Vista Vacation Trip Report - May 24 Sailing

[vanstare]

Hi everyone! My family and I cruised on the Vista last month. I'd like to post a trip report I am working on from my blog ocean view - I hope that's ok! My trip report will be more port-oriented due to the 9 out of 10 port days! Here we go:

 

After a quick taste of Europe in 2014, we decided immediately we wanted to go back. We'd been looking at Royal Caribbean cruises for a while, before the Carnival Vista came our way and offered inexpensive cruises to Europe in mid 2016. Royal Caribbean has become our favourite cruise line but it was a new ship and cheap prices, how could we say no? So 15 months out, we jumped the gun and booked the third sailing of the Carnival Vista to the Mediterranean. It took forever for embarkation day to come, with two new jobs and a new home in between. But the day finally came (and went, sadly), and I have to say, this was one of the best trips of my life. My experiences were all so culturally rich, and I had such an amazing time (and delicious food) overseas.

 

Let's jump right in, starting with our pre-cruise stay in Athens and the ports - my favourite part of cruising - then our post-cruise stay in Barcelona. I'll get into the fun ship during Embarkation Day.

 

We'd decided to spend three days in Athens before our cruise. We arrived in Athens on Saturday morning. We were greeted by our courteous driver, Alex, from from George's Taxi. George's Taxi was recommended by a fellow cruiser, and it was the best decision we made. During our drive to the hotel, Alex gave us a tour of Athens. He was such a welcoming fellow - and so easy to talk to, we decided to book our transfer to the port with him as well.

 

Day 1 was a write off. We arrived at our hotel, Divani Palace Acropolis, early, and waited for our room. When we were finally checked into our hotel, we took a short nap before heading out for dinner. We ate at God's Restaurant for our first Greek meal. The food was similar to something we can get at home, but we were tired and it did the trick. The restaurant had a fun plaque on the wall about the Ten Rules of Drinking (bottom right). We had a laugh reading it.

 

The next morning, we woke up early to explore. It was a windy, overcast day so we definitely needed a jacket for the cool weather. Our hotel was a super convenient ten minute walk from the Acropolis. Note: If you do purchase your tickets at the door, there is a quite a queue - we waited for twenty minutes. There were two different options, we could purchase tickets for the Acropolis and the Theatre of Dionysus (€20) or tickets for all eight of the archaeological sites in Athens (€30). We didn't think we would have enough time (or energy) to see all the sites, so we opted for the Acropolis tickets.

 

The Parthenon is amazing in person. It is as breathtaking as I had imagined. The sun had finally come out, so the blue skies were the perfect backdrop for the temple. Because the citadel is on a hill, you get a gorgeous view of Athens from the Acropolis. From here, you can see the entire city and Lykavittos Hill (another hill, reached by funicular railway, which had a chapel, a restaurant and an open-air amphitheatre on the top) in the distance. Another amazing view was the statues of the Caryatids on the Erechtheion, once again, overlooking Athens. On the way down from the temple to the theatre, we met a four legged friend (a turtle!).

 

After one last walk around the Theatre of Dionysus, a major theatre dedicated to the god of plays and wine, we left the Acropolis. Athens is a very walkable city, just like Rome. In minutes, we'd walked over to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. Since we didn't purchase the tickets, we took a peek of the majestic columns from outside the gates. Just outside the temple was another monument, the Arch of Hadrian, a gateway which was built for the emperor. You can see the sun peeking in and out of the clouds in our pictures. Without the sun, it was definitely chilly in Athens.

 

From there, we headed to the Plaka, an old historical neighbour in Athens. The area is a labyrinth of stores and homes, which we explored the neighbourhood until it was time for dinner. For our second dinner in Athens, we did a little bit more research and decided to eat at a Trip Advisor recommended restaurant, Liondo Traditional Greek Restaurant. We ordered roast lamb and grilled octopus. We were happy to report the food was much better than the first night's, and we definitely recommend visiting this restaurant!

 

Head over to my blog, ocean view for all the pictures!

[bluenose1966]

Really enjoyed reading your blog and looking at the photos.

