Why is the Vista not a favorite?

[Keys2Heaven]

I've been on every class Carnival Ship except for the Vista. Now it is coming to Galveston to compete with the RCCL Liberty of the Seas which is beautiful. It appears that many dislike the Vista and I was wondering what the big problems are if anyone wishes to enlighten me.

 

I think dislike it not an accurate description. The Vista is just different. There are a lot of good things about Vista and like anything that is new, there are going to be things that don't suit everyone's tastes.

 

One thing that gets consensus on needing tweaked is the Theater. Yes, the seats are wonky and this is hopefully something Carnival will rectify. But, we definitely loved Havana, the photos being on kiosks was very nice (and viewable in your cabin as well). JiJi's, Bonsai and the Italian restaurants are nice additions, even if they cost money (JiJi's for lunch is free though).

 

And let's not forget about RedFrog brewpub onboard. Nice area and great beers.

 

 

We didn't dig the revamped Atrium/Funnel (sooooo bright for pics) or the forward elevator layout. It looks modern, yes, but a little sterile. There is something about the bling in the Atrium and those glass elevators that just makes a cruise ship, well, a cruise ship! The setup on Vista made it feel more like a modern hotel.

 

 

I'm curious though as to what Carnival will do with their new 188,000 ton ship class due out in a few years.

[asalligo]

i was on her prior to the upgrades, so i am really pumped to see her since they added the options. Piece of advice, we spent the majority of our time in the Serenity area. while there are plenty of loungers there are only about 8-10 loungers what i considered "prime". What i mean is those 8-10 loungers are under umbrellas, whereas the others are out in the sun. I am an early riser so i got up to the Serenity area at around 7 am everyday....By 7:45, those prime spots were taken. It was kind of funny that the same 5 people were up there each day to claim them. (Before the flaming starts, i did NOT drop the towel and leave, i sat in the lounger and would save my DW's lounger until she came up, usually around 8 am)....It was a great cruise. I am back on her in April, so i want to hear your thoughts when you get back as you will be on her before me. Please let me know how it goes for you

 

I think this will be a completely different kind of cruise for me. I am usually on the go, but for this next cruise I have Suite G3 booked and I plan to spend as much time as possible in that room.

[riclop]

Too many negatives, the theater is a joke and the pools are deep for non swimmers,the best way to go is the Havana area but they have raised the prices due to being very popular.

[BlerkOne]

I've been on every class Carnival Ship except for the Vista. Now it is coming to Galveston to compete with the RCCL Liberty of the Seas which is beautiful. It appears that many dislike the Vista and I was wondering what the big problems are if anyone wishes to enlighten me.

 

Can't help you. Vista is one of my favorite ships.

[ksmcdonald]

Too many negatives, the theater is a joke and the pools are deep for non swimmers,the best way to go is the Havana area but they have raised the prices due to being very popular.

 

 

 

Not true! We just booked a Havana Cabana on the Horizon for June (sailed Vista last June). Almost exact same price for the Cabana one year apart.

 

 

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[TNcruising02]

I respect Carnival for delivering a solid product with no pretense. But Vista/Horizon is an unfortunate exception.

 

So if you compare Vista with Liberty OTS, you'll see that Liberty is 20,000 GT larger but carries 200 less passengers (double occupancy). Liberty has stunning interiors, plenty of pools, majestic walk-around promenade, better theater. Carnival is ahead in MDR food quality, but slightly behind in "everything food" other than MDR .

Absolutely incomparable experience overall.

 

 

I cruised on Liberty of the Seas last year and loved everything about it. While the Vista has many very nice things, I liked the LOS ship much better. I was not thrilled with the cruise director. He was like a Vegas act and very cheesy. The cruise director on the Vista can't be beat. They should double his salary. He's that good.

[lcpagejr]

I have a few Carnival ships in my list of good options, but I have to admit that Carnival dropped the ball with their choice for the new platform (Dream class).

The ship is overcrowded, with two tiny pools that are barely usable.

What saves the game at the 3* mark is proper spa, beautiful observation deck and walk around promenade.

Now look at the Vista.

Proper spa is gone.

More passengers added.

