This was our first premier Casino cruise and our 8th Carnival cruise in general. Husband was very excited. But I knew that meant he was going to spend much of his time in the Casino so I brought my grandkids for a whole new level of fun. They were 11 years old and 13 years old. Loved all the extra perks of the Premier cruise such as: #1 Gifts in the cabin every few days. #2 Special casino games with prizes. #3 Amazing party with country music and yummy horderves and free drinks. They were very generous! #4 Priority boarding. #5 Free drinks while playing in the casino. My grandkids and I swam in the pools. Which was my first time to swim. Freezing cold water. Nobody was in the pool until they saw us crazy enough to do it. Then the pool was full of children. They enjoyed the kids club. You had to be 12 years to be in Camp Ocean. They both wanted to be together. So I talked to the camp counselor about my 11 year old being with his sister and because he was only 3 months away from turning 12, they said the would give him a trail run to see how he did with the older kids. He did great and had a great time. So glad they let him because we ended up going to the little kids club to do build a bears to take home to their little brother and the club seemed way to childish for him. We enjoyed the dinning room experience, and paid extra at least 3 times for the bonsai sushi. Loved it. Also paid extra for the Jiji Asian Kitchen, it was ok. I like Asian restaurants at home better. We didn't eat at the steak house just because that would have been to expensive with 4 of us on this trip. But have eaten there our last 2 cruise and it was amazing! We went to Tea time this time, never done that before. Me and the grandkids really enjoyed it. Loved Guys burgers and the Bluelguana Cantina yum. The BBQ was very bland. But probably unfair to them because my husband can cook some amazing BBQ. Pizza was a little bit better then just ok. Always ate breakfast at the buffet or BlueIquana Cantina it was good. Coffee was good too. Only hit one show, "flick" we all really loved it. And afterwards me and my granddaughter talked to the main male singer\dancer that was performing. Then we turned to each other after we walked away and agreed that it was like talking to a star. FUN. One big negative was that we waited in line three times for the sky ride just to be turned away at the last minute because either it wasn't working properly or the winds would pick up. That was what they were most exited about but never did get a chance to ride it. The deck of the ship was full of things for the kids to stay entertained. Loved the movie theater, it wasn't crowded and the kids did the 4d experience theater(I forgot what it was called), so much fun they said. Plenty of great movies in the room also. We just booked the next level in the casino cruise which is the Ultra cruise. That will be just my husband and I in January. Cant wait. It will be on the vista also. Read Less

Spoiler Alert: Ignore EVERYTHING negative you have read about the Vista so far. Based on our most recent trip none of the negativity is true and the naysayers are just complaining because they really don’t know how to appreciate a good cruise when they’re on one! This was our second time on the Vista, third cruise on Carnival. Once again, Carnival exceeded our expectations and delivered an amazing adventure for my family. We chose the Vista based on the excellent itinerary including Cozumel, Belize and Roatan, Honduras. We flew into Houston International the night before and stayed at the Airport Marriott because out flight landed after 11pm. The subway from baggage claim one stop to the hotel was a bonus after a long day at work then a 4 hour flight. The hotel was fine and we enjoyed a late night snack when we landed. We took a Lyft to the Port of Galveston, but will probably take the Carnival Bus from IAH next time. Having a specific “Check-In” time made embarkation a breeze and we were on the ship in no time after going through all the check in points beforehand. The Vista is a beautiful ship and we love her low-key vibe and laid back ambiance and décor. We had a mid-ship balcony room on the 8th Deck. There was more than ample space for the three of us, although our teenage son is growing so fast I might end up on the pull-out couch on the next trip. Our room steward Jay was wonderful. No request went unanswered and he went above and beyond every day to see to it that we had what we needed. No surprise that the service everywhere on board was exceptional. We met so many hard working, sweet, kind staff and we never once encountered anyone who was less than enthusiastic to help us with a request. The staff was upbeat and positive and we look forward to the chance to spend another week with this crew at some point. We ate dinner almost every night in the MDR except for one night we opted for Bonsai sushi. Every meal was wonderful and my son and I took advantage of the steak offerings most nights. The dishes were interesting and the selection was wonderful. Dessert was always something to look forward to and the Lava Cake was again the highlight of dinner on our 2nd to last night. The waiters in the MDR were so kind and we looked forward to “Show Time” whenever they performed. We only ate at Bonsai one night and even by our standards thought it was some of the best we’ve ever had on the Vista! We enjoyed Sea Day brunch one morning in the MDR and in addition to some excellent Eggs Benedict – the fresh pressed juices were worth every penny. The drinks were off the charts and a great way to start the day. This was a much needed relaxing vacation for us so we didn’t do much in the way of entertainment at night and because we’re sensitive to smoke, avoided the Casino at all costs. We mostly played Bingo on sea days with the amazing Entertainment Team. Britni was a riot and she kept the games fun and exciting. Schwartz is one of the best Cruise Directors we’ve ever had on a cruise and he was so kind and gracious to everyone he met. We enjoyed to the Lip Sync Contest the last night of the cruise at the invitation Hannah, who was competing for the grand prize. We thought she did a great job, but the crowd was behind the other contestant and she came up short. Still, Schwartz and his crew put on an excellent show that night and the inclusion of all the little kids from the camps, etc., was brilliant. Lots of laughter and their precious little faces were too much! Great way to end the cruise! We loved seeing all the kids get a chance to participate in the fun! Our son spent every night in the Teen Club and came back every night begging to stay out longer because they were having so much fun. He loved the Teen Club and made some sweet friendships on board. All three ports were safe, clean and our beach day/diving/snorkeling excursions were wonderful. My son and I chose Mr. Sancho’s (not a Carnival excursion) for Cozumel thinking it would be a family fun day at the beach with lots of kids and families, which there was, but we were both put off by the amount of visibly inebriated folks we saw at the end of the day and had to refuse a cab ride back to the port with a group of folks who’d had just a little too much to drink. Belize City was a completely different vibe and we thoroughly enjoyed the Carnival “Reef/Sharks Excursion w/Lunch” – the weather was perfect for snorkeling and the guides were quick to include you in getting the chance to encounter the reef sharks (Nurse sharks) and gentle stingrays. Lunch was pricey but the great bargains at the port for T-shirts and Hawaiian tropical print shirts more than made up for this. Mahogany Bay is the prettiest port I think we’ve ever been to and we spent a nice day at the Mayan Princess. The crush of vendors when we sat down in our chairs was too much to handle and we were later disappointed to find that someone had rifled through our bags while we were out in the water. Next time we are in Roatan we plan to just go to the beach near the port – it’s a beautiful beach and you can stay longer at the beach because you don’t have a long drive back to the port. Disembarkation was smooth and uneventful and we will definitely opt for the chance at one more shot in the buffett before heading home. The Port of Galveston is a well-oiled machine which made getting on and off the ship a breeze. My only regret is that I didn't take advantage of my "Spa Pass" as much as I should have. The spa is a beautiful sanctuary for peace and relaxation and I thoroughly enjoyed the little time I did spend in the spa. Overall, it was a “Top 10” vacation for us. We slept too much, ate too much, laughed too much and really had a wonderful time on the Vista! It’s a beautiful ship with an excellent Captain and crew who provided top notch service at every turn. We’re considering our next trip on the Mardi Gras but our heart will always be with the Vista! With so much to see and do on the Vista, we’re still shaking our heads at all the “naysayers” who have found it necessary to complain about the ship on social media and on Cruise Critic. We’re beginning to think “perspective” is the key to a fun and enjoyable vacation! Read Less

