Vista 7/1/16 8 day Med Review - a Vista like no other

....and some more......

.....and some more.....

....and a few more....

We pulled in on the boat to Monterosso (the last stop) and the largest of the five towns. As we got off the boat, our tour guide took us around the downtown area, explaining how people got here and back and forth between the towns. These towns are nestled into the hill sides and only some have car availability, some have train and some only water.

He explained we would have 2 1/2 hours to get something to eat, explore on our own and meet back up for the train ride back to where the buss would pick us up.

Here are some pics from around town.....

....and some more.... there are some pics ofgrape vines. It seems everyone grows grapes in the this area.

....and some more.... lot's of interesting places here, different cultures mixing...

...and a couple more....

The next pics are from one of the weirdest places I have ever been to.....

....and some more....

Let's see, where to start..... Congrats on doing the back to back with the TA and the first cruise out of New York. I know that they are doing some PR things in between those two...(I will be there for the TA sleepover on the Vista - and the naming ceremony and the Carrie Underwood thing) and are you hanging around in New York for that time? Be interested in hearing about that. I will look and see what pics I have for the Havana pool area.

 

We had late seating in the forward (off the lobby) dining room (single floor). The aft dining room is two floors and is where MTD and some assigned are ( as well as a bar in the middle). There is some talk about flipping these dining rooms when she comes over and possible some other changes.

 

It was American table menu, but the local dish (tied to the port of call) was more flared to the home Europeon market. Their head brew master was doing tours (it is attached to the Red Frog - glass wall).

 

The clientele was less families but that said, I was surprised as to how many kids there were on our cruise. More of a regular Carnival cruise clientele.

 

The bull ring has a dome and the restaurants are all around the top ring. The inside is open in the middle with things along the walls going down with the center open. I thought it was pretty neat. Ask away....

Hey Jimbo!! Thanks, we're really excited to be doing those 2 cruises B2B!! :D It'll be fun getting to see both Europe and the Caribbean in 1 trip. I'm really looking forward to getting to be on her Caribbean Inaugural and it's a Journeys cruise as well which I've never tried so I'm excited about that. And I love all the sea days on a Transatlantic so that'll be fun. You're so lucky, I'd love to see a Naming Ceremony someday. I've seen videos of them but never in person. I imagine we won't be invited (we're just passengers, we're Platinum not Diamond, we don't work for Carnival, so no one special who would get an invite to something like that) but maybe we can find somewhere to stand onshore and watch. Yes, we will be staying onboard the ship while docked in NY. We'll just have to move our luggage and all our clothes and stuff from the cabin we have for the TA to the cabin we have for the Caribbean cruise. Shouldn't be that hard. That'll be super cool, being on the ship with so few other people. I'm looking forward to getting to explore the city a bit while we're there, it's one of my favourite places to visit. Are they letting you stay onboard for those 2 nights as well? Maybe we can get together for a drink or something. I see your posts here on CC all the time and would love to meet you in person. Email me if you want and we can keep in touch and maybe work out a way to get together while we're docked in New York - assumptionchic@gmail.com If you do have pics of the Havana Pool area, that'd be great. I'm looking forward to getting to stay there!! :D

Oh, ok. I was kinda hoping we'd be in the MDR that has the bar in it just because it looks so beautiful in pictures. I like it better than the forward one. Which one did the have the Sea Day Brunch in on your cruise? Maybe we can go to that one day and see it then. However, it sounds like you got a good show leaving your dining room with Matt dancing on the bar, haha. :D I hope he does that on one or both of our cruises as well!! We're wait listed for 2nd seating on the 2nd half of our B2B (confirmed 2nd seating for the TA), I really hope we get it!! We're really not fans of early seating (it's too early) or ATD (we like having the same table mates and waiters for the whole cruise).

I do like American Table (I don't think it's much different from the old menus honestly) although I would like them to have the tablecloths every night. It just makes it seem more like an elegant/fine restaurant rather than Chilis or something similar. Oh well, the food is still good and that's what matters. I like them having some kind of food that's local to where your cruising though, it's fun trying new things that we can't get at home.

Awesome, I'd love to take a brewery tour!! :D That'd be so much fun. Did you do the Behind The Fun Tour and/or Chef's Table? If so, how were they? We were thinking about doing the Behind the fun tour (I've never done it on any ship, neither has my Mom) but I'm not sure which of the 2 cruises we should do it on or if we should do it at all. I've always wanted to try Chef's Table as well, sounds amazing.

I guess there were a lot of kids on your cruise because the schools are out in July so they have the time off. I imagine it would be different during the school year. Good to know they had all the typical Carnival activities, parties, events, etc because like I said, on our last 2 TAs with Holland America, there was literally nothing going on day or night. I'm hoping these will be much more active, fun cruises!! :D

Ok, that sounds exactly like what I was thinking expecting it to be like. I like the dome idea, then if it rains is doesn't matter. You don't have to worry about getting wet while you eat. What kind of restaurants do they have in the Bull Ring? Are they spanish cuisine (tapas, etc) or more like the chain restaurants (and/or pubs) we're used to in the USA and Canada? Either way, I think it sounds like a great experience and I'd love to try it!! :D

Jimbo..It is great...fabulous..the domes with the sun on the stations of the cross and the one on you guys...very dear...

