peekinglemer

I was on that cruise.  I just got an email from them a few days ago that they were going to refund everything we requested and would be sending a check.  I thought it was odd they would not just reimburse to our account.  Did you get a check?  Did you get an email stating they would pay one amount but sent another.  Fingers crossed they don't mess this up.  I plan on booking another trip.  lol

My son used whatsapp on our last two cruises.  The last one this past August on Pride.  He has no issues calling his friends back home using this app and we didn't see a spike in our cell phone bill.  You do need to pay for wifi on-board to use the app.  Hope this helps.

Hi Shepherdqueen

My husband has MS and we just returned from two weeks in London.  He uses a mobility scooter to get around.  Vacations are very doable with an MS dx, but proper planning is so important.  We have had to adjust the way we travel over the years to accommodate his disability as it progresses. 

When we go to Cape Cod in the hot summer months, he makes sure to take cooling hats, drink lots of water, and take frequent breaks.  If we are walking down to the beach, we choose a place that has a boardwalk or other structure so he is not walking on sand the whole way down. 

I would check with Royal's Guest Assistance before your trip. They deal with these issues all the time and I'm sure they will be able to give you a lot of good tips and advise on how to navigate their island.  Also, there are a ton of private MS groups on facebook that you may want to consider joining.  My husband belongs to one and I belong to a different one for "caretakers" of people with MS.  It is so awesome having people in your shoes to talk with.

All the best.

Tracy 

We just cruise out of Dover last month.  By far the easiest, fastest boarding ever.  We had a 12:30 time slot but got there about an hour early.  NO LINES at all.  Got right in, took the elevator to the correct floor (you can walk stairs but husband uses a scooter) and we were on board in about 10 minutes.  They have it DOWN in Dover.  Enjoy your cruise.

1 hour ago, Earthworm Jim said:

The port charges/taxes for ports they aren't going to should really be a straight refund, not an onboard credit, in my opinion.

They did.  The obc is in addition.  

2 minutes ago, CookieShip said:

I wonder what prompted the change, especially so late. 

Glad to see OP is rolling with the changes, not sure I could with such drastic changes. 

Jamaica was one of our stops and I have heard things are really bad there. I also suspect there was an issue with Panama.  I’m also thinking any longer cruises may be adjusted to shorter ones.  The cruise lines want to stay out of the CDC red zone and the longer the cruise the more chances of having positive cases aboard.  Just my opinion though.  

11 minutes ago, icft said:

You have the attitude necessary to be happy in these times. Having done the Panama Canal and having a lot of cruises under our belts we would also be able to sit back and enjoy. My DW's attitude has always been it's a ride, just sit back and enjoy what comes along. But when I think back to my younger days when we started cruising, I would have wasted too much time sulking.

 

The Panama Canal part is probably the main reason a lot of folks booked the cruise and to find out a day before sailing that it isn't going to happen is going to make for some very unhappy campers. I'm sure glad I have mellowed with age. It makes the covid times much easier.

Yup. I agree. I would have been very disappointed had I never done the Panama Canal before. But honestly, it was kind of underwhelming for what I was expecting.  Lol. At least they are giving people the opportunity to reschedule later.  Honestly, with the masking and the port changes and the testing…cruising right now is not for the faint of heart.  Sad not 14 days but just more money to spend on drinks and casino.   Ha ha

On our way to Baltimore now for our Legend cruise and just got notice our 14 day Panama Canal cruise is now a 10 days with different stops and no Panama Canal. We cruise a lot so even though we are disappointed in missing some days, we totally understand and are just happy to be back on a ship.  When you choose to cruise during a pandemic you need to roll with it.  Carnival is giving us 300 obc and refunding days and other charges.   Stay safe everyone.  

Thank you! That's good to know. My oldest will be turning 12 on this cruise and I hope she will check out the kids club! They have a 12-14 group i think, right?

Yes, they do have a club for kids in that age groups. My son use to like the clubs when he was smaller but he has kind of outgrown them. He knew two other kids his age on this ship and he hung out with them a lot playing basketball and even going to the shows. lol Don't worry, your daughter will have a great time and make some new friends.