We were on the February 8, 2020 Sailing of the Vista, and I can’t tell you how disappointed I am in how much I did *not* enjoy the Havana experience this year. We sailed the Carnival Vista in the Havana area this time last year and were so impressed I booked the same area for this year in a Havana Suite and for 2021 in a Havana Cabana and 2022 in a Havana Suite. I’ve spent the past year on the many online cruising sites telling anyone who would listen how fantastic the Havana experience is.  That will no longer be the story I tell on these online sites although I was hoping to add to my new telling that Carnival was gracious in handling my concerns.   Unfortunately I have only received platitudes from Carnival and no assurances that they intend to make any reasonable changes.  We were in Suite 5236 and the noise from the Havana Bar every night made sleeping impossible.  The music and singing from the dining room below us during each evening's “showtime” was unacceptably loud in our cabin.  Both of these things could possibly have been overlooked. But what was inexcusable was the inability of the Havana staff to maintain a safe and pleasant environment in the Havana area, an area that we pay a hefty premium to enjoy.  It is not possible to enjoy the area when the Havana staff allow other passengers to loudly play their personal music on their personal speakers set up poolside where all other passengers were subjected to whatever that passenger chose to blare out of their speakers.  I brought my concern to the Havana area attendant and was told they couldn’t do anything about it.  I eventually called Guest Services, each time the attendant allowed this to happen, and security was sent to tell the passengers to turn off their speakers.  The overly intoxicated passengers then made a big deal about who was “snitching to security” and made the entire situation very uncomfortable.  Along with the private speakers being played, the Havana attendants did little to control the out of control antics such a “cannonball” jumping into the pool soaking everyone sitting on the pool's edge and nearly landing on people in the pool. It was unsafe and very unpleasant. I expect that I will just have to understand that my fellow Havana passengers were the luck of the draw, and I drew a very bad lot this cruise. I did expect that the Havana staff would do more than stand idly by allowing this ruckus and mayhem to unfold day after day.  Understand that if you are considering paying the high premium  for a Havana cabin and are hoping for a relaxing space, it will come down to whether your fellow Havana passengers will play nice because the staff will do nothing to control any passengers who choose to ruin the experience for everyone else.  I will not be taking that risk again. I no longer have any desire to stay in Carnival's Havana area after suffering through a very unpleasant $4000+ frat house experience this past week, or aboard any Carnival ship in the foreseeable future.  I was working toward becoming a platinum passenger by the end of 2021 with my bookings, but that is no longer something I want.   As for the rest of the Vista, it has all the warmth of a professional medical building. Carnival has lowered their bar so low that there is no escaping their obvious descent as they race to the bottom. Read Less

I first want to say I have never written a negative review in my life. But we work very hard to save for our vacations and I know others do too. I simply want to let people know that the Vista is not the average cruise. It is what I would consider a bottom of the barrel cruise. We chose Vista excited to see the new Havana area. When we booked we were told it was open after 7 p.m. When we arrived they told us they no longer allowed it. No one contacted us to inform of the change. If they had we would have switched ships. It appears that what Carnival has done with this ship is to eliminate space and amenities for regular travelers and expand areas for folks able and willing to pay higher prices for the amenities that every traveler used to enjoy. Havana suites and Family Harbor rooms. Many of our favorite spots you find on cruises are missing on the Vista. It is impossible to escape the crowds as the public areas are a fraction of the size as other smaller ships. No adult only pool, it has been replaced with Havana pool. Only 4 hot tubs on entire giant ship. With the exception of the closed Havana tubs. Serenity area is super tiny, has little shade, and is very inconvenient. They have chopped the Your Time dining room into smaller spaces yet continue the floor dances which half of the rooms could not participate in. The long walking area normally below the lifeboats does not exist on this ship. The ship has absolutely no style other than what could be described as cheap and tacky. LED displays have replaced almost everything that normally gives each ship interest and character. It gives the ship a very Wal- Mart feel. No atrium elevators. Colored glass and wooden accents are replaced with simple sheets of painted white steel. The shopping area was the smallest and most predictable I have ever experienced. All this being said I must point out that the crew was absolutely outstanding. Every worker was friendly and competent. Also we were not traveling with children so I can't speak to how this ship may work for families. I hate being negative but I hope that everyone researching ships finds the right one for them. Read Less

I have taken 6 Carnival cruises since 2011. My wife is a platinum member so our embarkation and debarkation were fast and nice. Our room was average, the room stewards were friendly. We found an unopened yogurt in our fridge. Our neighbors found dirty underwear in their cabin. The buffets never seemed to be open and the free restaurants always had a long lines. The carnival app never worked right. You need this to schedule ship activities including dinner reservations. The dining room always seemed to be a 2 hour experience. BTW you have to make reservations, no more anytime dining. And if the app was down "which was most of the time" you had to go to deck 5, stand in a long line and make reservations, then go back down to deck 3, stand in another long line to eat in the dining room. The service in the dining room lacked greatly. Very slow service and substandard food most nights. Forget about ordering any side sauces or anther drink, you will never get it. Many times the waiter would tell me " oh sorry, all my help is downstairs". This means NO you can not have that. The buffets were also lacking. Long lines and Cold food. The meats had a chemical taste. The Guys Pig and anchor BBQ was great. I had it twice. The Bonsai Sushi restaurant was good but, you had to pay for it. The taco, burrito and burger spots always had long lines. The room service was nonexistent and laughable at best! The menu was MOSTLY paid items. We tried to order twice and none would ever even pick up the phone. Why not just not have any room service? The mixed drinks on the ship tasted very good and most were moderately priced. We were totally surprised to find out Carnival quit carying Coca Cola and Red Bull in lieu of Pepsi and Monster. WHY???? Because it's cheaper!! The shows were laughable and unwatchable. First we sat thru a show call Flick. Honestly I would rather sit thru a Tony Robbins lecture on insurance policies for time shares. I sat thru the "Rock" show painfully. The bingo, photos, food, and other shopping in the shops were expensive. The movie theater is not a real movie theater. Very limited showing of substandard movies and Yes, you have to pay extra for it. The photos that Carnival's employees take of you as you wander around the ship cost as well. And they are NOT cheap! The digital download of each photo is $15. This is EACH. The Carnival cruises we have taken in the past were for the most part ALL-INCLUSIVE. They are not anymore.You have to pay for everything! Everything is an extra upcharge. We paid for 3 internet packages at $300. "that were either very slow or not working" and we still had to pay an extra $5. each to be able to text each other. The dining room menu had a lot of items you have to pay "extra" for. We tried to schedual a behind the scene tour of the ship, it was $95. per person. This is just wrong. So after this cruise we are probably done with Carnival. Sad we used to really enjoy it. Read Less

We cruise a lot of lines, including Carnival, but this cruise was definitely among our least favorites. The 3 star rating is in light of the fact that we enjoyed some of the entertainment and the ports. Also, the weather was wonderful, so it was a nice getaway. First, to us, the food and dining experience was definitely not up to the usual Carnival standard. Many of the dishes were quite bad (looking at you, Penne Mariscos). And the MDR service was the worst we've had on any ship. You had to ask for everything and that didn't mean you'd get it. The biggest struggle was getting coffee to go with the dessert course at dinner - I think due to the fact that you now order dessert with the rest of the meal so it's just another thing for them to bring out. However, one breakfast we had a very good waiter, who reminded us of the better Carnival service we've enjoyed on other ships. The food in the buffet was somewhat better, but as others have commented, there wasn't much variety and often long lines. The pizza was quite good, but I don't eat meat and they seemed to make mostly pepperoni. The one time I was able to get a cheese slice, it was really good. Also liked the sometimes-available gelato. The bar service was generally good and friendly - especially in the Ocean Plaza. We scored a great deal during happy hour in the Red Frog pub one port day afternoon - a pitcher of mixed drink (forget which one) for just over $11 including gratuity. We drank it in one of the nice outdoor seating areas on Deck 5 - one of the ship innovations that we liked. We really liked the Ocean Plaza as an entertainment venue, and especially enjoyed the bands Studio 6 and the Ambrassadors (who also performed in the Rock production show). This is where they also did trivia, dance lessons, etc., and you could also get surprisingly good breakfasts and lunches there. It was also around the corner from the coffee bar. We also tried the light lunch at the Serenity, but it turned out to be just salad (although with lots of fresh ingredients), and it was hard to get a place to sit. The Serenity on this ship seemed small and crowded. Our inside cabin was fine, and our room steward did a good job. As people have mentioned, the elevators were a pain. Too few and too slow. We have another Carnival cruise booked and expect to add more - just won't be the Vista. Read Less

