Vista revisited (Havana Cabana this time)...... A fairly lengthy review with pics

[thesmiths]

At about 9:45, we were tired of sitting arounf and I went on my phone and requested Uber. The app said 8 minutes and true enough the car pulled up right on time. We did economy provate, $31 door to door and way cheaper and better than other transfer options. .....

 

So that was $31 from FLL Hotel to MIA Port via Uber?

[jimbo5544]

Before I get into the embarkation process, I would comment this was our first experience (yeah I know go figure....) with Uber in regards to getting to a cruise. Have to say, for couples of small families, cheap and painless.

So it is 5 of 11 and debarkation is still going on, and we decided to just hang out for a bit when a Carnival rep walks over and says are you checking in? We report in the affirmative and are directed to the priority entrance. This was to be our first experience with the new enhanced check in process and getting your sign and sail card delivered to the mailbox outside your door. We cleared security and were directed upstairs to the priority waiting room. That's it..... I cannot be easier. Once upstairs in the priority waiting area they had a section roped off for Diamonds.... There were only 6 people in the room and we stayed with the others. While waiting the Carnival rep stationed by the entrance how it worked if we wanted to change cards, or anything payment wise and she said that we could just go out the regular check in area....again pretty simple. She explained that they had been told that boarding was going to start around 12:30. At about 10 of 12 they came in and boarding began.

This process was by far the easiest embarkation we have ever had. Painless is a word that comes to mind.

Boarding the ship we went directly to our room and dropped off our carry on's, met our room steward, retrieved our sign and sails from the mailbox and set out to begin our cruise.

[jimbo5544]

So that was $31 from FLL Hotel to MIA Port via Uber?

Yes, $30.93 to be exact for economy private. I believe the economy (might have ended up the same at the time people wise) was $28 and change.

[firemanbobswife]

Glad you decided to try Uber. You know I am a huge fan of it. Why people still choose to take taxis or transfers especially in FLL/MIA is beyond me.

[jimbo5544]

Glad you decided to try Uber. You know I am a huge fan of it. Why people still choose to take taxis or transfers especially in FLL/MIA is beyond me.

It was impressive, cleaner, better ride, cheaper.....not a lot to complain about on my end.....

[jimbo5544]

Welcome home Jimbo!! Looking forward to another one of your great reviews! (y) :D

Thanks Jeff, they pale in comparison to yours.....some day I will take as many pics, but I always get caught up in the moment.

[thesmiths]

Can Uber pick you up from the Mia Port back to FLL?

[jimbo5544]

Can Uber pick you up from the Mia Port back to FLL?

 

 

We did not use them for that (long story I may get into near the end of the review) , but i asked our driver (on the way down) and was told yes to both the port and FLL and MIA airports. I had previously been told some

Airports were verboten. According to the driver at least, not true for these two. Some better informed may have more info, Tiffany?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[firemanbobswife]

We did not use them for that (long story I may get into near the end of the review) , but i asked our driver (on the way down) and was told yes to both the port and FLL and MIA airports. I had previously been told some

Airports were verboten. According to the driver at least, not true for these two. Some better informed may have more info, Tiffany?

Sent from my iPhone

 

 

I haven't personally used Uber from POM to FLL, but do all the time from POM to MIA. Others have reported doing so as well.

[jimbo5544]

I haven't personally used Uber from POM to FLL, but do all the time from POM to MIA. Others have reported doing so as well.

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[rjl1977]

Following

[JaniceB]

Great start to your review.

 

Was your hotel called Hyatt house? I am looking for some airport hotels in FLL and then a ride to the Port of Miami. Thanks for the Uber info.

[jimbo5544]

Great start to your review.

 

Was your hotel called Hyatt house? I am looking for some airport hotels in FLL and then a ride to the Port of Miami. Thanks for the Uber info.

It was, pretty new as well and there is another Hyatt right across the street called Hyatt Place. I do not remember these being available the last time we stayed in FLL at the beginning of a cruise. I think I found them to be best price considering late arrival (not like they are on the beach....actually much closer to being on the air field....lol but no late night jet noise.

[jimbo5544]

Following

Thanks, hope it is worth it to you......

[jimbo5544]

looking forward to more!

More coming, finally getting to posting some pics soon as well.....

