Vista Review... Not Impressed...

Well, we just got off the Carnival Vista a few days ago (Dec 3 Sailing) and I must say, was disappointed.

First, let me say that I am an experienced Carnival Cruiser (Almost Diamond) and a bad day on a cruise, is better them most good days not on a cruise. I have never posted a negative review... But I found our Vista experience somewhat disappointing...

It started off when we got to the port and were told that because their was a group of 900 or so home based Travel Agents on our cruise (holding their annual convention), Diamond, Platinum and FTTF people would have to stand in line, outside the terminal until noon, while they had a special, early boarding line for the Travel Agents (Regardless of their status). (we had a 10am staggered boarding time).

Around 11:30 am, after an hour of waiting in line, after they realized that the Play and Diamond line was so long, they decided to let us board.

During the cruise, They really catered to the group, closing off decks, lounges, etc for their private events... Even the back of the Lido deck during dinner time one night (So much for pizza that night, after we skipped dinner for it)...

The ship, seemed bland to us... For instance, while the new LED funnel in the atrium is cool, no shores around it, plain white walls... Seemed boring... If it weren't for the Xmas Décor, and the funnel, the atrium (which only goes to deck 4 or 5), it would have been colorless.

Even the atrium music was odd... A violinist each night, playing slow, elegant music (was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song, which seemed VERY odd)

While the size of the ship is huge, everything in it is smaller, so they could fit more to do... Single floor dining room.... Show lounge that only fits 1/4 of the ship (With two shows nightly, do the math)... No night club... Comedy club that has a line that stems the length of the ship, that only about 10% can fit into...

Even Matt, our awesome cruise director called the ship "Challenging" and designed for people that "Do not care if they can get into the shows".

There were a few redeeming things on the ship... The theaters, sky-ride, lots of chairs on the decks, etc.

l post a full review later in the week, with pics and a complete video tour of the ship

Ill post a full review later, with photos and videos... In the mean time, booking another cruise in April... Just wont be the Vista!

"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

Heard hard venue for comedy club was way to small, very disappointed in that

"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

 

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

I asked one of the entertainment staff why they would allow THAT song to be played, and was told "The song was around before the movie, And its sad that Americans associate it with the Titanic". Whole thing was just odd.

It wasn't just us, when they plated the song, it seemed like everyone in the atrium was talking about how odd it was.

Heard hard venue for comedy club was way to small' date=' very disappointed in that[/quote']

 

Sadly, the whole ship is like that... They tried to fit too much in, and made all the rooms a LOT smaller. While the ship is larger, inside it feels like the rooms ate 1/2 the size they are on the smaller Fantasy class ships.

Heard hard venue for comedy club was way to small' date=' very disappointed in that[/quote']

 

EVERy ship i have sailed on with that comedy club=has always been too small to handle the crowds. Most times people at the first show must get up and get back in line for the second show if they want to see it.

I am glad to hear your review. A few weeks ago I posted in there that there were a lot of negative reviews from the European crowd. Less than 70% of cruisers liked the cruise. I was thinking that maybe that crowd was harder to please and when the ship gets more North American crowd the reviews will get better. I guess that's not the case. Bigger doesn't always means better.

EVERy ship i have sailed on with that comedy club=has always been too small to handle the crowds. Most times people at the first show must get up and get back in line for the second show if they want to see it.

Take the other Carnival ships, make the room only 2/3 the size... and then an additional 1000 passengers on board...

There are people that stood in line from the first show... never got out of line, and STILL didn't get in for the last show of the night, after hours of waiting.

"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

 

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

On my first Royal Caribbean cruise, I checked into my cabin and turned on the tv and Titanic was playing right at the point where the ship was breaking in half. What a way to start a cruise! :eek::rolleyes::cool::D Was that some kinda sick joke from my cabin attendant? LOL!

I am glad to hear your review. A few weeks ago I posted in there that there were a lot of negative reviews from the European crowd. Less than 70% of cruisers liked the cruise. I was thinking that maybe that crowd was harder to please and when the ship gets more North American crowd the reviews will get better. I guess that's not the case. Bigger doesn't always means better.

