PANORAMA...give me those cruise reviews to Mexican Riviera

[pghsteelerfan]

On 1/21/2024 at 2:46 PM, mitsugirly said:

We just booked the Panorama to the Mexican Riviera and I'm super excited! This will be the first time we have ever cruised to the Mexican Riviera. 

 

So, any of you that have reviews, blogs and/or websites for the Panorama OR the ports in the Mexican Riviera, please give me a link. I'm ready to soak up as much information that I can about this ship and the ports and love reading the reviews (especially if there's pictures involved) 😉 

 

Itinerary:

Day 1: Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Departs at 4:30 PM

Day 2: Fun Day At Sea

Day 3: Cabo San Lucas | 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Day 4: La Paz | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Day 5: Mazatlán | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Day 6: Puerto Vallarta | 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Day 7-8: Fun Day At Sea

Day 9: Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Arrives at 9:00 AM

Hi Mitsugirly!  It's been a while since I've been on CC but we just did that same exact itinerary on Panorama this past October!  I didn't do a review anywhere but can try to tell you a little about it.  First of all, we LOVED it!  Our itinerary was switched around due to Tropical Storm Lidia, which became a strong hurricane.  The new itinerary was two sea days at the beginning, La Paz and Mazatlan as scheduled, then instead of Puerto Vallarta (hurricane hit just south of there), we went from Mazatlan to Cabo and had one full day and another half day in Cabo.  The last day was a sea day then back to Long Beach. 

La Paz is a new port, we didn't have anything books since the available tours didn't interest us.  We just wanted to experience the town.  Since it's a brand new port, there are still some wrinkles to iron out but I think it is going to be a great addition for a regular port stop.  We took the bus transport into the town and walked around.  Only one souvenir shop that we could find, mostly restaurants.  For the bus transport, we had to get in line for tickets and that was at 2PM.  Line formed a half hour early.  I was able to get tickets for the earliest time, which we wanted. 

We just walked along the Malecon.  Got T-shirts at the one souvenir shop right along the Malecon and a magnet from one of the many local vendors that set up along the Malecon.  The one major issue - no public bathrooms.  From talking to other passengers, to use a bathroom at one of the restaurants, you had to purchase (meal or drink).  There were bathrooms at the bus terminal where you're dropped off and picked up but they charged.  The one bathroom that was free was the handicap access and the line was very long.  Someone on our roll call said they eventually opened them up. ???  We ended up taking the bus back to town earlier than planned and just spent the rest of the afternoon on the ship & enjoying the skyride and ropes course (no line).  There is the option to take the bus to the beach and then another bus to the town after.  If you take the bus to town first, you need to take the bus back to the ship then get another bus to the beach.  We did not know that ahead of time.  So I loved La Paz, beautiful and has great potential, the only issue was the bathrooms.  I tried talking my hubby into stopping in a bar and getting a drink and he just said we'd have to "go" even worse.  Oh, forgot to mention, it's desert there so on the transport bus (if you end up taking it), you'll see the large saguaro cactus - lots of them.  It's desert meets ocean - really cool. 

In Mazatlan, we did Carnival's excursion to Deer Island.  The excursion was 5 hours but only about 2 hours at the beach at Deer Island.  You need to take a bus to a marina, then from the marina a boat out to Deer Island.  Food/drinks provided and drinks were flowing on the boat to/from.  They were serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  We just stuck with the beer, which was good.  There is a little mall-type area right at the port, so when we got back from the tour, the bus dropped us off there.  There is a transport from the mall to the ship but we got some shirts & other souvenirs at the shops at the mall area before getting back on the ship.  Sailing in and out of Mazatlan is just beautiful!  It's a rather large city but still beautiful.  We were there, years ago (Jan. 2000) and that time we just did the Gold Zone shopping and beach break.  There is also a Malecon over in the area where the Gold Zone shopping and hotels are, we saw it from the bus, looked really nice. The scenery of Mazatlan, around the city, is lush and green. 

Our first day in Cabo we had the tour to Land's End (famous Cabo arch) in the morning.  We were also in Cabo during that 2000 cruise and that time, we took and excursion through Carnival, which they still offer, that is a combo snorkel and sail.  We snorkeled first, about an 1 - 1.5 hours then we sailed around and past the arch.  Water was cold then so I didn't last snorkeling, but water much warmer in October.  Since we'd done that before, we just took the tour that goes out to the arch - we wanted pictures.  After that, we took a water taxi to Medano Beach for a couple hours.  After that, we went back into town and had margaritas at Cabo Wabo.  After that, souvenirs and back to the ship.  We didn't overnight in Cabo so the could open the casino and Fun Shops. 

The next morning we just took the water taxi to town and walked to another beach that you can see from the ship.  We didn't take our snorkels with us but wish we had.  That beach is right next to the town (10 minute walk from where you get off the water taxi) and it's between the town and the Land's End formation that the arch is at the end of.  Best way I know how to describe it.  You'll see it from the ship, there is a large, blue wall that's painted with fish, turtles, other sea life.  It wasn't crowded at all when we were there but there were others there. 

There is so much more to do in these ports, just can't do it all on a cruise stop.  Since it was Mexico, we opted for excursions through the cruise line and mainly to insure our safety.  We never felt unsafe. 

The largest ships we've been on before Panorama were Carnival's Glory, Valor, & Liberty, all Conquest Class ships.  So Panorama was the largest ship we've been on.  I wasn't sure if I'd like her or not but we both LOVED her.  Even though there was almost twice as many people than we're used to sailing with, it never felt crowded.  There was a nice flow to it.  We loved Guy's & Blue Iguana (of course) and we also tried the Pig and Anchor (only open certain days).  That was very good - loved it.  Our CD was Deon "Woo Woo" and he was great.  This is the first time a CD had an impact on our cruise.  We hadn't planned on it but ended up ended up hanging out for the 80's deck party.  We just stopped at Red Frog for a drink after the Punchliner show but ended up sticking around for the whole thing.  On our cruise they also had the Halloween party and same thing, after comedy, stopped for drinks and ended up sticking around. 

