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Vista Photo Review: November 2017, 8-Day


the_lovely_voyage
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Monday, November 6th 2017, Sea Day:

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The day started with another dose of Blue Iguana breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros, which I’m now super craving as I type this. We rushed over to the Sky Ride at 8:50am and got in the line that was already forming. There were nine people in front of us, and the line quickly extended behind us. The staff working the Sky Ride were doing their safety checks and opened pretty close to 9am. The line moved pretty quickly and my husband was riding by 9:20ish. We decided that he would ride first and take the YI action camera and I would hold on to our electronics, then when he returned to the platform I would ride. I know this might not be the most considerate thing to do, but other people were able to ride in between our turns and we didn’t hold the line up by doing this. The workers found other single-person riders to ride next to us, so we weren’t wasting anyone’s turns.

And then it happened. While in line for the SkyRide, I met the type of person who writes those terrible, over-the-top horrible reviews of Carnival ships. I don’t think she had a single ounce of fun in the 48 hours she had been on the ship. She shared that normally she sails from Europe on smaller fancier ships and she totally regretted sailing on the Vista because it was filthy (the plates in the hallway really got to her) and the people are loud and rude and the embarkation was a nightmare. I really do kinda feel bad for her and I hope she found some enjoyment at some point on this beautiful cruise. I always make it a point to acknowledge that a trip is what you make of it, and if you want to find the negatives then you will. Yes, there were a few room service plates outside doors in the hallway- that’s where they’re supposed to go. Am I going to let that ruin my cruise? Absolutely not.

 

To make up for that sidebar of negativity, here’s our footage of the SkyRide!

My husband's trip on the SkyRide. He said his footage was so shaky and full of motion because he couldn't stop looking at everything! I suppose that's valid when you're on this awesome ride!

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My trip on the SkyRide. I tried to be more conscious of the camera and move my head steadily and smoothly. Personally, I like my video better 😃

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The SkyRide was super fun, and slightly nerve-wracking. I never thought I’d be that high off the deck on a cruise ship riding on an open-air bicycle and even though I was belted in with two different safety mechanisms, it was still a little scary. But also so much fun! The dip when going from the inside to the outside was much faster than I was expecting but also provided a jolt of adrenaline. If you’re a thrill-seeker or even willing to go out of your comfort zone in a safe way, I would very much recommend trying the SkyRide. Also the design and engineering involved is really just remarkable and inventive.

He's ready to go!

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There I go!

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After experiencing the SkyRide, we walked around the lido and other sun decks before getting to the lanai on deck five. We grabbed a two-person circular lounger and sat there looking out at the ocean for a bit before deciding we were burnt and needed shade. The weather was incredibly beautiful and we were really enjoying the views, so we found some seats underneath the overhang of Bonsai Sushi and stayed there for over an hour reading, napping, and enjoying refreshing beverages. It was so relaxing and refreshing. As I look out at the snow-covered, 9-degree weather of Iowa right now, I’m really missing this moment I just described above.

For real, can this be my everyday?

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We walked up to the Serenity and got in line for the salad bar, Fresh Creations. The line stood still for a good 5 minutes while workers were bringing up clean bowls from wherever they go to be washed. Not the best design if they’re going all the way to the galley to be washed and then need to be brought back up to deck 15. It was VERY windy outside and not conducive to building a salad in open air. The lettuce and spinach were covered by plastic lids and really hard to get to with tongs, and some of the salad toppings were also flying around. Trying to hold onto your plate while serving flying food was not a pleasant time. We decided that eating outside was not a possibility so we went down to the Pub & Brewery to eat lunch and buy our very first fishbowl. What an experience that was! Also very surprising how quickly you make friends while sipping a fishbowl, as several people approached us to ask what we were drinking or how to get one. So fun!

I promise I shared some of it with my husband!