Looks like you had a great time.

[bluwes]

Really liking the Blog Flora.

 

We are on the 13th September sailing with the same itinerary, although waiting to see if they pull Kusadasi following the coup.

 

We have been to Malta and Rhodes on vacation before, so they will both be easy going days strolling around town.

 

We have also done all the other ports but are doing different excursions this time so see thing we hadn't seen on our previous visits.

[vanstare]

Pre-Cruise Athens Stay (Part II)

 

We spent on our third day in Athens touring around the city on the Athens Open Tour (Hop-On-Hop-Off) Bus. We had purchased our tickets the day before for €15 per person for two days. It was the cheapest option, which was why we decided to go with it. We took the bus to Syntagma Square. We walked around for about five minutes when we realized the stores looked really familiar. We were just here yesterday. We were in Plaka! Then, it dawned on us: Everything is super close in Athens. Who knew? It seemed so far on the map, but Syntagma Square ended up being a brisk 15 minute walk from the Acropolis.

 

We had seen the Athens Public Market on the bus, but no stop in the area meant we had to walk backwards from Syntagma Square. The fruit, vegetable and meat market (Varvakios Agora) is a lively place. I love seeing how markets operate overseas, and discovering all the different types of fruits, veggies and meat available to the people. I work in the produce industry, so I especially like looking at all the fruits and vegetables. The buzz from the merchants and locals in the many halls of the agora is an exciting feeling, even if you're not buying anything.

 

We had dinner reservations that night at our hotel restaurant, Acropolis Secret Roof Garden Bar Restaurant. The food was delicious but our meal at Liondi was still number one in our books. We had a grilled octopus, and a Greek salad as starters. I had a chicken souvlaki, while the boyfriend had fish.

 

Now the big draw to having dinner at the expensive hotel restaurant was the gorgeous unobstructed view of the Parthenon at night. While we did have an amazing view of the Parthenon throughout the night, it was not easy to photograph (especially without the proper photography equipment and the many people crowding around the restaurant). You really need to be there to soak it all in.

 

From Athens, we board the Carnival Vista. Embarkation Day is up next!

[vanstare]

Really enjoyed reading your blog and looking at the photos.

Looks like you had a great time.

 

We did have a great time! Thanks for reading!

 

Really liking the Blog Flora.

 

We are on the 13th September sailing with the same itinerary, although waiting to see if they pull Kusadasi following the coup.

 

We have been to Malta and Rhodes on vacation before, so they will both be easy going days strolling around town.

 

We have also done all the other ports but are doing different excursions this time so see thing we hadn't seen on our previous visits.

 

I recommend visiting Ephesus if you end up going to Kusadasi. Kusadasi is a resort town, the port area is geared towards tourists with a lot of souvenir shops. There is a Starbucks there as well.

 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

[vanstare]

Hi! Anyone out there? Today, I'm posting: Embarkation Day!

 

Alex, our driver from George's Taxi, arrived promptly at 11:30 like he said, and we were soon on our way to the port. Alex told us the cruise port was a short twenty minute drive from our hotel in the Acropolis area - but it seemed much quicker for us to get there. I'm sure it was because we had such a great time chatting with him! Upon our arrival at the port, we unloaded and waited for a Carnival representative to grab a porter to take our luggage. In the Caribbean, the porters are everywhere, and you basically left your luggage at the curb. This time, it was much more organized - and safer. A Carnival representative was present to greet you, and appoint a porter to your luggage. It always gives me a peace of mind to see someone take my luggage.

 

It was starting to get crowded so we said goodbye to Alex and headed into the tent for check-in. We made it in line just before the rush. The passengers after us were seated, and given a number to be called for check in. Unfortunately, the tent was a furnace. It was a white tent - a green house essentially with four air conditioning unit, one in each corner - not enough! Thankfully, our check-in was quick, and our Carnival customer rep was also very friendly. Immediately after we were given our Sail & Sign cards, we were headed straight to the ship for boarding. I practically ran through the terminal. I was sad to say goodbye to Athens, but I was stoked for the ship!