We did the Easter cruise this past March on the Pride. We got on the Ship Easter Sunday.

The Easter Bunny was waiting for us when we got on the ship for some fun photo ops.

My son is 12 now, and didn't do the kids club. But unless there was something going on special for the kids that we didn't know about, the appearance by the Easter Bunny on Sunday was the only thing they had.

Hey there.

We travel with my folks and they are pretty big gamblers. I head that the casinos on-board are now allowed to open for limited hours when the ship is in port in Bermuda.

The cruise we are looking at would have 4 days in Bermuda.

Can anyone tell me what their experience is with Casino hours while the ship is in port?

Thanks.

Thank you, seriously, for your super awesome review! I don't want to go against your husband, but NO, we can't find out all of that information on Carnival's site! I will be copying/pasting your dining lineup (because, really, that is the most important thing FOOD!!) in an email to my family who are hopefully all sailing together this August. Thanks again!

Thanks Spicey. You KNOW I read this comment to my husband. LOL

I think you will have plenty of time to get well before your trip. You were smart to nip it in the bud early.

I always err on the side of caution when I have a big trip planned. Better to be proactive.

Enjoy your trip.

If you have made it this far, thank you. I really enjoyed reliving my cruise through this review.

I know I can be pretty long-winded and probably way too detailed. My husband kept saying "they can find all that out just by logging into the Carnival site".

Yup. I know. But my fingers have a mind of their own.

So - without further adieu (or further long winded review) here is my final thoughts of the Carnival Vista 11 day cruise out of NYC.

The Carnival Vista is a very innovative ship, with lots of unique activities and things to do. The sports deck alone is worth the price of the cruise. However, no matter how big you make a ship, realestate is still at a minimum. And if you are going to add a bunch of new things here and there, you have to take space away from other venues. This was seen in the Atrium, the Steak House, the Sports bar and the Spa. One would expect that the biggest ship in the fleet, with the most number of passengers, would have some of the biggest public areas as well.

Missing from the Vista was the grand decor of some of the other carnival ships. The Pride comes to mind here. Most of the other ships seem to have some central theme when they decorate the ship. If I had to guess what the theme was aboard the Vista, nothing comes to mind. (My husband said a doctor's office). The ship is more modern than masterfull. There are some venues that hit the mark like Bonsi Sushi or the Havan Club or the Red From Pub. But most spaces were generic. If you are looking for atmosphere like the Steak House on the Pride with it's windows and lighting and statuary....you WILL be disappointed.

But what the Vista misses in decor it makes up for 100 fold in the outdoor spaces. With the exception of NO HOT TUBS on the lido deck by the main pool, the outdoor spaces on the Vista are amazing.

Almost every club, bar or venue has an outdoor seating area attached. The outdoor area outside the Red Frog Pub on deck 5 is fabulous. They have gliders and tables and chairs. It is so inviting. And the opportunity to have meals outside is readily available. From the pizza place and crab shack all the way to the outdoor seating at the steak house. If you WANT to eat outside, you won't have a problem doing that.

The food on this cruise is plentiful, but the main dining room food and lido buffet food is pretty bland. We did have some good meal, but not a lot of WOW moments. Luckily, if you don't like one option, there are many other choices for you. All of the For Fee food was great. Go figure. And when you are at a loss....there is always the 24 hour pizza. It was awesome if you can stand the sometimes very long waits.

We found the staff on the Vista to be what one can expect on a Carnival Ship. Engaging, hard working, friendly and efficient. We saw so many people treating the crew poorly, so we went out of our way to thank them and tip extra for above and beyond service. The cruise director on this ship, Matt, was awesome and kept the fun going. The Matt and Cookie morning show was the FIRST morning show I ever enjoyed watching. Cookie is hysterical.

The inside staterooms on this ship are some of the smallest I have ever stayed in. Storage space is laughable. But...we don't use the room for much more than sleeping so not a deal breaker. It was just hard to organize for 3 people with 11 days worth of outfits. Plan ahead and make sure you use some "cruise hacks" to organize your room and maximise space.