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Our next agenda item was Big Bang Theory trivia in the Ocean Plaza, which was fun and jam-packed full of BBT lovers. Unfortunately we did not win, because we’re apparently not die-hards like some other people, even though we’ve seen every single episode. Boo. At some point we made our way back to the room where we discovered our super sweet gift from John Heald, the senior cruise director and brand ambassador for Carnival. Fun Tip: if you write on his FB wall about 2-3 days before your cruise, with your name, room number, and occasion you’re celebrating, he will try to send you a little gift to your room. A please or thank you won’t hurt the cause either! I had my husband write on JH’s wall for my birthday/our honeymoon, and I am so happy that he took the time to send a little gift. AND WE GOT A SHIP ON A STICK! The trivia wouldn't prove very fruitful this cruise, but I'm so glad we still walked away with a "24K gold ship on a stick."

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We tried our hand at sports trivia before heading to the Horizons MDR for our first dining room experience of the cruise. Overall it was pretty tasty and we definitely left very full. We had Your Time Dining, so we showed up at the check-in on Deck 5 right next to the Java Blue/Shake Spot venue and were given a ticket to head down to Deck 3 for the MDR. There was maybe one person ahead of us in line, and I don’t think we ever waited more than 5 minutes between getting to the check-in line and getting to the doors of the MDR to be seated immediately. It seems like a pretty good system to me, because there’s no lines outside the MDR. My husband had the braised ox tongue that “melts in your mouth” (that’s a direct quote, ladies and gents). He also was so excited about trying the Indian entree because I had told him many people have positive things to say about it, and he is officially now one of those people. He said it was delicious and he’s looking forward to getting it again. I had the peach soup and loved it, but wasn’t a huge fan of my BBQ spareribs as they were just alright and not noteworthy (yet here I go making a note...). We split a s’more parfait and OH WOW I wish I got two and I wish we had even more than that. It was incredible. My husband had the double roasted pineapple and that had amazing flavor as well.

 

Horizons Bar

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A blurry picture of the Indian food:

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We saw Amor Cubano in the main theatre and really enjoyed it. I will confirm what most others say about the theatre (Liquid Lounge) on the Vista- it’s not great. The seating isn’t well planned and the lines of sight are sometimes interrupted by giant posts. We did find seats early enough that weren’t too bad, but I really don’t enjoy the theatre layout as a whole. The show was pretty great and I’m glad we went. The comedian, John Floyd, on the other hand, was not entertaining and we left within 10 minutes of it starting. Thankfully we were right by a door in the back so we didn’t cause a lot of disturbance by leaving. The Limelight Lounge is a nice space to the comedy shows, but you absolutely need to show up 20+ minutes before showtime if you even want a chance at a seat. Also, I am confused why they named the Limelight and Liquid lounges very similar names. Maybe that's just me. We decided to head to the room and get ready for Aruba the next morning before going to sleep.

 

Another beautiful Dreamscape:

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Bonus Portrait we had taken:

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UP NEXT: Tuesday, Aruba

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It was kind of a bummer that it was on the first elegant night, but we still dressed up, so that was nice.

 

I also forgot to mention that since it was on the elegant night (lobster night), we were told that on the last night of the cruise we could say the Chef would let us have lobster since we missed it. They checked that we indeed did Chef's Table that elegant night and voila, we had lobster the last night of the cruise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully there's another cruise in your future and you can reconsider then! It's definitely a hefty price tag but a truly unforgettable experience.

 

 

 

We were on the same cruise with you. Great review and I share many of your observations.

 

Quick tip on Chef’s Table on Vista. We made our reservation 10 months in advance (via email) and requested a specific night to avoid having CT dinner on elegant nights. We did CT on Nov 6th. We celebrated our 25th anniversary on this cruise.

 

Congrats on your wedding and wishing you both many happy years together!

