I rarely leave negative reviews, especially while I'm still traveling, but this experience was so disappointing and unprofessional that I feel obligated to warn other travelers.
My husband and I booked this **4-hour Panamanian cooking class** because we were genuinely excited about it. We planned part of our vacation around this experience and were really looking forward to learning about the local cuisine. Unfortunately, we never even got the opportunity because of how this situation was handled.
A few weeks before the class, we received a WhatsApp message with directions and instructions. One statement specifically said to "**estimate a 20-minute drive from the hotel areas in Panama City or Casco Viejo.**" This is extremely misleading.
By our **second day in Panama**, we had already learned something that the hosts, of all people, should know: **traffic between approximately 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM is absolutely terrible.** Add in rain, and it becomes even worse. A 20-minute estimate for a 6:00 PM class simply is not realistic.
Wanting to be respectful of their time, **we intentionally requested our first Uber at 5:25 PM so that we would arrive EARLY.** Before requesting the ride, Uber estimated that a driver would arrive in about 2 minutes. Once matched with a driver, that estimate immediately changed to 11 minutes...which then turned into nearly 20 minutes...before the driver ultimately canceled.
Thinking it was just bad luck, we requested another Uber.
That one canceled too.
Then another.
Canceled.
Then another.
Canceled.
In total, **our rides were canceled four separate times (approximately 5:25, 5:47, 5:55, and 5:59 PM).**
At this point, we knew we were going to be late. We were incredibly frustrated because we understood we would likely miss part of the class and lose some of the experience we had paid for. **Even so, we still wanted to attend.** We never expected the class to be restarted for us or for anyone to make up lost time—we simply wanted to participate in whatever portion remained.
At **6:01 PM**, while still desperately trying to secure transportation, I sent a WhatsApp message apologizing for the delay and explaining exactly what was happening—that multiple Uber drivers had canceled on us but that we were still actively trying to get there.
Eventually, we secured another Uber around **6:25 PM**, which estimated our arrival at approximately **7:04 PM** because of traffic.
At **6:33 PM**, the assistant messaged asking if we were arriving.
I immediately responded that **yes, we were in the Uber and would be there in about 30 minutes.**
The assistant then told us to contact Chef Winnie directly.
This is where the interaction became incredibly disappointing.
I messaged Chef Winnie explaining that we had a reservation, that we were currently on the way, and that multiple Uber drivers had canceled because of traffic and possibly the weather.
Her first response was simply:
> "Hello. In 25 minutes?"
I confirmed yes.
Her response:
> "Sorry. More than a hour late. Cooking class is cancelled."
I completely understand having personal ethics. Had she simply said, "Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate arrivals after a certain time because the class is structured," I would have been disappointed but understanding.
Instead, the conversation quickly became accusatory.
I explained that we had been trying to get there for nearly two hours and asked if there was any possibility of making an exception given the circumstances.
She replied:
> "Where are you coming from? To spend more than 2 hours to join the cooking class?"
I explained again that we were coming from downtown Panama City and that **four Uber drivers had accepted our rides, made us wait, and then canceled**, something completely outside of our control.
Her response was:
> "This is unusual. Panamanian need money by the end of the month. And coming from downtown at 6, you should be here at 6:30 latest. Even with rain."
I'm sorry—but as a tourist visiting your country for the first time, how exactly am I supposed to argue with someone who lives there? I can only tell you what actually happened.
I had screenshots of every canceled Uber.
I had timestamps.
I had already notified the assistant before anyone even contacted us.
Instead of acknowledging that transportation issues can happen, the implication was essentially that our explanation couldn't possibly be true.
She continued by saying:
> "I prepared the class for you from early morning...the class is supposed to be 4 hours...too late."
Again, I completely understand that preparation goes into the class.
But nowhere in the booking did it state that **arriving more than one hour late automatically results in cancellation with no accommodation whatsoever.**
If that is a strict policy, it should be clearly communicated before guests book.
The most frustrating part came next.
When I explained that we had informed the assistant and had done everything we could, she responded:
> "So you waited 35 minutes to inform the assistant about your delay? Instead of informing me as written in the confirmation message? What can be done? Understanding and respect maybe?"
That sentence genuinely shocked me.
**"Understanding and respect maybe?"**
Respect?
We had:
* Left early.
* Attempted to arrive before the class even started.
* Requested multiple Ubers.
* Waited through repeated cancellations.
* Contacted the assistant to explain what was happening.
* Continued trying to reach the class instead of simply giving up.
* Apologized multiple times.
At no point were we rude.
At no point did we demand special treatment.
At no point did we blame the hosts for Panama traffic.
Yet somehow we were the ones being lectured about respect.
I finally sent screenshots proving the canceled rides and replied that while I respected the value of her time, we had done everything within our control and appreciated seeing her level of empathy.
That ended the conversation.
What bothers me most is not even that the class was canceled.
It's **how** it was handled.
There was:
* no empathy,
* no attempt to understand the situation,
* no willingness to discuss alternatives,
* no professionalism,
* and absolutely no grace extended to travelers navigating a city they had been in for less than 48 hours.
Even more concerning is that the original instructions significantly underestimated travel time during one of the busiest traffic periods of the day. Locals know this. Tourists do not.
If the hosts know that traffic at 6:00 PM regularly becomes severe, then the instructions should tell guests to leave **at least an hour or more early**, not that the trip will take approximately 20 minutes.
Additionally, if there is a strict "one-hour late equals automatic cancellation" policy, that should be clearly disclosed on the Viator listing before anyone books—not introduced only after guests are already on the way.
This entire experience left us feeling blamed for circumstances that were completely outside of our control.
We lost an experience we had genuinely been looking forward to during our honeymoon, spent nearly two hours unsuccessfully trying to find transportation, and were ultimately met with skepticism and condescending responses instead of basic customer service.
Travel involves unexpected problems. Flights get delayed. Traffic happens. Ride-share drivers cancel.
Good tour operators recognize that and communicate with professionalism and compassion.
Unfortunately, that was not our experience here.
If you're considering booking this experience, my advice is simple: **leave much earlier than they recommend, understand that there appears to be very little flexibility if anything unexpected happens, and be aware that you may not receive much understanding even when you have documented proof that the delay was outside your control.**
Unfortunately, Viator ultimately denied our refund request because the operator declined to authorize it, leaving us to pay for an experience that we never had the opportunity to participate in.