Panorama Review - PV, Maz & Cabo

[orangedec10]

We recently returned home after cruising on the Panorama for a 7 day cruise. I read a ton of helpful reviews leading up to our sailing and hope to pay it forward by sharing my thoughts and experience!

Just a bit of background info…we typically sail out of Florida and on Celebrity. We had an airline credit and points to use on Carnival, so the Panorama out of Long Beach it was!  We haven’t sailed with Carnival since before our son, who is 5 was born. We steered clear for sometime because of the poor reviews and “party” vibe. We also found most of the ships to be a bit dated in comparison. Fortunately, the Panorama exceeded our expectations! The ship is clean, modern and had enough quiet spots that you could tuck away and escape from the crowds if you wanted. We also sailed during Spring Break and while the ship was full and there were lines, overall I felt like most passengers just wanted to have fun and were respectful of others. The vibe was definitely more “chill” then I’ve experienced sailing out of MIA during Spring Break.

 

A few things to note if your sailing from the west coast for the 1st time - yes, it really is chilly on day 1 and 2! Bring a sweatshirt or light jacket.  There’s no rushing the embankment process…the reviews are legit. Stick to your boarding time and don’t bother arriving early!

 

We stayed in a spa room and enjoyed the quiet hall way. No running kiddos or loud neighbors! 
 

Our son loved the water park and sports deck area. He also enjoyed a few of the Cat and the hat activities and did the build a bear activity. He left the cruise declaring Carnival as his favorite! 😂  I suppose on demand soft serve helped tip the scale!

 

We bought the cheers package on board. After the 1st day, we decided for us it was worth it. Loved the atrium bar and found the drinks strongest there! Hubby loved the bloody Mary’s at the Pig and Anchor. Also hint…cheers covers milkshakes!!!
 

Now let’s talk about the food. The good….the pizza was delicious as was guys burgers. We also tried the tepynaki and felt rushed, but the experience and food was excellent. The so so…..we ate at Ji Jo’s kitchen and the Italian place. Both were just OK. Big portions though and if that’s your thing you may really enjoy both. The bad…the MDR was just terrible. So slow for sub par food. One night my husband ordered a Cajun pasta and it literally came out with one tiny shrimp and one sliver of sausage. He asked for more toppings and they delivered on that but….not a great experience. We ordered wine with dinner and didn’t get it until desert. We also tried the sea day brunch at MDR and while that was quicker, the food was just not good.  Also…this may seem very picky but I thought the no bread basket thing at breakfast or dinner was just cheap. Who doesn’t want a few options for a dinner role or croissants at bfast? Yes, while you could order a danish or croissant with your breakfast, it came so slowly it was nearly time to leave. First world problems I suppose! 
 

It’s also worth mentioning that Panorama is a bit like Disney. You must have your cell with you and you must download the app. 🤦‍♀️ Sorry to be a Karen, but I want to unplug while cruising and I don’t want to carry my phone with me! Please give me a paper menu!!!!

I did some research prior to sailing on the ports of call and was a bit hesitant based upon the current travel warnings. That said, we opted to get off the ship at all three stops and we’re thankful we did. We never felt unsafe or nervous. Cabo was our favorite port of call. We went whale watching and loved every minute of the experience! We also had a Mexican breakfast at a restaurant near the marina and it was great! Just be prepared to ignore all of the vendors, stay in the beaten path or take an excursion and enjoy!

 

 

[Laurie S.]

They will give you a paper menu, if you ask.  Your son is right--Carnival is the best!

[4hunters]

You’re not being a Karen. I agree with your thoughts on unplugging. Thanks for the review!

[noshoobie]

Thank you for your review! We just booked this cruise for February 2025. Can you give me a little more details on what you did at the other ports? Thanks.

[john91498]

Great review!!!

 

I agree with you on the only one type of bread thing in the MDR. One night, they were serving the cranberry dark bread which I hate. Asked for sour dough and got a nasty look. They eventually brought it, but it gave me such a bad feeling that we only went to the MDR again on formal night. 

[orangedec10]

3 hours ago, noshoobie said:

Thank you for your review! We just booked this cruise for February 2025. Can you give me a little more details on what you did at the other ports? Thanks.

