Random reports from Vista

[babysteps]

Hello all we boarded Vista yesterday in Istanbul and sail later today. I don't promise to be a daily poster, but before I forget here are some details! 

 

First time Vista but 13th or so on O. Beautiful ship and warm welcome from crew. 

 

Boardomania is alive and well and we participated on purpose lol. Checked out of hotel, checked in to ship, refilled water bottles and got landing cards (details below) and headed right back out for a Bosphorus cruise 250try (Turkish lira) or about $8pp at current exchange rate. Can be done for 150try if you don't mind an older more crowded boat lol. 

 

Istanbul boarding details - had our hotel get us a taxi. Assured us he took credit cards, stated fixed price $250try (short trip and luggage so all good so far). Assumed driver wasn't big on speaking until we made a funny comment about overly trusting pedestrians dashing across a busy street and he chuckled and started a conversation. He knew exactly where the cruise port entrance was but hadn't dropped anyone there before. Your taxi may pull past the boardomania line to drop bags - don't worry, staff will take bags from you at the taxi and you skip the line. Which is a nice resilient bounce from driver saying card machine is broken and when we handed over local cash he said fare is $250 not 250try. Ha ha ha welcome to Istanbul and he didn't argue when we simply left the car-he'd already popped the trunk. Presume being at the port with lots of tourist friendly staff around gave driver less leverage than otherwise! 

 

Bag drop no paperwork required they just check that bags are tagged. Then inside to security TSA style (take off belt of metal buckle, empty pockets etc). Then check of room number to assign to correct line for check-in. At some point before check in they did ask for boarding pass but that was yesterday and already don't ask me when! Next, passport check. Then duty free walkthrough and after that exit to air conditioning and a table where O collected passports. Advised to come ashore we would need boarding cards that would be in our cabins. More walking and eventually onboard! 

 

Check in at muster station, check cabin for boarding card. Not there. Front desk no line and yes they can print those for us. Refill with Vero Water and away we go! Retrace our steps as far as the passport table and then follow "to City" signs. Back and forth, up and down escalators (or follow signs to elevators), and at one point scan the barcode on the landing card. 

 

Coming back is a similar flow except note the pedestrian entrances to Galataport have security mini TSA style. Also the middle of the return gets a difference path as you join the entrance procedure at the just-dropped-bags point. Security again, breeze past checkin desk, go past passport lines and instead follow "transfer passsnger" flow to scan landing card bar code. Not required to go through duty free again lol. 

 

Late lunch at Terrace (was open to 4pm and we just made it). Offered Toscana or Ember seating and accepted Toscana. So yes the advice to not use a specialty reservation for night 1 is still good advice! 

 

Aside, our cabin was actually quite chilly at our official after-lunch arrival so we adjusted the setting to slightly warmer. Cabin stewards says it works whether room card is in slot or not. Apparently card-in-slot just says "room is occupied"

 

Toscano was lovely. Vista layout gets more folks a view and makes the space seem more intimate in a very nice way. Between the 2 of us tried the Giadia lemon shrimp starter and pomegranite bronzino main both quite good. Worried the fish prep would be too sweet but was not. Also the lardo shrimp starter, carpacio, eggplant rolatini and lasagna, all quite good! Dessert the roasted peaches and chocolate cake. Spouse was happy he'd added vanilla ice cream to the cake, as in the past cake molten center is lovely but outer portion a bit dry. 

 

More room comments later, we are in a B3? Or B4. Before I forget the wall behind the bed is barely magnetic, other walls are strongly magnetic including at balcony door. More later! 

[vlthom]

Welcome aboard.  We are here too, having embarked in Athens.  We are onboard until Barcelona.  This is our first time on Vista too, and we are Platinum with O.  Having been onboard already for awhile, I can say that Vista is beautiful. Staff have been wonderful, too.  We have no complaints there. The demographic so far, has been younger than many of our prior O cruises, with many family groups sailing together - or at least that was the case for the last segment.  I have the same impression with this one.  More children and young adults/teens are onboard.  They’ve been well behaved.

