Carnival Vista Review

[Rockypoint]

Here's my review our Carnival Vista Cruise, let me know if you have any questions.  

 

This was our 6th cruise on Carnival and our 5th ship. We are from Arizona and we love cruising. Closest ports to us are California and Galveston. We enjoy sailing out of Galveston because of the ships and the various port choices. California is more limited in both areas.

I read many negative reviews about the Vista so was a little nervous but the bottom line for us, we love to cruise, have fun, eat and be on the water, the Vista did not disappoint in those areas.

Highlights of the Vista and our cruise:

1) Food choices were amazing-Our party of 7 ate at the steakhouse the first night, incredible! House wine was free the first night of cruise in the steakhouse. The remaining nights we ate in the MDR. We thought everything was delicious and our waitstaff was awesome and would always provide recommendations and encourage us to try more than one meal. We had YTD. Other than the first elegant night, we never had a wait. The first elegant night we had a party of 11 and we went at prime time so we did have a wait, probably 45 minutes. The wait staff struggled with our group that first elegant night and made a lot of mistakes such as mixing up our orders, forgetting to refill our water, not providing bread and butter, but the meals were still delicious. We didn't complain but they recognized their errors anyway and apologized profusely and made up for it the remainder of the cruise.

We tried to eat at the various other locations throughout the cruise but we couldn't get them all in. Everything was great! The only issue we experienced for lines when it came to food was the pizza, there was always a long line and it seemed to move slow. But so many other choices, it didn't really matter.

2) Room and the room stewards-we had a cove balcony, this is our favorite type of room and as always did not disappoint. Our stewards did an amazing job, we selected service twice daily and they were like ninja's. We never saw them but our room was always clean. 

3) Bar choices-we always love Red Frog Pub, there were so many choices and each bar seemed to have their own special drinks. Some bartenders were more attentive than others but we figured out which one's were better and tipped accordingly. We did have the Cheers package which in our opinion makes the cruise so much better. No worry about the bill at the end, even if you don't drink that much I think it's worth it with the non-alcohol drinks included. If we didn't have that package I would be thinking about the bill every time I ordered a drink and probably hold back on ordering. Unfortunately, when cruising out of Galveston Cheers is not available until the 2nd day, that is always disappointing to us since that first day we seem to drink the most.

4) Deck chairs for laying in the sun-never had trouble finding a place to get sun or even shade. Plenty of places to find a spot, even quiet hidden away spots. My favorite was deck 5, outside of pixels, the bar-b-q place and the sushi place. Always quiet spaces to sit and enjoy the water.

5) Embarking and debarking-easy peasy, love the new system since the last time we cruised. Our check in time was between 12:30 and 1:00, walked right on, no waiting at any station. Loved this! Our luggage arrived to our room very quickly. When debarking, we were at the Houston airport by 11am, no issues whatsoever. We had the shuttle provided by Carnival to the airport which was very comfortable and quick. 

6) Hurricane Michael- not sure if this is a highlight but it was an adventure and the Carnival staff handled it perfectly by keeping us safe, calm and informed. The first 24 hours were a little crazy with the hurricane but thanks to the Carnival staff we were never afraid for our safety. You couldn't even walk down the hallways without a struggle. At 2am the first night they closed off our cove balcony with the steal door but opened it again the next day as soon as they could. 

Some low lights of our cruise:

1) Main lobby and entrance-We did miss the grand entrance and the lobby where you could always see up through the middle of the ship and the glass elevators. I read a lot of reviews about that and thought I wouldn't care, but I did miss it. It just wasn't the same. My husband never reads reviews and I don't share with him because I like to get his unbiased perspective and that was one of the first things he noticed. Bartenders were also the worst in the main lobby for some reason.

2) Elevators in general-we just planned on taking the stairs but if that is hard for you, plan on waiting a long time. Not sure if the staggered system works or not but I'm going to say it's not working based on the length of time we were always waiting. They have "express" elevators that only go to certain floors so you have to pay attention. The elevators are almost always full of people and they stop at every floor. A lot of time an elevator comes and you can't get on because it's too full. We didn't let it get to us, but a lot of people did!

