Texas Cruisers: carnival vista vs RC liberty of seas

[hawkeye93]

For those of you who cruise out of Galveston solely for it’s convenience, have any of you done both Royal’s LOS (post refurb) and Carnival’s Vista? Any strong comparison opinions ? Reviews of Vista seem abysmal overall. We have done one LOS cruise and one Carnival Magic— truthfully I didn’t see a big diff. We enjoyed both (Magic was first and I do love the promenade on Royal and may miss it now that I’ve experienced it? Idk.).   Curious if Vista is worth a look or if the overall consensus is to stick with Liberty in this case.  Cruisers are ages 21-50 and it would be in early May.  
 

Cross posting for better representation. 

 

Thanks y’all! 😉

[CarolSW]

We are Diamond on RCCL and about to turn Platinum on Carnival.  We are in Texas so mostly cruise out of Galveston.  We were surprised to learn how much we enjoyed Carnival after our first cruise with that line.  We have stuck with Carnival for the past several years even though we could have chosen RCCL for the loyalty perks.  There is a different energy aboard Carnival that to us is more fun.   That said, Vista will not feel as ‘wide open’ as Liberty OTS with it’s promenade for people watching.   But, the Havana area on Vista is cool, and we love the comedy club.   It’s an individual preference, so I would suggest you try both and report back here what you think! 

[Eli_6]

The reason to cruise the Vista imo is the Havana area.  I have not been on the LOS, but have cruised RCCL before. Not a big difference imo other than the food on the particular Royal ship I was on had better food.  But then again I have cruised some Carnival ships that have much better food than others. 

[mpdog42]

Liberty of the Seas!!!

[PhillyFan33579]

If you are simply comparing ships, Liberty if the Seas is significantly better than Vista in my opinion. However, as other posters have mentioned,  there is a lot more to consider than simply comparing ships when making a decision on what cruise to book. 

[firefly333]

I think a lot depends on loyalty levels and price which I'd pick. We did vista and same cabin as on other ships was further forward... beware. We hit a lot of chop and every 3 minutes a loud bang. My friends first and last cruise I'm afraid. You just couldnt sleep at least 3 nights.

 

We both did that bike thing that goes around the edge. I did it in a heavy wind and was the last person before it was shut down. Whew. Lol.

 

I like that the buffet stays open and food more accessible on carnival... I like getting free wine on rcl

 

That's why I would choose by price.. both have pluses.

 

I often do the buffet for dinner so I dislike that rcl closes and locks the door.

 

I enjoyed the hamburgers a lot on carnival  .. should have followed my friends advise and done the taco salad at the taco place. I also did a salad up in serenity and was very disappointed. Dont bother, better downstairs. I could have my ships mixed up but vista had the bbq like outside on deck 5 or 6.. not as good as on other ships where it's up above the back buffet. My potato salad and stuff was hot and runny, too hot outside to keep food cool imo. Just wasnt as good. 

 

I will say the one party for platinum? was the very best ever on any ship on vista. We could order any drink and they were good about filling orders.

[hawkeye93]

Price and loyalty are not an issue on either (unless I would go with a Havana room then the price is at play).  Itineraries similar.  So I’m looking solely for ship comparisons.  Sounds to me like I need to stick with LOS.  Dream class is the only carnival I think i would do again. Thx for the input. 

[ginger123snaps]

We cruise several times a year.  We have done everything from luxury cruise to Oceanview cruise rooms.  We have also cruised most mainstream cruise lines.  We are in our 40's with three kids ages 11, 11, 10.  We live in Texas also.

 

We have been on Liberty of the Seas 3 times.  We do love the ship and have a great time on it.  We wanted to try something new so we are booked on Carnival Vista for spring break.  Some of the excitement comes from exploring a new ship.  We have cruised Magic and Breeze also from Galveston.  We have fun on Carnival.  It is a different atmosphere from Royal Caribbean and we enjoy both.  

