From Sunrise to Sunset: What to Do on the Carnival Panorama

When you try to figure out what to do on the Carnival Panorama, it can almost be overwhelming because there is so much happening all the time, but this article will help you understand the options so you don’t miss out on anything. We encompassed three generations, and we all enjoyed our time, finding new things to do and enjoying old favorites.

I love to cruise, and I most recently was aboard the Carnival Panorama on an 8 day Mexican Riviera cruise with my family. I paid for my cruise and entertainment, although Carnival did provide me with complimentary wifi during the cruise.

What to Do on the Panorama

The Carnival Panorama has a ton of activities, whether you want to experience adventure or relax. There are options for cruisers of all ages, and don’t forget that you can try to win your own ship on a stick or medal, too.

This is not our first cruise, so we have some favorite restaurants like JiJi Asian Kitchen and excursions in various ports from adventures with pirates to exploring underground caverns. We also make sure to maximize our days on the ship, and the Carnival Panorama activities include both some favorites and some new forms of entertainment.

My biggest tip? Pay attention to the daily FunTimes so you know what’s happening. Use the Carnival Hub app, and favorite the activities you want to participate in so you get a reminder 15 minutes before they start and you don’t forget about them.

If you’re trying to decide whether the Carnival Bottomless Bubbles program is for you or not, I have some advice so make sure to check out that article!

Stay active with sports

From the moment you step foot on the deck, you’re bombarded with options for entertainment. If you’re a thrill-seeker, the SkyRide is a must-try. You are in an open-air seated bike, high above the ocean, safely strapped in while you pedal around the perimeter of the ship with the wind in your hair and the sea as your backdrop.

It does take a bit of effort to pedal around the ship, but you can go as slow or as fast as you want. My husband does get a little wigged out about being over the ocean, so if you have a fear of heights, this may be an activity to skip.

My kids and I also enjoy the ropes course with an entrance just across from the SkyRide. The ropes course here is easier than it was on some other ships we’ve cruised on, but we still enjoyed it.

We also appreciated that they redesigned it so that you can switch from the left to right track or get out of people’s way if you need a moment before you move on. That said, a few of the sections were closed due to wear and tear on the course that made it unsafe to use that section, which we found disappointing.

If you participate in either of these two activities, be sure that you have close-toed shoes, as well as shorts and a shirt. You will be turned away without those, and we saw it happen repeatedly.

For less heights-focused activities, the Carnival Panorama also has a nine-hole mini-golf course that’s fun to do. This isn’t a super fancy mini-golf course, but it works well for the ship, and we have a blast doing it almost every day we are on the ship.

The same sports deck includes foosball tables, foot billiards, ping pong, corn hole, and more. These are great options to pass some time with a little light competition. You often have a bit of a wait, but there aren’t often multiple people waiting, so the wait doesn’t last too long.

Inside the clubhouse, which houses the foot billiards and standard ping pong tables, you have comfy cushion seats to wait or watch others play. In the outdoor portion sports deck, there are large plastic outdoor chairs to hang out that are weatherproof.

The other fun is that the outdoor ping pong tables are designed for four players, but with four sections in a square rather than two sections across from each other. This makes it more challenging but also gives my family more laughs every time we play it.

The Panorama also has corn hole on the sports deck with two games available, as well as shuffleboard sort of hidden around the back side of the sports deck. The shuffleboard tends to not be used very often based on my observations, but the corn hole is always taken by someone playing.

The only downside to the sports deck is that they do close up the activities early in the evening. We’ve gone to play another game of ping pong or round of mini-golf, having forgotten only to be disappointed that it’s all put away. The foosball is the exception and is available anytime.

That said, given the behavior we witnessed on the ship this past cruise by many of the kids and teens, I understand completely why they get put away when they do. Additionally, the indoor clubhouse was the meetup spot a few nights for the 18-20 set, so they need the space cleared for that.

You will also find a running track and small workout centers like what you’ll see along trails in Europe. And if you want to truly work up a sweat, spend some time on the basketball court, which will periodically include soccer goals for a switch.

There is also an indoor gym with the standard machines and several fitness classes. Access to the gym is included, but fitness classes incur an additional fee. I have toured the gym, but I get enough exercise climbing stairs and doing activities with my kids that I haven’t felt the need to use the gym.

Carnival also has an arcade where you can play a pretty good variety of games at a cost, as well as the SkyZone which is an indoor trampoline park where you sign up for sessions. My kids didn’t participate in either of these activities, however.

Relax by a pool

For those seeking a more laid-back vibe, the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat is your haven. This area is open only to those 21 years of age and older, which makes it one of my favorite places to escape. They have nicer loungers and chairs there, though you can find some similar on Deck 5.

There is another towel desk here, and the yellow towels are softer than the traditional blue ones you find by the main pool. Best of all, on sea days, the salad bar opens with a ton of options to enjoy.

