The Vista is my favorite ship in the Carnival collection to date. Lots of activities and lots of room. Love that Alchemy Bar with the martini tasting.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The Galveston Port is so old. Not like an airport, but more like an old warehouse that was transformed into a boarding area. Use a porter and drop a few bucks to have your bags taken care of quickly. Show up in line during your appointment to make it faster to board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
We opted for the anytime dining this trip instead of a set dining time. I won't do that again. We didn't get great service from any of the our waiters. Love having someone make me an omelette in the morning on the Lido deck.
Lunch on the Lido deck has a tremendous amount of choices. But most of the food is average. I do love Guy's Burger Joint. Fresh made burgers with fries and a toppings bar. The Serenity deck has a great salad bar lunch if you want to avoid the crowds. The main dining room used to have lobster for formal night. Only available now with an up-charge.
Piano Bar 88
5 out of 5
he best part of this cruise was discovering Elizabeth Ann Setzer in the Piano Bar. Great vocal talent, piano player, and great audience interaction. The same people came night after night to see her perform.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There's so much to do on Vista that you can't do it all. The fitness center is well appointed and has sufficient machines for everyone. The Serenity Spa is nice as it's kid free, but it gets filled quickly every day.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The piano bar stole the show on this cruise. The best part of this cruise was discovering Elizabeth Ann Setzer in the Piano Bar. Great vocal talent, piano player, and great audience interaction. The same people came night after night to see her perform. https://www.facebook.com/Elizabeth-Setzer-390268181065535/
The comedy club is also another favorite place for us. Fresh talent and both family and adult shows.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Room steward was great, but the anytime dining waiters were lackluster.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Could have been five stars, but anywhere close to the casino reeks of smoke. The rest of the ship was clean and I always saw staff cleaning the rails and the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The balcony cabin is comfortable, but a little tight for three adults.
Went on a snorkeling excursion to swim with sting rays and sharks. Great time in the water. Excursion left and returned from the ship instead of the port so we didn't have time to go to the Belize port.
The debarkation process in Galveston is sooooo slow. We docked about 8 AM and were not allowed to leave until 10:30 AM. And they would not let us stay on our room until we were called to leave the ship.
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