My Thoughts on the Panorama

[mkcurran]

1 hour ago, Markmom18 said:

😁😁  Great review!  A nice sense of humor, not too wordy and best of all made me wish I was onboard 💙  I love the Panorama and have been to all 3 Ports quite a few times.  
 

You were on point about Cabo BTW.  Wish Carnival would give another Port a try. Keep Cabo, but offer maybe La Paz every other Panorama cruise. Just thinking out loud …

 

🛳️🛳️

Bobbi

I would absolutely love to have La Paz in the rotation more often.

[csm5986142]

8 hours ago, mkcurran said:

It also felt like like the spa was oversold a couple days for the day passes. Lots of people at times. 

 

I said the exact same thing the one time we had a spa room on Panorama - we will never book a spa room again for this reason.  It was so crowded on sea days (and we ended up missing a port due to weather, so we had mostly sea days). 

[momof3cruisers]

What a lovely review. Succinct, informative and fun. Hank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. 

[glslipper]

Thanks for your thorough review!!  We'll be sailing in January '24 for the first time since Covid.  Our 25th anniversary is in October but we'll be celebrating on this trip.  We'll also be bringing duckies to hide!!!!  

[dmopink]

Great review- thanks for all of the Pro-Tips.  We live in AZ as well, as are sailing in August.  We'll be staying in Long Beach one night pre-cruise. You didn't comment extensively on parking at the port- so I'm guessing it was not awful. I read you cannot reserve a spot- but I am guessing there is no need to? Would you mind sharing the cost? We are kind of concerned with being able to find a spot. 

thanks!! 

 

[weezal]

1 minute ago, dmopink said:

Great review- thanks for all of the Pro-Tips.  We live in AZ as well, as are sailing in August.  We'll be staying in Long Beach one night pre-cruise. You didn't comment extensively on parking at the port- so I'm guessing it was not awful. I read you cannot reserve a spot- but I am guessing there is no need to? Would you mind sharing the cost? We are kind of concerned with being able to find a spot. 

thanks!! 

 

 

$23/day, adjacent to the cruise terminal. plenty of spots on upper levels of parking structure.

https://www.visitlongbeach.com/plan-your-trip/cruise-terminal-information/

[mkcurran]

23 minutes ago, dmopink said:

Great review- thanks for all of the Pro-Tips.  We live in AZ as well, as are sailing in August.  We'll be staying in Long Beach one night pre-cruise. You didn't comment extensively on parking at the port- so I'm guessing it was not awful. I read you cannot reserve a spot- but I am guessing there is no need to? Would you mind sharing the cost? We are kind of concerned with being able to find a spot. 

thanks!! 

 

$23/ day for parking or $161 for the cruise. Show up between 9:30-10 and you should be good. Plenty of spots.

 

[ilovesparky13]

On 5/1/2023 at 2:09 PM, mkcurran said:

The food:

 

We had early assigned dinning and ended up between two tables with four people on each side. We got lucky and had wonderful people on both sides. It wasn't long before we had them all ordering banana splits. The highlights were the filet on the 1st formal night, the short ribs, the fried oysters, hot soups in general, and the salads. 

 

There are still no port menus or table cloths. Our team of servers were on it for the most part, but did forget us for a few minutes on the second formal night. But they did feel bad about it. 

 

They brought out brownies for our special anniversary dessert, a day early. They had this thing where they wanted us to "kissy-kissy" at the end of each line in the song. On the third kissy-kissy the hubby went for a full-dip kiss. Cracked the team up. Being full we took the brownies back to our room. They were excellent.

 

We tried Guy's burgers, Blue Iguana Tacos, & the deli. The burgers were okay, but could live with out chili powder on the fries. The tacos are solid. The Deli was hit or miss, hot dogs excellent, steak sandwich gross.

 

Pro-tip: When in doubt ask your server for a recommendation. Would have missed the short ribs if I didn't.

The steak sandwiches are pre-made with horseradish. Incredibly stupid idea because literally *EVERYONE* was asking them to remove it, which obviously they couldn’t. 
 

