We were scheduled to cruise with our grown children in December but had to change it. I then saw that the Vista was coming to Galveston and knew this was our chance. I snagged a Havana Cabana at the last minute. Loved the ship. It rained--A LOT!! I chose to cruise during hurricane season. Loved how we could take the "balcony" to the pool area and then come back the same way. My husband and I took advantage of that perk on our sea days! JiJi's was amazing--loved the chicken soup and Kung Pao Chicken. Steakhouse--great as always--try the Art at the Table for a show (not for the food) Havana Bar and area are open to all after 7:00 at night. Melony and Laura were great. Guy's Pig & Anchor--pork buts was really good--brisket okay (we are from Texas)--sides were yummy Chris (The Flying Scotsman) was CD and was everywhere. Read Less

We had not cruised with Carnival since 2013, a cruise where we had a number of problems, including getting sick on board. This time, we both got upper respiratory infections. So, we are still concerned about the health conditions on the ships. There again were many of the Purell dispensers that did not work. And, the maintenance people were replacing air filters on our deck throughout the trip. So, we don't know if there were issues, and that's why they were being replaced. So, we are unlikely to cruise with Carnival again for a number of years. The ship was good, and the cruise director was the best we ever had. The food was much better than it was five years ago. The service was pretty straight forward. Carnival's rewards program needs work, though. The one thing we got, being Gold status, were one free drink each. But, they weren't available until after 5 p.m. on the last night. So, that resulted in one good drink and one bad one, since the bars were winding down at that point. It doesn't make you feel all that wanted on Carnival. The health conditions on Carnival's ships still needs to be improved. We are now even more concerned with that, because we were on a pretty new ship, and things were no different. Carnival's rewards program needs work, especially because for customers like us, there isn't the incentive to cruise with them like there should be. Read Less

We are gold on Carnival and with that we can say that the Vista was a fantastic ship. We were in a suite 7370. Excellent access to all events. We are stair people, only because we don't want to make that extra 5 lbs average increase on a cruise get the better of us. So elevators issues were not a problem. We took them getting on and getting off only, since we had bags. They were as to be expected, tight and you had to go down to go up (if you know what I mean), but everyone was friendly. The ship was clean and tight. The last approximately 2 1/2 years have been good to the Vista, that is a tribute to the crew and their tireless push to keep it looking ship-shape and Bristol fashion! Shows and clubs were well attended and fun. The IMAX is completely unhooked! It in my opinion is one of the best small theaters I have ever been in, small meaning 185 people small!. Behind the Fun tour is hard to get but very very worth the effort. Sign up as soon as you enter the ship at excisions or customer service! Seeing the I-95 is amazing, that is deck zero corridor that runs the length of the ship. Also the galley, laundry, back stage, oh and the brig...it is a great behind the scene tour! They do 2 every last sea days with 16 people per tour. So they fill up fast. Nice job Carnival in bringing a truly first class ship to Texas! Read Less