We drove to the Port as we are from the Midwest. We parked at Lighthouse parking and have the last few times we have sailed from Galveston. It is much smaller, but I've never had to wait a long time for a shuttle. We purchased Faster to the Fun and went from the parking shuttle to boarding in under 20 minutes. Honestly, if we didn't want to get off the ship quickly, we wouldn't have needed to purchase FTTF. Once we boarded we dropped our bags off at our room and went and found something to eat. We hit up Blue Iguana for tacos. After lunch we walked around to check out the layout of the ship. The layout is different than other Carnival ships. Our muster station was in the casino (which was an odd place since we were in a Spa cabin) but people were smoking the whole time. We were on the ship during the Super Bowl, which was fun. People were camping out at 7AM for a spot outside to watch the game. We ate in the MDR every night. This was the first cruise for my husband and I so I had a requested a table for the two of us. We did have a table for us two but with in arms reach to two other tables. Our table mates were amazing and we looked forward to seeing them and talking about our day every evening. My one complaint about dinner, there was a large table from what we understood a family reunion that were highly intoxicated and were loud and obnoxious every night. Breakfast and Lunch - I highly suggest doing seaday brunch when possible. The offered fresh pressed veggies and fruit juices we loved them. Hands down it was one of our favorite places to eat. Our ports of call were: Cozumel- we went to Mr. Sanchos which we booked on our own. We got off the ship fairly early and were there before it got too busy. We also left around 2:00. There weren't many ships in port, so it wasn't as busy as it could have been. Belize: we did the ship sponsored cave tubing. The drive was informative, but incredibly long -1.5 hours-- Our guide for the cave tubing was so awesome. It was shorter than I expected. Belize was a tender port, and didn't find we had to wait too long for one to get back on the ship. Roatan - This port we didn't have anything planned. We got off and rode the chair lift to the free beach. They had chairs up front - but you had to pay for them. We found chairs in the back. We didn't purchase any food or drink but were offered several times so seemed bar service was readily available. We decided to get back on the ship to eat lunch and took advantage of the ship being relatively empty. We were able to go on the sky ride. (No swimsuits, anything in your pockets and closed toe shoes) it was really fun. We were able to ride the slides as fast as we could get back up the stairs. Really enjoyed our time. Entertainment - the main show lounge is significantly smaller than on other ships. The welcome aboard show was great, the others were just so so. Schwartz was the cruise director on our cruise. Comedy shows were always packed, so it was hard to ever get a good seat. We went to the casino every now and then, and never found the tables busy. We saw an IMAX movie, the price was about what we would pay at home. There were tons of trivia opportunities, Service: We found our favorite bartender Michelle. She was at the coffee place in the morning, and in the atrium bar in the evening. MDR service was fairly slow, but we didn't expect speedy service. When we attempted to go to Tea time, we didn't have great service at all. We showed up 30 minutes prior to the end, and they were already packing up. No one brought us cups or tea. Debarkation was very smooth, there were a ton of Diamond/Platinum members onboard, so we debarked immediately after them. We didn't have to wait at customs long at all. Our shuttle back to our vehicle was waiting and were on the road by 8:45 am. We enjoyed our cruise. It was nice vacation for my husband and I without our kiddos. Cruising is our preferred method of travel, and still holds true after this cruise. Many of our complaints were due to passengers rather than the cruise line/staff. Read Less

We chose this because it was kid friendly and last minute time off from work. I picked a suite. Even though it was on the lower level I felt a little better just because we were bringing a two year old with us and he’s a climber. Everyone is very nice on the Vista and the older portions of the craft were being maintained properly it feels like. I have one very very large complaint!!!!!!! The rooms 2431 -2433 and maybe even more than that are at a ridiculous level of loud. Like there’s a pot and pan party that is going on where every five minutes or so they slam one up against the railing outside. It is quite literally unbearable even after having brought ear plugs. I did read after I purchased the cruise about these rooms from another reviewer and was prepared with ear plugs. The first night was a total loss on sleep and the last night was a total loss. Just FYI for all who are booking. Stay away from the rooms under kitchens Read Less

Be sure and arrive at your designated time, you don’t want to get in the longer early or late line. If you bring on a small ice chest, no ice or water allowed, bring freezer packs. Cans only is the rule now days. If you don’t have faster to the fun, expect to keep your carry on luggage with you when you go to the spa for a tour, or to the busy lunch buffet. You can get access to your room at 1:30. The room key cards will be in the mail bin by your door. If you buy an alcohol cheers package, it starts the next day. If you get a soda cheers package, expect to pay tax for each drink until the boat is under way. If you are planning on using your spa privileges / discounts, be sure to go take a tour early, before it gets crowded. They show you all of the areas of the spa, and try to talk you into each procedure offered. Research what you are interested in before you get on the boat. Not every spa offering is included in the 20-30-40% off, and the best deals are on port days, including departure day. Schedule your whole week right then, so you can get spots before or after your shore excursions for the best prices. My daughter was 16, so was limited on what she could do, but they offered her much more than was on the zspa teen list, there were many adult offerings she could do at the spa room discounted prices. On departure day we both got the body scrub with a massage for 75 minutes. I highly recommend that, it was so wonderful I did it later in the cruise. I tried acupuncture to relieve chronic pain in my shoulders. They felt better for a couple hours, but my wrists, ankles, and butt still hurt the next day from the needles. I’ll not try that again. The steam rooms and heated recliners were wonderful as well. If you want your free yoga, it is at 8am, and the palates is at 4. The serenity deck was nice, but crowded during the day, with all of the seats saved early. The salad bar was wonderful. The hot tubs were not crowded after dark, and no kids swimming in them! Deck 14 was very quiet, no drunks walking the halls at night to wake me up! Only 2 elevators go to deck 14, expect to find one that goes to 12, and walk the last flight up. I would not recommend deck 14 for people that can not use the stairs. The elevators are really as bad as stated on previous reviews. The casino is not smoky like other reviews stated, if you take the path around. I did miss the glass elevators. Only kids movies were offered in the Imax, the same 2 all week, so I did not go to it. The large 2 story Horizons restaurant was solely for Your Time dining, always crowded, and very slow service. Plan on spending an hour and a half, and waiting a long time for service. This was my 10th Carnival cruise, and the first time I ever ate dinner at the buffet, and I did it twice. It was hard to go see the comedy shows, unless you saw it first and ate late, which I don’t like to do. Under 18 can only go to the 6:15 and 7:15 shows, they will check ages with your room key for later shows. The steak house was wonderful. If you go there be sure and get the Art at the Table choice for desert. The chef comes to your table and puts on a show. The sky ride was fun, about a 30 minute wait each time we did it. The line for the ropes course was most often short. The easy runs along side the hard, so you can go along side your kid (you on the easy, the kids on the hard). There is no turning back, unless no on is behind you. There is only one track for the cable, no one can go around you. Read Less

My husband and I had a GREAT time on Carnival Vista. We set sail the first week in January, after New Years. I had heard quite a few things about Carnival being dirty or being the ships that get people sick; I'll address these further below. TIP - Our overnight stay at the Harbour House in Galveston was lovely. The location allowed me to watch the Vista come in to port that morning! I'm a very excited cruiser, so I was tracking it all morning and LEAPT out of bed to watch it pass. It passes VERY CLOSE to the hotel and what an epic view! Highly recommend Harbour House! Embarkation was very smooth. LOVELY people working at the Galveston Terminal. We were 20 minutes early for our 1-1:30 boarding time, so we got in that line and didn't wait on anything except for a few minutes to get our carry on bags scanned by security. We were on the ship in no time! You enter into the atrium and yes, it is underwhelming. It's just very closed in and that thing in the middle with the videos playing on it is a little lame. Our rooms were ready right away, so we went to 7459 - a Havana aft wrap balcony. GREAT room. Several large windows, plenty of space, good closet size and your average bathroom. My only complaints are that it is difficult for two people to get into the closet area at one time and there are no outlets near the bed on either side. From the balcony we could see our exclusive access hot tubs and pools. This is WORTH every penny of the upcharge. About my earlier dirty comment, the only dirty thing I saw on the ship were the panels in the guard rails along the Havana hot tubs and pools. I had dreamt of lounging in the pool and looking out into the gulf, but these see through (plexi-glass, glass?) panels were quite filthy and tinted which obstructed the potentially epic view. Service in the Havana is fantastic, the drinks are great, there are Havana towels in your room AND at the pool. Plenty of seating but the best lounge chairs did fill up early. The pool was never quite warm enough, but thats what I get for leaving from Galveston in January. My husband and I took this trip for both of our birthdays which are the same week. On our first full sea day, my birthday, we did EVERYTHING. There is so much to do on this ship that we couldn't believe it was only the first day and that we'd have more to do the rest of the week! Our last cruise was on the Norwegian Bliss and while it was very beautiful and relaxing, compared to the Vista it was boring and absolutely lacking a cruise director presence. Schwartz is the best! Fun, relatable, hilarious and EVERYWHERE. Works so hard and loves what he's doing. Overall, food was quite good. I LOVED Blue Iguana, Guys Burgers and the steakhouse. Just OK was the pizza and main dining room but both better than I'd expected. The buffet on the other hand was awful. We tried to eat there twice and gave up after just a few bites. This brings me to the sickness point. People, wash your hands before you touch tongs and serve-ware that other people coming behind you are going to touch. I watched the majority of passengers just walk right by hand sanitizer and the hand washing station. On Norwegian, this area was monitored by a very friendly person who sang you a song about the importance of washing on a cruise ship, and I'd say 95% would wash. On the Vista, washing is an afterthought as evidenced by the very few actual washing stations vs hand sanitizing stations. My husband and I played quite a few table games and entered tournaments in the casino, both winning invitations to the next round on a future cruise! We had a great time at the tables with Nikita, Richmond and Lucas especially. In the Red Frog Pub, Shakira was excellent. Our room steward, Ron, was a delight and quick. Service overall was pretty good. Shore excursions... eh. We found our own way in Mahogany Bay to a monkey sanctuary. There we got to play with a few monkeys, see other monkeys, birds and butterflies and... HOLD A SLOTH. The sloth was adorable and so huggable. Other than that, MB is a lackluster port. In Belize we went to see the ruins - great experience. Getting to the ruins is a haul (over an hour bus ride, 30 minute boat ride) and the tour guides were slightly annoying in the way they explained what we were seeing, asking rhetorical questions often and slowing down getting to the point. The ruins themselves were spectacular. In Cozumel we had another ruins tour scheduled but after doing it the previous day and not wanting to spend a huge amount of time on a bus again, we switched tours for a catamaran sail and snorkel plus beach party. GREAT EXCURSION. The crew on this catamaran were top notch. Beer and margaritas were free on the boat and at the beach. On the boat, the crew were constantly making sure your cup was full. It was a very party atmosphere with drinks, music and dancing. The snorkeling was very refreshing and the water and fish were beautiful. The beach party was relaxing and fun with many water obstacles to slide down and jump off of, and more drinks. Food was extra, but we did not partake having had lunch at the port earlier. Cozumel was by far the most fun, party vibe port. Debarkation was a bit of a cluster but mainly due to people not understanding or paying attention to the system and announcements. We weren't in a rush so we waited on deck 10 with a pizza and soft serve! I would absolutely cruise Carnival again in the Havana AND with Schwartz! Read Less

