Carnival Vista Review

[TYinPalmSprings]

1 hour ago, NovCruisin said:

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). 

 

If it makes you feel good sidestepping others in line, getting priorities over others, or through other perks, you can just pay extra for FTTF, which was available to me when I booked.  I could  easily afford it, but do not feel it is right to walk in front of others waiting in a line, or delay their services because I am, well, "special". Some people get off on this though, and brag about it.  Not very nice.  I was standing in a line in guest services on this last Vista cruise, and behind me was a young guy and his family. They looked unhappy. While chatting with him, he explained that they had saved for a while for this first cruise, something special for them, but they were so disappointed as a result of what they considered lesser treatment, and that they would never sail again.  I assured him that it is not always like this, and that it depends on the cruise line, and the port, and Galveston Carnival cruises are notorious for this high amount of advanced level cruisers which pushes everyone else's  services back. Other around me chimed in. I then let him in front of me. BTW, they have me classified as "gold". I gave away the free two bottles of water, gave away the free alcoholic drink,  and did not walk around with the pin. Jealousy? hardly.

 

Edited December 28, 2018 by TYinPalmSprings

[NovCruisin]

1 hour ago, TYinPalmSprings said:

If it makes you feel good sidestepping others in line, getting priorities over others, or through other perks, you can just pay extra for FTTF, which was available to me when I booked.  I could  easily afford it, but do not feel it is right to walk in front of others waiting in a line, or delay their services because I am, well, "special". Some people get off on this though, and brag about it.  Not very nice.  I was standing in a line in guest services on this last Vista cruise, and behind me was a young guy and his family. They looked unhappy. While chatting with him, he explained that they had saved for a while for this first cruise, something special for them, but they were so disappointed as a result of what they considered lesser treatment, and that they would never sail again.  I assured him that it is not always like this, and that it depends on the cruise line, and the port, and Galveston Carnival cruises are notorious for this high amount of advanced level cruisers which pushes everyone else's  services back. Other around me chimed in. I then let him in front of me. BTW, they have me classified as "gold". I gave away the free two bottles of water, gave away the free alcoholic drink,  and did not walk around with the pin. Jealousy? hardly.

 

Who said anything about someone getting their kicks at others not receiving perks? This is a benefit to the cruiser from the cruise line for their loyalty. Just like if I use a reward card to rack up Starbucks purchases and after the 9th drink, the 10th is free. That's a perk because of loyalty...not so I can sidestep others who have to pay for their coffee.

 

If you feel so slighted by cruise line perks, you can take a vacation somewhere else. No one forces you to cruise.

 

I have a feeling you are not getting this concept, so I'll leave it at that. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by NovCruisin

[TYinPalmSprings]

1 hour ago, NovCruisin said:

Who said anything about someone getting their kicks at others not receiving perks? This is a benefit to the cruiser from the cruise line for their loyalty. Just like if I use a reward card to rack up Starbucks purchases and after the 9th drink, the 10th is free. That's a perk because of loyalty...not so I can sidestep others who have to pay for their coffee.

 

If you feel so slighted by cruise line perks, you can take a vacation somewhere else. No one forces you to cruise.

 

I have a feeling you are not getting this concept, so I'll leave it at that. 

FTTF is not for loyalty. It's a purchased prioritization. Some people obviously feel a need to feel special. Sure, that, and the high amount of high level repeat cruisers on Carnival out of Galveston will have an negative impact on new cruisers. and those of lower levels, and maybe draw them to other lines or other vacation options, but they will not be the losers. Please note, too, CCL shares dropped 15% last week. Me, I'm going to Easter Island for the next (not out of Galveston or on Carnival).    

Edited December 29, 2018 by TYinPalmSprings

[supermom788]

On 11/16/2018 at 3:17 PM, BallFour4 said:

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

.

Thanks for the video. Looks great. 

[mdchachi]

On 12/28/2018 at 6:58 PM, TYinPalmSprings said:

FTTF is not for loyalty. It's a purchased prioritization. Some people obviously feel a need to feel special.

Or maybe they just don't like to wait.  Or maybe they feel the value is worth the cost.  I'll be sailing on Vista soon with basically zero status and no FTTF (I didn't know this was a thing but I wouldn't have purchased it anyway. Not because I begrudge people who do so but because I am cheap  ;-). 

I appreciate the heads up; I'll expect the worst and hopefully be pleasantly surprised when it's not as bad as expected.

[chatakat]

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. 

 

Debarkation is horrible.  Cruisers that are not dragging their bags off...just ask for low number debarkation tags.  Seems this is how it is done, you go to a central area and sai “ I need this number of tags and want the earliest you have.”  Their luggage is the first in the holding.  So the walk off the ship with those of us self debarking, grab their luggage and get in line.  The terminal is no equipped for the number of people and no one monitors what is going on.  

 

Elevators are are a huge problem.  We witnessed many folks taking the stairs that physically had no business  there.  One day they used 2 main elevators to move art work.  An older man and his wife said they had been waiting over 30 minutes.  They needed to go down 4 flights to their cabin where they planned to rest.  Passengers assisted them as they slowly and a bit fearfully started down.  We took stairs almost all of the time mainly because we had no option.

 

we have one more booked on Vista but will not book another.  BTW....the next 2 carnival ships being built will have the exact same footprint as Vista. 

[ccothron]

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 12:29 PM, pianoplayerla said:

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!!!!  😉

How did your cruise in Jan go??

[CruiseMomTX]

Thanks for your review!  We sail on the Vista for the first time in 10 days!!!  Excited to try a new ship and even more excited that we turn Platinum on this sailing and it will also be our first Ultra Cruise, so many new things to look forward to!  We just sailed RCCL for the first time in many years, Jan 6th Harmony and wow is that a ship.  This will be quite different but what we are used to and very much looking forward to.  Any vacation day is a GREAT DAY!!  

[pianoplayerla]

On 2/20/2019 at 2:57 PM, ccothron said:

How did your cruise in Jan go??

ccothron, it was good!!!

Sorry it took so long to see this post. 

The first few days were "bumpy" because of the set up for 'anytime dining'. We had long waits for service (with a 3 year old), then about day 4 we were seated in a completely different section of the dining room and it was like a whole new experience.... wonderful!!! Never had any problems with the elevators. If we were in a hurry, we just took the stairs. 

The Vista is a beautiful ship, but definitely different from the dream class. 

We parked at Falstaff garage and the people were very nice. Shuttle to/from the port, would use them again. 

We were well pleased with the Galveston terminal and will definitely sail from there again if the cruise price is right. 

Anything else you would like to know, I'll try to answer. 

[dude_hdt]

We cruised Vista the week before Halloween 2018.

 

Had cabin on Deck 1.  If I recall, for self assist debarkation, they alternated between a high and a low deck...like Deck 10, then Deck 1, then Deck 9, etc...   Very smart to avoid too many in stairs in the same direction.  We were off and out of terminal extremely fast.  We're booked for this Oct again but on Deck 9 so will see how disembarkation goes.

 

Hate layout of Liquid Lounge too.  We got our exercise taking stairs most of the time but no complaints the times we did use elevator.  First time with YTD and always checked in right when they open and after the first couple of nights, requested same table at 5:30 without issues or wait.  Dining room was half filled at best but might be because too early for many?  Always done by 6:45 or 7pm so we could catch more evening entertainments.

 

Guy's bbq was...meh...lot's of great Texas bbq where I live so may not do onboard bbq next time.