Review from 12 Day Med Cruise Aboard Carnival Vista

[SweetCruiser39]

So, I wanted to wait a week after getting off the Vista so I could really think about what I would like to say when attempting to give an honest review. I'm by far not a professional at this......the 12 day Med cruise was my 11th cruise, 9th on Carnival.

 

I've read a lot of reviews of the Carnival Vista, many of them comparing her to others in the Carnival fleet. I don't really think that is fair, because the Vista really provides a different experience than any other ship I, at least, have been on. I believe when she was designed, the intent was to take as much activity as possible "outside". So no, you don't get the "wow" factor when you first step onboard as you do on some of the other Carnival ships......with glass elevators and bling everywhere......but instead, the "wow" comes when you step out on deck and see all the outside space, the gorgeous Havana pool and bar area, and all the activity of the sports deck. So with that, I'll share what I can about the ship. I'm not going to go into a review of the ports. I think reading reviews on ports is rather boring, and everyone's experience is so different, really, largely based on what you decide to do. So with that, here is what I thought of the Carnival Vista

 

Embarkation was a snap. We arrived at the Barcelona cruise terminal at around 12:30 PM. After a quick stop to purchase a bottle of Absolute vodka and a bottle of Bailey's, we were directed upstairs to check in. I was staying in a Havana suite and my daughter in a Havana Interior, but they allowed us both to check in the VIP area, as there was no line at all. So we had no wait. And yes, we walked right in with the liquor, no need to hide it.

 

I had done enough research on the ship that I knew what to expect. Instead of the atrium with the glass elevators, there is an oval bar and Dreamscape, the three-deck high LCD funnel. I, personally, loved it. We headed straight for deck 5, the Promenade deck, and to our cabins. To my surprise, there is a second Dreamscape rising up from the bar at the casino on deck 4. Neat!

 

After having read SO MUCH negative speculation about the Havana area and cabins, I couldn't wait to check out my suite to see how relieved, or disappointed I would be. At the aft end of the ship, Promenade deck, there is the Havana Bar, but take a left, and a sign directs you to the Havana cabins and suites. There is a door there where the hallway can be shut off at night, cutting off the noise coming from the Havana Bar. I was in suite # 5235, my daughter has inside cabin # 5225. I went into my cabin with my key card (also used for sail and sign), and found my Havana experience wristbands and two card keys to be used to get into my patio from the outside. These patio keys are also to be used to enter the deck area outside of the Havana patios when coming from the public area of the promenade deck. That area IS NOT open to the public. I saw some guy on the first day manage to climb up and open the gate from the inside, and he was quickly escorted out by the crew. Long story short, I absolutely LOVED my Havana suite and patio from the minute I stepped in it. All my worries were quickly put to rest, and I immediately knew this was going to be an awesome experience for me.

 

As I said, I absolutely loved my Havana experience. The view was beautiful, the glass partitions did not take away from it in the least. I allowed myself every night a couple of hours to just relax in the swing, enjoying the peace and quiet. Many people have expressed disappointment in the lack of a full size hammock, but I didn't miss it at all. There is also a full size lounger, a kind of "half" lounger with a footstool, and a matching table. The amazing part was, 99% of the time, I was completely alone when out on my patio. I rarely saw any of my neighbors, other than the English lady right next door who took a daily nap in her lounger. I can't imagine booking this beautiful area and not enjoying it to the fullest. Of course, there may have been others that I just could not see. Surprisingly, the patios are much more private than you would think. The solid partition between patios gives you as much, if not more, privacy than a standard balcony room. I, however, chose to use my patio to the fullest. There is so much room......I had breakfast there every morning, my group of 5 could easily hang out there, and I found my patio area to be much cooler than the Havana pool area. Towards the end of my cruise, I actually thought to look up at the balconies above me. It was a bit shocking how small they looked and how little space they provided as compared to the Havana patios. Thinking back at past cruises, I realized I used and enjoyed my Havana patio probably 100% more than I ever did a balcony in past cruises. It's safe to say, I'm a fan, and I have to applaud Carnival and whoever came up with the design of these cabins.

 

Aside from how wonderful the Havana "cabanas" are, the mere convenience of these cabins makes them worth booking. I never went to the deck area through my cabin door, but instead, chose to always enter and exit from my patio. Plus, being on the Promenade deck, everything you could possibly need is right there. Unfortunately for my piggybank, the Javablue coffee shop is also just steps away.....an obvious replacement for my Starbucks habit back home.

 

The Havana bar, which spills out onto the Havana pool area, was often pretty happening, but we could just barely hear the music on our patio. My daughter said they did not hear it, even in their inside cabin. Speaking of which, this is one thing that kind of bothered me.....a lack of music. Someone had said that Cuban music could be heard, piped in to the Havana patios. This was not the case on my cruise. In fact, there was no music AT ALL, even during the day, at the Havana pool area. This didn't bother me too much, since I was looking for the relaxation. But my 23 year old daughter said that the Havana area is, "boring and full of old people". Ok, I guess that means me. She much preferred the craziness of the Lido deck, and believe me, it was crazy. We walked up there several times on our sea days and it was sooo crowded, and LOUD.