Sailed this cruise for New Years and loved almost everything about it. The morning that we boarded in Galveston there was a super dense fog that delayed our boarding by about five hours, which didn’t set a fantastic tone for starting off on our first cruise, but this event turned out to be the only negative comment that I could muster up from the entire seven day voyage. The free food onboard was excellent, the entertainment was fantastic, and I don’t have enough time to describe how incredibly hard every crew member worked to make it the best cruise possible. The team that cleaned our cabin knew me by name and so did the waiters for the suppers every night. Our cruise director (Schwartz) did a seamless job of making sure that all of the events happening were fun and interactive! It was by far the best vacation that I have been on yet! I will definitely be sailing with Carnival cruise ships in the future! Read Less

Our family of four had a fantastic time on the Vista. We were late departing because the port was closed due to dense fog, and the ship could not return to port. Carnival kept us well informed about the progress, and we were finally able to board the ship beginning at 6:30 PM. Aside from that minor inconvenience (and a remarkably smooth embarkation, given the circumstances), the cruise exceeded our expectations. New Year’s Eve in particular was a blast, with countdowns all over the ship so people could pick the kind of setting they wanted to ring in the new year. The main party was up on the Lido deck by the pool, with a countdown on the big screen. Carnival had hats and party favors for all, and the champagne was free flowing. I am surprised by some of the middling reviews people have left about this ship. True, it does not have a grand atrium space like other ships, but what it does have is great. Our two teenage boys had fun exploring the ship together and with new friends they met through O2. And while the Lido deck was almost always crowded around the pool, we prefer to find quiet spaces to relax outside—and those were plentiful. If you’re looking for a hidden haven, there are four comfortable deck chairs outside the Library Bar. The food also gets a big thumbs up in all venues, and you can check out many menus from the main dining room here. They are all screenshots from the Carnival HUB app, which was an indispensable resource. We took full advantage of the entertainment options and spent most of our time in the Ocean Plaza listening to the Riff Rafts and Hornutopia. The mainstage shows were well done, though Flick was slightly bizarre. One of the unique things about this cruise was that it was marked the end of the contracts for several performers, so we got a glimpse into the genuine respect and affection they have for each other as they played their final sets together. Last but not least, I have to give a shout out to our cruise director, Schwartz. He was super high energy, funny, and approachable. Read Less

The plan was to take a cruise with my wife and two kids, and that's exactly what we did. While I rate this a 3 out of 5, let me share with you why. First, it comes from my last cruise i took on a Royal Caribbean (Oasis of the Seas) so comparing that mass of a beauty to the vista isn't fair. The comparisons though were night and day. On the Vista food varied but the downside was that for general buffets breakfast on the lido deck, pork products were the only thing served. As a non-pork consumer this was disheartening. What's worse was when I made the request for Turkey bacon I was told no which prompted me to speak to a manager because I'd I can spend thousands of dollars to be told no or to be told go to another restaurant on the ship, you just lost me as a customer. The silver lining in that dark cloud came in the last day at sea where my wife and I had reservations ay the 555 Farenheit Steakhouse. This was of course a extra money Restaurant but let me tell you from the service to the food, it was world's apart. The crazy part was the price as it was very inexpensive considering the quality of the food for a 4 course meal. The things that will really make your head spin are the ridiculous prices to pay extra on the ship as to say the cruise wasnt expensive enough. If you purchase photos that the crew took at shore ports and around the boat, just for the option to download to your phone costs 15$USD!! If you get prints, it's an additional 5 dollars. I did a cost analysis on just a guesstimate for passengers and general price paid if every room cost the same, which I know isnt the case, I went off of how much I spent and multiplied it by 4500 passengers and you get close to 500,000 that was made off of purchasing the cruise. I didn't account for the alcohol or non-alcoholic drink packages purchased, the IMAX, or thrill level movie theater (which was a waste of money) the seafood bar, or the gift shops or the ridiculous amount they charged for a couples back massage for 50 minutes, or a pedicure where they tried selling you foot products! Some takeaways were the stateroom attendant, the kids care, the cruise director, the places we visited, the 555 Farenheit Steakhouse, the piano bar sing along, the gym (although was small) and the basketball court (which had to uneven sized rims) my downsides included: ludicrously high prices for things on board, the bland list of activities especially for the sports enthusiast (basketball games could have been a huge event, instead they had a game of knockout which was pretty fun) redundant food choices for the nightly dinners which didnt arrive hot but luke warm, the performance events which wasnt the best, but not the worst. All in all, I would travel on a carnival, but I'd have to see what cruise considered by other travelers to be the best one. For now, Royal Caribbean remains the King of the World as my choice of cruise travel! Read Less

This is our first time on Carnival Vista - 11th cruise in total. We have been on several Carnival ships, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian and Celebrity. Our favorite by far was the Celebrity Reflection. I have to say that Vista is a close second and close tie with Norwegian Bliss. What I like with Vista are: - Huge value - Beautiful and clean ship. It has not aged much. - Friendly staff - Big cabin (we were in a cheap pothole window on the second deck) - Plenty of dining options. The options in the Lido buffet was not huge but everything we had was very tasty - Boarding in Galveston was awesome. Carnival has really improved it since our first cruise back in 2005. - They make their own craft beers. The IPA that I had was very tasty - Loved the 5th deck with all the outside areas. Just like on Norwegian Bliss. We have spent a lot of time here so far. - For being such a huge ship it never felt crowded. We don't love the layout of the theater room. I don't know why Carnival went that route. The atrium does not feel Grand but I don't care that much about it. Read Less

We chose the Vista because it was the only ship going out of Galveston we hadn’t sailed on during our annual Christmas week cruise. Because Carnival is our least favorite cruise line, we decided to spend more for a Havana Cabana room, in hopes of a better experience. It did increase our level of satisfaction for the cruise for the following reasons: * Private cabana area outside our patio door (but I must admit we rarely used it) * Pool and 2 hot tubs only for the use of those in Havana Experience cabins (a huge plus when there are tons of kids on a Christmas cruise) * Kids under 12 cannot stay in these cabins. Halls are fairly quiet. * Had no problem getting lounge chairs or cushioned round beds, even with every cabin occupied. * FYI, you cannot lock or unlock your cabana patio door from the outside to walk to pool area. If you read otherwise, it is not true. * Bar service was fast with rarely a wait. * Security personnel did NOT allow anyone into this area without a wristband. This was nice to see! *IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Those not staying in these cabins can no longer visit the pool area in the evening because of noise problems for those in cabins facing this area. HURRAY! * You no longer have to worry about the masses walking by your private cabana at night. * We requested twice a day cabin clean up, as is usual on most lines and our steward was happy to oblige. While our Havana Experience was great, I will also make some comments about the rest of the ship. Pros: Fabulous singers and dancers! They really put their hearts and energy into each performance. Carl was a standout dancer to me! Young and energetic cruise director (Schwartz), though I think sometimes he just likes to hear himself talk. You will see him everywhere, fully participating in numerous activities! Amazing comedians! Tim Young was the best, and he did multiple shows. Hats off to Carnival for putting on an excellent Military Appreciation event! Nice celebrations of both Christmas and Hanukkah. Free yummy gelato at lunch in the Lido, with flavors such as coffee, hazelnut, pineapple, & mango. Cons: Poorly designed theater. Many blocked views and not big enough for the crowds. Poorly designed Lido Marketplace (buffet area), with closed-in feeling and long cafeteria style lines instead of stand alone food areas where people don’t have to wait in long lines. Quality and variety of food was the overall most disappointing thing about this cruise! Very few choices in the buffet and very few good choices in the dining room. We had the chocolate melting cake for dessert nearly every night because there were few better options. Singer/player in the piano bar was just okay. She could not hold a candle to Barry from Boston on Holland America. Tablecloths in dining room only on formal nights. Not using tablecloths cheapens the evening dining experience. Bring your own bottle of body lotion, as Carnival only supplies body wash and shampoo dispensers in shower now, and bar soap at sink. Each time I cruise on Carnival I say it will be my last, but then out of convenience (because we live in San Antonio and can easily drive to Galveston) I seem to minimize the things that I complained about during my previous Carnival cruise. I would recommend Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas when sailing out of Galveston over any Carnival ship. Unfortunately, the shows have not changed much from the 3 times we have sailed her, thus we look for other options. If you are a first time cruiser, you may enjoy the Vista, but as a 27th time cruiser, I have been able to compare the many amenities on a variety of cruise lines. Read Less

