Carnival Vista: 6 Day Western Cruise Review

[scarlet942]

Awesome review!!

[tandemcruzr]

Sky Ride is free. Line is short early on port days. Didn't do the theaters.

[jam19872016]

THanks so much for this so far! We set sail Friday for an 8 day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Vista and are so excited! One question though, do they still do the Texas Hold'em tournaments?

 

Yes, upon checking three fun times I see it listed each day at 9pm in the Sports Bar. It is not actually in the casino like other ships. Have a great cruise!

 

Maybe look at resort for a day when you go back to Jamaica. That’s what we are going to do.

 

The bland decor doesn’t bother me—I’m still excited for the Vista. We will be in the Havana.

 

That would be a perfect plan for me and M, but my mom is not into resorts. She loves shopping and on our last cruise together, that is literally the only thing we did in the ports - shopping.

 

The decor didn't really bother me, the same way the bright and loud decors don't bother me. But it was noticeably bland the same way most of the ships are noticeably bright. Knowing it was going to be bland, I also was still excited to sail Vista and am also excited to hopefully try out Horizon one day.

[jam19872016]

I will be on the Vista in March 4th sailing. I guess it's all about people's taste. I think this ship looks beautiful and modern. If I decide to do a review I am just going to post a link to your thread, you are killing it!

 

You really want brass? How about popcorn ceilings? :')

 

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad to share my cruise in this review. Have a great cruise.

 

I’m glad I’m not alone in my review of Ocho Rios. I will never return to Jamaica

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I wish Carnival would switch back to Key West, that was such a fun port! But I suspect Carnival generates quite a bit more revenue on shore excursions here than in Key West.

[jam19872016]

Here's a question. Are the prices for the Imax and theater reasonable. And how much is the Sky ride ? I don't gamble too much but I love going to the movies.

 

I do not recall. I want to say $12.95 for Imax and $7.95 for the thrill theater. I was hoping to make it to an Imax movie but I never did. Skyride is free. I didn't try that either, but I am not a fan of heights so I was ok missing that lol.

 

Check the port of call boards for a recommendation for a private guide to take you and your mother, safely, around Falmouth. The good guides will take you shopping and keep the majority of folks from hassling your mother. That way you can both get a feel for Jamaica without being stressed. It is beautiful, the food is great, the people are kind and friendly, although many are very poor. When vendors get aggressive we from the U.S. tend to be uncomfortable because it is not acceptable or normal behavior here. When tourists withdraw or get cranky about being approached by vendors, the vendors get offended by what they perceive as rude or uppity behavior. Some people intentionally scam or intimidate tourists which makes things even worse. If you get set up with a reputable guide, you can avoid all the stress and just enjoy the island.

 

Thanks for the review and all the great photos.

 

 

I've been reading the port of call board and trip adviser. I'm coming up pretty empty. I think a tour with a reliable operator would be my best bet, but in my research to find one I read about an operator who had nothing but glowing reviews. One review even included a picture posing with the owner/guide. It was the same guy I used (first guy, before I got in the death cab). And while I agree he was a very friendly guy, I do not believe he was truely on the up and up to have dropped us off in the middle of the tour the way he did to pick up another group. So its hard to even know what to believe in these reviews.

 

I get that they are very very poor and this is how they support their families, but they are far too agressive. I would say they are more pushy on all the islands than what we are used to, they have to be, but this is the second most agressive port I have ever been to and it just felt like one big racket from the moment I got off the ship until I got back. I did not feel welcomed by anyone, felt like they just wanted my money.

 

Either way, I can roll with it and enjoy it for what it is, a beatiful island. My mom, well she is the exact oppisite and even little things tend to turn into a major problem :rolleyes: and I just want her to enjoy herself. Hoping for the best :)

[jam19872016]

Great review.

Keith

 

Thank you!