Boarding wasn't perfect.  Even though our hotel was pretty close to the cruise terminal, it took a while to get there since traffic was backed up.  I'm not sure, but there may have been something else going on.  The ship also got in late due to heavy fog that morning so that may have been part of it.  We had the earliest boarding time for non-priority but it took us forever to get find a porter to drop our luggage off.  We finally found them and made our way into the terminal.  The porter issue may also have been since the ship was late and people from previous cruise had just gotten off.  Once inside the terminal, the line was long but moved quickly.  Oh, and because Panorama got in late, we didn't end up leaving until around 8PM.  That was because the fuel barge was also late getting to the ship so we couldn't leave till she was fueled up.  That worked in my favor since we had a beautiful sunset and the views were awesome.  We just hung around outside on the ship until we had to go in and get ready for dinner (late seating).  Getting off the ship was much easier. 

Now I'm wishing I had done a review!  LOL!!!  I have some of the pictures up on FB and could always add more to that.  This is our first cruise since our Liberty cruise in 2015 (had two booked that ended up cancelled) and then other land vacations in between.  We've done 2 weeks in Hawaii; a week in New Orleans with friends; Hollywood Beach, FL for 3 days then a week after that with friends in Kissimmee; & Myrtle Beach; and a few 3 - 4 day trips to the beaches in NC, so we've still been having fun. 

I really think you'll love the itinerary - the scenery is very different from the Caribbean but you'll love it.  Since Carnival is no longer sailing out of San Juan, which was our favorite, this is one cruise I would not hesitate to book again.  Just wish we could have gotten to Puerto Vallarta (were there in 2000 as well) but would have loved to have seen it again.  I only had a film camera then (remember those?), so really don't have many pictures from that trip at all.  Hopefully I can talk hubby into the Panorama again.  When is your cruise?  I'm already looking forward to your review.  I need to get caught up on those - so many I haven't gotten to yet!  I'm not spending as much time on the computer anymore, I'm out and keeping active.  Been doing a lot of walking and have gotten into 5K's (keeps me motivated to keep my butt moving).  I don't want to sit and rust.  LOL!!!
 

[pghsteelerfan]

Oh, forgot to add - the only downside was that if you collect the ship ornaments, the one that looks like the cruise ship model, good luck.  LOL!!!  They didn't have them on our cruise, we were told that they didn't get some of their shipment in due to the fog delays and the ship ornaments were one of those items.  I've checked on Ebay practically every day since and nada.  It's weird, I see the ship ornaments for most of the others ships, just not Panorama, Vista, or Horizon - all Vista Class ships.  That's actually why I'm on here, I was going to ask if anyone else who'd been on Panorama was able to get them or even if they just saw them for sale. 

[pblack]

If you happen to be cruising in May, we may be on the same sailing. 😉

 

While the west coast definitely does not have the crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean/Bahamas, the water out here is just as beautiful in its own right. I've attached a couple panoramic pics I took when we were in Cabo a number of years back. Long Beach is my home port, so we've been out of Long Beach 5ish times now. 

 

Depending on when you're going, the weather on this side of Mexico can either be really pleasant or really hot and humid. But I don't think we've ever really had "bad" weather anytime we've done the Mexican Riviera.

 

We do not tend to do an excursion in Cabo. The first time we went we did a snorkeling excursion and while it was fun the water was pretty choppy and we didn't see much. We usually walk around the port area and grab food and drinks. When we were there in April 2023 we tried out Solomon's Landing for the first time and really enjoyed the food and the service. If you're into craft beer, Baja Brewing has some solid beers and eats. We haven't been since they moved locations, but I'm sure they're still just as good. A lot of people say they don't like Cabo because it's basically a desert, but I love Cabo. 

 

The last couple times we've been to Puerto Vallarta we've done an all inclusive day at the Hyatt Ziva. The first time we did it it was offered through Carnival, but the last time we went it wasn't offered through Carnival so we just booked it on our own and then took a taxi to/from the resort. Taxi's are super easy to grab in Puerto Vallarta. Highly highly recommend the Hyatt Ziva. Their food and drinks are great and the staff is wonderful. There is also a Walmart right across from the port area in case you need to grab anything. Puerto Vallarta also tends to be one of the ports that you have the most time in so you can really get your moneys worth in my opinion. We've also walked the Malecon before which provides you with tons of things to see and places to walk through. One trip we did the Rhythms of the Night through Carnival and while it was fun, we didn't have the greatest experience due to the super rough seas. 75% of our boat to the island area got sea sick. I wasn't able to enjoy dinner and I still didn't feel good throughout the show. We have friends that went a different time though and said it was great. I hesitate to this one again personally just because the price has gone up on it astronomically. 

 

Mazatlan is a working port so it's definitely not the prettiest when they dock (at least if you're looking out at the side facing the port, the other side view isn't bad). We've actually never done anything in Mazatlan (only been twice since Carnival didn't always sail there due to crime). On our family trip last April my BIL/SIL and their spouses did a kayaking excursion (it was this or ziplining I don't remember which) through an outside company and they all had a lot of fun with it. 

 

La Paz we have not been to yet and this will be our first trip here so I don't have any tidbits of info for this.

 

Panorama is a really nice ship. This will be our 2nd time on her and this time we're trying out the Havana area. I'll come back and add any other tidbits I think of that may be useful. 🙂

[Hogladyrider]

I believe she is cruising end of March first part of April....it will more than likely be windy as they sail and cool in the evenings.  I think the water temps will be cooler as well....but they are die hard water fans so they will do just fine.

 

We have a 14 day Mexican Riviera booked over New Years Eve 2025 on HAL.  Checking another item off my bucket list of cruising over a holiday!

[notscb]

25 minutes ago, pblack said:

But I don't think we've ever really had "bad" weather anytime we've done the Mexican Riviera.

It can, however, be very cold on sea days 🙂

[mistycruiser]

13 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

 

That does look kinda cool. I just don't know if my family wants to sit long enough to watch an entire show. I will have to check more into this. 

I really need to second  Rthyms of the Night.  It's fabulous. I know you're more a beach person from reading your previous reviews but it's basically like Cirque de Soliel but oriented to Mexico..  But definitely book it thru the ship because we'll all be waiting for that excursion to return in the evening so we can depart. We've done the Mexican Riviera itinerary numerous times including just this last NYE. 

