Vista love

[kwaltersmi]

Just here to give a little love to Vista. We just got off her last week and have no complaints.

 

Our background: We've done 3 cruises total - 1 on Crown Princess, 1 on Victory, and this one on Vista.

 

The decor is neutral and pleasant (if a bit boring). The staff is excellent, including lively Matt Mitchum. We never waited in a line for anything (including Liquid Lounge or Limelight) except SkyRide, which was typically about a 30 -60 minute wait. We typically showed up only about 5 minutes before entertainment and never had an issue finding seats.

 

Food was excellent, although we never ate at the Lido Marketplace except the omelet station the first morning, which didn't have a line. Otherwise we had breakfast in Ocean Plaza, lunches at Guys/Blue Iguana and dinner at Bonsai (once) and the MDR (YTD). We also tried the deli late (early, actually!) one night, which was excellent. Probably the least impressive food we had all week was a pepperoni pizza from Pizza Pyrate...it was fine, but nothing special.

 

Bar staff was excellent too. Our favorites were probably the Tides Bar and Red Frog Pub. A shout out to the great bar tenders in RFP! They're a bit reserved and quiet at first, but very pleasant once you strike up a conversation. They even went out of their way to pour a couple of smoked porters off the secondary fermenter in the brewery when we asked to try something not yet on tap. We also spent time at Alchemy (just so-so service), Ocean Plaza Bar, RFRB, BITB, Atrium Bar and a few others. Cheers was enjoyable. Eden at the Piano Bar was an outstanding entertainer.

 

My overall impression of Vista is that she's a beautiful ship with an excellent staff. She has lots of good food options and almost too many activities and entertainment to fit them all in within a week.

[BigLar1]

Going on Vista next month! Great to read this review!

[dna529]

Thanks for your review! Going next month.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Forums mobile app

[lcpagejr]

Glad you had a good cruise.... We had a similar experience back in November on her. One of our best cruises to date

[LakeWobegon]

Great review. Going on Vista in August. Looking forward to RFP as I loved having the District Brewhouse on Escape. Nothing against light beers but it just tastes like water to me these days. Anyway, thanks again. Our family is looking forward to this one.

[wenny101]

Thanks for the Review. I’ll be on the Vista next Saturday. Can’t wait!! It’s good to see a positive review.

[lcpagejr]

Great review. Going on Vista in August. Looking forward to RFP as I loved having the District Brewhouse on Escape. Nothing against light beers but it just tastes like water to me these days. Anyway, thanks again. Our family is looking forward to this one.

 

Do the Brewery tour.... You will be able to sample all their varieties that they brew on board!!

[kwaltersmi]

To address a few of the usual Vista complaints...

 

The sight lines can be bad in the Liquid Lounge (as many have stated before) for stage shows, but there are plenty of good seats too. And even if you wander in 5 minutes before the show (like we usually did), you can get a decent seat in the balcony. And if you don't have a decent seat, order a drink, enjoy the show and relax...you're on a cruise!

 

We did notice the Lido Marketplace was busy with long-ish lines at lunch, but there are so many other options that it's your choice if you want to wait in line or not.

 

Deck chairs around the Beach Pool and Tides Pool can become scarce, but there's plenty of other areas just steps away that are fine and available. Staff were diligently using the sticker system for chair hogs on both sea days. Also, there's some great outdoor seating on deck five in the Lanai area and at the RFP outdoors. We never found time to sit there, but we walked by several times throughout the cruise and both areas were essentially empty. We were able to get a day bed in Serenity on the last sea day and a couple of loungers there on the afternoon of a shore day.

 

A few other tips/observations...

 

The "secret decks" forward (I think on deck 7, 10, 11) were great for taking a cup of coffee and watching the port come into view on the horizon. These were super windy and fun spots to watch the bow split some waves during evenings on passage too.

 

Don't forget your "White Party" attire if you're into the deck/atrium parties. I'm not sure if this is a Matt Mitchum original or not, but we didn't know about it and were one of just a few without white clothing that night.

 

The snack menu at the RFP is awesome with some great grub like conch fritters and grouper bites for just a few bucks. You can purchase a nice 16oz monogramed RFP/Carnival pint glass from the bartenders there too. We even saw someone purchase one of the Thirsty Frog tap handles.

