Vista, does anyone know what i got myself into?

I was on the Vista in April and I liked it just fine. I did not think it felt too crowded. We have mostly gone on Freedom class ships and their promenade deck is always wall to wall people in the evenings and I never felt that way on the Vista. Things I have read here are true, the atrium is not as big as normal but we adjusted to that. I also did not like how small the Liquid Lounge is, and the fixed seats in the balcony are WAY to close for tall people. But none of those things made us have a bad cruise. You are on a cruise! Don't let the naysayers scare you, have a great time! No two cruises are ever the same, even on the same ship.

My guess is those of us who love the Fantasy and Spirit class ships dislike the Vista and those who like the largest and newest ships love it. For me, waiting in line and being in a crowd tend to ruin my vacation and Carnival in my experience does not handle large groups in one place very well. I also love the Fargus designs. They have come to mean vacation to me. Give me the Paradise or the Pride over the Vista and the Horizon any day.

I'm not sure where you waited in line for a long time. Longest line I waited in was at Guy's and that was maybe 5 minutes tops.

To whomever said I wanted to please my friend, Yes, exactly, lol. I want her to love cruising too and want to cruise again.

We were best friends in High School and lost track of each other and I want to take up the friendship again. Id never heard of spinning tops tournaments, but she is very active in them, so I guess she is good, she sent me a little video, but she has this crazy busy schedule and we found a week and grabbed it.

Now it seems Nov 10th is something going on in Galveston. I looked on a site (I guess sayiing the name i would get into trouble still here), and it said for my date Galveston is 91% booked, and most of the hotels it showed were actually in Texas City.

Id envisioned a quiet night the night before the cruise, but i think its the motor cycle group thing weekend lol. So, we could either stay in Houston near Hobby or i can just spring for a hotel priced double or triple what it usually is. She lives in Ohio so she has never seen Galveston, so my feeling is im going to have to spring for a hotel on seawall and get over the prices. I think Motel 6 was $146 lol, and i stayed there once for about $40 and said never again. Most that are usually $100 or less, are like $200 and $300, but Ill keep looking, maybe closer in some hotel will lower the prices.

Thats my next decision and what excursions to pick, we are thinking cave tubing. My roll call has some excursion planned in Roatan with animals and a beach with a swimming pool.

So we have a lovely active roll call anyway we can join in or go on our own.

The hotel thing im still puzzling over. I can get a lovely 3 1/2 star hotel near the airport she is flying into in houston for $79 or pay over $100 for a so so on the beach on SeaWall in Galveston. ahhh, Im sure Galveston but I hate the prices.

yea i guess Im cheap. But we are booked and thats that, its final so close to the sail date, so the hotel prices are what they are, i cant believe Galveston that hotel site says 91% already booked up, has to be something else going on that weekend.

I just looked it up on galveston.com. The motorcycle thing is the weekend of 11/1-4. Your date has the Fall Flounder Classic fishing tournament. Guess that pulls in a big crowd???

I just looked it up on galveston.com. The motorcycle thing is the weekend of 11/1-4. Your date has the Fall Flounder Classic fishing tournament. Guess that pulls in a big crowd???

thanks for telling me to watch the show Flick, ill watch for it

thanks to the poster with the review in her signature, lovestocruise19 i think the name is.

The Fall Flounder Classic Fishing Tournament, man thats a mouthfull. ok thanks ill tell my roomie that hotel prices are not normal.

I was going to not book a hotel and hope for a last minute deal but got ancy last night and booked. today every site says the hotel i booked last night is now sold out, even the official Wyndam site. I hope my reserevation is good, i got a reservation #, wow, it said there was 3 rooms left at the hotel last night, now even when i click on it on the one site i found it for the night of Nov 10th, when you actually go to book it says "sold out"

lol now I found one more thing to worry about and follow up on, call the hotel later in the week to make sure my reservation is good.

A fishing tournament?? for real? I guess those guys need hotels cant sleep in their fishing boats. but wow. I only went to the hotel to click on the tab things nearby to tell my new cruise roomie and the hotel wasnt even listed on some hotel sites any more, poofed.

lol ill tell her its a fishing tournament hahahahahahhaa. i think thats hilarious. thanks for all the good info to pass on.

