Carnival Panorama Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We are just back from a 7-day Christmas Cruise on the Carnival Panorama yesterday, and I wanted to write this quick review before too much time passed. We left Long Beach, CA on Saturday, Dec 21 and returned Saturday, Dec 28. There were 7 of us traveling. Myself, my husband, our daughter, her husband and our 6-month grandson, our other daughter and 10-year old granddaughter. I’m going to make this quick and simple by listing the pros/cons – but please know up front the “PROS” far outweighed the cons. This was an exceptional cruise, and because we took a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Barcelona in September 2019 – I have to throw in a few comparisons. This is our 11th cruise overall.
PROs
1. The staff deserve top ratings. Everyone was friendly, energetic, and customer focused. We were over the top impressed by our room steward and his assistants. No request at any time of the day was too much to ask. AND – even more so – our dining room waiter – Vlad – was one of the best we’d ever had. With a large group, one child and one infant – they provided us with amazing service every single night! (As a contrast, the last 2 RCCL we took – the staff all seem tired and bored).
Cabin Review
Havana Aft-View Extended Balcony
My #1 complaint about this cruise. Unfortunately, it was the smallest cabin we have experienced in all our cruises to date. I looked at other rooms as we passed, and it seems to be unique to this room type. Even our daughters inside cabin rooms seemed to have more space than ours. The closet would not fit all our clothes, there was not enough drawer space, there was not a separate couch area, and overall it lacked storage and room to maneuver. The bed was so close to the window and French door that the curtain had to rest on the bed until I tied it back with my phone charger cord. The balcony was nice with 2 chairs and 1 lounger, but the smell coming off the Lido Marketplace and soot from the smoke stacks made it feel dirty and smelly. I would not recommend this cabin.
Port Reviews
Puerto Vallarta
Took a taxi for $20 to the Marriott Resort. EXCEPTIONAL!! They were sold out of day passes, so we just grabbed some towels and hung out at the beach. My husband went to the spa for a massage and hot tub. We had some beers and Pina coladas, along with some really yummy food. The beach was beautiful, and we all had fun swimming in the waves. Would like to return here someday and stay at the hotel for couple nights.
Mazatlan
Took a taxi to the Golden Zone. Do not recommend. My 6'3" son in law got disoriented from one margarita, and it just never felt safe. Dirty, hot, congested - stay on the ship or hopefully the cruise lines will stop going to this port!