 

So to finish up my review of the Havana area.......I loved it, and wouldn't change a thing other than the one thing they already changed, which was raising the time of public access to 7:00 PM. (And yes, the crew was quick to enforce armbands). The area was swamped by 5:03 by teens and children, so at that time, I headed to my patio. But since that has been corrected, I can't imagine cruising now in any other cabin when the Havana is offered. HOWEVER, I will say, for those looking to party down and the music, dancing, and hairy chest contest, this probably is not the cabin category for you. Like I said, I doubt my daughter would ever want to book one of these cabins again, well, at least not until she is older.

 

For those staying on deck 6 and 7 in the Havana aft cabins, I kind of wonder if those cruisers will really get the full experience of the Havana area. I thought they were supposed to have the swings, but I didn't see any. And I'm not sure how it would be in a balcony, looking down at the Havana pool area instead of the ocean. But to each his own. I do think that next time, I will forego the suite for just the Havana cabana. With the limited perks that Carnival offers for suite guests, it's a lot of money to pay for an extra room, an extra television, and a rain shower and dual vanity. For me, the patio is what made it, and those are exactly the same regardless if you are in a suite or regular Havana cabana cabin. Plus, when the sofa bed is pulled out into a bed, it leaves about a 4 inch space to squeeze through to get to the patio and blocks the refrigerator all together.

 

Since the majority of my time was spent in the Havana area, that was the biggest part of my review. Now I'll touch on other aspects of my cruise:

 

SERVICE: no problem there except for my room stewardess! Never an introduction, didn't even see her until maybe the third day. One port day, we got back to the cabin at 5:30 and the room had not been cleaned. Three of the 12 nights on board, no turn down surface, and my 18 year old son was forced to sleep on the sofa. My daughter asked the stewardess for a laundry bag, she said she would be back with one, never to return. I passed her in the hall several times, busy on her cell phone, which I can't imagine is allowed.

 

Anyway, other than that, service was great. The young lady in the coffee shop always remembered my name. The crew at the service desk always went out of their way to be helpful and accommodating. The guys working in the Havana pool deck were always super friendly and sweet. Our waiters at late seating dining in the Reflections dining room worked crazy hard and were always genuinely concerned that we were satisfied.

 

FOOD: food in the MDR was fine. I'm not a big fan of the American table dining that Carnival has gone to, and it was three days in before we noticed the additional selections on the right side of the menu that changed based on what port we had just visited. It would have been nice if the waiters had offered up suggestions, but they did not. As we walked by the long line of people every night waiting for a table for "my time dining", we were very grateful that we had chosen a designated dining time. Plus we enjoyed watching our waiters sing and "try" to dance every night. They were terrible, but they get an "A" for effort and it provided the best laughs on the ship.

 

For breakfast, I always had room service just bring me coffee and a continental breakfast. But there were self service items and coffee in the Havana bar.

 

We were not onboard for 8 of the 12 days for lunch, but when we were, we ate at Guys Burgers. We all thought it was awesome, and for my daughter, the vegetarian, they were happy to cook her up a veggie burger. One day we decided to try the Asian restaurant, which is free for lunch. After a 20 minute wait, service was terrible and the food, plain. It did seem very fresh, I think I just ordered wrong. But after the terrible service, I didn't give it another shot.

 

Room service was actually awesome. The Caesar salads are much better than in the MDR, and the chocolate cake is to die for.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: we caught two of the adults only comedy acts, unfortunately, neither were very funny. I felt like we waited in line to hear someone throw around the F bomb.

 

We rushed through dinner one night to catch the 9:30 showing of Flick. The Liquid Lounge was standing room only, so I really only caught a glimpse of the show, but heard it is awesome. We went to the 7:30 show before dinner to see "America Rocks", and found it both impressive and entertaining. Being a big music fan, especially of American hard rock, I thought it was going to be laughable at best. But I must say, with the costumes and the music and how it was presented, I loved it.

 

There were two DJ's onboard, and wherever DJ Cruz was, that was where the party was at. Whether he was in the Havana bar, Ocean Plaza, or on deck.......everyone, including myself, seemed to thoroughly enjoy when he was the one playing the music.

 

As for the sports deck, we waited for about 45 minutes for the Sky ride. (Don't forget your closed toe shoes, our wait was greatly decreased because of people having to get out of line for wearing the wrong shoes). We LOVED the Sky ride, definitely worth the wait. It is both scarier, and more fun than I ever imagined. It's also a great work out for the legs. Wish we had of had time to do it again! We also rode both watersides while in port when the lines were short. The kaleidoscope slide, which you use a tube to go down, was fun, the yellow slide, no big deal. The waterworks area was pretty neat for kids. We didn't try out the ropes course, but it was entertaining watching those who did.

 

My daughter went to the IMAX theatre and said it was awesome. She was surprised how large the theatre was and said it was just like an IMAX theatre on land. We also went to the Thrill Theatre which was ok, probably more entertaining for kids. It's just a short 3D movie where the seats move a bit and water and wind shoots on you. Both of these activities were at an extra charge.