 

We dined in each specialty during the last segment.  We’re enjoying the new layout of the restaurants which now have a less open layout.  I will say that we were sort of disappointed with Ember.  I really wanted to like it but I do not find it to be in the same calibre as the other specialties.  It is also VERY loud, making it difficult to have a conversation with one’s dining companions.  In our one experience, we observed that diners who were present during our experience, tended to behave differently in Ember.  They were far more boisterous, giving the restaurant a more casual vibe.  We enjoyed our starters - breaded shrimp for me, and crab cake for DH.  Salads were the rather uninteresting salt-crusted beet for both of us.  It was okay but not great.  Then salmon for both of us.  I had difficulty finding an entree that I wanted.  Lobster mac and cheese sounded good but I wasn’t interested in all those calories.  The salmon that we ordered was okay…again, nothing special, just a plain piece of roasted salmon with 3 small florets of steamed broccoli sitting on a tiny blobs of mashed potatoes.  Very plain.  No bread basket on the table.  Individual rolls were doled out by staff members.  We shared a dessert of frozen yogurt with berries.  It was tasty but not imaginative.  To us, it seemed like Ember should be an alternate casual dining venue as opposed to a specialty.  But perhaps they will tweak things.  As of now, it’s my least favorite of the O dining venues.

[mountain grandma]

Vlthom—DH and I are also on Vista having boarded in Athens and continuing to Barcelona with exactly the same feelings about the ship, crew, passengers, and Ember as you have expressed!  Vlthom and babysteps —Tonight is the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party—would love to meet up after the program is finished.  We can only stay a short time since we have dinner plans at 6:30 but it would be great to meet you both.  
 

Billie and Ted

[mauibabes]

@mountain grandma

Billie and Ted, great to see this post. Have a fabulous time on Vista because she is beautiful. Any chance Gordica is the Restaurant Manager on board.  If she is she is Awesome and will do everything possible to make your dining experiences wonderful. We have absolutely loved our time on V and one of these days our paths will be crossing again.

Bonnie and Gerry, aka Mauibabes

[NCHPcruiser]

Babysteps, I’m looking forward to more random reports!  Helpful information regarding Galataport!  We will be overnighting/disembarking there in October.  

[sunlover12]

@babysteps  I'll be on Vista for the first time next year.  I'll be following your reports.  Thanks.

 

@vlthom  Thank you for reporting your dining experience.  Regarding the bread (or lack of), that seems to be a thing now with restaurants.  I've been to a couple of land restaurants recently that don't automatically bring bread to the table. They'll ask you if you want any and some restaurants will add an extra charge if you do. Must be an all-around cost-cutting measure in the restaurant business.

I have found the salmon in the GDR to be very bland. Unfortunately that sounds like more of the same in Ember.

[MEFIowa]

6 hours ago, vlthom said:

... No bread basket on the table.  Individual rolls were doled out by staff members....

Given the waste of bread and how it is used to fill people up with essentially worthless carbs, what you write sounds wonderful. Wife and I tell the server when we order at any specialty restaurant (on both Riviera and Sirena), "No bread please."

[iowananny]

The way I understand it is when bread is put on a table it is considered used and thrown away when returned to the kitchen.  What a waste of food.  We don't want a basket of bread when we're each going to have one piece each or maybe not any.  It's one thing if you're at a table with eight people but most people can't eat an entire basket of bread.  I hope O goes to offering a selection of bread when they sit down and if someone wants more, they can ask for more.  I don't think that's being cheap I think it just makes sense.

[babysteps]

Naklisma! Have no idea About spelling, but I believe that's the Turkish word for reflection of moonlight on water! 

 

Sorry I don't look at phone that well in a cruise. When we get to the Dardanelles in a moment I'll likely go up to 16 forward or 15 aft. 

Ember tonight was actually good. Table for 2 at the window so protected from sound. The lobster mac&cheese is more like lobster and pasta with lobster emultion according to spouse - he ordered an appetizer portion and enjoyed very much. I had the shrimp starter, tuna 'salad', and scallops. Tuna was cooked but very rare and the dressing was lovely. Scallops were very tasty but nothing cajun about the gluten free version. We were not rushed at all, our server even asked us how much a break we would like before our mains. 

 

We just met Crystal Symphony headed toward Istanbul. Fun fact, according to marinetraffic.com we are going about 12% faster than they are. 

 

Random observation, the closet light is not quite off-when-closed and on-when-open. It comes on when open and then seems to check every so often (by going dark for a second) whether the door is open or closed. 

 

Picture upload positions might be a bit random, apologies! 

[ronrick1943]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post.  I am already enjoying reading about your adventure on "O".  I can see you are enjoying your cruise, have lot's of fun and enjoy your time on and off the ship.  I'll be reading and looking forward to you're post.

