On the Vista now March 19-25, 2017

[MistyRo76]

No. We stay close to port. My girlfriend and I wanted to walk down to the beach right across from the ship, but the level of harassment from pushy vendors made us turn around. I had been there before, but had a male go with us then. We got that extremely uneasy feeling and decided it wasn't worth it. I can handle saying "no", but this was the worst I have ever encountered. You couldn't walk 3 feet without someone else tagging along behind you even after they just saw you reject another one 5 seconds ago. I actually got into an almost full blown argument with one guy who wouldn't leave us alone.

 

I know that OR has that reputation and I've seen it a bit. But I've not felt unsafe or harassed yet. I'm sorry you did! We've booked several tours through outside vendors in Ocho Rios and always felt perfectly at east. We've combined the visit to Scotchies with one of our tours and it was great. I highly recommend it. Jamaica is such a beautiful island with so many things to do. Horseback riding through a plantation and in the ocean, the Dunns falls, river tubing, Blue Hole (this is what we are looking to do on our Vista cruise). A lot of not to be missed activities and sights!

[firemanbobswife]

I know that OR has that reputation and I've seen it a bit. But I've not felt unsafe or harassed yet. I'm sorry you did! We've booked several tours through outside vendors in Ocho Rios and always felt perfectly at east. We've combined the visit to Scotchies with one of our tours and it was great. I highly recommend it. Jamaica is such a beautiful island with so many things to do. Horseback riding through a plantation and in the ocean, the Dunns falls, river tubing, Blue Hole (this is what we are looking to do on our Vista cruise). A lot of not to be missed activities and sights!

 

 

Last time we were there they were pushy, but this time it was much worse. I was really looking forward to this port and one of the main reasons why I chose Vista, but I can actually say that I became fearful. I knew about the beach because I went there last time and it was perfect. I wanted so much to go back. I wouldn't hesitate to visit again, but I won't venture off without a male or a bunch of people with me. Since it's a complaint I see over and over again, you would think they would do something about it.

 

My sister and her family didn't the dolphin swim and had a great time. Another group of ours did the river tubing and enjoyed it as well. I'm not an organized excursion type.

[MrFunInTheSun]

Thanks for sharing.

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

After reading through the forums just now, another little tidbit came to mind. Even though you have your phone placed in airplane mode with data off, if you have a wi-fi plan on the ship and have your "Location Services" on, your phone will update to the local time. This could be an issue because the majority of the cruises to the Caribbean stay on Miami (or the ship's home port) time.

 

I found this out when one person in our group posted a pic to FB and it said he was in Jamaica. While we were waiting to get off the ship, he couldn't figure out why his phone said an hour behind. I then mentioned seeing the FB post and we figured out that's what what it was. The rest of us had the right time because our "Location Services" were off.

[sjn911]

My pleasure...just paying it forward, like FiremanBobswife. :*

oops....thanks to you both..lol...

 

This is just a wonderful thread...thank you..having a little trouble with the replys and quotes on new system..

[crusinpsychRN]

Thanks for taking your time while on the cruise to think of us here at CC!

 

I've only been on one cabin crawl and was so embarrassed by the noise people were making as we walked down the hall. Sounded like of huge crowd in a concert. Was your like that?

[firemanbobswife]

Thanks for taking your time while on the cruise to think of us here at CC!

 

 

 

I've only been on one cabin crawl and was so embarrassed by the noise people were making as we walked down the hall. Sounded like of huge crowd in a concert. Was your like that?

 

 

No. Everyone was well behaved. But the room stewards stopped in disbelief on various floors when they saw the long line of people coming through! I felt like we should have been doing the Conga or something! LOL!

[Fun 2 Crz]

The brewery tours are offered on sea days. You need to sign up at the Red Frog Bar with the bartender. They only take 12 people at a time. It is $24.95 and you get generous samples, a Red Frog Pub glass, and a certificate that gets you a free beer later in the cruise.

 

Colin, the brewmaster, is great! He has a lot of knowledge and is very personable.

 

Sue

 

Thank you - I will be sure to check this out on our cruise.

[Buckett]

Bartenders were great. The only one we didn't care for was Ivan. He hardly smiled and didn't like to talk much.

 

I agree 100%. All of them were nice, smiling, friendly..except Ivan. Not so much!

[Buckett]

Grand Cayman we stayed on the ship. That's when I got a bunch of pics of the Vista.