 

 

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We were on the Vista sailing immediately following yours and had originally also booked the Chef's Table. My hubby is a big foodie and I love trying new things as well. But we ended up cancelling it. We were sailing with our three year old and a large group of family and friends. And I just thought the 3 hour plus dining time might be too long for our toddler to be in Camp Carnival or with family. And I didn't want to spend our time there worrying about her. So we decided to hold off until we did a cruise without her or when she's older. I can't wait to try it...esp. after seeing your pics and hearing about your experience!

 

I should also disclose that I grew up in Iowa...but as a Cyclone fan! Go State! :) Don't hold it against me. My sis actually went to Iowa and we still managed to get along!

 

Very pretty veal dish:

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Dessert was the final event, and it came in multiple parts. We switched from the red or white wine service that had been flowing heavily all evening to a port dessert wine, which was my first foray into the drink. Not my new fave, but I did like trying it out. The citrus cream dessert was again another feat of food engineering, complete with elderflower “caviar” and lime "snow". Wow, it was probably the stylish dessert I’ve ever had! Until the next dessert that gave the snow/caviar dish a run for its money. The chocolate hazelnut log with basil moss looked far too fancy to eat, but it was so tasty! Of course at this point I’m incredibly stuffed and can’t even fit more water into my full belly, when they deliver special desserts to a few different people at the table, including singing Happy Birthday to me, to celebrate my birthday being a few days later. Such a cute little cake and yummy too, but I will say that the Chef’s Table desserts took the cake. Hehe puns.

 

Citrus Cream:

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Chocolate Log:

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Mini-Cake:

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In sum, the Chef’s Table was an incredibly special and memorable experience and truly the best food we’ve ever had. I’m SO fortunate and happy that I was able to give this gift to my husband and to know that he wanted it so badly and loved it so much really makes the night that much better. Seeing the hard work and organized chaos that goes into preparing all of the meals on a cruise ship that feeds 4,000 guests was impressive. Talking with some of the chefs and hearing their experiences in the kitchen and with Chef’s Table was a unique moment that added to the whole night. The event didn’t feel rushed and we really felt catered to and spoiled, quite honestly. We had good wine and great company, and I would absolutely recommend this dining experience to anyone who is willing to be a little adventurous and have a culinary journey unlike any other!! We were done at 9:15pm, so I think it took about 3.5 hours, but it was so worth the time and money we put into it!

We rolled ourselves to the sports bar to watch some football and let all of the delicious food settle in our overfilled stomachs. The Havana was the next stop on our late night tour and we were so excited to walk around the outside area and see the pools lit up and look out into the dark nothingness of the ocean. The Havana seems like an awesome concept, although it is a little hard to enjoy the sun deck at 7:30pm when the sun is gone and the nights get a little chilly. The Havana bar decor is so colorful and inviting, so we stuck around to listen to music and watch people dance.

Maybe someone can fill me in on this question- When we went, the musicians were speaking Spanish to the crowd; is this how it always is? I totally loved it and we stayed for about 20 minutes dancing in our seats. I used my 6+ years of Spanish classes to understand some of the comments they were making, but I knew I was missing out on some of the jokes they were telling. We didn’t ever make it back to the Havana bar so I’m not sure if there are nights that they do speak English in between songs. After a long day of exploring the awesome things Vista has to offer, we went back to the room and crashed.

 

UP NEXT: Monday, November 6th, Sea Day

Edited by MistyRo76
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Tuesday, November 7th, Aruba!

 

We docked in Aruba at 8:15am ship time, but we weren’t in a hurry to get off the ship since our main excursion (snorkeling with Jolly Pirates) didn’t start until 1:30pm local time. In retrospect, I should’ve been the first one off the boat! Aruba was simply breathtaking and I’m already trying to figure out how I can get back sooner rather than later. My all time favorite cruise port has been Cozumel, but I will say that Aruba absolutely is in contention for first place now. We ate breakfast in the lido buffet and found out a tip I’d like to share. Everyone seems to enter the lido buffet space from the pool deck, and hops in line right when they see food, which leads to many long lines. Our fun tip: if you enter the lido deck from the pool side, keep walking to the far back of the buffet space, you’ll find the same exact food but basically no lines!

