hbrote

Oosterdam - 12-May-18 - 12 day Greek Odyssey

hbrote - Hank & Trish Atlanta, Ga

Thanks for the quick replies. We want to arrive on the 23rd and would board the ship the 26th and it is the re-positioning cruise to Fort Lauderdale. Our budget for hotel for two nights should be less than the cruise cost (I hope). Our big thing is to see the 9-11 memorial and visit the statue of liberty.

We have a group of three couples sailing in 26 Oct 2017 aboard Regal Princess from Brooklyn. We would like to spend a couple of days in NYC ahead of the cruise. Can anyone suggest where to stay and which airport to fly into? Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Thanks Tom, I was wondering about this because we are booked this way and departing in a couple of weeks. Thanks for the feedback

Hank

Let me get this straight. If I board a ship in Vancouver BC and go to Seattle (Trip 1), I cannot re-board this ship for a cruise to Alaska (trip 2) ?

I think trumpets sound when you open your cabin door also.

 

We just had a suite on our Vista sailing and got extra bottles of water in our room.

Forgot about the water ....... I think mine is still on the Vista

Hey everyone,

I just booked the Fascination and am getting a suite for the first time ever! Does anyone know the perks of getting a suite? Did they change them recently? Thanks

Lets see, you get to be one of the first on the ship............ They might have included a coffee machine in a Grand Suite and above. I've only sailed Carnival in suites and can say they really don't have any perks other than a larger room and priority boarding. Enjoy your cruise .....

Thanks for sharing your info and experience with us. We are on the Oct. 27 sailing and have been anxiously awaiting any results from dry dock. :)

Thanks for the updates on the Royal Princess as we just left her on the 10th of September and are also boarding on the 27th of October. Wonderful ship in our opinion.

How many levels of inside cabins are there beyond "basic"?

Interior classes 1A, 3J, 4A,4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4J & 4K. What difference does this mater in being the "Lowest Cost Provider" ? I don't believe they advertise their 4 K prices in advertisements. I believe they are the 1A price. Once again "Low Price Provider" and what is the problem with that. This is the market they address advertisement towards. Makes my stock go up. I have never been in an inside cabin so I cannot compare any of these choices. My idea of posting a comparison was to aid some folks who are looking elsewhere. I will probably cruise of Carnival again but will add more on Princess.

Cutbacks in staff are going to sour loyal Carnival cruisers.

I agree totally with this. There is a point when you have gone to far.

This is about what I expected- when one pays more one generally receives more (or that is the expectation in any event).

Our cruise on the Vista was more expensive than Princess. Carnival's prices have been increasing overall. They will still be the low cost provider for a basic inside cabin.

Thanks for writing!

We have not tried Princess yet but may do so some day.

I probably have a totally different opinion though of Europe. To me the cities there are sooo rich with culture that I only choose to visit them on land vacations since cruising doesn't give me enough time to really explore.

I may change my mind one day but so far cruising for me does not include Europe.

We have been one three cruises in Europe and use them to find areas we would like to visit. Then we add time on to visit the cities that have interested us. Last year after we left our ship we spent four days in Venice, then took the train to Florence spending three days there and last a train into Rome for an additional day. This year we started with four days in Barcelona and finished with four days in Rome.

Next on the agenda will be returning to Greece and spending more time.

Has something changed with the Havana section? I thought there was still limited access during most of the day until 5PM unless you were booked a Havana cabin. If this is the case there is no point paying a premium to get a cabin there .

Access to the Havana Section (outside) is limited to Havana guests until 7:00 PM. It is then open up to the entire ship. If you ever watched the movie "Caddyshack" once opened to the entire ship it looks like the scene where to club pool is opened to the caddie's for the day. I can see many problems once the Vista is in the Caribbean.

Thank you for your review,

I'm also Platinum on Carnival and looking forward to booking the Vista next year. So looking forward to this cruise. You have me thinking about the Balcony Dinner. However, I'm reading the Regal balconies are small.

 

How was the size of your balcony for the dinner? Was it comfortable or a tight squeeze?

 

Thanks in advance.:)

The balcony is the same size as Carnival and they have a table made for this meal. We had no problems with feeling like we were squeezed in. Here is a picture which should give you an idea of the space.

I really hope you experience this Fantastic Deal offered by Princess.