 

The Vista is a gorgeous ship. She was shiny, new, and ours for the 10 days! I'll have more pictures of her as we visit each port. As we boarded the Vista, we heard an announcement letting us know that our cabins were ready. Perfect timing! We were booked on a category 6M Oceanview at the end of the hall on Deck 3 (more on this later). These cabins had two bathrooms - one with a shower, and one with a bath. Only one toilet though, so we had to play nice.

 

I had just stuffed myself with a gyro during boarding so I was in no rush to visit the Lido Deck. We decided to take a quick walk first to check out the ship. I'm sad to say that we never got a chance to go on the waterslides. It looked like a lot of fun, but the weather never really warmed up enough for us Caribbean cruisers.

 

Please be sure to visit my blog for pictures of the ship, including the Red Frog Pub & Brewery, and some seating on Deck 5, the Skybar (sports bar) and the casino (where my boyfriend liked to spend his nights), the Reflections dining room, with the new American Table menu, and the Havana Bar, which we never used. It looked amazing though.

 

We headed up to the deck to watch the sail away. It was a very windy day, once again, in Athens, so I headed back inside as the boyfriend took some pictures.

 

We had a late seating for dinner at 8:15 pm, so we took a quick visit for a snack on the Lido Deck before heading back to our cabin to unpack. We also decided to take a quick nap before dinner. This is our first cruise with a late dinner seating. The reason we chose it was because we were at port every day until at least 6 PM. We specifically chose this cruise, this itinerary because we were interested in each, and every port. We really didn't want to rush back for the early seating.

 

Because it was the first night of our cruise, we didn't expect much from the dining room. We had an unusual arrangement - two different headwaiters ended up serving us throughout the week. Imade from Bali made an impression on us. He was very friendly, and loved to joke with us. Our other headwaiter was Milo. His name tag said he was from Serbia, but he told us he was from Croatia. He was a quiet fellow, and didn't chat with us much during our time in the dining room.

 

Nothing jumped out at me on the menu, so I ended up ordering the chicken. The boyfriend ordered the steak. I had Vietnamese salad rolls to start (very hard, and dry - my family is from Vietnam, so my mom makes pretty awesome salad rolls. I could tell these had been made hours earlier. I understand appetizers are pre-prepped, so salad rolls were probably not a good idea, as the rice paper wrap hardens when its refrigerated), and he had the calamari (unfortunately, no batter as pictured). For dessert, he had the Carnival chocolate cake, which came in a cute arrangement of Mickey (How did they know! We absolutely love Disney!), and I had the tiramisu (very sweet!). It was really nothing to rave about, but it filled our tummies and we were content.

 

Embarkation day is always a little tiring for us. It takes us the day to settle into the ship. So like good boys and girls, we headed back to our cabin to unpack a bit more, and turned in early for the night. Our first port was Kusadasi, Turkey. As I had mentioned in an earlier entry, we were originally supposed to dock in Izmir, but unfortunately, because it was on the U.S. travel advisory alert list, Carnival cancelled the port. Kusadasi is great replacement. For those who still wanted to visit Ephesus, it was still an option. Since we had already been there before (see here!), we had planned to walk around the port, and do a little shopping... and of course, as some of you may know, search for my tartinis!

 

I hope you're enjoying my trip report. Stay tuned for my entry on Kusadasi! Visit my blog for pictures!

[fuddrules]

Yes I'm following and thank you.

[vanstare]

I know Carnival has canceled Kusadasi for upcoming sailings.. but I will include this entry anyway for your reading pleasure.

 

Our first port of call was the sunny and hot, but windy resort port of Kusadasi. We were in no hurry to get on land, so we grabbed lunch on the Lido Deck first. Our first stop was the convenience store. Unfortunately, the tartinis were not at the store. I swallowed my disappointment, it was okay. We headed down the street to do a little shopping for some souvenirs and Turkish delight.

