Vista review. Cruise out of NYC.

[peekinglemer]

This part of the review will be on everyone's favorite cruise topic....FOOD! But first, as promised, the secrets of the Sports Bar.

 

 

Sports Bar:

 

My husband, dad and son typically spend A LOT of time at the sports bars when we cruise. They love the atmosphere and the chance to kick back and watch sports in a designated area. We sailed another line (which shall not be named but starts with an R) and their sports bar was part of the casino so my son could never sit there. So, we were excited to be back on Carnival and see what the Vista Sports Bar had to offer.

 

Honestly, NOT MUCH! Once again we asked ourselves, why does the biggest ship in the fleet, with so many passengers, have such small public areas. And this sports bar is really small. Yes, it still has a bank of t.v.'s for viewing, and some seats at the bar and some scattered tables, but it is very closed in and has an almost claustrophobic feel to it. And FORGET about going there on Football Sunday. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. It was wall to wall people. Even if you DID manage to squeeze your body into some available space in that bar, forget about getting a seat, or even a drink.

 

The other thing my husband and son always enjoyed was being able to play X-Box or PlayStation sports games in the sports bar on designated t.v.s This sports bar didn't appear to offer that. It did have a seating area with a flood model electronic poker game that I thought looked like fun. I never did see anyone playing it during our cruise.

 

The Sports Bar is located down a hallway on deck 4 near the casino, and the location makes it easy to miss unless you know where to look. We did have a few drinks in this casino before or after shows in the Limelight Lounge which was down the hall, (more on that later) but we didn't spend nearly the amount of time here that we normally would.

 

So....WHAT ARE THE SECRETS I mentioned?

 

1. It turns out they DO have an X-Box with sports games available to play. You just have to know enough to ask. If you have kids that want to play, they MUST have an adult with them.

 

2. The Sports Bar is the ONLY place on the whole ship where you can actually order a DOUBLE (as in "I'll have a vodka and cranberry juice and make it a double"). Not every drink can is available as a double however. My husband drinks Grey Goose and Cranberry, but if he wanted a double at the sports bar he had to get Titos(?) Vodka and cranberry. In case your wondering, yes, he could taste the difference. The double drinks you order in the sports bar DO NOT count as two drinks against your cheers program, so you can really make the most of the program if your drink of choice is available for this "drink upgrade". We didn't learn about this until day 9 of our 11 day cruise. Honestly, that was probably a good think. hee hee.

 

 

Food:

 

Like everyone always says, if you go hungry on a cruise you only have yourself to blame. And trust me, no one was going hungry on this cruise. There are also a lot of options, both free and for fee, so if the dining room is not offering the variety you want, you can always find something else.

 

Breakfast options:

 

1. The buffet at the Lido Deck Market place, where there is also an egg station. Same stuff every morning but...how many breakfast options can you really have. The egg station was never super busy.

2. Breakfast burritos at the Blue Iguana Cantina (OMG! Best kept secret. Never a line and AMAZING).

3. Continental breakfast at the taste bar on deck 5. Mostly pastries

4. Dr. Seuss breakfast which is offered for a fee and only on certain days. We did this on the Pride and it was a BLAST. Food was just so-so but still worth the upcharge.

5. Sea Day Brunch in the Horizons Restaurant. French toast is pretty good. Service too a long time though.

6. Limited room service menu

7. Pizza. Open 24 hours. No breakfast pizza though.

 

Lunch Options:

 

1. Lido Marketplace buffet (I was NOT a fan of their lunch buffet. Little variety and just bland).

2. Mexican and Blue Iguana Cantina (Again....amazing).

3. Guys Burgers which was always very crowded around noon. But hey, it's Guy's burger so it's worth the wait.

4. Limited options on the Serenity deck such as salads and fruit

5. Bonsi Sushi (for a fee) which my son and husband both LOVED.

6. Cuban bites in the Havana bar (free for lunch and for a fee at dinner)

7. Light fair like finger sandwiches in the Taste Bar

8. Free Mongolian Wok which is NOT part of the Marketplace on the Vista, but is done on deck 11 in JiJi Asian kitchen. It is an Asian noodle bar. Don't ask for extra hot, you will burn your face off. Not super crowded, but service was slow.