 

We got off the ship around 9am, which is 10am Aruba time. From this point forward (until getting back on the ship), times will be listed in local time. I had read several reviews of Aruba stops and people often said that the local transit system, Arubus, was easy to manage and much more affordable than taxis. I was up for an adventure so I took many notes about how to find the bus terminal (frequently stated as people saying “right across the street from the port area”) and was prepared to catch a bus. In reality, the confusion started shortly after getting off the ship where I expected a main street right in front of our face with a clearly visible bus terminal. That’s not the case. Get off the ship and just walk forward, away from the ship. Eventually you will hit the main street, cross that and head right a little bit until you see this big curved open parking lot. I took a few pictures to help people find it (or maybe I’m the only one who struggles with this).

 

Keep walking on the red route to find the yellow star, which is the ticket hut:enhance

 

The bus terminal is across the main street from I <3 Aruba and Diamonds Intl:

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Bus Terminal area with multiple colored huts (white ticket hut not pictured, but it is to the left of these huts):

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We went to a little white hut at the bus terminal and bought passes from an employee working inside. There’s also an electronic machine where I think you can buy passes and reload your passes with more rides, but I went the safe route and talked to a human. We each got a 2-ride card, which is $5 pp (USD). I think a single ride was $2.25 or $2.40, so I know that we “lost” a handful of cents in the deal, but I felt more comfortable using a pass card instead of trying to pay the cash and change on the bus. The employee was very helpful and told us which busses we could take to get to where we needed to go: the “high rise” area of Palm Beach. Bus 10a or 10b will take you there, and the time schedule and map of routes is all listed on Arubus’ website. The bus showed up early and we boarded with no issues. It took off exactly at 10:27am as listed. I would very much recommend using the bus system to travel, as I feel like it was pretty easy to navigate and if you bring a print out or screenshot of your route, people are willing to help you get to your stop. Navigating the bus system will also add a whole different adventure to your time in Aruba and show you some cool parts about their culture!

 

Arubus 10b route, goes north from the bus terminal up to Palm Beach:

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After a ~15 minute ride, we got off near the Marriott and were able to walk on the sidewalks and found a path to the beach. Let me tell you, this beach is one of the best I’ve ever been on. I know that Palm Beach isn’t as well respected and renowned at Eagle Beach (straight south of Palm Beach) but dang, the sand was beautiful and the water was indescribable. If the sun wasn’t completely brutal, I could’ve sat on that beach all day. My husband found a beach chair and sat under a palapa while I wandered and took pictures, before heading to the palapa and reading for a bit. We stayed for about an hour before trekking south on the beach to find Moomba Beach Bar, as that’s where our tour (Jolly Pirates snorkeling) would be meeting. We had a pretty hard time finding it because there was a LOT of advertising for shore excursions, including ours, but nothing seemed to really look clearly like our meeting spot.

 

Palm Beach. The photo really doesn't do the water justice!IMG_4219.jpg

 

Look at that water!! Almost looks like I photoshopped myself there- promise it's not or I'd be more tan and actually smiling instead of squinting:

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Discovered that my sneaky husband snapped this of me walking towards Carlitos:

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We kept walking and found the beach bar I had planned to eat at- Carlitos. I had written that it’s right on the beach neat the Pelican Dining pier, but it’s actually a handful of steps back off of a little wooden walkway. Carlitos has good drink specials (2 for $10) but not a whole lot of food choices that sounded exciting to me. We both still found food that we wanted and left very full. We encountered a lot of wildlife crawling around, including birds, anoles, and a fairly large iguana. There was a patron that seemed pretty terrified of the iguana and was curled up in her seat for most of the meal.

 

Carlito's Sports Beach Bar:

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Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to ask people for photos of both of us together (not sure why we didn't use the selfie stick though...)