 

Outside the fish market, an older gentleman was sitting at his produce stand, with a small, adorable puppy sleeping in a gourd labelled "VOTKA" - we later found out that it did indeed translate to vodka. Stray cats roamed the area freely. As we explored the area, we found a small grocery store. We walked around more shops, but nothing else interested us. Most of the merchants in Kusadasi either sold fake brand name bags, clothes and shoes, or leather jackets. We headed towards the ship, and found a nice path along the sea. It was very windy, but it gave us a beautiful view of the ship, and the other side of the shoreline of Kusadasi, where the resorts were.

 

There were tourist binoculars along the path, and we had some liras to get rid of, so what the heck! We decided to take a closer look. Across the bay was resort town indeed, with beaches along the coast. Liras well spent. It was about time to make our way back to the ship. On our way, we stopped for a cappuccino. There was also a Starbucks at the port, but when in Europe... We love their cappuccinos, and we very much prefer it over Starbucks. Most, if not all, cafes in Europe offer complimentary wifi when you make a purchase. We did purchase an internet package on the Vista, but we found that it had been quite spotty, so whenever we had the chance, we would purchase a cappuccino and enjoy some wifi off the ship. Nothing like sitting by the sea in Turkey, enjoying a cappuccino without a care in the world!

 

It was good timing. All aboard time was at 6 PM - so once we were on board, we grabbed a pizza to share at Pizzeria del Capitano (which is opened 24 hours, and yes, we needed an appetizer before our appetizer!) and we got ready for dinner, which was the late seating at 8:15 PM. Dinner was a doozy (I honestly cannot remember what we ate but it was much better than the first night).

 

We returned to our cabin to change, and found a towel animal, the good dinosaur, made by our stateroom attendant. We found that our turn-down service was often done before dinner, which we didn't mind. Less work for the guy, I guess! He would clean it after we left in the morning, and come back to turn down a completely clean room. On the program for us that night was the comedy club. J.R Mccollom, and Tom Foss were the comedians of the night. We enjoyed both their shows. We were lucky enough to have six different comedians throughout the cruise. And yes, we did have a favourite - but more on that later!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading about our relaxed "on-your-own" day at the port day in Kusadasi. If you're ever in Turkey, I highly recommend visiting Ephesus. It's a beautiful piece of history, and it is one of the most well preserved archaeological sites. It can definitely get crowded and hot as most sites do, but it is not to be missed. Another amazing adventure is the House of the Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been the last home of Mary. We were lucky enough to have visited both during a previous cruise, and though it was tempting, once was enough. If you're interested, you can read about our visit to Ephesus here. Unfortunately, for brevity, I left out our stop at the House of the Virgin Mary.

 

Our next port of call is Rhodes, Greece. It was another "on-your-own" day for us, but after that, it's all Carnival excursions! Stay tuned!

 

Visit my blog for pictures!

[Namlsnik]

I'm enjoying your writing.

Thank you!

[amminaustin]

We are sailing on Vista on 8/18 and I am really enjoying your detailed report. Thanks for posting your review!

[Greek Gal]

What makes you say the Kusadasi is canceled for all upcoming Carnival sailings? I just checked our 9/13 sailing and Carnival's itinerary is still listing Kusadasi.

 

I know Carnival has canceled Kusadasi for upcoming sailings.. but I will include this entry anyway for your reading pleasure.

 

Our first port of call was the sunny and hot, but windy resort port of Kusadasi. We were in no hurry to get on land, so we grabbed lunch on the Lido Deck first. Our first stop was the convenience store. Unfortunately, the tartinis were not at the store. I swallowed my disappointment, it was okay. We headed down the street to do a little shopping for some souvenirs and Turkish delight.

 

Outside the fish market, an older gentleman was sitting at his produce stand, with a small, adorable puppy sleeping in a gourd labelled "VOTKA" - we later found out that it did indeed translate to vodka. Stray cats roamed the area freely. As we explored the area, we found a small grocery store. We walked around more shops, but nothing else interested us. Most of the merchants in Kusadasi either sold fake brand name bags, clothes and shoes, or leather jackets. We headed towards the ship, and found a nice path along the sea. It was very windy, but it gave us a beautiful view of the ship, and the other side of the shoreline of Kusadasi, where the resorts were.