[LuckyStar]

On 2/8/2020 at 2:54 PM, hawkeye93 said:

For those of you who cruise out of Galveston solely for it’s convenience, have any of you done both Royal’s LOS (post refurb) and Carnival’s Vista? Any strong comparison opinions ? Reviews of Vista seem abysmal overall. We have done one LOS cruise and one Carnival Magic— truthfully I didn’t see a big diff. We enjoyed both (Magic was first and I do love the promenade on Royal and may miss it now that I’ve experienced it? Idk.).   Curious if Vista is worth a look or if the overall consensus is to stick with Liberty in this case.  Cruisers are ages 21-50 and it would be in early May.  
 

Cross posting for better representation. 

 

Thanks y’all! 😉

I haven't cruised on the RCL LOS but have on the Vista and I just loved that ship.  We were in a Havana cabana and that end of the ship (front) is so close to everything. Easy to get to buffet, MDR and entertainment.  Sister and I cruise together and have decided it's one of our favorite ships. 

[Ksn0]

I've sailed both within the last 3 years, and I am actually going on Vista again in a few days time. Liberty was very nice, but Vista feels bigger to me even though it isn't. It also depends on what you want to do on the cruise. Liberty is prettier to look at, but Vista is more fun to be on. 

[hawkeye93]

What makes it more fun?  Overall vibe or specific ship things?  The showroom concerns me- I love shows.  But the comedy club almost offsets that bc that’s the one thing we loved about carnival.  

[dmdiver]

Vista is not my favorite ship, though certainly not my least favorite.  I did enjoy the sky cycle, but if you do that, you can only take a camera that is mounted on you.  We had my phone & the gopro & had to leave them.  The ropes course & slides were fun & I haven't found better comedians on any other cruise line yet.  I do like the availability of 24/7 ice cream & pizza as well.  I had a great time on Vista - I just felt that for the price difference, it just wasn't worth it.  Now that I've done the sky cycle, I will probably stick with Dream class or Conquest class like Breeze & Freedom.

 

I haven't been on LOS, but will certainly consider it if the cost is reasonable.  I sailed Enchantment 10 years ago & Oasis 8 years ago & liked them both.

 

 

[jimbo5544]

On 2/8/2020 at 9:09 PM, ronbe65 said:

The RCI Freedom-class is a different league.

A cruise is ship+itinerary+price. So there may be different considerations for choosing a cruise. As to the ship itself, the Freedom class has far more advanced amenities, entertainment options, far more spectacular and spacious interiors, more personal space, better pools, better promenade deck.... it's endless.

It does not matter what loyalty status I have. When I cruise on the Vista, my status is Vista. When I cruise on the LOS, my status is LOS.

Happy cruising!

Now this is laugh at loud funny.  From someone who is the self proclaimed “Carnival Advocate on the boards” to give a totally biased review makes my day.  You have made my Monday....

[jimbo5544]

On 2/8/2020 at 9:09 PM, ronbe65 said:

The RCI Freedom-class is a different league.

A cruise is ship+itinerary+price. So there may be different considerations for choosing a cruise. As to the ship itself, the Freedom class has far more advanced amenities, entertainment options, far more spectacular and spacious interiors, more personal space, better pools, better promenade deck.... it's endless.

It does not matter what loyalty status I have. When I cruise on the Vista, my status is Vista. When I cruise on the LOS, my status is LOS.

Happy cruising!

Lastly, I have sailed Oasis and think Vista superior in lots of ways...endless ways.

[TNcruising02]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:53 AM, hawkeye93 said:

Price and loyalty are not an issue on either (unless I would go with a Havana room then the price is at play).  Itineraries similar.  So I’m looking solely for ship comparisons.  Sounds to me like I need to stick with LOS.  Dream class is the only carnival I think i would do again. Thx for the input. 