I read with interest your comments as we just got off the Royal about a week and a half ago, and will be sailing on the Vista come December. We will have a Havana Cabana Suite in December. I have heard that once they start sailing the Caribbean itineraries, the Havana pool will be opened only to those with Havana cabins. We will see.

I hope you will come back and do a comparison of both ships. The Havana section is great and I would compare it to MSC Yacht Club. When they make its use by Havana Guests exclusive it will be fantastic. If they still open this venue up to all guests, I can foresee many, many problems based on Carnival demographics.

We just returned from a trip to Europe in which we cruised on the new “Carnival Vista” the first week and then on the “Royal Princess”, which was our first cruise on Princess Cruise Line. We have cruised many time on Carnival and our both Platinum which gives us some additional benefits such as priority boarding, wash and fold laundry, all of which we appreciated and used to the fullest.

After spending four days in Barcelona we were ready to board Carnival Vista and were at the pier about 10:30AM. We proceeded quickly through security and were escorted to the “Priority Lounge” to await boarding. This was a very easy and relaxing process as most boarding is on Carnival. At about 11:30AM we were escorted to the gangway for boarding and as we had a Havana Suite which we headed for. The lobby on the Vista does not have the same WOW factor that other Carnival ships have but that is not a big thing.

The Havana section is located on deck five which has most additional dining spots along with the Pixels Photo area. We didn't stop at any of these spots because of our excitement of our Havana Suite. We found the entry of the Havana section with little problem and went directly to our cabin.

We found the suite nice but storage, compared to an Ocean Suite was not very good. The three closets were next to the bed and made it difficult when changing. Our Bath was very nice and the shower with the “Rain Shower Head” along with the hand held shower was wonderful. Warning: Make sure to run hot water over the seat in the shower prior to sitting. I can still hear my wife's yell when she sat the first time. One other funny thing is the hair dryer is located in the desk draw next to the slider to the lani. Not very practical for use but I guess that's the only place they had to put it. I can say we never used the couch one time and did not add anything as far as I am concerned. I believe an Ocean Suite is much better in layout and if staying in the Havana section again I would choose a “Havana Cabana” over the suite. The Havana section itself was great and we did enjoy it until it was opened to the rest of the ship. When we first booked the Havana Section was going to be only for the use of Havana guests and I would hope they would return to this policy. After getting settled we went up to the lido deck for a quick bit of lunch. There were plenty of folks already here and we finally found a table. Now time for a “Funship Special”, but no servers could be found. I went to the bar and purchased two and brought them back to the table. This was a general problem all over the Vista, no servers or so very few you had to go to the bar yourself. Carnival has cut back with servers and its not a great thing if you would like a drink. We visited Guys Burgers for lunch and I ordered a burger and fries and headed back to the table. Now I know this is Europe and I have eaten many delicious burgers and fries but I left the burger with one bite out of it and the fries were terrible. Hopefully they will straighten this out once in the Caribbean. We explored the ship after this lunch and took in all the new things aboard. After the sail away we got ready for dinner and had elected to have “Anytime” dinning. We went to the dinning room and were seated almost immediately. Carnival has gone to the “American Table Menu” and we have not cared for it since the first time we had it. I had never not found something I would like for dinner but with the new menu, choices were limited and I found times when nothing even appealed to me. The service in the MDR was very slow at times and other times find but no consistency. One thing I thought was great was the addition of a bar in the dinning room. We decided to visit this bar one evening prior to eating. The hostess welcomed us and directed us to the bar but there was no bartender and after waiting fifteen minutes we left and asked for a table. I watched the bar from our table and not one bartender went behind this bar. Once again I think that Carnival has cut back here also. We tried the 555 Steakhouse and just like the rest of the fleet the food was very good. Still the help had been cut back on here and the service suffered. An example of this was the Champagne I purchased was put into a stand on the other side of the room. I thought this was strange but when my glass was empty I had to ask it be filled. Again not enough staff to provide the service. I know people will say “Oh, that table cloth thing again” but the lack of a table cloth on Elegant Night in the steakhouse was not to my liking.

So to sum up the food on Carnival, I can say it has gone down hill a bunch. The service has also gone down and is noticeable threw out the ship. This was not what I expected on a new ship and we were disappointed.