 

There were tourist binoculars along the path, and we had some liras to get rid of, so what the heck! We decided to take a closer look. Across the bay was resort town indeed, with beaches along the coast. Liras well spent. It was about time to make our way back to the ship. On our way, we stopped for a cappuccino. There was also a Starbucks at the port, but when in Europe... We love their cappuccinos, and we very much prefer it over Starbucks. Most, if not all, cafes in Europe offer complimentary wifi when you make a purchase. We did purchase an internet package on the Vista, but we found that it had been quite spotty, so whenever we had the chance, we would purchase a cappuccino and enjoy some wifi off the ship. Nothing like sitting by the sea in Turkey, enjoying a cappuccino without a care in the world!

 

It was good timing. All aboard time was at 6 PM - so once we were on board, we grabbed a pizza to share at Pizzeria del Capitano (which is opened 24 hours, and yes, we needed an appetizer before our appetizer!) and we got ready for dinner, which was the late seating at 8:15 PM. Dinner was a doozy (I honestly cannot remember what we ate but it was much better than the first night).

 

We returned to our cabin to change, and found a towel animal, the good dinosaur, made by our stateroom attendant. We found that our turn-down service was often done before dinner, which we didn't mind. Less work for the guy, I guess! He would clean it after we left in the morning, and come back to turn down a completely clean room. On the program for us that night was the comedy club. J.R Mccollom, and Tom Foss were the comedians of the night. We enjoyed both their shows. We were lucky enough to have six different comedians throughout the cruise. And yes, we did have a favourite - but more on that later!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading about our relaxed "on-your-own" day at the port day in Kusadasi. If you're ever in Turkey, I highly recommend visiting Ephesus. It's a beautiful piece of history, and it is one of the most well preserved archaeological sites. It can definitely get crowded and hot as most sites do, but it is not to be missed. Another amazing adventure is the House of the Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been the last home of Mary. We were lucky enough to have visited both during a previous cruise, and though it was tempting, once was enough. If you're interested, you can read about our visit to Ephesus here. Unfortunately, for brevity, I left out our stop at the House of the Virgin Mary.

 

Our next port of call is Rhodes, Greece. It was another "on-your-own" day for us, but after that, it's all Carnival excursions! Stay tuned!

 

Visit my blog for pictures!

[vanstare]

With its breathtaking coastlines and scenic villages, Rhodes is distinctively Greece. The quiet harbour, surrounded by stunning beaches, is right outside Old Town.

 

We set off in the early afternoon to explore Old Town. It was yet, another windy day, but hot when we were behind the walls of Old Town. There are many gates to enter Old Town through, and inside the walls is a maze of shops and restaurants. It was definitely easy to get lost. In the distance of the second image, you can see the Mosque of Suleiman, the first mosque of Rhodes. We continued to walk along the path until we reached the town walls. Along the walls were lookouts into the ocean.

 

I wish we had done more research before this port. We missed the Palace of the Grand Master, which is a medieval castle with Gothic architecture. We had also walked past the Streets of the Knights, but did not walk down the road either.

 

We stopped to view the ruins of the Church of Sainte Marie du Bourg. The Romanic Basilica was hit during World War II, and the only thing left standing were the three apses of the the sanctuary.

 

Did I mention how difficult it was to walk on the roads in Old Town? Many streets were covered in pebbles! It was very slippery. Cobblestone in Rome is a piece of cake compared to the pebbled paths in Rhodes. Definitely something to remember if you are planning on visiting Old Town. As we made our way back to the ship, we walked along a long breakwater, lined by three old windmills, and Fort St. Nicholas.

 

The path gave us a beautiful view of the Vista. It was a lovely waterfront stroll, but we never made it to the end of the breakwater. It seemed the Fort was closed, as many passengers walk to the end, and turned right around, so we decided not to head down there.