I'm actually pretty easy to please... lol you'd never know it by this review. I love Carnival and will keep sailing them exclusively.

99% of the people we spoke to on this cruise, felt the same way as us.

I'm actually pretty easy to please... lol you'd never know it by this review. I love Carnival and will keep sailing them exclusively.

 

99% of the people we spoke to on this cruise, felt the same way as us.

Your post seems like it's your honest opinion. I read the reviews because I was thinking of booking the Vista for 2018 but I chose the Dream instead. If you go on the ship rankings you will notice that Vista is near the bottom and only 63% of passengers liked it.

Good to know. While I'm not planning a cruise after June at this time, I will keep this in mind.

Take the other Carnival ships, make the room only 2/3 the size... and then an additional 1000 passengers on board...

 

There are people that stood in line from the first show... never got out of line, and STILL didn't get in for the last show of the night, after hours of waiting.

everything i am reading tells me that although its a bigger ship carnival took the space to cram much more stuff. Sad.

Sounds like Carnival bit off more than it could chew with the " home based " travel agents group. Perhaps Carnival should have sold the remaining cabin inventory to another similar group or to a partial charter group rather than open bookings to public.

Sounds like Carnival bit off more than it could chew with the " home based " travel agents group. Perhaps Carnival should have sold the remaining cabin inventory to another similar group or to a partial charter group rather than open bookings to public.

I would have been annoyed that they treat TA better than us and took away things that we have paid for.

EVERy ship i have sailed on with that comedy club=has always been too small to handle the crowds. Most times people at the first show must get up and get back in line for the second show if they want to see it.

Dream class has nice size comedy club and pretty much everyone who wants to get in can

"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

 

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

We were on Brilliance OTS last month, and it was played there also...crazy.[emoji86]

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"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

 

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

Would the song from the Poseidon Adventure be okay? :p

"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

 

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

On the Pride in 2014 they played the instrumental song from the Titanic movie a few times. It's the song that plays after the movie is over and everyone assembles on the grand staircase again. I laughed the first time I heard it in the MDR and was kind of weirded out that they played it again other nights.

It probably would be cool to see The Poseidon Adventure on the big screen on Lido though. Heh.

I'm sorry the cruise was so disappointing. I am sticking with the Dream class ships. Haven't yet read anything about the Vista that entices me, including Carnival's own advertising.

Different stokes etc.

Same thing on Paradise , violin music in the atrium ,that feels like a step backward in time :eek: . For entertainment ,really :confused:. T A convention long delays as well. I wonder why Carnival started catering to TA's again? A few years back they were trying to distance themselves from TA's.

Very fair review.

I spent 11 days on the ship, and agree. The mistakes made in the destiny->sunshine conversion are on display on an even larger scale. I hope they revisit for Horizon, but guess it will likely be the same.

I'm sorry the cruise was so disappointing. I am sticking with the Dream class ships. Haven't yet read anything about the Vista that entices me, including Carnival's own advertising.

 

Different stokes etc.

Yup. There were so many signs like this.

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We did one of the Med cruises on Vista this past summer. Since we were sailing for the ports, the interior space wasn't all that important to us, but it was crowded. The only show we saw was a comedian one night - and we did stand in line. One other night I tried for a comedy show, but even arriving a half hour early I knew I'd never get a seat. And I agree, I think they did try to cram too much on the ship. However, we found lots of places that weren't crowded and that we really enjoyed. We particularly liked the outside on deck 5 - it became our "go to" place for drinks, cards, etc.

Same thing on Paradise , violin music in the atrium ,that feels like a step backward in time :eek: . For entertainment ,really :confused:. T A convention long delays as well. I wonder why Carnival started catering to TA's again? A few years back they were trying to distance themselves from TA's.

 

 

 

Very fair review.

I have to say that the violin entertainment (sometimes with vocals as well) were a def highlight...great contemporary music. Carnival def is wooing TA's back again.

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