 

A ? Did you enjoy deck 8? Was it convenient? We are on 8 also as my pvp said that I could get 8 for the same price as 6! Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I liked deck 8, there are cabins above and below it so no concerns with noise. Convenient? That is tough to answer. It is two decks away from Lido so close enough you can walk up and down without an elevator (which for me was inconvenient because I am slightly out of shape so up two flights of stairs was one flight too many, but I'm young enough that taking an elevator for two flights is just lazy). But most of my time was on Deck 4 not Lido. Down the flights of stairs is no problem. I would say being so far aft was the part that was inconvenient. I am usually midship and much closer to where I am going. Other than that I would say it was mostly convenient.

[jam19872016]

Awesome review!!

 

Thank you!

[jam19872016]

Day 4: Grand Cayman

 

Today we were in Grand Cayman. This is my fifth visit to the island for both me and M. I've been here more than any other port. I'm sure there is lots to see and do but I am not big on venturing off the ship, and today for the first time ever, neither was M. We almost made this a stay on the ship day, but we did wander off for the cheapest excursion we have taken yet. A round trip tender ride :D

 

Ships anchored off the coast of Grand Cayman.

 

Marella Discovery 2, a former RCL ship.

 

 

MSC Seaside.

 

 

Liberty of the Seas.

 

 

I spent this morning finishing up my tour of the ship. Once I was done M got up and we headed up to Lido for some lunch. This was when I remembered Vista serves up hand scooped ice cream. It was very good, but they are unable to keep up with the demand (and this was a port day). I got the last of the ice cream that was ready and when I returned on a sea day, I could never catch it while it was ready and before it ran out again. I just got soft serve and used the toppings bar to enhance it. A great addition, just need some extra equipment to produce more.

 

Some more pictures of Grand Cayman from Lido.

 

 

[jam19872016]

After lunch we went to Ocean Plaza. We did the various puzzles that they had sitting out at the coffee bar related to the clue murder mystery. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, but we were a little late starting the puzzles and not all the pieces we needed were still available. We'll have to remember to start them on the first day next time.

 

The casino delivered these while we were out this afternoon.

 

 

These make a great snack in the room and I take the rest home with me for later.

 

Next we hopped on a tender for a round trip tender ride - cheapest excursion ever lol.

 

 

 

 

Back on board we played some trivia in Ocean Plaza. It was guess that 90's song. Being born in 1987, I struggle with music from the early 90's but M and I made a pretty good team on this one since she didn't really know much from the late 90's. We got 18 out of 20 but the winner had 19. No Vista Ship on a Stick for me this time.

[jam19872016]

Once we set sail we headed to the casino. I was going to give my luck one last chance to turn around. Nope still nothing, so I pretty much stopped playing for the rest of the trip. I would come back one more time on the last night but I ended up coming in way under my budget this trip, simply because I never got to play :(

 

The show tonight was Flick which M actually wanted to see, she is not usually into the shows. I'm not sure she would have liked it because she said she does not care for musicals, and this was in fact still a musical. But we ended up missing it because we had dinner reservations tonight at the steakhouse and a casino drawing that ended up conflicting with both showtimes.

 

So steakhouse reservations. I always want to go to the steakhouse but by the time I get on board they seem to be completely booked up. So last cruise I made a reservation online ahead of time and was confirmed. Then I received a phone call in my room early in the morning (for me) to confirm because I never confirmed on board. Umm ok, didn't know that was required but thanks for the wake up call when a letter to the room to call would suffice.

 

Anyway, this time I made sure to call as soon as I got settled in. When I made my reservation I asked for 8:30 on Tuesday. They responded they were booked but could accommodate me at 6 or at 9. I replied back that 9 was fine. When I called to confirm they had no record of me at 9 on Tuesday. I figured it was because I had changed cabins and gave them my name. They found me at 9...on Wednesday. I don't care about what day, I picked Tuesday at random but shouldn't the email have been more clear? If you give an alternate time and don't mention a day, wouldn't it be correct to assume you are offering the same day?

 

Anyway, a small bump and I only mention it because I am 0 for 2 now using their pre cruise reservation system flawlessly. I'm trying again with my Magic cruise in May.

 

Tonight was the second elegant night (already?). The MDR menu.

