Don't have big expectations!!

Item: Carnival Vista
Rating: 3.2
Author: Brittanysh

Carnival Vista Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Brittanysh

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 7

Overall rating:

3.2 out of 5

Verified Review

8 Night Southern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 19, 2018

Ship: Carnival Vista

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 6463

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

Ship too crowded and not enough staff. Everything costs extra! Carnival is taking advantage of cruisers.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Food in dining room was not great, service sucked 4 of the nights!. Guys burgers, the pizza, and the taco and burrito bar was good.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Our room steward Maria was great, bar tenders in the Havana bar were excellant, Oscar the waiter in the Any Time Dining Restaurant was great but unfortunately we didn't have him until the last night. Captains dinner was a frickin' joke! Terrible service 4 nights in there and a crappy excuse for a dining room. No linens on the table except captains night. Carnival has just gotten cheap with everything! Bigger ships, more passengers and less staff makes for crappy service. I've been on Royal Carribean, Princess, and Holland and this was the worst ship!

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Ship sucked! Too many people. We paid almost double to be in the Havana rooms so we had our own pool and 2 jacuzzis for only 150 or so people, otherwise it would have been a complete nightmare.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Ship tip

Don't!! Too many people! Crowded and Carnival is charging more and more for less quality.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Grand Turk Island

4 out of 5

La Romana, Dominican Republic

4 out of 5

Great zip lining! Better than Costa Rica even!!

Thumbs Up 1

Willemstad, Curacao

4 out of 5

Oranjestad, Aruba

4 out of 5

Beautiful beaches. Took catamaran, snorkel, beach and lunch tour off boat. Great lunch and lots of fun. Snorkeling, not great!

Thumbs Up 3

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

12 Comments

geobax12 6 years ago

You say EVERYTHING costs extra. But then say that "Guys burgers, pizza, and taco and burritos were good" All of which DO NOT cost extra. I'm confused

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Anne12 6 years ago

Going on the Vista for the 1st time in September. I have been on RCCL with over 5000 passengers never felt crowded.Was on NCL Breakaway 2 years ago ,cabin steward was working until late in the evening! Informed him to just give me towels and emptying trash a couple of times. I felt so bad for them. I research before I travel and make my own fun. Feel very fortunate to travel since a lot of people work every day and do not get the opportunity to. Some are not fortunate at all. So thankful I am able to experience cruising yearly and don’t sweat the small things. Happy cruising!

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JoyMK 6 years ago

Hhhhmmmmm you know what’s included, stay away from what isn’t....

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Gammi 6 years ago

@timeforcrusin we are going on Vista for first time in Nov. Do you make reservations precruise or as soon as you board?

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DFromATX 6 years ago

@timeforcruisin, I’ve only cruised Carnival (and always enjoyed it for the most part), but I’d like to try Royal sometime. What are some of the main differences?

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CaptainJoanna 6 years ago

That's not good

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Timeforcruisein 6 years ago

We will sail on Carnival Vista in Oct. we are so looking forward to it. We have sailed on Allure of the seas Huge ship like Vista lots and lots of people ! Lots of extra charges but I try to investigate in advance to be prepared for them. You had to make reservations for all the shows since this ship was so big. Some people did not do research so did not know that and where very unhappy. Maybe staying on smaller ships would be better for you.

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Batche 6 years ago

We've been on Vista twice now. Really enjoyed it. Never heard of a Captains dinner though. They haven't had table cloths except for elegant nights for a couple years now. Not a big deal to me personally. I've found all the cruise lines try and nickel and dime you for extras. I just plan for it and spend or don't spend as I want. We just prefer the funship line. I find the age demographic on Royal and others are much older with not alot going on after hours. To each their own.

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ajont 6 years ago

My advice to you, is to stay with the smaller ships. I will be sailing the Vista next year, and I look forward to it. I dont expect it to be like the smaller ships. I think if you go with that expectation, you won't be disappointed. Also, Carnival just like any other cruise line is about making money. It's a business, so of course they want to make money. Happy Sailing 😊

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believerbill 6 years ago

It's unfortunate you didn't enjoy your vacation. Our 16th, Carnival cruise is just over a week away and I can hardly wait! We have also cruised Princess and RCC and honestly don't feel there is any difference between the companies other than energy level and average age of the passengers. Good luck to you on your next vacation. I hope you find one that works.

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IkeDeb 6 years ago

So far, we have had nothing but good cruises

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tatum926 6 years ago

No matter what boat you take, you will be charged extra for certain things. A big boat will have a lot of people and every boat I've been on has been short staffed. The last cruise i was on, not carnival, our room steward stated that they are cutting back on staff which makes its harder for them to do their jobs and causes stress. I feel like other cruise lines take advantage. Carnival is decently priced. The other cruise lines cost more or even double carnival price at times and you have the same issues. For some, cruising is not for them due to the overcrowding. Some choose smaller boats. I like the extras and i dont mind the crowds if they are courteous and respectful. Im on vacation so i make my own fun. Dont let other things ruin your vacation. Thats what i was told once before. You pay good money for a week of freedom from reality. Try to make the best out of a bad situation. I hope you find the perfect type of vacation/cruise line that works best for you.

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Carnival Vista 2018