[jerseygirlinAZ]

On 1/22/2024 at 4:36 PM, NeaNea said:

We have done the Mexican Riviera Cruise many times and the highlight we had was in Puerto Vallarta was The Rhythms of the Night! You go by boat to an island where you have buffet dinner and a live show after dinner. You can book the excursion through Carnival. It was a lot of fun! 

 

We just did this on our NYE's cruise.  Was definitely the highlight of our time in port.  Loved it!

[retiring soon]

Hi all!  

 

mitsugirly - so glad to hear you're going to try a Mexican Riviera  cruise. I've only done one and it was a long time ago but I must say I really loved Puerto Vallarta, so much to see there and it's American yet Mexican so when I came home, as I was sailing solo, I told my husband he just had to see it so we went back for a week to an all inclusive. We did Las Caletas which is the daytime version of rhythms of the night and it was fun. 

On the boat ride over we saw dolphins and whales and it was a fun time with music and drinks on the boat.

 Although the West Coast water doesn't seem as beautiful as the East Coast of Mexico it's still quite nice. I love those Mexican ports and you can also see them on Panama Canal cruises and also get down to South America if you ever feel like doing that. I'm doing a Panama Canal cruise in November for the second time and it goes to five places in Mexico plus Nicaragua and San Salvador. Cartagena Colombia is also a lovely place to see, as are Panama & Costa Rica. Interesting birds and animals to see in those last two places.

Looking forward to following you on your cruise. 

By the way I'm very cautious of getting gas, watching out for the hose after your problem!!

 

Jo

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, CheckersMidwest said:

We had a Havana Cabana on the Panorama. It was our first cruise out of California. We went in July. A couple important things to us: At night, around 6:00 it got cold. We sat outside to eat and they used patio warmers. In July. The first sea day and the sea day coming back, it was cold on the deck & a lot of people stayed inside. Definitely not the typical Caribbean or even Mexico weather we're used to in July. Mexico itself was warm and we enjoyed it. We don't care to sail out of California again though.

 

We are from Missouri where everything that didn't stay open during covid, opened back up in May. We flew to Mexico for vacation, took a cruise, our daughter got married, had a new grand baby.......then summer 21 we sailed out of California. ALL they talked about - the cruise director too, was "we're back" and we're finally 'out' and the majority of the passengers were from California. Literally all they talked about - first time out since covid and all we could think about was 'what have you people been doing?!' I know it was different everywhere, but the whole vibe , atmosphere, everything was different than any other cruise we've taken. Not bad. Just very different.

 

We are going the first week of April so it definitely sounds like we will be taking some warm clothes with us for at night and sailing to and from. Where do they have the parties at at night? Is it on the decks up top? We love to go to the dance parties and it sounds like it will most likely be cold up there if that's where they have the parties. 

 

Wow, it sounds like you had a busy year during covid. I understand the excitement of everything opening back up on the first cruise but I couldn't agree more about how things have changed somewhat. We did a lot of land vacations during that time: Aruba, Vegas, St Thomas twice, Disney and Mexico and I have to say, it was the absolute best time we've had. Less crowds for everything and simply amazing that we didn't even want to go back on a ship when it started back up. But, our daughter desperately wanted to. I personally waited for awhile after cruising started back up...the last thing I wanted was to be stuck in a small room if there was a covid outbreak on the ship. I'd much rather be in a private rented home on an island instead. 😄  It was a different vibe for sure on our first cruise back. 

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, pghsteelerfan said:

Hi Mitsugirly!  It's been a while since I've been on CC but we just did that same exact itinerary on Panorama this past October!  I didn't do a review anywhere but can try to tell you a little about it.  First of all, we LOVED it!  Our itinerary was switched around due to Tropical Storm Lidia, which became a strong hurricane.  The new itinerary was two sea days at the beginning, La Paz and Mazatlan as scheduled, then instead of Puerto Vallarta (hurricane hit just south of there), we went from Mazatlan to Cabo and had one full day and another half day in Cabo.  The last day was a sea day then back to Long Beach. 

La Paz is a new port, we didn't have anything books since the available tours didn't interest us.  We just wanted to experience the town.  Since it's a brand new port, there are still some wrinkles to iron out but I think it is going to be a great addition for a regular port stop.  We took the bus transport into the town and walked around.  Only one souvenir shop that we could find, mostly restaurants.  For the bus transport, we had to get in line for tickets and that was at 2PM.  Line formed a half hour early.  I was able to get tickets for the earliest time, which we wanted. 

We just walked along the Malecon.  Got T-shirts at the one souvenir shop right along the Malecon and a magnet from one of the many local vendors that set up along the Malecon.  The one major issue - no public bathrooms.  From talking to other passengers, to use a bathroom at one of the restaurants, you had to purchase (meal or drink).  There were bathrooms at the bus terminal where you're dropped off and picked up but they charged.  The one bathroom that was free was the handicap access and the line was very long.  Someone on our roll call said they eventually opened them up. ???  We ended up taking the bus back to town earlier than planned and just spent the rest of the afternoon on the ship & enjoying the skyride and ropes course (no line).  There is the option to take the bus to the beach and then another bus to the town after.  If you take the bus to town first, you need to take the bus back to the ship then get another bus to the beach.  We did not know that ahead of time.  So I loved La Paz, beautiful and has great potential, the only issue was the bathrooms.  I tried talking my hubby into stopping in a bar and getting a drink and he just said we'd have to "go" even worse.  Oh, forgot to mention, it's desert there so on the transport bus (if you end up taking it), you'll see the large saguaro cactus - lots of them.  It's desert meets ocean - really cool. 

In Mazatlan, we did Carnival's excursion to Deer Island.  The excursion was 5 hours but only about 2 hours at the beach at Deer Island.  You need to take a bus to a marina, then from the marina a boat out to Deer Island.  Food/drinks provided and drinks were flowing on the boat to/from.  They were serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  We just stuck with the beer, which was good.  There is a little mall-type area right at the port, so when we got back from the tour, the bus dropped us off there.  There is a transport from the mall to the ship but we got some shirts & other souvenirs at the shops at the mall area before getting back on the ship.  Sailing in and out of Mazatlan is just beautiful!  It's a rather large city but still beautiful.  We were there, years ago (Jan. 2000) and that time we just did the Gold Zone shopping and beach break.  There is also a Malecon over in the area where the Gold Zone shopping and hotels are, we saw it from the bus, looked really nice. The scenery of Mazatlan, around the city, is lush and green. 