 

If you're planning for a relaxing day, Rhodes is perfect for exploring on your own. We knew we had a heavy itinerary after our sea day, so we decided to take it slow at the start of the cruise. Alternatively, Rhodes is also a gateway to Lindos, a picturesque, modern village with one of the best-preserved Acropolis in Europe. Lindos is about an hour drive away from the harbour, and our Cruise Director, Matt, had raved about it. If we ever have the opportunity to revisit Rhodes, we'll visit Lindos. But I'm very glad we had the chance to explore on our own this time around as not many ports in Europe offers the opportunity to do so.

 

Dinnertime! I had the soup of the day, the seafood penne pasta and the passion fruit cheesecake. The boyfriend had escargots, steak with mac 'n' cheese (which is delicious, by the way) and popcorn creme dessert. No complaints here! I very much enjoyed my meal, especially the soup, and the sweet chilli compote with my dessert.

 

After dinner, we headed to the casino to try our luck. I'm not a big gambler (the boyfriend is though!), but I'm a sucker for the quarter machine. Well, Lady Luck was on my side! After roughly $50 on the machine (which really translates in about 25 minutes), we ended up with three chips! The casino ran out of t-shirts (disappointing since it was only day 3), so I got a drink instead, a Miami Vice.

 

With the complimentary drink in my hand, I headed towards the Atrium. A small crowd had already formed to listen to the trio of extremely talented violinists from Spain. Known as Essencia, they play a range of music from classical to top 40s. The trio usually played for about an hour. I really enjoyed listening to them (and watching them!) play during the cruise. It was also the first time I'd seen an electronic violin.

 

Our next day will be a sea day. It was a short day for us, so I should have the post up during the weekend! Hope you enjoyed this post about Rhodes. Stay tuned!

 

Visit my blog for pictures!

[vanstare]

What makes you say the Kusadasi is canceled for all upcoming Carnival sailings? I just checked our 9/13 sailing and Carnival's itinerary is still listing Kusadasi.

 

I didn't say all. So far, it was only cancelled for the current sailing (at the time of posting). The remaining four cruises with a stop in Kusadasi is on a cruise-to-cruise basis as they monitor the situation in Turkey.

[kirkandmimi]

I didn't say all. So far, it was only cancelled for the current sailing (at the time of posting). The remaining four cruises with a stop in Kusadasi is on a cruise-to-cruise basis as they monitor the situation in Turkey.

 

We're on the same itinerary for Sept 13th Vista. No decision announced yet on Turkey, but we're hoping it stays on (or at least is replaced with another port, not another sea day).

 

Just wanted to say I'm enjoying your blog and picking up some helpful hints (re-thinking our Mdina excursion...). I don't know if it's you or your boyfriend taking the photos, but they're fantastic. What camera is that if you don't mind me asking?

[vanstare]

We're on the same itinerary for Sept 13th Vista. No decision announced yet on Turkey, but we're hoping it stays on (or at least is replaced with another port, not another sea day).

 

Just wanted to say I'm enjoying your blog and picking up some helpful hints (re-thinking our Mdina excursion...). I don't know if it's you or your boyfriend taking the photos, but they're fantastic. What camera is that if you don't mind me asking?

 

Thank you! Kusadasi is beautiful. I hope it stays on your sailing. On our last trip, we went to Ephesus, definitely a must-see!

 

We both take pictures, but my boyfriend prefers to be behind the camera more so than I :) We have a Canon EOS Rebel T6S, and we use a Sigma 17-70 lens.

[vanstare]

Our one and only sea day was on Friday, day four of our cruise. We had a couples' massage booked first thing in the morning, and if y'all hadn't noticed, the boyfriend and I are not early risers. But it was the only time available, so that's how we ended up with the early appointment. As to how we came to the decision on a couples' massage (usually, I get one myself, and the boyfriend sits out)... Well, the couples' massage ended up being the same price as two single's Swedish massage so we thought, why not?

