Cruise wasn't bad, but could have been better. Vista is lacking compared to the Dream, but I don't know if it is because of recovering from Covid down time or just lacking in general. Hopefully it will get better as time goes on.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Vista came in late, which meant we couldn't get in our reserved parking place until later. This meant we missed our scheduled priority arrival time and had to take the long line so much for buying FTTF.....
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food we paid for was very good. Bonsai sushi and the seafood shack were very good. The Lido buffet and the dining room were meh.... Guy's Burgers is always a hit as well as the Blue Iguana Cantina. Carnival Vista really needs to step up their game on the buffet and dining room. So disappointing.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Things like the Skyride were fun, just need to extend the hours. Loved the IMAX. The shows were lackluster and uninteresting compared to the pre-covid shows and there seemed to be a lack of fun things during sea days like the hairy chest contest.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Very lackluster compared to pre-covid shows. Music in the atrium wasn't that great either.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Staff and service was good, but I think it is better on the smaller ships. Staff just seemed tired and wore out but they kept working and taking care of our needs. To me that is extra credit to them. Very proud of them.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Ship was very clean and well kept. Layout is good. Similar to the rest of the fleet. The decor is lacking. Vista is like the middle-aged depressed sibling of the younger acting fun-loving ships like the Dream. Plain walls... it was like their entire decor budget went into the atrium and casino funnels with nothing left for the rest of the ship. After sailing the Dream, Glory, and Fantasy, it was disappointing.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was nice. Since we couldn't get a balcony, we really enjoyed the ocean view window and the bonus of a bathtub, even if it was small. The only problem was that you had to drain the tub slowly or the water would back up in the floor drain outside the tub and it smells like sewage. Minor preventative maintenance would correct the problem. But overall still a very nice room.
Belize has such a variety of things to do. You see the wealthy areas as well as the poor areas. You get an authentic feel for the area, not just the sugar-coated touristy view. But that said, the town could be cleaned up to promote tourism and encourage more visitors. Cave tubing was fun and cool relief from the heat!
Always a great stop for shopping and excursions. We did the Mexology excursion and it was awesome. Learning to make different Margaritas and Mojitos and fresh guacamole was great. Dolphins in the background was beautiful!
Lack of public bathrooms is a problem for me. That was ridiculous! I kind of see the issue being so close to the beach, but I was about ready to find a bush to hide behind if we hadn't found McDonald's when we did.
Had FTTF with no checked luggage and disembarking was super easy. We were out of our room at 8:30, off the ship, through customs, paid TABC taxes, car loaded, and on the road home by 9 am. Really shocked at how fast paying the taxes was. Wasn't sure what to expect from Galveston since we had only sailes out of New Orleans and Mobile before.
Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Much like you, I like the bright and Caribbean colors of the ships you’ve sailed. However, starting with the Breeze, Carnival decided to go with modern soft colors (boring). Glad you enjoyed your much of your cruise but sorry for your disappointments.
On paper, everything about the Vista should be better than the dream; but if you follow these reviews regularly, you'll notice that the dream consistently seems to have better reviews. I do think one part of it is just the overall dull design.
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