Carnival Vista Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Embarkation was not bad. Since we were in a suite, we got there right when we were loading and did not have to wait long to load. Unlike the Ft. Lauderdale piers where you might have to park far away and take a bus, the parking lot is right across the street and you don't have to wait for anyone to check your ID.
The activities on the cruise included a lot of game show-type activities, as well as line dancing and other dancing activities. They did have comedy club shows several nights, which was nice, but there were few movies in the IMAX or activities that would have much interest for adults. For an 8-night cruise in January and February, you would expect more of that than activities that would appeal to school-age children who should be in school.
The activities on the ship were fun and free, including the slides, sky ride, ropes course, mini golf, etc. The lines seemed not to be too long when I went to try them, which was nice. There were adults in all the lines, probably because there were not all that many kids on the cruise. There were also playgrounds and fun activities for little kids like a splash zone for when the daycare was not yet open. It typically opened at 10.
Cabin Review
Family Harbor Suite
The suites in the Family Harbor area have a closed off bed area, which is nice, but very limited storage for an 8-night cruise. The curtained off area also has no ventilation and can get quite hot, even with the AC set for the lowest setting. Perhaps having something other than the heavy duvets would be better. I was an adult in that area and the bed is not a standard size twin. It is VERY small. However, perhaps the top bunk can be pulled down and that may be traditional size. The Family Harbor room comes with some perks including one night of free babysitting from 10pm to 1pm.
One big perk of the suite is that there are two bathrooms, one with a shower and one with a bathtub. One person can be in the toilet/shower area while the other person can be using the tub (which has a shower as well). This was incredibly convenient. It is also great if you have little ones who need baths.
The lounge area is very nice with its own breakfast, snacktime from 3-5, and I think another snacktime later in the evening. There is also an espresso machine for the adults.
The main downsides are that they can be noisy with the pounding from above with the galley and that there is no storage. We had 3 adults in the room and were packed in. Up to 5 can fit in the room and I am not sure how that would work on an 8-day cruise, even with children. The laundry facility is located right out of the the Family Harbor area down the hall and is $6/load, I believe.
Port Reviews
Grand Turk
There is a beach to use right near the port that you can walk to with free chairs. You can just bring your towels off and use the facilities. Margaritaville also has a pool with lazy river nearby as well where you can buy drinks and use the facilities there as well. There is no reason to buy a shore excursion here.
Aruba
We walked to Surfside beach. It is about a 1.5 mile walk but it has quiet sidewalks/bike paths and is an easy walk. There is a nice restaurant where you can rent chairs and get drinks or you can just use the public beach portion for free if you want. It is not crowded at all and is quite enjoyable. If you want to use the Reflexions restaurant, it also has a small splash pool area and an area to wash off after swimming. Chair rental was $18 for 2 chairs and an umbrella and drinks were about $3-5 each.
Curacao
Curacao is a very picturesque town that very easy to walk around. It is quite colorful with a Dutch style and a pontoon bridge.
La Romana (Casa de Campo)
You can take a shuttle to Altos de Chavon if you are not interested in the beach. The information booth directed us to the cab, but the shuttle is much cheaper and comes every 20 minutes. I believe it is $8 round trip and is about a 20-minute ride. It is a recreation medieval village and is very picturesque.