I have been on the Vista before with just my husband and we stayed in a Havana Vista balcony. That experience was amazing. This one was not as good. We opted for a Havana aft view extended balcony. My children, parents and brother were in interior rooms around the corner. I loved the room... probably even more than our Vista balcony as it had a coach andore usable space. (Opt for one of the four inner most aft view balconies for the most space). Our room steward Rob was nothing short of AMAZING. Best steward I have ever had bar none. This guy MADE the trip!!!! So helpful. My family's interior rooms were nice as well and roomier than I anticipated. The food was decent (ranging from very good to mediocre) but service in the dining room was also excellent. We all had anytime dining but I was able to schedule us a table for 8 on the first night and we were able to keep the same table (looking out over the ocean) for the rest of the cruise with a standing reservation for 5:30 every evening. Burgers were great. My biggest knock on the food was that I ended up with food poisoning on the third day of the cruise (and I knew it was from the ship because I had been on there for two full days and not off) which resulted in me being violently ill and throwing up and having explosive diarrhea for about 36 hours straight. Pretty sure I got it either from the lasagna or the Cesar salad at the Italian restaurant as that was the only thing I ate that no one else in my party ate. I met another woman later on the ship who had the same problem and there were several times I smelled vomit in the hallway so I know I wasn't the only one affected. But I suppose on a cruise ship with 6,000 people, it is almost bound to happen. Entertainment was great and getting on and off the ship at all the ports was a breeze. Disembarking was rough, but it wasn't helped by the fact that we were fogged out of the Galveston port until 3 pm so I guess the staff handled it well all things considered. The drinks were extremely watered down. I would NOT buy the cheers package on this ship. In fact, after I had 8 mixed drinks in a a few hours and did not even get a buzz, I switched to wine. I question if they put any alcohol in them at all. My kids went to kids club the first day and a child became violent. After that, they were scared to go. So that was disappointing and I was quite put out because even though my 5 year old was attacked by a violent child throwing toys at him, I was not called or informed until I picked him up. My child has been going to gym daycares since he was 6 months and is in a private school. He is always excited to go to the gym daycare and school so the fact that he was crying and literally shaking when we mentioned Camp Ocean tells me this was truly a bad situation. He said the kid was 9 and tried to kill him. This is completely unacceptable, Carnival! If your staff can't keep 5 year olds protected from behaviorally disturbed 9 year olds, then they don't need to be taking the kids with behavior problems in Camp Ocean at all! Read Less

This was my second cruise on Carnival Cruise Line. The first Cruise was on the the Carnival Freedom January 2018 with a party of 6. It was probably the best vacation I have ever had in my life and since we had such an awesome time on the last Carnival cruise we took a party of 10 on the Carnival Vista and what a difference. The main problem was that the Vista holds about a thousand more people than the Carnival Freedom with the same amenities. Long lines, long wait times and you cannot walk around in the ship without bumping into someone or them bumping into you. I also believe I spent half the cruise just trying to get on an elevator. Normal services were also lacking and you couldn't turn around without having a server standing behind you trying to sell you their watered down drinks if they had any alcohol in them at all. The ports and shore excursions were good except they put them back to back with no breaks in between and they were shorter than the last cruise, 5.5 hours vs 8 hours on our last cruise. The entertainment was unique (to say the least) and enjoyable. This cruise you had to go to a check in desk and wait 30 minutes to an hour for the open scheduled dining times but the food was well prepared. However, at the table they were more concerned about selling you a drink than getting non priced drinks to the table. The ugliest part was having a bottle of alcohol taken from a box that we purchased in Jamaica that was checked in returning to the ship and them charging my wife for (7) seven lanyards when she purchased (1) one (I do not think this was accidental). They resolved the lanyard problem because we thankfully had our receipt for the purchase but did not resolve the missing bottle of alcohol. Overall this cruise was pretty disappointing especially because I talked 4 more people into going because I convinced them how great previous cruise was, expecting this one would be the same or better. I believe we may try a different cruise line on our next cruise or stick with smaller ships on Carnival. Read Less

We sailed in carnival visa from Dec 7-14 . We around 50 members from our company were there. Crew members were really good. Thanks to all crew employees for making our trip so awesome. Special thanks to Martin in horizon, Lawrence, Sumesh bar attender , Albert from housekeeping he always make sure all our rooms were clean,Amith and Sachin in gift shops . Lot of entertainment was there. Me and my husband enjoyed the mega Tv at night for movies. The punchline comedy clubs spill over with fun and laughter. Daytime schedules are packed with trivia, pub games, dance classes, cooking demos and other similar activities. The nighttime bar scene is happening and lively, while evening shows include high-energy musical revues and off-color comedy shows Busy casino with a variety of table games, slot machines and a variety of tournaments. There were lots of sun deck space for simply lounging about, including on the adults-only Serenity deck, a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship. I wont hesitate to go on this cruise again. Read Less