You also didn’t mention that the buffet has a free gelato bar. I think it was sea days only? I really enjoyed mixing in a bunch of different toppings. 

[mkcurran]

8 hours ago, ilovesparky13 said:

The steak sandwiches are pre-made with horseradish. Incredibly stupid idea because literally *EVERYONE* was asking them to remove it, which obviously they couldn’t. 
 

You also didn’t mention that the buffet has a free gelato bar. I think it was sea days only? I really enjoyed mixing in a bunch of different toppings. 

I know it's there some where. At the front side I believe. But that was always so crowded we went to the back buffet. I never actually saw the Gelato. If we wanted something more than soft serve we just went and got milk shakes. 

[Saint Greg]

On 5/1/2023 at 4:39 PM, mkcurran said:

Mazatlán: 

 

This city is safer than Chicago.

 

That's a low bar.

[SDPadreFan]

Interesting take on the Ports. Would disagree on Cabo. Although I am somewhat jaded because we have owned a timeshare there since 2003 (Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach). We have never missed our week there. A couple of years, we have stayed for 2 weeks (including our late October trip this year). This year will be our 21st consecutive trip. The tender ride is not a big deal, maybe 10 min or so, and the walk into town is less than 10 minutes as well. There is great food in Cabo as well as great beach bars/restaurants (toes in the sand type) on Medano Beach. Mango Deck, The Office, and The Sand Bar (our favorite) are a few of them. Winter time cruises means outstanding whale watching (generally late Dec-Mar is best - we like Feb.). Maybe you've done whale watching in Alaska (we have - boring). The whales (from Alaska) like to party in Cabo just like the rest of us (not boring). Puerto Vallarta requires a cab or bus or Uber to get anywhere. Mazatlan requires an in-port tram and then a 10-15 min walk into town or a cab ride to get anywhere. Not really a fan of Stone Island (an island in name only). For Mazatlan, we usually go into town (Old Town Mazatlan) to see the Cathedral, the Central Mercado and have a nice lunch. For PV - the best experience in my opinion is Las Caletas (the evening show). Pricey - but simply outstanding. Videos on YouTube to evaluate if it's worth it (it is).

 

We've had a Spa Balcony on Panorama and it's ok. Probably wouldn't do it again, but it's nice.. You will experience a fair amount of movement being that high and that far forward, especially on the last 2 days coming home.

[Kingsmom]

2 minutes ago, SDPadreFan said:

Interesting take on the Ports. Would disagree on Cabo. Although I am somewhat jaded because we have owned a timeshare there since 2003 (Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach). We have never missed our week there. A couple of years, we have stayed for 2 weeks (including our late October trip this year). This year will be our 21st consecutive trip. The tender ride is not a big deal, maybe 10 min or so, and the walk into town is less than 10 minutes as well. There is great food in Cabo as well as great beach bars/restaurants (toes in the sand type) on Medano Beach. Mango Deck, The Office, and The Sand Bar (our favorite) are a few of them. Winter time cruises means outstanding whale watching (generally late Dec-Mar is best - we like Feb.). Maybe you've done whale watching in Alaska (we have - boring). The whales (from Alaska) like to party in Cabo just like the rest of us (not boring).

I'm happy to read this.  We have booked a 6 night on the Panorama in February 2024 and the itinerary only stops in Cabo (2 days) and Ensenada (1 day).  I was starting to get worried that I may have picked the wrong itinerary!  I will be traveling with my husband and two older teens.  Even though we live on the northern California coast and see the migrating whales twice a year, they certainly don't party here so that will be exciting 😉 

[SDPadreFan]

11 minutes ago, Kingsmom said:

I'm happy to read this.  We have booked a 6 night on the Panorama in February 2024 and the itinerary only stops in Cabo (2 days) and Ensenada (1 day).  I was starting to get worried that I may have picked the wrong itinerary!  I will be traveling with my husband and two older teens.  Even though we live on the northern California coast and see the migrating whales twice a year, they certainly don't party here so that will be exciting 😉 

We like the catamarans for whale watching. Pez Gato is our favorite. The bigger ones like EcoCat will have bigger crowds, but also regular bathrooms (if mobility is an issue). From our Feb 2008 visit.

