Rock Chalk Jayhawk

Our family of 16 cruised on the Vista in May. This was either the first or second cruise for all of us, so we're not seasoned cruisers, but we all had a great time. My absolute favorite part was the Havana area! My boyfriend and I booked a Havana Cabana and we were in the pool/hot tub every single night after dinner and had them to ourselves. The rest of the family opted for other rooms. 

On 6/29/2023 at 4:37 PM, Eli_6 said:

Thank you to everyone who posted a response on this thread. I was really torn on whether to book one of these two exact tours because of the long bus ride, but this thread made me do it!  Can't wait!

We went to Lamanai on May 24th and thought it was a great tour. It was definitely  a long day though. The last tender back to the ship was supposed to be at 3:15, and our bus arrived back to the port at 3:10 (and there were a few hundred people in line for the tender). 

On 6/2/2023 at 8:11 AM, Haljo1935 said:

I can't comment on the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion as our visit to TAF was canceled due to ice, but I would jump on it if it was available. I understand they sell out quickly. 

As for doing a 2nd excursion same day in Juneau, you would likely have time if you find a late day start, which there usually are. The Mt Roberts Tramway runs all day, so you would be able to go up there and enjoy the view and hiking trails. There are also evening whale watching excursions.

If you can grab a rental for the evening (we've gotten one for earlier in the day & don't know if they're available for later or not) you can venture out on your own - there is a lot to see. The rental pick up is very close to the pier.

Enjoy your cruise!

When was your cruise? We will be cruising next May and I'm trying to decide between Tracy Arm Fjord excursion or whale watching in Juneau. I've already booked whale watching with Jayleen's, but it sounds like in May we might not see the quantity of whales I would like. So it makes me want to book Tracy Arm, but I don't want to book it if it's likely to be canceled due to ice!

On 5/9/2023 at 1:42 AM, Drdarkknight said:

I can’t believe it is our last port today. Because Ketchikan looked like a good town to explore independently, we chose to not book an excursion here. We slept in a bit, until 9:30, and headed to breakfast at the International Cafe. 

 

We hopped off the ship and immediately headed towards Creek Street. We absolutely loved it as soon as we got there. We took a thousand photos and found the last of our souvenirs. I spotted a really nice patio that seemed to belong to a bar so we went in for an early morning pint. It turns out the bar is owned by a group called the ‘Eagles’ and if we wanted to drink we had to become ‘Eagles for the Day’, and the proceeds go to charity. We were happy to oblige and took our pints out to patio right along the creek side. While we drank a couple different members approached us and struck up conversation. They were so friendly! 

 

We continued our walk along Creek Street. I really enjoyed the various plaques describing their uses. I was surprised by the amount of history surrounding women and people of colour. We next decided to walk closer to the ship and find a place for lunch. That would turn out to be 108 Taphouse, a burger bar. It was small and busy! Always the sign of a good spot. They were out of a few items we wanted to try, unfortunately (elk burgers and the charcuterie board) but they still made a mean burger. Huge portion sizes. 

 

We had some time to kill so we wandered up the street and found a place called Uncharted Distillery, located in an old fire station. The lady working was so nice. I tried the Lavender Lemondrop and my husband had the Fire Station. I wish I’d gotten the Fire Station. If you like spicy drinks it’s a real winner. 

 

We next headed back down towards the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. We weren’t doing an excursion but had bought tickets independently. The line was massive but I was surprised how spacious it was inside. There was plenty of room for everyone and a lot of extra space. The show was really well done. I enjoyed it, especially the climbing and water events. My husband absolutely loved it. We had only decided a few weeks ago to buy tickets and that was the right call. 

 

We went across the car park to Fat Stan’s for our last Alaskan beer. We returned to the ship and got ready for dinner. I’m sure you’ll all be shocked to hear we went to Vines. Dinner was at Santa Fe at 5pm and I had the vol au vent, beef carpaccio, spaghetti carbonara and goat cheese soufflé. 

 

After dinner we went to the Wheelhouse Bar to watch a set by Allure Strings as we sailed away from Alaska for the final time. She is so talented I definitely want to catch her one more time tomorrow. We next went to the Princess Theatre for another show by Tricia Kelly. She was as talented as always and I can’t believe we had two different female performers on this cruise sing Bohemian Rhapsody. I also loved how in the lead up to the performance they played her performance on Don’t Forget the Lyrics. I wish they’d do similar videos before the performances more often. I’ve met her twice by now: once in Sitka and once outside the theatre last night and she’s so friendly. 