Short Review: Embarkation/Disembarkation: Fast! Good Ship: Big, cheap feeling, wasted space. Bad Cabin: Great! Dining: Good overall. Pizza wait is atrocious. Dining room cramped. Entertainment and Activities: Too much country music! Too much football! All texas all the time. Service: Service people, great. Supervisory staff, annoying. Ports and Shore excursions: Standard cruise fair. Great Carnival beach at Mahogany Bay. Carnival tends to get a bad wrap, not sure why as this is our 3rd Carnival cruise and have had great experiences with Carnival in the past. We have also cruised with Norwegian so we have a basis of comparison. Embarkation/Disembarkation: Embarkation onto our ship went as smooth as it ever has. I believe we might've spent less time getting onto the ship in Galveston than we did in New Orleans or Miami (Norwegian). Disembarkation was also pretty smooth, getting off the ship was quick but the customs line was long, but nothing onerous. Ship: Big and spartan. Ya they can fit a lot of people on this ship... but it feels much smaller than the Carnival Dream. The atrium has that cool martini glass structure in the middle but it lacks the wide open spaces, chandeliers, and glass elevators of the Carnival dream. The dining rooms are somehow more dated looking than older ships. There are more 'bad' seats in the dining areas than good. Your chances of ending up next to a pillar, the kitchen exits, or next to a busy thoroughfare are much higher than getting a good seat. Great you included an IMax theater on a ship! Unfortunately that's space the ship could've sorrily used and I for one wouldn't bother watching a movie with my hard earned bucks after spending a few thousand to sail the tropical seas. You like hot tubs? Too bad! They are notably lacking on this ship. The Dream seemed to have hot tubs everywhere and, at most, you'd be dealing with 4-5 other people. On the Vista the hot tubs are always packed and usually with kids. Sports areas are pretty good but packed together so your mini-golf, pool, and foosball, shuffleboard, twister, etc... are all on top of each other. Cabin: It was good! We had a balcony room for the first time and the views were great, the beds were comfy, and it was bright and open. Lots of plugs and usb ports to charge your electronics. Bathroom was tiny but well laid out and all the plumbing worked as expected although our faucet occasionally considered hot to be steam, warm to be hot, and cold to be still hot. Dining: My kingdom for a pizza. Holy crow was El Capitane's pizza busy. Every minute of every day there was a line up. At night the place was a zoo. On the Pride and the Dream getting a Pizza was simple and convenient. Now with the advent of limited room service people have figured out that grabbing a pizza is the only convenient thing to do in the off-dining times. Blue Iguana and Guy's Burger lines weren't bad at all. Also the food was always really tasty but definitely skewed "American", therefore everything was super salty, but we didn't mind much. The dining rooms were a little disappointing because of the aforementioned bad seating, the dishes were almost 100% identical to dishes we've had on other Carnival cruises, I think the only new things were the peach and mango soups. Fortunately the steak on this cruise was excellent and I would recommend that as a go-to, I'm guessing this is because Texas is known for it's beef? Gelato was amazing and I wish I had it every day, but our schedule often conflicted with it. If you like Asian food I would 100% skip the JiJi's Asian Kitchen. It's awful. I'm a little biased since I've traveled in Asia quite a bit but this stuff is bland as all get out. On the Dream the stir-fry place was just part of the buffet, quick and convenient. On the Vista you often need to wait for a seat at JiJi's Asian Kitchen to get bland and tasteless mall food-court level Chinese. Easy pass! Guy's pig and anchor is located on deck 5... somewhere... never had it once, couldn't comment. It's off the beaten path when you're thinking food (same deal on the Dream). Entertainment/Activities: You from Texas? No? Too bad! You like country music? No? Too bad! You like jokes about football and... more football? No? Too bad! This cruise doesn't leave Texas! If you never have to hear a country crooner cover Third Eye Blind consider yourself lucky. If you're from the Southern US you'll probably enjoy the entertainment but other than the Violin players (they're great) and the major shows everything was Texan focused. It was also hard to take in much of the entertainment because my son would refused to go to kid's club because he was being bullied by some older kids, can't really blame that on the ship, but maybe a bit of intervention from the counselors could've went a long way. Water slides were fun but there's just two. The waterpark for smaller kids was good too. The rope course and sky cycle were fun but the cycle required you to line up for around 45 minutes to an hour. The Liquid lounge had some good shows but there are a lot of blindspots behind pillars so get there early if you want to actually see. Service: Service was a mixed bag. On the highs were the waiters, cleaning staff, waterpark staff. Mario from Bosnia in the dining room was always cheerful and accommodating. Dylan from Scotland from the sports area saw my daughter was sad (because she was 0.5" too short for the sky cycle) and gave her a Carnival medal that brightened her day. Interestingly the supervisory staff were rarely pleasant to deal with. Our party ended up getting booked into two different dining rooms/times despite being all booked under the same reservation. Dealing with the Maitre'D (don't remember name, he was Italian I believe) in the restaurant had us banging our head against a brick wall because "we booked two different dining places" which is stupid. The Maitre'D convinced us that the problem should be handled by guest services. Guest services told us to talk to the Maitre'D and convinced us that whoever we booked the cruise with must've caused the goof but there wasn't much we could do and we should go to the Blue Frog Pub to get our reservations straightened out. When we got to the Blue Frog Pub they told us to talk to Maitre'D. If you die and go to the bad place this is the type of stuff you do for eternity. At this point we gave up and just took our chances with your time dining with usually crappy tables for all but 2 nights. Also, I came on the ship with a jacket that made it to our stateroom but when we were packing up to leave I couldn't find it anywhere. It was dark blue and I was worried that it accidentally got taken out of the room with our beach towels. I asked our room attendant and he said emphatically that nothing can possibly leave the rooms. So magic jacket-eating rooms could be either a pro or con if you believe in magic. Not a pro if you have to fly into Detroit in mid-December in a T-Shirt. Ports/Shore Excursions: I pay thousands of dollars for a vacation I'm not spending thousands more for other stuff. That's no crack against Carnival or any other cruiseline that's just me. Carnival's beach in Mahogany bay was great, and free. Sandy, and lots of amenities and great snorkeling off the dock. No complaints at all. Belize city we didn't do much just walked around the port, it was bright and clean though. Cozumel was dirty and run down, but that's not on Carnival. We went to a nearby public beach that the locals use, it was full of broken glass and had a few homeless people. But if you just grab your snorkel gear and go out in the water there's plenty to see and the kids loved it. (Despite what you might've read above, we're not hard to please) Congrats you made it to the end! Sadly this was my least favourite cruise I've been on. I think the major reason is that our experience on the Carnival Dream was so much better in every way. If you're a Texan and you have better luck than us, and you like paying for extras you might have a great time. If you're a Canadian who has to pay a lot of money just to get to Galveston and you have bad luck, you might not have a great time. If it's any consolation other than the bullying my kids had a great time and would gladly go back. Read Less

This is the worse experiense ever. So many issues. The rooms do not have ventilation. So many lint fibers and dust are flying in the room. Imagine the rooms have not been ventilated for 4 years but everyday changing of bedings and releasning dust and lint. I asked for airpurifier they did not have it. It causs allergy,sneezing and coughing all the time. They charged me for spa for 2 persons,me and my daughter, and then they said my daughter can´t use it because she is not 18. I have attached some photos to show that during booking it does not say it is 18 plus no where. They refused to refund. The internet does not let you to make whatsapp calls. Even if you pay extra. I told them the issue and they said it is my whatsapp problem and my contact list. The room is much smaller than it is supposed to be. You can't walk in it. They told me go and measure it!I said does any body come to see if I am right while I am mesuring?they said NO. They refused to change my cabin although they had empty ones. Towels were stained, the first night I saw a big yellow spot on my bed seems that somebody had pee on it. I called them to change it. Some crew members are very rude and not helpful at all. I will update my review because there are a lot to share but i do not have space. Actually their internet does not let me toupload photos. I will do it as soon as I got off. Read Less

(First, thank you to all who post!) We were a family of 7 with 3 children. This ship has soooo much to do for all ages! Kudos to the kids' Ocean Club, the water/sports activities, and the entire staff. Generally, we all loved the experience on being on Carnival's newest ship. IMHO: PROs: Spacious interior cabin Amazing kids' activities and programs. Lots of sports and activities: sky ride, rope climbing, mini golf, water slides, etc. Green Eggs & Ham breakfast ($5. pp extra and worth it with kids) Family Harbor on Deck 2 Outstanding! a must to book with children .. buffet, coffee machines, video and other games, much quieter and less hectic than other dining venues. Serenity Deck .. adults-only space with hot tubs and buffet, Embarkation: plenty of very efficient staff to speed the process considering how large this ship is and the number of people to process. Debarkation at ports and final: pretty smooth too. Great cruise director .. fun pool side contests. Movies outdoor. IMAX theater .. an experience. Dining room wait staff put on shows each night .. very much fun, especially the last night. Macarana finally! Had an absolutely great Maitre D' Senard who addressed our issues so well. Moved our table to a more efficient waiter, continually checked on us, sent a cookie plate to the cabin, and generally went above and beyond to ensure our happiness. HUB .. genius for communicating with family/friends. Worth it to sign up for this. CONS: Very chaotic the first 2 days because the ship is so large and so many people. especially figuring out the ship layout and when and how to show up at the dining room for anytime dining. Ship design is confusing ... lots of ups and downs stairs to reach where you want to go. Poor Signage .. not enough, misplaced or hard to find. Small pools .. salt water.. even though there are 2 pools, often crowded Dining room: lots of choices, but some entrees were a bit overwrought. Best to stick with the simple dishes. Buffet area ...poor sight lines, so it was hard to figure out what area had what. Better signage would have helped here. Food quality .. varies, some good, a few great, others weird. Ports: took shore excursions .. Belize .. very poor at Goff's Key .. skip this one Roatan .. highly recommend Big French Key .. outstanding property with lots of activities for kids and adults. Pretty good lunch included. Cozmel with 7 huge cruise ships in port that day .. very crowded (Carnival has their own separate walk-to -ship deck while others had to tender). Passion Island .. eh .. had to take a small power boat to get there... a rocky ride but interesting to see the shore line. A few activities, but just the beach for the kids. Pass on this one. Casino ... very large machines, expensive (for me) to play. Missed the old-fashioned penny slots. In all, a great time was had by the kids, my daughters and son-in-law. For us, as seniors, OK. That said, we are booked on the Panorama next Thanksgiving week. :-) so we know what to expect on this sister ship. Read Less

We went on Vista because we live in Texas and it's out of Galveston. The staff is AMAZING!!!! Food in dining room and Guy's burgers were GREAT! Buffett was hit and miss! Didn't try any of the other $$ restaurants. Matt the cruise director.................OMG! Would travel with Carnival again just to see him. service was FABULOUS everywhere on the ship. I was disappointed that in order to use any of the spa features, including hot tub whirlpool and sauna, you had to purchase an additional "Thermal" package. The hot tubs on decks were always filled with kids....not really a deal breaker because we knew what we were getting into going on a Thanksgiving cruise. Entertainment was awesome! Ship is so amazing. Our Teens did the Skyride and had a blast. We all enjoyed the mega TV at night for movies and definitely purchase the cheers package for the drinkers....well worth it. Carnival HUB app allows you to communicate with your family(fellow travelers) on your phone without having to purchase the internet package. Cost is $5 per phone. Read Less