Our first day in Cabo we had the tour to Land's End (famous Cabo arch) in the morning.  We were also in Cabo during that 2000 cruise and that time, we took and excursion through Carnival, which they still offer, that is a combo snorkel and sail.  We snorkeled first, about an 1 - 1.5 hours then we sailed around and past the arch.  Water was cold then so I didn't last snorkeling, but water much warmer in October.  Since we'd done that before, we just took the tour that goes out to the arch - we wanted pictures.  After that, we took a water taxi to Medano Beach for a couple hours.  After that, we went back into town and had margaritas at Cabo Wabo.  After that, souvenirs and back to the ship.  We didn't overnight in Cabo so the could open the casino and Fun Shops. 

The next morning we just took the water taxi to town and walked to another beach that you can see from the ship.  We didn't take our snorkels with us but wish we had.  That beach is right next to the town (10 minute walk from where you get off the water taxi) and it's between the town and the Land's End formation that the arch is at the end of.  Best way I know how to describe it.  You'll see it from the ship, there is a large, blue wall that's painted with fish, turtles, other sea life.  It wasn't crowded at all when we were there but there were others there. 

There is so much more to do in these ports, just can't do it all on a cruise stop.  Since it was Mexico, we opted for excursions through the cruise line and mainly to insure our safety.  We never felt unsafe. 

The largest ships we've been on before Panorama were Carnival's Glory, Valor, & Liberty, all Conquest Class ships.  So Panorama was the largest ship we've been on.  I wasn't sure if I'd like her or not but we both LOVED her.  Even though there was almost twice as many people than we're used to sailing with, it never felt crowded.  There was a nice flow to it.  We loved Guy's & Blue Iguana (of course) and we also tried the Pig and Anchor (only open certain days).  That was very good - loved it.  Our CD was Deon "Woo Woo" and he was great.  This is the first time a CD had an impact on our cruise.  We hadn't planned on it but ended up ended up hanging out for the 80's deck party.  We just stopped at Red Frog for a drink after the Punchliner show but ended up sticking around for the whole thing.  On our cruise they also had the Halloween party and same thing, after comedy, stopped for drinks and ended up sticking around. 

Boarding wasn't perfect.  Even though our hotel was pretty close to the cruise terminal, it took a while to get there since traffic was backed up.  I'm not sure, but there may have been something else going on.  The ship also got in late due to heavy fog that morning so that may have been part of it.  We had the earliest boarding time for non-priority but it took us forever to get find a porter to drop our luggage off.  We finally found them and made our way into the terminal.  The porter issue may also have been since the ship was late and people from previous cruise had just gotten off.  Once inside the terminal, the line was long but moved quickly.  Oh, and because Panorama got in late, we didn't end up leaving until around 8PM.  That was because the fuel barge was also late getting to the ship so we couldn't leave till she was fueled up.  That worked in my favor since we had a beautiful sunset and the views were awesome.  We just hung around outside on the ship until we had to go in and get ready for dinner (late seating).  Getting off the ship was much easier. 

Now I'm wishing I had done a review!  LOL!!!  I have some of the pictures up on FB and could always add more to that.  This is our first cruise since our Liberty cruise in 2015 (had two booked that ended up cancelled) and then other land vacations in between.  We've done 2 weeks in Hawaii; a week in New Orleans with friends; Hollywood Beach, FL for 3 days then a week after that with friends in Kissimmee; & Myrtle Beach; and a few 3 - 4 day trips to the beaches in NC, so we've still been having fun. 

I really think you'll love the itinerary - the scenery is very different from the Caribbean but you'll love it.  Since Carnival is no longer sailing out of San Juan, which was our favorite, this is one cruise I would not hesitate to book again.  Just wish we could have gotten to Puerto Vallarta (were there in 2000 as well) but would have loved to have seen it again.  I only had a film camera then (remember those?), so really don't have many pictures from that trip at all.  Hopefully I can talk hubby into the Panorama again.  When is your cruise?  I'm already looking forward to your review.  I need to get caught up on those - so many I haven't gotten to yet!  I'm not spending as much time on the computer anymore, I'm out and keeping active.  Been doing a lot of walking and have gotten into 5K's (keeps me motivated to keep my butt moving).  I don't want to sit and rust.  LOL!!!
 

 

Hi Holly!! Good to hear from you...its been awhile. 

 

Thanks so much for your review from the Panaorama! I can't believe you didn't do a complete review. Sorry you didn't make it to PV but at least you made it to the other ports. 

 

Wow the bathroom situation in La Paz sounds like a nightmare for someone like me...I go a lot...probably from drinking so much pop. LOL  The desert there sounds really cool. I can't wait to see it. That will definitely be a different experience (and pictures for me 😄 )

 

Mazatlan: What did you think about Deer Island? I have seen that mentioned while I was googling things in Mazatlan and put it on "my list" to check out. Did you feel it was worth the money to just spend a few hours there? Was that enough time? Was there any snorkeling there? Pretty beach? Any place to explore in that area?

 

Cabo: Who did you use for the Land's End tour to the arch and snorkeling? Was it a Carnival excursion?  How was the snorkeling? I've seen a few snorkeling pictures here and there and it looks like they have some different types of fish to see in this part (compared to what we are used to seeing in the Caribbean...like a black and white spotted puffer!!!!) Do you know where they took you to snorkel? Was it over close to Pelican Rock? Or the sea lions?   How did you feel about Medano Beach? I've seen that mentioned in tours I've looked up online as well. Any snorkeling there? Pretty beach? Places to explore? How far of a boat ride is it on the water taxi there? Do you know if the water taxi takes you to Lovers/Divorce beach? Are they just running back and forth all day? Or do they wait for you while you are at the beach? I'm so confused on how this all works. I've seen videos of people taking the water taxi and said they waited on them while they were at the beach...but I just can't imagine since they would be losing money if they weren't continuously running. Is the beach you are talking about right next to town and Land's End a snorkeling beach? Do you know what it's called?