The Pieta at the Vatican behind the glass...is that another one...I think "THE" one was at St. Peter's and was damaged so it got behind glass there too...I remember..after getting to see it once..that happening and a lecture from a not too religious art historian saying man is keeping himself from the art he has created... In light of current events..so much worse now..Prayers...

Anyway this is fabulous,,I can not believe you got the amount in you did...and even had energy to go back and dine etc...lol...but the well laid out plans seriously were good kudos. The best part of my summer of huge travels and that spring break before were both types of times...On my own and letting it happen, Spring Break in Southern France and Loire Valley mostly.... mixed with plan and go go go that summer. 3 back to back tours. You did a great job from the ship... Like your guides...2 of tours were then called "Budget American Express"..with travel guides who had great regional and historical experience..went the whole time and were from one of countries of each tour..it will never be repeated that way at that time again this lifetime..maybe we get unique tours/travel in heaven..God willing..lol. Anyways it was very nice still but not as fancy hotels but way better than I had on my own and great local food with some grand places thrown in...to be with the small inn owners and all..just made it in the Med. Last one was good but not as good for the 18 to 35 group....I think you definitely now have to go back to 2/3 favorite places and dig in deeper. You have definitely covered it here so well...thanks so much...all the clear water gives you hope.

Hey Jimbo!! Thanks, we're really excited to be doing those 2 cruises B2B!! :D It'll be fun getting to see both Europe and the Caribbean in 1 trip. I'm really looking forward to getting to be on her Caribbean Inaugural and it's a Journeys cruise as well which I've never tried so I'm excited about that. And I love all the sea days on a Transatlantic so that'll be fun. You're so lucky, I'd love to see a Naming Ceremony someday. I've seen videos of them but never in person. I imagine we won't be invited (we're just passengers, we're Platinum not Diamond, we don't work for Carnival, so no one special who would get an invite to something like that) but maybe we can find somewhere to stand onshore and watch. Yes, we will be staying onboard the ship while docked in NY. We'll just have to move our luggage and all our clothes and stuff from the cabin we have for the TA to the cabin we have for the Caribbean cruise. Shouldn't be that hard. That'll be super cool, being on the ship with so few other people. I'm looking forward to getting to explore the city a bit while we're there, it's one of my favourite places to visit. Are they letting you stay onboard for those 2 nights as well? Maybe we can get together for a drink or something. I see your posts here on CC all the time and would love to meet you in person. Email me if you want and we can keep in touch and maybe work out a way to get together while we're docked in New York - assumptionchic@gmail.com If you do have pics of the Havana Pool area, that'd be great. I'm looking forward to getting to stay there!! :D

 

Oh, ok. I was kinda hoping we'd be in the MDR that has the bar in it just because it looks so beautiful in pictures. I like it better than the forward one. Which one did the have the Sea Day Brunch in on your cruise? Maybe we can go to that one day and see it then. However, it sounds like you got a good show leaving your dining room with Matt dancing on the bar, haha. :D I hope he does that on one or both of our cruises as well!! We're wait listed for 2nd seating on the 2nd half of our B2B (confirmed 2nd seating for the TA), I really hope we get it!! We're really not fans of early seating (it's too early) or ATD (we like having the same table mates and waiters for the whole cruise).

 

I do like American Table (I don't think it's much different from the old menus honestly) although I would like them to have the tablecloths every night. It just makes it seem more like an elegant/fine restaurant rather than Chilis or something similar. Oh well, the food is still good and that's what matters. I like them having some kind of food that's local to where your cruising though, it's fun trying new things that we can't get at home.

 

Awesome, I'd love to take a brewery tour!! :D That'd be so much fun. Did you do the Behind The Fun Tour and/or Chef's Table? If so, how were they? We were thinking about doing the Behind the fun tour (I've never done it on any ship, neither has my Mom) but I'm not sure which of the 2 cruises we should do it on or if we should do it at all. I've always wanted to try Chef's Table as well, sounds amazing.

 

I guess there were a lot of kids on your cruise because the schools are out in July so they have the time off. I imagine it would be different during the school year. Good to know they had all the typical Carnival activities, parties, events, etc because like I said, on our last 2 TAs with Holland America, there was literally nothing going on day or night. I'm hoping these will be much more active, fun cruises!! :D

 

Ok, that sounds exactly like what I was thinking expecting it to be like. I like the dome idea, then if it rains is doesn't matter. You don't have to worry about getting wet while you eat. What kind of restaurants do they have in the Bull Ring? Are they spanish cuisine (tapas, etc) or more like the chain restaurants (and/or pubs) we're used to in the USA and Canada? Either way, I think it sounds like a great experience and I'd love to try it!! :D

I will jump around a bit with my replies. Our cruise was too busy for us to do the CT or behind the fun, you will have a better opportunity, I have done both (done the CT 5 times on Carnival, not sure if I would do the behind the fun again, no because I did not enjoy it, just not sure I would see anything new). I would do both on the TA, but that is just me.