Wonderful Last minute Anniversary Cruise. We decided fairly last minute (for us) to take a cruise for our anniversary, right at 60 days. I started looking and Carnival had an inexpensive cruise on the Vista out of Miami going to Grand Turk. We had never been on Carnival nor had we been to Grand Turk. We had heard that the scuba in Grand Turk was amazing. We had also heard Carnival called the lower end of cruising, but we figured a 4 day cruise was very little investment. Embarkation – We were literally number 10 in line and the first to our waiting area. We had faster to the fun, so were called to Board the ship after Priority. When the call came for Priority a couple hundred people who arrived after us rushed to get on, chaos. We just hung out and embarked behind all of them. Embarkation started about 12. We were on board by 12:15pm. Was faster to the fun worth it? Meh, not really. We were able to get to our cabins early because of FFTF, but I always prepare for not being able to, so this was nice, but not needed. Food: We had great experiences in the MDR. We had anytime dining and typically ate early before the crowds. Only one night was service so so. Food was good. The last night we chose to eat at Bonsai sushi. Big mistake. We did never get any refills on our water. It took over an hour to get a California roll. We never got part of our order. The people on both sides never got their orders taken. People who were clearly wasted kept coming in from the bar next door and demanding food. Straight up walking to the sushi bar and demanding rolls. We should have stuck to the MDR, but the placement of the tables such that you are literally sitting with another couple was odd and we wanted to try specialty. Carnival Melting Cake- oh my I will see you again! The buffet seating was plentiful, but it was strangely arranged. I had a hard time finding the actual food, though what I found was good. Found the desserts quite frequently though. Another kudo to Carnival – their desserts were awesome! Blue Iguana was good, but come on fish tacos are not made with chunks of fried fish. The hubby enjoyed Guys burgers and thought the fries were amazing. Guys smokehouse – the meats were good, but what they served was not potato salad, just saying! The Breakfast brunch was good! Also enjoyed the pasta and noodle bar for lunch! The pizzeria was pretty darn good too and it was fresh. Tea – Loved it. It was hard to find it on the daily program though. Tips about ship: Try the mini breakfasts around the ship instead of the buffet. Also try the noodle and pasta bar for lunch. Check out all the areas outside of the main pool area. There are so many outdoor areas to enjoy! Try the sea day brunch! Shows- fun, but the talent seemed lacking. I did not mind the odd seating in the theater, but we typically got there early enough to get one of the tables. Watched a dancer get dropped in the one show. The gal got up and continued on though. LOVED the violins! Did not get enough of them. We thoroughly enjoyed the comedians. I understand PG and family friendly shows, but the kids didn’t get the jokes, so they still were lost. Ports of call: Grand Turk – Like I said we had heard great things about scuba in Turks, but I am not certified so we did the power snorkel. The snorkeling was really amazing, but I was not a fan of the “power snorkel” machines. They got in the way of my view. The island was really nothing except port, debris and trash filled neighborhoods and beautiful beaches. Disembarkation – nightmare. They skipped over our deck for some reason and then when they called us the lines were chaos. If you took an elevator it spit you out at the front of the line. If you saved the elevator for people who actually needed it you were screwed. We fed into four different versions of the line. People were fighting. It was VERY heated. Two hours in line to get off the ship. Luckily for us our flight left at 2pm. Had it left earlier we would not have made it. I really loved Vista. Is it showing a lot of wear for a two year old ship? Yes, but it is still a great ship. We ventured out to the main pool area once and it was way too chaotic. The Staff were all extremely nice. We did not have a beverage package and yet the bartenders all learned our names. We had a Havana cabin. WAY TO GO CARNIVAL! An area of the ship without children under 12 was awesome for us as we were celebrating our anniversary without our kids, who even if they had been with us are adults, but it was nice not to hear others’ children screaming or running down the halls. I know this is not a popular decision, but I will cruise again with Carnival for Havana. We loved the area! The ship had so many areas that were designed with ocean views beyond the pool area that we did not miss our normal balcony. We met so many nice people on Vista, that it really did make it fun cruise for us. I have to hand it to Carnival their website is so easy to navigate and user friendly. From the time we booked until the time we came back we received emails from Carnival that walked us through each step. I was impressed before we even got on the ship with Carnival’s fun ship theme to everything. We really felt like Carnival offered a good value for our money. The Family harbor area and the Havana areas are genius. We talked to many families who used the family harbor lounge for snacks and gatherings for their family. We also talked to many adults in the Havana area who were travelling in that area because it was specifically devoid of kids. Carnival does not nickel and dime any more than the other lines we have been on. Read Less

Now we know why Carnival was described as the "Walmart" of all cruise lines. If you like throwing yourself into crowds of loud, obnoxious, unpolished people; then this cruiseline is for you! With almost thirty different places for food and beverage service, only a handful are worth acknowledging. Tacky entertainment to the point of embarrassment, and mediocre at best food and shopping, this cruiseline wreaks CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP! If you are a conservative personality or easily offended by the lifestyles of the uncouth, please do not waste your money, you are risking great disappointment. The condition of the ship for only being two years old was shocking. The Havana pools were rusted all around the tiles and the pool floor was covered with a green film. The only pool maintenance we witnessed, was a girl with a pool skimmer. Our room 6467 was in the Havana suites, extended balcony aft view. The room was very nice and the gentlemen that maintained them for the week, did it very efficiently. Disembarktion was a nightmare! Don't hurry to get in line to get out because it was hours! Serpentine lines of angry people, screaming babies, frustrated parents and crew members alike, di yourself a favor- and just wait in a line or restaurant until the hoards of ignorance get off. DO NOT waste your money on Carnival transportation to and from the cruise port! This will track on an hour each way. Take an Uber and pay half as much money with faster service. If you must take this vessel of deplorables, DO get the "Cheers" drink package and DO buy the "Faster to ther Fun" ticket. Read Less

