Inaugural Cruise from Trieste to Barcelona of the new Carnival Vista. Lots of little technical and mechanical duties for an extra crew contingent of over a hundred Italian workers from the ship works at Monfalcone. Wide variety of passengers from many different countries, with a plurality from the U.S.A. where the Vista will be docked from October of this year. Embarkation was a disaster, with some Priority guests winding up on board an hour after some who came late.

Vista is a standard Carnival product with some new changes and additions. For example, an IMAX theater is hidden away Deck 6 midships, and a beer brewery is located on Deck 5. Restaurant amenities in addition to the regular ones are plentiful, with enough seating to support a guest list of some 4,000. Cabins are still an average of 185 sq. ft. with only a slight change to add more accessibility to the entrance. I noted in my cabin, however, a large reduction in closet space over what I was used to on past sailings. General decor is muted in comparison to older Carnival ships, so much so that it almost doesn't seem quite Carnival until you step up to Decks 10 through 14, where a wide variety of activities range from enormous water slides to an enlarged Serenity deck for adults. "Liquid Lounge" is the name for the theater at the fore. It has a level base instead of a sloping one, allowing for more diverse activities. Indeed the activity schedule overall on Vista is quite ambitious. Daily postings no longer require large sheets of paper, but have been reduced to a handy brochure-sized offering. The type may be too small for those whose eyes require magnification.

In terms of actual experience on this sailing, I have to say I was not overly impressed with regular food and drink offerings. Very boring. What makes that even more objectionable was the addition of many new restaurants requiring extra cost. In my case, I did not think the extra cost was justified on at least two occasions involving overcooked pasta and undercooked shellfish. Many of the chefs are from India, which is I suppose neither here nor there. I was pleased their native cuisine was well represented across the board on an almost daily basis. Read more