wanted to go and see the Sky Zone area. It’s on Deck 7. Circle C and O2 are right below it. The arcade is down there as well. I wonder why the Family Harbor isn’t also on this level? This is the place to be if you have kids. It’s also the place that you don’t want to be if you don’t have kids onboard. I’ve noticed tho, that there really aren’t a bunch of kids on this cruise. There are however, a lot of wheelchairs and scooters, so govern yourselves accordingly. Thankfully we didn’t have a medical emergency this time. From what I gather, this cruise has also been COVID free. Good job y’all! Good job!

 

This is in the app:

[willdra]

We knew that today was going to be chilly and windy. The forecast in the app had 68 degrees as the high. It didn’t lie. It was cold. W wanted to be out on deck but also be warm. That was a huge order. We started at Serenity.  Even with those glass walls, you could barely walk straight, the wind was blowing so hard. We didn’t even try to sit anywhere. We let the wind blow us back inside. 

 

 

 

The spa ladies must not have made their quota for the cruise, cuz they were swimming around by the elevators looking for fresh meat. It was giving me Mexico tour guide vibes. They never take the first 12 “no’s” as an answer. You must say no at least 33 more times.

 

After we fought our way through the spa lady swarm, we went down to Deck 11. There are some nice seats above Lido against the wall. Each section up there has either a couch or a couple of chairs. We got a couch and climbed in. I think a little sunlight here would’ve made it better, but all in all it was not bad. The ship was really rocking too, but we didn’t feel it much where we were.

 It was still a little cool at times, but not completely miserable. It’s also a good people watching spot. I saw a little of errythang up there. Most of which, I wish I had eye bleach for, to remove it from my corneas. Like some woman going around twerking on people. Ma’am if you don’t go sit your bunny head butt down! Absolutely nobody wants to see that. Especially when your stomach hangs over your bikini bottoms like a curtain.

 

[willdra]

At 2:18 I looked at the app and saw that Blue Iguana closed at 2:30. I wanted a taco salad bowl that day. I jumped up, and ran down to get it. I made my selection, and then went in to the Lido buffet for a few more toppings. They were about to close, so the Blue Iguana salsa and toppings bar was sparse. The Lido salad bar has good additional options though.

 

 

While we were eating, there was a guy going around asking people questions from a book.  He came over to us but we both gave him the “today is not the day” look and he kept it moving. Smart. I mean think about what you are doing sir. You aren’t wearing a mask, so you are literally going around spitting on people’s food and drinks, by trying to be funny. Nobody was laughing, so it wasn't even worth it. El yucky.

 

We sat up there for another hour or so after that. Then we lost the little sun that we had, and it got really cool. I looked at W and said "Ok I’m gonna head out". I couldn’t do it anymore. My watch has ended.

 

The night before I ordered a couple of pictures from Pixels.  I could pick them up any time after 9am. W and I went there, and it was at a good time. We had a short wait behind 2 people, then our pictures were picked up. Next, we walked around a little to see and be seen. The casino was where we saw the most people. Mostly everyone was inside tho, which I’m sure Carnival loves.

They don’t have to turn us upside down and shake the money from our pockets, when we stay inside spending it.

 

We ended up back in the cabin, and that’s pretty much where we stayed until dinner. Y’all already know what time it was. Nap time! Let's get it. Covers pulled back, pillows fluffed up, shoes off, and earplugs in. Bust a move.

 

 

Our collection of towel animals (that survived)

 

 

W got up first, so he started packing. I got up and showered while he was doing that. My turn was next. I don’t love packing to fly. You have to be so meticulous about where everything goes. Hate it. Especially when I know that I'm getting the enhanced screening, scrutiny, and pat down no matter what I do.

[willdra]

We got to dinner right on time, and at first, it was just W and I along with our servers Michael and Julio. The other couples came a short while later. The dining room was really empty, and we heard that it was because peeps were seasick. I know how much that sucks. We almost didn’t take a second cruise, because I had seasickness something fierce on our first cruise. I also made the mistake of taking the regular Dramamine, and then I couldn’t stay awake for the rest of the cruise. My perception of cruising was awful from that experience. Seasickness crept up on me and lived rent free in my body, and I had to pretty much get a court order to have it evicted. Squatter.

 

I still really wanted to try cruising again, so I discovered that I could take the non-drowsy Dramamine everyday starting with embarkation day. When we took that 2nd cruise, I didn’t skip a day, even if I felt fine, then voila. My cruising addiction was born.

 

For dinner I had the Fried Shrimp, Peach Soup, Penne Mariscos, Braised Short Ribs, and Warm Chocolate Melting Cake with Butter Pecan Ice Cream. The servers had showtime so our dinner lasted until almost 10. The 2 shows that we wanted to watch were well underway by then, so we charged that one to the game, and went back to 2405.

 

 

 

 

Before I fell asleep, I said a prayer thanking God for common sense. I am learning more and more every day that common sense is not common. Periodt.

 

 

[cgladin]

I’ve really enjoyed your review.  Thanks so much for sharing!