Carnival Vista Review
Vista has worked out the kinks!! Really didn't want the cruise to end.
Rating by category
Additional details
Because we live in Florida we were able to drive to the Port of Miami on the morning of our cruise. We decided to park in the terminal parking garage this time around rather than the less expensive off-site parking we have used in the past. We definitely made the right decision. We were literally across the street from the ship and the garage is secured and monitored. Well worth the extra cost.
The entire embarkation process went very smoothly. The waiting area at the terminal was crowded, but not overly so, and once boarding began it went fairly quickly. We were onboard the ship by 11:30, exactly the time that I chose at check-in! We were promised that our room key would be outside our cabin door by 1:30, but when we found our room shortly after boarding, it was already there. We were able to drop our carry-on bags and head to the Lido deck for a Guy's Burger. When we stopped back at our cabin before the Muster drill our bags were waiting for us. Our Muster station was the casino which stunk, literally, from all of the lingering smoke. It also made for a confusing time as people were milling about and it was hard for the crew to know who was and wasn't present. It felt that we were there much longer than was necessary. Maybe the casino is not such a good choice for a station, but other than that the entire embarkation process was painless, and the Sail Away party on the Lido deck, which we usually skip, was very enjoyable, due mainly to the Cruise Director, Matt.
It probably goes without saying that Guy's Burgers on the Lido deck are delicious! I allow myself one per cruise, because I can feel my arteries harden even as I eat it, but hey, I'm on vacation. The food in the Main Dining Room was okay. Nothing to write home about generally speaking, but definitely better than our first Vista cruise in December of last year. The portion sizes seemed larger and the wait staff a bit more seasoned. The salad bar on the Serenity Deck, available only on sea days, was a great option for lunch, as was the Pig & Anchor. At the salad bar you are able to choose all of your own salad ingredients and the chef tosses it all together for you. There were hundreds of possible combinations and it was nice to eat a refreshing, crisp, healthy salad while watching the ocean slip by. My husband chose to go for BBQ at Pig & Anchor instead and he had no complaints. There were a few different types of meat to choose from, several sides and sauces of different heats. The tacos at Blue Iguana Cantina were a pleasant surprise. While a bit small, you could have as many as you wanted. Choices of meats were pork, chicken or fish. The topping bar was loaded with all the extras. The pork, surprisingly, were my favorite. It was a great stop for a quick snack, but the line was usually long. I was not all that impressed with the Seafood Shack. I ordered the crab cake sliders; they were pretty good, but my husband was disappointed with his buffalo shrimp. It was all breading and mostly tasteless. Not worth the up charge. We ate at two of the specialty restaurants, Cucina Capitano and Fahrenheit 555. Both were excellent. The antipasto appetizer at Cucina was huge and very tasty. My mussels and pasta were in a creamy mushroom sauce and were delicious. My husband tried the braised short ribs and he thoroughly enjoyed them. The atmosphere was very relaxed and our server very attentive. Fahrenheit 555 was my favorite. We ate there on our last cruise and the fillet mignon I had was one of the best I've ever eaten. I was not disappointed this time around. My husband's ribeye was even better. The tuna tartar and shrimp cocktail were both delicious as well, but my favorite was dessert. The hazelnut cheesecake was wonderful and the chocolate sampler was to die for. The extra fee is most definitely worth it (you would spend at least that much dining out anywhere) and especially so if you are celebrating something special, as we were. I'm not a big breakfast eater, so my perception may be skewed, but breakfast was my least favorite meal of the day. We ate in the Main Dining Room the majority of the time and, with the exception of Sea Day Brunch, the food was so so. They could certainly upgrade their selection of fresh fruit, which I found to be true of the buffet as well.
Cabin Review
Balcony
This is the first time we have opted for a balcony cabin and we will never go back to an inside again! I don't know how much larger a balcony actually is than an interior, but the windows opening to the sea make it seem twice as large. The balcony itself was small, but more than adequate to relax on with a cup of Chai Latte before heading out for the evening or a glass of wine at the end of the night. I only wish that there was some way to leave the window open so you could hear the sound of the ship gliding through the ocean, but......Our bed was very comfortable and we had more than enough space in the dresser drawers and the two closets. Stowing our suitcase under the bed proved to be a great idea and opened up the couch and small coffee table. I honestly never felt cramped, but then again I wasn't in the room for prolonged periods of time. The bathroom was functional, although two people couldn't fit in front of the mirror at the same time. The shower was big enough for my husband and I but, as I mentioned, we aren't big people. 5'2" and 5'11", respectively. It may be a tight fit for larger guests, but no complaints here. The shower curtain was a little clingy. Maybe something a bit heavier?
Our cabin was very quiet. I never heard the up and down the hall traffic I've noticed in the past. Either the rooms on Vista are better insulated or the other passengers on my deck were more decorous. A couple of mornings I woke up wondering what time it was because even though it was light outside the window it was quiet in the hall.
A word about our cabin steward and staff. They were the best we've experienced so far cruising. Imade introduced himself shortly after we arrived in our room the first day and he checked back periodically throughout the week, but we never really saw anyone else. If we left for breakfast, our room was clean before we got back. Our bed was always turned down when we returned at night, complete with towel animal. We never lacked for clean towels either. What I noticed most of all was that there was rarely cleaning staff or their carts in the hallways, at least not by our rooms. This is a marked improvement over past cruises where it seemed I was constantly dodging said carts.
Cabin 8315 is in a great location. Close, but not too close, to elevators and not too far from the pool on deck 10 or deck 5, where all the action is.
Port Reviews
Grand Turk
We have been to Grand Turk a few times and have done a few excursions, but this time around we opted to hang out at the beach. Lots of fun things to do and the water is some of the bluest in the Caribbean.