 

So glad to hear it never felt crowded. A lot of people seem to be saying that. I keep telling myself I'm going to go back to cruising smaller ships because of the crowd...but yet here I am on another big ship. LOL  They have an 80's deck party? Woo Hoo! Sakari will love it. Did you feel it was cold out on the deck during this? Or by deck, did you mean it was inside somewhere? Was it actually up on the open deck?

 

Where can I find your pictures? Send me a link (if you have to on my blog). I bet they're beautiful! Yea, we've still been having fun as well with land vacations and absolutely LOVE them. So much exploring to do.

 

Oh my gosh...a film camera. I remember those days and impatiently waiting for them to come back to see if they were any good or not. I do not miss those days. LOL  

 

Our cruise is March 30-April 7. I understand about the whole spending time away from the computer these days. I've been doing the same until I started searching for another cruise/vacation to do. Now I'm immersed in everything I can soak up and looking up everything. 

 

I REALLY hope they have some ship ornaments on the Panorama. Yes, we do collect them. We have 2 ships missing from our collection (Epic because we've done her twice and our Joy cruise...which they were out). I've done the same thing...checking ebay and Amazon and can't find either one. I've even posted on here for someone to check and haven't got a response (even in roll calls). Maybe some day I'll run across one. If they have any on the Panorama, I will get you one!

 

 

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, pblack said:

If you happen to be cruising in May, we may be on the same sailing. 😉

 

While the west coast definitely does not have the crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean/Bahamas, the water out here is just as beautiful in its own right. I've attached a couple panoramic pics I took when we were in Cabo a number of years back. Long Beach is my home port, so we've been out of Long Beach 5ish times now. 

 

Depending on when you're going, the weather on this side of Mexico can either be really pleasant or really hot and humid. But I don't think we've ever really had "bad" weather anytime we've done the Mexican Riviera.

 

We do not tend to do an excursion in Cabo. The first time we went we did a snorkeling excursion and while it was fun the water was pretty choppy and we didn't see much. We usually walk around the port area and grab food and drinks. When we were there in April 2023 we tried out Solomon's Landing for the first time and really enjoyed the food and the service. If you're into craft beer, Baja Brewing has some solid beers and eats. We haven't been since they moved locations, but I'm sure they're still just as good. A lot of people say they don't like Cabo because it's basically a desert, but I love Cabo. 

 

The last couple times we've been to Puerto Vallarta we've done an all inclusive day at the Hyatt Ziva. The first time we did it it was offered through Carnival, but the last time we went it wasn't offered through Carnival so we just booked it on our own and then took a taxi to/from the resort. Taxi's are super easy to grab in Puerto Vallarta. Highly highly recommend the Hyatt Ziva. Their food and drinks are great and the staff is wonderful. There is also a Walmart right across from the port area in case you need to grab anything. Puerto Vallarta also tends to be one of the ports that you have the most time in so you can really get your moneys worth in my opinion. We've also walked the Malecon before which provides you with tons of things to see and places to walk through. One trip we did the Rhythms of the Night through Carnival and while it was fun, we didn't have the greatest experience due to the super rough seas. 75% of our boat to the island area got sea sick. I wasn't able to enjoy dinner and I still didn't feel good throughout the show. We have friends that went a different time though and said it was great. I hesitate to this one again personally just because the price has gone up on it astronomically. 

 

Mazatlan is a working port so it's definitely not the prettiest when they dock (at least if you're looking out at the side facing the port, the other side view isn't bad). We've actually never done anything in Mazatlan (only been twice since Carnival didn't always sail there due to crime). On our family trip last April my BIL/SIL and their spouses did a kayaking excursion (it was this or ziplining I don't remember which) through an outside company and they all had a lot of fun with it. 

 

La Paz we have not been to yet and this will be our first trip here so I don't have any tidbits of info for this.

 

Panorama is a really nice ship. This will be our 2nd time on her and this time we're trying out the Havana area. I'll come back and add any other tidbits I think of that may be useful. 🙂

 

 

We will be cruising March 30-April 7. 🙂   So it looks like we won't be on the same cruise. 

 

We are usually pretty active people in ports and prefer water excursions or something active (like snorkeling or swimming with sea life in the ocean) We usually don't get off the ship to shop or to eat and drink. 

 

Sorry to hear about getting sick doing the Rhythms of the Night tour. I hear a lot of people like it and it seems neat. I just don't know if it's for us on our first time there. I may have to take a few of these cruises to do everything. 😄  Or a land vacation there. I want to do so many things!

 

I absolutely LOVE you pano photos. Those are beautiful. 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

I believe she is cruising end of March first part of April....it will more than likely be windy as they sail and cool in the evenings.  I think the water temps will be cooler as well....but they are die hard water fans so they will do just fine.

 

We have a 14 day Mexican Riviera booked over New Years Eve 2025 on HAL.  Checking another item off my bucket list of cruising over a holiday!

 

Yes we are die hard water fans but sitting here thinking about how cold the water will be and even in the evenings onboard has me shivering. 😄  This is the reason we have yet to sail to Alaska...I hate the cold. But, we do what we have to in order to have a good time. lol

 

Congrats on having something booked to check off your list. I've always wanted to do a Halloween cruise. Maybe some day I'll check that off my bucket list. 

[mitsugirly]

9 hours ago, mistycruiser said:

I really need to second  Rthyms of the Night.  It's fabulous. I know you're more a beach person from reading your previous reviews but it's basically like Cirque de Soliel but oriented to Mexico..  But definitely book it thru the ship because we'll all be waiting for that excursion to return in the evening so we can depart. We've done the Mexican Riviera itinerary numerous times including just this last NYE. 

 

If we enjoy ourselves on this cruise (which I'm pretty sure we will), we will have to book another and try out the Rhythms of the Night. It sounds amazing. I'm just not sure I want to do it on our first time there. It sounds like it's an all day adventure and there's one thing that has caught my eye in this port that I would like to make happen...if I can. If not, maybe we'll give it a shot.

[mitsugirly]

9 hours ago, retiring soon said:

Hi all!  

 

mitsugirly - so glad to hear you're going to try a Mexican Riviera  cruise. I've only done one and it was a long time ago but I must say I really loved Puerto Vallarta, so much to see there and it's American yet Mexican so when I came home, as I was sailing solo, I told my husband he just had to see it so we went back for a week to an all inclusive. We did Las Caletas which is the daytime version of rhythms of the night and it was fun. 