3) Condition of ship-The Vista is a beautiful ship by all means, but we were surprised to see how worn the furniture around the ship already was with it being so new. The railings and furniture were very worn in many places. Also the seats in the piano bar and the comedy club were weird and uncomfortable. Hard to explain other than weird. 

4) Live entertainment-This just pertains to one show in particular that we attended, we don't attend many of the live shows in the theater but we went to one and it was horrible! So horrible it was funny, we went in a group and one by one we all had to leave. The show was a rock and roll themed show. The pre-show was fun, they were doing chalk tattoos, some comedy and good music playing but the real show was bad!

5) Spa-we bought the couples spa pass for the week and were very disappointed in the spa on the Vista. Nothing compared to the spa on the Magic or Breeze. Again, no awe factor and it was always crowded.

Some areas that I'm just not sure about:

1) The YTD check in process-It's strange to me and I'm not sure it's working but by the end we got used to it. It's weird and a little inconvenient to check in on deck 5 by the coffee shop and then go to the back of the ship from there and depending on where you are sitting in the dining room sometimes you then had to go down one deck. You have to check in again with the ticket they give you for your table. 

2) Cruise Director-Chris The Flying Scotsman, I'm not sure if I liked him or not. He was amazing in some aspects but then not so much in others and I was tired of the kilt at every turn. I really enjoy Matt Mitcham and his style of fun. Also, one of the sidekicks of Chris was Houston, the comedy director I think is his title. I did not enjoy him at all and he seemed to be everywhere. He always seemed bored and uninterested.

3) Family Harbor and Havana areas-while we didn't experience these actual areas, I felt to add them to the ship meant a lot was taken away and squished together. The lobby grandness, deck five-everything seemed to be squished together to be able to add these areas. The casino was on deck 4 instead of 5 and seemed smaller and extra smoky.

All in all, we had a fantastic cruise and we can't wait to do it again. We are planning for 2020 on the Panorama out of Long Beach.

[beerman2]

1) Low lights Main Lobby was that Atrium Bar?

  On our cruise in May the bartenders were great.

 

Loved the ever changing Champagne glass!

[pamici]

Thank you for the review! Any Fun Times copies?

[pianoplayerla]

Rockypoint, thanks for the review.  We are on the Vista in January, first time sailing out of Galveston.  We are a little apprehensive since we normally sail out of New Orleans and just don't know what to expect in Galveston.  
I'm sure there will be things on the ship that will be different, but hey, it's a cruise and it is pretty hard to mess that up!!!!  😉

[BallFour4]

Really liked your review, and I must agree with you on the descriptions. We were aboard the Vista a few weeks ago and after cruising on everything that's sailed from Galveston with a funnel or Viking Crown lounge the Vista didn't appeal to us. I thought the show lounge looked like a ballroom at a suburban Marriott. Those removable chairs are interesting to say the least.

Here's a video I put together of my photos.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yilymwwdbplrses/Vista Tour 2018.mov?dl=0

.

Edited November 16, 2018 by BallFour4

[Rockypoint]

On 11/10/2018 at 8:06 PM, beerman2 said:

1) Low lights Main Lobby was that Atrium Bar?

  On our cruise in May the bartenders were great.

 

Loved the ever changing Champagne glass!

Yes, the Main Lobby Atrium Bar, the bartenders during our cruise were awful to us.  Completely ignored us most of the time, not sure why other than we had cheers but always tipped extra if they were good to us.  Needless to say, the bartenders at that bar did not receive any extra tips from us.

[Rockypoint]

On 11/16/2018 at 9:51 AM, pamici said:

Thank you for the review! Any Fun Times copies?

Oh sorry, I didn't keep copies or pictures of the fun times.

[Chervil]

Great review! Thanks!

We sail end of January, so definitely interested in hearing as much about her as I can.

With the YTD, I have heard that if you like a particular waitstaff, they can give you their card and you can just go directly to the entrance of that dining room and present the card to get seated in their area, instead of having to go to deck 5. 
Not sure if true on Vista but I know we did that on our last cruise on the Breeze and it worked.
Although with a group of 11 it might be different

 

The Flying Scotsman was our CD on The Dream and we loved him! So far our favorite CD!

