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My answers are in red below. My husband and I married on the Vista in May 2017, and we're very happy with the experience!

We are planning on getting married in 2020. We are thinking a cruise wedding is the way to go because our families live all over the country. It'll also be a small wedding, no more than 30 people and no bridal party or groomsmen. We would go with Carnival since we've sailed with them before and absolutely love them. But we have tons of questions.

 

1. Is it proper etiquette to foot the bill for the guestrooms? Or is it expected of them to pay their portion? I believe it's common/expected for guests to pay their way.

2. Everyone will be flying or traveling to the port from out of state. Are we responsible for their travel costs? Like is that good etiquette..I don't want to be rude. Guests pay their own way.

3. What do you include in their welcome bags? We may be in the minority, but we didn't do welcome bags. Maybe I was a bad bride? We did have custom shot glasses as wedding favors though.

4. If you had a small wedding did you do the whole reception thing or did you just have a nice dinner at the restaurant on the ship? We had 33 guests, and we did the reception. I think a nice dinner at the restaurant would have been fine with a smaller group.

5. How was the planning process with Carnival? 97% of it was a breeze, the other 3% were just minor inconveniences. Just be sure you get everything in writing, and print out everything and take it with you. Don't expect them to check in and remind you when forms or payments are due, either.

6. Our families would not have met prior to our wedding, would this be weird/awkward? You should be fine.

7. What is your best advice on planning this?

Hey there! I got married on embarkation day in Miami in May 2017, and I used Aimee Ortega (http://aimeeortega.com/) for hair/makeup, and I highly recommend her. She and her team did hair and makeup for both mothers and myself, and hair for two bridesmaids. We were all very pleased with their work, and they were super friendly and professional. Her rates (as well as some photos) are posted online. They even traveled to our hotel the morning of so that we weren't rushing around the city, which was a huge bonus.

We booked one on the Vista for our most recent cruise, and absolutely loved it. I loved having the loungers in a private space to just stretch out. The interior room isn't super spacious, but with two of us, it was plenty of room.

We've cruised the Vista twice, once last May and once at the end of February/start of March 2018. The first night and formal night were the only times we waited for more than 5 minutes for a table, and even then it was only about 30 minutes. The only dining line we really had to deal with was on the last sea day we waited about 30 minutes to get into the Asian stir-fry lunch, and then waited about the same for our food. I don't think we ever really had more than 4 or 5 people ahead of us in line at Guy's or the burrito/taco bar. I think we only did the lido buffet one day, the day of debarkation, and even then it wasn't terrible. I think lines are a lot about timing.

We had a Havana room the last time we cruised, and we aren't big on hanging out on Lido I can't comment on looking for a deck chair. We had one impatient server at a comedy show, but otherwise didn't have any issues with staff/service.

As for shows, yeah, I think you do kind of have to get there early. Maybe 30 minutes before start time, unless you want to be right up front. I've had the same experience on other ships, though, as well as on land.

I can't say for sure about the luggage tags. We self-assist, so we didn't require any tags. If you're worried about making a flight, I'd recommend self-assist as well.

Take my opinion, as with others, as just that - someone's opinion. Your mileage may vary. We talked to other people on our sailings who just hated the Vista, thought the service was awful and everything was crowded.

They do makeup, though I've never had it done so I can't attest to the quality.

If you're going to have an embarkation day wedding, you won't be able to use the salon onboard. The wedding coordinators should be able to help you arrange something through their services, but you can also either look for someone local or bring someone onboard. I got married on the Vista on embarkation day out of Miami, and the best pricing I found was for a reputable hair and makeup artist local to the area.

The Caribbean Manhattan and the Fiery Tropical Passion Martini are the most memorable on-the-menu drinks I've had at Alchemy. The first time I cruised on the Vista, Alchemy Bar had Marko, who was a magician. He never made me anything from the menu, but I was always very happy with what he made!

First, congratulations!

My biggest recommendation, and I'm sure since you're a planner like I am you're already on this, but make sure you get printouts of EVERYTHING. Every email, every payment, every selection you make. Cover your butt, just in case.

The only two things that went awry planning-wise for us were that the favors we had set out got cleared pretty early in our reception, so many people didn't get any (we took them to dinner tables and tried to be sure everyone got one), and my maid of honor wasn't prepared to help me bustle my gown before the reception. So, prepare for those accordingly.

We used Carnival's photographer, Froilan. He was AMAZING. I've heard really mixed things, though, and luckily we had friends who also took a ton of photos in case we had any snafus. If you can add extra budget room anywhere, I'd highly recommend budgeting for more photos/video if you can (assuming you don't take your own photographer with you). They're expensive, but when they're good, they're REALLY good.

Between two cruises on Vista, I think we've hit most of the extra-charge restaurants.

Steakhouse: Worth it for us. We've gone both times we were on the Vista, and everything we had was delicious. I think the last time we went my husband had the risotto as a starter, the New York strip as an entree, and I had the stuffed mushrooms with the surf and turf. We were so stuffed this most recent time we didn't even have room for dessert.