On the boat ride over we saw dolphins and whales and it was a fun time with music and drinks on the boat.

 Although the West Coast water doesn't seem as beautiful as the East Coast of Mexico it's still quite nice. I love those Mexican ports and you can also see them on Panama Canal cruises and also get down to South America if you ever feel like doing that. I'm doing a Panama Canal cruise in November for the second time and it goes to five places in Mexico plus Nicaragua and San Salvador. Cartagena Colombia is also a lovely place to see, as are Panama & Costa Rica. Interesting birds and animals to see in those last two places.

Looking forward to following you on your cruise. 

By the way I'm very cautious of getting gas, watching out for the hose after your problem!!

 

Jo

 

 

 

 

Hi Jo! Good to hear from you. I hope retirement is going well for you. 

 

I think I'm like you and probably going to enjoy it so much that we book a land vacation there. There's just so much I want to do (or multiple cruises there lol)

 

We have also talked about a Panama Canal cruise as well. It's definitely on my radar for sure!  We definitely want to go to Costa Rica. We've actually looked into doing a land vacation there just to experience it...but those plans seem to get put on hold each time. 

 

Yes, watch out for those gas hoses...they will do you in! 

[travelinjess85]

On 1/23/2024 at 4:08 AM, mitsugirly said:

 

I have seen a lot of people mention the clear glass boat tours and enjoying them. What makes them so great? Tell me more please. I'm just picturing in my head previous tours I've seen on glass bottom boats and the glass is so cloudy it's hard to make out what's down there other than shadows of things swimming by. I looked up Envatours to see their boat and it does look amazing and clear. The price is only $39???? That seems awfully cheap for a tour. Even $468 for a private tour. 😶  Do you know if they have more than 1 boat? This just got me really excited. LOL  Do they allow you off the boat for snorkeling or to go to a beach?

We thought the fully clear glass boat was way cooler than the usual glass bottom. Was worth it for us! Ours was completely clear and just very fun! The guide took photos on our own phones (although they have a photographer also and try and sell them at the end…but thankfully weren't too pushy with it! ) and the views were incredible. They didn’t stop anywhere but not sure if they have different tours available…it looked like they had a few different clear boats not just the one we were on. I think ours was only about an hour so not very long but I would do it again for sure! Here are some of our pics. 

[mitsugirly]

2 hours ago, travelinjess85 said:

We thought the fully clear glass boat was way cooler than the usual glass bottom. Was worth it for us! Ours was completely clear and just very fun! The guide took photos on our own phones (although they have a photographer also and try and sell them at the end…but thankfully weren't too pushy with it! ) and the views were incredible. They didn’t stop anywhere but not sure if they have different tours available…it looked like they had a few different clear boats not just the one we were on. I think ours was only about an hour so not very long but I would do it again for sure! Here are some of our pics. 

 

Thanks for your thoughts. Great pictures! So they didn't have a problem with you bringing your own camera and taking your own pictures? I'm a picture freak and we carry 2 camera's and a GoPro with us everywhere for my reviews. If they tried to only want us to buy theirs, it would be crossed off my list. lol  Sounds like they will be ok with it. 

[pghsteelerfan]

On 1/24/2024 at 6:35 AM, mitsugirly said:

 

Hi Holly!! Good to hear from you...its been awhile. 

 

Thanks so much for your review from the Panaorama! I can't believe you didn't do a complete review. Sorry you didn't make it to PV but at least you made it to the other ports. Yeah, no review this time.  We actually had this one booked in May 2021.  We had Magic booked in May 2020 and Fascination in Oct. 2021 out of San Juan, but both were cancelled.  We took full refund for Magic and got airline vouchers that we needed to use originally by the end of 2022 then United changed it so we had till the end of 2023, that worked out PERFECTLY!  We moved the down payment from Fascination to Panorama when I saw they had itineraries with La Paz added.  So it was the longest wait since we usually book 3 months (sometimes less) in advance.  Last year we found our cat (only one left out of the 4 we had last time we cruised in 2015) had potential heart issues and no way was I going to leave him for a vacation if things were "iffy".  We lost one at the very end of our 2 week HI trip in 2017, even though we had a pet sitter come every day.  She was more experienced with dogs and kind of dropped the ball, but I never should have left for that long.  So I never want to go through that again if I can help it.  I wasn't able to get our cat into the pet cardiologist until August and then it took our vet pulling some teeth to get the appointment.  They were booked through October.  So the "heart issue" was just a structural issue common in cats.  It's a false tendon in his heart chamber/ventricle - whatever, causing a "clicking" sound/murmur that was originally thought to be a "galloping rhythym" which our vet said "isn't good".  I'm not too familiar w/heart issues.  So now that the cruise was a go, it didn't leave me much time for planning.  Glad we changed the insurance to cancel for any reason when we made the final payment a couple months prior.  When we got back, I was uploading pictures to the computer and busy with every day things then by that time, the holidays were coming up so I never got around to organizing my pictures or anything and am just now getting started.  I have the Fun Times but forgot to get screen shots of the menus, you now, the kind of stuff everyone really wants to see.  LOL!!!  But definitely kicking myself for not doing a review.

 

Wow the bathroom situation in La Paz sounds like a nightmare for someone like me...I go a lot...probably from drinking so much pop. LOL  The desert there sounds really cool. I can't wait to see it. That will definitely be a different experience (and pictures for me 😄 )  I drank a lot of coffee that morning and then water, so no bathroom is a problem for me too!  LOL!!! 