Sure!!!

 

At PV we did the Playa Sabal beach club excursion.  Beautiful views of the mountains and beach from Playa Sabal! I also got a massage there…45 mins for $46 dollars! We would have loved to do some of the other excursions, considering the boat is docked there most of the day, but our son didn’t meet the age requirements.

 

In Mazatlan, we booked a tour with Julian Acosta red truck tours. We spent all day with a tour guide and he tailored the tour to what we wanted to do and see. We explored the old town, visited the church, saw cliff divers and then went to the golden zone to do some shopping and beach time. We also had an amazing lunch, simple tacos and quesadillas but they delicious and churros after!

Edited March 26 by orangedec10

[RCLcruiser2012]

On 3/24/2024 at 2:52 PM, orangedec10 said:

We recently returned home after cruising on the Panorama for a 7 day cruise. I read a ton of helpful reviews leading up to our sailing and hope to pay it forward by sharing my thoughts and experience!

Just a bit of background info…we typically sail out of Florida and on Celebrity. We had an airline credit and points to use on Carnival, so the Panorama out of Long Beach it was!  We haven’t sailed with Carnival since before our son, who is 5 was born. We steered clear for sometime because of the poor reviews and “party” vibe. We also found most of the ships to be a bit dated in comparison. Fortunately, the Panorama exceeded our expectations! The ship is clean, modern and had enough quiet spots that you could tuck away and escape from the crowds if you wanted. We also sailed during Spring Break and while the ship was full and there were lines, overall I felt like most passengers just wanted to have fun and were respectful of others. The vibe was definitely more “chill” then I’ve experienced sailing out of MIA during Spring Break.

 

A few things to note if your sailing from the west coast for the 1st time - yes, it really is chilly on day 1 and 2! Bring a sweatshirt or light jacket.  There’s no rushing the embankment process…the reviews are legit. Stick to your boarding time and don’t bother arriving early!

 

We stayed in a spa room and enjoyed the quiet hall way. No running kiddos or loud neighbors! 
 

Our son loved the water park and sports deck area. He also enjoyed a few of the Cat and the hat activities and did the build a bear activity. He left the cruise declaring Carnival as his favorite! 😂  I suppose on demand soft serve helped tip the scale!

 

We bought the cheers package on board. After the 1st day, we decided for us it was worth it. Loved the atrium bar and found the drinks strongest there! Hubby loved the bloody Mary’s at the Pig and Anchor. Also hint…cheers covers milkshakes!!!
 

Now let’s talk about the food. The good….the pizza was delicious as was guys burgers. We also tried the tepynaki and felt rushed, but the experience and food was excellent. The so so…..we ate at Ji Jo’s kitchen and the Italian place. Both were just OK. Big portions though and if that’s your thing you may really enjoy both. The bad…the MDR was just terrible. So slow for sub par food. One night my husband ordered a Cajun pasta and it literally came out with one tiny shrimp and one sliver of sausage. He asked for more toppings and they delivered on that but….not a great experience. We ordered wine with dinner and didn’t get it until desert. We also tried the sea day brunch at MDR and while that was quicker, the food was just not good.  Also…this may seem very picky but I thought the no bread basket thing at breakfast or dinner was just cheap. Who doesn’t want a few options for a dinner role or croissants at bfast? Yes, while you could order a danish or croissant with your breakfast, it came so slowly it was nearly time to leave. First world problems I suppose! 
 

It’s also worth mentioning that Panorama is a bit like Disney. You must have your cell with you and you must download the app. 🤦‍♀️ Sorry to be a Karen, but I want to unplug while cruising and I don’t want to carry my phone with me! Please give me a paper menu!!!!

I did some research prior to sailing on the ports of call and was a bit hesitant based upon the current travel warnings. That said, we opted to get off the ship at all three stops and we’re thankful we did. We never felt unsafe or nervous. Cabo was our favorite port of call. We went whale watching and loved every minute of the experience! We also had a Mexican breakfast at a restaurant near the marina and it was great! Just be prepared to ignore all of the vendors, stay in the beaten path or take an excursion and enjoy!