Overall, the Vista was an amazing ship, and we had a blast. I know I made some negative comments about certain things, but they were more observations than anything else. No one ship is going to be everything to everybody.

The big question is: "Would I sail the Vista again or recommend her to others?" The answer is a resounding YES. However, we would pay the extra money next time and either get a Havana room or at least a balcony.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, I would rate the Vista a solid 8.

For reference, my favorite Ships in the Fleet are.

1. Carnival Dream (the first cruise I took with my whole family so my judgement may be jaded).

2. Carnival Pride (all that glorious woodwork and old sailor nautical feel).

3. Carnival Vista (amazing outdoor space, tons of activities and major innovation).

Thanks to all who stuck with my review. I hope you were able to get something out of it. In the end, this is just my opinion and my preferences. If you really want to know what the Carnival Vista is like.....give her a try. I have a feeling you won't be disappointed.

Thanks again.

Tracy

Thanks again to everyone that has stuck with me so far. This will probably be one of the last segments:

Piano Bar -

If you have never tried a piano bar, you are in for a treat. If you have tried other piano bars, you are STILL in for a treat, and if you have been to a piano bar with BEN....I know you will be back.

The piano bar on the Vista is very comparable in size and decor as the other Carnival ships I have been on. One difference is that the piano is not on a pedestal that spins.

We ALWAYS try to get there early to get a good spot at the piano. The fun is in the back and forth with the piano man and the comradery with your fellow guests.

The first piano bar I attended was on the Ecstasy and I was like "why have I never done this before". It was THAT good. By the end of the cruise we were all family in that room. However, on the Pride a few years ago the piano man was kind of meh. He had his groupies that he played too and the rest of us sort of felt like outsiders.

With Ben, EVERYONE that comes into the piano bar is an INSIDER, and Ben goes out of his way to make sure everyone gets involved. Even my 10 year old LOVED Ben. We like to "grease the piano" when we first get there with a 5-spot that Ben has you throw into his tip jar via a basketball hoop. But watch out...if the tip is good, or you make the shot, you may have to run laps around the bar and high-5 all the patrons.

Another crown pleaser is the props. Imagine a room full of half (or completely) drunk people singing Loverboy, wearing hats in the shape of hotdogs, squid or other crazy characters. For good measure, add a pair of oversized sunglasses.

You can shout out a request for a song, but the best way is to write your request on a slip of paper and turn it into Ben with a $1.00. That will guarantee your song.

Kids are allowed into the piano bar until 11:00, when the adult show starts. Naughty lyrics and raunchy jokes are on the menu. If you tip enough, (another $5.00 from us) you can get your friend a spot on the piano to be serenaded by Ben and the rest of the bar. (I got my 70 year old mom up there. Hysterical.....).

The piano bar is packed the first few nights of the cruise and gets less crowded as the cruise goes on. I'm guessing towards the end of the cruise people are starting to wind down and poop out.

Piano bar with Ben? Just do it. You can thank me later.

Library:

The library on the Vista is right across from the Piano bar. It is comparable in size with other Carnival libraries. However, what makes this library stand out is the addition of a bar and self-service wine dispensers. Wait....what? Yup. Self-service wine dispensers. I was on the Sheers program so I never tried it, but I was tempted to just for the novelty.

The bar is only open during certain hours of the day, so if you are looking for a quiet place to read....you still don't want to pick the library. Along with the books, this library stacks a nice selection of family board games, some still in their wrappers. During a rainy day, there was a lot of families taking advantage of the free games, and a few other adults playing cards and dominos. It wasn't obnoxious loud, but certainly not library quiet.

The library was a fun way to spend some down time in a relaxed setting. We also enjoyed getting a drink there on formal nights as the setting was very cool.

They also use the library complete the paperwork for sales at the art auction, so, the library may not be available every day.

Elevators:

Not enough, very slow, take the stairs.

A side note on the Steak House:

If you want to go to the steak house on the Vista, reserve it NOW! The steak house on the Vista is so small compared to the one on the Pride. And since there are so many more people on this ship, the number of people that can get into the steak house is minimal.

We tried to get reservations for ANY day of the cruise on the morning of day 3. Nope. Waitlisted along with about 100 other people. We never did get in.

