Vista, does anyone know what i got myself into?

I went to Cleveland to a HS reunion and got to talking to a old friend and she indicated a interest in cruising with me. I said I cruise solo, all you would have to do is fly in and pay the extra taxes and tips. Very busy schedule, but we finally decided on a date, and she liked the idea of a new ship. I called up my PVP and booked a cabin ... and just got started looking at the ship.

Are there a lot of areas that are private according to where you booked? I see for $10 pp Family Harbor, which includes a family room, is this for kids mostly or worth anything> the next choice for $57 pp i can book a Havanna Room which includes another pool the rest dont get to use?

Im trying to find what food venues, and found Guys and JiJis or some asian name which might be a pay venue, havent found any others, must be more food venues, anyone know what other free food is offered besides pizza and the buffet?

I looked for reviews and see its hasnt even yet gone out of Galveston. Are a lot of food venues pay for on this ship? and two private areas of rooms?

I looked for a picture of the aerial bike but didnt see it and there is some 3D movie also for pay. Seems like a lot of pay venues? Im taking a girl who has only been on one cruise before, I hope she likes this ship. I hope I like it...anyone have any good links? lol maybe I should have looked at the ship more, just thought oh a new ship great, lets book it.

Id appreciate any tips and links and pictures anyone has to share.

Then I looked at Galveston hotels and went whooo wheee, have they gone up. like $139 for Howard Johnsons which is kind of a dump.

Going to have to make the best of this, my friend already booked her airfare. help please. I know nothing about this ship.

I went on the Vista with my family for the ignaural sail into New York.. it was an amazing experience ..

There are a lot options and it is easy to get overwhelmed, I would recommend looking at your sail date roll call as you might meet some like minded people who have ideas on what they are doing when on board.

The sky ride my sister did and she really enjoyed it and it is free highly recommend that

As for food ... there is an Italian speciality, a steak house and an sushi restaurant which you pay extra for .. of all I would highly recommend the steak house and on the first night because they usually have a deal on for like a bottle of wine for first night at the steak house

There are tonnes of free food options .. of an afternoon the Italian restaurant serves up customised pasta dishes and the there's is also the Thai specialty restaurant which cooks customised noodle dishes for free of an afternoon .. there is a 24 hour pizza place, there is movie under the stars with free popcorn and the movie is free unlike the 4d theatre.. but I have been told it is a wonderful experience we just didn't get chance to do everything

There is a free BBQ of a sea day .... you also have the lido which has a range of lovely free of charge options.. 24 hour soft serve ... guys burgers, you can get burritos or tacos,.. a deli making sandwiches room service is free up to 10pm and there are some items on the menu which have a fee but for $5 the chicken tenders are so worth it

Food is also served st the Havana bar and this is free as well as the taste bar which of an evening serves sampler items from the various restaurants onboard during an afternoon it also has a small selection of food for free

There is also toon of a sea day to have breakfast in the main dining room or have high tea and then the last sea day the chocolate buffet.. which I avoid at all costs but everyone else seems to enjoy and that is free

I enjoyed this ship I would say the adults only area is wonderful and if you can get a spot there during sea days as there is limited seating in the sun there is s middle deck which is completely shaded by a deck directly above unless you don't like the sun this deck to me is useless

One thing I missed was the atrium elevators but the atrium bar has an amazing LCD screen with different screen savers on it that move .. under the sea, interesting patterns .. very cool

If you like going to production or comedy shows, plan on getting to the shows up to 45 minutes before they start. The show lounges on Vista are not very big, especially for the number of passengers on the ship. Vista has some nice features, but I will never understand why they built Vista class ships with lounges smaller than Fantasy class ships.

If you like going to production or comedy shows, plan on getting to the shows up to 45 minutes before they start. The show lounges on Vista are not very big, especially for the number of passengers on the ship. Vista has some nice features, but I will never understand why they built Vista class ships with lounges smaller than Fantasy class ships.

They make money on cabins and spend money on shows.

I do not like the Vista, too many people on the ship even though it is larger, the design is terrible and as you pointed out, so much to pay for once you are on the ship. The atrium is shrunken to just a few floors and the buffet looks like a hospital cafeteria.

