I have been on this same cruise before, on a different ship. I booked this one primarily for the Vista. The crew was really nice, but I just don't think there are enough of them for a ship this size. I was disappointed to find that all of the on-board attractions were pretty much the same. This ship does have a movie theatre, but you have to pay extra. I won't be going on the Vista again, and I certainly won't be booking on the Mardi Gras.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went very well, probably because we were staying in a suite and had priority boarding.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The service in the main dining rooms was incredibly slow. The quality of the food was just okay. The exception was the filet of mignon, which was excellent. The buffets were typical. As usual, Guy's Burgers was great! Bar service was good, drinks were good, but the straws are terrible. I understand why plastic straws are not available, but they have to find a better alternative.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
There just wasn't that much to do on this cruise, most of the activities required an extra cost. I was surprised at how small the spa was. The hot tubs were always crowded, I expected there would be more of them on a ship this size.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
The main shows were so bad. One singer couldn't carry a tune, when she hit a big note it would make me cringe. I could only get into one comedy show because they were so crowded. There wasn't very much variety of musicians. The same group of violinists played the Atrium every night. They played the same songs over and over again, it got very old.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our room steward was excellent. The wait staff was very nice. They were right on top of filling our glasses, etc so I have to believe the delay in service came from the kitchen. The spa staff was very knowledgeable
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was very clean. The elevators are a joke. So much time was spent waiting for one. Because it was so hard to get an elevator, people tried to squeeze on when there really wasn't room. It was very uncomfortable.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I was surprised when I first entered the room, I expected the ocean suite to be larger. However, the extra closet space and bathroom space was very nice. The beds were not comfortable. That disappointed me, because they have been on previous cruises. I thought the newer ship would have even more comfortable beds, but that wasn't the case.
Ship tip
Don't assume that just because this is one of Carnival's biggest and newest ships that it is also one of their best. Be prepared to wait in lines.
It was well organized but took a long, long time. I felt sorry for people needing wheelchairs as there were only about 20 of them. Many people having to wait for their turn. Once I got off the ship, I had a long wait for a porter. Once I got a porter things went very smooth.
If you have a crappy attitude then it’s going to be a crappy experience. Point blank period. You can’t expect to go to Disney Land and expect to NOT wait in line. Do you realize how many people can’t even go on vacation let alone a cruise? Sheesh. I don’t get it. #sorrynotsorry
We loved Vista so much we're already booked on Panorama and will be booking Horizon soon! Definitely our favorite class of ship so far. Unfortunate you disagree. Which is your favorite?
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