 

 

We said the same thing about the food!! I am glad you notice the bread basket too.  I missed having more than one option and fresh bread.  Sliver of sausage and shrimp. Spot on.  The crazy small sides was ridiculous.  The teeny tiny buffet was just as disappointing. Sea day brunch was okay and no fruit?  How do you have brunch with no healthy options except a yogurt parfait?  I hoped you filled out your survey. All and all a great spring break cruise!  The ship was beautiful!  

[kdr69]

Good review,  I love the Panorama as well.

[noshoobie]

15 hours ago, orangedec10 said:

Sure!!!

 

At PV we did the Playa Sabal beach club excursion.  Beautiful views of the mountains and beach from Playa Sabal! I also got a massage there…45 mins for $46 dollars! We would have loved to do some of the other excursions, considering the boat is docked there most of the day, but our son didn’t meet the age requirements.

 

In Mazatlan, we booked a tour with Julian Acosta red truck tours. We spent all day with a tour guide and he tailored the tour to what we wanted to do and see. We explored the old town, visited the church, saw cliff divers and then went to the golden zone to do some shopping and beach time. We also had an amazing lunch, simple tacos and quesadillas but they delicious and churros after!

Sounds great - thanks for the info!

[SDPadreFan]

On 3/26/2024 at 3:07 PM, orangedec10 said:

Sure!!!

 

At PV we did the Playa Sabal beach club excursion.  Beautiful views of the mountains and beach from Playa Sabal! I also got a massage there…45 mins for $46 dollars! We would have loved to do some of the other excursions, considering the boat is docked there most of the day, but our son didn’t meet the age requirements.

 

In Mazatlan, we booked a tour with Julian Acosta red truck tours. We spent all day with a tour guide and he tailored the tour to what we wanted to do and see. We explored the old town, visited the church, saw cliff divers and then went to the golden zone to do some shopping and beach time. We also had an amazing lunch, simple tacos and quesadillas but they delicious and churros after!

Pricy massage. We have a timeshare in Cabo (and also go there on cruises). Our local favorite there in Cabo is 90 min massage for $60. Called Eden Spa. Walkable, but a hike (figure 30 min) or a quick Uber (cabs are pricey in Cabo).

[SDPadreFan]

On 3/26/2024 at 11:43 AM, noshoobie said:

Thank you for your review! We just booked this cruise for February 2025. Can you give me a little more details on what you did at the other ports? Thanks.

February is the perfect time for whale watching. We think Cabo is best for that.

[Roscoe13]

On 3/24/2024 at 4:16 PM, 4hunters said:

You’re not being a Karen. I agree with your thoughts on unplugging. Thanks for the review!

I really don't understand the hassle of having your phone on you.  It's in airplane mode and if you don't buy the internet package it's really a very expensive camera.  And if you think about it it's smaller than the digital camera's that everyone carried around on the ship 15 to 20 years ago.

 

Somehow there's a stigma attached to carrying a phone around.  One that I don't understand.

[orangedec10]

13 hours ago, SDPadreFan said:

Pricy massage. We have a timeshare in Cabo (and also go there on cruises). Our local favorite there in Cabo is 90 min massage for $60. Called Eden Spa. Walkable, but a hike (figure 30 min) or a quick Uber (cabs are pricey in Cabo).

Compared to the ship and spas local to me, I think it’s cheap! 😂

[orangedec10]

2 hours ago, Roscoe13 said:

I really don't understand the hassle of having your phone on you.  It's in airplane mode and if you don't buy the internet package it's really a very expensive camera.  And if you think about it it's smaller than the digital camera's that everyone carried around on the ship 15 to 20 years ago.

 

Somehow there's a stigma attached to carrying a phone around.  One that I don't understand.

I guess it all depends on your perspective and what your day to day is like. I work remotely, I’m always glued to a computer or a phone. When I have the luxury of a vacation….no thanks, I’ll be screen free.

[Mike45LC]

4 hours ago, Roscoe13 said:

I really don't understand the hassle of having your phone on you. 

I rarely go into a pool or hot tub on the ship, thanks to carrying my phone and Kindle with me.  I can't take them into the water, and I don't want to leave expensive electronics unattended if my wife is not poolside.  

[PurdueChefAmber]

Thank you!  We leave in 15 days!  I have never been on a boat this big.