 

Cozumel - Mr Sanchos. Excellent time! Even with 6 or 7 ships in port, it didn't seem crowded, and we had no issues with taxis. We had reservations and good thing. They sold out and were only letting people in that had one. The pay as you go side was opened as all inclusive and they didn't accept any pay as you go customers. Everyone raved about it. I had been there like 3 other times and love it.

 

I thought Mr. Sancho's was awesome! Niece said it was her favorite thing we did all cruise. I would go there again without hesitation, and highly recommend it. :D

[tustin2121]

I was on the very same cruise as you! I loved CD Mike and Alex and Bradley in the Fun Crew. It was pretty nice cruise (and my first time cruising), but the waters were really rough on the last sea day, which dampened my mood that day.

 

I'm gluten free due to health issues, and the food staff was very accommodating in that regard... to a point. I could go to the pizza place and ask for a gluten-free pizza, and they had it ready in 10 minutes, which was awesome. I could go to Guy Ferrari's burger stand and ask for a gluten free bun, and they had that in 15 minutes (which, idk if that was worth it, because getting without the bun was fine enough for me). Where I had the most problems was the Reflections Restaurant, where their policy was "Tell us what you want, and we'll try to make it for you, but won't tell you how." So I ended up one night with a Salmon Teriyaki Steak without the teriyaki and just dry salmon, and a pumpkin pot pie without the pot pie (just vegetables in a bowl), and I was severely disappointed. Once, I asked for the Souffle for dessert (which, it turns out is impossible to make gluten-free, which I don't blame them for), and the waiter came back with a different dessert entirely (one I wouldn't have chosen at all) and the news that the chef refused to make it because it's impossible. They could have came back to me and said "We can't make that, what do you want instead?" and I would have happily asked for another chocolate melting cake instead (which is AMAZING, btw). But they didn't, and that disappointed me.

 

I walked through the upper floor after the sprinklers went off and flooded the fifth deck, while they were still squeegeeing the all water away. I didn't know that it went off in the casino as well! Thanks for the pics.

 

Speaking of incidents, do you happen to know what happened at Cozumel, as we were supposed to be leaving port? Apparently one of the tours got back to port very later, which caused us to delay leaving for Miami for about an hour or so. But there was also that ambulance that was driving very slowly down the pier towards us. Speculation abound as to what that's about. We didn't have the same captain when we returned to Miami as we left with, so some of my family were thinking that's what the ambulance was for. But then my mother heard some third hand account about a 10-year-old dying by moped accident in Cozumel?? But I can't seem to find anything to verify that story, so I don't know if that's even true. Maybe someone here heard something about it?

[tustin2121]

Hub app chat is separate from the internet plans. You can chat if all parties have Facebook Messenger and the Social Plan. If not, you will need to pay $5 each for the Hub App Chat and do it through there. Hope that makes sense.

 

Take my advice: do NOT get the Hub Chat. Do NOT! It is an utter waste of $5 that could be spent instead getting the social internet plan, which you can use Facebook Messenger through. We had 5 people on that app, and the only time the chat ever worked is if we were all staring at each other in the same room, with the app open already. Messages would fail to send, or say then sent and fail to show up. It would be one thing if previously sent messages would fill in when you opened the app again, but it didn't even do that. Messages were lost to the ether forever. We ended up using Facebook Messenger to talk to one another when on opposite ends of the ship, which is vastly superior simply by it working (most of the time. My Messenger app was acting up and deleting messages constantly, but that's not Carnival's fault).

 

Don't waste your money on the Hub Chat. My mother got us all refunds for the POS near the end of the cruise.

[Buckett]

No I didn't go up there. I thought about a pass, but after seeing a video on it, I wasn't impressed. One of the guys in our group did and said he didn't like the fact that the whirlpool was in the same area as the heated loungers. It wasn't as relaxing as other ships.

 

I can agree with that assessment! I bought the week pass, as it was 20% off if you bought it online ahead of time. I enjoyed the Thermal Suite on the Splendor much more than this one, for the above reason. It just wasn't as relaxing, having the whirlpool in the same area as the loungers. A lot of times people in the whirlpool would be having loud conversations (of course, you have to speak up to be heard over the bubbles lol) and it was distracting if you were trying to chill out.

