Carnival Vista Review
Great Cruise; Par for the Carnival Course
Rating by category
Additional details
We flew into Barcelona almost 4 days before embarkation and it was so worth it. We would definitely return just to vacation there. It was a very walkable city and very affordable as long as you're willing to do some of the work yourself (i.e. metro vs. cabs, local restaurants vs. chains).
Embarkation:
Getting on the ship was one of the worst parts of the cruise. To be fair it was only the second sailing but it was horrible to the point that I was concerned for my safety. Lots of pushing, shoving people and no apparent line at all outside the terminal. When there are almost 4,000 guests on a ship there needs to be a queue process in place, or have guests board in groups (groupings were used inside, but getting into the terminal safe and sound was the problem).
Cabin Review
Havana Cabana (Balcony)
We stayed in one of the Havana Cabanas. The decor was a nice change from the oranges and tans of the other Carnival cabins I've had. Dark wood, teal and white accents. The flat screen TV was nice because not having a huge bulky TV in the middle of the room opens it up and helps it feel more spacious. There was no storage under the couch, a huge miss in my opinion. The patio, as it's called, took a bit of getting used to. It's much, much larger than a traditional balcony, which is great because you can have your own deck lounger. We also liked the sliding, rather than the hinged door. But the walkway comes between the patio and the ocean view, you are looking through panes of glass at the ocean. There is a bit of a lack of privacy. Technically any of the Havana guests can walk by your room at any time, but other than the first night I never saw anyone walk by. You are overexposed to your neighbors though, especially if they frequently use their patio. There is always latin music being piped in on the patio, so if you prefer silence it's not for you. That being said we enjoyed being able to walk out our sliding door and relax on a lounger.