LaRue1975

Merl Hobbs was on the Panorama in August. Our best friends and the hubby and I took our three grandsons. We went to Merl’s show which was great and the boys loved it. They had never been to a comedy show so wanted a pic after with Merl which he happily obliged. Turns out he lives about 20 miles from us in Southern California, small world! Thank you so much for another wonderful review, Patty’s photos are gorgeous as always. I loved the Firenze and am looking forward to the Venezia in November 2025. It will be the hubby’s first and undoubtedly only time visiting NYC but I plan to drag him around to see as much as he can take! 😜

If you left money in the casino I didn’t win it back for you. 😜 Ours was a Premier so even more smokey and loud, seemed there was a drawing announcement every 15 minutes! It’s still fun though and what a great ship!

She sure is, so happy they gave us another new ship out here on the West Coast! We are used to getting the leftovers, lol!

The casino was PACKED almost all the time. It did get better later in the evening so we stayed in there past midnight a couple of times which was unusual for us. It was a Premier Cruise but in my experience all the Vista Class ship’s casinos feel more crowded due to the way they are set up. The Premier just made it worse, lol! Drink service was slow because it was packed but I have Drinks Everywhere so usually just went to the adjacent Hero’s Bar to get a drink. Which reminds me, it usually closes at 11 and the Atrium Bar was closed before 11:30 on the last night. I’m not sure you can get a drink on the ship after midnight except from the servers in the casino and the night club. It is very smokey and smells bad in the non smoking side too because they are only separated by a walkway. I did go in the separate small non smoking casino and the air was clear. My friend played 3 Card Poker in there too and said it was nice. Smokey and slow drink service seems to be the norm in most of the ships these days and it amazes me how busy they are. I am looking forward to the Jubilee next month. I love the Casino Bar and there is good separation between the smoking and non smoking side of the casino. Overall we did enjoy the Firenze casino. Non of us came out ahead but we got good play and had fun. Happy sailing and good luck!

They do have crab risotto, it’s delicious and I included a photo in my post. It’s on the Appetizer menu and is a generous portion so you can save some of it to eat with your entree too. I’m surprised no one is commenting about taking the cheesecake off the dessert menu because so many people like it. Not me, I make way better cheesecake! 😋

Yes, I would still get it for extra insurance to get to the airport on time. Express debarkation will meet early in a designated area of the ship. You will receive notification via a letter in your cabin a day or two before where to meet. Get there early. In my experience they have you line up your luggage in the order you arrive so the first ones there are the first ones off. If you don’t have priority you have to do the digital debarkation with the rest of the passengers on the ship. The earliest time on last month’s Firenze was 9:00 AM non priority self debark and no way they started getting off at 9. It was the 7 day so we did get in later than you most likely will on the 6 day but believe me, debarkation in Long Beach on the Panorama can be a free for all chaotic mess so priority status is priceless if you have a plane to catch. Another huge is plus for FTTF is the tender into the dock in Cabo. It can run smooth and it can be a chaotic mess also, I have experienced both multiple times. The first day is the most problematic and one time a lot of the passengers were not able to get off at all. If there are multiple ships in port or if it’s windy and the seas are choppy the tenders will be slow. In August we had trouble anchoring because of the wind so they were an hour late getting people off and by that time the stairwells were packed with people and it went downhill from there. FTTF also gives you priority at guest services which doesn’t help if you don’t need it but if you do the lines there can be horrendous, especially on the first and last days. I’m Platinum now so don’t need it but always bought it when I didn’t and thought it was worth it. I think you can drop your bags in the cabin when you board too which is another great perk. FTTF usually sells out for most cruses so if it is available now I would grab it. Have a wonderful cruise and trip! 😎