Carnival Vista, all 1,061 feet of her, is spectacular and a wonderful addition to Carnival’s family. We had the pleasure of calling her home for 7 days. This is my assessment of the Carnival Vista. Carnival Vista makes her home in Galveston, Texas. We came from Idaho, so we were lucky enough to fly into IAH in Houston. We were aware of the distance between the airport and Galveston, but somehow, we didn’t understand the reality until an hour $85 UBER ride at 8pm on a Friday night. I don’t understand why there isn’t a typical shuttle bus that goes between airport(s) and Galveston for a reasonable rate. Traveler beware. We stayed at Gaido’s Seaside Inn. If you book your room directly with the hotel, and not through a booking engine, they have a shuttle that will take you to the port. The hotel is across the street from the Gulf. The room was clean, bed was comfortable, and the proximity to the ocean was perfect. It was dark when we arrived, but I got up before the sunrise to capture a “sunrise in Galveston” - and it was nothing short of spectacular. I do not recommend eating next door at Gaido’s Restaurant – it is overpriced, and not very good. (The service was spectacular) The port is on the inside of the island – have your UBER or cab drop you off along Strand St. There are a lot of cool shops and great souvenir shopping prior to embarking and it is right across the street from the port. The Embarkation process/Boarding times – in my opinion is a huge benefit. Leave your luggage with the porters. There will be 2 lines – one line is “ON TIME”, one line is “EARLY/LATE” - We showed up on time – we showed the first agent our boarding passes and our passports. We then moved forward to another checkpoint. They checked in all members on our boarding pass at the same time. There, they checked the passports closely, and scanned in our boarding passes. They also took photos that would be used for the sign and sail cards at this point. From there, they sent us forward to the security line. No shoes or belts need removed – but your carry ons and coats etc go on the conveyor belt and you walk through the metal detector. Then its up the escalator/elevator to the “financial” area. If you have already set up your sign and sail account, you keep moving forward. If not, you will go to an agent and set up your account here. We did not stop moving at this point. There are a couple of photo opportunities along the way. We crossed the gangplank into the Vista. The first thing I noticed is the funnel. It changes all the time and yes, there is some kind of movement. However, the atrium does not go up all the way to the top of the ship, like the older ships. There are also NOT the glass elevators up the atrium. Sadly missed. We grabbed an elevator up to lido – Deck 10. They were busy, but not out of control people. Finding a table that 6 could sit at was not terrible. All of the food is aft of the pool area. We ate at Guys Burger Joint more than once. The burgers are pretty good, fries aren't horrible and there is a bar with grilled onions, mushrooms, and other toppings. On the other side is the Blue Iguana Cantina. There are two lines – one line for tacos, one line for burritos and taco salads. There is also a topping bar with salsas, limes, and other items. When you see massive taco salads going by, that’s where they came from. The buffet is much smaller, as has been mentioned before. The forward side is the “international”side - usually has a unique menu. There is also fresh gelato made between the two sides. (2 flavors daily) The aft side is the “regular” side – with a carvery. There is an amazing dessert area with the most beautiful cakes! They are a little dry, but pretty good. The deli is between the aft side buffet. Out back is the seafood shack – which is at an extra $$ - we never tried it – and the other side was the pizza – which was ALWAYS busy. No, they don’t make special pies – it is only what is on the menu. Up to deck 11, aft above the buffet, is JiJi (asian) and the Cucina (Italian) restaurants. During the day – you may eat there for no charge. But there was a substantial wait for JiJi – and unfortunately, was flavorless (Szechuan). The noodles in Cucina were cooked amazingly, but I was not fond of their tomato based sauce. Dont forget the BBQ joint off of deck 5 outside. Watch for the lines of people. Great Brisket! After we ate our burgers, and got our first ice cream (and for me, the Drink of the Day), we received the announcement that we could go to our rooms. We were on deck 6 aft starboard, by design. The cabin (6427) was very clean – and your standard balcony Carnival cabin. We were very excited to check out the balcony. However, when we looked over the railing, all we could see was the Havana balcony below us. This was the first issue we came across. While out at sea, we love hanging out on our balcony, hearing the water right there. Not this time. What a huge disappointment. All we saw was towels, swimsuits, underwear... Whatever the cabin below left out on their deck. Down one deck, is deck 5. There is a LOT available on deck 5. Deck 5 is one of the decks that goes all the way front to back. Location was perfect for what we needed. At 7 am, there is a small buffet of breakfast food available without having to go up to Lido. We frequently got coffee and pastries there. The coffee shop is around the corner as well, but at a $$. Muster – the “Safety Meeting” was very disorganized. We waited longer for people that did not feel they had to participate than we did for the actual briefing. Inconsiderate people... Unbelievable. Our Muster Station was the dining room Aft. And beware – the elevators were HORRIBLE afterwards. We missed sail off because we had one of our party in a wheelchair. As the ship goes through the channel, watch for passing vessels and fishing trawlers – you may see several dolphins! We unpacked – lots of closet space, enough hangers and lots of drawers. Suitcases under the bed. We explored until the first night for dinner. We had late seating, table 227 and had a phenom wait staff! There are no tablecloths – which we noticed, but cant say that it was detrimental. I have menus that I will post in the comments at the bottom of my review. They are screen shots off of the Carnival Ap – I tried to number, at the top, which day it was. I thought the food was ok – nothing super special – and we always left full. We did enjoy the chocolate melting cake with a side of peanut butter. Elegant night 1 – the food was good. Everyone was dressed to the hilt, and we did not see many that did NOT dress up. We had some fun with the photo ops as well. The second elegant night there were a lot of people dressed up as well. I was pleasantly shocked. The wait staff did sing and dance (Showtime) every night. I enjoyed it! I got up and danced along every night. The service was amazing in the dining room. Nyoman, Sujuana and Yuithing were amazing. Lots of personality, lots of attention. The assistant Dining Room manager stopped by our table every night to see how things were going. That was new! We ate at the steak house on night 3 – In my opinion, it was all fluff, no show. They are trying to be a Michelin restaurant, but the service was bad, and the food was not worth the upcharge. The shrimp cocktail had more guacamole than shrimp and the lobster bisque had no flavor. The mac and cheese (as a side) had no flavor. The filet was very tender, but the flavor was just as good in the Main Dining Room. The lobster was ok. What we did enjoy was the “ART DESSERT” presentation. A chef comes out with a cart of sauces, cookies, and candies and makes a beautiful historic presentation on a large board. It wasn’t a typical dessert, but dragging candy or a cookie through the sauces was pretty good. As far as the bars/pubs go, my husband liked the Alchemy Bar. If you turn into a regular, they will remember your preferences – you tell them sweet, savory, salty, and what kind of alcohol you like and they will create a concoction for you. It's really not a set menu – they are very creative. I liked the Red Frog Pub – they make great beer which they have on tap. Also, if you see people walking around the ship with great big fish bowl drinks, they came from the Red Frog Pub. They are $ 19.95 I think. It’s a lot of alcohol and it’s a great bang for your buck if you like those kind of drinks. There is a sweet 4 person table/swing outside the Red Frog, but the most important thing...that’s where karaoke is. Every day. And they are so so busy! Go figure. We stopped and got drinks and just about every bar, but it wasn’t because we didn’t have a favorite – it was just what was the closest. We did an Western itenaray – Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica. In Cozumel, we went to an AI resort up north – El Cozumeleno. Beautiful resort – Easy check in. We were there early enough to catch the breakfast buffet – outstanding. We grabbed a place on the beach, and our waiter never let our drinks go dry. He brought us nachos and ceviche later on too. It was far from crowded – there was a small sandy beach area but is was never so busy you felt crowded. There were a lot of rocks, but that made for amazing snorkeling! Parrot fish, Sargent's, Blue Tang, pencil, angels, porcupines, etc... I cannot even name the assortment of fish that were there. I thoroughly enjoyed my day in the water. Former reviews said the food was bad – I can verify it was NOT. This is a great place with no crowds. The shopping in port was way too easy, and we ended up with a couple bottles of tequila! In Grand Cayman, we did a Stingray/Snorkeling tour with Captain Marvins. This is the second time we have hung out with this company, and I can tell you, hands down, they are the best. We have been to Cayman several times, have done Stingray City several times. Their boats are new, their crew is wonderful with the passengers, and their boats are not overbooked. They do a great job out at Stingray City, although I no.ticed there are less stingrays than I have seen in the past. The snorkeling stop was great – they just let you do your own thing for about 30 minutes, but they do keep those that ventured out a little too far in check (oh that was me – but I am a strong swimmer) The wind was horrid, and the water was rough. One thing I will say about Grand Cayman, is the tendering management by Carnival – that is a C-. Its horrible. Dear Carnival, this DOESN’T WORK. If you have an early Non-Carnival tour, watch for the “tender number board” - not sure where it initially is but listen close to the announcements and watch your mail to your cabin. We got the tender letter the DAY of port – so it was too late. If you do not have a Carnival Excursion, you must have a “number” to get on the tender (water taxi). If you don’t get an early number, you are screwed. This method doesn’t work... so just be prepared, ok? In Jamaica, we decided to go Boogie Boarding down the Bengal River! When the ship pulled into port, it was wonderful. Singing, dancing and a woman on a bullhorn welcoming us to Jamaica. And that was before we even docked. If you are on the Starboard side, you can watch! It was pretty awesome! We met our tour, and they drove us to Bengal River. It was about an hour drive, but the scenery was outstanding. Jamaica looked cleaner and greener than ever! And the driver was so careful, and not suicidal! It started raining about 15 minutes out of the drop off, and never really stopped. We decided to take tubes as opposed to the boogie board – and it was great! We walked about a mile up the river to the drop off point, and there were seven of us that hung on to each others tubes (bungee cords) We were a big donut floating down the river, and our guide was on the boogie board. We floated down some rapids and right into the ocean. When we got out, we had some jerk chicken and rice and beans and some Jamaica rum! It was a great day, aside from the rain. My mother in law stayed near the ship on a beach, and it never rained there... Geography, I guess. Sea Days were relaxing – lots of sun, lots of laying around, recuperating. The SkyRide – is a pedal bike that is suspended from a beam. It takes 5-7 minutes depending on how fast one pedals. If you are afraid of heights, this may not be for you. There is a scale that they will have you step on prior to buckling in. It is NOT a lot of work, nor is it a tough pedal – pretty easy. No open toed shoes. But it is so unique to do on a 14 deck ship. The Ropes Course – there are two sides, one easier than the other. They will strap you in and hook you to the course. There is no turning back, so if you are afraid of heights, this isn’t for you either. We also played mini golf, and shuffle board. There are pool tables and a twister board painted right on the deck. I did not participate at the spa. We did head to the Serenity Deck and check it out – very peaceful, quiet. No kids. Great Salad Bar! Debarkation was different – they had you get a ticket, just like the Grand Cayman tendering. Make sure you get a ticket if you have an early flight and pray to the traffic Gods to get you out to the Airport in time. It took us 90 minutes to get from Galveston to IAH due to construction on a Sunday. Had to be out of our cabin by 8:30am but our number wasn’t called until about 9:45. This is the first ship Ive been on that it wasn’t a rush rush to get off. Relax, take your time. Debarkation was a breeze, although very sad! After you get through US Customs, you will have to pay the state of Texas if you bought Alcohol or tobacco. Yikes! We left with more than we were planning. General thoughts – the cruise director was fun – he wasn’t in your face, nor was he on the loud speaker the whole time. Thought he did a great job – His name is Matt. Will I remember him in two years? Probably not. The general music on the Lido deck was HORRIBLE. Oh my heck – with all the talented musicians out there, please please don’t play that lousy stuff! It was so annoying! The temperature on Lido was frigid as well – we drank as much coffee and hot chocolate as we ate ice cream. I attended a couple of lectures/workshops. Good information, but in the end, they are trying to sell you something. The music was pretty good – the band Riff Rafts were the main group – very entertaining. They played rock, AND COUNTRY! There was a horn line that played independently, and with the Riff Rafts. Made for a big band sound some nights. There was an electric violin trio that was very good. They had some balance issues, and their backing tracks were not very good. That is a shame – they had so much potential. Thre was a guitar player/singer that I heard off in the distance, but never went to “watch” The casino was a standard casino. I have never seen so many penny slots, though. I am not a gambler. One thing I will say, is the design of the ship keeps the casino smoke encompassed, and not wafting up throughout the ship. The only time we went to Customer Service was to pick up our deck of playing cards. A 90 minutes UBER to Houston was crazy – road construction? Ugh! And we stayed at the Comfort Inn East – DO NOT STAY THERE. It was the absolute worst hotel I have ever stayed at. But I will not get into that here – this is all about Carnival Vista. This was my 7th Carnival cruise. I have cruised a couple of other Companies, but I definitely will be booking again with Carnival soon. Will I book Vista again? No. I did not like the balcony set up with the Havanah Deck. Will I sail out of Galveston again? Probably not – the transportation situation between the airport and the port is a little ridiculous in my opinion. But I did enjoy myself very much, and until next time, peace out. Read Less