[mountain grandma]

5 hours ago, mauibabes said:

@mountain grandma

Billie and Ted, great to see this post. Have a fabulous time on Vista because she is beautiful. Any chance Gordica is the Restaurant Manager on board.  If she is she is Awesome and will do everything possible to make your dining experiences wonderful. We have absolutely loved our time on V and one of these days our paths will be crossing again.

Bonnie and Gerry, aka Mauibabes

Hi Bonnie and Gerry,

 

We are enjoying Vista very much but unfortunately, Gorika is not the Restaurant Manager on board.  We have sailed with her before and we also think she is wonderful. She will go far with Oceania and we are sure she will move up to F and B Director as soon as there is an opening.  Don’t know which ship she is on right now but I will see if I can find out.  
 

Hope we sail together again soon too!

Billie and Ted 

[vlthom]

14 hours ago, iowananny said:

The way I understand it is when bread is put on a table it is considered used and thrown away when returned to the kitchen.  What a waste of food.  We don't want a basket of bread when we're each going to have one piece each or maybe not any.  It's one thing if you're at a table with eight people but most people can't eat an entire basket of bread.  I hope O goes to offering a selection of bread when they sit down and if someone wants more, they can ask for more.  I don't think that's being cheap I think it just makes sense.

Yes, I agree about the waste.  But the “policy” in Ember is different than the other Specialties which is why I mentioned it.  We were hungry when we got to Ember and the rolls were given prior to anyone taking our dinner order.  We ate them straightaway and then had none to accompany our salad course, which is when I usually will have some bread.  Just warning others who have not yet been to Ember.

[vlthom]

20 hours ago, mountain grandma said:

Vlthom—DH and I are also on Vista having boarded in Athens and continuing to Barcelona with exactly the same feelings about the ship, crew, passengers, and Ember as you have expressed!  Vlthom and babysteps —Tonight is the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party—would love to meet up after the program is finished.  We can only stay a short time since we have dinner plans at 6:30 but it would be great to meet you both.  
 

Billie and Ted

Sorry we missed you.  We were late to the party!

[jonthomas]

really looking forward to being on the Vista again..amazing ship...

 

thank you for your posts...

[MEFIowa]

2 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

really looking forward to being on the Vista again..amazing ship...

Though with all the Vista cheerleading (soon to be replaced by Allura cheerleading), guess this  means that Marina and Riviera, for example, are NOT "amazing ships". 

 

But I can't tell WHAT makes Vista so "amazing" vis-a-vis Riviera, for example. Maybe it is "amazing" that people wanted a glorified Applebee's/Ruby Tuesdays? Or who knew that room noise could be so..."amazing"?

 

Yet, having spent time on Riviera pre- (10 nights) and post-refit (20 nights), we preferred much of her as she was in 2021 as opposed to the Scandinavian minimalism we found in 2023.

[jonthomas]

we will be on the regatta in sept...I think it is amazing as well...

 

but hey vista has the pizza oven...lol...

 

we spent a life time and a fortune on over 50 cruises with Celeb and have nothing to show for it...so no wonder we think all O ships are amazing...

[MEFIowa]

11 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

we will be on the regatta in sept...I think it is amazing as well...but hey vista has the pizza oven... so no wonder we think all O ships are amazing...

Riviera had the pizza oven when we spent 20 nights on her Oct-Nov '23.

 

And yes, Sirena is also amazing. We've got 22 more nights on her this Aug-Sep '24 after 10 nights on her 11/2022.

 

So I do agree: ALL O ships are "amazing".

[jonthomas]

Been on Riviera a while ago, so I forgot.

Would sail any O ship regardless of pizza ovens.

We really enjoy them and all that they offer. This is for the last couple of years since covid. I understand that those sailing prior to that are not as complimentary now.

But then I'm sure that few of them are turning to Celebrity and the like.

[babysteps]

So it was 41c today in Izmir, that is 104c. Hot. It was hot. 

 

We did an O tour to Ephesus which was very good. Full size bus with good AC and driver had the AC running even before we boarded. Excellent guide. 21 people on the whole bus so no crowding issues.

 

 

 

Ephesus is big and hot with lots of very slippery marble streets and walk ways. That said, we loved it anyway! Water, umbrella for shade, neck coolers all help. Our guide really helped bring things alive. Oceania arranged for iced wet towels just before leaving the historic site for all their tours, much appreciated! One hint: aim for the mortar between the stones, it is much less slippery. Choose shoes accordingly. 