I have done this itinerary on the Panorama three times in the past year. You are correct in that the ship being in Ensenada the day before it usually does comes in earlier than 9. On my three cruises I think we were usually coming in by 7 and docked by 7:30, sometimes earlier. If you use priority self debarkation, if nothing unexpected happens and everything goes well you should be ok. Priority would be being Diamond or Platinum, booked in a suite or you could purchase Faster To The Fun. FTTF is especially beneficial for this cruise as you tender twice in Cabo. The last time in May we did priority self debarkation and were driving out of the parking garage at 8:30. If you are going to Uber back to the airport request one as soon as you get off the ship and have them pick you up in the adjacent Queen Mary parking lot. If you can handle getting your luggage off the ship you can do the short walk to the Queen Mary. If you check your luggage or can’t do priority I wouldn’t risk it. It also depends on your risk tolerance for the unexpected happening and everything going wrong, both are possible. Getting on and off the Firenze last month there were emergency medical situations outside the terminal that brought debarkation and embarkation to a complete stop and the delays piled up from there. The Panorama is a fantastic ship and you picked a great itinerary with all the extended time in Cabo. Have a wonderful cruise!

You are welcome. I had fun putting it together and it was truly amazing! ❤️🛳️❤️ Thank you for reading and I’m happy you enjoyed It!

Nailed it! It looks worse in the pic than I remembered it. After two martinis it all looks good!

Perfect! Whomever put this plate together in the galley was not plating to impress! 🤣🤣

A picture is worth a thousand words! 😜 I can understand limiting the menu selection and perhaps reducing the size of the entrees a bit if they are trying to cut costs rather than raise the price. But reducing the mashed potatoes and vegetables to a dollop and one tiny carrot makes no sense to me. It looks absolutely ridiculous on that humongous plate and I doubt potatoes and carrots are breaking the bank. That dollop didn’t taste nearly as good as the creamy potatoes that normally come in a heated dish either so it’s not all about portion size. The filet was on the small side but still reasonable for filet mignon. Both of my friends ordered the filet from the MDR also and were very happy with them except they wondered where the side were. I assured them they would be there when we went to the Steakhouse later in the week, oops! 😜 I agree, Carnival’s fast casual food is the best and the Firenze was even better with the addition of El Mercado and La Strada which are Italian versions of Guys BBQ lunch and the Deli. Plus they had an amazing Empanada place that was not free but looked amazing. I don’t think they would ever charge for what they have now but wouldn’t be surprised if they started offering upgraded options you have to pay extra for.

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! We have a B2B on the Jubilee coming up in three weeks and I will definitely write a review when I get home. No Exel Aft Suite but we do have an extended aft balcony that we are staying in both cruises. Finally we don’t have to move, 3rd time is a charm!

I just found pics from the Steakhouse on Firenze two weeks ago. The entrees included the sides on the plate so what you see is what we got. We ordered jumbo shrimp, filet mignon and sea bass for our entrees. The crab risotto appetizer was generous and delicious. The wedge salad was good and the oysters were more foam than oysters. The ice cream and apple tart were good and the cheesecake is no longer on the menu. Overall we had a good experience, just not as special as previous meals in the Steakhouse.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! Lewis will be on the Radiance next contract but wasn’t sure when he would arrive. I don’t think he’ll make it by our February 9th sailing but I’m still hoping. He will be there in March and the following 6 months for sure. He said he will mostly be in the Steakhouse but will be in the Cocina too. Suri and Drazen weren’t sure where they are going next. Happy sailing!

I get that, especially in the dining room. I started cruising during the Farcus era and now think some of those ships are ugly. If you think the Firenze is ugly don’t even think about cruising on the oldest Carnival ships! IMHO the Firenze is a nice balance between the overly ornate older ships and the sleek modern look of the new ships. I’m really looking forward to my turn next year on the Venezia and already have Firenze rebooked too, can’t wait!

Thanks Jimbo5544! It was such a great experience, especially the second time when it was full of happy people enjoying a special meal. It seemed every other table was celebrating an anniversary or birthday and everyone was marveling at the quality of the food. Now I can get to your review Jamman54, we will be on the Venezia repositioning cruise next November, looking forward to your pics and tips!

Wow, beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I think the Firenze is a beautiful ship. Glad you enjoyed the pics!

The limited excursions could be due the holiday. I have done the whale watching excursion offered through Carnival twice and enjoyed it both times. The boat is big and comfortable and while they can’t get as close as the little boats we saw whales breaching both times. Have a wonderful Christmas cruise!

