tootsiescurly

The next 2 days were sea days as our first stop was Puerto Vallarta. The weather was not warm so we spent the day sitting around the Havana Pool talking to people. The second night we had dinner at Fahrenheit 555. There have been many changes since our last trip on Carnival several years ago. They no longer make the Caesar Salad table side and they have eliminated sides like cream spinach. No big deal but the table side salad was missed. My husband and I ordered the ribeye. Both steaks had gristle. I ordered mine med rare. It came rare. The server remedied the situation which was greatly appreciated. Any bottle of wine under $100 was 50% off on the second night of the cruise. We bought 2 bottles of the Duckhorn Merlot, one for dinner, another for the remainder of the cruise. Day 3 was spent much like day 2. The weather was still a bit cold so the pool was not an option. We attended the Chef's Table for dinner. Be aware, the price of the Chef's Table has gone down because rather than serving a different wine with every course, they are now only pouring the house wine. We had prepaid the Chef's Table. Carnival charged the new price without informing us. According to guest services, the prepaid amount was to be refunded to the original card used for the purchase. I have not seen the refund. Why they couldn't give us a credit for the difference is beyond me. The Chef's Table has become another cost cutting area. Our past experiences were much better. We will not participate in the future. It simply wasn't worth the cost. Day 4 - Puerto Vallarta We were in Puerto Vallarta from 9 AM to 9 PM. We booked aTaco and Tequila tour with Vallarta Mexology Tours. It was outstanding. We visited 5 restaurants, a taco stand, and a churro vendor. It was a wonderful tour. We experienced the charm of this beautiful Mexican city and the food. I highly recommend this tour but understand it is a walking tour. We would book this again in a heartbeat! Day 5 - Mazatlan We booked a city tour with Freddy's Tours. We had been to Mazatlan in the past but our friends had not. He hit all the historical spots. We stopped at La Puntilla for lunch. Lunch was very good and reasonably priced. After lunch, we spent an hour at a resort on the beach. It was an enjoyable day. Day 6 - Cabo Cabo was a short stop. We were there from 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM. I went out to sit our balcony at about 7 AM. It was a beautiful day so I got my husband up to tender into Cabo. We decided to go to the Office for breakfast on Medano Beach. We ordered breakfast and spent some time in the water. It was lovely out. The waiter came out with a bottle of Tequila which he said they only sell at the Office. He wanted to know if we wanted to purchase a bottle. The cost of the bottle was $150 US. We passed. Little did we know that the 2 shots we each had and our Margaritas were made using this tequila. Our bill came out to $210 US without tip. It was a very expensive breakfast but we had a great time so no complaints.

We Ubered to Long Beach to avoid the nightmare traffic at the port of Long Beach. Those departing on the Panorama had to park offsite. It was much easier to Uber there as we live about 10 miles North. We are both Platinum and had booked a suite thus we were in the priority line. Embarkation was quick and efficient once they allowed people into the dome. We were on board by 11:15. We headed to our cabin to leave our carry-on luggage. Our suite was ready as were our sail and sign cards. What wasn't there were our wristbands for the Havana Pool. Off to guest services to retrieve our wristbands. A note regarding our Grand Suite. We were basically unimpressed with the suite. It is smaller than suites on the other Carnival ships we have sailed. It was basically a larger balcony stateroom with the television acting as the room separator. The bathroom was nice as it had a tub/shower. It also had a large walk-in closet. Our cruise 6 months prior was on Princess. We had a Vista Suite which was large and spacious in comparison. This is kind of like comparing apples and oranges so I will leave it at that. Rather than proceeding to the Lido for buffet lunch, we decided to have lunch the Pig and Anchor. Guy's barbecue is free on embarkation and sea days. We were not impressed. The best part of the meal were the sauces and coleslaw. We did not return there on the sea days. My favorite was the Southern Peach. It is a cocktail made with Bourbon and peach nectar. It was very tasty. Our friends boarded around 12:30. We met them and proceeded to the Havana Pool Bar. The pool area is very nice. It was wonderful to have an area less congested than the other pool and hot tub areas. The bartenders, servers, and staff in this area were very friendly and attentive. The drinks were very good. The pool was cold on the sea days but very pleasant once we were in the sunshine of Mexico. The music, albeit loud, in the evening was very upbeat. We really enjoyed the lounge in the Havana Bar on sea days. It was an outstanding place to play Rummikubb. They had 2 very nice game tables available which we took advantage of. We had reservations at Cucina the first night. The food was very good.I highly recommend the Branzino, Pork Chop, and Eggplant Parm. They will give you any of the pasta dishes or eggplant as a side. They also offered a free bottle of house wine or 50% off any wine under $100 on the wine list. The wine selection was very good. We opted for the house wine. We got a bottle of house red and white. There were 4 of us which allowed us a free bottle per couple. To be continued...

They will send you instructions next week sometime.

Yes, the water is beautiful. You can dive with the sea lions. They also have plentiful fish, dolphins, and whales. The first time we flew in there the beauty of the water made me very excited. Worth a try. There are several great dive operations there - The Dive Gurus, Fun Baja, and The Cortez Club. Luke Inman who owns the Dive Gurus is awesome. I did my open water dives with him.

The diving in La Paz is awesome! I did my open water cert there. We have gone back several times!

I have a torn tendon in my ankle. Having been to Mazatlan several times in the past, I know the water taxis well. I also know that walking on the sidewalks and beach there may be an issue because of my ankle. We have always done a private tour in the past but the tour provider we used is no longer in business. We will probably take a taxi to Joe's Oyster Bar.at the Gaviana.

Thank you.

I realize there is a listed time however our past experience says the ship can be cleared earlier. I want to hear from individuals who have taken this cruise recently.

We will be in Mazatlan later this month. We would like to go on a tour with Mazatlantours.org to Stone Island. Will we be off the ship by 10AM?

This seems very expensive for what you ordered.

I live at the beach in Southern California. Believe me, I know more about the 405 Freeway and the logistics of event traffic than most people. It is part of living in the greater LA area.

I live 20 miles from Long Beach. You wouldn't catch me anywhere near Long Beach this weekend.

What has the parking been like recently on embarkation day? I heard it sometimes difficult we are debating using Uber/Lyft. Also, was the current daily cost for parking?

Suites get access as well.

Grand Suite on Navigator

The same on Princess. We are in a grand suite.

Do suites get the same amenities as those who purchase the Key?

You're welcome!

Looking for suggestions for a day pass in Mazatlan.

We didn't dive in Mazatlan. We used Manta in Cabo. They are very good. We only dove once in PV. The dive operation we used closed several years ago. La Paz is our preferred diving destination on the Pacific/ Sea of Cortez side of Mexico. We have use either Cortez Club or Fun Baja in La Paz. There is another dive operation I would use in La Paz. It is called Dive Gurus. It is a PADI 5 star dive instructor, specialty dive center. Luke Inman certified my open water dives 22 years ago. He is amazing. They only take 4 to 6 divers per trip. I highly recommend working with Luke. He is a great human being as well!

They have the same excursions. Fun Baja makes the trip during the season on a regular basis. Swimming with the whale sharks is usually a snorkeling excursion.

Balandra is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

My husband and I have been diving in La Paz many times. There are many reputable tour operators there. It is surprising you could not find one. We used the Cortez Club or Fun Baja to go diving. Both operations are top class. We never felt unsafe. They both delivered what we expected.

Pay $149 for the 360 Experience. We got it free because we were in a suite. I would pay $149 for it in a heartbeat.

We were recently in R731. We enjoy the view in the aft section of the ship. It was not noisy. Access to other areas of the ship is easy.