9. Free pasta bar at Cucina on deck 11. We didn't try this.

*Dinner at JiJi's and Cucina charge a fee for dinner

10. Oceanside BBQ deck 5 Lanai on SELECT sea day. I don't think a lot of people knew about this. It was very quiet when we went. Food was mediocre at best. Mac and cheese was tasteless.

11. 24 hour pizza. I loved the pizza. So did EVERYONE ELSE on the ship it seemed. You can get pizza delivered to your room for $5 but I have a hard time paying for something I can get for free.

12. Room service which includes free and for fee items. I tried some of the for fee items (sweet potato fries) and they were yummy. The bacon sandwich is FREE and it is also yummy.

13. For fee menu items like coconut shrimp and wings at The Red Frog Pub deck 5. I tried both and they were both good.

14. Seafood Shack deck 10 aft. The food here is for a fee and it is NOT CHEAP. $12.00 for a lobster roll. It also takes a very long time to get your food once you place an order. It took almost 30 minutes for our lobster rolls and fish and chips. Speaking of fish and chips, I like the ships that offer them for FREE. The ones I paid for seemed like the free ones I got on other ships. However, we really like the lobster rolls and it was just a fun thing to try. My dad LOVED the buffalo shrimp.

 

I have to go to my kids parent/teacher conference so I will do dinner, snack and the grand midnight buffet when I get back.

 

If I haven't lost you yet, thanks for continuing to read.

[nednrom]

Thank you for taking the time to do this review - it is very thorough and informative.

[azul1]

Loving your review. Thanks!

[Boundless]

Thank you so much for this review. We will be on the Vista in April and this is great information!

[cjknox]

Thanks for the wonderful review. Vista is on my shortlist for our next cruise it truly is a remarkable ship, with a lot of great features, like the Havana cabins and pool area. I wholeheartedly agree with what you said about the atrium; unfortunately it seems like a new trend with most new ships though. Gotta maximize that profit.:rolleyes:

[retiring soon]

Hi all!

 

peekinglemer ~ really enjoying your review, especially since I was on the Vista TA which I loved.:D

 

When I went to the Havana bar to get an empanada for lunch the man told me the food was only for people staying in the Havana cabins.:( I tried most of the food options for lunch & enjoyed them all. I was pleasantly surprised that you get 2 lobster rolls & fries for $12 at the Seafood Shack, yummy!

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[pusywillow]

Thanks for all the tips on what to do and see. I'll be onboard in March for a B2B.

[peekinglemer]

After a very positive parent/teacher conference (and only getting slightly scolded for pulling my 5th grader out of school for such a long time) I am ready to pick up the food portion of my review. So without further adieu, I present....Your Dinner.

 

 

Dinner:

 

There are plenty of options to choice from for dinner which range from FREE to FEE. My family always tries to get the early seating, and we typically spend most evening in the dining room. This cruise was an exception.

 

For our Vista cruise, we DID get the early dining which was great. A week before the cruise I sent an email to the dining staff requesting a table for 5 by a window. I tried to be as gracious as possible and it paid off. Table for 5 by a window. Thank you to the Singing Maitred for making this happen.

 

Early seating was in the Reflections Restaurant just off the Atrium on deck 3. This was a GREAT location as we typically stopped for a before dinner cocktail and some music before dinner.

 

The restaurant itself was pretty underwhelming. This was a rather small dining room on only one floor. No more making a grand entrance down the center staircase on formal night ladies. The lack of table clothes on casual nights did not bother me, but it did add to the lackluster feel. There are no raised platforms for the staff to dance on during the shows, and the whole atmosphere was more Applebee's then Upscale.

 

The service in Reflections was great. Our waiter, Robert, was attentive and very professional. The bar staff was quick to take our drink orders and the assistant was available for any of our needs. However, the food served in this restaurant was average at best. Even on Formal night, the lobster tails, though tasty, were very small and uninspiring.

 

For our 11 day cruise, we ended up eating in the dining room only 5 times. Three of those times was on cruise elegant nights. Honestly, it just didn't seem worth the effort to change out of our play clothes to dine there with more frequency. On the nights we didn't eat in the dining room we ate at the Red Frog Pub, Cucina Italian (a comp from the casino to my mom), grabbed Guys Burgers before they closed down at 6:00, Bonsi Sushi, and one time we stayed in and got room service. I really missed the elegance and intimacy of other dining rooms on different ships, and I really missed GREAT TASTING food that you didn't have to pay an additional fee for.