 

The Havana swimming pool was fantastic before 5:00, not crowded at all, and at times, I was the only one in the jacuzzis. We went to check out the other pools and jacuzzis, and the water was so murky, I don't think I would have gotten in them.

 

That's it. I can't think of anything else really to say. I loved the layout of the ship, it was the easiest to get around that I have ever experienced. I could go into my experience with the VAT tax, but since that hasn't even been settled yet, I'm going to leave that topic alone. I think the Vista is a beautiful ship for anyone who truly loves cruising and the experience of being out on the ocean. For those who like the glitz of some of Carnival's other ships and who really just use the ship as a hotel to get from one point to another, this may not be the ship for you.

 

OPPS! I nearly forgot! The Carnival Hub App. Awesome!!! I remember the days when people used walkie talkies to communicate on cruise ships. No more! And it also keeps you up to date on what is happening onboard the ship each day. Well worth the 5 dollars.

 

OPPS AGAIN! I posted a picture, but forgot to mention the violinist! This guy was incredible! And who would have thought? A violinist? Listening to him gave me chills, stopped me dead in my tracks. He did a version of the song "Titanium" that, wow, there are no words.

 

And of course, Matt, the cruise director, was the best I've ever seen.

 

NOT AN OPPS, BUT A "TIP" I WANT TO SHARE: We joined another group in Corfu, Greece for a private shore excursion. I won't get into the details of what happened, but we were about an HOUR LATE getting back to the ship. I was about to have a nervous breakdown, when I noticed one of the gentlemen in our group on his cell phone. On the back of the FUN TIMES for each port is an emergency number where you can call Carnival if you are having a problem and can't get back to the ship in time. Maybe because there were 17 of us, but they held the ship. In all my years of cruising, I've never experienced anything like that. There was a Carnival official waiting for us who escorted us through security and onto the ship, FAST. As soon as we were onboard, they slammed the door and pushed off. Very, very nerve racking. But remember to take the days FUN TIMES for each day with you when you go ashore, just in case!!!

[LIMPIT]

Thanks for posting your very informative and honest review, we are sailing on Vista October 1st, and your comments have been very helpful [emoji106][emoji3]

 

 

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[Mawelch]

It was so refreshing to get a review of the ship and not the ports of call. Staying in the Havana area Feb 2017 and want to thank you for the info. Great to here they upped the time to 7pm for Havana guests, and that the music was not a factor for Havana interiors on deck 5. What dining time did you have in the MDR? We do MTD and have read that you go to deck 5 (which we are on) to sign up for dinner. Is this correct? Again thanks for the review on the ship not the ports. We are doing the carrib. and don't care about Europe stops:

[cclarke12]

I've also just come off Vista and agree with much of this review. The ship grew on me over the eight days:

 

Good points

- functional and good sized staterooms

- excellent use of outside space on deck 5 which was a great place to sit in the evening

- non-formal dining options, e.g. Mongolian wok, burgers, burritos and pasta made to order and pizza at lunchtime were great

- Ji Ji was well worth the cover charge and we also enjoined Bonsai sushi on a few evenings

- Havana area by the pool was a lovely place to hang out in the evenings

- buffet was well laid out and never felt crowded (but this might be due to just one sea day)

- the children enjoyed club and loved all the activities on the sports deck and the water slides etc. It's a fun ship for kids

- speedy embarkation and disembarkation

- carnival app is really excellent and useful

 

The not so good:

 

- hated the sea day due to overcrowding on pool decks. It was so busy I was struggling to be able to keep an eye on my kids in the pool. I've never experienced a ship so overcrowded around the pools on a sea day

- carnival not my cup of tea for poolside evtertainment - blaring music and hairy chest competitions, but i suspect I was in the minority. The staff definitely know how to get people up and partying. The evening deck party was really busy

- The YTD was a complete failiure and we gave up after two nights as the food was not worth the long wait for a table and painfully slow service - 2 hours plus for mediocre food which wasn't as good quality as the free lunchtime options, such as Mongolion Wok. Both evenings it took 30 mins of being at table before we were served a drink. Queues for the dining eased over the course of the week as I think others got fed up too.

- I think a lot of fellow Europeans were surprised by gratuity on drinks and Spanish VAT which collectively added 25% to drinks prices. However, bar prices were still cheaper than Celebrity last month. On a positive note, no one was stopping people from bringing alcohol onboard

- port info provided was poor compared to other lines and the shuttle bus prices were laughable. $17 pp in Palma vs a taxi for 4 people for less than €25 return

- Poor hygiene was a major problem on this ship. They have hand washing stations and gel, but no one enforces it and subsequently seeing anybody using either was a rarity. This compared really badly with other cruise lines and I was very surprised.

- kids on the whole were well behaved but there were a few whose parents let them roam around causing havoc for staff (throwing ice creams, causing a mess in the family Harbor lounge)

- other guests generally friendly, but my husband witnessed two incidents of passengers being aggressive with staff on the Skyride who refused to let them ride because they weren't wearing appropriate shoes. In one case the passenger was photographing the member of staff and making threats. My husband felt he had to go and report this to the front desk so that the member of staff was not reprimanded when a complaint was made by the guest. He received a lovely thank you note and some chocolate covered strawberries for doing this.