After the Vista cruise we immediately walked down the pier to board the Royal Princess.

This is our first cruise with Princess cruise lines. My mind wandered back to our first cruise on Carnival and waiting in the main hall with number six on our boarding pass. As we arrived at the terminal very early I expected to wait a long time to enter the terminal but we checked our luggage and went into the terminal with no problem. We went through check in which was very fast and were directed to zone one boarding. After about one hour we were shown to the boarding area and on the ship by 11:00 AM. Pretty good so far.... As we entered the ship in a lobby that was very impressive we were directed by crew members to the correct elevators for our cabin, which was ready for us. We booked a balcony and not a suite on Princess.

The room is comparable to a balcony on Carnival and just a bit different layout and the décor also different. After meeting our steward we headed up to the lido deck. We found a table, very easily, and were visited by a server before we sat down. Not any specialty drinks offered by what every else you would like Our order placed we went to the grill and had a burger and fries in a few short minutes. The food was excellent and served right off the grill. From here ventured into the Horizon Court Buffet. What a difference compared to Carnival. When you found a seat, a server immediately welcomed you took your beverage order. The buffet itself was so much more upscale from Carnival it was unbelievable to us. The food stations and selections were different and wonderful. So far the food was far above Carnival. We explored the ship which is very much different from the Vista. As the Vista has a much more subdued décor from other ships in the fleet it is kind of bland. Princess is very much more elegant and welcoming. After we explored and sail away was over we changed for our first dinner. After enjoying a cocktail in the Wheelhouse bar we ventured down to the Main Dinning Room. We were greeted by the maître d and shown to our table by our waiter. I can already tell there are more servers than in the Carnival MDR. We examined the menu and were impressed by the choices available. All of the food we had in the MDR were well above the food on Carnival. Presentation, and speed of service was fantastic and I can honestly say everything served was hot. Something that was not to said of Carnival. Princess has much better food in both the buffet and the MDR. One item Princess offers is the “Balcony Dinner” which is to good to be missed. As we usually visit the Steakhouse on Carnival and would have on Princess we instead chose the Balcony Dinner over the steakhouse. For $100, you will be served dinner on the balcony by two waiters. Unbelievable and very romantic is my best description. You start with a photographer visiting and taking a bunch of pictures of which you could chose one. Next you were served your choice of cocktail along with an appetizer which you chose. Next up was split of champagne served along with a salad so big it was worth mentioning. After this was the main course which was two lobster tails and a very large filet along with a vegetable melody. Wonderful..... Desert followed along with coffee and finally a tray of delectable cookies. The entire time the two waiters anticipated your every need while being far enough removed as to not bother you. If I can say anything it would be if you every cruise on Princess make sure to include a “Balcony Dinner” both you and your wife will love it.

All in all I have to say Princess is a large step up when it comes to food over Carnival. The service is well above Carnival and the entire crew is as friendly. Perhaps I am just tired of Carnival, finding some of the “Normal” things on board a little old, I'm not sure. I do find Princess a refreshing change. I find it not only better than Carnival but also Celebrity. Maybe it is just on European itineraries, I'm not sure but will find out in a few weeks as we board the Royal again.

I hope this helps some folks who are trying to decide on a different cruise line.

We just returned from a trip to Europe in which we cruised on the new “Carnival Vista” the first week and then on the “Royal Princess”, which was our first cruise on Princess Cruise Line. We have cruised many time on Carnival and our both Platinum which gives us some additional benefits such as priority boarding, wash and fold laundry, all of which we appreciated and used to the fullest.

After spending four days in Barcelona we were ready to board Carnival Vista and were at the pier about 10:30AM. We proceeded quickly through security and were escorted to the “Priority Lounge” to await boarding. This was a very easy and relaxing process as most boarding is on Carnival. At about 11:30AM we were escorted to the gangway for boarding and as we had a Havana Suite which we headed for. The lobby on the Vista does not have the same WOW factor that other Carnival ships have but that is not a big thing.

The Havana section is located on deck five which has most additional dining spots along with the Pixels Photo area. We didn't stop at any of these spots because of our excitement of our Havana Suite. We found the entry of the Havana section with little problem and went directly to our cabin.