 

Mazatlan: What did you think about Deer Island? I liked Deer Island.  Water was warm.  When we were there in Jan. 2000, we were at the beach you can see from the island on the mainland - water was FREEZING!  I have seen that mentioned while I was googling things in Mazatlan and put it on "my list" to check out. Did you feel it was worth the money to just spend a few hours there?  I'm mixed on that, kind of "yes" and "no".  The tour was 5 hours so was thinking we'd have plenty of beach time, like with Spencer Amrose's Jalouise Beach break in St. Lucia.  We spent about 45 minutes in a bus, some of that was waiting to leave because a few were late getting to the bus.  The boat ride from the marina was over a half hour, each way but they did keep those drinks flowing, to and from.  Then the bus ride back.  I think we had a little over 2 hours at the beach.  Lunch was served as well.  Was that enough time? I'd have preferred at least 3 hours, but that's just me.  I do wish that they would include actual times (bus ride, boat to island, actual beach time).   Was there any snorkeling there? When we were there, the water wasn't rough but a little too choppy for good visibility to snorkel. That tropical storm that became a hurricane had just moved through that area the day before our visit and they told us it rained pretty much all day the previous day. But I do know Deer Island can have potentially good snorkeling, just not when we were there. Pretty beach?  I thought it was pretty, loved the views toward the Mazatlan mainland, but I've been to much prettier beaches.  Definitely a different view looking to the mainland and all of the high rise hotels along the beach on that section of the mainland. Any place to explore in that area?  They seemed to have wanted us to stay in that general area, probably due to time limits to get back/for lunch and all.  I believe there are trails on the island, but we stayed in the general area they wanted us.

 

Cabo: Who did you use for the Land's End tour to the arch and snorkeling? We did the excursion through Carnival.  Was it a Carnival excursion?  Yes.  How was the snorkeling? WE didn't do any snorkeling on the tour, we just took the boat ride out to see the arch and rock formations.  It was about 45 minutes long.  The time we snorkeled was the Jan. 2000 cruise.  Water was freezing then.  I only lasted about 20 minutes, not a fan of cold water.  I've seen a few snorkeling pictures here and there and it looks like they have some different types of fish to see in this part (compared to what we are used to seeing in the Caribbean...like a black and white spotted puffer!!!!) Do you know where they took you to snorkel? Was it over close to Pelican Rock? Or the sea lions?  When we were there in Jan. 2000, the snorkeling was along those rocks, near Pelican Rock and the sea lions.  I believe it's in the same spot.  How did you feel about Medano Beach? I've seen that mentioned in tours I've looked up online as well. Any snorkeling there? Pretty beach? Places to explore?  We liked Medano Beach.  We went down to the right (when facing the water) and got an umbrella.  Just enjoyed the beach there, didn't really go exploring since it was mainly hotels along that stretch.  It was pretty, water a very pretty blue, clear, and warm while we were there.  The bottom is all sand, no rocky areas where we were.  There is a rocky area down at the far end (way down to the left if facing the water).  Might be snorkeling there but I don't know.  It does get crowded right around that water taxi drop off/pick up area.  How far of a boat ride is it on the water taxi there?  We just took the water taxi after our tour to see the arch.  Think it was only $10 (thinking per person).  Very short ride, like 10 minutes.  There is a drop off/pick up area and they run back and forth throughout the day.  Do you know if the water taxi takes you to Lovers/Divorce beach?  Yes, they'll take you anywhere I believe. Even out to see the arch/other rock formations.  Are they just running back and forth all day? Yes, the ones to Medano Beach do. Or do they wait for you while you are at the beach? That, I'm not sure since we didn't do that.  You can set a pick up time, which we did. We prepaid so when they came back, they called out to us.  But we could have just taken the water taxi there and got any of them for the return trip.  I'm so confused on how this all works. I've seen videos of people taking the water taxi and said they waited on them while they were at the beach...but I just can't imagine since they would be losing money if they weren't continuously running. Is the beach you are talking about right next to town and Land's End a snorkeling beach? Yes.  Do you know what it's called?  According to Google Earth, it's called "Playa Publica Cabo San Lucas", translates to public beach (don't know any Spanish, only a few words and I know playa is beach and publica is public.  LOL!

 

So glad to hear it never felt crowded. A lot of people seem to be saying that. I keep telling myself I'm going to go back to cruising smaller ships because of the crowd...but yet here I am on another big ship. LOL  They have an 80's deck party?  Yes!  Woo Hoo! Sakari will love it. We really enjoyed it!  So glad that's something Sakari will love!  Can't believe she's no longer a little "munchkin", time really flies!  Heck, my niece and nephews are all now out of high school!  That time flew!!! Did you feel it was cold out on the deck during this? We actually didn't, it was rather warm (at least it was in October) and kind of muggy.  It was chilly inside the ship (the air conditioning), but outside it was nice.  Had to change back into shorts.  Or by deck, did you mean it was inside somewhere?  Was it actually up on the open deck?  It's held on the lido deck, right at the main pool.

 

Where can I find your pictures?  I just got them uploaded into Shutterfly albums.  Needed to do that anyway since now that the holidays are over, I need them set up to start working on my photobook for our cruise.  Send me a link (if you have to on my blog).  I can definitely attach the links (have it broken down by each day, that way it should avoid confusion on which port is which).  Is there a particular spot in your blog to attach them?  From memory, I know there is a section for comments but can't remember now if that's under each individual review or if there is a general area.  I just want to get them where you can find them.  🙂  I bet they're beautiful!  I did get a few good ones, nothing spectacular like the beautiful pictures you get.  Most were actually with my phone, love how the colors are true to what it actually looked like, compared to my good camera.  Yea, we've still been having fun as well with land vacations and absolutely LOVE them. So much exploring to do.  I really need to get caught up on your blog!  I think the last one I saw was one of your trips to Cozumel and did see the St. Thomas one where your whole family went.

 

Oh my gosh...a film camera. I remember those days and impatiently waiting for them to come back to see if they were any good or not. I do not miss those days. LOL  Me either!  Now I'm free to take as many as I want.  LOL! 

 

Our cruise is March 30-April 7.  I'm not sure what the weather there is like in April but seeing as how Cabo and La Paz are more desert, guessing you shouldn't have to worry about too much rain. It was nice on the Jan. 2000 cruise (sunny/warm) but the water was cold.  I do remember the water in Puerto Vallarta was warmer but that is further south.  I understand about the whole spending time away from the computer these days. I've been doing the same until I started searching for another cruise/vacation to do. Now I'm immersed in everything I can soak up and looking up everything.  I wish I'd have made more time to spend on the computer researching!  I don't think I was on CC more than twice, both times in the ports of call section trying to research La Paz before our cruise, and then it was only for about a half hour each time.  It might have been my timing but did go over to the Carnival section for a few minutes and didn't recognize the names but since I've just been on, you've posted, Deladane has a wonderful review of her Panorama cruise going, and I even noticed Jamman54 commented on your post.  I need to get back into it - now to find more time. 