 

All in all a fantastic holiday, but NCL and Celebrity still edge it for us (the former in part because of free drinks packages).

Edited August 27, 2016 by cclarke12

[SweetCruiser39]

It was so refreshing to get a review of the ship and not the ports of call. Staying in the Havana area Feb 2017 and want to thank you for the info. Great to here they upped the time to 7pm for Havana guests, and that the music was not a factor for Havana interiors on deck 5. What dining time did you have in the MDR? We do MTD and have read that you go to deck 5 (which we are on) to sign up for dinner. Is this correct? Again thanks for the review on the ship not the ports. We are doing the carrib. and don't care about Europe stops:

 

We had late seating dining at 8:15. I have to admit, we were 15 to 30 minutes late every night, but our table was still there waiting for us. We were on deck 5 as well, so every night, we walked by the LONG line of people waiting for a table. There is no way I would do MTD on a ship this large.

[SweetCruiser39]

I've also just come off Vista and agree with much of this review. The ship grew on me over the eight days:

 

Good points

- functional and good sized staterooms

- excellent use of outside space on deck 5 which was a great place to sit in the evening

- non-formal dining options, e.g. Mongolian wok, burgers, burritos and pasta made to order and pizza at lunchtime were great

- Ji Ji was well worth the cover charge and we also enjoined Bonsai sushi on a few evenings

- Havana area by the pool was a lovely place to hang out in the evenings

- buffet was well laid out and never felt crowded (but this might be due to just one sea day)

- the children enjoyed club and loved all the activities on the sports deck and the water slides etc. It's a fun ship for kids

- speedy embarkation and disembarkation

- carnival app is really excellent and useful

 

The not so good:

 

- hated the sea day due to overcrowding on pool decks. It was so busy I was struggling to be able to keep an eye on my kids in the pool. I've never experienced a ship so overcrowded around the pools on a sea day

- carnival not my cup of tea for poolside evtertainment - blaring music and hairy chest competitions, but i suspect I was in the minority. The staff definitely know how to get people up and partying. The evening deck party was really busy

- The YTD was a complete failiure and we gave up after two nights as the food was not worth the long wait for a table and painfully slow service - 2 hours plus for mediocre food which wasn't as good quality as the free lunchtime options, such as Mongolion Wok. Both evenings it took 30 mins of being at table before we were served a drink. Queues for the dining eased over the course of the week as I think others got fed up too.

- I think a lot of fellow Europeans were surprised by gratuity on drinks and Spanish VAT which collectively added 25% to drinks prices. However, bar prices were still cheaper than Celebrity last month. On a positive note, no one was stopping people from bringing alcohol onboard

- port info provided was poor compared to other lines and the shuttle bus prices were laughable. $17 pp in Palma vs a taxi for 4 people for less than €25 return

- Poor hygiene was a major problem on this ship. They have hand washing stations and gel, but no one enforces it and subsequently seeing anybody using either was a rarity. This compared really badly with other cruise lines and I was very surprised.

- kids on the whole were well behaved but there were a few whose parents let them roam around causing havoc for staff (throwing ice creams, causing a mess in the family Harbor lounge)

- other guests generally friendly, but my husband witnessed two incidents of passengers being aggressive with staff on the Skyride who refused to let them ride because they weren't wearing appropriate shoes. In one case the passenger was photographing the member of staff and making threats. My husband felt he had to go and report this to the front desk so that the member of staff was not reprimanded when a complaint was made by the guest. He received a lovely thank you note and some chocolate covered strawberries for doing this.

 

All in all a fantastic holiday, but NCL and Celebrity still edge it for us (the former in part because of free drinks packages).

 

Fortunately, staying in the Havana cabins, we did not have to deal with many of the issues that you mentioned.

 

As for the VAT taxes, that is still being debated. There should have been at least one stop that exempted us. Cruise lines NEVER do this. Carnival never does this. I understand with other itineraries that lost Turkey as a port, but we had our original itinerary. Trust me, it's not just the European folks who are upset about this.

 

I have been on Celebrity as well and probably would have not come back to Carnival except for the Havana cabins.

[cclarke12]

Fortunately, staying in the Havana cabins, we did not have to deal with many of the issues that you mentioned.

 

As for the VAT taxes, that is still being debated. There should have been at least one stop that exempted us. Cruise lines NEVER do this. Carnival never does this. I understand with other itineraries that lost Turkey as a port, but we had our original itinerary. Trust me, it's not just the European folks who are upset about this.

 

I have been on Celebrity as well and probably would have not come back to Carnival except for the Havana cabins.

 

We booked an inside Havana Cabin when the sailing first went on sale, but because we had U12s on the booking we were upgraded to a family harbour balcony. It was a great cabin, but having seen the Havana area I would much rather have kept my original cabin to get the pool access in the day. It would have been lovely to chill out there during the day.

[planaholic]

We were on the 12 night cruise as well and had YTD and only once had to queue up for more than 10 minutes before being seated. We never had to be sent away with a pager and I guess we would have been going to dinner between 7.30 and 8.00. Maybe we were lucky?