Jiji's: We missed this on our first cruise, and I'm so disappointed we did. The appetizers and entrees were fantastic (potstickers and spring rolls, and the kung pao chicken and sweet and sour shrimp). I didn't care for either of the sides we ordered (broccoli and some sort of noodle), but my husband loved the noodle. The desserts and cocktails were also wonderful. I'm definitely making Jiji's a priority on our next cruise! Sidenote: I didn't care for the free lunch. The service was extremely slow (my meal didn't arrive until about 10-15 minutes after everyone else's, and the meat quality was awful compared to what it was during dinner).

Cucina: We went the first time we cruised Vista and loved it. We skipped it this most recent cruise because when they revamped the menus, they got rid of the spaghetti carbonara we were so in love with. The free lunch is pretty great, though!

Sushi: We've gone both times, and really enjoyed it. There isn't a ton of variety for the sushi itself, but everything we tried was great. We tried the ramen bowls the most recent time, and I was very pleasantly surprised.

We never tried the Seafood Shack, the snacks at Redfrog Pub or The Chef's table.

Answering my own question post-cruise... some of the JiJi’s cocktails are also available in Bonsai Sushi. The Sake Sangria is yummy.

 

 

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Oh my gosh, the sake sangria is so fantastic! I wish I had the recipe they use.

I've cruised Vista twice, first in a spa suite and the most recent cruise in a Havana Premium Vista balcony. Go for the Havana. The balcony is spectacular, and having access to the Havana area in the day is worth every penny. Plus, if you really want, you can add on a spa pass (either daily or weekly).

We had a Premium Vista Balcony (#7459) on our last sailing, and loved it. The balcony was spectacular, and we were removed enough from the Havana bar that we didn't hear the music loudly when we wanted to nap or to go to bed early.

My husband and I decided that any time we're on a ship with a Havana area, we want to be in a Havana cabin. While I didn't think the ship seemed particularly crowded (given the number of passengers), we liked not having to worry about whether or not we'd be able to squeeze into a hot tub or pool on the lido deck. It also felt more peaceful than lido feels to me.

Hey there! Check with the Wedding Department. When I got married on the Vista in May, they allowed us to have two cabins ready when we boarded (we had ours and my parents' cabin). It makes things a world easier :)

Take a breath, and try to actually experience the day/moment. It goes by so fast. Congratulations!

First, congratulations!

We had a welcome dinner at Fado Irish Pub, located in Brickell Marketplace. There was no room charge, and they were wonderful to deal with. Since it was a welcome dinner, we had everyone pay their own way (they allowed us separate bills). They also offer party platters and the like, but that's not anything we did. The food and drinks were delicious - I'd definitely recommend checking them out!

For my husband and I, we really appreciated not having to plan a lot of the minute details. We didn't want to fuss with decor, choosing napkin colors, tablescapes, etc. Getting married onboard eliminated all of that for us.

Can anyone give any details on the wedding cake that Carnival provides? Wondering about the filling, what that is like? Thank You.

I just wanted to give an update, since I forgot to mention it here.

We had two tiers - chocolate and vanilla, both with the Bavarian cream filling. I was surprised that the Bavarian cream came in both chocolate and vanilla flavors (corresponding with each cake flavor/tier). It was amazing! One of my guests had only had chocolate at the reception, and was surprised that the vanilla cake she had in the dining room was our wedding cake. She raved about it all week!

Congrats! I'm getting married on the Vista in August but I'm doing a Beach Ceremony in Grand Cayman before the onboard reception. Can't wait to see your pictures.. did they offer any wiggle room in pricing? Or strictly off the packages? If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay and how much was "everything" if you went that route?

 

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Thank you! I still haven't figured out photos - I'm sorry!

They did offer wiggle room. We didn't get everything because it unfortunately wasn't in our budget - but he did offer all the prints, the photo books, the canvases - everything - for a little over $3,000. The original cost would have been about $7,000. We had budgeted for the Premier package ($899), and he generously threw in several extra prints (I think close to 20 extras) for no additional cost. We also got two USBs with all those photos on them. If you can at all, by all means put any additional money you can towards photos. You won't be disappointed.

Hello all! My husband and I just returned over the weekend from our wedding/honeymoon onboard the Carnival Vista. I wanted to share some opinions/thoughts, and try to answer questions for any future Carnival Vista brides.

First, the back story: My now-husband and I met in 2013, and were pretty much set on each other right off the bat. We got engaged in May 2015, and decided on a cruise wedding shortly thereafter. We booked in late December 2015, when the May 2017 cruises went live for booking. We chose the Time to Celebrate Big package, which has since been discontinued - this included my bouquet, his boutonniere, a nondenominational officiant, basic decorations (white columns, simple flowers), 1 1/2 hour reception (including hor d'ouerves and open bar), signature cocktail, 2-tier wedding cake, a champagne toast, ice carving and the use of a photographer. We planned and paid for most of the wedding ourselves. The "extras" we paid for were some premium fillings in the cake, and the use of the DJ - who made everything special.