We found the suite nice but storage, compared to an Ocean Suite was not very good. The three closets were next to the bed and made it difficult when changing. Our Bath was very nice and the shower with the “Rain Shower Head” along with the hand held shower was wonderful. Warning: Make sure to run hot water over the seat in the shower prior to sitting. I can still hear my wife's yell when she sat the first time. One other funny thing is the hair dryer is located in the desk draw next to the slider to the lani. Not very practical for use but I guess that's the only place they had to put it. I can say we never used the couch one time and did not add anything as far as I am concerned. I believe an Ocean Suite is much better in layout and if staying in the Havana section again I would choose a “Havana Cabana” over the suite. The Havana section itself was great and we did enjoy it until it was opened to the rest of the ship. When we first booked the Havana Section was going to be only for the use of Havana guests and I would hope they would return to this policy. After getting settled we went up to the lido deck for a quick bit of lunch. There were plenty of folks already here and we finally found a table. Now time for a “Funship Special”, but no servers could be found. I went to the bar and purchased two and brought them back to the table. This was a general problem all over the Vista, no servers or so very few you had to go to the bar yourself. Carnival has cut back with servers and its not a great thing if you would like a drink. We visited Guys Burgers for lunch and I ordered a burger and fries and headed back to the table. Now I know this is Europe and I have eaten many delicious burgers and fries but I left the burger with one bite out of it and the fries were terrible. Hopefully they will straighten this out once in the Caribbean. We explored the ship after this lunch and took in all the new things aboard. After the sail away we got ready for dinner and had elected to have “Anytime” dinning. We went to the dinning room and were seated almost immediately. Carnival has gone to the “American Table Menu” and we have not cared for it since the first time we had it. I had never not found something I would like for dinner but with the new menu, choices were limited and I found times when nothing even appealed to me. The service in the MDR was very slow at times and other times find but no consistency. One thing I thought was great was the addition of a bar in the dinning room. We decided to visit this bar one evening prior to eating. The hostess welcomed us and directed us to the bar but there was no bartender and after waiting fifteen minutes we left and asked for a table. I watched the bar from our table and not one bartender went behind this bar. Once again I think that Carnival has cut back here also. We tried the 555 Steakhouse and just like the rest of the fleet the food was very good. Still the help had been cut back on here and the service suffered. An example of this was the Champagne I purchased was put into a stand on the other side of the room. I thought this was strange but when my glass was empty I had to ask it be filled. Again not enough staff to provide the service. I know people will say “Oh, that table cloth thing again” but the lack of a table cloth on Elegant Night in the steakhouse was not to my liking.

So to sum up the food on Carnival, I can say it has gone down hill a bunch. The service has also gone down and is noticeable threw out the ship. This was not what I expected on a new ship and we were disappointed.

After the Vista cruise we immediately walked down the pier to board the Royal Princess.

This is our first cruise with Princess cruise lines. My mind wandered back to our first cruise on Carnival and waiting in the main hall with number six on our boarding pass. As we arrived at the terminal very early I expected to wait a long time to enter the terminal but we checked our luggage and went into the terminal with no problem. We went through check in which was very fast and were directed to zone one boarding. After about one hour we were shown to the boarding area and on the ship by 11:00 AM. Pretty good so far.... As we entered the ship in a lobby that was very impressive we were directed by crew members to the correct elevators for our cabin, which was ready for us. We booked a balcony and not a suite on Princess.

