This was a Thanksgiving cruise, which was something new for us, and was actually done inadvertently. No regrets at all. Would gladly sail this itinerary again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Miami's Carnival port really has their act together. They run like a well-oiled machine and everything is done with great efficiency. Galveston has obviously been taking notes, and has now drastically improved their procedures as well.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Formal dining room always serves top notch meals, at any time of the day. The buffet quality is dependent upon when you arrive. It's never bad food, but the freshness depends on when you arrive. Guy's Burger and The Blue Iguana are game changers, and can't forget the Pig and Anchor BBQ either. Great way to get a little southern flavor while you're cruising.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Not to sound too old here, but the goal of this cruise was very much about relaxation, so copious amounts of sun and hot tubs on the Serenity Deck were the order of the day. The Serenity Deck on the Vista is incredible. Much larger than others, and even has a healthy choice salad bar on some days. Loved it!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Children's Programs
No children cruising with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
First impressions of this ship are, WOW! The changes and new technology in the ship are pretty impressive. The deck layout reminds me of the Magic (my favorite ship) because of the deck 5 outside areas. To me, this just makes a ship feel larger for some reason... personal preference of course.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Roomy enough for sleeping (all that really matters) and was always well maintained by our steward.
2nd time in GT and still in love with the place. We didn't do an excursion, just relaxed on the beach just off the boat. Walked around and snagged a few souvenirs, then grabbed lunch back at Guy's. Great day of relaxation in one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
With this being a new port for Carnival, there wasn't much information to be had on excursions. At breakfast that morning in the dining room, our waiter asked what we had planned. When we said we hadn't made plans, he proceeded to tell us his recommendation. He said we would see 2 lines when we got off the boat, one going into town, the other going to the "castle.". He said, "town sucks, go to castle." With his thick Russian accent, it sounded very authoritative, so we did. For $8 a person, we boarded a bus which took us to what he called the castle. It was more of a compound, and it was gorgeous. There was basically a huge mansion surrounded by an old Spanish style chapel, numerous smaller buildings some of which were souvenir shops, and a massive open air amphitheater made completely of stone bricks. All of this overlooked a lush green valley down the river, and some of the buildings actually hung out off the cliff. They offered guided tours, or you could just stroll around and discover things for yourself, which we did. We were told that this location was where they had filmed one of the Godfather movies, as well as the movie Anaconda. BEST $8 EXCURSION EVER! Don't forget your camera, you'll regret it.... I know I would have.
The 2 stars for this port may have more to do with our itinerary than the port itself. We arrived around 1pm and headed off to our snorkel excursion, which was very subpar BTW, then returned to the boat after dark. All shops and stores had closed with the exception of the small strand near the dock. We set sail again at 10pm. The highlight of the day was either one topless sunbather, or paying 6 bucks for a 12oz diet Coke.
Aruba was great, beautiful day in a beautiful place. We chose to adventure through the city instead of doing an excursion. We saw a lot of the city and met some really friendly people. Met a couple of police officers there who were extremely friendly, and promised to look me up if they ever come to Texas.
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