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Lime Shirt!

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UP NEXT: Aruba, continued

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Aruba, continued:

 

Moomba Beach Bar, the excursion meeting spot:

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We left and headed back north to find our Jolly Pirates meeting spot. It rained for about 5 minutes but not heavily. We checked in around 1:15pm for a 1:30 meetup time and were instructed to sit in the Moomba bar and wait for further directions. We were rounded up at 1:30 and walked out on the pier to a small boat where we smooshed about 50 people onto a very small boat that would take us out to the pirate boat. It sprinkled briefly while we were sitting on this little boat but I figured we’d get wet snorkeling anyways so it didn’t really matter.

 

Once again with the sneaky husband taking photos:

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The final remains of the rain sprinkles we had (I see you trying, Sun!!):

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We found a seat at the back of the pirate ship and were told about how the excursion would flow, including the two snorkel sites (one being about 60 ft deep with a shipwreck and the other about 10-12 ft deep with coral and fish.) The ship staff introduced themselves and also explained the drinks they have at the bar and where to find the bathroom. Something I thought was odd was that they served alcoholic drinks before and during the snorkeling. I’ve been on other “party boats” with snorkeling and they always wait until that part is over before starting the drinks for safety reasons.

 

Real actual shades of water:

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The music was playing, drinks were flowing, the views were remarkable, and fun was being had! The pirate ship made it to the first snorkel spot and we decided that we’d stay on the ship. The combination of 60 ft deep waters, rough waters, and one of the staff making a comment about people “might not want to go out if you’re not a strong swimmer” made us feel more comfortable staying on the boat and enjoying the party. We had fun watching others swim and snorkel and we could sort of see the shipwreck below, as well as some people scuba diving near us. We probably spent 20+ minutes at the first destination before heading to the shallow water spot. This time we got in the water and it took us both a few minutes to adjust to the whole mask/breathing situation. We’re not big water people, and neither of us have snorkeled in many years. Once we got adjusted, we were swimming around and spotting lots of coral and few groups of fun-colored fish. It wasn’t the best snorkeling I’ve done, but it sure was fun.

 

Boat Selfie!

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Others snorkeling at the first site: enhance

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After snorkeling, they parked the ship in a little bit deeper water and broke out the rope swing! Now the party was in full effect and it was a blast. My husband went once and it wasn’t super successful, LOL. Photos below will attempt to illustrate his go at it. But really, I’m too scared to try anything like that so kudos to him for trying. The drinks were tasty but not super strong, which was a bummer. We sailed back slowly and had a good amount of time to enjoy the views around us. The water was the coolest shades of blue and looked like a photoshopped picture, and the weather ended up being perfect. It was during the slow sailing that I really fell in love with Aruba, even asking my husband if we can move there. He said no, but I think I’ll get him to come around to it eventually Seriously, I’m not sure how to fully describe the peace I felt there. All of the wedding stress and work stress completely melted away and I just felt calm, happy, and whole in true paradise. If you ever get to Aruba, I wish the same reactions for you. Aruba really is tied for top place in my adventures to 15 Caribbean ports. Why can't I be there now?! *cries softly*

 

Husband using the rope swing. Solid start: enhance

 

Whoops slipping off too early! enhance

At least the water is a breathtaking shade of blue!? enhance

 

I was very sad to have to get off the boat and back onto land, but was so happy to have the memories that Jolly Pirates gave us. I would definitely recommend checking out this company if you’re interested in snorkel/sailing excursions. The staff were great too and it never felt like a crazy party boat even though drinks were being served. I booked directly through their website with no problems. They also offer a morning snorkel tour that has three stops, and a sunset sail, in case you want to explore those options. After stepping off the pier, we asked a beach-goer to take a picture of us with our traveling Hawkeye flag. As previously noted, we love advertising ourselves as Hawkeyes (GO HAWKS!) and we started this tradition about a year ago of traveling with a flag. Can’t wait to bring it all around the Caribbean! (7 stops and counting!)