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

I struggled a bit with photos in the steakhouse. The lighting is good for a romantic meal, but not so great for photos. I played with the settings and got some so so pics, but some are still a bit hard to see not to mention the bad shadow on the menus.

 

Vista has the new steakhouse menus. (Sorry for the low quality)

 

 

 

 

 

Compliments of the chef.

 

 

I have no idea now what it was, but I enjoyed it.

[jam19872016]

Instead of a salad I had two starters. First, the oysters which is served in a very cool looking cloud of smoke.

 

 

 

It was good, but not quite what I was expecting taste wise. I realize that the way raw oysters are served in the south are not how they are going to be served in a nice restaurant. But I did not think about that before ordering.

 

Next I had the stuffed mushroom caps.

 

 

OMG! These were fantastic. Hands down the best part of the meal.

 

For my main I had the cowboy steak.

 

 

This is what I usually order and while it was good, it certainly did not blow me away the way it normally does. If this was my first time I odering it, I would not understand all the fuss about how good the steaks are.

 

Dessert menu.

 

[jam19872016]

The art at your table dessert sounds like a neat concept. But so did the smoke and ice oysters and I felt like that focused more on presentation than quality of the item being served. So I was gonna pass on art at your table. But I gave into peer pressure on this one and ordered it.

 

A series of photos of the art being constructed.

 

You start with an out of focus blank canvas. Don't worry, in person it is not out of focus lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

As I suspected, it was very high in presentation. It really was very cool to watch the chef "draw" your desert. But it really lacked much in taste. It was just a bunch of sweets.

 

A couple observations. I have read on here twice now of someone being told they no longer use Maine lobster with the new menus. We asked our server, and at least on the Vista they do still use Maine lobster. Perhaps it varies by ship, as both of those reviews were on the Magic. Also, our server indicated there would be an extra charge for M to order two sides and still get a salad which has not been the case in the past. However, that charge was not reflected on the bill, nor was she charged for ordering the tea marked at $1.95 on the menu. I am sure at least with the tea, it was simply an oversight. The extra app, I am unsure what to make of that.

 

Food and service. At $35 per person, I of course hold the steakhouse to a higher standard than I would the MDR. The food was good, but nowhere near as good as in the past. I am not sure if that is a reflection of the new menu (which does feel like a cost cut, not simply a new menu) or a reflection of the ship. I would still try it again, but if this was an across the board experience, I don't feel it is still worth the up-charge

 

The service was far from what I would expect. Speed was no problem at 1.45 which is normal at the steakhouse, but for about 90% of the meal the servers seemed completely uninterested and unengaged completely. Towards the end it was like we had a different waitstaff and they could not do enough to make us happy. It was weird. I don't know if they thought we were going to complain, or they just realized how bad they were failing us but it was a completely different attitude towards the end. Wish they would have brought that spirit from the start of the meal.

 

Overall it was a good meal, but not worth the up-charge. An isolated incident so far and I will still book the steakhouse in the future.

 

M's favorite towel animal, and one we have not gotten in a while.

 

 

After dinner M spent some more time at the casino and spent some time in the room. I went back down for the 11pm drawing and we both turned in around midnight so we could get an early start tomorrow in Cozumel.

[jam19872016]

Day 5: Cozumel

 

Today we were in Cozumel. This was my fifth time here and ties Grand Cayman as my most visited port but I was very excited for today as we had plans today to go to Nachi Cocum.

 

The view this morning from my balcony.

 

 

I have mentioned to M in the past about going to an all inclusive resort (our first time going to Jamaica) and she shot it down with a pretty hard no. So I was quite surprised when she came to me with the idea of going to nachi cocum. I was very excited and was ready to make the most of my time there.

 

For being platinum, I received priority debarkation in Cozumel. I have never heard of that before for anything but tender ports and because the paper got thrown away M was sure I was mistaken but we showed up at the RedFrog Pub and they did indeed lead us down a set of crew stairs to deck 0 and we were among the first to debark in Cozumel. Very nice and unexpected perk.