That said, there are no bad cruises, just less awesome cruises. I would have chosen a different ship, but you should still have a great time.

LOL you guys arent making me feel better about my choice tbh. We might have enjoyed Freedom more, but I kinda gave the choices to my friend. She cruised Disney once about 25 years ago is her only cruising experience. I shot down RCL for the few weeks she had free coming up, so I felt if she wanted the new Carnival ship, Id book it.

It was even a little more expensive than Freedom. I did Freedom last Dec though, and knew nothing about Vista. Its hard not to wonder if I made a mistake.

To the guy who posted he did this ship out of NY, did you by chance get a pictur of the sky ride, my PVP called it a aeriel bike.

TBH like I said I just called my PVP and she was like oh yes its a great new ship and booked me. I didnt really do that mock booking and see that there seems to be segregated areas for booking rooms that arent available to everyone else like that Harbor lounge. It leaves me feeling like Cunard where you have to pay extra to eat with the people who spend more. Then add in Havanna Rooms.

I was all excited to get a port hole, which will be larger than normal and can see out at this late date (we sail within 90 days). Now my excitement is somewhat abated. Im sure we wouldnt starve.

I hope we can do the sky ride thingee, still havent seen or know what exactly it is. RCL might have been a better choice but the few weeks in the near future prices were out the kazaoo and the cheaper dates she didnt have free. Even on Vista, i first picked around thanksgiving and she said flights from Ohio were $400 one way vs the usual $100. so another date ruled out. Thats how we arrived at a weekend there was Freedom and for another $60 to $80 i forget was the new Vista, and she said lets do Vista.

So there werent the usual shows in the theater on this ship, there is a 3D movie? I was a little confused by the above post. I have to call my pvp today and nail down a few things like choosing a dining time or anytime. Im thinking going with 6 pm so we have table mates to visit with.

WOW, different strokes for different folks. Surprised that you were so willing to part with $$$$ without researching.

Any cruise is better than time on land, so go with the thoughts that you are going to have a great time.

Your PVP was correct in her description of the sky ride. It's actually just like a bike(for one) only with a bigger stabilized frame. You do indeed pedal it, and you're out over open water for a bit. Lol THAT part scares a lot of pax and I cannot figure out WHY. If it was to fall(IT WON'T) I'd rather hit water than hard deck... Anyway, it's truly a blast and I think you will both enjoy it!

sn: best to YouTube "Carnival Vista Sky Ride" and that way you'll be able to see it yourself... Have a great time on your cruise! No matter WHAT some naysayers say, ANY cruise is a great one. And as in life, you get out of it what you put into it.

[emoji924]️ Cruisin Trkrs [emoji597]

The Vista was my 11th Carnival ship (soon to be 14) and is hands down my favorite ship. There is plenty to do and we didn't find it any more crowded than other ships we've been on. More people, yes...it's also a larger ship. I'll admit to being nervous before we sailed because of the negative reviews, but we didn't encounter any of the "repeat offender" complaints. Go in with an open mind and you could be as surprised as we were!

I do not like the Vista, too many people on the ship even though it is larger, the design is terrible and as you pointed out, so much to pay for once you are on the ship. The atrium is shrunken to just a few floors and the buffet looks like a hospital cafeteria.

 

That said, there are no bad cruises, just less awesome cruises. I would have chosen a different ship, but you should still have a great time.

I couldn't disagree more.

The Vista was easy to get around, there are lots of places to eat that are not an upcharge, there are plenty of spots to find a quiet place to relax, the atrium's usable space is not much different than ships that have the elevators in the atrium, and the decor all around the ship is much more modern than a typical Carnival ship. It is far from cafeteria like.

The only real complaint I had was the Liquid Lounge has a poor setup.

Here is a video of the Sky Ride. You are never actually over open water but you are close to the edge of the deck.

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.

Go for the Havana room! I wish I had one when I went on my cruise on the Vista in April. I didn’t think it was worth the price difference of say the Freedom without a Havana room. But idk what ur price dif was but mine was about $300 a person. It isn’t a bad ship you will enjoy your cruise. Try Blue Iguana tacos at lunch, free and very tasty! They don’t post it but you can request steak on them from burrito side [emoji6] I agree on the specialty Italian dinner was well worth the$15 a person (before tip).

