Jim Zim's Full Review: Carnival Vista 8-Day Southern Caribbean in a Havana Suite

Ron, I really appreciate what you said. Putting these reviews together literally takes weeks, but it's worth it to me because I know people enjoy them. How do I know that? People like you tell me. And those small words of thanks make we want to do a full review for every cruise I take, even though it's a lot of work. Thanks for taking the time to put in a good word!

I booked an Escape Spa Suite because of your review. Really enjoy them. I'm now contemplating Vista - for which I had swore I wasn't interested in ;p

What a fantastic review. We will be in Havana cabin 5239 in two weeks and our friends in a non Havana cabin so glad to hear about communicating with the Carnival Hub. Thank you!

You are right! My diagram has an error on it. I didn't notice that until now! Thanks! The aft cabins on decks 6&7 are Havana cabins. The ones on 8&9 are not. My mistake! Thanks for catching it.

No problemo!

Love reading your reviews!! They feed the soul of fellow cruise lovers, while providing helpful information and guidance. We won an upgrade bid on NCL's Getaway this spring to a Haven Spa Cabin and were beyond excited having viewed your video prior. Thank you for all the time you spend doing this!!

Enjoyed this review!!!

 

I do have a question about the blue iguana rum bar- those drinks are included in the cheers package correct?

 

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We just sailed the Vista 10/1 and yes the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar is included in the cheers program. We spent a lot of time there with our favorite bartenders ever, Isaias and Yohanes.

Jim- thanks for such a thorough review. It made me relive our recent trip on the Vista.

I like your idea of totally skipping the dining room and doing casual dining. I felt rushed each night to ensure we were able to get to all the events we wanted to attend. I was travelling with a friend that has Celiac's so I was nervous about doing YTD, but after seeing how they handled her allergy we would have been fine with it.

Like you had said everyone's cruise experience is different and mine on the cruise Director Schwartz is completely opposite. In all my other cruises I went in with the objective of just relaxing and never paid any attention to the CD. That was so not the case this time. From the first "I Love You" over the intercom from Schwartz I was hooked. He was so energetic and fun that we did more activities on this cruise than any before. I hope to be able to sail with him again on my favorite ship, the Breeze, when he heads back.

Thanks again for suck a great review!

Thanks for the review Jim, can't wait for more.

Here's a better look at those day beds.

There were a total of six of them in the Havana pool area.

 

 

Ahh, yes, the infamous day beds where we saw some of the most disgusting behavior during our cruise last April.

Jim Zim,

I have a couple of questions that I hope that you can answer for me. DH and I are sailing in 7450 on the Carnival Horizon in December of 2018. (Picked that cabin for quiet and privacy combination).

Where is muster held for the Havana Cabin guests?

Are there outside showers in the Havana Outside area, I didn't see any in your review?

I know this may be a strange question, but we have the Dune Buggy excursion booked for La Romana, so we will be very muddy when we get back on the ship, and the excursion reviews suggest you wear your bathing suit under old clothes, so you can throw your clothes away and "shower" off outside, so the cabin stewards will not have such a mess to clean up.

Any help is appreciated. Many thanks for your Incredible, extensive, and awesome review.

Jim Zim,

 

I have a couple of questions that I hope that you can answer for me. DH and I are sailing in 7450 on the Carnival Horizon in December of 2018. (Picked that cabin for quiet and privacy combination).

 

Where is muster held for the Havana Cabin guests?

 

Are there outside showers in the Havana Outside area, I didn't see any in your review?

I know this may be a strange question, but we have the Dune Buggy excursion booked for La Romana, so we will be very muddy when we get back on the ship, and the excursion reviews suggest you wear your bathing suit under old clothes, so you can throw your clothes away and "shower" off outside, so the cabin stewards will not have such a mess to clean up.

 

Any help is appreciated. Many thanks for your Incredible, extensive, and awesome review.

We were in 7456 and I believe assigned to muster station 'D' which is in the Horizons restaurant. We were in there, seated, for the entire muster call.

Thank you Keys2 Heave.