 

We grabbed a taxi and made our way to Nachi Cocum. We got off to a bit of a rocky start. And by we, I mean M. I was instantly in relax mode. Here was my view on the beach.

 

 

It was a bit overcast which was perfect for me because I can't handle the heat and burn easily (weird that I live in Florida isn't it?) and things were just perfect for me. M was having a hard time though. Where I am completely relaxed, she is bored. It took a little bit, but she did really get into it as well. But to be completely honest, I think it was the booze not the experience lol. For me it was perfect.

 

Now I sort of failed for the rest of the day for the purposes of doing a review. I just got so wrapped up in the moment, that I forgot I was supposed to be "working" (why can't this be a real job?). But I will do my best to recall the rest of the day.

 

We moved from the beach and into the pool and even spent a little time in the hot tub. We chatted with others from the ship, as well as a guy from the Fantasy who was on the Vista two weeks prior. We all shared most of the same sentiments of the ship, the same ones being echoed by most of you guys in this review.

 

The drinks were flowing freely which tends to not work out too well for me. I was drinking a bit too heavy but I left M in charge. She tends to nag me when I am drinking too much, and she is usually right. There was no menu, you just told them what you wanted and they would make it. M was having fun playing bartender with the ingredients available and I think that caused her to neglect her babysitting responsibilities ;p. I also tried a drink I've always been interested in that I read about on here, a monkey la la. Yummy.

 

I took one of those with me to go, but it had to go to waste. About half way through the ride back to the ship, I was realizing things were not all right. I threw my drink away and took the longest walk back to the ship ever. Thank goodness the lines were not long. I am so thankful I at least made it back to my room before the inevitable happened. I will spare the graphic details. I remember yelling to M in a drunken stupor as I ran to the bathroom "don't listen to me". I regretted my choice of Mexican food for lunch.

[jam19872016]

The rest of the afternoon was spent in bed sleeping off my good time in Cozumel. Not a great ending due to my own inability to know my limits, but without a doubt the best excursion I have ever been on and Cozumel now takes 2 of my top 3 best experiences in port. I hope that we can do this one again someday, but with a little more self control :o

 

I heard M get up a little before 9. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep but I was aware that tomorrow was the last day of the cruise and I was wasting precious time stuck in bed so I got up. Somehow, I managed to remember to grab the MDR menu for tonight.

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

I stumbled my way to the casino to see how M was doing. As I mentioned it is a tight squeeze in there and along the back row of tables, there is not enough room between the chairs and a spot where the wall sticks out a bit to walk through without having an intimate relationship with the wall. There was someone standing in this spot and I said excuse me a total of three times and he would not move. So still a little drunk, I literally plowed through him to get passed him. He still completely ignored me, which I guess is a better result than ending up in a drunken brawl in the casino. Especially considering how security might have handled the situation.

 

I watched M for a bit but was not feeling good so I retired back to the room since I had no plans of playing anyway. In the short time I had left the room, these had been delivered from the casino.

 

 

 

 

I was feeling a bit hungry so I ate one of those cookies the casino sent me. That was a mistake. I laid down and watched some TV. I am very disappointed in the TV selection. It was already pretty bad, and now it is just worse. I know most people don't care about TV on a cruise but I don't watch TV at home so this is something I do look forward to. I was stuck watching CNN because the news was the least boring thing on. It was so depressing so I checked out the on demand movies. There are some free movies to choose from, I selected Trolls just because I wanted something super happy to counter the ultra depressing news I was watching.

 

I fell back asleep part way through (not because of the movie, I was just sleepy) and was awoken when M returned to the room. I am not sure what her night included, except for shots of fireball in the casino and her returning at 4am. I missed a great time I guess but I had had my limit of liquid fun.

 

We watched IT on the on demand movies ($4.95) which I was strangely looking forward to. I'm not a big horror fan and am pretty easily scared. I have heard a lot about what a terrifying movie this is. The movie felt cartoonish and honestly pretty boring. Also, it asked who was ordering and makes you enter your birthday. Despite this, my folio was charged instead of M's. We turned it off and went to bed around 5am. Tomorrow, or later this morning, would be our final day on the Vista.