Lots of energy and always seemed to be smiling and ready to engage the passengers.
But I have been hearing wonderful things about Matt Mitcham and he is our CD for this next cruise, so we're looking forward to being able to compare them!

 

We booked the steakhouse for Sunday night. How was that free bottle of wine?
Is it just a basic house wine or do you get to choose the style (Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.?)
Also, any recommendations for the steakhouse? It is our first time eating there, but we wanted to do something different this trip!

[LHARTWICK]

Thank you for posting such an honest review without all the negativity!  We sail on the Vista December 9.  Thanks also for the information re: the YTD system.  I agree - does seem really bizarre.  I guess we'll just have to go with it though.

 

Re: sailing out of Galveston:  I think you'll find it easier than NOLA - at least we do for sure.  We've sailed out of Galveston several times and it is much preferred over NOLA for us.

 

Re:  the free wine in the steakhouse on the first night:  you have your choice of white or red.  We usually get the red, and it has been from Chile on all of our Carnival cruises.

 

Some aspects of this ship certainly do seem different from what we are used to, but it sure beats being at work!  LOL!

[pianoplayerla]

LHARTWICK where do you park when sailing out of Galveston?? I know the garage across the street is available, but we would prefer someplace with a shuttle. There will be 4 adults and a 3 year old (and all the extras that go with him), so really don't want to walk. And I prefer not to be dropped off with the luggage, either. Thoughts??

[LHARTWICK]

We’ve always used Lighthouse Parking and have been very pleased. They have covered and uncovered parking. You’ll need a reservation for either. They provide shuttle service. They also have coupon codes to use when booking. Just do a search and you’ll find the current code. Not sure what you mean by not being dropped off with luggage? All shuttles/cabs will drop you off at terminal building. You’ll then take your larger pieces of luggage to drop off with porter. Smaller pieces can stay with you.

[Mikew0805]

Thanks for the review. We go on the Horizon tomorrow, and all along I have thought the same thing about the lobby atrium. Oh well.

[LuckyStar]

Thanks for the review!  I'm really apprehensive of the Vista in April but my sister wanted to try a newer ship and hey, it's a cruise!  I'll find lots of positive stuff!

 

[Shaded Lady]

I really like sailing out of Galveston. We always stay in a local hotel, usually on the beach and enjoy Galveston the night before. For parking we used EZCruise… it's close to the ship but still has a shuttle. We've also used Galveston Park N Cruise which is one block closer to the ship. It's an easy walk but I'm not sure if they also have a shuttle. Both are about the same price, usually a couple dollars more than Lighthouse, but closer (you can easily walk if needed).

 

Our first cruise on Vista is in June and I'm so stoked- thanks for the review!

[TYinPalmSprings]

We just returned from the December 9th sailing on the Vista. Like the above review, there were some + and - experiences. I will share both, honestly. 

Embarkation was late, due, they said, to a late arrival due to weather. We were contacted and told to delay check in an additional hour. We ended up standing in a line in 40 degree weather for an hour and a half, given a Zone number but when we got inside that area was not to be found. Seems they did not have a card available identifying that area and was told to sit anywhere.  Your scheduled boarding time was irrelevant in the scheme of things. Lots of confusion. Large amounts of Diamond/ Platinum , and FTTF folks were loaded on, then it all moved fast through.  This was not the first time a ship arrived late, but they conducted themselves that way. 

Our cabin was inside on deck 8, AFT, and was nicely arranged, clean, and had suitable storage. Everything in the cabin worked fine, and the room was serviced daily without any problems. The empty refrigerator was a nice option. The ride was smooth, except for one evening when the seas were a bit choppy, but it was no big deal.

We originally requested first dinner seating, but given Anytime Dining (ATD). Having bad experience with ATD (waiting an hour or more for a table) we tried to get it changed before, but told to do it on board. When we got on we tried again, but told rep was only available a short time, and it was while we were waiting to get on. We called from our cabin to see if they would  change it, and said they would let us know in 24 hours. We never heard from them again. As it turned out, though, the ATD worked out fine for the times we ate in the Horizon Dining Room (deck 4). We just went there, directly, early, at 5:30, which got us out of there in time for the 7:30 shows, something tough to accomplish when at the first seating that began at 6 AM. They seated us at the same table with the same servers throughout the trip. Most of the food served was better than expected, but not as good as on the Freedom earlier in the year.   Service was friendly and efficient. Tablecloths only present on the two formal nights, which other times made you feel like you were eating in a diner. 

