The southern Caribbean cruise on the Vista was an amazing experience in every way. It leaves from Miami, and our overnight stay at the Intercontinental hotel was perfect. The cab ride to the ship was quick and easy, and embarkation was a breeze! The ship itself is designed so most activities are on decks 4, 5, and 10 - this made it easier to get around this extraordinary mega ship. The food choices are unbelievable... we ate someplace different everyday! The steakhouse is not to be missed, and the art at the table dessert is super cool and delicious. My husband's favorite, besides the steakhouse, was Guy's burgers (no surprise there). I have to admit, they were really good! We particularly enjoyed the Alchemy Bar and the Red Frog Pub. Try one of their homemade brews - I am not normally a fan but they are really good!

There were 4 ports of call - Grand Turk, La Romana, Curacao, and Aruba. No need for an excursion in Grand Turk. The beach and shopping are right off the pier. We spent the day at the Margaritaville pool, and if we get to go back we want to check out Jacks Shack. I do recommend an excursion in La Romana. There's not much to do without one. We took a taxi to the Dreams Resort, which was really nice. For $65 you get an all-inclusive day pass which includes food, drinks, pool access, and beach access. It was well worth it. Curacao had a ton of things to do within walking distance. It was a quaint town with great shopping - lots of inexpensive souvenirs here! Aruba has breathtakingly blue water as far as you can see... if you can do an excursion that involves the water, I highly recommend it. There are some shops here, but the prices aren't as good as Curacao.

The ship itself is a playground that takes days to discover! We went on the sky ride, the waterslides, and the ropes course. We had his and her spa treatments, and we used the thermal suites pass almost daily. Do the hot stone massage if you get a chance... ahhhhhhhhh. Read more