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Carnival Vista Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 80

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5
Carnival Vista

7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 05, 2023

Ship: Carnival Vista

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 8 months ago

Review summary

Overall, we all enjoyed our cruise on the Vista. Cruising in August is hot, but the weather and waters were pleasant. You can spend alot of extra money or spend nothing extra and still have a great time. Enjoy

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Purchased Faster to the Fun and we were onboard in a snap! FYI I know that they say your room will be ready before your arrival with FTTF but if you choose an early check-in time it will not. Not a problem since we always pack our patience before hand I just politely say excuses us as we unload our carry-on stuff into the closets and quickly get out of their way so they can finish cleaning and I can get to Guys Burgers ๐Ÿ” ๐Ÿ˜Š

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
Food in the MDR was fair, and the service was great for any time dining. The lido deck buffet was always crowded, but that's to be expected, and the quality is buffet quality.

Lido Marketplace

3 out of 5

Ok again, please remember to pack your patience and remember this is BUFFET, not fine dining! The lines will be long, and the food is mediocre but good enough.

Guy's Pig & Anchor

5 out of 5

I'm still amazed some people miss this gem because it's only open on sea days and the first day of the cruise. It's only available for about three hours when they're open so it is easy to miss.

BlueIguana Cantina

5 out of 5

The burritos, tacos and bowls were fresh and delicious.

JiJi Asian Kitchen

5 out of 5

We did JiJi for the specialty dining, and they're awesome. There was so much great tasting food for only $18 per person.

Pizzeria Del Capitano

5 out of 5

Still a great simple slice of tasty pizza ๐Ÿ• ๐Ÿ˜‹.

Seafood Shack

5 out of 5

Now you do have to pay extra for this eatery but if you love seafood it's worth the modest amount ๐Ÿ˜‹.

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

This is always my first stop after we board and I haven't been disappointed yet.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Beach Pool

4 out of 5

Crowded most of the time but enjoyable non the less. The music varies from time to time but I really enjoyed the live calypso performance.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Liquid Lounge

4 out of 5

They have live performances here and for the most part fun and enjoyable. Just don't come here looking for Broadway ๐Ÿคฃ

IMAX Theater

5 out of 5

This was almost the same price as watching it on land but still enjoyable and shows current movies.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The entire crew works their butts off despite some people thinking it's only the cabin stewards. I couldn't imagine doing their job for whatever their compensation is, but believe me, it's not enough. If you've seen some of the shenanigans going on and unsupervised children ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จit's a bit overwhelming sometimes for them. So, if you're new to cruising, please pre-pay gratuities and tip accordingly for above and beyond service wherever you see it. Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Good ship but she's overdue for a good dry dock refresh.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
We enjoyed our balcony with two adults and two teens. It's just big enough and you can escape to your private view.

Ship tip

All Vista ships are weird that you'd have to go up or down a deck to continue heading from forward to aft on decks 3, 4, and 5, I believe.

Ports of call

Galveston, Texas

5 out of 5
Take time to enjoy the local fair before or after your cruise. It's very good ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿพ

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
Been here several times and probably several times more in the future. It's super touristy by the pier but if you take a private cab or scooter the other side is nice and quiet.

George Town, Grand Cayman

4 out of 5
Beautiful beaches and very clean and I love their rum.

Montego Bay, Jamaica

5 out of 5
I know this destination gets a bad rap, but the beach excursions we went on were fun and not overcrowded, and best of all, it was private.

Disembarkation

2 out of 5
Ok, this is where you know vacation time and common sense have ended. The staff I witnessed really was trying their best, but unfortunately, a lot of passengers weren't. You'll see people come unglued trying to get off the ship quickly. My humble advice is to enjoy that last breakfast and patiently wait.
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