LaRue1975

They are going to wait for you so you’ll be fine, especially since you’ll be there all day. You should have time to explore the port after too. Our grandson had fun with us at Senior Frogs but we were there early, might not be kid friendly later in the day. And you saved $$ not buying FTFF, win, win! I should have time this afternoon to share what we have done in the rest of the ports.

You now have the perfect plan. 😎🐋😎 FTTF is the same as platinum/diamond so you will get a letter the day before where to go and what time. It will most likely be the Liquid Lounge, get there early. Then sit near the exit and when they announce that it is time to board the tenders get up and move quickly to line up behind the Carnival person that will lead everyone to the tender. The small boat is definitely the way to go. We were a group of 10, my hubby and I were the only ones with priority and I knew the NYE cruise would be packed to the gills and have lots of Platinums and Diamonds which it was. We booked the easiest option and it was a success, we got our own big table on the boat, the drinks flowed the whole time plus we saw tons of whales. You will also board early and be able to drop your bags in your cabin at embarkation and use the Diamond/Platinum line a guest services, bonus perks!

It will be in the fun times and should be on the app what time and where they will be handing out the tender tickets. Whatever time you get is not set in stone because it can take longer to get anchored and first they will make sure they get all the excursions off and then the priority people. After that they will start with the people with tickets. Our first time in Cabo last October they were running way behind from the start as there weren’t enough tenders and the Disney ship was already in port when we arrived. The seas were rough too, it was scary getting from the ship to the tender, my friend fell down the stairs on the tender but fortunately wasn’t injured. They have smaller ones and big two deck boats and in the morning the big boats weren’t running, I think this was the problem and probably due to the rough water. So the people with tickets were hour or more behind their ticket time from the beginning and it got worse from there, lots of people were not able to get off at all. The people that had spent $1000 on the private excursion did not get a refund and were super upset about it. The next day we were the first to arrive, the seas were calm and the tenders ran like clock work all day, no need for tickets. I have been in Cabo 4 more times since then and it has run fairly smooth except on the cruise after New Years when the priority boarding was a mess. They weren’t checking to see if you actually were priority and people kept jumping in the line. It took us over an hour to get on a tender and get to the pier. The three times we booked a Carnival excursion it couldn’t have been any easier. I would add in the cost of FTTF to the private excursion to see if it is worth it and you could just risk it, there is a good possibility it will not be a problem too. I looked but can’t find a pic of the whale watching boat, it was a big two deck catamaran. I think you would enjoy a smaller boat more and it can go faster to chase the whales since there will not be as many. We didn’t have to go far at all, they were all over the place. You can also book a whale watching tour on the pier, they were asking $45 for a 90 minute tour. I’ll be back there in three weeks, if I do one I’ll let you know how it was.

I don’t remember the name of the vendor but we definitely did not get as close to the whales as the smaller boats. If you are going with Carnival you would probably be happier with the Zodiac. The only pic of that tour is the first one. I didn’t try to get pics of the whales, just wanted to experience them. If you book private choose one that leaves later in the day so you don’t miss it. There is no guarantee you will get off in time. The people that lost the $1000 booked the pirate ship that was offered through Carnival also so they were probably trying to save money but it didn’t work out. I like to book private too and I think I might take a chance in Cabo but not for one also offered through Carnival, why take a risk for that? We stayed on board for the next cruise and I wanted to book one of the small boats at the pier but couldn’t talk the hubby into it. Also do some research to make sure the whales will still be there in early April, not sure when they head back to Alaska but they offer the tour on my August cruise this year and I am certain the whales will feeding in Alaska then. Also be sure look for the when they are handing out the tender tickets and get there early. It will be on the sea day before Cabo.