 

One other positive thing about our dining room though was the space between the tables. On some past cruises, we were really squished up next to other tables. In Reflections, the tables were well spaced and afforded more privacy.

 

 

Snacks:

 

There are a lot of places on the ship to grab something sweet or something small to nibble on. One of my favorite places to go was to JavaBlue Café on lido deck 5. If you are going to visit soon, tell Java-Joe that Tracy said Hi.

 

It is at JavaBlue you can get (for a fee) virgin or spiked milkshakes, coffee, espresso, mocha latte, etc. If you are on the Cheers program, any drink there (including the spiked milkshakes) are covered. They also sell things like mini cheesecakes, muffins, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries. Oh, and did I mention the spiked milkshakes. They also sell Gelato. This was a great spot for an after dinner coffee or an after lunch shake. This spot can get VERY busy during the morning rush, so try to get there either really early in the morning (they open at 7) or later in the evening.

 

The Sports Bar sells salted pretzels for purchase but my husband said they were awful. Even thought the fee was only like a dollar, he said they are not worth the money. At Red Frog Pub they put out a free snack in small bowl called "frog balls". They were much better, and not just because they were free. If the bartender does not put some out, just ask.

 

The Cherry On Top on the Vista has a small ice cream parlor where you can get premium ice cream with toppings for 2 dollars small or 3 dollars large(this price includes 2 toppings). We were fine with the free soft serve on deck 10 and the spiked milkshakes at the café, so we never tried it. Of course, Cherry on Top has tons of candy you can buy by the pound. The prices are not cheap however, so you would be better off either bringing some candy with you or purchasing some on the islands.

 

During regular buffet hours, you can get cookies, cakes, and other goodies at the Marketplace deck 10. My advice it to skip all the fancy looking desserts and go right for the chocolate chip cookies. They are delicious. I also enjoyed the coconut cake.

 

Still looking for more?

 

Since this was a Journey's Cruise, we were graced with a Grand Midnight Buffet in the Horizons dining room. Horizons is more elegant, and larger than the Reflections dining room. My family had no desire to fight the massive crowds lining up for the buffet to eat, and instead just got into the line to take pictures and ooooh and aaaah over the food art and ice sculptures. And oooh and aaaah we did. The presentation for the midnight buffet was breathtaking. The mastery and skill presented were second to none. We took a ton of "before" pictures and I only wished I had gone back when it was over to take some "after". If your sailing offers a midnight buffet, it is so worth staying up for.

 

 

Since I mentioned that this was a Journey's Cruise, I will give you my impression of what this added to our sailing. The answer, not much. There were some things we really loved about this sailing such as the longer cruise, and the itinerary. However, on the Carnival website they really hype the Journey's cruise as showcasing local cuisine, special enhancement seminars, throwback games and a throwback night, and more.

 

We attended one seminar on The Arts. It was 45 minutes I will never get back again. The "expert" was not an arts expert when he was asked about his professional background, and he blocked the slideshow with his body the whole time so I could not see the art he was showing on the screen. The whole thing felt more like a trivia shown then an Art presentation. If you are interested in learning more about art, I would recommend going to one of the Carnival Art Seminars (not auctions) offered by the gallery staff. Those were very informative, in depth and enjoyable. Lloyd was extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer all your questions. He also had a great sense of humor.

 

We did enjoy the throwback Captain's party that was thrown on elegant night. However, we have sailed other ships that offer this so it didn't really seem like a special "Journey's Cruise Perk Only" thing.

 

Carnival brand Ambassador John Heald was on this sailing, and he promised my husband a "cigars under the stars" night. It never happened. We asked him twice and he kept changing the date until finally, the cruise was over. It was not a big deal, but why promise something when it seems there was never any intention to do it in the first place. The second time we asked him about it he said it would be offered "that night, weather permitting". It was a little chilly as we were heading back to NY, but aside from the chill, the weather was perfect. No problem, I kept my husband company on deck 10 that night so he could have his special cigar.

