This past weekend I was invited to check out the brand new Carnival Panorama ship. It is now the largest ship in their fleet, and it’s sailing out of my home, Long Beach, California. Considering I live in the LBC I was invited to jump aboard and check out all the ship has to offer. Since I’ve never been on a cruise ship before, I instantly fell in love.
The Carnival Panorama Ship Inspection
Everything on the Carnival Panorama was incredible and extremely new to me, which felt so exciting. I love it when travel excites me.
We started in a holding pen. My coworkers and I, along with a few hundred travel agents, waited for customs and immigration to arrive before they let us on board.
Then, we climbed the stairs of that infamous dome on the Long Beach harbor.
The view of the Carnival Panorama is incredible. Especially with the skyline of Long Beach in the background. I love Long Beach, and the fact that we have this in our backyard makes it all the more magical.
The Carnival Panorama is gigantic. In other words, as soon as we got on board, my coworker and I felt lost. We went straight to the bar to get some water and get our bearings straight.
From here, we decided walking in a straight line is the best course of action. Then we saw other agents heading to an area closed to passengers. That’s how we found the Havana Suite.
The Havana Suite
As we arrived on deck five and walked through that “Not open to Passengers” door, we noticed a long slender hallway covered in artwork. The art looks like something you see on the streets of Cuba. It’s cute, retro, and stylish.
Considering this is the first time I’ve ever seen a suite on a boat, I was surprised by the enormity of it all.
As you walk in, you immediately notice the entrance to the restroom. The bedroom is directly after the bathroom, and a living area is right after that.
The room itself is 260 square feet. The beds consist of two twin beds that you can push together to create one king bed. There’s also a pull-out couch. This means the Havana Suite sleeps four people. You also have a lovely coffee table in front of the pull-out couch and a flat-screen TV for all the TV viewing your not going to do. I mean this is a playground, let’s not spend it watching TV.
Apart from that, you also get bathrobes, shower caps, duvets, and linens for your bed.
It is so cute. I love it.
The room has a balcony, which is 100 square feet. You have outdoor furniture, two chairs, and one table.
What so Special about the Havana Suite?
Let’s start with the age restriction. NO KIDS ALLOWED! Well actually kids are allowed, but they have to be older than 12 years old. So, it’s somewhat exclusive. In other words, this entire section of the boat has the potential to be adult-only. And you know what that means *wink wink*. Um. It means no kids whining on your vacation.
What I loved the most is the outdoor space. Even though the Havana Suite is excellent, your balcony has a private entrance to a sectioned-off part of the ship (the Lanai Deck) that is only for people who purchase a ticket for the Havana Suite. It’s pretty awesome.
This means you get your own section of the boat with cabanas, lounge chairs, a bar, a jacuzzi with a panoramic view, and a pool. The Havana Suite is near the back of the ship, meaning your view is as wide as the ocean is big. It’s impressive.Â
Other Rooms on the Carnival Panorama
I checked out other rooms on the Carnival Panorama, although none were as great as the Havana Suite. The Havana Suite blew me away from the start.
The Ocean Suite on the Carnival Panorama even has a jacuzzi/whirlpool tub.
The Carnival Panorama Food
After a few hours, we were ushered into a grand dining room called the Vista Dining Room. Its big, beautiful, and elegant. The view of the ocean is spectacular. The chandeliers are gigantic and modern.
The table set up was pretty much a free-for-all. This means me and the 100 plus travel agents sat together, mixed and mingled.
The waiters are great. They spoke a multitude of languages and were very attentive.
We were given bread for the table with sweet, warm butter. It was so good I wanted to scoop up the butter in one spoonful and shove it in my fatty mouth.
For lunch, I ordered all vegetarian. Not because I’m vegetarian but because I happen to like the veggie options they had.
I ordered a quinoa salad to start.
As a side, I got the vegan lentil dumplings. I love dumplings. Any chance to try something new in dumpling form is always a good thing.
They were good, but if I’m honest, I prefer the usual chicken or pork dumplings the best.
As my main course, I got the pasta dish. I love pasta. Even though it was a veggie pasta dish, it was incredible.
My coworker got a risotto mushroom appetizer with the steak as an entree.
For dessert, I got the Tres Leches option, which was delicious. Tres leches anything is fantastic. Just in case you’re not familiar, tres leches means three kinds of milk. In other words, I got a cake made out of three different types of milk.
As a thank you for checking out the brand new ship and its amenities, all the waiters danced as the day commences. It was so cute and fun. The only thing that would make it better is if the waiters started stripping. Unfortunately, it’s not that kind of cruise.
The Carnival Panorama Cruise Ship in General
Since I was invited on the ship before it departed, I only had a few hours to check things out. The Carnival Panorama is so enormous, and I honestly didn’t have time to see it all. And there is so much to do on this ship!
To give you a sense, they have a new SkyZone trampoline gym, which is awesome, and if you haven’t tried SkyZone, I highly recommend it.
The Carnival Panorama has a Heroes Tribute bar (among other places to grab drinks). However, this is the first place I stopped to grab some water. Since I was technically working, I couldn’t throw back any ice-cold alcoholic beverages, but next time you best believe I will get down!
There are many restaurants, and food stands if you get the munchies. They range from fancy steakhouses, like the Fahrenheit 555 to burger stands.
Other restaurants include Bonsai Sushi, Piano Bar 88, Alchemy Bar, and more.
Take advantage of gyms while you’re here because you’ll get fat for sure.
There’s a fun water park directly in front of the main pool. Although I wasn’t able to enjoy it since I wasn’t here long enough, I urge you to have some fun while on board. I’ll live through you.
Speaking of activities, they have a sports zone for kids and adults. It’s amazing. If you look up, you’ll see people peddling on what looks like a sky bicycle (its called a sky ride).Â
Here you’ll see a jungle gym, pool tables, soccer balls, giant chess pieces, and so much more. It really isn’t enough to just come here for a few hours.
I was secretly hoping I got locked in the restroom so I could enjoy a fun cruise down to Mexico and back to Long Beach for a few days. I mean, who’s gonna miss me? I’m never home anyway.
They have more stuff like productions, shows, plays, a spa, and adult-only decks. You can go on a Carnival Panorama Cruise for seven nights and still not see everything.
Carnival Panorama prices
Carnival Cruises has become the leader in inexpensive cruises, so it’s no surprise that sailing on a Carnival cruise ship starts at around $400 per person.
That’s pretty good if you’re a first-timer.
Let Me Break it Down For You:
The Carnival Panorama Cruiseship is currently the largest ship in the Carnival fleet.
They’re sailing out of Long Beach, California (Los Angeles area).
Prices start at around $400
The Havana Suite is perfect and cute! It comes with a sectioned-off portion of the deck only for passengers who reside in the Havana Suites.
There are so many fun things to do on the ship. You’ll never get bored.
Would I do it?
This was only a taste of what a cruise is like. But this has made me consider doing it. In short, yes, I would do it, and I will always encourage everyone to continue traveling and continue living the life they want.
Need more info? Check out their website: https://www.carnival.com/