[momof1son]

Speaking of incidents, do you happen to know what happened at Cozumel, as we were supposed to be leaving port? Apparently one of the tours got back to port very later, which caused us to delay leaving for Miami for about an hour or so. But there was also that ambulance that was driving very slowly down the pier towards us. Speculation abound as to what that's about. We didn't have the same captain when we returned to Miami as we left with, so some of my family were thinking that's what the ambulance was for. But then my mother heard some third hand account about a 10-year-old dying by moped accident in Cozumel?? But I can't seem to find anything to verify that story, so I don't know if that's even true. Maybe someone here heard something about it?

 

We were on this cruise, as well, and we passed a horrific accident in Cozumel on our way to Nachi Cocum. It had literally JUST happened, and we could hear the screams as we drove past. It will haunt me for the rest of my life. But I, also, cannot find any news story to tell me what happened.

 

There was also another accident just past the entrance to Nachi, but there was already an ambulance there.

[Buckett]

Thank you so much for posting your review, and all the pics! It was really nice meeting you. The pictures make me feel homesick to be back in the Havana pool area! I sure did enjoy it. :cool:

[momof1son]

Like a car accident, or a moped accident? Do you remember vaguely when? :eek:

 

It was mopeds. We heard the screaming, and I watched "them" trying to get down into the trees to whomever was down there. We got off the ship and headed straight to the taxi stand, so this was early day. Maybe 11'ish? I don't really remember what time we docked.

[firemanbobswife]

Thank you so much for posting your review, and all the pics! It was really nice meeting you. The pictures make me feel homesick to be back in the Havana pool area! I sure did enjoy it. :cool:

 

I enjoyed meeting you too! Agree we LOVED Havana! If you ever want to adopt another niece and take me with instead, I'm ready :D.

[originalgeek]

Our cabin crawl crew. Not everyone stuck around for the pic. We had a great time! Thanks to mooseman52b for taking it!

 

Awesome! the more I read this thread the sorrier I am we couldn't make it to this cruise.

 

Last time we were there they were pushy, but this time it was much worse. I was really looking forward to this port and one of the main reasons why I chose Vista, but I can actually say that I became fearful. I knew about the beach because I went there last time and it was perfect. I wanted so much to go back. I wouldn't hesitate to visit again, but I won't venture off without a male or a bunch of people with me. Since it's a complaint I see over and over again, you would think they would do something about it.

.

 

That's exactly how my son and DIL felt in Ocho Rios. My boy is a biggun and not intimidated by anything but he has no desire to ever go back to OR.

 

But dang, I want some of that jerk chicken with the real bones in it lol. :)

[Eng23]

One of the people in our group has 7440. It's nice! We almost took that one before I told him it was available, but it didn't have a sofa and with 2 of us in the cabin, that's something that we wanted. Have a great cruise!

It was actually Cabin 7450......:cool:

[firemanbobswife]

It was actually Cabin 7450......:cool:

 

I saw that later but it was too late to correct it. Had Glory on the brain at the time :).

[firemanbobswife]

Awesome! the more I read this thread the sorrier I am we couldn't make it to this cruise.

That's exactly how my son and DIL felt in Ocho Rios. My boy is a biggun and not intimidated by anything but he has no desire to ever go back to OR.

 

But dang, I want some of that jerk chicken with the real bones in it lol. :)

 

See what you missed?! You better make it on my next cruise!

[Eng23]

Ben was the Piano singer as per one of party that actually made it there.

That would have been me! Ben Gentry was the piano player and he was really good. In my opinion though the piano bar is too small for how popular it is.

[Eng23]

the keypad is so much easier.We booked the spa passes for the whole cruise.By chance did you guys look around the spa? Just wondering how it is,we love the steam rooms and thalasso pool and try to use it twice a day to relax

 

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The Spa Thermal suite area is nice and there is a hot tub in there also. Having that hot tub in the thermal suite area does take away from it being peaceful like on the Splendor or Conquest Class ships. There is no Thalasso pool on vista.

Edited March 30, 2017 by Eng23

[mooseman52b]

I thought Mr. Sancho's was awesome! Niece said it was her favorite thing we did all cruise. I would go there again without hesitation, and highly recommend it. :D

 

We stopped at Mr. Sancho's while cruising on Harmony of the Seas in February. I looked into it based upon you mentioning it in this thread and we had a great time :cool: We will go there again on a future stop in Cozumel.

[Jdfireman]

good review and thank you for posting. Now I am going to research that sprinkler incident has me wondering what type of system the ship has