We chose this cruise for our 2nd cruise. After taking a 5 day cruise, we chose this 7 day to see what we missed out on. The port itinerary was also a factor in our choice. Seeing Roatan, Belize and Cozumel was great. In our travels, we really try to find a load of fun but also we try to find places we can learn about and explore. We live about 2 hours away so we drove to the home port. No issues at that point and getting on board was both quick and very easy. I have to say, from the moment we entered the terminal until we left on disembarkation day, we met nothing but great smiling friendly people. The ship was beautiful and served our every need but I will continue to say, after sailing on the Valor and now on the Vista, the Vista seemed to be a smaller ship though I know it is not. I think it had a lot to do with the atrium differences. Dining was beyond my expectations and I know my partner agreed. We sought out the possibility of dining at every place. We accomplished all but one and don't feel as if we missed out on anything. I can give you my reviews of the dining. I will never again eat at Guys Pig and Anchor. It was okay but it's a BBQ joint. The best thing on Guy's menu was the mac and cheese. Says a lot doesn't it. Someone needs to call Guy and tell him he needs to work on this. Guys Burgers remains the same, excellent. Bonsai Sushi was excellent. I absolutely do not care for fish that has a fishy flavor. This had none. It was excellent and the service was above and beyond. The Alchemy Bar was great. We participated in the Whiskey course and that was a ton of fun. Aleksander made sure we enjoyed every minute of it. On our first evening, we went to the Steakhouse. What a wonderful choice for the first evening. Didn't have to dress fancy, received a free bottle of wine and the people involved only care that you enjoy your experience. Job completed folks. The cruise director Matt Mitchum, commands a great team and I have only good words for that whole crew. Mark, Jess and Lawrence round out a wonderful team and they went to a lot of effort to make sure our experience was memorable. I'll call out a couple more people that were integral to the extremely memorable cruise we just had. Those are our room steward, Sutipo, and a young lady in the dining room named Wassana. Sutipo, you are one of the reasons my cruise was so fantastic, thank you again. Wassana, you bring a brightness to the cruise that rivals the rising sun. To hear your voice in the morning wishing everyone a, "Good Morning", was truly memorable to me. The punchline comedy clubs spills over with laughter and fun. The views, the pools, the hot tubs, what else could a vacationing man want? I would book today to go again, this year, if I weren't already busy. There are two things I think worth mentioning that need a bit of work. The elevators are horrible. They need a great deal more thinking put into how they operate. Perhaps a scanner to see if the floor is clear so the elevator need not stop when no one is waiting. Lastly, if I wanted this to be any better, parent's should take their children on a cruise if they want. What they need to remember is, "you brought your responsibility with you". Bringing your child on the cruise with you, is not so that you can leave them under someone else's care. They are your responsibility, not the ships. Read Less

We wanted to finish seeing the Western Caribbean before we tried the Eastern Caribbean. I had always wanted to see more cities in Central America. Our dance group was invited to tour with another group from Fresno, CA and the thought of a dancing cruise was definitely on our agenda. We had dance lessons and dances the night away many times on the cruise. The band was playing in the Ocean Room toward the aft of the ship. The RIFRATS was their name and they also had some gentlemen with horns that played also. The female lead singer of this band was terrific!!! The gentleman with her was very good too. The horn players were awesome too!!!! All in all, the best music on the ship for we dancers. Our Team Headwaiter, Nyoman, was a pleasure to see every evening. His bright smile always made us feel welcome. He remembered our names and also remembered the names of the other passengers that he was serving at the other tables nearby. He danced when the dancers came in and you could tell he was having a good time too! His partners Yuithing (Asst Team Waitress), and Sujana (Team Waiter) were Johnny on the spot working as a team to meet out every request.They were all truly happy working and enjoying the dancing that we did occasionally when the music started. Out table was surrounded by our dance group and it appeared that everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the experience. All the dinners were really delicious!!! Our compliments to the Chef and his crew!!!! Also, Duangporn (Head Waitress at a different table) was really enjoying her dancing every time the music was on. Her broad smile was a wonderful delight of the evening!! BEST HAMBURGERS EVER!!!!!!!!! AND GREAT TACOS AND TACO SALADS!!!!! Read Less