Carnival Vista set sail from Galveston on July 3, the first Carnival ship to introduce cruises to the United States since the pandemic halted cruises in 2020. The popular ship is one of the line's newest and was the first to add innovative attractions, such as staterooms in Havana and Family Harbor, the SkyRide, an IMAX movie and an onboard brewery.
For travelers on the go, Vista offers plenty of onboard activities to keep you from getting bored. Tourists who are in dire need of a relaxing break can avoid all the hustle and bustle and find plenty of gathering places to relax and have fun. As with most carnival ships, the ship exudes a friendly atmosphere. Along with a tan, you can come home with new friends.
Take a look at all that Carnival Vista has to offer with our beginner's guide.
Top 3 Activities at Carnival Vista
Let's get down to business: If there's nothing else you're going to do on your Carnival Vista vacation, here are three things you definitely need to do.
- Monte o SkyRide:Challenge your fellow traveler to a bike race on an elevated track overlooking the open sea. Look down only if you dare!
- Drink a beer produced on board:Ditch the Bud Light and grab a ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin' IPA brewed on a boat at RedFrog Pub & Brewery.
- find serenity:Escape to the ship's upper deck and spend the day in a hammock or Jacuzzi at Serenity Adults-Only Retreat, away from the splashing kids and cares of the world.
food and restaurants
You don't have to break the bank to enjoy Carnival Vista's culinary variety. Many of the casual restaurants are included in the cruise fare. Even the venues have lower entry fees than the paid restaurants of other cruise lines.
The key to experiencing it all at Carnival Vista is to research your dining options. You might be surprised to find that BlueIguana Cantina serves up a delicious breakfast burrito, or that Cucina del Capitano offers a free pasta lunch (though you'll have to pay extra for dinner). And yes, you can find a veggie burger on the pool deck and load it up on the toppings bar at Guy's Burger Joint, just like the carnivores at your walk-in party.
main dining rooms
Carnival Vista has two main dining rooms, Horizons and Reflections, large banquet-style venues that look elegant but never stuffy. You will be assigned to one of them, depending on whether you want to dine at set times, at your assigned table, or flexibly at any time.
The main dining room serves dinner every day, breakfast on port days and brunch on sea days. Dinner comes in two styles: American Table on casual nights and American Feast on "dressed up" nights. The difference is in the decoration (towels or not) and in the menu (celebratory nights have slightly more unusual dishes).
The typical dessert of the Carnival dining room, the melted chocolate cake, is a must. Other fun menu options include Port-of-Call-inspired dishes and a rare finds section with more adventurous options like escargot, frog legs, or beef tongue.
Buffetessen
Lido Marketplace is Carnival Vista's pool deck buffet venue, where stations are self-serve, even with other ship-wide Covid-19 precautions. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and houses 24-hour self-service ice machines.
Themed stations make it easy to find what you want and keep the lines from being too long. Stations include a rotating menu of international dishes, comfort food, deli bar, salad bar, roast beef, and desserts. A hot and cold breakfast is also served here, with eggs cooked to order.
If you are thirsty, help yourself to water, coffee or juice at the drink stations. Or you can head to the bar or call a bartender to order cocktails, or swipe your key card at the taps for a draft beer.
Casual Dinner
Carnival Vista has plenty of free casual dining, many clustered around the Lido Marketplace on the pool deck. These are essentially food counters serving freshly cooked food.
BlueIguana Cantina serves breakfast and lunch tacos and burritos on the pool deck. Your neighbor across the deck is Guy's Burger Joint, a fan favorite serving up Guy Fieri's famous burgers with their over-the-top toppings.
Behind the Lido Marketplace is Pizzeria del Capitano, the ship's 24-hour pizzeria. It's flanked by the Seafood Shack, where cruisers pay extra for clam chowder, lobster rolls, and other New England-style seafood dishes.
On deck 5 Ocean Plaza, Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse is a meat lover's paradise with dishes like sausages, pulled pork and grilled chicken.
eat sitting down
Carnival's standalone restaurants maintain the ship's casual, family-friendly atmosphere, with a few offline dining options for date night.
Located above the Lido Marketplace, Cucina del Capitano is the Maritime Quarter's family-style trattoria, offering a free pasta lunch and an additional dinner of Italian classics. Next door, JiJi Asian Kitchen's pan-Asian menu takes you on a journey through the Far East while cruising the Caribbean.
Bonsai Sushi and Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse offer indoor and outdoor dining along the Ocean Plaza boardwalk. The Steakhouse is the most elegant restaurant on board for all your late night needs.
True gourmets may want to indulge in the Chef's Table, a small group dinner prepared and hosted by one of the ship's top chefs.
sandwiches and coffee
If the coffee and dessert buffet doesn't meet your high standards, head to JavaBlue for specialty coffees and baked goods. The adjacent Shake Spot refreshes you with craft shakes and root beer sodas (both kid-friendly and covered).
RedFrog Pub and Brewery is a popular spot for its onboard beer, but also offers a small selection of appetizers for those needing fuel for a game of foosball or cornhole. Try Caribbean-inspired fritters, hot wings, and other bar food favorites.
Cherry on Top sells candy and other treats if the free onboard desserts can't satisfy your Sour Patch Kids craving.