 

 

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[cclarke12]

We were on the 12 night cruise as well and had YTD and only once had to queue up for more than 10 minutes before being seated. We never had to be sent away with a pager and I guess we would have been going to dinner between 7.30 and 8.00. Maybe we were lucky?

 

 

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They were trying to encourage people to eat before 7.30, but with long sunny days and a large Spanish contingent etc who eat later, it was chocca from 7.30 onwards. I've never had to queue 10 mins+ just to get a buzzer for freedom dining on any other cruise line. The two nights we used the dining room there were people queuing down the stairwells and kids sitting on the floor waiting outside the restaurant. It was chaotic - perhaps because people weren't following procedure and going to deck 5 first.

 

To be honest the wait once we had a buzzer wasn't the issue as we were happy to get a drink. It was the painfully slow and poor service once we actually got into the dining room that was the biggest issue. It felt like anything but freedom dining. But there were other options on the ship so we just dumped the idea of using the dining room and used alternatives.

[planaholic]

They were trying to encourage people to eat before 7.30, but with long sunny days and a large Spanish contingent etc who eat later, it was chocca from 7.30 onwards. I've never had to queue 10 mins+ just to get a buzzer for freedom dining on any other cruise line. The two nights we used the dining room there were people queuing down the stairwells and kids sitting on the floor waiting outside the restaurant. It was chaotic - perhaps because people weren't following procedure and going to deck 5 first.

 

To be honest the wait once we had a buzzer wasn't the issue as we were happy to get a drink. It was the painfully slow and poor service once we actually got into the dining room that was the biggest issue. It felt like anything but freedom dining. But there were other options on the ship so we just dumped the idea of using the dining room and used alternatives.

 

Totally agree about dining issues. We had to wait for a drink each night and in fact if you wanted another, you'd have to ask for it about 20 minutes before you wanted it 😂. I also disliked how squashed in we all were. We'd ask for a table for 2 to have a quiet meal together and would be 2 inches away from the next table! Everyone was friendly but sometimes it's nice to have a bit of time to ourselves. Maybe the system would work by requesting a pager and then go away for a drink and then be given a time to dine, say 1/2 hour later and then there wouldn't have such mayhem waiting.

[Velvetwater]

We were on this cruise and never had to wait at all for dining...even at 8pm on formal night. We usually went between 7-8ish. We also found the service quick enough once we got inside...once or twice our starters were later than expected but after that it was speedy. We waited for drinks for a little longer than usual all over the ship but it wasn't much longer than normal. We were gold so we could go straight to the dining room rather than check in.

 

 

All I can say is thank your lucky stars you weren't on a large Royal ship:

 

We did Royal's Independence 2 months prior and anytime dining there was awful. You could book anytime whenever so by the time you knew what time you wanted to eat you were refused most times except before 6pm and after 8.30pm because they had all been booked up. It was shame because we liked a lot of things on Royal.

[cclarke12]

We were on this cruise and never had to wait at all for dining...even at 8pm on formal night. We usually went between 7-8ish. We also found the service quick enough once we got inside...once or twice our starters were later than expected but after that it was speedy. We waited for drinks for a little longer than usual all over the ship but it wasn't much longer than normal. We were gold so we could go straight to the dining room rather than check in.

 

 

All I can say is thank your lucky stars you weren't on a large Royal ship:

 

We did Royal's Independence 2 months prior and anytime dining there was awful. You could book anytime whenever so by the time you knew what time you wanted to eat you were refused most times except before 6pm and after 8.30pm because they had all been booked up. It was shame because we liked a lot of things on Royal.

 

Maybe that was our problem on last week's cruise, we followed what were instructed to do, which was to join the long queue at deck 5. Obviously the wrong decision. My mum did try the restaurant a third night and got straight in, but again didn't get ordered drinks until half way through the main course and gave up on dessert after waiting 25 mins. Maybe our expectations on service are too high - but we've never experienced such slow service. Celebrity was a little slow last month, but the food was worth the wait.

[Tia mimi]

So, I wanted to wait a week after getting off the Vista so I could really think about what I would like to say when attempting to give an honest review. I'm by far not a professional at this......the 12 day Med cruise was my 11th cruise, 9th on Carnival.

 

I've read a lot of reviews of the Carnival Vista, many of them comparing her to others in the Carnival fleet. I don't really think that is fair, because the Vista really provides a different experience than any other ship I, at least, have been on. I believe when she was designed, the intent was to take as much activity as possible "outside". So no, you don't get the "wow" factor when you first step onboard as you do on some of the other Carnival ships......with glass elevators and bling everywhere......but instead, the "wow" comes when you step out on deck and see all the outside space, the gorgeous Havana pool and bar area, and all the activity of the sports deck. So with that, I'll share what I can about the ship. I'm not going to go into a review of the ports. I think reading reviews on ports is rather boring, and everyone's experience is so different, really, largely based on what you decide to do. So with that, here is what I thought of the Carnival Vista

 

Embarkation was a snap. We arrived at the Barcelona cruise terminal at around 12:30 PM. After a quick stop to purchase a bottle of Absolute vodka and a bottle of Bailey's, we were directed upstairs to check in. I was staying in a Havana suite and my daughter in a Havana Interior, but they allowed us both to check in the VIP area, as there was no line at all. So we had no wait. And yes, we walked right in with the liquor, no need to hide it.

