Horrible trip

Item: Carnival Panorama
Rating: 3
Author: rosesaenz71

Carnival Panorama Cruise Review to Mexico

rosesaenz71

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 58

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Mexican Riviera (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 28, 2019

Ship: Carnival Panorama

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 2439

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

This was my first cruise and probably my last. I booked through this site only because of the options of boarding credit or a gift card or cash. I never received anything regarding how to redeem my options until a week before my cruise and by then it was too late i was told the was nothing they could do. Never again will I use this site.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

This was my first cruise ever. I was never told we needed a boarding pass to go ashore. We got a letter the next day saying we needed to have gone to a certain area to get our number. We had to wait 2 hours before we could disembark, limiting our time at port.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Buffet served the same food every day. I would have liked a variety. I was charged $3 for a mint tea bag.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Children's Programs

4 out of 5

My child had lots of fun at Camp Ocean. The only downside was the extra charge for taking her at night.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

This cabin was very small. It did accommodate 5 people, but we could only sit on the beds. There was no room for the table that was there once the bunkbed was taken out.

Ship tip

Download the cruise app and keep track of your spending.I was not prepared for the $100 for gratuities that was added to my bill on the last day. It made me mad that they charged my 9 year old the $100. When i asked they said everyone over the age of 2 gets charged. But why? When we go out to dinner, my 9 year old doesn't tip the waiter or tip cleaning staff when we're staying at a hotel. The extra $400 i had to pay was not what i signed up for.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Long Beach (Los Angeles), California

3 out of 5

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

1 out of 5

Mazatlan, Mexico

3 out of 5

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

3 out of 5

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

17 Comments

Fiesta83 4 years ago

Better luck next cruise

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Lazyboy 4 years ago

Boarding pass? I think that was in Cabo San Lucas, a tender port. You have to get a priority ticket to board for the first hour or two due to the crush of people (like in a barber shop). They announce it, it is in the paper, and the smart people have someone in line an hour or two ahead of scheduled disembarkation to try and get off earlier (unless they are a suite or FTTF).

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teresafl9300 4 years ago

In the future, whatever vacation you choose...you have a responsibility to do some research. There is an abundance of information available regarding cruising. I can’t imagine going on any vacation and not knowing what to expect.

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Beachgator70 4 years ago

We put 4 adults in a cabin sometimes to save money and we never have a problem. We know the cabin is small but we aren’t planning to sit around in the cabin. I can sit in my room at home for free. Cabins are for showering and sleeping. I used to be bothered by the nickel and diming for everything but I realized that if they charged you for the cruise with everything included then it would cost more and you wouldn’t necessarily use everything. This way you can buy the extra stuff you want, but pay a lower price for the cruise overall. And the key is to research before you buy and before you go!

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debra1955 4 years ago

YouTube has several tubers that have channels sharing info for cruisers. Check out cruisetipstv, Sheri is wonderful. Packing tips, vlogs, q n a's ect.

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rowena44 4 years ago

5 in a cabin seems like a lot. No more than 2 in a cabin or 4 in a family suite. More investigation for you next time!!!

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Kristina80 4 years ago

This seems like a fake review. This ship is beautiful and amazing. Sounds like you should’ve done a little more research before hand. And not that I would condone this but you could have your gratuities removed. If you felt that strongly about that. But the staff is amazing and steps up and they deserve that and more. Kids camp is free all day long. Yes after 10 o’clock they charge you a very nominal fee. And you’re going to complain about six or seven dollars an hour? They spend so much time with your kids and take care of them and entertain them it’s very nominal.

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LakersLover77 4 years ago

Did you really take a cruise with your young children and not do ANY research about what to expect? That doesn’t seem like a good idea. Researching would have saved you a ton of trouble. If you booked a trip by yourself, not through a travel agent, it is your responsibility to do your due diligence about what to expect.

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doleniczak 4 years ago

But did you enjoy the cruise and ship. Sorry to hear about your bad experience with this site.

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RetiredRay 4 years ago

Fake, too many things that even a half literate should have gotten some of.

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J60406 4 years ago

Everything you got is exactly what you signed up for. That information would have been in the cruise contract you agreed to when booking the cruise

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tdog 4 years ago

I hope this was a fake review. Surely someone wouldn't book a cruise and do absolutely no research.

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cruisereckoning 4 years ago

Cruising isn’t for everyone and obviously you didn’t do much research before booking. Yes the cabins are small, we have never put more than 2 people in one. I hope you find a satisfying way to travel.

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CruzeFan 4 years ago

Sounds like most of the issues were due to a lacking of research and understanding what you were getting. The gratuity charges are mentioned in multiple documents that you had to agree to prior to purchasing and boarding the cruise. It seems many spend more time planning where to go to dinner than they do on booking a cruise and understanding what they are getting.

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beachmomof2 4 years ago

Fake review

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jeffmasayo 4 years ago

I agree that cruising is probably not for you. But if you do decide to try again, use a travel agent that you can trust, or go to the cruise line website. Then all of the information that you need will be readily available. Sorry you had such a bad experience!

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TheSnoMan 4 years ago

Do not let one bad experiance end it. Simply book it differently next time!

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