When I questioned why they had such a tiny steak house when it is so popular they said that they have the outdoor seating which gives them more space. However, no one wants to eat outside at night when it is windy or chilly or rainy. So that space went unused a lot. We did get reservations at Cucina one night and they had steak on the menu. I got it, I ate it.....holy crap that was one amazing piece of cow. And for a cheaper then the steak house. Just a thought.......

Playlist Productions:

First, let me make a disclaimer. We are NOT "show" people on cruises. We have tried them in the past and found them to be pretty "high school musical" and sort of cheesy. However, my husband loves the Cuban culture, so when they offered up a show on Cuba we figured we would give it a shot. It would save me money from the casino, and if it sucked we could just walk out.

Guess what....the show was good, bordering on great. The music was LIVE and infectious. The dancing was HOT! Even I couldn't take my eyes of the tall blond girl in the cut-offs. Hee hee. When you go you will know who I mean.

Since we all enjoyed the Cuban show we decided to try the "Can't Be Missed" show called Flick! We all agreed, BEST SHOW WE HAVE EVER SEEN ON A CRUISE SHIP. The dancer that played the title role of Flick was amazing, and the whole show was left us spellbound. We heard other people saying the same thing.

After the show, they got the whole cast together in the Atrium where you could get your pictures taken with them WITH YOUR OWN CAMERA. Nothing to buy from the photo shop. It is one of my favorite pictures of the whole cruise.

One tip - get to the FLICK show early. They have a platform set up on the floor of the showroom where they do some of the performances. If you are sitting in the balcony near the back, you will not see any of that part of the performance, and trust me....you won't want to miss it. We lined up for the Flick show 45 minutes early and by the time they let us in, there was a huge line behind us. We got great seats on the first floor right next to the platform. Location could not be any better.

Comedy Club:

The comedy club on the Vista, like the majority of the public spaces, was small in comparison to the number of passengers. If you want to catch a show, and don't mind going to the family friendly show, then catch the first show of the night at 7:30 p.m. You can pretty much show up right before the show starts and still get a seat. As the night goes on, the lines for the show get longer and longer. The line for the adult show went all the way down the hall and almost to the casino.

After you watch one show, you must exit the theater and get back in line for the next one. They do this to make it fair to all the guests so everyone gets a chance to see a show. We never went to back to back shows as the lines were so long after you exit the first one.

Tip - Pick the show/artist that you really want to see and wait in line at least 20 minutes early for that show. Manny Olivera was our favorite (his first family show had us in stitches) so we planned our nights around his shows.

Alchemy Bar:

Didn't do it. Looked like fun. Ran out of time.

Camp Carnival:

After trying to get my son to try the kids club, he finally, reluctantly went. This is pretty typical for him. However, once he got there, he loved it and didn't want to leave. He ended up making some friends that he played with on the Sports Deck.

Since my son is 10, he was in the "Shark" group. This group can use the video games, and sign themselves in and out with parent permission. However, they can't sign themselves out after 10:00 during night owls. A parent has to get them, pay the night owl fee ($6 something an hour) and escort them back to the room.

My son did one of the night owls and he wanted to stay until it closed down at 1:00. However, he outlasted me and his dad, and we made him call it a night at 11.

Some of the activities include arts and crafts, sports games, video games, and movies. They can also have dinner at the camp, but mean parents that we are, we liked him to have dinner with us.

If your child goes to the camp on the last sea day, they get to make a t-shirt (free) and have it signed by all their camp friends. They also get a free gift. My son does camp at least a few days on every cruise. Some staff are better than others. The staff on the Vista are first rate, seem to really like working with kids, and took the time to get to know my son. Kudos.

Spa and Gym:

My mom and I thought we would look into getting a day pass at the spa on a sea day. We were told they had some available but another guest tried and was told they were all sold out. I'm thinking there were some cancellations when we went up so if they are sold out at first, and you really want to go, keep trying.

