Actually left July 1, only 2 ports and a sweet deal on an 8 day cruise

Item: Carnival Vista
Rating: 4.7
Author: DebJ14

Carnival Vista Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

DebJ14

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 124

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 29, 2019

Ship: Carnival Vista

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8462

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

This was a last minute decision. We only booked 3.5 days before sailing. The price was too good to pass up. Yes, the ship sailed very slowly, due to propulsion problems, and yes the power did go out, but it was a great cruise overall. We sailed the Vista on an 8 day cruise in January 2019 and swore we would never go back. But, with different senior officers and senior staff, the vibe on the ship was completely different. The crew bent over backwards to make the best of a difficult situation and provided stellar service. Food was much better too!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We had great service in the main dining rooms at breakfast/brunch and dinner. We always went to the aft buffet line for lunch and it was never crowded and we never had a problem getting seats.

Reflections Restaurant

5 out of 5

We had great food and service in Reflections at Late Seating every night. We had a wonderfully private table for 2. The Maitre D, Darko, and Jr. Hostess Inna could not have been nicer. Inna even made sure the Chef made us Gluten Free Baked Alaska, when the waiter thought it was not possible. Waiters Edi, Larimer and Julius had lots of large tables, but they always made sure we were well take care of. It was a wonderful dining experience that caused us to cancel a steakhouse reservation for later in the week that was given in lieu of a first night reservation.

Vista Lobby and Bar

5 out of 5

We got in the habit of going to the 7:15 Comedy show and then heading to the lobby bar for a drink and to listen to the Polaris String Trio every night before late seating. We usually had no problems finding a seat and the bartender was very nice. Loved watching the ever changing designs on the Atrium feature.

Cucina Del Capitano

5 out of 5

We dined there the first night because we were denied a reservation at the Steakhouse, even though we are both Diamond. The food and service at Cucina del Capitano was excellent. We stopped by after lunch to order our Gluten Free dinner there. They did not disappoint.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

We enjoyed the umbrellas by the aft pool.

Entertainment

We sailed this ship earlier this year and already saw all of the shows.

Children's Programs

Did not travel with children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Much better service and a happier crew than on our January 2019 sailing on the Vista

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Worst laid out ship, but it was clean!

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Great unobstructed balcony in a very quiet location. Everything was in working order and the cabin and bathroom were very clean.

Ports of call

Galveston, Texas

5 out of 5

We love embarking in Galveston. This ship actually went to Costa Maya and Cozumel due to propulsion problems. Costa Maya was great - went to Maya Chan Beach Resort.

Thumbs Up 5

Montego Bay, Jamaica Did not visit port

Ship's itinerary was changed to Costa Maya and Cozumel

Thumbs Up 0

George Town, Grand Cayman Did not visit port

Ship's itinerary and sail date were changed. Was an 8 day cruise departing July 1 instead of June 29

Thumbs Up 0

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5

As always, it feels like coming home when we debark in Cozumel. We paid a visit to our dentist and then went downtown. So sad to see it empty and so many businesses closed. Had lunch at Palmeras.

Thumbs Up 8

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

For the first time ever Diamonds, Platinum, FTTF and handicapped were mixed together in the dining room with no coffee and pastries. People did not follow instructions and butted ahead of those being called, blocked the aisles and doorways with luggage and turned it into a real mess. Once in the terminal we got a porter and zipped through immigration and customs.

3 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 5 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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DFromATX 5 years ago

We should have been on a cruise right now, but it was one of the ones that was cancelled. Boo hoo... we rescheduled for next year July 4 and we only paid taxes and gratuities so that makes it a lot better lol. If you happen to see this, I’m curious how crowded your cruise was this time around? Were there less people than usual? I’m glad you had a great cruise!

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Bobarama 5 years ago

I agree with you 100% about the ship's layout. I especially didn't like the casino, the theater, and the fact that set time dining was in the midship MDR only. And, yeah, we were seated with Platinum and FTTF for debarkation as well, and it was more or less a goat rope. Strange. But, like you, we still had a great time as always with Carnival. 👍🏻😎🛳

Thumbs Up 0

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