 

I had done enough research on the ship that I knew what to expect. Instead of the atrium with the glass elevators, there is an oval bar and Dreamscape, the three-deck high LCD funnel. I, personally, loved it. We headed straight for deck 5, the Promenade deck, and to our cabins. To my surprise, there is a second Dreamscape rising up from the bar at the casino on deck 4. Neat!

 

After having read SO MUCH negative speculation about the Havana area and cabins, I couldn't wait to check out my suite to see how relieved, or disappointed I would be. At the aft end of the ship, Promenade deck, there is the Havana Bar, but take a left, and a sign directs you to the Havana cabins and suites. There is a door there where the hallway can be shut off at night, cutting off the noise coming from the Havana Bar. I was in suite # 5235, my daughter has inside cabin # 5225. I went into my cabin with my key card (also used for sail and sign), and found my Havana experience wristbands and two card keys to be used to get into my patio from the outside. These patio keys are also to be used to enter the deck area outside of the Havana patios when coming from the public area of the promenade deck. That area IS NOT open to the public. I saw some guy on the first day manage to climb up and open the gate from the inside, and he was quickly escorted out by the crew. Long story short, I absolutely LOVED my Havana suite and patio from the minute I stepped in it. All my worries were quickly put to rest, and I immediately knew this was going to be an awesome experience for me.

 

As I said, I absolutely loved my Havana experience. The view was beautiful, the glass partitions did not take away from it in the least. I allowed myself every night a couple of hours to just relax in the swing, enjoying the peace and quiet. Many people have expressed disappointment in the lack of a full size hammock, but I didn't miss it at all. There is also a full size lounger, a kind of "half" lounger with a footstool, and a matching table. The amazing part was, 99% of the time, I was completely alone when out on my patio. I rarely saw any of my neighbors, other than the English lady right next door who took a daily nap in her lounger. I can't imagine booking this beautiful area and not enjoying it to the fullest. Of course, there may have been others that I just could not see. Surprisingly, the patios are much more private than you would think. The solid partition between patios gives you as much, if not more, privacy than a standard balcony room. I, however, chose to use my patio to the fullest. There is so much room......I had breakfast there every morning, my group of 5 could easily hang out there, and I found my patio area to be much cooler than the Havana pool area. Towards the end of my cruise, I actually thought to look up at the balconies above me. It was a bit shocking how small they looked and how little space they provided as compared to the Havana patios. Thinking back at past cruises, I realized I used and enjoyed my Havana patio probably 100% more than I ever did a balcony in past cruises. It's safe to say, I'm a fan, and I have to applaud Carnival and whoever came up with the design of these cabins.

 

Aside from how wonderful the Havana "cabanas" are, the mere convenience of these cabins makes them worth booking. I never went to the deck area through my cabin door, but instead, chose to always enter and exit from my patio. Plus, being on the Promenade deck, everything you could possibly need is right there. Unfortunately for my piggybank, the Javablue coffee shop is also just steps away.....an obvious replacement for my Starbucks habit back home.

 

The Havana bar, which spills out onto the Havana pool area, was often pretty happening, but we could just barely hear the music on our patio. My daughter said they did not hear it, even in their inside cabin. Speaking of which, this is one thing that kind of bothered me.....a lack of music. Someone had said that Cuban music could be heard, piped in to the Havana patios. This was not the case on my cruise. In fact, there was no music AT ALL, even during the day, at the Havana pool area. This didn't bother me too much, since I was looking for the relaxation. But my 23 year old daughter said that the Havana area is, "boring and full of old people". Ok, I guess that means me. She much preferred the craziness of the Lido deck, and believe me, it was crazy. We walked up there several times on our sea days and it was sooo crowded, and LOUD.

 

So to finish up my review of the Havana area.......I loved it, and wouldn't change a thing other than the one thing they already changed, which was raising the time of public access to 7:00 PM. (And yes, the crew was quick to enforce armbands). The area was swamped by 5:03 by teens and children, so at that time, I headed to my patio. But since that has been corrected, I can't imagine cruising now in any other cabin when the Havana is offered. HOWEVER, I will say, for those looking to party down and the music, dancing, and hairy chest contest, this probably is not the cabin category for you. Like I said, I doubt my daughter would ever want to book one of these cabins again, well, at least not until she is older.

 

For those staying on deck 6 and 7 in the Havana aft cabins, I kind of wonder if those cruisers will really get the full experience of the Havana area. I thought they were supposed to have the swings, but I didn't see any. And I'm not sure how it would be in a balcony, looking down at the Havana pool area instead of the ocean. But to each his own. I do think that next time, I will forego the suite for just the Havana cabana. With the limited perks that Carnival offers for suite guests, it's a lot of money to pay for an extra room, an extra television, and a rain shower and dual vanity. For me, the patio is what made it, and those are exactly the same regardless if you are in a suite or regular Havana cabana cabin. Plus, when the sofa bed is pulled out into a bed, it leaves about a 4 inch space to squeeze through to get to the patio and blocks the refrigerator all together.