 

The spa was clean, and well air conditioned with a gorgeous vista of the ocean (see what I did there?). The staff were friendly, and prompt. We were greeted by our masseuses upon entering the waiting area right after I filled out our health questionnaire. We were booked in a serene couples' room with a jacuzzi, which I wish we could have used. Our massage was short, only fifty minutes, but very relaxing. The total cost? $286 USD with gratuities. It was expected, but if you are willing to wait for a better price (better price may mean less time or less services), the price does go down on port days. Just watch out for the spa staff handing out flyers when you board the ship at the end of your port day!

 

After the massage, it is customary for the masseuse to encourage you to purchase the products they used during the treatment. It's easy to get caught up in the moment and buy the products. I'm always tempted to, because they do seem to work quite well, but the products are quite expensive. Our masseuses were quite aggressive this time around, but I stood my ground, and we were able to leave without making a purchase. Thanks but no thanks!

 

We grabbed breakfast at the Lido Deck. This was the only time we had a real breakfast on the ship. There was a good variety of breakfast foods - french toast, pastries, eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, cereal and yogurt. We took our breakfast back to our room to eat. The massage had tired us out, so we decided to take a quick nap at 1 pm. Terrible idea! When we woke up, it was almost 3 pm. We'd slept for two hours! Lunch service was over already.

 

There was only one restaurant opened at 3 pm - Guy's Burgers Joint, so we headed up to grab a burger. No lines! It was not bad... but I wish we had other options. We walked outside to the deck, but all the chairs were taken at that hour. Up higher on Deck 11, it was very windy and chilly, so we headed back indoors to walk around the ship.

 

It was formal night, also known as lobster night! The tablecloths were back in the dining room. I love soup, so I order soup every night. I had the mushroom soup, and the chicken noodle soup, while the boyfriend had some kind of duck confit pastry, and oyster fritters (not pictured, he ate too fast) to start. We both had lobsters for our main entree. For dessert, I had a chocolate mousse dessert, and he had the creme brûlée.

 

During our dinner throughout the week, we were serenaded by one of the staff members. We never got his name (he wasn't the maitre d', but he was a member of senior staff because he was in a suit). He had a great voice, and he often sang old love songs. Many couples slow-danced as he sang during dinner. Afterwards, the waiting staff sang and danced for us as well. Every night was a show in the dining room. We had a great time!

 

We caught part of the performance by Playlist Productions after our late dinner. (Apologies for the poor quality of these photos, they were taken from my iPhone.) On formal night, the show was inspired by Studio 54, the NYC nightlife in the 70's and the funky fashion of "Soul Train."

 

The cast was very energetic and interactive with the audience. Their costumes were eye-catching, and the choreography was well-arranged. If you get a chance, be sure to catch at least one performance. Personally, it was difficult for us because of our late seating dinner time at 8:15 pm. The early show at 7:30 pm would cause us to be late for dinner, so we always left early; and because we finished dinner between 9:45 - 10 pm, we would miss the beginning of the 9:30 pm showing. We never did watch a show from beginning to end.

 

We weren't quite ready to turn in yet, so we caught the last two comedy shows of the night. It was the last night for the two comedians (Tom Foss and J.R. McCollum) from the night before. During the break between shows, we watched Essencia (the violinist trio) play in the Atrium. I decided to crash after the last comedy show, and the boyfriend headed to the casino. We'd be in Valletta, Malta the next day (for my birthday!) and we had a 10 hour excursion, so I was ready to get some rest.

 

That concludes our one sea day on the Carnival Vista. Per usual, pictures are available to view on my blog! Next up: Malta.

[vanstare]

Our stop in Malta coincided with my birthday, so naturally, I got to pick the excursion. I wanted to see as much as Malta as I could in one day. The one place on my "must-see" list was the Blue Grotto, and that narrowed it down to Top 10 Best of Malta. This long 7.5 hour Carnival tour costed us $100 per person, and it did not include lunch. (The other option was the shorter Hagar Qim, Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk excursion, which I wish I had chosen in hindsight.)