Activities
As one of Carnival's newest ships, Vista offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities and attractions to keep you entertained on days at sea. The ship's daily bulletin lists all the events hosted by the ship's staff, from dance lessons to silly contests.
shows
Playlist Productions are Carnival's signature music and dance performances in the Liquid Lounge (the ship's main theater). They are short, lasting about half an hour and usually go to the lobby for an after party with the ship's passengers. The shows also make creative use of high-tech LED screens and special effects.
If you're looking for a few laughs, the Punchliner Comedy Club in the Limelight Lounge brings several guest comedians aboard the boat every night for stand-up shows for adults and families. Comics will make fun of everyone, so avoid late-night shows if you're a bit abusive.
Crusaders who prefer to put on their own show or observe the talents (or lack thereof) of their mates should check out the cruise's Lip Sync Battle competitions or the ever-popular onboard karaoke nights.
Swimming pools and solariums
Bathing beauties, and anyone looking to cool off, will find Carnival's main pools at Deck 10 Lido. The beach pool is surrounded by bars, food counters, and rows of lounge chairs. Behind the Lido Marketplace is the Tides Pool and its two hot tubs near drinks, pizza, and ice cream.
The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat occupies the highest space on the ship (deck 15). This deck is free for ages 18 and up. Its cushioned loungers, shells, and hammocks, not to mention the two Jacuzzis, are incredibly inviting, and someone is always around to mix you a refreshing cocktail.
Guests booked in the Havana staterooms (aft on decks 5 and 6) have exclusive access to the Havana pool and Jacuzzis overlooking the wake of the ship.
exclusive attractions
Carnival Vista has all the usual cruise ship attractions (casino, spa and gym, shops), but the upper deck attractions are next level.
This is where cruisers will find the SportSquare and Clubhouse, offering games like ping pong, miniature golf, and an outdoor pool, as well as fancy outdoor gym equipment. The most innovative option is the SkyRide, a recumbent ride on an elevated track.
Kids and adults who like to get wet can have fun at Carnival Waterworks, with its spinning slides and spray park.
Moviegoers will have a blast at Carnival Vista, with multiple viewing options. Catch a blockbuster movie poolside at the Carnival Seaside Theater (with popcorn and blankets if it's cold), grandiose shows at the IMAX Theater, or special effects movies at the Thrill Theater that will put you into action and make yell back.
Cabins and Suites
Staterooms come in all shapes and sizes, primarily divided into interior (no windows), exterior (picture door or window), balconies (with a private balcony) and suites (the more spacious staterooms, often with larger bathrooms, balconies or lounges). Of being). areas). ).
Families and large tour groups can reserve staterooms that connect through interior doors, and guests with limited mobility can find accessible staterooms to suit their needs (eg, wider doors or accessible showers).
Carnival Vista has some exceptional stateroom types worth mentioning.
family port cabins
On deck 2 aft, the staterooms were called Family Harbor Staterooms. From interiors to suites, these staterooms accommodate four to five guests. Ocean View Deluxe Family and Suites have two bathrooms, a common bathroom with toilet/shower/sink and a second bathroom with bathtub and sink, to make it easier for a family with children to get ready in the morning and in the evening.
The cabins also feature fun nautical décor that sets them apart from the rest of the cabins on board.
What makes these staterooms more remarkable is that guests here have exclusive access to the Family Harbor Lounge, a gathering place with buffet breakfast, all-day snacks and 24-hour ice cream, board games and video games, movies, and service. concierge. . Plus, kids in Family Harbor staterooms eat free at many of the onboard restaurants for a fee and get a free night at Camp Ocean Group's Babysitting Night Party, so mom and dad can enjoy a night to themselves. .
shacks in havana
A few levels higher, on decks 5 and 6, the Havana staterooms and suites follow the opposite route, they are reserved for passengers aged 12 and over. These accommodations are adjacent to or directly above the Havana Bar (open to all) and Havana Outside (a terrace with a pool and jacuzzis exclusively for Havana Cabin residents).
Havana Cabanas and Havana Cabana Suites on deck 5 have a unique exterior design. Each has a terrace for the private use of its guests; However, the terrace faces a public promenade and not directly the sea. Located at the curved aft end of the ship, the Havana Balcony Staterooms on Deck 6 feature non-standard shapes or extended true balconies.
Cloud 9 spa cabin
Cloud 9 Spa staterooms are located on decks adjacent to Cloud 9 Spa (decks 11, 12 and 14). They are laid out like the standard interior, exterior, balcony and shipboard suites, but offer a more zen décor.
Spa fanatics staying in these staterooms have access to a host of benefits, including priority spa appointments, free fitness classes, unlimited use of the spa's Thermal Suite, spa-brand toiletries in the stateroom and robes and slippers in the spa. use on the boat).
children's programming
Carnival Vista is an ideal ship for the whole family, and kids and parents alike will love the upper deck attractions, movie options, fun shows, and casual dining. Carnival works with Dr. Seuss to offer special activities throughout the cruise, including the whimsical Green Egg and Ham Breakfast and the Seuss-a-palooza parade.
Camp Ocean is the ship's kids' club, for when kids want to hang out with their buddies and parents want adult time at the spa or pool. Camp Ocean is divided into three groups for children ages 2-11, with age-specific activities (crafts, sports, games, etc.), an indoor and outdoor play area on deck 11, and a Dr. Reading Room. Seuss.
The often overlooked tweens have their own lounge called Circle C on Deck 6, next to the onboard game room. Teens relax in a separate nightclub, Club O2, on Deck 4. Activities aren't as structured for older kids, but supervisors are on hand to oversee dance parties and sports competitions.