Overall, I could not have asked for a better cruise! We chose the Vista because we wanted a newer ship with lots of on board activities. It wasn't perfect, but really was wonderful. We arrived in Miami the day prior to the cruise and stuck pretty close to the hotel. Our adult daughter and her fiance joined us on this cruise, but their cabin was on a different floor. We had a balcony cabin on the 9th deck. This was our first time booking a balcony and we LOVED it. We spent countless hours watching the ocean. The cabin itself was comfortable and felt more spacious than others we have had. I do advise to chose your cabin carefully. We loved everything about ours except it was right under the Lido Marketplace. We heard feet stomping, chairs sliding, and just general noise 24 hours a day. Thankfully, we stayed very busy during the day and fell asleep quickly at night. We chose the anytime dining and I have slightly mixed feelings about that. It was super convenient and we never had to wait long for our table. However, I did miss getting to know the wait staff. We had someone different every night and I think the quality of service as a little less due to that. The food was great! We also visited the steak house one night and it was excellent! Our cruise director was Chris the Flying Scotsman. He was outstanding! Every event we attended was high energy and lots of fun! My favorite was the 80's Rock and Glow party. We enjoyed all of the ports of call. A few tips: St. Maarten--island is still heavily damaged from Hurricane Irma in Sept of 2017. Especially the French side. We took the "10 Best Tour", but we referred to it as the Tour of Tragedy. I wish we had just taken the water taxi over into town and spent the day near the water. St. Kitts--We took the rainforest cruise excursion. If you love nature, this is a MUST! San Juan. We spent the day exploring Old San Juan by foot. I highly recommend visiting the Capitol Building. Next time, we will visit the rainforest here as well. Grand Turk---Crowded and hot. We wish we had book an excursion to go snorkeling away from the main crowds. We rented snorkels on the beach right by the pier. IT was enjoyable, but we didn't see much. The ship itself was fabulous. We went to the Thrill Theater, Imax, saw a couple of shows, spend some time in the casino, attended a few events, and spent time relaxing. We never went to the water park, pools, or road the sky ride. The staff went over and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. Read Less

Boarding the boat with priority boarding didn't happen. Mass amounts of people and rooms not ready. Didn't have enough seating at lunch in the market place after every one boarded. For being a new boat. the lack of air conditioning [or keeping the hot air out] in the Market Place was very uncomfortable eating conditions. Our cabin not being ready when promised, and the when we gain access 1 1/2 hours later it was still dirty. Dirty fridge, garbage on balcony, we washed windows and mirrors due to finger prints. The pizza we had made had a chunk of hair in it. The cabin steward came into our room, when we didn't answer the door. It was before 8:00 in the morning and we were still sleeping. All because he wanted to give us a picture. Waiting for an elevator with all the people - sometimes you waited 10 minutes. A couple of the bars there was no service and cups and dishes on tables and left. Disembarking was a huge mess. Trying to get to the lower level was almost impossible - elevators were packed full and took almost an 45 minutes just to get to the lower level. Lines where ridiculous - some people said they had been in line for almost an hour trying to get off the ship. The only thing that saved the trip was the entertainment and cruise director was great. Read Less

Chose the cruise because of the Havana Cabana. It was truly awesome. We actually got to use the pool and jacuzzis. They have always been too crowded with kids on other cruises. The staff in the Havana Cabana was great. They quickly learned everyone’s name and took care of our every need. Food at the BBQ restaurant was very tasty and convenient. The steakhouse and Italian restaurant were both good. Both the dining rooms and the buffet on Lifo deck were very slow. The food was OK but not great. Things just didn’t seem to flow on the ship. It took us 3.5 hours to get off the ship. None of our bags were at the correct cauroselle. Disembarkation is the last impression a cruise leaves and my impression was very poor. Things could have and should have gone much more smoothly. Entertainment was good. We went to music shows, comedy shows, a movie and a couple of “thrill rides” at the theater. However, the sky bikes were never open. We did a couple of snorkel excursions. We’re divers so we are hard to impress when it comes to snorkeling. The excursions were fun but don’t expect to see a lot of coral or fish. At 2 ports we just hired a driver to give us personalized tours. I recommend them. More personal and informative. Cheers package is the way to go if you drink more than about 6 drinks/24 hours. Read Less

