Outstandng Experience

This was our first cruise, although we were traveling with 7 other seasoned cruisers.  We were given some expectation of Carnival's commitment to excellence but were completely blown away by the level of service provided by the staff and crew as well as the cleanliness of the ship and attention to every minor detail.

In particular, there were some crew members that escalated our experience to outstanding.  I would like to personally acknowledge three individuals that made our evenings superb in the Horizons dining room. 

Natasa Kuvacic and Andrea Torbica are exceptional at their jobs.  I know they were responsible for everyone's well being, but we felt like they were giving us special treatment. There were 11 of us in our group, and they always found a spot for us and we never had to wait. They remembered us every time and we picked up conversations where we had left off the evening before. We felt as though we arrived as guests but left as friends.  As a person in the service industry myself for many years, I know what it is like to constantly be on view of the public and to continually be calm and polite even in the most grim of situations.  These two women not only treated us with respect and kindness, they truly treated us as individuals and not as part of a faceless herd of people that come and go each day.  In turn, we were so enthralled by their demeanor, we felt compelled to get to know them and learn about their countries and the circumstances which brought them to the Carnival line of ships.  This mutual respect evolved into friendship and we have kept in touch with them in the weeks since our cruise. 

In addition to Natasa and Andrea, Boris Borislav must be mentioned because he was on a previous cruise with the friends that we were traveling with.  He remembered them and stopped by nightly to say hello and we got to know him as well.  He was friendly and fun and made us feel as though we had always been part of the cruising circle. 

I know how hard the staff works and I know how high guest expectations can be.  This team is the epitome of service and I hope that they are recognized for their professionalism but mostly for their good natured spirits which cannot be learned.  They genuinely care about what they do and they care about people and it is evident that this comes from deep within. 

Our first vacation with Carnival has turned into a second as we just booked to cruise again on the Magic next April.  I can only hope to have the kind of treatment that we received on the Vista in March.  We  planned this cruise with two other families that our children have grown up with.  The kids are all in college or the military now and we though this would be a nice "one last time" that we would all be together for certain before the kids fly the nest.  It was truly a once in a lifetime week that we will never forget.  While on the ship, my wife and I renewed our wedding vows, just us and our friends and family in a little private area we found.  We will never forget it.

I cannot say enough about what a great time we had aboard the Vista. I must also recognize our room steward (8462) Maynor.  He was extremely pleasant and efficient as well. 

Thank you Carnival Vista for creating two new cruisers!