 

Worked up the nerves to ask a person to take a photo (of somewhat poor composition quality):

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We walked around the beach a little bit before heading to the main road to find a bus stop. I quickly realized that I had pretty good directions to get to the beach, but no directions on how to get back, and navigation isn't my strong suit. We found a bus stop and waited about 5 minutes until a bus came along. We asked the driver if it was going back to the bus depot and he said yes, so we hopped on and were on our way. Upon returning to the port area, we did some shopping and walking around. There was so much to see and explore that you could easily spend a day shopping and eating and walking in Oranjestad. The downtown area was great and I wish we had more time to walk around (our personal preference to head back before the sun set).

Downtown Oranjestad:enhance

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The sun was fading so we headed back to the ship and watched some Netflix in our room to cool down since it was SO warm that day. We went to the MDR for dinner and were seated in a different section than the night before, which didn’t really bother me as a) we didn’t ask for the same section, and b) it was fun to have a different view of the Horizons restaurant. My husband had the Michigan pasty and alligator fritters, saying they were really good, as was his Beef Wellington. As an aside, I love that Carnival has an uncommon food option every night to reach the adventurous eaters out there. I also secretly love that my husband gets so excited to try things like ox tongue and bone marrow as I am certainly not daring enough to even consider it. I had the Seafood Newburg which was mostly great, except for the mussels that threw me off and were a weird flavor. See above, I’m not an adventurous diner. I also had the Bing cherry soup that I really enjoyed, and we split a melting cake as we were so stuffed.

 

I apparently was so stuffed that I forgot to take notes for the rest of the evening. Ugh whoops, my apologies. Using the Fun Time and the few photos I have for that night, I can make a few guesses at what we did after dinner. I'm pretty sure we went to the Pub Quiz in the Red Frog Brewery since we were basically regulars there for trivia every night. If you enjoy general trivia, I would highly suggest you check out the 7pm trivia in the Pub at least once. Not a whole ton of people attend, which is odd, but the reward is absolutely fantastic- free 101 oz beer tube or a free fishbowl!! Umm YES! We were all about winning that grand prize but tonight would not be that night, so we donated some money to the bar in exchange for beverages. We saw Steve Burr's comedy show at 8:30pm and very much enjoyed that (I wish the shows were longer than 30 minutes though).

 

Next was the very classic but always hilarious Love and Marriage show where we had our first real observation of Steve Schwartz and his cruise directing skills. He was incredibly funny and very much able to work with people who had boring answers or needed a little extra support to play the game. Seriously, his reactions and quips were more funny than most of the answers given by the participants. We love going to the Lover and Marriage show and always make sure our schedule works around it. I asked my husband (many, many times) if we could volunteer for newlyweds but he's a party pooper and said no, so we played the game from our seats.

 

We checked out the night time sail away party, which honestly might be our first one ever in five cruises. It was a blast and I enjoyed the nighttime air while watching the light of Aruba get further and further away. I had an unforgettable day in Aruba and took a few moments to reflect on all the good things in life. I'll just have to hold onto Aruba and the peace in my heart when work gets hard and just remember that every day at work helps get me closer to my next cruise! After sailing far enough away that Aruba was hard to see, we went back to the room to pack up for Bonaire and get our beauty rest.

 

Sail Away Party at 10:30pm enhance

 

Awesome seating area overlooking the main pool deck: enhance

 

Aruba at night: enhance

 

Pretty cool natural shot!

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UP NEXT: Wednesday, November 8th, Bonaire

Edited by the_lovely_voyage
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We were on the same cruise with you. Great review and I share many of your observations.

 

Quick tip on Chef’s Table on Vista. We made our reservation 10 months in advance (via email) and requested a specific night to avoid having CT dinner on elegant nights. We did CT on Nov 6th. We celebrated our 25th anniversary on this cruise.