 

Then it was back to Vines for the Love Boat party. One of the cruise director staff asked if my husband and I would participate but we declined. I felt it was ‘greedy’ since we’d already participated in the Marriage Match game show. Spread the love. Since all six couples ended up being new I stand by that decision. It was a fun show combining game show activities with the Sapphire Princess Singers & Dancers and live music from Topaz. Probably my favourite Piazza party and probably the busiest as well. 

 

We left a few minutes early to head to Explorers Lounge for Big Screen Bingo. We had no idea what that meant but I can’t say no to free bingo. As it turned out, it was about movies. Totally in my wheelhouse! We had a great time and I won the third round, along with two others! 

 

As we approach our final day I’m definitely feeling the post-cruise blues. I’m excited for tomorrow but also wish I could do this for another eleven days. 

I've enjoyed following your review (although I must say this is the first time I've seen multiple people hijack someone else's review with their own). I'm booked on this ship next May, although a different itinerary. I am pleased to know that you enjoyed exploring Ketchikan on your own. This is the one port that I was having trouble with because nothing jumps out to me. I kind of figured we would just explore town on our own as well. 

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

You can talk to the Dreams Studio people when you get onboard. They can set up a special sitting for you.

 

The great thing about this is there are no sitting fees. You just pay for the photos you buy.

I thought about doing this, but I’m very skeptical as I’ve heard the prices are outrageous. I know people are usually pleased with Dreams Studio and say it’s worth it, but I do not have upwards of $1k just to spend on photos. My hope was the Pixel people would be able to get some shots of our entire group and we could just purchase a few that turn out. Our group of 16 includes a three-year-old and one-year-old twins. So it could be interesting!

On 2/2/2023 at 12:07 PM, asalligo said:

We love the pictures, but there are no real packages anymore. buying many pics is about the same price per pic as one now. We also did a group picture last month on the Pride. 

Did you have to make an appointment for the group picture? Our family cruises next month and they want to do a family photo (16 of us). All of the packages state that they do not include groups over 10 and we would need to make an appointment. I plan to purchase a few digital images of my favorites of my boyfriend and I, but I need to figure out the group photo as well. 

On 3/13/2023 at 7:43 PM, DavidsNana said:

We were just at Lamanai on March 1st.  I agree with ABQrobin no way 7 miles.  The boat ride to the ruins is a hoot.  It is a very large very fast speed boat, 4 large engines in the back.  Lots of fun but not going to see wildlife except for a few white birds.  When you get to the ruins, there are quite a few concrete steps to get to the part where you walk over the uneven dirt trail with roots and rocks.  The concrete steps are not straight up but slopping.  It is not a fast paced walk as the guide stopped to point out things to us.  When we got to the first pyramid, Jaguar pyramid, there was a large grassy area that the guide stopped and gave a talk about.  We then walked farther to the pyramid of the masks on the same kind of trail.  We were then told that if we did not want to continue to the 3rd one which could be climbed we could go back the way we came to the river area with bathrooms and I think there was a museum but we did not have time to go in so I'm not sure about it.  My son, his girlfriend and I continued on to the third pyramid which was about another 6 minute walk.  I'm 75 and I had no problem with the walk.  However, I have fibromyalgia which effects the muscles in my thighs and while I have no problems with regular stairs, I do have trouble with the really high ones.  I was only able to climb up to the first level of the 3rd pyramid with a hand from my son on the first 3 steps.  It was hot but if you stayed in the shade, it was tolerable.  There was one older couple (I am guessing but I think they might have been in their 80's) decided to stop at the first pyramid and go back to the area where the buildings were.  I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion except for the bus ride.  I didn't mind the length of it but the microphone on our bus kept cutting out and so we only heard about 1/3 of the commentary of the guide on the way to the boat area.  The lunch was tasty and everything was very clean. Somewhere on here  ABQrobin has videos, I think on Youtube, of their travels.  Take a look at them.  They are fabulous.  She gives lots of great info.  I think she has one on Lamanai. Hope this helps anyone thinking about this excursion.

Thank you for your recent first-hand report! We have this excursion booked in May!

On 2/26/2023 at 7:44 AM, lifes-a-beach said:

Finally remembered to pass this on.  The Lamanai trip my son took was good.  Their words were that it would be easy to turn an ankle and there was lots of walking but otherwise it was good.  They didn’t encounter mosquitos at all.  

