I probably had half the fun that the Cruise Director kept telling me I was having but that was still a lot of fun. Carnival itself was great. A few of the guests were not. No fights or anything, just some loud obnoxious adults insisting on making sure everyone across the ship heard them. Picture a loud bar with everyone screaming and laughing like hyenas, then take just one table full of the obnoxious people and place it in an otherwise family atmosphere. Having a good time doesn't mean you must disturb everyone else's good time. But that wasn't everywhere so still had a great time and can't wait to sail on Panorama again.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We had 10 am embarkation. Got there at 9:20 there were about 75 people ahead of us waiting outside. Lines are set up by arrival time and enforced. The 10 am line got really long by the time they opened but since your boarding number is pre-assigned, it didn't matter where in line you were. I think the 11 am line was already through checkin by the time we boarded. Got checked in by 10:20 and waited till about 11:45 before we were let on. Not too bad.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Carnival guests are there for the food and Carnival does not disappoint. It may not be super fancy gourmet but it is all good. The buffet was way better than my RC experience a couple weeks ago. Lots of choices and looks appetizing. Breakfast buffet was meh, lunch really good, dinner surprisingly good with some of the MDR items, the separate desert bar was yum. Carnival specializes in their free extra restaurant options. Guy's Burgers, best burger at sea and best fast-food burger anywhere. You don't have to pick a burger type off the menu, you can customize it. I heard they have veggie burgers too. Blue Iguana was pretty good -except fish. The huevos rancheros at breakfast was the best breakfast I have ever had on any ship. Pizza was meh, I think RC's is better. Lots of other lunch location choices for free makes it tough to decide where to eat. Bad thing is when buffet shuts down between lunch and dinner, you only have pizza and Guy's open so long lines then. Try not to be hungry in late afternoon. MDR dinner was OK. It was a similar menu to RC. Maybe a little better, my wife thought it more flavorful. One night the menu was lackluster. That would be a good night for Specialty dining. I didn't do it this cruise though. If you are My-Time dining, check in on the app before you head to MDR. Usually by the time you arrive, your table is ready. MDR is really casual. Formal night had some t-shirts. No tablecloths. RC has kept the formal atmosphere with lots of silverware etc. Carnival makes you eat with one fork all night, just like at home.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Always some game or show going on. Not a lot that enticed me but you couldn't be bored. Jacuzzis full most of the time except early in morning.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Carnival has some unique production shows. They may not be everyone's thing but they are at least not the same as every other cruise line entertainment. They put the comedians in the small lounge most of the time so it makes it hard to get a seat. Main theater seems to be specifically designed so there are no good seats in the house. Few seats actually facing the stage, hard to see over people, numerous large pillars blocking vision. I think the architect should be forced to watch a show in there.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
We took our 7 & 8 yr old grandsons. Being it was in October we weren't sure if there would be many kids. This had the most kids I have ever seen on a cruise ship. October is the new Spring Break. Fortunately, the kids seemed pretty well behaved and I saw no problems. My grandsons liked the kids club but often chose not to go. Kids spent about $100 in arcade and won 1500 tickets (1000 was from two lucky wins). They cashed them in for about $2 worth of junk.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Carnival staff always seem to be having a good time. A dinnertime song and dance show every night in the MDR. Stewards only clean cabin once a day but a did great job. We were asked to give a review but asked to be honest -even if negative- because, "That's how we learn."
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Newer Carnival ships are not the gaudy carnival decorated ships of old. The Panorama is quite elegant. Everything clean and working. Ship had 4700 passengers so almost full. A much different experience than last year when it was half capacity but not too bothered by crowds. If you figure out where/when the crowds are you can avoid a lot of them.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Inside cabin on Lido deck so close to the action. Next to elevator and did hear noisy adults a few times and woken up one time. A little packed with 2 adults and 2 kids but storage was enough. I know that cause when I complained, "I only get one shelf?" my wife said that was enough for me. Bed was a little firm but good.
Ship tip
First week of October is packed with kids. Ship sails full now. The deck 5 outside promenade is a nice quiet spot to chill without crowds.
The cabs inside the port fence are white and charge $15 extra. You can get outside the fence easily but the gate may be hard to see and behind vendors. If you are in the back dock, you don't need to walk to the front dock to get out. Outside the gate you can get yellow taxis for cheap. We pre-scheduled a day pass at Sunscape PV resort though ResortPass.com for $60 adult $30 kids. A $5 taxi (yellow) ride. It was OK. Pool was great. Lots of bars. Buffet was meh.
Went to Stone Island on our own. After you get out of port fence, go left down long sidewalk (1/4 mile) to end of street, look for small boat dock. $2 pp roundtrip boat to Stone Island. Got some drinks and chips/salsa from one of the restaurants. Don't try to body surf unless you want a big scrape on your forehead and sore neck. Wave pile-drived me into the sand. Water was warm but not clear, post hurricane.
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