The room is comparable to a balcony on Carnival and just a bit different layout and the décor also different. After meeting our steward we headed up to the lido deck. We found a table, very easily, and were visited by a server before we sat down. Not any specialty drinks offered by what every else you would like Our order placed we went to the grill and had a burger and fries in a few short minutes. The food was excellent and served right off the grill. From here ventured into the Horizon Court Buffet. What a difference compared to Carnival. When you found a seat, a server immediately welcomed you took your beverage order. The buffet itself was so much more upscale from Carnival it was unbelievable to us. The food stations and selections were different and wonderful. So far the food was far above Carnival. We explored the ship which is very much different from the Vista. As the Vista has a much more subdued décor from other ships in the fleet it is kind of bland. Princess is very much more elegant and welcoming. After we explored and sail away was over we changed for our first dinner. After enjoying a cocktail in the Wheelhouse bar we ventured down to the Main Dinning Room. We were greeted by the maître d and shown to our table by our waiter. I can already tell there are more servers than in the Carnival MDR. We examined the menu and were impressed by the choices available. All of the food we had in the MDR were well above the food on Carnival. Presentation, and speed of service was fantastic and I can honestly say everything served was hot. Something that was not to said of Carnival. Princess has much better food in both the buffet and the MDR. One item Princess offers is the “Balcony Dinner” which is to good to be missed. As we usually visit the Steakhouse on Carnival and would have on Princess we instead chose the Balcony Dinner over the steakhouse. For $100, you will be served dinner on the balcony by two waiters. Unbelievable and very romantic is my best description. You start with a photographer visiting and taking a bunch of pictures of which you could chose one. Next you were served your choice of cocktail along with an appetizer which you chose. Next up was split of champagne served along with a salad so big it was worth mentioning. After this was the main course which was two lobster tails and a very large filet along with a vegetable melody. Wonderful..... Desert followed along with coffee and finally a tray of delectable cookies. The entire time the two waiters anticipated your every need while being far enough removed as to not bother you. If I can say anything it would be if you every cruise on Princess make sure to include a “Balcony Dinner” both you and your wife will love it.

All in all I have to say Princess is a large step up when it comes to food over Carnival. The service is well above Carnival and the entire crew is as friendly. Perhaps I am just tired of Carnival, finding some of the “Normal” things on board a little old, I'm not sure. I do find Princess a refreshing change. I find it not only better than Carnival but also Celebrity. Maybe it is just on European itineraries, I'm not sure but will find out in a few weeks as we board the Royal again.

I hope this helps some folks who are trying to decide on a different cruise line.

Note cards and pen in a round wooden case. Nice pen

hbrote, we are booked in a Havana suite for 2018, one question I have is how was the noise from the bar at night in the room? That's my only concern other than the massive crowds in the evenings...and if you have any pictures, can you please share?

Thanks!

There was no noise from the Havana Bar at all and they were playing till 11PM most nights. Hope that helps.

I just got back from Europe and we are finally catching up on some things. I really wanted to report on the Havana Section of the new Vista. We booked a Havana Suite and it was very nice but there were a few things we missed from an Ocean Suite. The layout of the Havana Suite places a place to relax with sofa and chair with “Dressing Table” next to the lani. This is where the hair dryer is located and it is not to convenient for the woman ion your life. Other than using the hair dryer and storing stuff on the desk we never used this space. The bath was great and had an awesome shower and I really loved it. There is less closet space than an Ocean Suite and all of the storage is here next to the bed. In the Ocean Suite a small dressing table with closets is adjacent to the bath and more closet next to the bed. This layout works much better. The Havana Section is G R E A T and you always were able to find a seat and was much quieter than the Lido Deck. Everything in the Havana section was fine until 7PM when it was opened to the entire ship. There were lines of people waiting to use the pool and hot tube (one was broken the entire trip). It was a little like the scene from “Caddyshack” when the pool was open for the caddies. Cannon balls in the Hot Tubs, a few drunks wondering around the lani's and it was not very enjoyable. I believe Carnival will have to address before they head to the Caribbean as I can see some major problems happening. They had already moved the time it opened to the entire ship from 5PM to 7PM but would hope they go back to the original plans where the pool area is for Havana guest only. The attention provided by the staff in the Havana Bar was fantastic.

Anyway, just my opinion.....

Arm and Hammer Toothpaste with Baking Soda

I just found a tube of this in my suitcase. Bringing it on the Vista, very good product

In the Theater...... Hope that helps

Carnival Vista in 4 weeks. I am not sure what we should be taking with us, as we have always had Formal evenings on other cruise ships. Do many men wear a Tuxedo on Elegant evenings? if not what is the norm please. Don't want to be over dressed but do want to dress nicely for dinner.

In Europe you will see more Tuxedos than in the Caribbean. We will board the Vista in a week and I just packed my dinner jacket.

I'm sailing on the transatlantic which stops in Gibraltar, Bermuda, and ends in New York so should not be subject to VAT, though Cheers is still not available to pre-purchase online.

 

JH says it should be available onboard for $49.95/day, but someone else at Carnival said no. I'm just looking for experiences of which rule is actually being applied on the ship.

No VAT tax for your package. You are not staying in the European Union.

Thank you, it is appreciated as we are staying in 5233 in a couple of weeks.