Not a complaint, only an observation as I stated before that we would cruise Carnival and the Carnival Vista again. If you are looking for a more sedate cruise this is not for you. However, if you want a lot of activity then you should pick Carnival and the Vista a good choice. The staff and the food was wonderful. It looked like the children's programs kept the children entertained.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
The ship was late into port due to winds so embarkation was not the greatest. E-mails had been sent out to let people know that their embarkation times had been slipped an hour but most had not bothered to read them. We waiting stand in line for over an hour. Also did not know that there are two lines, one for those "on time" for their assigned embarkation time and another for those who are early or late. Of course by the time we reached where that line was we were "late" and not allowed to go into the on time line. However, once inside the terminal the whole check in process was very smooth and handled very efficiently.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We all felt the food was wonderful. Only ate at the buffet and in the main dining room and the menu was varied and again, we all felt the food was great. We were very happy with the anytime dining
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Hard to rate this as we basically are the ones who come to travel without having to move our suitcases so don't participate in a lot of the activities. That said, people we talked to and observed where having a great time. The schedule seemed to be full of activities.
Entertainment
We did so little of this that I cannot rate it except second hand from others. They were all happy with the variety and quality.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The absolute majority were absolutely wonderful. Everyone had smiles on their faces and greeted you when you walked by. Our room steward did an excellent job, our room was spotless. The waiters we encountered where great.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
I really would have to put this into two categories: Design - A lot of "open" space. We found only one bar where you could have an nice quiet drink before dinner other wise everything was out in the open. Cleanliness - Felt all areas were clean and well-maintained. Crew was constantly out cleaning.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Again, I need two categories for this. The Standard Balcony was great. Decent size, comfortable and clean. However, what detracted from the cabin, and therefore the entire cruise is I did not get a good night sleep on any of the seven nights. Cabin 9297 is right below a storage area or something on deck 10. That area was accessed usually sometime in the late evening and every morning about 4:00am. The scrapping sound from items being drug across the floor and the last night actual pounding on something were beyond terrible. Unfortunately I also have to take some of that blame as I picked that cabin and should know better about checking on what is above, and around the cabin you pick.
Ship tip
It is a lively ship, it's a Carnival ship. It is overall not our kind of activity but for those who want that there seemed plenty to do. Having said that I would sail on the Vista again,
Spent the weekend in Galveston prior to boarding and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will do that the next time also. We only touched the surface what there was to see and do (mostly because the weather was bad.)
Hey DFromATX, I would not worry about cruising on the Vista. The food, service and atmosphere is great, and as long as you are willing to go with the flow it’s an awesome, upbeat and fun crowd.
As poor knott465 showed (sorry knott465), probably the most important issue you can’t overcome is a poorly located stateroom. I would check out what’s about and below and avoid being close to an elevator if you are concerned about noise. Make sure to try pig ‘n anchor (Guy Fieri’s bbq smokehouse restaurant) it’s dynamite if you like smoked meats with a tasty variety of bbq and hot sauces you pick on the side.
Like most things in life, your cruise will be what you make it, so make it awesome - you’re on vacation!
I’m glad to hear overall the cruise was good. We cruise on the Vista in July so I’ve been reading all the reviews, which have been really mixed. One time we cruised on the Magic and didn’t get one good night’s sleep because we were under the galley (I assumed). It was horrible! Lesson learned, always look what’s above and below you. 😊
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