We decided fairly last minute (for us) to take a cruise for our anniversary, right at 60 days. I started looking and Carnival had an inexpensive cruise on the Vista out of Miami going to Grand Turk. We had never been on Carnival nor had we been to Grand Turk. We had heard that the scuba in Grand Turk was amazing. We had also heard Carnival called the lower end of cruising, but we figured a 4 day cruise was very little investment.
Disembarkation – nightmare. They skipped over our deck for some reason and then when they called us the lines were chaos. If you took an elevator it spit you out at the front of the line. If you saved the elevator for people who actually needed it you were screwed. We fed into four different versions of the line. People were fighting. It was VERY heated. Two hours in line to get off the ship. Luckily for us our flight left at 2pm. Had it left earlier we would not have made it.
We met so many nice people on Vista, that it really did make it fun cruise for us.
I have to hand it to Carnival their website is so easy to navigate and user friendly. From the time we booked until the time we came back we received emails from Carnival that walked us through each step. I was impressed before we even got on the ship with Carnival’s fun ship theme to everything.
Being that it was our first time our Carnival people want to know would we do it again. Yes, but only on ships with Havana or adult only areas that are quiet.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We were literally number 10 in line and the first to our waiting area. We had faster to the fun, so were called to Board the ship after Priority. When the call came for Priority a couple hundred people who arrived after us rushed to get on, chaos. We just hung out and embarked behind all of them. Embarkation started about 12. We were on board by 12:15pm. Was Faster to the fun worth it? Meh, not really.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We had great experiences in the MDR. We had anytime dining and typically ate early before the crowds. Only one night was service so so. Food was good. The last night we chose to eat at Bonsai sushi. Big mistake. We did never get any refills on our water. It took over an hour to get a California roll. We never did get part of our order. The people on both sides never got their orders taken. People who were clearly wasted kept coming in from the bar next door and demanding food. Straight up walking to the sushi bar and demanding rolls. We should have stuck to the MDR, but the placement of the tables such that you are literally sitting with another couple was odd and we wanted to try specialty. Carnival Melting Cake- oh my I will see you again! The buffet seating was plentiful, but it was strangely arranged. I had a hard time finding the actual food, though what I found was good. Found the desserts quite frequently though. Another kudo to Carnival – their desserts were awesome! Blue Iguana was good, but come on fish tacos are not made with a chunks of fried fish. The hubby enjoyed Guys burgers and thought the fries were amazing. Guys smokehouse – the meats were good, but what they served was not potato salad, just saying! The Breakfast brunch was good! Also enjoyed the pasta and noodle bar for lunch! The pizzeria was pretty darn good too and it was fresh.
Tea – Loved it. It was hard to find it on the daily program though.
Bonsai Sushi
1 out of 5
Big mistake. We did never get any refills on our water. It took over an hour to get a California roll. We never did get part of our order. The people on both sides never got their orders taken. People who were clearly wasted kept coming in from the bar next door and demanding food. Straight up walking to the sushi bar and demanding rolls.
Havana Bar
5 out of 5
The staff were amazing and very responsive.
Pizzeria Del Capitano
5 out of 5
Hot, fresh and good pizza!
JiJi Asian Kitchen
5 out of 5
Highly recommend for lunch.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Shops
5 out of 5
Loved the shops and had nice selection, reasonably priced for a cruise ship.
Havana Pool
5 out of 5
Loved Havana area! Quiet and no little kids!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
fun, but the talent seemed lacking. I did not mind the odd seating, but we typically got there early enough to get one of the tables. Watched a dancer get dropped in the one show. The gal got up and continued on though. LOVED the violins! Did not get enough of them.
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I really loved Vista. Is it showing a lot of wear for a two year old ship? Yes, but it is still a great ship. We ventured out to the main pool area once and it was way too chaotic. The Staff were all extremely nice. We did not have a beverage package and yet the bartenders all learned our names. We had a Havana cabin. WAY TO GO CARNIVAL! An area of the ship without children under 12 was awesome for us as we were celebrating our anniversary without our kids, who even if they had been with us are adults, but it was nice not to hear others’ children screaming or running down the halls. I know this is not a popular decision, but I will cruise again with carnival for Havana. We loved the area! The ship had so many areas that were designed with ocean views beyond the pool area that we did not miss our normal balcony.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had a Havana Interior cabin. Smallest cabin by far that we have ever had, but it fit 2 people perfectly fine. We are normally balcony people and did not miss the balcony this trip, but that could because we hung out at the Havana pool the bulk of the time. Room was clean. Room steward Clemente was super nice and knew our names that same day. The only make up room once per day thing was new to us, but I knew to expect it from reading other reviews. I did miss the dry towels a few days. We had a mini fridge, but no coffee maker. The mini fridge was empty which suited us perfectly as we put our bottled water in there. If you are an early and light sleeper this cabin is not for you. We heard the Havana band until at least midnight each night.
Ship tip
Try the mini breakfasts around the ship instead of the buffet. Also try the noodle and pasta bar for lunch. Check out all the areas outside of the main pool area. There are so many outdoor areas to enjoy! Try the sea day brunch!
We heard great things about scuba in Turks, but I am not certified so we did the power snorkel. The snorkeling was really amazing, but I was not a fan of the “power snorkel” machines. They got in the way of my view. The island was really nothing except port, debris and trash filled neighborhoods and beautiful beaches.
We like cruising with Carnival. We don't go where all the kids are. We will be on the Vista in 43 days! My son has a Havana aft balcony and we have an ocean suite. We're booked at the steakhouse and Italian restaurant 2 of the nights. They are so delicious! I didn't care for the pasta bar. Maybe because we had eaten there at night and the atmosphere was completely different. We can't wait to be on the Vista!
Thank you for the detailed review. I’m glad you had a good cruise in spite of the disembarking. That part sounded like my experience with the Valor in Galveston - total chaos and definitely heated up! We have a cruise next July on the Vista.
Great review! We were on the Vista this summer and have a Havana cabin booked for next summer soooo excited! Happy anniversary and welcome to Carnival 🛳
Welcome to Carnival. What a great review!! I am glad that you enjoyed your cruise so much. We were on the Vista last December and enjoyed it. I loved the violins also. We didn’t get a Havana room but might look into it next time. I hope you think Carnival has moved up a couple notches. Lol. Happy Anniversary and Happy Cruising.
Such a great, detailed review. I'm glad you mentioned Carnival's great website. We have cruises with 4 other cruise lines and none of them are near as user-friendly as Carnival's. LOVE the electric violins too. I enjoyed them more than main productions.
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