The Vista is about the same size as the other Conquest class ships that you have been on.....only they closed it in (Atrium) to fit more cabins, shrunk the theatre (used as a multi purpose room with moveable chairs.....yuck), no windows in or around the atrium/promenade. ;p

:confused:

The Carnival Vista is a Vista-class ship, 1055 ft long, that has 3934 guest capacity, per the Carnival website. 133,500 Gross Tonnage.

A Conquest class ship like the Carnival Conquest is 953 ft long, with 2980 guest capacity. 110,000 Gross Tonnage.

Those seem like very differently sized ships. Admittedly, the Vista class appears to be more passenger-dense than the Conquest class.

Don't worry you will love the Vista. We sailed her last October. I was worried about the size and number of passengers, but it really didn't seem different than smaller ships.

The sky ride is a lot of fun, although the line moves slowly. Definitely worth a go once.

We LOVED the cruise director (alhough I can't remember his name for the life of me). He was one of the best.

And agree with those who have said don't miss Flick. Best show ever!

Have fun and enjoy. Just got off my first RCI cruise yesterday. Didn't enjoy it as much as my Carnival cruises, but any cruise is a great cruise to me!

I like RCL because now i guess Im diamond i get mixed drinks and hot pupus free at night, though i was happy with the wine level i was on, not sure how i become higher or maybe i read it wrong and they did away with that stupidly named emerald level of loyalty.

I like that perk on RCL and the ice skating shows. and think their shows are a notch above carnivals, but i dont like some things about the food, like closing the buffet. I like to sit in the ac and read a book and they close the doors. locked until dinner. I loved Oasis enough to do it twice.

I dont like the trend toward booking things like shows in advance, Id rather be spontaneous. My PVP says I can book the comedy shows on Vista in advance, which to me means more planning.

Yea i bet the line moves slowly on that aeriel bike, if only one can ride at a time. But I really want to try it, but im sure so do a million other people. lol. I usually try and avoid lines and been known to skip the repeaters party and stuff like that, just too many people.

I just hadnt really planned on doing a cruise right now, then my friend said yes, so i said ok, ill figure it out as we go. I hope the lines for that aeriel bike thing arent too bad, is there a optimal time to go when the lines arent as bad? when is it open?

We'll be on the Vista the week before you. The same Howard Johnson was going for $300 a night that weekend, so we're staying in Texas City. We have done relatively little research into the extra stuff the Vista has that the Dream class ships do not, just to have something to surprise us when we do get onboard.

Enjoy your trip!

Galveston hotel prices are ridiculous. We stay in Houston if we fly in, or somewhere around Texas City if we drive. Quick, easy drive to port the next day.

OP

We had a great time on the Vista in May for our 40th Anniversary.

Yes it is crowded at times, but didn't hinder us in the least. Serenity was peaceful and extremely hot up there.

Enjoyed the aft pool more. It's not entirely kid free, like Serenity, however the adults took it over. Once the adults started conversing in groups the kids had nowhere to play.

Guys Burgers were very tasty , line moved fast, no extra fee. Pig and Anchor much the same.

Absolutely loved the Atrium Bar and ever changing sea theme in the "martini" glass.

MDR for the most part was very good. Have to keep in mind they are cooking for thousand(s) pax in a short period of time.

Steakhouse was excellent. As was Seaday Brunch. Some unique choices for breakfast.

Being you are an experienced cruiser, pretty sure you know everything won't be perfect, just roll with some imperfections/ minor problems.

Enjoy Your Cruise!

I dont so much have a problem paying extra for xtra good meals like the steak house, i just dont like seeing the ships going that direction.

 

Ive done the Oasis twice and hated having to book shows in advance, and never could figure out the techie things they had installed instead of actual maps of the deck. Im not real high tech. Im old.

 

My pvp mentioned oh dont worry about the lines at the comedy shows, you can get tickets in advance. Im not crazy about planning the shows and getting tickets, though i do it for the ice skating shows on RCL.