I have been on two Panorama Mexican Riviera cruises and two of the Baja cruises that go to Cabo twice in the last year. We were on the Panorama for the 8 day NYE cruise that goes to La Paz. I am just going to throw out some random info on our experiences. First, it is definitely different out here on the West Coast, the water is cold year round and not crystal clear blue like the Caribbean. On the Mexican Riviera you stop at two large cities, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta which is a nice change, lots of history and culture to explore in both cities. The ride home up the Baja Coast is usually cold and rough although in October and early November it was warm enough during the first sea day to enjoy sitting in the sun on deck. In a January it was freezing, lol! In Cabo if you do not have priority boarding you might want to book a Carnival excursion to ensure you get off the ship early and I would be leery of booking a private excursion, especially if it is early. On the first Baja cruise tendering was a mess the first day in Cabo and a lot of people were not able to get off and the ones that did were late. One large group mentioned on our Facebook page they lost over $1000 for an excursion they had pre booked and missed. On the Baja cruise after NYE the priority tendering was a mess too, very unorganized and I am almost sure half the people in line were not priority, no one was checking. It took us over an hour waiting in line to finally get on a tender. When we have had an excursion booked you are very VIP and are quickly escorted past all the suckers waiting in the long lines, lots of dirty looks! 😜 On the NYE cruise our group did the whale watching excursion on the big boat, it was fabulous! The boat was huge and very comfortable, the 10 of us sat at a large table on the back of the upper deck. The drinks were flowing as soon we left the harbor and they kept the coming the whole time. We saw a ton of whales, initially just backs and tails but it was still really cool. It’s just right off the coast too, you stay with in sight of the harbor. Towards the end of the excursion the whales started breaching, oh my gosh, that was bucket list for sure. Five times a whale came straight up and all the way out of the water before turning sideways for the big splash down. One of the best experiences ever! This is prime whale season so not sure if there will be as many whales when you go. Tip: when doing excursions involving a boat try to be in the front of the line behind the guide when they walk you to the boat, that’s how we got the prime table. We have also done the yacht excursion in Cabo with another group and really enjoyed it too. It’s a very large older wooden yacht, again we managed to get on first and had a prime table. It was very comfortable and the drinks and lunch were very good. The snorkeling was a bust in deep water with nothing to see but the water was surprisingly warm in October, closer to Caribbean temps than California. We all enjoyed the swim and I would do this excursion again. The second day in Cabo during the October cruise we booked a water taxi in the port for an arch tour with a drop off and pick up to Medano Beach after. When you enter the port you will be swarmed by people offering the tours, we found one we were comfortable with and booked it for $17 per person and because we had 7 people we got our own boat. The tour of the arches was fabulous! It is amazing how well they can maneuver those little boats, it was quite an adventure! You give your captain a time you want to be picked up before he drops you off at the beach and you are required to stay at least two hours. It’s a bit crazy getting off the boat but they have strong young men waiting to grab the boat and they help you get off. They dropped us in front of the Hungry Shark so we went there for the day. There are many restaurant/bars to choose from, Mango Deck and the office are most popular ones but we loved the low key vibe at Hungry Shark. We loved Medano Beach, the water is gorgeous, as close as you are going to get to the Caribbean on the Mexican Riviera. The food and drinks were good and extremely reasonably priced and the vendors are kept behind the rope on the beach. You can invite them in or go to rope for purchases, we enjoyed it and bought a few things from them. We were picked up at the time scheduled and it was a great day. 😎 I am going to try to add some pics and will post more later, this one is way too long.

The gangway is covered now but there is an open area leading up to the entrance to the terminal.

Hey, I was on this cruise too. That’s two active Panorama cruise reports that I also sailed this week. I am really looking forward to following along, I cruised with Willdra and didn’t know it, wow! Thanks for posting!

We just dodged the rain when we boarded for the New Years cruise. We had the first arrival appointment but when we got there 15 minutes early the doors were open and they were letting everyone in. The rain stopped just before we got there so I think they opened early to get people out of the rain. There is a large covered area outside but the area in front of entrance is nor covered. Bring an umbrella and you should be fine.

Thank you! I just ordered 3, my card was denied at first but once I confirmed it wasn’t fraud with my bank it went through. I got the gift cards within five minutes and have already applied them to my May cruise. My final payment is coming up so it was perfect timing.

Thanks for the name, I found it. Deladane, I am just catching up, so enjoying your report, especially since I was along for the ride. Our group had a wonderful excursion booked through Carnival for La Paz, I think it was similar to the misadventure jerseygirl experienced but on a yacht. I thought it was going to be the highlight of our cruise but we were crushed to find notices in our mailboxes the afternoon before that it was cancelled due to inclement weather. When we arrived in La Paz we were even more disappointed as the weather at the port was beautiful. 🤷‍♀️ Because we now didn’t have anything planned we all rode the bus into town, walked around for an hour and came back, it was a total bust. I learned that 10 is too big of a group to wander with, lol! We were in Havana so it was nice to get extra time to enjoy that but I wish we would have all gone to the beach instead. If I had researched ahead of time we would have gone to the beach for a few hours and then checked out the town. After reading jerseygirl’s story I now realize Carnival was responsible in canceling our excursion, guess it could have been worse than wandering aimlessly around town for an hour! 😜 Here is the link for the beach, it looks nice. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150771-d11913448-Reviews-Playa_El_Coromuel-La_Paz_Baja_California.html

We did our first B2B on the Panorama and changed rooms a couple of weeks ago. Our first room steward told us we had to pack everything in our suitcases but we were moving from a Havana aft balcony to Lido balcony mid ship. We left our room shortly after 8:30 when you are supposed to but felt we probably could have stayed until the steward came back to clean. We had breakfast and met in the showroom at 10, there were 24 passengers staying on board. We were given our new S&S cards and waited until after 11 for all the passengers to get off. They started naming names, it was the opposite of pier runners, lol! Some of the people sitting around us had done many B2Bs and said it never takes this long. Welcome to Long Beach! 😉 Once we were cleared it only took a few minutes to walk out over the gangway, go through customs just steps away and back over the gangway to board the ship. After a quick muster we were off to the lido, hubby got the first burger and I got the first tacos served for the cruise. We also got the first drinks from the Red Frog. As soon as we were done eating we went to our new cabin, it was ready and we were able to unpack. We learned it is much easier to stay in the same room but we are doing it again in May on the Celebration. I got a great deal on an Exel Aft Wrap for the second cruise so it will be worth the hassle of packing and unpacking. Enjoy your B2B, it was treat for us!

What time of year? It will most likely be cold in Long Beach, Catalina and Ensenada December through February. We did the Radiance last January and the seas were too rough to tender in Catalina which was a big disappointment. The Spring also has iffy weather offshore with the annual June Gloom being the worst in May and June. The best time for this cruise is summer and fall and I would choose the Firenze over Radiance, it is bigger, newer and has a lot more dining and entertainment options. Have you considered doing the 5 or 6 day that goes to Cabo too? The weather and water are both warmer the further South you go. The Pacific Ocean off the coast of California is very cold year round. The Panorama is by far our favorite ship out here, she does a 6 day with two days in Cabo. Have fun whatever you choose!

That is exactly what the dessert looked like fresh, lol! I didn’t care for it but the rest of the meal was yum!

He really seems to be a great guy. We don’t plan to do anymore NYE cruises, it’s just not warm enough on the west coast but it would be fun to cruise in one of his groups again.

No but if they want to they have to wait until they on board to purchase Cheers. They will lose the 10% discount for purchasing it online but it’s still a great deal. We don’t always buy Cheers for my hubby, it depends on the cruise. He bought it for the NYE cruise because we were with a group and it was his birthday. We stayed onboard for the next cruise and he didn’t get it, even with me getting him a few drinks a day I don’t think I ever got to double digits, lol!

No, the first night we were at a long table in the back of deck 3. We had good service so requested to be seated with the same crew NYE but ended up at a long table on deck 4. The service there was even better. I think we sat at a different table every night and when there were only 6 or 7 of us we got round tables. The service was best when all 10 of us were there but it was never bad.

After the New Years cruise I am still on board for a relaxing second week. We were a group of 10 celebrating my hubby’s 70th birthday and we all had a fabulous time in the Havana area and around the ship. All of our friends were either new to cruising or Carnival. Was it perfect? Of course not but any problems were minor and most were resolved. The Havana experience exceeded all expectations, it was absolutely perfect for us. We were well taken care of by Enrique and the rest of the bartenders and staff. The pool was cold, the Pacific Ocean is always cold so we were not excepting it to be warm. It was drained and closed for an emergency repair on the morning we were in Cabo but was fixed and full by the time we returned in the afternoon. One of the hot tubs was excessively warm one day and I can confirm staff was advised but not sure if it was fixed. The weather was great considering it was winter, California and the Mexican Riviera are not the Caribbean. I did hear of problems with service and food in the MDR but we didn’t have any issues most nights. One night it took them at least 20 minutes to even acknowledge us but after firmly bringing it their attention our server appeared to take our order and the food came out fast. In the Steakhouse we were seated at a large table next to the piano bar which would have been fine but it was obnoxiously loud. We did complain the minute we sat down, asked to be seated at a different table or for the wall be closed to the bar. We were insistent that it was going to ruin our dining experience and by the time the wine was served they closed the wall which we greatly appreciated. The meal and service were excellent after the shaky start. Dinner in the Teppanyaki Grill was the highlight meal of the cruise. Food, drinks, chef, service all great, what a fun night! The last night we had dinner at the Cocina which was a hit too except my hubby’s short rib which was dry and tough. I heard a lot about that after, lol! The feedback on the breakfast and sea day brunch was not positive from our friends, there was definitely a problem there with the service and food. We never go the MDR for breakfast anyway so that didn’t effect us. In addition to the Blue Iguana and the buffet the breakfast sandwiches from room service were surprisingly good. At least some us went to all the production shows, never lined up early and enjoyed them. There were only three Playlist Productions, Soulbound, Rock Revolution and Celestial Strings. Two nights they had a Comedy Showcase in the main showroom. We went the last night and the comedian was fantastic, we were laughing the entire time. I wish they would do this every cruise, lining up outside the Comedy Club for every show is not for us. We gathered in the Havana Bar for drinks every night before dinner but didn’t spend time in there when the band was playing because it was too loud. I think the space is way too small for a band that size which is a shame because they were good. Plenty of other people in there every night though, maybe I just need ear plugs! I booked the Tailgate Party cooking class for our group as a thank you for joining us. It was definitely not perfect. In addition to the 10 of us there was a family with three kids. The teenage boy was fine but the two younger girls were running around and kept playing in the sinks. I was surprised to see the kids in the first place and blame both the parents and Carnival staff for not taking control of the situation. We were cooking with hot oil and skillets, it was not appropriate for them to be there. The chef was not great at teaching the class either but I think the situation with the kids was throwing him off too. I thought the whole thing was a bit of a train wreck and the food was bland with no spice at all. We all managed to have fun anyway and our friends insisted they enjoyed it but Carnival will definitely be hearing about it when I get my survey. Everyone LOVED our cruise director Deon, his parties were over the top good, especially the 80s Rock and Glow Party and the New Years Eve Party was top notch too. Best NYE celebration I’ve seen and it was hubby’s 70th birthday so we are usually doing something festive. He also stopped and visited with our group for quite awhile one night and gave a shout to hubby acknowledging his 70th birthday during the atrium party later that night. He is very warm and personable and was always out and about around the ship, not sure where he gets all that energy! Well, that’s all I can think of, didn’t intend to write a review. We are up on the lido deck now, it’s definitely not as quiet as Havana. We are surrounded by door slammers and loud voices which just confirms every cruise is different, even on the same ship. We’re still having fun, looking forward to Cabo again tomorrow!