The cuisine in the restaurant we ate in was Spanish (Tapas), I think I do remember there being at the very least one Italian restaurant as well. Not sure on the rest, when we walked around it was shortly before I crashed for a while. I do not remember any pubs style.

I would be shocked if there were a lot of kids on the TA and probably will be a lot more (although certainly not as many as a normal Caribbean cruise) on the sailing out of New York. We have friends on that sailing.

I will send you an email later today, I do have a followup question for you.

Jimbo..It is great...fabulous..the domes with the sun on the stations of the cross and the one on you guys...very dear...

 

The Pieta at the Vatican behind the glass...is that another one...I think "THE" one was at St. Peter's and was damaged so it got behind glass there too...I remember..after getting to see it once..that happening and a lecture from a not too religious art historian saying man is keeping himself from the art he has created... In light of current events..so much worse now..Prayers...

 

Anyway this is fabulous,,I can not believe you got the amount in you did...and even had energy to go back and dine etc...lol...but the well laid out plans seriously were good kudos. The best part of my summer of huge travels and that spring break before were both types of times...On my own and letting it happen, Spring Break in Southern France and Loire Valley mostly.... mixed with plan and go go go that summer. 3 back to back tours. You did a great job from the ship... Like your guides...2 of tours were then called "Budget American Express"..with travel guides who had great regional and historical experience..went the whole time and were from one of countries of each tour..it will never be repeated that way at that time again this lifetime..maybe we get unique tours/travel in heaven..God willing..lol. Anyways it was very nice still but not as fancy hotels but way better than I had on my own and great local food with some grand places thrown in...to be with the small inn owners and all..just made it in the Med. Last one was good but not as good for the 18 to 35 group....I think you definitely now have to go back to 2/3 favorite places and dig in deeper. You have definitely covered it here so well...thanks so much...all the clear water gives you hope.

My pleasure, and yes it "the" Pieta. Behind a glass wall now and being guarded. Love the unique tours in heaven part, that sure would be something to look forward to:)

A couple of other points about this excursion, the first was that also included was some wine and pesto sampling from a local restaurant (seen earlier in my pics...). The wine was white and quite good and the pesto was outstanding. Our guide had said we might want to focus earlier rather than later for lunch as there were groups coming from Harmony of the Seas. That said, it was too early for us, so we explored and wandered some and then looked around. He was right, most places were filled.... We ended up finding a small sandwich place called (I think) The Rock Star Cafe. It was different for sure and we enjoyed it, but not what I thought we would find here. Each sandwich was called for some rock song or artist. Flat Stanley made a showing as well.....

We then walked around some more and the wife found someplace to do a little trinket shopping before we had to meet up with our guide to catch the train to the bus.

Somewhere between those pictures and getting on the bus, Flat Stanley was abducted. We never received a ransom note or heard from him again....:eek::(

OK, maybe we lost him:o

Joking aside, we had been sending pics back to Leah our grand daughter who gave him to us to travel with us (not just this trip). Quick and decisive thinking needed to occur:rolleyes:. While I would never be confused with an artist, we got some crayons from Camp Ocean and I made a new....sort of.... Flat Stanley. We sent a pic to Leah and you shall see him shortly as I discuss dinner in Cucina, when he makes his first public appearance after his spa makeover....

The rest of the trip back to the ship went without incident. Some closing points on Cinque Terra. I really enjoyed it, we had no where near enough time to enjoy it. I could easily spend 3 or 4 days here, one more place to add to the bucket list......

After getting on the ship we changed, headed up to the aft pool, caught up with the rest of our group on what they did and then got ready for dinner.

Next up dinner in Cucina del Capitano

This was a busy cruise (not looking for a lot of sympathy here...;)) so when two days prior someone from our group asked at dinner if everyone wanted to go to Cucina on Wednesday evening, I was lukewarm on going. I ended up getting talked into it. We have enjoyed Cucina every time we have gone, I just did not need another "to-do"....but we went. We ended up having a great time. There turned out to be 19 of us and they sat us at two long tables. I have to say that we got more apps delivered to our tables then we have ever experienced, I almost did not want the meal. Even the new and improved Flat Stanley came and had a great time.

....and now you know that my chosen career path is not being an artist.....:rolleyes:

On the Vista, Cucina and Jiji's are on floor 11 aft. Cucina is on the starboard side. One of our group is an amateur photographer, and had been asking the wife and I to let him take some pics of us (I shy away from being on the other side of the camera for obvious reasons). At any rate, there was a wonderful sunset going on as we were eating and he asked us to step outside so he could take a couple of pics. While the sunset was fading and not quite as nice as it had been, here is a pic he snapped us of us.

Are you going to try horizon

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Are you going to try horizon

 

 

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Absolutely

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Hoping to retire by then and either will be inaugural or TA

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