Overall we had a great time but we enjoyed the Freedom more. We enjoyed the food and space on the Freedom and the activities and ports on the Vista.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This was nice and streamlined. We did have to wait in a waiting room to get on but it moved fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The specialty restaurants were great. The food there was hot and delicious. The free lunch service of the specialty restaurants were great too. The main dining for all services was hit or miss. Most of the food was warm at best and the quality seemed to go down since we traveled on the Carnival Freedom two years ago. The drop in quality and temperature may have something to do with the ship being larger and the crew needing to prepare more food at a given time. We were a little disappointed that the menu has not seemed to change from when we cruised two years ago. 555 Fahrenheit steak house was amazing. We ended up booking for two nights there and we were not disappointed.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There is a lot of different things to do on a ship this size. You should not have a chance to be bored or be in search of things to do and play. The ropes course is really neat. Be advised that the hard option for the ropes course is very hard and should not be attempted until after you try the easy course first. Both courses travel side by side so you will be able to see if you are brave enough to attempt the hard course. The skyride is a neat experience. There are many different sports activities to try as well. The stage shows are still just ok. The dancers and singers do a great job but they do not have enough space to dance to their potential. The seating in that theater is not very good. There are many places that you will not be able to see the whole stage. The dancers move around a lot to help with the blind spots but it is still annoying. The IMAX theater is great though. It feels like a normal movie theater. There is no hint you are on a ship besides possibly ship movements. We really enjoyed the trivia games the Fun squad put together. The Fun squad did an amazing job hosting the games and parties on board. There was always something fun to do throughout the cruise.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Please see above comment.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
We did not have our kids this trip but from what we heard the kids camps are some of the best on the line.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The staff worked very hard to keep up with all of the passengers. They usually had a smile on their face and made us feel like royalty. With a ship this size, there were a few times service was a little slower. Most of this was noticed in the dining room. It is totally expected with all the passengers but is was slower than our last cruise.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship is clean but the design is not the best. We did not care for the new video cones in the main lobby. Up close it was not as great as Carnival tries to hype it up to be. The grand lobby with the glass elevators is my choice. We also did not like having to walk through the casino on the fourth floor. On the Freedom, you could walk by it but not through it if you choose to. The lido pool was not as nice as the Freedom either. More people on the ship caused all this smaller corridors to become clogged easier.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was clean and exactly what we expected. I suggest bringing your own pillow if you are picky about pillows. The pillow a we’re not my style.
Ship tip
Ride the sky ride as soon as you get on the ship. It tends to get crowded quickly.
We live in Houston so this was a short drive. Don’t expect to do a bunch of stuff here, other than eat and sleep. Galveston is not the best beach. It is man made.
We did not have an excursion here. The port is a trash heap. Very torn up and tendered. I would suggest having an excursion at this port is you plan to get off the ship.
This was a typical Mexico port. Lots of people trying to sell you stuff but we are used to that. The port was nice compared to most ports we have seen. We did a snorkeling excursion which we loved. I recommend that excursion.
Like usual, people are in rush to get off the ship and don’t follow instructions. We waited a long time to get off and a long time at customs because a bunch of people did not follow directions for a smooth disembarkation. The plan was good but people are not.
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