It has been 12 years since I last boarded a Carnival ship and, to be honest, I didn't know what to expect on this one. The Vista reviews on here have been very mixed and, as a senior travelling alone, I had concerns about a wild "party ship" with drunken brawls, noisy corridors and screaming children.

So, I am happy to report that I had a delightful cruise overall, finding lots of quiet spaces to read and chill, enjoyed decent food, and I had no issues finding tables in the buffet (unlike my very recent Crown Princess experience).

Carnival may not have the Princess Medallion app, but its phone Hub worked very well. Dining my way was a breeze. I tapped in my request for a private table at breakfast and dinner, waited less than 10 minutes and was assigned a table number. No buzzers, no queues, no pain! Read more