I think you will really enjoy Beach Bliss and it is a great idea to do it the first day in Cabo. You will be guaranteed to get off and enjoy your excursion because you booked it through Carnival. You will meet onboard, most likely in the set time dining room and will immediately be led to a waiting tender. Even if there are problems with the tenders that day you will still get off before the people that don’t have excursions. The second day is totally calm, a lot of people choose to not get off so tendering will be a breeze. The lunch is not included and is delicious but fairly expensive so you might want the family the eat a big breakfast before you get off. The portions of are big so easy to share also. I see menus have been posted, they are almost the same as the regular Carnival ships. I did order a pizza one night and it was excellent as usual. If I am hungry at night when I get back to the room I order a pizza on the App and have it delivered. It’s $6 but worth it to me to avoid waiting in line. It arrives fresh and I get exactly what I want. Have a wonderful Christmas cruise! We were on the Panorama last New Years Eve to celebrate hubby’s 70th birthday,. It was our first Holiday cruise and we loved it! How fun for for your kids to wake up on Christmas morning on a cruise ship! 🎄🛳️🎄

It’s definitely happening on the Firenze. Last week I ordered the colossal shrimp with the Yukon mashed potatoes. Instead of a generous portion in a separate dish I had a literal smear of the potatoes next to my shrimp. It couldn’t have been more than two tablespoons. The shrimp weren’t exactly colossal either. I think I am done with the Steakhouse. IL Viaggio however is fabulous. If you are ever on one of the Italian ships book it, you can thank me later.

Just a bump up for any that enjoyed my second review. 😎

One more thing. I have noticed that members post links to their previous reviews. I do have one as this is my second review. I can’t seem to post a link to it so I’ll make a comment to bump it back up in case anyone would like to read it too. The hubby and I celebrated our 48th Anniversary on the Celebration in May. It was a fabulous B2B in an extended balcony the first week and Exel Aft Suite the second. Happy Sailing!

I have few final thoughts to share to wrap up my review. I enjoyed our cruise director Tyler, he is now close to the top of my list. His Rock & Glow Party was as good as Deon’s but in a different way. Deon puts on one heck of a show and is more of an entertainer while Tyler is better at pulling the crowd in to be the show themselves. He is the most genuine, normal guy cruise director I have sailed with and not a hint of the fake enthusiasm that I absolutely cannot stand. It’s a big thumbs up for Tyler! I agree with the recent post about the lack of production shows, I was surprised there were only two. I saw Color My World for the first time and enjoyed it, the female lead was excellent. I missed the other one because we had too much fun in Cabo, lol! They should have a minimum of three production shows on a 7 day cruise. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Mexican Riviera ports this cruise, guess I finally booked the right excursions. I am doing the 8 day in March and am looking forward to it more now. The food was overall very good. The MDR was on par with my recent cruises and other than the first Elegant Night the service was excellent and fast. IL Viaggio is right up there with Rudi’s Sea Grill and actually a little better because of Lewis. La Strada and El Mercado are good additions to the quick food, it’s nice to get some variety there. I never ate at the buffet but I know I would not like the way it is set up with one long buffet line. I did jump in to grab a croissant a couple of times and I could tell the people filling their plates were annoyed. I also got a bowl of clam chowder from the Seafood Shack that was excellent. I think I am done with the Steakhouse, there is not enough on the menu I like. One thing I love is the Yukon mashed potatoes but this time I literally got a smear of them next to my shrimp, not more than two tablespoons, WTH? Both my friends were very satisfied with the filets they ordered from the Steakhouse in the MDR and their meals in Steakhouse. I wish I would have taken a pic of the potato smear, lol! I think I covered everything else well in the live review. This is probably my only one. I stayed up super late too many nights writing it and there is no way I can do it when I’m sailing with my hubby. He already complains enough about me having my nose in my IPad all the time! 😜 Thank you to all who followed along, we had a wonderful cruise! ❤️🛳️❤️

Oh my gosh, you are going to have so much fun! I have been cruising with some really good casino offers that I probably don’t deserve so in a way Carnival is compensating me, lol! Have a wonderful cruise and tell the boys at Frizzante Bar hi for me and go to IL Viaggio for dinner. Lewis will take good care of you and the food is divine!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the ride! 😎🛳️😎