It is the new year, and that means it’s time for our first cruise of 2020. After all, we haven’t been on a ship for almost two months now. For our maiden voyage of the year, we decided to try something completely different. Hey, why not start off a new decade with a different cruise line and some new destinations? See why we can’t wait to test out Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship with our 5 Reasons We Are Excited to Sail on Carnival Panorama.
5 Reasons We Are Excited to Sail on Carnival Panorama
Our First Carnival Cruise
Yes, it is amazing to say that after 30 cruises on most major cruise lines, this will be our first Carnival cruise together. We typically sail on larger, newer ships, and Carnival Panorama checks off both of these criteria. It is not that we have been avoiding the cruise line, but vacation days, other cruise ship debuts, and such have impacted our ability to find the right time to test out Carnival Cruise Line. Finally, the stars aligned for this trip. So, we made sure to book early to take advantage of a low cruise fare.
An Active Cruise
One thing that drew us to Carnival Panorama, and her sister ships, is the number of complimentary onboard activities. Among them is the innovative Sky Ride. This open air bike “ride” is something we can’t wait to experience first hand. Other attractions that we will be sure to try are the ropes course and mini-golf. The indoor Sky Zone is yet another onboard activity that has us intrigued. I am looking forward to experiencing all of the various challenges during at least one session. Of course, the ship also features a waterpark, pools, and plenty of other activities to keep us busy during our days at sea.
Diverse Dining Options
Coming down from our busiest travel year to date, not having to worry too much about dining on this trip is a good thing. We have early seating for dinner in the main dining room. However, we are also looking forward to testing out all of the casual dining options that Carnival Panorama offers. Being our first cruise with the brand, we are eager to sample Guy’s Burger Joint and Pig and Anchor Smokehouse, as well as the Seafood Shack and Blue Iguana Cantina.
Also, we have reservations at two specialty restaurants, the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and JiJi Asian Kitchen. It is time to put Carnival Cruise Line’s dining to the test to see how it compares to the other cruise lines.
New Ports of Call
While most new ships sail to the typical Caribbean ports from Florida, Carnival Panorama is setting sail from Long Beach, CA. This new departure port will give us the opportunity to take our first Mexican Riviera cruise. So, most of the ports of call will be new to us.
We spent a week in Puerto Vallarta for our honeymoon over 10 years ago and look forward to getting back to the city as well as enjoying the Rhythm of the Nights. We also have two additional shore excursions planned for our stops in Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan to make sure we see as much as possible. Likewise, we have a full pre-cruise day in Long Beach, CA to explore the city’s highlights.
Honest Cruise Line Comparisons
Fellow travelers ask us all the time to compare cruise lines. After this trip, we will have sailed on all three major cruise lines’ largest and newest ships to date. So, we can offer our honest comparisons of what each cruise line does well and where they fall a bit short. There are a few elements of Carnival Panorama that are different from the competitor lines. For instance, the shorter main theater shows and the fact that no entertainment reservations are required. We can’t wait to see how Carnival Cruise Line stacks up to the competition.
Be sure to stay tuned to the blog and social media for our updates and reviews from the trip!
Comments
Do you have plans to sail on Carnival Panorama? What are your favorite features on Carnival Cruise Line’s Vista-class? Drop us an anchor below with your thoughts on this newest ship in the Carnival fleet.
Don’t think of it as stacking up to other cruise lines. all the lines are just… different. it becomes a matter of personal preference. I’ve done my last 2 on NCL (and have another one booked) but having done 4 on carnival before, I miss it a little. i’m kind of “bored” on other lines because i’m so heavily entertained on Carnival. Shenanigans-abound everywhere!
Recommendations: Whether you’re on a new ship or not, make a point of hitting up the sea day brunch – though, they did beef up the regular dining breakfast menu, so maybe it’ll be anti-climactic now. Also, at the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, I recommend the filet mignon, or the surf&turf (half a filet and half a lobster tail). And don’t forget the Béarnaise sauce. it’s hands down my favourite béarnaise I’ve had 😀
Speaking of shenanigans, the piano bar is always one of my must-do’s on a carnival cruise. if you’re going between Feb 8 and March 21, your entertainer is Ben Gentry, my favourite. Enjoy!
We will be on this cruse with all the adults in our family! (14 total) I have done a lot of traveling and been to all the ports, but this is my first cruise. I have avoided them due to motion sickness. I did not have a choice in this vacay, so I am a bit nervous about that but I will have patches and meds! Your post has made me more excited and maybe we will run into you. We’re the Millers/Mowers from Utah 😉
Also, we are flying in the night before. How early can we board the ship?
I’ve become an avid reader and fan of this blog over the past year. With that said, I think I kind of have a “feel” for the way you guys cruise. Carnival will be a big let down because of what you guys have become accustomed to while cruising. You’ll love Guy’s Burgers, most of the dinning options, the ship itself is beautiful! However, Im going to go out on a limb and say, you’ll hate the theater shows, crowds on the pool deck, the embarkation/debarkation process (in comparison to Royal), will have you on the “drink around the ship” tour earlier than expected just to relieve the stress LOL. You’ll probably fall asleep before your room service order actually arrives to your room, the comedy shows might be the best thing you’ll experience all day (during sea days), and dont even get me started on “guest services”, terrible, your sheets might not be changed everyday (it may appear to be, but leave a little mark just to make sure), the nightly parties will be a let down, except for the “Mega Deck Party”, everybody usually comes out for that! Serenity (adults only area) wont be managed properly, you’ll see kids at multiple parts of the day. You’ll enjoy the Lanai deck, its always more serene on that deck. Good luck with trying to view/experience the “Havana Pool”, because Carnival has decided, as of January 2020, that this area will no longer be open to all guest after 5pm, it is now exclusive ONLY to those whom have booked a Havana Cabana or Havana Suite! All in All I’ve been on just about every ship you guys have been on, and I actually started with Carnival at age 5! I am only 1 cruise away from being platinum on Carnival but I feel that day may never come. It just seems every time I go on a “new” ship, the amenities, perks, entertainment, etc… just seems to be less and less. Im sure you guys will make the best of it though, because you cruise just like I do! LOL, I swear some of DB’s reviews are as if I typed them myself, hence why I love this Blog! Hopefully 1 day, I’ll run into you guys and buy DB a good Ol’ Long Island Ice Tea (also one of my favorite go to drinks LOL). 1 last thing, I would probably switch the specialty restaurant reservation from “Ji Ji Asian Kitchen” to the Chef’s table! You guys most likely wont enjoy the options, the portion sizes, and the overall taste, its like a regular Chinese spot that you order takeout from unfortunately. Just my opinion, all subjective! looking forward to the review on this one, enjoy!
So this is a total long shot, but I’m hoping to tap into the power of the Internet.
On 1/13/20 I was in Cabo San Lucas on a parasailing tour. Sharing the boat with me was a group of 10 people from the Carnival Panorama. All I know is that they were from Utah.
One of their party was taking photos and promised to email me and the tour company the pictures. I never got the pictures and neither did the tour outfit. Maybe they forgot? Maybe they got my email wrong?
Some clues to help them remember me…
My name is Robert, from Albuquerque, and I was on the Royal Princess following the same itinerary. The next day, we coincidentally met up again around 4:00 pm in Mazatlan while re-embarking.
Anybody know how to find these fellow cruisers? Any of you from Utah or know someone who cruised that week (1/11 – 1/18) or maybe you met and remember these folks from your Mexican Riviera cruise that same week? Is this you?
Here is a link to some photos of them captured by my GoPro. http://mrgraff.com/trips/cruise/