 

Since the majority of my time was spent in the Havana area, that was the biggest part of my review. Now I'll touch on other aspects of my cruise:

 

SERVICE: no problem there except for my room stewardess! Never an introduction, didn't even see her until maybe the third day. One port day, we got back to the cabin at 5:30 and the room had not been cleaned. Three of the 12 nights on board, no turn down surface, and my 18 year old son was forced to sleep on the sofa. My daughter asked the stewardess for a laundry bag, she said she would be back with one, never to return. I passed her in the hall several times, busy on her cell phone, which I can't imagine is allowed.

 

Anyway, other than that, service was great. The young lady in the coffee shop always remembered my name. The crew at the service desk always went out of their way to be helpful and accommodating. The guys working in the Havana pool deck were always super friendly and sweet. Our waiters at late seating dining in the Reflections dining room worked crazy hard and were always genuinely concerned that we were satisfied.

 

FOOD: food in the MDR was fine. I'm not a big fan of the American table dining that Carnival has gone to, and it was three days in before we noticed the additional selections on the right side of the menu that changed based on what port we had just visited. It would have been nice if the waiters had offered up suggestions, but they did not. As we walked by the long line of people every night waiting for a table for "my time dining", we were very grateful that we had chosen a designated dining time. Plus we enjoyed watching our waiters sing and "try" to dance every night. They were terrible, but they get an "A" for effort and it provided the best laughs on the ship.

 

For breakfast, I always had room service just bring me coffee and a continental breakfast. But there were self service items and coffee in the Havana bar.

 

We were not onboard for 8 of the 12 days for lunch, but when we were, we ate at Guys Burgers. We all thought it was awesome, and for my daughter, the vegetarian, they were happy to cook her up a veggie burger. One day we decided to try the Asian restaurant, which is free for lunch. After a 20 minute wait, service was terrible and the food, plain. It did seem very fresh, I think I just ordered wrong. But after the terrible service, I didn't give it another shot.

 

Room service was actually awesome. The Caesar salads are much better than in the MDR, and the chocolate cake is to die for.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: we caught two of the adults only comedy acts, unfortunately, neither were very funny. I felt like we waited in line to hear someone throw around the F bomb.

 

We rushed through dinner one night to catch the 9:30 showing of Flick. The Liquid Lounge was standing room only, so I really only caught a glimpse of the show, but heard it is awesome. We went to the 7:30 show before dinner to see "America Rocks", and found it both impressive and entertaining. Being a big music fan, especially of American hard rock, I thought it was going to be laughable at best. But I must say, with the costumes and the music and how it was presented, I loved it.

 

There were two DJ's onboard, and wherever DJ Cruz was, that was where the party was at. Whether he was in the Havana bar, Ocean Plaza, or on deck.......everyone, including myself, seemed to thoroughly enjoy when he was the one playing the music.

 

As for the sports deck, we waited for about 45 minutes for the Sky ride. (Don't forget your closed toe shoes, our wait was greatly decreased because of people having to get out of line for wearing the wrong shoes). We LOVED the Sky ride, definitely worth the wait. It is both scarier, and more fun than I ever imagined. It's also a great work out for the legs. Wish we had of had time to do it again! We also rode both watersides while in port when the lines were short. The kaleidoscope slide, which you use a tube to go down, was fun, the yellow slide, no big deal. The waterworks area was pretty neat for kids. We didn't try out the ropes course, but it was entertaining watching those who did.

 

My daughter went to the IMAX theatre and said it was awesome. She was surprised how large the theatre was and said it was just like an IMAX theatre on land. We also went to the Thrill Theatre which was ok, probably more entertaining for kids. It's just a short 3D movie where the seats move a bit and water and wind shoots on you. Both of these activities were at an extra charge.

 

The Havana swimming pool was fantastic before 5:00, not crowded at all, and at times, I was the only one in the jacuzzis. We went to check out the other pools and jacuzzis, and the water was so murky, I don't think I would have gotten in them.

 

That's it. I can't think of anything else really to say. I loved the layout of the ship, it was the easiest to get around that I have ever experienced. I could go into my experience with the VAT tax, but since that hasn't even been settled yet, I'm going to leave that topic alone. I think the Vista is a beautiful ship for anyone who truly loves cruising and the experience of being out on the ocean. For those who like the glitz of some of Carnival's other ships and who really just use the ship as a hotel to get from one point to another, this may not be the ship for you.

 

OPPS! I nearly forgot! The Carnival Hub App. Awesome!!! I remember the days when people used walkie talkies to communicate on cruise ships. No more! And it also keeps you up to date on what is happening onboard the ship each day. Well worth the 5 dollars.

 

OPPS AGAIN! I posted a picture, but forgot to mention the violinist! This guy was incredible! And who would have thought? A violinist? Listening to him gave me chills, stopped me dead in my tracks. He did a version of the song "Titanium" that, wow, there are no words.

 

And of course, Matt, the cruise director, was the best I've ever seen.