Thank you for the update. 

Forgive the naive question, but do PVPs only get commission on cruises that they book? What about excursions and add-ons? I'm new to cruising (cruised once in 2014 and have my second cruise coming up in May). I booked both cruises myself. I did not know that I had a PVP, until recently when I was looking at an email from Carnival and it had her name listed. I realized this after I booked our upcoming cruise. So if I do any add-ons through her, will she get credit? Or not since I didn't book the actual cruise through her?

15 hours ago, lifes-a-beach said:

I climbed the face of a couple of the temples, which I understand is off limits now, and probably rightly so.  You be the judge, but if you get around well and can pace yourselves, it's definitely worth the sweat.  And in case you haven't seen this suggestion, bring Deep Woods Off wipes.  The spray just goes everywhere.  The wipes are the way to go.

 

Edit:  If you're not going as soon as next week, my son and his girl are and I'll report back how it went.  I'll also ask him for a step count. 

Oh shoot - I didn't realize climbing was off limits now. Wonder if that is the same at X? Good tip about the wipes. 

I'm having the same issue as you. Our cruise isn't until May 2024, so obviously I can't see the excursions offered on our ship. However, I've just been researching so I can have an idea of what we might want to do  - and come up with how much we need to budget. I'm having a hard time with this port. My boyfriend would like to go fishing, but I don't fish so I'm not paying that kind of money to ride on the boat. We do enjoy kayaking, but I'm wondering if it will be too cold in May! I have a lot of time to research, but this might be a port that we just explore on our own and not pay any money for an excursion. 

On 12/30/2022 at 4:03 PM, AHS123 said:

It really is good, isn't it? So many of the cheesecake dessert items served in the lido these days have gelatin added so the food cost is reduced by using less cream cheese and using gelatin for body.

The cheesecake used in this cake has not been diluted with gelatin. This cake, and the cheesecake served in the steakhouses, seem to be the only exceptions to the gelatin added desserts so common now on Carnival.

I agree it would be nice to have the Funfetti cake offered more than just the first day. I'll go so far to say it should be included on the dessert menu for an elegant night in the MDR!

Thank you for posting this!! My boyfriend loves cheesecake and will be looking for this on the Vista in May!

9 hours ago, doppelganger2621 said:

We just a booked a cabana here during our port stop in Cozumel in a couple weeks: https://thecabanabeach.com/

 

Recommendation came from another cruiser who had booked but never been here. Reviews online look absolutely amazing. Has anyone been here before? Comments on experience?

I haven't been there yet, but I did learn of The Cabana Beach on here and it looks absolutely fabulous! I have a cabana booked for our cruise next year! I look forward to hearing what you think about it!

Thank you so much for your reply! I was all set to book Xunantunich, but now I’m having second thoughts. I think the ruins would be awesome, and the hand cranked ferry would be neat. However, not thrilled about a two hour bus ride. I’m sure I can’t go wrong with Lamanai anyway!

We'll be on the Carnival Vista in May 2023 and will visit Belize. We would like to go see Mayan ruins, but I'm having a hard time deciding between Lamanai or Xunantunich. Our time in Belize will be from 8a-5p. The excursion "Lamanai: Majestic Ceremonial Ruins & River Cruise" appears to be a 6 hour tour with three departure times listed. The "Xunantunich Mayan Ruins with Lunch" says it is a 7 hour tour with only one departure time listed. Both tours look interesting. 

For reference, we're 40-somthing folks who can handle adventurous things and walking distances if needed. 

If anyone has done one (or both), I'd love to have your input. Bonus if you have a link to a review that you can post! Thanks in advance!

2 hours ago, LaRue1975 said:

My Vista cruise is in April 2023, I have been checking a couple of times a day for the cabanas in Mahogany Bay. I have heard they show up about a year in advance so I’ll keep checking and book one as soon as they do. 

Good to know! I’ll definitely start checking a few times a day as well. Thanks!

On 4/15/2022 at 9:46 PM, adoptivemommy said:

I can see them for march 2023 if that helps any! 🙂

I was actually wondering the same thing as the OP, but my cruise is in May 2023. I do not see them available yet. Hopefully soon!

43 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

All good ideas so far.  Here are my suggestions:

 

Cozumel - taxis to Paradise Beach - great food and drinks, lovely, shallow pool, with a nice beach and toys for the more active types.  Way cheaper than Nachi Cocum, which is more laid back than Paradise Beach.  You can check out both websites.  And if the beach/pool idea is not what some of your group is looking for, they can taxi to downtown and shop, eat and drink.  It is very safe and everyone speaks English (some better than others). 