The Havana area ruined the walk-around promenade. The Havana "exclusive area" is so out of Carnival style. It's cheap while pretentious. Lanai verandas "exclusiveness" looks so provincial, so tasteless. I'm really sorry to write this.

I respect Carnival for delivering a solid product with no pretense. But Vista/Horizon is an unfortunate exception.

 

So if you compare Vista with Liberty OTS, you'll see that Liberty is 20,000 GT larger but carries 200 less passengers (double occupancy). Liberty has stunning interiors, plenty of pools, majestic walk-around promenade, better theater. Carnival is ahead in MDR food quality, but slightly behind in "everything food" other than MDR .

Absolutely incomparable experience overall.

 

If you have a chance try mid-size charming Spirit -class ships.

The best Carnival ship unfortunately operates from the Pacific coast (Carnival Splendor).

 

Carnival Glory on this itinerary (MIA-Grand Turk-San-Juan-St.Thomas-Half Moon Key-MIA) is hard to beat. If you see this itinerary (all 4 ports) - grab it.

 

GtC2I9z9Kt4

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Have you cruised on the Vista????? I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with your comment. I think those who have cruised and stayed in Havana (like I) will also disagree with your statement "The Havana area ruined the walk-around promenade. The Havana "exclusive area" is so out of Carnival style. It's cheap while pretentious. Lanai verandas "exclusiveness" looks so provincial, so tasteless".

[blyle]

As you can see I have been on every class Carnival ship except Vista Class. Just cruised on the RCCL Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston for the first time. It was beautiful but food was not as good. We like the shows so lack of seating will be a problem. We were able to get an aft extended balcony on the Liberty for little more than a balcony. I have priced the Vista aft and it is unbelievably expensive compared to all the other Carnival ships here. I don't see that flying in Galveston. I see that their plan of moving an unpopular ship to Galveston could backfire as did the Celebration , Elation, Triumph and Celebrity Galaxy. Galveston is not a sleepy first time cruiser port anymore. Cruisers are smart and will gravitate to the ship with the best price because there is not much choice in the itineraries. If both ships are going the same places the best price will win out. We are diamond on both so we get perks but I was hoping that Carnival would send us another ship like the Magic that was very well received more so than the Breeze. We left Celebrity due to the snob appeal of the special areas. It's a caste system and I did not think Carnival would do that too. We are not opposed to change and have seen much of it but I'm hoping Vista won't become a white elephant here is Galveston. People on our cruises are already talking about the negatives and that's why I posted here. Hoping it is better than I've been led to believe!!! Thank you to all for your opinions. I'll be sure to post after we sail on her next year.

[Mikew0805]

i agree with some of the other posters....I dont think Carnival has done a good job with their newer bigger ships as far as crowd control. Everything seems crowded....Go to a show, wait in line, go to comedy club, wait in even a bigger line. Even tho the ship is bigger, the crowds seem to outweigh the size. I think Royal does a better job on their floating monstrosities. i just dont feel like i am on a cruise when i have been on those ships. I did not feel that it was as crowded as a big ship of Carnival or NCL....Case in point, i went on the NCL Epic just over 2 yrs ago. The first night i got to see one of their headline show was night 3 (they use a reservation system)....The first 2 nights, everything was sold out. The comedy shows didnt use the online reservation system, so you just lined up prior to the doors opening. I get queing up 15 mins prior, that seems reasonable. I am not kidding, people were lining up almost 2 hrs before the doors to the venue opened. I get the saying of "different strokes for different folks", but i am amazed why you would wait for 2 hrs, standing around doing nothing on a cruise when there is so many other things going on. I will give the Epic kudos for one thing, the buffet. Hands down the best buffet i have ever had. We ate in the MDR one night, because the buffet was that good. One of the last cruises i took was on the Elation. Last minute getaway, short 5 nighter. Now, can the Elation be compared in the same sentence to any of these newer/bigger ships as far as amenities, absolutely not. Still one of the best cruises i have ever taken (liked it so much our next cruise is on her). The weather was great, which helps when you cruise. The crew couldnt have been friendlier and stepped over themselves to make sure the passengers were happy. What i noticed, there was NEVER a line for anything. Go to any bar at any time during the day, always tables open and seats at the bar. Want to see a show, we were able to walk into the venue, 5 mins prior to start time and plenty of seats available. Even tho i am not a gambler, i did walk thru the casino on occasion, always seats at tables open. We took the tender to HMC. I think we were the 2nd tender off. We walked down, got on the tender and had to wait for it to fill up. No line, no quing up. There is another thread going on here with a lady giving her review of the Vista, tons of pictures, she did a great job with all the info. One pic was of the GS line....i did a double take....the line had to be about 75 feet long!!!!!!!! I spent alot of time at the Atrium Bar while waiting for DW get ready for dinner. The GS desk was right next to the bar. Outside of the final morning, never did i see more than 3-4 people on line at the GS desk....Something to be said for the "older/smaller" ships i guess