[Jenny in TX]

Looking forward to the rest of your review! We live about 30 minutes from Galveston and as soon as it was announced that the Vista was coming to Galveston we booked a room in a Havana Cabana balcony. Our group consists of 6 rooms in a row right now and we are excited to hang out in the private pool area during the day.

[jimbo5544]

Looking forward to the rest of your review! We live about 30 minutes from Galveston and as soon as it was announced that the Vista was coming to Galveston we booked a room in a Havana Cabana balcony. Our group consists of 6 rooms in a row right now and we are excited to hang out in the private pool area during the day.

You will LOVE the Havana area, it is almost like being on another ship. Pics coming up!

[jimbo5544]

Soooo to get to the next leg of our journey requires a bit of a story. Back in 2013, we sailed the Breeze with a group, I think it was the first time we experienced the Red Frog Pub, and someone who for us, will forever be linked to the Red Frog. He is a worker there with the name Dwayne. Dwayne is a bit crazy, but in a great way and he took to our group. As we came in for a cocktail he would shoe away the other workers saying we were his family. We got to know him as well as anyone else we have met on the cruise and took some pictures with him (he is kind like Carnival's version of Chris Rock and even has a FB page dedicated to him - by others). By the end of that cruise I was calling him my other son.

Fast forward a year plus and we were invited to the Sunshine naming ceremony and sleepover in New Orleans (which we understood Dwayne had gone to from the Breeze). After doing some TA things, we rushed into the Red Frog and asked the first guy where Dwayne was, jokingly saying he was my other son. The server looks perplexed at me and says Dwayne went back to the Breeze and glances around and says Dwayne is your other son? I jokingly reply yes and he says thats weird because Dwayne is HIS son (as in for real):eek:.......Lucy you got some splaynin to do.... we all laughed about it.

[jimbo5544]

Here is a pic of Dwayne..... I am sure some will recognize him.

[pe4all]

Fast forward a year plus and we were invited to the Sunshine naming ceremony and sleepover in New Orleans (which we understood Dwayne had gone to from the Breeze). After doing some TA things, we rushed into the Red Frog and asked the first guy where Dwayne was, jokingly saying he was my other son. The server looks perplexed at me and says Dwayne went back to the Breeze and glances around and says Dwayne is your other son? I jokingly reply yes and he says thats weird because Dwayne is HIS son (as in for real):eek:.......Lucy you got some splaynin to do.... we all laughed about it.

 

OMG - that is too funny! Great story!

[PaulMedik]

Enjoying your review Jim; sure do wish we had been with you! This is our first spring without a cruise for 15 years......and next year there's no Spring Break either, but I'm thinking we might go anyhow. We have to wait until July........and it's a Loooonng wait!

[Katie62]

We stayed at the Hyatt Place there in Ft. Lauderdale (Dania Beach actually) before our Carnival cruise from Miami in 2014 and will again this summer before and after our Vista cruise. We plan to use Jiffy Jeff transportation to and from the port.

 

 

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[LizaMM]

Here is a pic of Dwayne..... I am sure some will recognize him.

 

 

 

LOL....Hung out with Dwayne everyday on the Breeze in 2013....he still calls my daughter every now and then!

[Jamericannn]

Yes, $30.93 to be exact for economy private. I believe the economy (might have ended up the same at the time people wise) was $28 and change.

 

I will fly down to Miami on Friday (Jet Blue as well) and planning to take Uber down in Saturday morning. There will be 7 of us with many large suitcases. We are budgeting $100 for that trip seeing that we will need a big van or something like that to take us all with our suitcases. Seems like that should be reasonable based on what you pay right?

[jimbo5544]

OMG - that is too funny! Great story!

My wife said if she had a camera on my face when his "real" father said that is would have been priceless. This story has one more chapter. Fast forward to this November when the Vista came over from Europe and they had the naming ceremony in New York. We were invited down for that and it was a very nice day and a sleepover on the ship which included open bar. There were many different types of people on the ship including a lot of press. Around 11 PM we went into the Red Frog for a drink before bed and it was packed. We found two seats at a highboy table that had two young amen sitting there.

We got into a conversation with them to find out they work for a New York magazine and were waiting to interview the brew master for an upcoming article. Dwayne had been in the back room, came out and saw us, came around the bar and said Mom, Dad and gave us a big hug. After talking to all of us for a bit he went back to work. They looked at us and then each other and said.....OK so what the heck was that about. We laughed an then told them the story.