 

Congrats on your wedding and wishing you both many happy years together!

 

Oh very cool! Thanks for reading along and hoping re-living the trip!

That's very good to know about the ability to request. I signed up something like 16 months in advance, but I had no clue I could ask for a specific night. I read a lot about signing up for Chef's Table and people kept saying you just had to wait to find out when they assigned you and there's no way to know what nights it's taking place. I will definitely keep that in mind for the future. Congratulations on your anniversary, that is so wonderful!

My heart is so warmed by your well-wishes, thank you so much :)

 

Thanks for the great review so far!

 

I appreciate you following along!

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We were on the Vista sailing immediately following yours and had originally also booked the Chef's Table. My hubby is a big foodie and I love trying new things as well. But we ended up cancelling it. We were sailing with our three year old and a large group of family and friends. And I just thought the 3 hour plus dining time might be too long for our toddler to be in Camp Carnival or with family. And I didn't want to spend our time there worrying about her. So we decided to hold off until we did a cruise without her or when she's older. I can't wait to try it...esp. after seeing your pics and hearing about your experience!

 

I should also disclose that I grew up in Iowa...but as a Cyclone fan! Go State! :) Don't hold it against me. My sis actually went to Iowa and we still managed to get along!

 

Oh darn, that's a bummer! I think your rationale for cancelling is justified though, worrying definitely has a way to put a damper on things. I hope that your experience at Chef's Table is so fantastic whenever you are able to get there in the future! Be prepared to leave stuffed and satisfied :D

 

I won't hold it against you at all; I have a few friends and family members that are Cyclones and I suppose they're still pretty okay people :p Thanks for reading the review even though my Hawkeye allegiance is obnoxiously obvious!

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Following along! Absolutely enjoying your review - it's so well written, love the details and great photo quality. 12 days until we set sail on the Magic for our first cruise, so this is getting me very excited!

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Following! We aren't even planning to sail the Vista, but now I'll have to put it on my radar after seeing your pictures of the brewery! My DH would absolutely love that. The Vista reminds me a bit of the NCL Escape in terms of colors and activities. We're sailing the Glory in February after sailing with NCL for our last few cruises, and if we like Carnival, we may have to check out the Vista next.

 

Congrats to you and your new hubs! Cruises are the best ways to honeymoon! Looks like you two had a wonderful, memorable time.

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Following along! Absolutely enjoying your review - it's so well written, love the details and great photo quality. 12 days until we set sail on the Magic for our first cruise, so this is getting me very excited!

 

I so very much appreciate your kind comments! I feel so lucky to be helping to build excitement :D Enjoy your trip- you'll be hooked!

 

Following! We aren't even planning to sail the Vista, but now I'll have to put it on my radar after seeing your pictures of the brewery! My DH would absolutely love that. The Vista reminds me a bit of the NCL Escape in terms of colors and activities. We're sailing the Glory in February after sailing with NCL for our last few cruises, and if we like Carnival, we may have to check out the Vista next.

 

Congrats to you and your new hubs! Cruises are the best ways to honeymoon! Looks like you two had a wonderful, memorable time.

 

So flattered, thank you very much! It was the perfect honeymoon :hearteyes: I would absolutely recommend the Vista, the wow and fun factors are everywhere. I think Carnival takes the cake in activities, so I hope your Glory trip is fun of awesomeness.

 

We sail Vista on January 21, and are in cove balcony 2306 (directly across the ship from yours). Thanks for posting such a great review of your awesome trip!

 

Oh very cool! Have a fantastic trip and enjoy the balcony. The views and balcony space itself was great, we just didn't get enough use of it. Thanks for reading along!

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You two are such a cute couple.

Congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you both love & happiness!

 

DH and I also celebrated our honeymoon on Carnival, it's also our first cruise, back in 2013, we had a blast! We didnt manage to make time for another cruise since.

But we already booked our next cruise this summer, with our addition family member, our 2 years old daughter:hearteyes: along with my mom & 2 brothers, cant wait.