 

Belize - while I loved cave tubing, it is far from the port, on very bumpy roads and may not be suitable for all age groups.  We trekked about 30 minutes in the rain forest, carrying our intertubes, before the jumping in point. Check out snorkeling the Barrier Reef.  Second largest in the world and very easy to do from the port (you take a tender over to the port).  If you have some who don't want to snorkel, the private vendors offer some where you snorkel for a bit (others can stay in the boat) then are dropped off at an island nearby.  That was a ton of fun, too. 

 

Mahogany Bay - it is tempting to just stay at the port.  Maybe rent a cabana to be headquarters for your group.  This is a Carnival excursion.  Or book a private van tour to explore the island.  

 

Enjoy researching - and let us know if you have any more questions.  

 

The private cabana at Mahogany Bay is kind of what made me post my question to begin with. I see them listed on Carnival’s website when I explore excursions at Mahogany Bay port of call. However, they are not currently listed as an option when I look at the shore excursions offered on our specific cruise. 

1 hour ago, Joe817 said:

Howdy! We did this exact same itinerary on the Vista at the end of last August. IIRC, that' about all the choice we had when we booked, and it didn't change much...if at all. We did the beach at Mahogany Bay right at the cruise port. Beautiful beach, but we found it rather difficult to get out of the water and onto the beach. It's really steep right at water's edge, but levels off rather quickly. Loved the food they served there. The bar was great. We'd do that again in a heartbeat.

 

For Belize, wife stayed on the ship and made it a port day. I took the Altan Ha Mayan ruins and really enjoyed it, even though it rained on and off the entire time I was there. It included a real Belizean lunch afterwards. Very good.  After the tour bus let us at the port area, I discovered the Wet Lizard Bar & Grill, and I have to say that was the highlight of my cruise. I loved it.

 https://www.facebook.com/the.wet.lizard/

 

In Cozumel, we booked a day at Nachi Cocum. beautiful all inclusive beach club. Food was great, and they gave you lots of it. And the drinks were incredible. It was not a Carnival excursion. 

https://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate the recommendations! I was thinking the ruins in Belize sounds fun. I know it will be a lot of traveling, but not sure when I’ll have the opportunity again!

56 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

I would expect more to be added.  But with that large of a group, you could arrange private excursions and save everyone a lot of more and probably have more fun. 

Thanks for the reply. There are 16 in the family going on the cruise, but everyone is free to do as they wish on excursions. This should allow for us all to book excursions that individuals are interested in. My boyfriend’s siblings all have kids so they’re interests will definitely be different than ours. 

I have really enjoyed reading your review! I am tentatively planning a cruise in 2021....I feel like it will take me that long to save up enough money to do it how I want to do it (in case it truly is a once in a lifetime experience). I want to spend a few days on land first, and then cruise South. That way, we would have a shorter flight on the way home (plus, I think I might have more energy for the land portion at the beginning of the trip.

I'm nervous about a cruise in the open water vs. just the Inside Passage due to seasickness. We've only cruised once, and it was a shorter cruise (five nights, I believe) but we missed one of the port days because the seas were too rough to tender. So we spent the day in our aft balcony cabin - pretty much in bed hoping we could sleep through it.

We have been to Alaska once, but our trip was completely centered around the Iditarod. We were there for the start of the race and actually volunteered to help and were paired with a specific musher. Our four days there were completely spent in Anchorage (and then Willow, for the restart).

I've been talking about going on a cruise to Alaska for years. It's time to make it happen. I'm not exactly sure when itineraries for 2021 will be announced, but that's when I'm shooting for. Plus, that will be our 20 years together....not married, just shacking up, haha.

Loving your review! I am tentatively planning a cruise in 2021....I think it will take me that long to save up enough money to do a land tour as well as the cruise. I want to do all of my must-do's in one trip in case this truly is a once in a lifetime experience. It's fun to read reviews for new ideas, tips, etc. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

I almost forgot that I'm doing the single digit dance:p

Me, too!! Can't wait as this is my first cruise!! Have a great cruise!

Thanks for your report on Crystal Seas! In just under one month, we will be aboard our first cruise!! Our final stop is in Grand Turk, and after much research, I decided to book a snorkel tour with Crystal Seas. Was a little nervous at first to book independently rather than with Carnival. Looking forward to our time at Grand Turk!