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Havanna room is $57 pp (so X 2) difference in price, but I also like the cabin we got.

I dont like Italian, but Ill suggest it to my friend. Hopefully, i find things i like, but i dont like pasta, but she might, thanks

To the poster above why didnt i research more, like i said I drove from TX to cleveland for a HS reunion to see old friends, and happened to email this girl 2 nights ago who has a really busy schedule and she said sure, but she couldnt do this or that date, and this date worked out, so I said sure. I gave her a bunch of dates of RCL, Freedome and Vista and this is what we landed on, and with her schedule it seemed better to just say sure, lets figure it out as we go and book and lock up the time on your calendar. I apologize for not knowing a single thing about Visat and havent cruised since last Dec and havent kept up with the world of cruising like I used to do.

when i got her phone call 2 nights ago saying sure she would try it, I pulled up all the dates close in and started to give her options yesterday and this is what she picked, so i said yes. Ill like any cruise, but I want her to love cruising too so i have a cruise buddy and not just doing solo cruises. (though she lives all the way in Ohio which makes it harder).

Hi Firefly.....happy to see you around, haven't seen much of you in recent times (where you been?). 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. Sorry, Firefly, but this was the worst CCL ship we have been on....so so crowded (and rather cheap and ugly too). Our saving grace when on the Vista was the CD, Matt Mitchum, who was by far the VERY BEST CD on any ship on any cruise line....and he was so very interactive that even pax (like us) who typically don't even know who the CD is, were "pulled" into his 'action'.....he salvaged our Vista cruise which was otherwise not good!! Your friend, being lesser experienced with cruising will probably find it just fine (but will be curious about your opinion when you return - as you have much to compare the Vista to in all catagories ??). ;p

I started to do pretend booking on the carnival site late last night about 2 am, because I seemed to remember hearing there was a $50 obc sale. lol. well i also found that option, for $25 more pp X 2 of us to get the $50 obc, well no obc except stockholders lol.

i went looking to see if we should be getting obc as advertised in the sale and thats when i saw the harbor rooms and Havanna rooms. Almost all the Havanna rooms were sold out this close to sailing date. a whole list of floors were listed with "sold out" next to almost every floor.

Obviously they are popular. seems like we just booked regular full price to get the cabin I wanted, but then i see a lot of new choices, maybe next time. I didnt get any kind of sale that i could tell. But got a good cabin I know ill like.

Based on my most recent experience the Vista isamazing. There are many many many private areas for individuals who wantto relax in seclusion without having topay additional to stay in the Havana Suites. The Family Harbor area is like alarge living room area where guest with kids staying in adjacent rooms can playgames, watch T.V., hang out and grab snacks and breakfast. There are several venuesthat cost money, yet if that is an issue for you then rest assured there isstill plenty to enjoy at no additional cost. In terms of food, we tried both the free maindining rooms and the all of the specialty dining with the exception of theItalian restaurant. The food was delicious. We had a late breakfast in the buffetand never made it back to eat there any other time. Our spring break sailing on the Vista was soldout and yet the ship NEVER felt crowded. There was so much to do and see. Ipromise you if you go in with an open mind you will have the time of yourlife!!! Enjoy your cruise!!

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.

I forgot to add the shows in the main theatre are amazing love the show Flick ..

You will have an amazing time do not worry you don't have to pay for additional things the skyride my sister really enjoyed it

Read up on some reviews because you might see some photo reviews which will help give you a better idea of the ship layout

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.

I was on the Vista in January. Check out my review in the signature link.

A couple of videos of the Carnival Vista. Just FYI ...

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2672745&highlight=vista

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBWqe5NKDhs

 

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

You will have a great time. I think you are over thinking and want to please your friends. Chillax it is a cruise and it will be fun.

I just want to say I think you are extremely generous if all you are asking your friend to pay is port fees/taxes & grats. VERY affordable for her. You are paying the double occupancy with the solo supplement.

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.

I have known you a long time on these boards. I was on the Vista last Med and Trans-atlantic and it is a great ship. Much about it to like. I agree with those that mentioned the show room and comedy club are too small for the ship. I do not like that new design at all!! Many free food places as well as pay for venues. go with a open mind and you will have a great time!

Pat