Edited May 9, 2023 by SDPadreFan

[mkcurran]

1 hour ago, Kingsmom said:

I'm happy to read this.  We have booked a 6 night on the Panorama in February 2024 and the itinerary only stops in Cabo (2 days) and Ensenada (1 day).  I was starting to get worried that I may have picked the wrong itinerary!  I will be traveling with my husband and two older teens.  Even though we live on the northern California coast and see the migrating whales twice a year, they certainly don't party here so that will be exciting 😉 

February is a great time for whale watching. April, not so much. Much like the snow birds in my town, the whales are headed north this time of year.

I'd definitely book a whale watching tour if I was going earlier in the year. 

In case you were looking for a recommendation for Ensenada, Hazzel from Tours by Locals is an excellent guide. She got my group of four down to La Bufadora before the crowds. We shopped, had excellent tacos, and a personalized tour of the town. Cheaper than any of the ship excursions as well. 

[ilovesparky13]

11 hours ago, Kingsmom said:

I'm happy to read this.  We have booked a 6 night on the Panorama in February 2024 and the itinerary only stops in Cabo (2 days) and Ensenada (1 day).  I was starting to get worried that I may have picked the wrong itinerary!  I will be traveling with my husband and two older teens.  Even though we live on the northern California coast and see the migrating whales twice a year, they certainly don't party here so that will be exciting 😉 

Cabo is my favorite port BY FAR in the Mexican Riviera. 

[tytanbri]

6 hours ago, ilovesparky13 said:

Cabo is my favorite port BY FAR in the Mexican Riviera. 

We are going the first week of June. We would like to just walk around for a bit. What would you recommend?

[jimbo5544]

Nice review. We enjoyed the Panorama last December.  Crew was in a groove, great service and love the ship.  Thanks for the review.

[mkcurran]

1 hour ago, tytanbri said:

We are going the first week of June. We would like to just walk around for a bit. What would you recommend?

Lots of stops for hydration 😉

[ilovesparky13]

5 hours ago, tytanbri said:

We are going the first week of June. We would like to just walk around for a bit. What would you recommend?

Walking around the port area is really nice. We enjoyed a tall glass of Horchata.

[tytanbri]

26 minutes ago, ilovesparky13 said:

Walking around the port area is really nice. We enjoyed a tall glass of Horchata.

Thank you!

[Itried4498]

Cabo, PV and Cozumel are the headliners in Mexico.  Yes, there’s smaller, quieter ports that many veterans may prefer but none draw the interest of the aforementioned.  
 

Tons of Cabo itineraries have emerged in the past few years.  Like any other port, you need to do your research in advance to make the most of it, otherwise you’ll wind up in a hot, high cost, perpetual hell of aggressive street vendors.

[Wennfred]

3x on Panorama since the restart, great beautiful ship, great staff and great foods. It’s one of my favorites and I have done many, off to both XL class in November, not sure how I’m going to deal with the crowds but I just have to see for myself.

 

great review on Panorama, thanks 

[rudechuck]

On 5/1/2023 at 2:30 PM, mkcurran said:

Having been here before, this is the day we picked for our relaxing beach day. We are not big drinkers, so the traditional day passes didn't hold value for us. So I search and found Las Palapas. Here you can rent the two lounger set-up for the day for a food and beverage minimum of 1,000 pesos or about $54. We had 2 pina coladas, 2 cokes, one big bottle of water, a club sandwich with the best fries ever, a shrimp taco, and a octopus taco. This barely met our minimum. There is parasailing right off to the side. Watching that was great entertainment. Only two sailors got close to landing on our umbrella.

 

My wife and I had our 1st anniversary dinner on the beach at La Palapa back in 2006.  We love PV too and I can't wait to go back.  Loving your review.