 

NOT AN OPPS, BUT A "TIP" I WANT TO SHARE: We joined another group in Corfu, Greece for a private shore excursion. I won't get into the details of what happened, but we were about an HOUR LATE getting back to the ship. I was about to have a nervous breakdown, when I noticed one of the gentlemen in our group on his cell phone. On the back of the FUN TIMES for each port is an emergency number where you can call Carnival if you are having a problem and can't get back to the ship in time. Maybe because there were 17 of us, but they held the ship. In all my years of cruising, I've never experienced anything like that. There was a Carnival official waiting for us who escorted us through security and onto the ship, FAST. As soon as we were onboard, they slammed the door and pushed off. Very, very nerve racking. But remember to take the days FUN TIMES for each day with you when you go ashore, just in case!!!

 

Thanks for sharing this.

I'm curious about the liquor how did you walk in with 2 bottles?

[bluenose1966]

Thanks for sharing this.

I'm curious about the liquor how did you walk in with 2 bottles?

 

We also took on bottle og gin and whiskey bought in Barcelona port. There was no screening of baggage after security, we just all walked on.

On port days you had to put bags through machine so not sure if it would be allowed then.

[bluenose1966]

Just did 8 nights staying in HC and totally agree with your review. Thought HC area was brilliant.

Loved the lanai, very private. Most people didn't seem to use them at all which I was surprised at.

We were lucky to have the HC pool private until 7pm. Most time pool and hot tub was empty. Though there was quite a large party of women who hogged hot tub for hours one afternoon.

The large beds by the HC pool were fantastic.

My only minor complaint is there are no umbrellas to protect you from the sun for the sunbeds. I don't like sunbathing and prefer to be in the shade.

Apart from first night ATD was great. We ate about 8pm, the waiting staff were brilliant despite being mad busy.

Loads of great areas to sunbathe on Deck 5 even if not in HC.

Wouldn't have wanted to sunbathe on Lido deck. Too busy and loud for us.

Totally loved our holiday.

[SweetCruiser39]

Just did 8 nights staying in HC and totally agree with your review. Thought HC area was brilliant.

Loved the lanai, very private. Most people didn't seem to use them at all which I was surprised at.

We were lucky to have the HC pool private until 7pm. Most time pool and hot tub was empty. Though there was quite a large party of women who hogged hot tub for hours one afternoon.

The large beds by the HC pool were fantastic.

My only minor complaint is there are no umbrellas to protect you from the sun for the sunbeds. I don't like sunbathing and prefer to be in the shade.

Apart from first night ATD was great. We ate about 8pm, the waiting staff were brilliant despite being mad busy.

Loads of great areas to sunbathe on Deck 5 even if not in HC.

Wouldn't have wanted to sunbathe on Lido deck. Too busy and loud for us.

Totally loved our holiday.

 

I noticed the same thing! Few people out on their patio! So strange.

[LidoLife]

Thanks SweetCruiser39 and others for great info. Looking forward to our Spring Break Vista cruise in 2017.

[Velvetwater]

Maybe that was our problem on last week's cruise, we followed what were instructed to do, which was to join the long queue at deck 5. Obviously the wrong decision. My mum did try the restaurant a third night and got straight in, but again didn't get ordered drinks until half way through the main course and gave up on dessert after waiting 25 mins. Maybe our expectations on service are too high - but we've never experienced such slow service. Celebrity was a little slow last month, but the food was worth the wait.

 

We got a letter from Carnival with our cards saying to ignore our 'go to Java cafe' on it. We found out this was for gold cards and up but I think they started letting others do it after complaints. Dinner was usually 45 minutes-1 hour 15 mins which is great for us.

 

We did X last year and thought the MDR service was good too.

[SkSunshine]

Are you the woman behind Sunglasses and Umbrella Drinks?

[SweetCruiser39]

Are you the woman behind Sunglasses and Umbrella Drinks?

 

LOL. No, I am not. There has been some confusion about that. I just posted the link to the article. I didn't write it.

[SkSunshine]

LOL. No, I am not. There has been some confusion about that. I just posted the link to the article. I didn't write it.

 

Thank you for doing that. I came across it while researching the Havana Cabanas. One came open for our sailing and there was so much negativity surrounding it. Her review was so helpful. Thank you for posting it!

[SweetCruiser39]

Thank you for doing that. I came across it while researching the Havana Cabanas. One came open for our sailing and there was so much negativity surrounding it. Her review was so helpful. Thank you for posting it!

 

Absolutely. That is the exact reason I posted it. When I was scheduled to cruise in August in a Havana suite, all I could find was a bunch of negative speculation from people who had never stayed in one of these cabins. Thankfully, I found that article right before my cruise, which comforted me some. And As soon as I actually got on the Vista and saw my cabin, well, it was more fantastic than I had ever dreamed and all the negative speculation was nonsense. I think all the negativity comes from people who have never sailed on the Vista, or from those who have, but didn't book a Havana cabin (and probably wished they had). The sad thing is, I've seen several posts from cruisers who had a Havana cabana booked, but changed to a different cabin after reading all the negative speculation. I'm sure they were kicking themselves once onboard.

Edited October 4, 2016 by SweetCruiser39

[steph7021]

Love your Havana area review! We have 4 in a row in June and can not wait! I think the vibe will be different in the Caribbean and I expect a little more activity but I'm also hoping for some serenity.

 

 

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Edited October 4, 2016 by steph7021