The Lido was good for breakfast, and the quality and preparation of the food was great. Lunch was another story. Lots of odd foods/food prep, however their desserts were the best of the day. One day from the deli, I ended up with fireworks coming from both ends for about 7 hours. Probably the mayonaisse on my turkey wrap. Tried Guys Burgers three different times. Each time the burgers were overcooked, totally dried out, and/or burnt. French fries were cooked in too hot a grease as they were brown but raw inside. Guys Pork was.. meh, with no white chicken meat, and pretty dry options. Went to the Italian restaurant one day and had meat lasagna that was weird. It had brisket in it instead of the traditional ground beef, and everything in it but the kitchen sink. It was gross. At time were were refused caesar salad due to the romaine lettuce issue, other times they just served it to us. Even though there was 4000 passengers on this ship, we never had a problem finding seating in the dining areas.

The Liquid Lounge was not a venue for a large crowd. A lot of seating was obstructed on both levels. Not sure what they were thinking when they designed it. Get there early and sit as far to the front as you can.. Skip the upstairs option, as you will regret it. The shows were....meh...and not as spectacular as previous offerings. Talent was mixed and although there were different themes for each of the four shows, they were on the same exact format, featuring the same 4 singers. 

Were were advised by staff that there was 850 children on this cruise, which surprised us as it is not school break. Also advised it was a special designated gaming cruise. Often the inadequate amount of elevators were not working. Lots of child-related and gaming activities, good for those it applies to, but not applicable to us, so we cannot rate. We also do not drink alcohol so bar service and quality I'll skip. 

Not many quiet spots on this ship. Music was piped just about everywhere but the library, but we were told to leave as they wanted to use it for an art sale, or a bridge tournament. Lots of sad, soulful jazz, mostly , was everywhere. Certainly not "fun" music.

Shore excursions were good. We did them all through Carnival. On Cozumel, that we have been to many times, we elected to do Discovery Mexico. It was only $19 per person, was 10 minutes on shuttle from the ship. They had represented, in a village, many of the Mayan and Aztec pyramids and ruins, described by a guide who met us at the shuttle. We then viewed a demonstration of of the Flyers who descent off a pole with ropes around their ankles. If we did this on our own it would have cost $26 and without transportation. Happy with this one.

At Belize, we opted for their shorex of the Mayan site Xunatunich. It was a full day with a VERY comfortable two hour bus ride, accompanied by a guide who spoke all along with way. She did a great job. Last time we sat this ruin was over 20 years ago, and much had been done to further excavate it. The trip included a decent lunch of local food (chicken and coconut rice and beans) 

On Roatan, we opted for the the monkey/parrot/sloth trip. It was fun and included first like a batch of Capuccine monkeys who would leap on people's heads, shoulders, arms. Also a few cave museums displaying insects, or explaing the hsitory fo the island. Nice take, reasonably priced.

Disembarkation was a nightmare, even worse than embarkation. We arrived at port early (around 5:30 AM) and cleared early by customs. We were told all had to be off the ship by 10:35 AM. We had to be out of our cabins by 8:30 AM. Although they started early with those self-carting their own luggage at about 8 AM, they started with Deck 1 versus the top of the ship. By the time they got to deck 6 it was 10:15...then they announced there would be a 10 minute break for those workers doing the processing. Half an hour later, they announced those with check luggage from zone 7-10 could exit..but never let the rest of the self-assist folks from decks 7-10 leave, telling us we had to wait. The halls, the casino, the lobbies were packed with people. Of course the Diamond. Platinum, FTTF folks got an undisclosed different departure arrangement. Finally a bunch of us "that's it". We just got in line and left, only to discover that there was no control on who was leaving when. Many of the elevators were still not working and thousands of people were dragging their bags up or down stairs.  The line snaked around, and when we got close to the exit, as  set of elevators opened with people dumping into the lines in front of those who were gradually making their way. These were elevators originally marked as non-working, so we all assumed it was "select" level passengers. It was a mess with angry people, pushing and shoving. When we finally got off the ship, and walking to our car, it was 11:30, and we hear the announcement for people on our deck to get into line to depart.     