We stayed on carnival vista , deck 9 , balcony room. With this being a new ship our expectations were high but as we got ok the ship down the hallway and to the room we were not impressed. We have been on carnival victory years ago and the vista seemed might smaller. The hallways tighter... lower ceiling and cheap looking design. The hallway was hot as if the air was not working properly... we noticed this issue on a few other parts of the ship such as by the food ok the lido desk. The room itself seemed a tad bit smaller and it was not cleaned well at all. Hair, dust and stains on the carpet and all the pillows/curtains was very surprising considering this ship was still pretty new! We had to ask for new pillow cases a few times and sheets because they had quite a bit of hair on them as stains..there was also toenail clippings on the floor and it looked like it needed a good vacuum. I was a bit disgusted but carried on. We went to the lido desk for food which was a mad house... it was Labor Day weekend so I understand that but it seems like there was simply not enough tables for everyone. The food ok the lido desk was just ok but it was hot again as if the air conditioning was not working right. After eating we walked around but it was hard to get around without taking the stairs as the elevators were pretty much jam packed throughout the entire cruise. On the positive side the entertainment was great, we loved the cruise director, music, game show and comedy. Loved the show amor Cubano! The ports were fun we climbed Dunn’s river falls in Jamaica, swam with stingrays in grand Cayman and went snorkeling in Cozumel. This ship has a great itinerary I will give them that! Only issue about an excursion we has was in Jamaica where we chose the the climb up the falls and bamboo beach club that included food. The falls was wonderful and our guide Pedro Wilson was very nice but when we headed to bamboo beach club it started to rain which is fine since I understand the weather around this time of year in Jamaica can be wet.. not big deal. When we got to the “beach club” it was just a beach which was nice and a few picnic tables , beach chairs and a small bar. THERE WAS NO WHERE TO BE COVERED FROM THE RAIN! We were served food and try to eat it standing in the pouring rain... you would think they would have some more seating that was covered ? The only tents they had was for the workers serving the food, this sucked and we paid about 100 per person for this excursion directly through carnival (please keep in mind that they also have a excursion that is just to climb the falls which is only 35 dollars!... should of went with that since the beach club was terrible!). The speaker on the bus for this excursion sure did not seem that she wanted to be doing this job and when asked about the thunder she was rude.. she did not give us a time to get back on the bus and said she will get up before it’s time to go... well when the rain cleared up we swam in the ocean and she then came and told us it’s time to go. We were soaking wet and didn’t even have time to change! Smh was told we need to head back now.... a time should have been set. The ship seemed a bit rundown for it being new with stains on the carpet and parts of the ship being dirty.. we expected more. I will not sail the vista again but will probably give carnival another go. Was the ship worth the extra price ? Not at all. We sailed on carnival victory which is much older and have a great time and it was very clean everything was perfect. Customer service on the vista was OK but we encountered a rude waiter or two. We had an issue with the air conditioning not working in our room for a day so it was hot but they got they fixed... person next door smoking marijuana with a strong odor that deeper into our cabin. we complained about that but nothing was done, no issue with marijuana but this was not the time or the place for that. I think carnival failed at trying to make their ships more modern ... the atrium is not the same the floors and wall as are so plain and borning. Carnival needs to stick to what’s been working, also the layout was a a bit awkward. I had fun on our cruise but was disappointed in these things ... we probually could of done this on one of their older ships and had just of a good time if not better. Our cabin steward was nice and they work hard to do the best they can... I feel that the ship was understaffed for its size. Read Less

This is my 28 cruise. Seven of them had been with Carnival and had excellent experience with them but with this one the only good thing about it was the intinerary (Turk & Caicos, La Romana, Curacao & Aruba). My review is according to my experience. Embarkation was long and very disorganized. The Market buffet was rediculous long lines all the time to get something to eat (breakfast and lunch) and not good food at all. People did no use sanitizer (no washi, washi) or washed hand before taking food. Staff was unhappy all the time. Not at all “Fun ship” party at the pool like other old Carnival I had been on. Liquid Theater horrible design, you can hardly see the show in any angle. Poor shows, the only I like was “Amor Cubano”. Every where you go inside the ship was crowded. People smoking in no designated area. The only quiet place to read was the Library and every afternoon they had an Art exhibition, so you have to leave the Library. The Horizon dinning room, food was not good at all. And worst of all, last evening of the cruise I had to make a super long line in the desk service to discuss like 7 charges in my account I never did, so be careful with your account and check it every day is possible. So, the lady who take care of me, took those charges out from my account. But I was surprised when she told what those charges was about. I never signed a receipt for those charges. Be careful with your folio # and make sure to sign a receipt for anything you order and ask for the receipt copy. Read Less