 

Anyways, love your reviews so far, waiting for more:D

Thanks for posting it.

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We walked up to the Serenity and got in line for the salad bar, Fresh Creations. The line stood still for a good 5 minutes while workers were bringing up clean bowls from wherever they go to be washed. Not the best design if they’re going all the way to the galley to be washed and then need to be brought back up to deck 15. It was VERY windy outside and not conducive to building a salad in open air. The lettuce and spinach were covered by plastic lids and really hard to get to with tongs, and some of the salad toppings were also flying around. Trying to hold onto your plate while serving flying food was not a pleasant time. We decided that eating outside was not a possibility so we went down to the Pub & Brewery to eat lunch and buy our very first fishbowl. What an experience that was! Also very surprising how quickly you make friends while sipping a fishbowl, as several people approached us to ask what we were drinking or how to get one. So fun!

I promise I shared some of it with my husband!

enhance

 

There is a local restaurant chain down here in Louisiana called,"Copeland's" started by Popeye's founder Al Copeland. They serve a fish bowl drink that looks just like that and it's called "Crash & Burn" and it is strong but so yummy! Don't recall seeing this on a cruise and was wondering how much it is?

I like you're school spirit and I always bring some LSU gear to wear on my cruises. Still enjoying your review!

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Congratulations on your marriage..

Looks like you guys had a great honeymoon!

We too sailed on a cruise on our honeymoon, 1993 on the Carnival Ecstasy in the suite!

 

We are sailing on the Vista in May for our 25th anniversary!

Havana Aft Wrap!

Still a surprise for my my wife!

 

Thank you for your review, loving the pictures and taking notes.

 

If I have some questions, I will ask!

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You two are such a cute couple.

Congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you both love & happiness!

 

DH and I also celebrated our honeymoon on Carnival, it's also our first cruise, back in 2013, we had a blast! We didnt manage to make time for another cruise since.

But we already booked our next cruise this summer, with our addition family member, our 2 years old daughter:hearteyes: along with my mom & 2 brothers, cant wait.

 

Anyways, love your reviews so far, waiting for more:D

Thanks for posting it.

 

Thank you so much for all of the sweet comments! I very much appreciate you following along. Very cool to hear about your honeymoon, the first cruise is all it takes to get hooked. Enjoy your family cruise this summer, wishing you many adventures and memories!

 

Did you reserve the brewery tour online before or after boarding?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

You can't reserve it online, it has to be done at the Brewery. There's a sign up sheet on the bar, and if it's not there, ask the bartenders. Sign up early as almost every tour was full on our cruise.

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There is a local restaurant chain down here in Louisiana called,"Copeland's" started by Popeye's founder Al Copeland. They serve a fish bowl drink that looks just like that and it's called "Crash & Burn" and it is strong but so yummy! Don't recall seeing this on a cruise and was wondering how much it is?

I like you're school spirit and I always bring some LSU gear to wear on my cruises. Still enjoying your review!

 

Ooh that's very cool, thanks for sharing! The fishbowl at the Red Frog Pub/Brewery was 19.95 but each day there was a special one that was $2 off. I definitely think it's a good financial deal, and very strong!

 

Congratulations on your marriage..

Looks like you guys had a great honeymoon!

We too sailed on a cruise on our honeymoon, 1993 on the Carnival Ecstasy in the suite!

 

We are sailing on the Vista in May for our 25th anniversary!

Havana Aft Wrap!

Still a surprise for my my wife!

 

Thank you for your review, loving the pictures and taking notes.

 

If I have some questions, I will ask!

 

Thank you very much! So glad you're along for the journey. Yes, please feel free to ask away. Also I'm incredibly jealous, that sounds like an amazing surprise! I think I'm too controlling when it comes to vacation planning so I doubt my husband will ever try to book us a trip. Congratulations on your 25th anniversary and have an amazing trip!

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