In conclusion, we felt it was just okay, but the ship too big for Carnival to effectively handle, and not a good experience if you are a  first time cruiser, first to Carnival, or not in a higher level ranking on their line. 

 

[Rh2458]

I tend to read more into what's written I think, but what exactly do you mean, they said,  "a late arrival due to weather"? Do you think there really was another reason?  Also, isn't it possible they got the elevators working again, or they were shut down to transfer luggage, and then reopened when the lines were getting too long? 

For anyone else that has sailed on the Vista, was your departure experience the same? I'm just wondering about our return flight home, although we didn't book too early, it's at 2:15. 

[Hunter69]

Thank You; very much for your reviews; as i was thinking about cruising Vista; as my favourite Captain (Vittorio); is now in charge & a wonderful gentleman.. Sounds like we have Embarking & Dis-Embarking much better here in Australia. Our ship's don't seem to get in late or have as much Diamond/Platnium FTTF passengers....

But thank you the feed back on food & entertainment & the ship itself...

 

[TYinPalmSprings]

1 hour ago, Rh2458 said:

I tend to read more into what's written I think, but what exactly do you mean, they said,  "a late arrival due to weather"? Do you think there really was another reason?  Also, isn't it possible they got the elevators working again, or they were shut down to transfer luggage, and then reopened when the lines were getting too long? 

For anyone else that has sailed on the Vista, was your departure experience the same? I'm just wondering about our return flight home, although we didn't book too early, it's at 2:15. 

They handed out a sheet that said that the ship arrived late due to weather. Once on board, I heard more than once from staff that they encountered rough seas on the return to Galveston. It was cold and windy at the dock. A week later, The day my cruise returned, we actually pulled in early. The seas were calm the night before, and the weather clear. Select folks (Diamond, FTTF) and those lucky enough to be self-assists on decks 1 and 2, were off the ship as early as 7:30.  We were coming from Deck 8, dragging our own bags off. At 10:45 me, and all self assists on Decks 7-10 were still on the ship. As far as the elevators are concerned, those marked "X" , not that full, were dumping people out close to the exit on Deck 3. The luggage was moved to the transit area the night before. 

 

One couple near us was upset, as they had a flight out of Hobby that they were not going to make.  Hope you are a higher level cruiser or lucky enough to be an early release/ 

Good luck. Have a safe and enjoyable cruise.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by TYinPalmSprings
elevator add

[LHARTWICK]

We sailed on Vista December 9, the day the ship arrived late due to weather.  We received an e-mail the day before sailing alerting us to the situation.  Since we are Platinum, when we arrived at the terminal we didn’t wait in any lines, checked in, and walked in to the waiting area.  The boarding began about 15-20 minutes later.  For debarkation, we did self assist walk off as we always do.  We were in the first group to leave - 7:30 AM.  Customs took about 20 minutes to get through, but that’s typical when the ship stops in Honduras, at least that’s been our experience.  Debarkation was very smooth and organized for us.  From our observation a LOT of passengers were trying to get to deck 3 on debarkation day, but only Diamond/Platinum were allowed on that deck during that time.  Crew did a great job of enforcing it.  I’m not sure if others were told to go to deck 3 and the plan was changed at the last minute??  In summary, we were very pleased with our embarkation/debarkation experience for Vista in Galveston.  Being Platinum/Diamond really pays off on these days.  We’ve already rebooked another cruise on Vista out of Galveston.  Had a great time!

[Wallbanger]

16 hours ago, Rh2458 said:

I tend to read more into what's written I think, but what exactly do you mean, they said,  "a late arrival due to weather"? Do you think there really was another reason?  Also, isn't it possible they got the elevators working again, or they were shut down to transfer luggage, and then reopened when the lines were getting too long? 

For anyone else that has sailed on the Vista, was your departure experience the same? I'm just wondering about our return flight home, although we didn't book too early, it's at 2:15. 