 

In John's defense, I'm sure he was pulled in a million directions on this cruise. We heard a lot of complains and a lot of people throwing their status around looking for special treatment. I think some people are not happy unless they are unhappy. We tend to just roll with the punches and count our blessing, even when things don't go as planned. Whenever anyone asked my husband how he was doing....he always responded "Living the Dream". If you are fortunate enough to be able to take great vacations on amazing ships, you are doing pretty awesome.

 

So all in all, I think the whole Journey's Cruise is a lot of hype without a lot of substance. A lot of the things they promo as Journey's Cruise specific can be found on a lot of other ships. We booked this cruise because of the ports, length of cruise and to experience the Vista, so the fact that we felt the whole Journey's aspect of it was a bust wasn't a big deal.

 

 

IMAX and Thrill Theater.

 

We did not do an Imax movie. At $12.00 a pop it was a little too steep for us. And the fact that you had to PAY for popcorn was just odd. We chose to either watch movies in our room or do the Dive In Movies on lido. At least THEY had free popcorn. :) However, in Carnival's defense, they were playing 1st run movies at the IMAX, and I know that the price of an IMAX on land exceeds what Carnival is charging. However, we DID do the Thrill Theater which is on the other side of IMAX.

 

I think the fee for the Thrill Theater was $6.00 per person for about a half hour movie. But this is no ordinary theater. This a 4-D theater. My son is a horror movie freak, so when they offered a horror segment at the Thrill Theater we jumped at it. The description said this was for ages 17+, but our son was able to go in with us.

 

We did not know what to expect, and that was part of the fun. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I will say the movie is broken down into 3 "shorts". 2 are cartoon and the last is scenes from different Friday the 13 movies. The crowd we viewed with was a little drunk and rowdy, and that just added to the fun. My son loved it. Everyone was screaming and laughing and adding commentary to the movies. But be warned! If you get motion sickness, or do not like seeing horror or some blood and gore, CHOOSE A DIFFERENT THRILL THEATER MOVIE. They offer a lot of family friendly ones throughout the cruise.

 

 

That's all for tonight. Thanks again for your kind words and swimming through my sea of words. Tomorrow I will review the Piano Bar with Ben, the Library and anything else I may have missed. I will wrap it up with my overall rating.

 

If anyone has any specific questions that I didn't review please let me know. If I have any info. I will pass it along. Have a great night folks.

[peekinglemer]

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[cruizinisthebest]

Thanks for the verrrry detailed feedback:p Great job.

 

Count me as one whose looking forward to the IMAX. Don't mind the fee and the popcorn on Carnival is so gross IMO. I'll save that way by not buying it! I had relatives on this sailing and they enjoyed the Vista very much.

[mirp]

Great review. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this up in such detail. I was so engrossed I almost missed my bus stop.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mirp]

Cheers question.

 

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

 

Did you get charged tax on those drinks?

 

 

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[sparks1093]

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

[peekinglemer]

Cheers question.

 

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

 

Did you get charged tax on those drinks?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Hi Mirp.

 

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

 

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

[peekinglemer]

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

 

Hi Sparks.

 

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

 

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

[CruiseLife15]

Such a great review. Thank you for taking the time to put in soooo much detail. My family will be on the Vista Dec.17 - Dec. 31 (B2B). I really enjoyed your take on the HUB app and it will definitely be something we will have to get (two boys aged 15 and 11).

[mirp]

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

 

 

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[sparks1093]

Hi Sparks.

 

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

 

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

 

Thanks for that! Adding the milkshakes and specialty coffees might make me want to give Cheers a try and especially since they offer them with alcohol:).

[peekinglemer]

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

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

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

[mrpayroll]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review. Looking forward to our time on Vista in January.....:)

[mirp]

Again. Thanks for the review and the info on Cheers.

 

 

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[inghilch]

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

[peekinglemer]

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

 

Hi inghilch:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Your family is going to have a BLAST!

[peekinglemer]

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

 

Piano Bar -

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Library:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Elevators:

 

Not enough, very slow, take the stairs.

 

 

A side note on the Steak House:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Playlist Productions:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Comedy Club:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Alchemy Bar:

 

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

 

 

Camp Carnival:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Spa and Gym:

 

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

 

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

 

 

Art Auctions:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

[peekinglemer]

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

For reference, my favorite Ships in the Fleet are.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

Thanks again.

Tracy