[saraet4464]

Does the Serenity area have a Jacuzzi?

 

 

 

Deck 15 is where Serenety is located.

 

 

Fresh Creations.

 

 

Serenity Bar.

 

[RS77471]

Following

[jam19872016]

Does the Serenity area have a Jacuzzi?

 

I do not recall now if they did or not but according to the deck plans there are two located in Serenity, one on each side. I am 99.99% sure the deck plans are accurate since it is still a new ship.

 

Following

 

Thanks for following along. I am going to post the last part of it now.

[jam19872016]

Day 6: Fun Farewell Day At Sea

 

After spending most of the previous evening in bed, I was up pretty early today. I slipped out so M could sleep and went to the Blue Iguana for breakfast. I spent some time on Lido just wandering around still a bit sluggish from the day before. I noticed that chair hogging was being monitored by the staff with towles being tagged with a time to be removed.

 

I lost track of M for most of the morning. She was not in the room or the casino which are really the only two places I know to look for her at.

 

My view today, after M had gotten up so as to not disturb her.

 

 

Towel heart.

 

 

I wanted to try the Italian place for lunch but I was chained to the casino for their half hour drawings. I ended up just eating at the buffet, and still missed the next drawing. I finally caught up with M she had gone to brunch. She had yet another bad experience with the service there.

 

I'd only played video poker so far, no slots, so I tried my luck with slots. My favorite game is Howling Wolves or any of the spin offs that have the same game play. Not one single machine was open so I found another favorite, Quick Hits. I won a decent amount on my last spin before I was going to walk away. I took the money back over to video poker and crapped out again. I walked away for good for this trip, with less playing time in a week than I have managed in a day when I hit a hot streak. I would not be surprised if I fall off the premier invite list soon.

 

At 4pm I attended my first platnium/diamond party. It was a fun little gathering with free food and drinks. I didn't really need either at this point, but I couldn't resist.

 

 

[jam19872016]

Having no luck in the casino I attended the Lip Sync Battle in the theater tonight.

 

Getting the crowd warmed up.

 

 

Matt performing a variety of 80's hits.

 

 

Notice there are no poles in my line of sight, and I can easily see over the people in front of me.

 

The show was kinda lame. I loved Matt's performance as well as the performance by his ACD (can't remember his name now, but I bet he gets his own ship soon, he was hilarious) but as good as that was, it couldn't save the show. Maybe this is more entertaining on television but I didn't really care for it, even though it sounded like a cool idea on paper.

 

One towel heart wasn't enough, we got another one with turn down service tonight.

 

 

Never a fun sight to see, because you know it means your cruise is almost over.

 

[jam19872016]

So far this cruise we had only eaten in the MDR one night. We debated going to Cucina del Capitano for dinner but decided on going to the dining room tonight. As we entered, the waiters were parading the baked alaska and performing Leaving On A Funship.

 

 

 

Tonight's dinner menu.

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

For my starter I had the baked meatballs.

 

 

This was ok, but a little too salty to my liking.

 

For my main I had the jerk pork loin and the veal parmasean.

 

 

 

The pork loin was fantastic as always. The veal parmesan I still did not care for. I guess this is not something I like, I've tried it a couple times and don't like it. I will give up on this one and try something else next time.

 

Desert menu, less options than on other nights.

 

 

I ordered the baked alaska and after missing it all last cruise I was reunited with my old friend WCMC with two scoops of ice cream.

 

 

[jam19872016]

That baked alaska was absolutely amazing! This is what I was served on a previous cruise as baked alaska.

 

 

Wow! What a difference.

 

The WCMC was also quite good.

 

Overall a good meal and the service level I had come to expect on this cruise: indifferent.

 

M went back to the casino after dinner and I did some final wandering around the Vista.

 

A couple final atrium shots.

 

 

 

After the final drawing for the night at the casino we started winding down. We did our packing and I grabbed M some pizza and we turned in for the night for an early(ish) start tomorrow as we returned to reality.