We sailed the Vista November 11th and unfortunately the departure experience was has been as described in other posts. This was our tenth cruise and by far the worst disembarkation of all. Not sure what the problem was but it just seemed to be poorly organized. We arrived at our vehicle at 11:30 which is about two hours longer than past experiences. For this and other reasons I am not a fan of Vista. My preference is that the Breeze would have remained in Galveston.

[TYinPalmSprings]

31 minutes ago, Wallbanger said:

We sailed the Vista November 11th and unfortunately the departure experience was has been as described in other posts. This was our tenth cruise and by far the worst disembarkation of all. Not sure what the problem was but it just seemed to be poorly organized. We arrived at our vehicle at 11:30 which is about two hours longer than past experiences. For this and other reasons I am not a fan of Vista. My preference is that the Breeze would have remained in Galveston.

The CD mentioned that they cannot fill their big ships in places like Los Angeles, but easily do so in Galveston. There are loads of Platinum/Diamond folks coming out of Galveston, more than I experienced from other ports, and those I talked with said they cruised primarily from this port and primarily only on Carnival. So, unless you reach that level with them, that is, over the equivalent of 75 cruise days, your plight on disembarking in a reasonable amount of time, is a crap shoot.The disembark process for the general passenger is defined (but not followed) and  the process for Platinum/Diamond folks is only referred to as "Special". As you can see form the comment above from a Platinum person...no problems and another cruise pending. WIth so many Platinum/Diamond on these cruises from Galveston, and with their special other benefits (like jumping lines, prioritized dining reservation, priority tenders) it leaves those new to cruising or those in lesser level groups (blue, red,gold) left with reduced services and delays. Not the way to attract new cruisers. If it continues at the rate it is, there will be so many Platinum/Diamond, that they will have to refine it further, or there will be no people burned at the lower levels returning to Carnival from this port.

[LHARTWICK]

The Platinum/Diamond reunion party that we attend on the Carnival ships out of Galveston don't seem to have any more attendees than what we experience at the same parties with RCCL and PCL out of other ports.  That's just our experience. 

 

Honestly, our disembarkation experience on the Vista was much better than our experience on the Breeze last December.  The staff in our disembarkation lounge was really making sure everyone followed the procedure (first passengers in line leave first).  On the Breeze, once they announced everyone could leave it was every man for himself.  One man started yelling at us saying we weren't following the instructions when we were following the exact instructions the crew members were giving us.  He was a real piece of work!

[LHARTWICK]

On ‎12‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 11:14 AM, TYinPalmSprings said:

We just returned from the December 9th sailing on the Vista. Like the above review, there were some + and - experiences. I will share both, honestly. 

Embarkation was late, due, they said, to a late arrival due to weather. We were contacted and told to delay check in an additional hour. We ended up standing in a line in 40 degree weather for an hour and a half, given a Zone number but when we got inside that area was not to be found. Seems they did not have a card available identifying that area and was told to sit anywhere.  Your scheduled boarding time was irrelevant in the scheme of things. Lots of confusion. Large amounts of Diamond/ Platinum , and FTTF folks were loaded on, then it all moved fast through.  This was not the first time a ship arrived late, but they conducted themselves that way. 

Our cabin was inside on deck 8, AFT, and was nicely arranged, clean, and had suitable storage. Everything in the cabin worked fine, and the room was serviced daily without any problems. The empty refrigerator was a nice option. The ride was smooth, except for one evening when the seas were a bit choppy, but it was no big deal.

We originally requested first dinner seating, but given Anytime Dining (ATD). Having bad experience with ATD (waiting an hour or more for a table) we tried to get it changed before, but told to do it on board. When we got on we tried again, but told rep was only available a short time, and it was while we were waiting to get on. We called from our cabin to see if they would  change it, and said they would let us know in 24 hours. We never heard from them again. As it turned out, though, the ATD worked out fine for the times we ate in the Horizon Dining Room (deck 4). We just went there, directly, early, at 5:30, which got us out of there in time for the 7:30 shows, something tough to accomplish when at the first seating that began at 6 AM. They seated us at the same table with the same servers throughout the trip. Most of the food served was better than expected, but not as good as on the Freedom earlier in the year.   Service was friendly and efficient. Tablecloths only present on the two formal nights, which other times made you feel like you were eating in a diner. 