 

Luckily neither me or my friend have any health issues and the walking a larger ship will be fine she said, np.

 

I knew of at least one ship that got redone and then renamed, and I thought this might be like that and then found it was a brand new ship, things might be different places. Im used to knowing the piano bar is at the end of deck 5 on carnival etc.

 

I wanted to show my friend a good time and now we both will be finding our way around, but probably its not that much different. She was already talking about getting on the treadmill so i dont think all the walking of a bigger ship will bother either of us.

 

Just kinda surprised to find out I booked a brand new ship, and I didnt have time really to think about it. I know she has a crazy busy schedule.

 

reading the comments above, some love it and some hate it. lol. Im seeing both extremes reaction to this ship.

 

Going to belize, im thinking of looking for a private excursion to do cave tubing. Must be the motor cycle convention in galveston or something the hotel prices are totally crazy.

 

just all the sudden im like omg what have i done after i saw even cheap hotels that i wouldnt book over $100 a night. But i want us to stay on the beach, Ill find something. Im calmer now,

 

thanks everyone. Surely it wouldnt be that different like Oasis was.

There aren't tickets to any show. For whatever reason, people start lining up for the shows 30 minutes early so others join in line. Lines begat lines. I walked in 5 minutes before every show and got a seat or was able to stand to see the show.

There aren't tickets to any show. For whatever reason, people start lining up for the shows 30 minutes early so others join in line. Lines begat lines. I walked in 5 minutes before every show and got a seat or was able to stand to see the show.

sounds like a good plan. On Oasis i found out that if i waited until the last minute at 10 after the hour if there were no shows, they let me in without having to do the whole ticket thing.

Not sure why my PVP said there are tickets you can get for the comedy shows.

my friend said she likes magic shows. Were there any on vista?

I just read the first page of the thread about what I learned on my last cruise. 3 posters said they learned that Vista was their least favorite ship.

Im scared and pretty much decided not to tel my newbie cruise roomie about cruisecritic. I cant see anything to be gained by her reading how many people seem to hate this ship. I certainly always go with a open mind, and i dont want her to read post after post of bigger isnt always better, i hated the vista, my least favorite ship. i havent read the next 2 pages of that page .. but scared to tell her to join this site tbh. poisen her mind against the cruise.

On one of our trips, I want to say Magic, they did have tickets for Comedy. They would have you go into the night club and give you basically a group number and a line number (almost like southwest airlines boarding), then when they were ready to seat you they took you through a side door and into the comedy lounge. It was on the Breeze or Magic or Valor, but I can't remember which one.

i just talked to my pvp and she said dont listen to the debbie downers on cruisecritic, she has known me a long time and booked pretty much every one of my carnival cruises, 161 days to date, she is sure ill love it. Quit worrying

 

and thanks for the utube video, awesome. Im feeling better about this.

RELAX already------you are way way way too uptight !!! C H I L L

sounds like a good plan. On Oasis i found out that if i waited until the last minute at 10 after the hour if there were no shows, they let me in without having to do the whole ticket thing.

 

Not sure why my PVP said there are tickets you can get for the comedy shows.

 

my friend said she likes magic shows. Were there any on vista?

 

I just read the first page of the thread about what I learned on my last cruise. 3 posters said they learned that Vista was their least favorite ship.

 

Im scared and pretty much decided not to tel my newbie cruise roomie about cruisecritic. I cant see anything to be gained by her reading how many people seem to hate this ship. I certainly always go with a open mind, and i dont want her to read post after post of bigger isnt always better, i hated the vista, my least favorite ship. i havent read the next 2 pages of that page .. but scared to tell her to join this site tbh. poisen her mind against the cruise.

The only part on the Vista I disliked was the loss of the open windows along the promenade walkway. The Havana area open to everyone is beautiful, the additional breakfast/lunch area outside the Havana area is a great place for continental breakfast and a light lunch until everyone else finds it and having the Alchemy Bar front and center is awesome. Get to the Skyride 15 minutes before it opens. The Library Bar is cool and the extended Cherry on Top is great.

RELAX already------you are way way way too uptight !!! C H I L L

Maybe you are male? The worst thing you can tell a female is chill. Always pisses me off. So condescending.