Before we committed to paying the $40.00 day pass, we took a tour of the spa. After our tour, we decided against the day pass. This spa is SMALL. The spa on the Dream is so much nicer then the one on the Vista. It was really cramped for space. That to me is NOT relaxing. And on the Dream, the therapy pool was a good size. The one of the Vista was not much bigger then a standard hot tub. There were a few rows of the heated chairs, but not many. Every one was in use on our visit. We saved our money. Well....not really. We went to the casino instead. HA!

Art Auctions:

If you have ever been on ANY Cruise then you are familiar with the Park West Art Auctions. I know that some people love them and some people think they are a scam and hate them. Some people just go for the free champaign. My husband is an art lover and he always attends all the art seminars, and then we go to an art auction or 2.

We know ahead of time what, if anything, we would like to bid on, and we do our research. Warning....it is easy to get ripped off with something that LOOKS like a good deal but really isn't. My husband are I collect Lebo pieces and will purchase his artwork right from his own webpage. However, the cruise ships often have some of his art that is no longer available in the Lebo gallery. That was the case this cruise and we walked away with a sign, framed and shipped Lebo. The reserve price at the auction was too high for us so we spoke with the auctionair privately before the auction. They WILL work with you if you if you appear to know the value of a piece.

We had to make our auction bid at the reserve price, but the piece was actually sold to us for a few hundred dollars less.

The other thing that can make or break an art auction is the auctioneer and his or her support staff. Lloyd was the auctioneer on the Vista and he was fantastic. Funny, knowledgeable and he kept things moving along.

Even if you are not in the market for a piece of art, it is still a fun thing to attend. Even if the only thing you do is laugh with your family about who in their right mind would pay 10 grand for a picture that looks like something my dog painted. (For the record....my husband was not amused at me typing that).

Up next. The last and final installment. My overall impression and rating of the Vista.

Fantastic informative review! I will be on this ship end of next month with my family and was wondering what stood out for your son? Activities/slides etc? Did he attend the camp at all? Do you think you could bring your own xbox games to play?? Thanks!

Hi inghilch:

So many things stood out for my 10 year old son on this cruise. First and foremost was the sports deck! Fabulous. He loved trying his hand at playing pool, he loved the mini-golf, he loved bowling and he really loved the giant pool table you walk on and kick in the balls with your feet. (Awesome). He had so much fun being active this cruise that he only went into the arcade one time.

The Skyrider and rope course were also a huge hit. He did the rope course a bunch of times on his own. He also loved the waterworks. They really got that right. Of the two slides, he liked the yellow one (body slide as opposed to the raft slide) the best because it was so fast. I liked the raft slide myself.

One surprising thing he really enjoyed was playing shuffle board and foosball in the Red Frog Pub on deck 5. I think he felt very "adult" being allowed in a pub and playing the games.

Since he is 10, he was allowed (with our permission) to sign himself in and out of the kids club. He didn't go often, but when he did, he stayed there for a very long time. He did one of the Night Owls party and outlast both his dad and I.

Here is the great thing for parents. HUB APP. Since my son was able to get in touch with us anytime/anywhere with the Hub app, it allowed him more freedom then he would normal have on a cruise. So if he was in the kids club and wanted to go to deck 12, he would send us a text asking for permission. It worked out great.

There are X-Box and PS4 in the kids club, X-Box in the sports bar and PS4 in the family harbor. My son said he didn't know if you could bring your own games or not but he didn't see anyone with their own games. I'm thinking it may not be allowed since they can't control the type of games people bring on, or if a game gets damaged. It wouldn't hurt to ask though. I would send an email to either guest services or John Heald and ask. Let me know the answer. My son would love to bring some games in the future.

Your family is going to have a BLAST!

We disembarked Sunshine this past Friday. It was an absolutely fantastic cruise overall. No complaints. Food was plentiful and very good, especially Jiji's Asian Kitchen and Chef's Table. Both were unbelievable! Crew was accommodating, friendly and very warm. This was our second time on Sunshine this year and she remains one of our favorites. It was an unusual sailing as we were not scheduled to depart till 10:00PM and due to a medical emergency on the previous sailing embarkation got pushed from starting at 3:30 to starting at 6:30, so all 3,000 were trying to board at once and we did not sail till midnight. It was crazy but it could have been worse.

