First time on Carnival-- Better than expected
Carnival Vista Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 68
7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 07, 2019
Ship: Carnival Vista
Cabin type: Suite
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
This was our first cruise on Carnival. As such, we had no expectations and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of service and the specialty food dining experiences. There are many things that Carnival does very well. The drink package works with coffee, milkshakes, sodas and water which is unusual in our experience for other Cruise lines. We were disappointed in the fact we had to order drinks the first day and pay full price even though we had purchased the full drink package. This felt like a money grab to us as other Cruise lines had no problem honoring the drink package on the first day of the cruise. While we did not partake in many of the ships activities, it was clear they had spent a lot of time an effort working to create a real sense of fun on this ship. The smartphone application Carnival Hub was especially valuable-- just be patient as it did not work the first day at all. We were disappointed in the layout of the ship as it felt very cramped and not open as other ships we have traveled on. This is especially confusing as this is the largest ship we have ever traveled on. It was surprising that many of the ship bars were closed during the day. Sometimes you had to travel a good way to find something that was open, and many times they were crowded. The internet package was very good. Speeds were acceptable and there were few if any hiccups once it was properly set up. Overall, we would definitely take another cruise on Carnival, but I doubt we would go on this particular ship due to its poor architecture design and layout.Embarkation
Got there 30 minutes early. Still was able to board quickly. Very disappointed the drink package we had purchased didn't take affect until the second day. Some lame excuse but I know Royal Caribbean honors drink packages upon first boarding. Got the full Internet package and it didn't disappoint. Decent speeds and few of any hiccups.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Overall, we thought the main dining room experience and quality of food and service was poor. Buffet just okay. Specialty dining really good-- including the speciality free lunch venues. Drinks were as expected with the only concern being Carnival not honoring the drink package until day 2, so all drinks for day 1 were full price. Seems like a scam as other cruise lines honor drink packages on day one.
One big positive about the drink package is it included water-- unlike Royal Caribbean.
Onboard Activities
We really didn't participate in many of these but it looked like many people were enjoying the plethora of activities available.
While the ship app didn't work the first day, it finally kicked in and was GREAT for letting you know what time and where events take place AS WELL AS letting you know when and where your dining reservations were.
Entertainment
Did not attend
Service and Staff
Overall, service was very good.
Ship Quality
Cleanliness was great. Relay liked the Odd/Even Starboard/Port room naming convention. Elevators were crowded and we never could figure out why you had to press so many different buttons to try and catch the first elevator.
For such a large ship, the interior seemed very small and cramped. No large shopping area. Most of the bars seemed closed during the day. Overall the ship design was not very impressive for such a large ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
Roomy for a suite. While the balcony was wide it was very shallow, so no lounge chairs would fit.
Bathroom was great as was the service. Shower and countertops better than the suite on Royal Caribbean. Came with a shower mat which helps with slipping.
Ports of call
Easy on/off experience
Thumbs Up
0
We booked a taxi for a long trip around the island. Wonderful man and extremely clean car. Certainly an "off the beaten path" experience. Paid $160 including tip for both of us. Best experience of the entire trip.
Disappointed we had to take a boat in, but not too much trouble, just a lot of waiting around. Also took a taxi, but not as good as Jamaica.
Disembarkation
Left at 7:45 AM and was in our car headed home at 8:15 (carried our own bags).