Males say this to women too often not seeming to realize it has the opposite effect and shows they arent very good about people skills. grrrr.

a sure way to piss me off anyway, for sure.

Let me have my excitement of learning about a new ship. I am how I am. I dont need someone telling me how to act or react. This type of comment is why i leave CC for long periods of time.

I LOVED Vista ! I would go for the Havana area it’s amazing. !

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I know you will have a blast. Hotels, try Texas city, Kemah or even near hobby. If you get in early enough, you can spend the evening in Galveston and drive or Uber back to your hotel. If not, you could check out early and go up to Galveston and watch your ship come in. A lot depends on whether you will rent a car or not. I think it is a bikers convention, we cruised in November 2016 and the convention was in full effect. Enjoy the Vista, and you have a great chance of no lines for the sky ride if you go when the ship is in port.

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Im scared and pretty much decided not to tel my newbie cruise roomie about cruisecritic. I cant see anything to be gained by her reading how many people seem to hate this ship. I certainly always go with a open mind, and i dont want her to read post after post of bigger isnt always better, i hated the vista, my least favorite ship. i havent read the next 2 pages of that page .. but scared to tell her to join this site tbh. poisen her mind against the cruise.

Maybe you are male? The worst thing you can tell a female is chill. Always pisses me off. So condescending.

 

Males say this to women too often not seeming to realize it has the opposite effect and shows they arent very good about people skills. grrrr.

 

a sure way to piss me off anyway, for sure.

 

Let me have my excitement of learning about a new ship. I am how I am. I dont need someone telling me how to act or react. This type of comment is why i leave CC for long periods of time.

Here's my two cents, if you're interested. I have been on 19 Carnival cruises, including every Class type afloat. Just got off of the Vista's sister ship, the Horizon. The only problems were the upper level of the Liquid Lounge and the 1100 kids on board and that was easily resolved since I had the forethought to do my research and I had booked an inside Havana cabin. If kids bother you, go up to the Serenity area up on deck 15. Jiji's asian is the best value for dinner @ 15 pp and the tomahawk pork chop at Cucina del Capitano is also very good. Have a great cruise.

You will like the Vista. Look up on You tube.

Make sure to see one movie in Imax. Very nice and comfy and worth money. They have simulator theatre too.

At the pool there is a middle deck area under cover and relaxing. Lots of people watch movies at night under stars. They are different than Imax.

Guys burgers are good.

The Vista has more seating in buffet area than most ships. Yes you line up but is worth it. Make sure you look for the wonderful 4 layer cakes at lunch time in buffet area towards the back.

Shows are good and DO get to showroom on time.

The Carnival Quest game is more risque than RCI version and bit confusing too.

Enjoy the waterfront in afternoon for quiet times.

You mentioned that you were concerned about free/included dining venues. For lunch, the Vista has among the most free/included choices of any ship at sea:

-- Carnival Deli

-- Jiji's Asian Kitchen (free Mongolian stir-fry made to order for lunch)

-- Cucina del Capitano (free pasta bar made to order for lunch)

-- Guy's Burger Joint, acknowledged even by CruiseCritic as the best free burger at sea (and a great toppings bar too)

-- Blue Iguana Cantina, burritos and tacos made fresh to order...also has a great toppings bar

-- Guy's Pig And Anchor BBQ, on the nice outdoor lanai on Deck 5 (open on embark day and sea days)

-- Ocean Plaza Cafe, also on Deck 5, which has a smaller version of the buffet free for lunch (and other items at various times)

-- Fresh Creations, a salad bar in the Serenity area (also open on embark and on sea days)

-- Lido Deck buffet, which is always crowded on embark day (as on any ship). See above for Jiji's and the Cucinia

-- Pizzeria del Capitano, 24 hour pizza

-- Sea-day brunch in the Main Dining Room (highly recommended; love the steak and eggs)

Lots of free/included choices there.

BTW, we really liked the open-air lanai on Deck 5. It reconnects you with the ocean in a way that the Promenade or interior Boardwalk and Central Park DON'T do on Royal's larger ships.