 

In my now 20 plus cruises I have never had a need to visit the on board medical facilities, until now. The reason was completely my own stupid fault. I managed to get a ring stuck on my finger! :p I tried everything I could think of to get it removed : ice water, lotion, soap etc. But the knuckle had become so swollen it was hopeless. I went to one of the jewelry stores and they referred me to the medical center. The staff there could not have been better! Very sympathetic, patient and extremely professional. They had to use a ring cutter to slowly cut through the band. It hurt like a you-know-what, but they got it off eventually. The charge was $60.00 which I thought was very reasonable. I cannot overstate how friendly both employees were and eager to help. They will definitely be getting a mention on our survey.

 

Any questions about Sunshine, medical facilities etc. ? I am happy to answer.

I just have to ask? Did you get charged for the cost of the ring? Was it one of the bargain ones or one behind the locked glass door?

Ok I went and after standing for 1 1/2 I left. I was unable to sit because I was in so much pain from back. I had a bad back to start with but hurt it during the cruise. I ended up taking the pain pills I had till I got back home. The reason the wait was taking so long they were seeing crew. I think the crew should have a time set aside to be seen.

Hey there ddbaab:

Just wanted to pass along an interesting bit of information we learned during the crew Q&A on our cruise last week aboard the Vista.

Someone asked the chief medical officer about their main role on the ship. He said that, first and foremost, they are there for the CREW of the ship. The crew live on the ship and that is their home. The medical facilities are to treat the crew that live there. Passengers will always be treated, but their first concern and priority is the health and wellbeing of the crew. He also said that if there is an emergency, they will tend to the emergency first.

He said that they are there to treat bumps and bruises and supply meds. for colds and aches and pains. They will act as a first responder in the case of an emergency, but the goal is to stabilize a patient until they can be airlifted or transported to a land based facility.

Sorry you were in pain for your vacation. That is no fun. Odds are the only thing the medical staff could have done for you was give you pain meds, which you already had, and refer you to a land based facility in port.

I hope you are feeling better.

One of the absolute improvements on the Vista is the addition of a string trio, sometimes duo in the atrium. Gone is the loud calypso drums and here are violins and cellos. It is soothing gorgeous relaxing sounds. A great addition. BTW they play all sorts of sounds, pop, rap, Broadway and traditional just with strings.

 

Did you like the addition?

 

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We loved that too Pamrose. So relaxing and added a touch of class to the otherwise boring Atrium.

Thanks for info on cheers. So I guess when you purchased the price was reduced for the first day when you couldn't use it?

 

 

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yup. we were charged for 10 days instead of 11. Now that they have added ALL drinks such as special coffee and milkshakes, it was well worth the money for us.

Not a fan of big ships but your review actually makes me want to give Vista a try. How were the milkshakes? And as a former smoker I would have just stood my ground in the smoking area, especially since it's one of the two designated for cigars.

Hi Sparks.

My two favorite ships in the Carnival Fleet are Pride and Dream. I was very nervous about going on such a large ship but it never felt overwhelming and it was surprisingly easy to find our way around. And I'm directionally challenged. My only gripe was that some of the public venues were so small for the large number of passengers on board. That being said, the only time this became an issue was trying to get a reservation at the Steak House and trying to squeeze into the sports bar on a football Sunday. But since there were plenty of other places to drink and eat, we just went elsewhere.

As to the milkshakes. OMG! They were so good. Who would have thought that an alcoholic milkshake would be so delicious. My son also enjoyed the regular milkshakes. After a super hot day walking around in port they really hit the spot.

Cheers question.

 

Were you able to use it first day in port in NYC?

 

Did you get charged tax on those drinks?

 

 

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Hi Mirp.

Sadly, we were not able to use our Cheers on the first day out of NYC. We knew this, but I don't think a lot of the bar staff did. There was a lot of confusion as too why our receipt was coming up showing charges. We had to explain to 3 different bartenders that the charge was correct and we would not be able to use Cheers until day two.

I can't remember if we were charged tax but I'm guessing we were. When we were docked in San Juan there was tax we had to pay even though our drinks were free on Cheers. I asked the bartender and he said it was because we were in a US Port.

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