Yes and yes, I am on the Panorama now on Lido deck but was in Havana last week for the New Years cruise. It was absolutely fabulous, especially the bartenders, they become friends. I am sure you will love it! The Pig & Anchor serves sit down lunch and dinner inside the restaurant in addition to the outside lunch buffet offered on sea days. Our plan tonight is to grab a table early for the NCAA Championship game and have dinner there. We’ll be spending plenty of time at the Havana bar too, just have to stay on the inside, lol!

Just off the Panorama, cabin 6469. The aft wraps do get smaller as they move up the ship with the 9th deck being tiny. Its balcony is also narrow and smaller. Our cabin was spacious, better than the standard cabin layout. The only negative is the closets are in a very awkward position with very little space between them and bed, it’s hard to fully open the doors. There are not shelves above the desk but it is bigger. The balcony is ginormous, very wide in addition to the length. I would only consider the 6th deck for an aft wrap on the Vista class ships. There are a lot of videos you can check out on YouTube.

Absolutely! Embarkation was far from flawless due the unprecedented king tides we have been having in California. The ship had to be docked a bit farther from the dock than normal and the ramp from the gangway to the ship was unstable. They were only sending 25 people at a time on the gangway and there were 4700 coming on board and 4900 departing. We noticed the tide was starting to go out after we boarded early with platinum status and it did start going faster later in the process. The cruise so far has more than met our expectations once on board and we are having a fabulous time!

From what I read and my one Havana experience on the Vista the Havana area is monitored and you have to have a wristband to be on the pool deck. It is a small community so the wristband’s aren’t as necessary after a few days as the staff and fellow passengers know who belongs there and interlopers would stand out. The bar on the pool deck side never opens to everyone, you can’t enter the pool deck from the inside bar unless you are staying in a Havana stateroom. The inside bar area is always open to the public. I can’t remember for sure when the outside bar opens but I think around 9. It is basically the same bar as the inside as it’s a big circle and the inside opens earlier so you can get a drink there before 9. The outside bar closes before dark and the inside stays open until at least midnight. I’m looking forward to my second Havana experience, it’s wonderful, I’m sure you will love it. See you there! Edited to add you might want to lower your expectations for a flawless boarding. With the packed Christmas cruise debarking and the packed New Years cruise embarking there are likely going to be some challenges. Add in the predicted rain tomorrow too, just pack your patience. Once we are all on board it will be smooth sailing down to sunny, warm Mexico, can’t wait!

Merry Christmas! 🎅🏻🎄🛳️🎄🎅🏻 https://fb.watch/p1tXvgFbOR/?

See you there, we are doing a back to back too. I’m really looking forward to a relaxing week on the second leg. We are with a group of 10 celebrating hubby’s 70th on NYE and will need another week by ourselves to recover! 😜

Most if not all of the returning/new crew members boarded in Victoria. When the cruises were cancelled the crew members that had upcoming leave went home early and the rest of the crew has remained on the ship. They are working now on the Holiday decorations and preparing for the return of guests. There will be plenty of time to restock the ship when they get to Long Beach, it is normally done in a few hours. The azipod repair is something they have done many times on the three Vista class ships so there should be no problems there. I board December 30th and expect everything to be in tip top shape, can’t wait!