The Lido was good for breakfast, and the quality and preparation of the food was great. Lunch was another story. Lots of odd foods/food prep, however their desserts were the best of the day. One day from the deli, I ended up with fireworks coming from both ends for about 7 hours. Probably the mayonaisse on my turkey wrap. Tried Guys Burgers three different times. Each time the burgers were overcooked, totally dried out, and/or burnt. French fries were cooked in too hot a grease as they were brown but raw inside. Guys Pork was.. meh, with no white chicken meat, and pretty dry options. Went to the Italian restaurant one day and had meat lasagna that was weird. It had brisket in it instead of the traditional ground beef, and everything in it but the kitchen sink. It was gross. At time were were refused caesar salad due to the romaine lettuce issue, other times they just served it to us. Even though there was 4000 passengers on this ship, we never had a problem finding seating in the dining areas.

The Liquid Lounge was not a venue for a large crowd. A lot of seating was obstructed on both levels. Not sure what they were thinking when they designed it. Get there early and sit as far to the front as you can.. Skip the upstairs option, as you will regret it. The shows were....meh...and not as spectacular as previous offerings. Talent was mixed and although there were different themes for each of the four shows, they were on the same exact format, featuring the same 4 singers. 

Were were advised by staff that there was 850 children on this cruise, which surprised us as it is not school break. Also advised it was a special designated gaming cruise. Often the inadequate amount of elevators were not working. Lots of child-related and gaming activities, good for those it applies to, but not applicable to us, so we cannot rate. We also do not drink alcohol so bar service and quality I'll skip. 

Not many quiet spots on this ship. Music was piped just about everywhere but the library, but we were told to leave as they wanted to use it for an art sale, or a bridge tournament. Lots of sad, soulful jazz, mostly , was everywhere. Certainly not "fun" music.

Shore excursions were good. We did them all through Carnival. On Cozumel, that we have been to many times, we elected to do Discovery Mexico. It was only $19 per person, was 10 minutes on shuttle from the ship. They had represented, in a village, many of the Mayan and Aztec pyramids and ruins, described by a guide who met us at the shuttle. We then viewed a demonstration of of the Flyers who descent off a pole with ropes around their ankles. If we did this on our own it would have cost $26 and without transportation. Happy with this one.

At Belize, we opted for their shorex of the Mayan site Xunatunich. It was a full day with a VERY comfortable two hour bus ride, accompanied by a guide who spoke all along with way. She did a great job. Last time we sat this ruin was over 20 years ago, and much had been done to further excavate it. The trip included a decent lunch of local food (chicken and coconut rice and beans) 

On Roatan, we opted for the the monkey/parrot/sloth trip. It was fun and included first like a batch of Capuccine monkeys who would leap on people's heads, shoulders, arms. Also a few cave museums displaying insects, or explaing the hsitory fo the island. Nice take, reasonably priced.

Disembarkation was a nightmare, even worse than embarkation. We arrived at port early (around 5:30 AM) and cleared early by customs. We were told all had to be off the ship by 10:35 AM. We had to be out of our cabins by 8:30 AM. Although they started early with those self-carting their own luggage at about 8 AM, they started with Deck 1 versus the top of the ship. By the time they got to deck 6 it was 10:15...then they announced there would be a 10 minute break for those workers doing the processing. Half an hour later, they announced those with check luggage from zone 7-10 could exit..but never let the rest of the self-assist folks from decks 7-10 leave, telling us we had to wait. The halls, the casino, the lobbies were packed with people. Of course the Diamond. Platinum, FTTF folks got an undisclosed different departure arrangement. Finally a bunch of us "that's it". We just got in line and left, only to discover that there was no control on who was leaving when. Many of the elevators were still not working and thousands of people were dragging their bags up or down stairs.  The line snaked around, and when we got close to the exit, as  set of elevators opened with people dumping into the lines in front of those who were gradually making their way. These were elevators originally marked as non-working, so we all assumed it was "select" level passengers. It was a mess with angry people, pushing and shoving. When we finally got off the ship, and walking to our car, it was 11:30, and we hear the announcement for people on our deck to get into line to depart.     