I like this area not only because the chairs and loungers are more comfortable but also because it is quieter without the activities and loud music you find by the main pool. It does get crowded, however, so know that you may need to look around to find an open chair during prime sea days especially. I have yet to not find anywhere to sit, however.

The main pool is located on the Lido Deck, and you’ll find that this is where a lot of the activity happens throughout the day. There are various games and competitions, as well as music that plays either with small bands or a DJ.

To be honest, I spend less time at this pool because it’s too loud for most of my family who prefers reading quietly. We do always ensure we’re there for the ice-carving demonstration though, which fascinates us every cruise.

For a somewhat quieter spot on Lido deck, head to the aft where you find the Tides pool. This pool has a couple hot tubs, as well. It tends to be a little less crowded, but it is also next to the seafood and pizza restaurants, so finding seating can be a little challenging.

The other pool is the Havana pool, and this is accessible only to those who have booked Havana stateroom which means that it’s always less crowded. You must have a Havana wristband to access this area until 7pm when it opens to everyone, and it offers serenity and a unique set of decor and seating options.

Participate in the daily activities

Whether it’s a sea day or a port day, Carnival has plenty of activities indoors and out throughout the day. You’re sure to find something to enjoy whether you focus on trivia or prefer to attend lectures.

We always start our morning picking up the daily puzzle and Sudoku, though there were a few mornings where it didn’t make its way out. There are also themed trivia contests throughout the day ranging from sports to Golden Girls to movie themes and more.

There are more games than just trivia, however. By the atrium bar and at the Ocean Plaza, there are often interactive games and activities that are a hoot. Our favorite is Wheely Big Trivia that is a team competition with friends and strangers and the Baby Turtle Trek that is just hilarious to watch.

We also enjoyed the sea day coloring, although a half hour was never long enough for us to complete our mandala and we do miss the Michael’s craft projects they used to offer. If you’re interested in art auctions, they have them regularly, as well.

When the ship is in international waters, both the shops and casino are open with the casino open 24 hours a day and the shops open various hours depending on the specific shop. The shops all have various specials on different days whether you’re looking to purchase new jewelry or perfume or souvenirs.

The casino requires that you be 21 or older to play – no surprise – and includes your traditional slots and table games. Depending on how busy it is at the moment, you might find that some table games are not available when you want to play, but be patient.

The library – also home to the art auctions throughout the cruise – has a selection of board games you can borrow to enjoy, although you’ll find few books there these days. Instead, attend some of the lectures on the upcoming ports or play bingo or learn how to fold towel animals, an activity we never miss.

We didn’t participate in them this cruise, but Carnival also offers various paid tours and classes during the day, as well. You can head to the Carnival Kitchen to learn how to make everything from cupcakes to sushi, as well as enjoy a brewery tour and tasting at the Pig and Anchor.

Enjoy the nighttime entertainment

Our favorite evening entertainment is the Dive In Movie. Near the pool, the screen shows recent movies, generally two per night, although this varies by itinerary and movie length.

Note that the movie times can make it a little challenging if you have an assigned dining time, which is my only quibble. If you eat at 5:30, it’s a true challenge to get to the pool by the start of the first movie. If you have the late dining, you miss the end of the first movie and still struggle to get to the start of the second movie.

There are periodically movies during the day, too, and I appreciate that the screen is bright enough that you never need to wait for sunset to enjoy a movie by the pool.

Make sure to pick up the soft blankets from the towel desk to stay warm during the evening movie. We used to always get popcorn but were disappointed to learn that Carnival now charges $4 per (small) box of popcorn, so we skipped that as did pretty much everyone else from what we could see.

You also have various shows from bands that play just about any kind of music you might enjoy from quiet instrumentals to big bands and everything in between. Many locations on the ship provide places to listen from the piano bar to the atrium to the Havana bar and more.

Carnival also has the nighttime shows you expect on a cruise ship, although the Panorama had fewer than we’ve experienced on other cruises with Carnival or other cruise lines. We miss the Hasbro game shows, but there are still the Love and Marriage show, which is always a favorite, and Deal or No Deal (pay to play), among other fun choices.

There are still PG and 18+ comedy shows just about every night, and we often visit those. The comedians do sometimes repeat on nights, but they have different matieral, so if you have a favorite comedian you can enjoy them more than once on the cruise.

There are themed parties on many nights, as well, generally on the Lido Deck where there is only an early movie that night. The themes range from White Night to 80s Rock-n-Glow to a Silent Disco and more.

You’ll also find meetups for various age groups as well as LGBQT+ most nights, karaoke, and poker tournaments. There’s never a reason to be bored.

Final Thoughts

The Carnival Panorma is one of the newer ships in the Carnival fleet, and they have added multiple entertinament options to the ship to keep everyone entertained and occupied, no matter your interests. We had an 8 day cruise, and we still didn’t have time to do everything. That’s a good thing in my book, and we have another Carnival cruise scheduled already because we do always enjoy ourselves so much.

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