 

Our guide explained how folks could skip the terrace house portion (steps, steps, and more steps) and rest in the shade to wait for us. Spouse decided afterwards that maybe he could have skipped all those steps-he got a bit overheated but we made it back to the bus fine. Staff helped him find a back room at the carpet stop to help cool down. One lady was on the tour while her spouse stayed aboard-last cruise Santorini was particularly hot and he fainted in their tour. Thank goodness tomorrow it's supposed to be low 80s in Santorini! If the terrace houses aren't important to you, you can select a tour that does not include them.

 

FYI at Izmir they run a golf cart from the ship to the terminal and back (not even that long a walk) which makes it easier if you have mobility issues. Many places today offered ramps in addition to stairs, but some of the ramps would not be wheelchair or walker friendly.. If you have mobility challenges and really want to see Ephesus, doing it with a private guide and both entering and leaving at the lower point might work? Still some slope challenges but the pine tree allee is paved (asphalt) so not nearly as challenging. 

 

We were the only bus at our carpet stop, not sure if guide or company chooses who goes where. We enjoyed a lovely light lunch while the sales patter progressed (our guide did make sure my plate was gluten free). In fairness it was a very soft sell with emphasis on history and rug details-but certainly was a shop and not a museum lol. 

 

If you don't like group tours, this one would not have changed your mind. The usual 'and then we'll stop under that tree for my next blurb' although in the most gracious way and always in the shade if at all possible. Did I mention our guide was great?

 

Delayed return at least 20 minutes thanks to a paperwork glitch for folks who bought a carpet at the obligatory sales stop. We got back in plenty of time for sailing but our elapsed time was longer than promised. 

 

We prefer to explore on our own and had a great time in Istanbul by ourselves with no guide. We're happy to use up our SM credits on tours but if group tours are a no-go for you plan accordingly. 

 

So far out room AC is plenty strong (not even turned down to coldest). Also no ceiling clatter/vibration issues. And we haven't yet heard our neighbors. Instead of a life boat below us on deck 6 we have...something? This angle exaggerates it's impact on our view. Will know more when we get a look at it from below, so far we haven't been on the dock side. 

[MEFIowa]

Just so glad it was a beautiful 77 deg F and sunny in Izmir/Ephesus on November 7, 2023. Perfect weather. Smaller crowds. We did a private car from Riviera to Ephesus, including the "Marian" house on the hill tourist trap. Amazing walking around the ruins of Ephesus including some famous ones not too far away (e.g., the Temple of Artemis). 

[basor]

@babysteps - can you tell us the name of the Ephesus O tour you took...we are doing the same next October 

[ORV]

1 hour ago, basor said:

@babysteps - can you tell us the name of the Ephesus O tour you took...we are doing the same next October 

They did say it was an O tour. I went on an excellent tour there years ago. I kept their card it was so good. 

[basor]

22 minutes ago, ORV said:

They did say it was an O tour. I went on an excellent tour there years ago. I kept their card it was so good. 

I understand - there are 4 different O tours from Izmir and I would like to know which of these O tours they enjoyed so much

[vlthom]

We tried the pizzeria last night - or rather, I tried it while DH got sushi from the Terrace.  We placed my order at the pizzeria, got a number and then sat in the terrace because of the heat.  My order was brought to our table.  It took awhile but from what I could see, they had numerous orders placed before mine.  I appreciated that they could bring it into the Terrace.  The pizzas are fairly large - too much really for one.  DH helped me out.  We both agreed that the pizza was the best that we’ve had aboard an O ship.  Crust was nice - not soggy.  Would have preferred a crispier bottom but was pleased overall.

 

one thing we noticed with this dinner was an issue with wine service.  This cruise, for us, was not purchased with SM, so we do not have wine included with our meals.  I brought our welcome aboard champagne to the Grande Dining room the prior night.  DH doesn’t drink so it was all for me and there was plenty leftover.  I asked for the remainder of the bottle to be brought up to the Terrace and this seemed to be utterly confusing to the staff who first told me that they’d just give me fresh champagne or a new bottle.  I explained that I didn’t want to pay for a new bottle which still confused them.  Finally understanding, they found my bottle, which I enjoyed but noticed that they poured from for another guest.  Not a big deal but for those still not on SM, you may be in the minority and need to explain about any wine that you’ve purchased.

[jonthomas]

Yes the pizza is very good...

 

But I do get criticized by people who say they don't go on a cruise to eat pizza.

 

To each his own.