In conclusion, we felt it was just okay, but the ship too big for Carnival to effectively handle, and not a good experience if you are a  first time cruiser, first to Carnival, or not in a higher level ranking on their line. 

 

Wow - we were on this sailing, and our experience was a 180.  Ate at Guy's several times, and it was always good, as it has been on previous cruises.  Liquid Lounge is definitely horribly designed, however, we absolutely loved the big production shows.  It reminded us of how the shows used to be when we started cruises many years ago.  Great vocals and dancers and a live band to boot.  Any large production show we've ever seen on a cruise has featured the same singers in each show.  Not every dancer can sing, so there's usually 3-4 who are doing the singing.  We never noticed a lack of elevator service.  I think we've just become used to it, so it doesn't bother us.  You learn to get on an elevator regardless of which direction it's going.  And one set is always X'd out on embarkation/debarkation day.  Loved the Sky Ride, and Serenity is always a nice quiet place - adults only.  Loved Matt the CD!!  Sorry your cruise was so horrible.  Even on my worst cruise I'm thankful to be on the ship and NOT at work!  We've already booked Vista again.

[TYinPalmSprings]

28 minutes ago, LHARTWICK said:

Wow - we were on this sailing, and our experience was a 180.  Ate at Guy's several times, and it was always good, as it has been on previous cruises.  Liquid Lounge is definitely horribly designed, however, we absolutely loved the big production shows.  It reminded us of how the shows used to be when we started cruises many years ago.  Great vocals and dancers and a live band to boot.  Any large production show we've ever seen on a cruise has featured the same singers in each show.  Not every dancer can sing, so there's usually 3-4 who are doing the singing.  We never noticed a lack of elevator service.  I think we've just become used to it, so it doesn't bother us.  You learn to get on an elevator regardless of which direction it's going.  And one set is always X'd out on embarkation/debarkation day.  Loved the Sky Ride, and Serenity is always a nice quiet place - adults only.  Loved Matt the CD!!  Sorry your cruise was so horrible.  Even on my worst cruise I'm thankful to be on the ship and NOT at work!  We've already booked Vista again.

You mentioned, too, that you are Platinum/ Diamond. Not the same experience for those not afforded the perks of your level, like special arrangements for embarkation, disembarking. priority dining, first on tenders, and jumping lines, reserved seats etc. That does not leave a good taste in the mouth of new or lesser level folks. It can be the cause of a lot of frustration and set off tempers from those who wait in long lines to see others walk up in front of them and get immediate service.  It may also cost Carnival as those may seek other lines or travel through other ports. I cruise various lines, and not primarily, or exclusively. Carnival (although I had my first experience with Carnival back in the 70s) , so I do see it a different way. As far as  the shows, I compare them to those from recent and previous cruises not only on Carnival, but on other lines.  

Hey, but good for you.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by TYinPalmSprings
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[NovCruisin]

On 12/26/2018 at 1:18 PM, TYinPalmSprings said:

You mentioned, too, that you are Platinum/ Diamond. Not the same experience for those not afforded the perks of your level, like special arrangements for embarkation, disembarking. priority dining, first on tenders, and jumping lines, reserved seats etc. That does not leave a good taste in the mouth of new or lesser level folks. It can be the cause of a lot of frustration and set off tempers from those who wait in long lines to see others walk up in front of them and get immediate service.  It may also cost Carnival as those may seek other lines or travel through other ports. I cruise various lines, and not primarily, or exclusively. Carnival (although I had my first experience with Carnival back in the 70s) , so I do see it a different way. As far as  the shows, I compare them to those from recent and previous cruises not only on Carnival, but on other lines.  

Hey, but good for you.

 

 

You do realize that the OP became Platinum from cruising frequently with Carnival 🤨 You too can have these same 'perks' by sailing on Carnival and racking up points. The jealous tone of your post is really not warranted towards the OP.

 

BTW - I say this as a person who also cruises various lines and so I am only Red in Carnival's loyalty program and get virtually no perks (I think I get like 1 free bottle of water...that's it).