 

I love the Elation as well. Actually Fantasy class ships are my favorite class overall.

[Jellyfish21]

The best Carnival ship unfortunately operates from the Pacific coast (Carnival Splendor).

 

!

 

My last CCL was on the splendor and I think of it as the “blunder”.

Didn’t like layout, crowds, etc. I don’t even think it’s a real CCL; it was ordered for costa then CCL got it . It’s sister ship was the one that got beached and destroyed.

The spirit class ships are the best. My cruise on the Miracle this July will be my 17th CCL Cruise , done all classes but the Vista.

Above 110k tons, I prefer Princess and RCL.

CCL likes to pack people in like sardines, four port days in a week helps make this tolerable .

Maybe they could make a new pool game called “deck chair wars”?

[rtw68]

We were on the Vista last April. Although we have never had a bad Carnival cruise, I can honestly say that the Vista was not our favorite ship. Three of the biggest flaws in my opinion is the lack of an Atrium, the casino placement and complete smoke-out that it was (we were there for our muster drill), and some of the smaller venues (show room and comedy venue).

 

Knowing how small the comedy venue was caused us to get in line an hour early (and there were people there already). It really puts me in mind of the Sunshine (same issues). Again, we enjoyed our cruises on both, but it has left us going back to the smaller ships (Conquest, Ecstasy, and Freedom in the future).

[Tre_220]

I wouldn't say that I hate Vista but it is my least favorite. I was so excited to be on Carnival's newest ship. Once we entered the atrium the "WOW" factor was not there. I would agree with Keys2Heaven who stated "There is something about the bling in the Atrium and those glass elevators that just makes a cruise ship, well, a cruise ship! The setup on Vista made it feel more like a modern hotel." I love the atrium elevators and Vista does not have them. I didn't care for the layout of the ship either. However, these things are all minor - I had a GREAT time while sailing her. At the end of the day a vacation is what you make of it.

 

[darth frosty]

NO TANDOORI!!!

 

 

 

 

[nealstuber]

I wouldn't say that I hate Vista but it is my least favorite. I was so excited to be on Carnival's newest ship. Once we entered the atrium the "WOW" factor was not there. I would agree with Keys2Heaven who stated "There is something about the bling in the Atrium and those glass elevators that just makes a cruise ship, well, a cruise ship! The setup on Vista made it feel more like a modern hotel." I love the atrium elevators and Vista does not have them. I didn't care for the layout of the ship either. However, these things are all minor - I had a GREAT time while sailing her. At the end of the day a vacation is what you make of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our last cruise, the Atrium on the Breeze provided much more than, blitz, bling and a great first impression when boarding. The “Fun Squad” did a great job with activities before and after most of the shows there, some times the entertainers were there too. For us it turned otherwise ho-hum playlist productions in to an event.

 

 

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[asalligo]

I have a few Carnival ships in my list of good options, but I have to admit that Carnival dropped the ball with their choice for the new platform (Dream class).

The ship is overcrowded, with two tiny pools that are barely usable.

What saves the game at the 3* mark is proper spa, beautiful observation deck and walk around promenade.

Now look at the Vista.

Proper spa is gone.

More passengers added.

The Havana area ruined the walk-around promenade. The Havana "exclusive area" is so out of Carnival style. It's cheap while pretentious. Lanai verandas "exclusiveness" looks so provincial, so tasteless. I'm really sorry to write this.

I respect Carnival for delivering a solid product with no pretense. But Vista/Horizon is an unfortunate exception.