 

I REALLY hope they have some ship ornaments on the Panorama. Yes, we do collect them. We have 2 ships missing from our collection (Epic because we've done her twice and our Joy cruise...which they were out). I've done the same thing...checking ebay and Amazon and can't find either one. I've even posted on here for someone to check and haven't got a response (even in roll calls). Maybe some day I'll run across one. If they have any on the Panorama, I will get you one!  If they have the ship ornaments, that would be great if you could grab one for me too.  I'll definitely be happy pay for it and the shipping. .I know they've gone up in price but not sure what the exact price is. I think the ship model was $59 and they used to be $35.  I got the ship model anyway, have one for each of our now 8 cruises.  This one has a lot more detail than my others.  Heck, our last cruise was almost 9 years ago now!  The only other ornament I don't have is Festivale, our first cruise in 1992 (honeymoon) and I don't even know if they had the ship model ornaments then.  I was FINALLY able to get a model on Ebay about 10 years ago.

 

Hi Kim!  Sorry I didn't get back to you right away.  I am so disorganized right now it isn't funny.  LOL!!!  Now that the holidays are over, I've been doing the spring cleaning of our house.  Basically everything in this house I can reach gets washed, dusted, or polished.  I had to get the pictures into Shutterfly albums so I can get you links, so getting them ready to get you the links helped get that done.  🙂  I separated each album by day of the cruise, plus or one day prior (we went to a beach in San Pedro for about 2 hours since our flight got in around 11AM).  I've been needing to get them into Shutterfly albums so I can do my photobook. 

I'll answer your specific questions (will hi-light in red).  I can give you my email if you'd like if you have any more questions, have questions on individual pictures, etc.  Its dgieh at comcast dot net.  So happy to be back in touch with you and Dana (deladane) too!

. 
 

 

[mitsugirly]

  @pghsteelerfan thanks for all the detailed information!!! I messaged you. I can't wait to see your pictures. 

[EllieinNJ]

We are doing the 7 day Panorama on April 27th.  Couldn't see flying all the way out to California just for 7 days so we added the 4 day Radiance as a side to side from April 22-26.  Then we will stay at the Queen Mary in between.  This, too, will be our first Mexican Riviera cruise.

 

We are coming in 2 days before and staying at the Fairfield Inn in El Segundo.  There is a free shuttle from LAX and they have free breakfast.  There is also a private tour of LA for a very good price.  There is also a supermarket in walking distance where you can pick up soda.  Then we will Uber to the cruise port.

 

Have not yet booked any excursions but will follow all advice like you.  I did notice Rhythms of the Night had gone up $20pp since last year.

 

 

.

[mkcurran]

3 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

We are doing the 7 day Panorama on April 27th.  Couldn't see flying all the way out to California just for 7 days so we added the 4 day Radiance as a side to side from April 22-26.  Then we will stay at the Queen Mary in between.  This, too, will be our first Mexican Riviera cruise.

 

We are coming in 2 days before and staying at the Fairfield Inn in El Segundo.  There is a free shuttle from LAX and they have free breakfast.  There is also a private tour of LA for a very good price.  There is also a supermarket in walking distance where you can pick up soda.  Then we will Uber to the cruise port.

 

Have not yet booked any excursions but will follow all advice like you.  I did notice Rhythms of the Night had gone up $20pp since last year.

 

 

.

See you on board! 

[mitsugirly]

4 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

We are doing the 7 day Panorama on April 27th.  Couldn't see flying all the way out to California just for 7 days so we added the 4 day Radiance as a side to side from April 22-26.  Then we will stay at the Queen Mary in between.  This, too, will be our first Mexican Riviera cruise.

 

We are coming in 2 days before and staying at the Fairfield Inn in El Segundo.  There is a free shuttle from LAX and they have free breakfast.  There is also a private tour of LA for a very good price.  There is also a supermarket in walking distance where you can pick up soda.  Then we will Uber to the cruise port.

 

Have not yet booked any excursions but will follow all advice like you.  I did notice Rhythms of the Night had gone up $20pp since last year.

 

 

.

 

Oh how exciting!!  We are going during Spring Break so are at the mercy of the school system. 😄  I'm going to look up your hotel and see if it works for our dates for a decent price. 

[pghsteelerfan]

12 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

  @pghsteelerfan thanks for all the detailed information!!! I messaged you. I can't wait to see your pictures. 

I got it!  Saw this morning but so much running around today and figuring out HOW to share those Shutterfly links to the pics.  You can no longer email them to yourself but I think I got it figured out.  Will reply with those links after dinner.  🙂

[mitsugirly]

18 hours ago, pghsteelerfan said:

I got it!  Saw this morning but so much running around today and figuring out HOW to share those Shutterfly links to the pics.  You can no longer email them to yourself but I think I got it figured out.  Will reply with those links after dinner.  🙂

 

Those were the most amazing pictures!! I'm so excited now! The ship looks amazing too and I can't wait. Thanks so much for sharing them. 

[pghsteelerfan]

1 hour ago, mitsugirly said:

 

Those were the most amazing pictures!! I'm so excited now! The ship looks amazing too and I can't wait. Thanks so much for sharing them. 

Thank you and so glad they got through without any issues.  Panorama is definitely an amazing ship and even though we prefer smaller ships, we wouldn't hesitate to sail on her or her sister ships again.  I still want to to that same 8-day itinerary with La Paz again.  Happy to share and thank you too, for always sharing your trips and beautiful pictures with all of us. 

[travelinjess85]

On 1/24/2024 at 4:44 PM, mitsugirly said:

 

Thanks for your thoughts. Great pictures! So they didn't have a problem with you bringing your own camera and taking your own pictures? I'm a picture freak and we carry 2 camera's and a GoPro with us everywhere for my reviews. If they tried to only want us to buy theirs, it would be crossed off my list. lol  Sounds like they will be ok with it. 

When I want they let us take as many as we wanted and even took the ones of both of us at the arch. they just tried to sell theirs at the end. But I was happy they weren’t restrictive at all and some of theirs were great we just didn’t feel like spending the money haha. But I took a ton of pics and videos and they were fine with it. Didn’t hear them say anything about no go pro or anything either so seemed like those were allowed too!