 

Odwalla smoothies were not included in Cheers at the Java Blue Cafe. I like a smoothie for a mid-morning snack, so I ponied up the $4.99 after I learned it wasn't included with Cheers. We did stock up on Vitamin water and Carnival bottled water from Cheers in our cabin fridge so we had beverages for shore and for after a late night at shows/bars.

 

We picked up a couple of free S&S card lanyards from casino staff on day two. We tried on day one, but they simply referred us to the for-sale lanyards in the atrium then.

 

One of the chairs on the standard balconies should have an adjustable back, so lean back and kick your feet up while enjoying the sea air and views!

[17andacruiseaddict]

Going on this ship of my honeymoon!

[Joebucks]

I have yet to cruise the Vista. I see lots of hate for that ship, but I am confident that I would absolutely enjoy it with all it has to offer. With the Horizon and Panorama on the way, I'll definitely get my chance to experience that class sooner than later!

[lcpagejr]

I have yet to cruise the Vista. I see lots of hate for that ship, but I am confident that I would absolutely enjoy it with all it has to offer. With the Horizon and Panorama on the way, I'll definitely get my chance to experience that class sooner than later!

 

You will love Vista and the others in this class...Every new ship seems to get the "cold shoulder"..... Look at the other cruiseline boards on their new ships...similar banter.

[Sizzlechest]

You will love Vista and the others in this class...Every new ship seems to get the "cold shoulder"..... Look at the other cruiseline boards on their new ships...similar banter.

 

IT's not because they're new. It's because the new ships are often bigger, more crowded yet with smaller venues. They pack more venues on the larger ship, but when everyone wants to do the same thing at the same time, long wait times and lines form. It was the same problem with the NCL's Breakaway. Add on top of that many of the cruise companies are cutting back on staff and people really begin to dislike the larger ships.

[JaniceB]

Thanks for sharing some Vista love!

[mdin]

Nice review. I had a great cruise on the Vista and it's probably my favorite ship.

[lcpagejr]

IT's not because they're new. It's because the new ships are often bigger, more crowded yet with smaller venues. They pack more venues on the larger ship, but when everyone wants to do the same thing at the same time, long wait times and lines form. It was the same problem with the NCL's Breakaway. Add on top of that many of the cruise companies are cutting back on staff and people really begin to dislike the larger ships.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion....but I Disagree... I have cruised every class of Carnival ship.... The Vista did not feel crowded at all and we had what we considered the most attentive and friendly service on our Vista cruise in November. Actually the Vista and Breeze are my 2 favorite ships and those class ships were the last built.

[Saint Greg]

Thanks for the review. Did the no line thing include adult comedy?

[Cap'n Ron]

I would mostly agree with the OP. Sea days are definitely more congested, but manageable. Otherwise, Vista is a great ship and we are really looking forward to our Horizon cruise in 2019. Sky Ride was surprisingly fun, and the food, service and entertainment were all very good. Anyone on the fence should definitely book it and enjoy the cruise! She's a beautiful ship!

 

Sent from my XT1635-02 using Forums mobile app

[globetrotterjay]

Whaaat certain smoothies aren’t included?

[Sizzlechest]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion....but I Disagree... I have cruised every class of Carnival ship.... The Vista did not feel crowded at all and we had what we considered the most attentive and friendly service on our Vista cruise in November. Actually the Vista and Breeze are my 2 favorite ships and those class ships were the last built.

 

I haven't sailed the Vista, so I'm not saying it applies to that ship. I'm disputing the "people hate new ships" rubric. I'm going to be sailing the Horizon in July, so I'll see for myself if the design flaws of the Breakway apply to the Vista/Horizon.

[Shaded Lady]

We're booked on Vista for June 2019- we're taking my daughter, SIL & grandson on their first cruise and I was starting to get a bit concerned with all the negative comments about Vista. This review made me feel better as it seems that a lot of the stuff we like to do coincides with their experiences...

 

Thanks for the update!:D

[thesmiths]

We have not yet sailed on the Vista but will in May.

 

I already have a love hate for her.

 

I am going to love my cruise and Hate to get off of her!

 

Can't wait.

[nidaco]

Thanks for your review. We are sailing in April and are pretty excited about the ship.

 

Did you happen to visit the Havana pool area after 7PM? Was it crowded?

[TigerGalCruiser]

Thanks for the review! We're cruising on the Vista this June! I can't wait!

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[ladyhawke1001]

Just wondering, were you on the East or West sailing? What nights were elegant nights?

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.