 

So if you compare Vista with Liberty OTS, you'll see that Liberty is 20,000 GT larger but carries 200 less passengers (double occupancy). Liberty has stunning interiors, plenty of pools, majestic walk-around promenade, better theater. Carnival is ahead in MDR food quality, but slightly behind in "everything food" other than MDR .

Absolutely incomparable experience overall.

 

If you have a chance try mid-size charming Spirit -class ships.

The best Carnival ship unfortunately operates from the Pacific coast (Carnival Splendor).

 

Carnival Glory on this itinerary (MIA-Grand Turk-San-Juan-St.Thomas-Half Moon Key-MIA) is hard to beat. If you see this itinerary (all 4 ports) - grab it.

 

GtC2I9z9Kt4

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Spot on! Celebrity has lost my business more than once due to this kind of policy. I am the kind of person that if I cannot afford the cabin that allows me to have complete access to the ship, then I am not going to cruise on that ship. So I either have to book Havana or just skip the Vista from now on. I also have a little bit of guilt in booking an area that others are banned from.

 

Better a suite on Carnival than steerage on Celebrity.

[bury me at sea]

While I understand why people that cruise in the "exclusive areas" on cruise ships like them (myself included), I evaluate this from the prospective of the whole ship.

The class of the ship is defined by the possibilities available to the inhabitants of the cheapest cabins.

Cutting off public areas and converting them into "exclusive" areas is what I call bad taste and low culture. This is a practice of the third world.

It's not related to the passengers who book this "exclusive" areas. It's related to the cruise line, and eventually affects the character of the cruise ship.

Closed doors on the promenade deck is a shame.

 

This is the major issue I have with the Vista. The other reported negatives serve only to reinforce my decision not to sail this class of ship.

[Computer Nerd]

Too many negatives, the theater is a joke and the pools are deep for non swimmers,the best way to go is the Havana area but they have raised the prices due to being very popular.

 

Why would a non-swimmer go into a pool??? :confused:

[PittsburghGirlee]

I did not like the casino layout and size at all. I felt way too claustrophobic. Elevators were crazy. Too big for me.... just me 2 cents.

 

 

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[Cjohiocruiser214]

I feel the Vista has an almost unfinished look to the interior it's very plain and that carries through most of the ship. Most of the Interior public areas are small and bottleneck easily. I agree with other posters here at the atrium just does not have the wow factor of the other Carnival ships. I personally feel the dream class was a very good design and I wish they had built more

[Sam_Eagle]

If your referring to number of pax 3,936 ( actual) is a far cry from 5,000.

 

If not there is no way any one person can find 5,000 things wrong on any ship.

The listed capacity of 3,936 is actually based on double occupancy. At full capacity (all berths occupied), the Vista holds 4,977. Given the number of families that sail on the Vista, especially in the Family Harbor area, the actual number is probably closer to 4,500 on any given sailing.

 

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[dolfansam]

All hype and no delivery. Poorly laid out, show rooms too small (my Cabin was larger than comedy room and sports bar), human speed bumps that kept tripping people, MDR was horrible (that is being generous), I could go on.

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

All hype and no delivery. Poorly laid out, show rooms too small (my Cabin was larger than comedy room and sports bar), human speed bumps that kept tripping people, MDR was horrible (that is being generous), I could go on.

 

 

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You sound like a real happy cruiser who does not exaggerate.... which room did you stay in, must have been big.

 

 

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[Dr.H]

We booked the Vista after being on the Breeze. We loved the Breeze and especially the cloud 9 spa and thought the newest biggest ship had to be better, right? Wrong... booked a cloud 9 suite on Vista. The cloud 9 spa had shrunk and was inferior in every way.

 

Everything else on the ship seemed to have shrunk too. They basically made a bigger ship with smaller venues, without an atrium, and added a movie theatre. What did they do with the extra space? They added more rooms to make more money.

 

We are now RC cruisers.

 

 

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[dolfansam]

You sound like a real happy cruiser who does not exaggerate.... which room did you stay in, must have been big.

 

 

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I had a suite.

 

 

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[dolfansam]

I have been on 32 cruises on all different lines. I am not new to cruising and I know good from bad. Vista is not even in same class as other larger ships. Carnival ship wise, I actually like the Pride better. They should stick with smaller ships.

 

 

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