I prefer LOS over the Vista, other than the Vista will have more comedians than LOS and the pool-side food is very nice.  Dream class is my favorite for Carnival.  I have a cruise on the Magic in April.  I loved my cruise on Liberty of the Seas though.  As far as the layout of a ship and theater shows, it was my favorite so far.  Buffet is better too.  Since my husband and I watch mostly comedy shows, we pretty much stay with Carnival.  The Vista class is my least favorite class for Carnival and after cruising on the Vista and Panorama, we will stick with the Dream class.

It seems like people who book the more expensive Havana area on the Vista have a better overall experience.

Edited February 10, 2020 by TNcruising02

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Lastly, I have sailed Oasis and think Vista superior in lots of ways...endless ways.

I did oasis twice and it's been my favorite. Just shows different strokes ...

 

I will say I was beating myself up. Got a outside balcony last time and was too hot to enjoy. Next time I want a inside balcony as close to the diving pool as possible. I picked the wrong cabin for the weather.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2020 by firefly333

[jimbo5544]

5 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I did oasis twice and it's been my favorite. Just shows different strokes ...

 

I will say I was beating myself up. Got a outside balcony last time and was too hot to enjoy. Next time I want a inside balcony as close to the diving pool as possible. I picked the wrong cabin for the weather.

 

 

 

 

All good, agree.  

[lottiegreen56]

LOS is top 3 as far as Royal ships for me, Vista not so much. 

[CarolSW]

5 hours ago, hawkeye93 said:

What makes it more fun?  Overall vibe or specific ship things?  The showroom concerns me- I love shows.  But the comedy club almost offsets that bc that’s the one thing we loved about carnival.  

To answer your question.....IMHO it’s both....overall vibe on Carnival is higher energy and engaging.....and specifically the comedy club, consistent piano bar entertainers, and fun trivia and games.  

[CarolSW]

7 hours ago, LuckyStar said:

I haven't cruised on the RCL LOS but have on the Vista and I just loved that ship.  We were in a Havana cabana and that end of the ship (front) is so close to everything. Easy to get to buffet, MDR and entertainment.  Sister and I cruise together and have decided it's one of our favorite ships. 

Ooops... Havana area on Vista is at the BACK of the ship, but definitely close to alot of good stuff...Lido, food, Limelight Lounge (comedy club), Ocean Plaza.  Only things you have to trek to are the spa, the Liquid Lounge (main theater) the Thrill and IMAX theaters.  

[PhillyFan33579]

13 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

I prefer LOS over the Vista, other than the Vista will have more comedians than LOS and the pool-side food is very nice.  Dream class is my favorite for Carnival.  I have a cruise on the Magic in April.  I loved my cruise on Liberty of the Seas though.  As far as the layout of a ship and theater shows, it was my favorite so far.  Buffet is better too.  Since my husband and I watch mostly comedy shows, we pretty much stay with Carnival.  The Vista class is my least favorite class for Carnival and after cruising on the Vista and Panorama, we will stick with the Dream class.

It seems like people who book the more expensive Havana area on the Vista have a better overall experience.

I agree with everything you said, especially your last point. A lot of people on this site say how great the Havana area is on Vista class ships including several who have said that is the only cabin type they will book in the future. While I don’t disagree with these comments, I don’t think it’s a good thing when only a small portion of cabins on a ship are appealing to a lot of people. 
 

In my opinion, especially over the last 15 years or so, there is no comparison between RCI and Carnival ships. RCI ships are far superior to Carnival ships in design, what they offer, etc. But that doesn’t mean RCI cruises are better. A lot of people don’t like bigger ships, which basically eliminates every ship RCI has built in the recent past.  If you want to watch comedy every night, or at least most nights, Carnival is the clear winner in this area. One comment I frequently hear is Carnival ships are more fun. While I don’t dispute Carnival’s ships are fun, I have had just as much fun on RCI ships. 
 

The bottom line in my book is any cruise is a good cruise, no matter what cruise line or what ship you are on. I have been on everything from Carnival’s smallest ships to RCI’s largest ships and had a great time on every cruise. The main reason I lean towards RCI these days is I prefer newer ships for several reasons, and personally I am not a big fan of Vista class ships. 