Thank you for another fantastic review, Jim Zim! (y)

Thanks Jim.... We are cruising on the Vista 11/18 and were able grab one of the Havana balcony cabins. Your review and pictures were so helpful and much appreciated. We feel one step ahead after reading your review and pictures of ship and layout. Looking forward to the Havana area of ship and enjoying everything else!!

Thanks Jim.... We are cruising on the Vista 11/18 and were able grab one of the Havana balcony cabins. Your review and pictures were so helpful and much appreciated. We feel one step ahead after reading your review and pictures of ship and layout. Looking forward to the Havana area of ship and enjoying everything else!!

We LOVED the Havana area. We had an aft balcony and loved how our cabins were partitioned off from the rest of the cabins. Different look and feel. The pool area was actually very quiet, never had an issue with a lounge chair or getting a drink.

Where is muster held for the Havana Cabin guests?

Are there outside showers in the Havana Outside area, I didn't see any in your review?

Our muster station was in the Horizons restaurant. I can't guarantee that every Havana cabin has that same muster station, but my guess would be that they probably do.

Yes, there are showers in the area of the Havana pool. The one I specifically remember was right next to the towel station. There might have also been a second one somewhere.

We LOVED the Havana area. We had an aft balcony and loved how our cabins were partitioned off from the rest of the cabins. Different look and feel. The pool area was actually very quiet, never had an issue with a lounge chair or getting a drink.

Thanks for the feedback.... We've cruised numerous times with kids and other family members and dealt with the crowds and lounge chair hoarding (lol). Just DW and I on this cruise so we are looking forward to a more laid back atmosphere...atleast during the day!! Being Thanksgiving week .... I am sure ship will be full and more than the average amount of children....so the Havana area will be our little retreat on the ship and I agree the balcony setup looks awesome!!

Jim, wondering if you will be writing a review on your October cruise?

TIA

Susan

Great review thank you for all the pics !

We have 7459 Aft wrap Booked for our 25th ( surprise for my wife) in May.

Can't wait to hang out in the Havana area all week.

Much appreciated.

Thanks Jim Zim so much for the shower info... We wanted to rinse off completely and de-mud before going into our cabin. Perfect, we can grab a towel right there.

Thank you for such a detailed review. We will be sailing this May in a Havana Cabana Suite and really appreciate your review and great photos. We have never cruised with Carnival before but are really looking forward to our cruise, love the idea of the Havana area and can't wait to get on board.

Thank you for your review! We live 30 minutes from the Galveston port and as soon as we found out Vista was coming to Galveston we booked a Havana balcony. We are in room 5215 and we have 6 other cabins booked in the Havana area with friends and family. We are looking forward to hanging out by the pool most days and not having all the crowds although our group tends to get a little rowdy!

Another First Rate Jim Zim review (y)

Absolutely amazing review. Thank you so much for you efforts. Made me feel like I was sailing with you. Enjoy your upcoming cruises. I love the Gem!

Jim,

Per usual, thank you for an amazing review. You are definitely my favorite cruise writer, and I do frequently read your blog. You take some of the best photos and always have detailed and well-thought-out commentary that particularly helps me, as your type of commentary is the type that I tend to look for. I have a newfound interest in sailing in a Havana stateroom on the Vista because of this review now. Thank you so much! I have a recommendation: MSC. I recently cruised MSC for my first time and I ended up LOVING it, with it easily becoming my favorite cruise to date. I know how much you love to try the different accomodations offered by the cruise lines, and with MSC, you can try staterooms with different experiences. So, each class offers different in-stateroom and ship perks that coincide with the class its in, so gettting a balcony room could be so much more if booked under a high class. The most lucrative of all of the classes is the MSC Yacht Club, which resembles that of the Haven on NCL. I would strongly recommend MSC, and if an OV cabin provided a perfect experience, I cannot even imagine what a YC experience would provide. MSC is a very good alternative to the mainstream lines, usually cheaper, and with the Seaside coming next month, will even give you the opportunity to cruise a new ship.

But, I digress. Thank you again for writing this review, happy cruising! :)

Speaking of MSC Seaside... that's my next cruise! Take a look at this video to see why I'm so excited about it, and to find out about the very special cabin we'll be staying in: