We had a great time on the Carnival Vista and enjoyed the ports of call! We had a rough sea day on the way back, so that was disappointing, but had a wonderful trip other than that. We preferred the Horizon crew to Vista, but they were perfectly fine. Amber Cove was our favorite port of call. We used the fitness center and spa pass everyday and loved it!! Our son had a great time at Camp Ocean. The musicians onboard were absolutely fantastic!!!! Food was great.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
The ship had issues on its return to port w/the previous sailing, so we boarded 3 hours late. We were supposed to board at 10:30AM, but had to wait outside b/c the inside was full due to the delayed disembarking of the previous cruisers. Traffic was a mess just trying to get into the parking lot to unload our luggage. There should have been a cop directing traffic due to the cars leaving and arriving. Once we were inside, we moved through all steps very quickly and barely stopped. We were able to board quickly once the line finally started moving inside. We ended up leaving port at 5:30AM the next day (due to the repairs being made), but I personally didn't mind it... we still got to visit all of the ports of call and all activities went on as planned.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We did anytime dining in Horizons and the wait staff our first night was terrible/slow/un-trained, but we found a better table the next night and requested it going forward. That crew was wonderful. We ate lunch at Cucina Capitano and Jiji's Asian Kitchen and they were great! Fast service and food was great. We used the pizza place very often, but it did take quite awhile on a few busy days. It would be nice if they could make more pizza at once to always have something available. PLEASE make mobile orders a possibility!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE have mobile ordering especially for coffee; I always wanted to get coffee at Java Blue, but the line was ALWAYS long - even in the middle of the afternoon. The free coffee was terrible and flavored creamer - even just vanilla - would be soooooo appreciated. It would also be very helpful to just have a vending machine available for water/Gatorade. I felt bad one afternoon and had to wait in line for at least 10 mins, just to get a Gatorade.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We LOVED the fitness center and spa; we used them daily and they were wonderful! We prefer the Ropes Course on the Horizon ship. The belay system was more kid friendly. My son is now 8 and did the course repeatedly last year on the Horizon, but an adult had to go with him on the Vista b/c the two-line belay system was very difficult on the transition points at each platform. We always love doing trivia, but some events were very crowded and needed a larger space. Also enjoyed the Build A Bear activity, but the first offering was very crowded and they ran out of the animal my son wanted. We enjoyed the waterslide / splash area, but didn't have time to go as often as we wanted.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We LOOOOOOOOVE Rokstedy at the piano bar (also saw him on Horizon last year)!!!! We went almost every night. Also LOVED the Vista Band's country music and 80's music nights!!! The DJ was great on the Lido deck, but the music was always just way too loud for us. We love the Dive-in movies but wish they could start at 7PM, instead of 6:30PM. We liked the "America Rocks" Playlist show, but left during the "Flick" show b/c it was awful. The beginning was super weird and the opening performers were just not good.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
This was the first time we used Camp Ocean and we really liked it! My son was very nervous and hesitant to go, but enjoyed the "Kids Choice" hour, as well as the science activities. We really enjoyed the family arts & crafts as well!!!
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The ship personnel were all fine, but the crew on the Horizon (last year) was just waaaaay nicer and more personable. Every crew member always told us hello on the Horizon; the crew on the Vista was nice, but they didn't go out of our their way to be overly friendly. Our room steward got us everything we needed and always did a good job cleaning and was friendly. But our Horizon steward ALWAYS used our first names every time he saw us. My 8 year old son said he had fun on the Vista, but missed his "friends" (crew) from Horizon. That Horizon wait staff also knew his name and order and made us all feel so special. We told the wait staff this year on the Vista about my in-law's wedding anniversary, but they didn't do anything. Last year on Horizon, they brought out a special cake and sang and did a whole celebratory thing for them! Brian, the bartender at Piano Bar 88, was fantastic. The spa staff was always friendly, but way too "salesman-like" and pushy on the first day.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We love the layout of Horizon and Vista and the ship was always clean and tidy. On occasion, it took longer than expected for the stewards to clear out plates/trash from in-room dining in the hallways. I appreciate the fact that the crew is regularly sanitizing handrails and wiping things down.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I always wish the cabins were larger, but understand the limitations. The drawers under the couch/twin bed didn't really slide out; you had to pull them soooo hard, we didn't even use them. We love the balcony and it's worth every penny. The bed is comfy and the sheets are super soft. We wish there was minimally a USB plug on the nightstand or near the bed. The water pressure in the shower was great and we appreciate the adjustable shower head.
Ship tip
Make sure you take advantage of the included lunches at some of the specialty dining restaurants (Jiji's, Cucina Capitano, Pig & Anchor, etc.) b/c they charge extra for dinner.
Having to use the tender boats was awful. It took forever and I felt very seasick waiting for everyone to board. We sat for 5-10 mins close to shore, waiting for another boat to come out of the little waterway. It took over 30 mins for us to just get from the ship to shore and we waited until after lunch when the initial rush was over. We loved the beach aspects (clear water and soft sand), but would have appreciated wifi and more dining/bar options.
We LOVED the pool at Margaritaville. Sadly, they were out of the keepsake cups, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time there!!! The beach was too rocky and had a lot of seaweed, so we stayed at the pool and had a wonderful afternoon.
This was our favorite port!! DR was beautiful and we LOVED the pool at Amber cove. The drinks were fantastic and there were plenty of chairs. The DJ was great and the music wasn't too loud or crazy... very family friendly. We just wish we would have had more time at this port!!
We were able to get an 8:15AM debarkation, but they were ahead of schedule and we were able to get off even earlier! We had to wait a little while to get an elevator, but not as long as I expected. This debark was MUCH better and smoother than last year. Please keep using these debark choice times!
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