[jimbo5544]

Of course everybody has likes and dislikes. What prompted my post is when someone posts and makes it seem inconceivable that anyone think differently.   I respect your opinion and the posters, we all have them, just do not lay it out there like it is forgone conclusion.  

[hawkeye93]

Thank you for all of the replies. Between this thread and other research, I get a strong vibe that vista is mentioned mostly if you do a Havana Club room. The price for that is something I personally can’t justify. If I’m spending that kind money i would just put it toward airfare and do a different home port ship altogether.
I would most likely do a Vista spa balcony room if we choose this ship (which I’m looking at only bc it fits the date in May that we need and varies a couple ports). Soooo.... it looks like my research continues... please feel free to keep giving feedback as I appreciate it very much!




Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[dmdiver]

You may want to look at the amenities on each ship & do a walk-through of your day on the ship.  What do you see yourself doing all day?  Do you prefer an adult pool?  Do you want to climb a rock wall?  Interested in ice skating?  What about a ropes course?  Those may be big factors on sea days.  While Vista has a nice Serenity adult area, it only has hot tubs, no pool.  While I haven't sailed LOS, if it follows suit with Enchantment & Oasis, it will likely have a nice adult area with a pool.  

 

There's a lot to think about when deciding which ship to sail.  Some don't care, as they are all about the ports & spend their days reading on their balcony, which they can do on any ship.  Others are all about the ship & what there is to do on those sea days.  Also consider the night life.  Some people like dancing at nightclubs.  Others like me are more into comedy shows.

 

Mentally living a day on the ship may be helpful to you.  That's also one of the things we have done when buying homes - see ourselves there in everyday life.  

[hawkeye93]

28 minutes ago, dmdiver said:

You may want to look at the amenities on each ship & do a walk-through of your day on the ship.  What do you see yourself doing all day?  Do you prefer an adult pool?  Do you want to climb a rock wall?  Interested in ice skating?  What about a ropes course?  Those may be big factors on sea days.  While Vista has a nice Serenity adult area, it only has hot tubs, no pool.  While I haven't sailed LOS, if it follows suit with Enchantment & Oasis, it will likely have a nice adult area with a pool.  

 

There's a lot to think about when deciding which ship to sail.  Some don't care, as they are all about the ports & spend their days reading on their balcony, which they can do on any ship.  Others are all about the ship & what there is to do on those sea days.  Also consider the night life.  Some people like dancing at nightclubs.  Others like me are more into comedy shows.

 

Mentally living a day on the ship may be helpful to you.  That's also one of the things we have done when buying homes - see ourselves there in everyday life.  

This is a good post and I agree totally.  I think we will be fine on either.  It’s been a longggg time since we did Magic so I don’t think i I would compare the 2 which seems to be a large part of why vista is dinged— people compare it to their beloved Dream Class.  
 

We like a bit of everything and all of us are diff of course.  We all like a lively fun atmosphere with upbeat music around.  Pools aren’t important. Hot tubs definitely  are. Good buffet and good casual eateries important.  We aren’t fine diners but a steak is good. 🙂  I wish vista had more nightly shows.  Comedy a draw but it sounds like vista changed that up and it’s not getting good marks.  My biggest concern is giving up the promenade (I love it) and feeling more boxed in and crowded. Is the spa area on vista ok?  I remember thinking on Magic I would like to do a spa balcony next time.  
 

I have it narrowed down to flying to San Juan and doing Freedom or giving Vista a whirl.  LOS is out due to date/itinerary.  I’m actually surprised to see Freedom at this  price.  I haven’t priced air to SJ yet tho.  I will be doing that now.  That may break the decision right there. 
 

sheesh I’m rambling so I’m stopping now.  Thanks again to all.  Keep the replies coming. I learn something from each one (ok well maybe not EVERY one. Lol).