If service and/or night life are more important to you than the free onboard activities of the ship, then you might want to consider another ship in the Carnival Fleet or otherwise. Though I had an unforgettable experience with my service and the night life on the Carnival Glory, the service on this ship was lacking and the layout of the night club was horrible. I could not believe that they did not have much of an actual bar in the night club and most of the drinks had to be ordered out and brought inside the club...very inconvenient when you're in "party mode." The DJ in there was only so-so to me as well and the dance floor looked like it belonged to a ballroom convention and not a "night club." The balance between the dance floor and the lounges for socializing was not well done either. I will say that I had an amazing time at the water park on the Vista (I loved feeling like a kid again there) and the spa employees were top notch and the Serenity deck was very inviting! However, I am a foodie and dinner is a huge highlight to me but the service was not good at all in the Main Dining Room for my group (maybe it was just who we had in particular) and I decided just to go to the buffet one night and check out the specialty dining two nights (DEFINITELY WORTH THE EXTRA COST). I have the Cheers Package when I sail as well and so my bartenders are very important to me. However, the bartenders were very impersonal on this cruise and kind of going through the motions (unlike my favorite bartenders on The Glory that I still remember). I will say that the 8 day southern Caribbean itinerary is amazing (even though we had to skip Grand Turk due to a hurricane; I would definitely book a ship excursion in La Romana though if you want to have any real fun there). Maybe the service quality really does suffer on the larger ships and you pay a price on that for more included onboard activities. I will be sailing on the Glory again instead this year and I will probably not board the Vista again unless it is purely for the itinerary.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The service in the main dining room was not impressive to me but I enjoyed JiJi and Cucina del Capitano for a VERY WORTHWHILE extra fee. Seaday Brunch was memorable though (probably because it was uncrowded). I did not try the steakhouse but it looked beautiful in there. The Coffee shop was understaffed at peak hours and I did not enjoy waiting in line for 30 minutes or more sometimes just to grab a coffee. The BBQ place was so-so to me, Guys Burgers was good as always, and the extra cost food at Red Frog pub was actually very good.
Pizzeria Del Capitano
5 out of 5
great service and food
JiJi Asian Kitchen
5 out of 5
Best service and food that I had on the ship all week. I highly recommend.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I LOVED THE WATER PARK and the Serenity Deck with an excellent bar and layout. The night club and the layout for the nightclub, however, was extremely disappointing. The sky ride was different but was not worth the hour wait. This would be a great ship for families with children though. The pools were too small for such a large ship but there was generally enough space if you didn't mind the crowds.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The entertainment was a little underwhelming for me when I attended the shows; it wasn't bad but it also wasn't memorable enough to make an effort to attend them much so I mostly relaxed in the water park and serenity deck.
Thrill Theater
4 out of 5
worth the cost!
Limelight Lounge
2 out of 5
Terrible layout for a club, so-so DJ, inefficient bar service
Family Harbor Lounge
3 out of 5
it was basically the kids club on this ship
Children's Programs
I did not travel with children
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
I was not impressed with the level of personal service on this ship (apart from the bartenders at the Alchemy Bar). The service at the sit down lunch options were very slow and the service in the main dining room was also extremely slow (especially the drink service). It seemed as if everyone was "just doing their job" and there was barely any personality coming through with any of the workers. I think this is because they are often understaffed in some areas and do not seem as experienced as some of the staff on the Glory. The cabin steward kept the room clean but did not show any specialized attention to our room (like I had experienced on the Glory). In fact, I don't think I spoke to him or saw him but once the entire week. I thought my experience with the service on the Carnival Glory was much better; in fact I remember the names and faces of my favorite people on the Glory but barely remember anyone from the Vista (and that was my more recent cruise).
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The best part of this ship was the layout and overall cleanliness. For a large ship, it was extremely easy to navigate and figure out and everything was always at the height of cleanliness. The only complaints with the layout is that they did not have a real bar in the night club and the layout for the nightclub and the comedy club was horrible (this is a big deal though if you care about night life like i do). They must know the night club leaves a little to be desired because they hosted night life on the serenity deck instead a few nights.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
I had a typical family harbor interior room (only interior room available at that point that could house more than 2 people and we had a group of 3). Clean room but nothing special. The private lounge area was simply a social club for people under 17 and it was a loud place with children running around everywhere and being loud in the mornings.
Ship tip
You should be a kid again for one day and enjoy the water park to the fullest!
This is a great port if you book an excursion but ONLY if you book an excursion. The port itself is nothing to write home about and not worth checking out. If you don't book an excursion, then you should immediately cab elsewhere. I enjoyed my snorkeling excursion to Punta Cana and my friend enjoyed his excursion to Monkeyland though.
This is the best port I have ever visited! My Catamaran Snokel with lunch was the most perfect day I have ever had and ended with dinner and a breathtaking sunset. I could easily spend a week here and never be bored. The people are friendly and there is so much to do everywhere you go.
This is a great port to forgo an excursion and find a cheap tour company (I took one for $20 that was off of the ship and it was fantastic) or cab to a beach or simply wander around in the beautiful city for some shopping, dining. The atmosphere provides a beautiful and relaxing day, no matter what you do.
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