We got married on embarkation day, onboard the ship while still in Miami. Our ceremony was in the Limelight Lounge, and our reception was in the Liquid Lounge. The onboard coordinator and officiant met us in the terminal, and walked us through everything. When we were cleared for boarding (shortly after 11 am), the bridal party, my mother and I were escorted to our suite (we booked under an ocean suite, and got a call a week before offering an upgrade to a spa suite for about $250 - we jumped at it!), and my husband and the guys went to my parents' cabin, which had been promised to be ready for us.

The photographer came to our suite to get a few photos of my girls and I as we got ready. They then had a short rehearsal, and I was escorted to the venue. My father met me outside the ceremony venue, and away we went. The ceremony was short and sweet, and we then hurried off to the reception.

Our reception flew by so fast. We got there, did our first dance, the father/bride dance, the mother/groom dance, cut the cake and maybe had a couple songs and a few bites to eat before we had to make our way to muster drill. After muster, we met up with our photographer back at the reception site, and he escorted us around the ship for another hour and a half taking more photos.We met up with him later in the cruise, and selected which photo package we wanted (the premier package - it's what we had the budget for, though I wish I could have paid for everything). Since we were the only wedding that day, our photographer also took video - it looked amazing, but we didn't budget for it since we knew it would be short and have no audio of the vows. It still looked amazing, and I wish we had budgeted for it.

A few key things:

***A sweet thing: My father gave us two excellent surprises. The first, my husband and I are large Doctor Who fans - my father dressed in a Doctor Who-inspired suit, which was so touching. Secondly, while we were walking down the aisle, he paused and said "Oh, I think I need a drink first!" and grabbed a drink he'd positioned at a table along the side. It was very "him" and did a great job of making me laugh when I had been crying.

***Our photographer, Florian, was AMAZING. He was so kind and his work was incredible. If you're lucky enough to have him, you'll be very happy with his work.

***Our coordinator and officiant were also wonderful. They explained everything, and were very patient and helpful. I could not have hoped for a better team!

My tips:

1) Eat a substantial breakfast, and try and ask someone to pack you a plate from the reception. We had so many canapes, and I think I had two sushi rolls, a glass of champagne and half of a specialty cocktail!

2) Everyone says it flies by fast. Don't underestimate this like I did! It was a beautiful, magical blur.

3) Enjoy it. There will be things that don't go perfectly, there will be stress, and if your family is involved, there's always a chance for tension/drama. Remember that you're doing everything for your love, and keep the love (for each other, for your families, for your friends) at the forefront at all times. Learn some stress-prevention and management tips early and use them often!

I will try and figure out how to get some photos posted, but if anyone has any questions, please let me know!

Hi, according to the posts from last year, it seems quite a few of you should be married now. Can you give advice and things? I will be getting married in 2018. I would really like to know about the receptions too. What did you do, did you decorate, how did it work with drinks if you only have like 1 or 2 servers and the bar isn't open? Thanks

My wedding is on Sunday, and when we get back I plan on writing something up since I don't think I've seen anything from someone who was married on the Vista yet.

Ok ladies...I was not pleased with the pricing on the silk flowers at our port. They quoted me $180 for a bouquet and boutonnière in silk flowers. I've decided on silk because we are getting married in port in Baltimore and then we are having a private photographer do a beach shoot in Bermuda. Since live flowers can't be taken off of the ship we're going with silk rather than paying twice for flowers. I found some bulk roses on amazon and put these together. Honest opinions please!

 

 

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These are so lovely! They look like they were done by a professional!

Can anyone give any details on the wedding cake that Carnival provides? Wondering about the filling, what that is like? Thank You.

There were multiple filling options - Bavarian cream, fresh strawberries and chocolate ganache were all options. We chose the Bavarian cream, and I can report back on what it's like in about two weeks.

My wedding is two weeks from Sunday, and I just got informed of my ceremony/reception locations and times! My ceremony will be at the Limelight Lounge, and reception will be at the Liquid Lounge (this is all on the Vista).

Carnival takes a few days to reply sometimes she'll reply the next day. My wedding isn't until December so I haven't had to contact her that much yet.

 

 

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I've had the few-day response time, especially in the beginning. Lately my planner has been taking 10+ days to respond - which is concerning when it's me sending in my final guest list/payment, or my cake selections. I wound up just calling and talking to another representative who was quite helpful.

Any of the other Carnival brides have a consultant/planner who isn't great about keeping in touch/communicating? I've noticed a decline in how responsive our planner is the closer my wedding gets - I'm not sure if it's just that time of year, or if I should be concerned.

@carolina_girl87 do you have contact info for Aimee?

 

 

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I know this wasn't directed to me, but I'm using Aimee Ortega as well. Her website is: http://aimeeortega.com/contact3 Her number is 305-505-3355, and her email is info@chicmakeupbyaimee.com. She has already been wonderful to work with, and I'm sure based on reviews and photos her work day-of will be fantastic.