 

We had a slightly rough start in the morning. Room service did not take our order sheet, so we did not have breakfast that morning. We had thought they were just late, so we waited and waited - until about 15 minutes before our excursion meeting time, when I had this feeling they weren't coming at all. I opened our door to see if our order sheet had been taken. There it was, sitting on our door handle. I was furious, but seeing that it was my birthday, I didn't feel like starting my day with an angry complaint. The boyfriend called Room Service, but they said it would take half an hour to bring us breakfast - which was a couple of croissants and other baked goods. They were pretty unapologetic about the whole ordeal. I had no time for that, so we just ate our tartinis from Turkey. Thank God for the tartinis.

 

We had a lovely tour guide in Malta. She was a single mother, who worked as a tour guide during the weekends. I can't remember her name, but it was similar to mine, I think it was Florentine, or Florentia? She spoke great English, and even cracked a few jokes. There is a lot of history in Malta. She told us just enough about Malta's history, and allowed us to ask questions.

 

We were taken by motor coach from the port into the city. Our coach dropped us off by the entrance to the city of Valletta. Our first stop was the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a public garden (with wifi). Here, we were given ten minutes to use the washrooms, and walk around the garden.

 

The terrace at the Gardens offered an amazing panoramic view of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities.

 

From the Gardens, we walked back to the city of Valletta for a short walking tour. Behind the walls, it was hot. The main highlight was our walk was St. John's Co-Cathedral. We didn't know we had to line up to enter the cathedral, but we did. The queue took about twenty minutes. The boyfriend stayed in line with the tour group as I wandered around looking at the souvenir shops. When we got to the entrance, I was offered a shawl to cover my shoulders and knees (I had my own, so I didn't use theirs). The interior of the cathedral was extremely ornate. The gold carvings on the arches are amazing - you would not expect it from the outside.

 

We walked by the Auberge de Castille. Its original purpose was to accommodate the knights of St. John. It is now the office of the Prime Minister of Malta. I wasn't sure what an auberge was, I had to look it up. It's actually French for inn or sometimes, restaurant, so I'm thinking it was a bed and breakfast. I wish we could see the inside of the building, as it is known as the "finest building in Malta." I also noticed there were a lot of cannons around Valletta.

 

We got back on our motor coach and headed to Vittoriosa for a quick photo op. I learned something during this excursion: I'm not a huge fan of short stops. They're just too rushed, and I don't know what I'm looking at. But really, what was I expecting with such a packed tour! We boarded the motor coach, and headed to Marsaxlokk, a traditional fishing village. Unfortunately, this became a washroom stop for the women on the tour. I didn't have a chance to walk around the marketplace, but I snapped a few pictures of the harbour. In Marsaxlokk, they have brightly painted traditional fishing boats, that look like gondolas, called luzzus.

 

Our next stop was the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto is actually a number of sea caverns. The water is crystal blue, and at the right times of the day (from sunrise to 1 pm - according to the time stamp on our pictures, we were there just before 1), you can see gorgeous light reflections in the water and white frothy waves splashing against the walls of the cave.

 

After our short twenty minute stop at the Blue Grotto, we all hopped back onto the motor coach. We drove through Buskett, the only woodland area in Malta, which was planted by the Knights of St. John. We arrived in Rabat for our quick snack. By this time, it was 2 pm, and we were starving! I was ready to eat my own arm. We went to a kazin (a band club or bar), where we were served sandwiches, and drinks. Maltese bread is really hard. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be, but I had a really hard time eating my sandwich. The boyfriend didn't even get past two bites. We also tried Maltese soda. We had seen Kinnie everywhere, so we decided to try it out. The bottle said "bitter orange soda," and bitter it was. Needless to say, snack time wasn't very enjoyable for us. We also had some free time so we walked around the area when we were finished. It was a weird feeling. It was siesta time so the streets were completely empty. It was a ghost town.

 

When everyone was finished their snack, we followed our tour guide to our last attraction of the day, Mdina. Mdina is a fortified medieval city with high defensive walls and narrow, cobbled street. Without a map, it would be easy to get lost in its maze. It was also very hot inside the walls. In Bastion Square, a parapet above the walls gave a breathtaking view of the island of Malta.

 

However, I have to admit I was a little disappointed with Mdina. There wasn't much to see or do. There were only a few cathedrals (which required entrance fees), a few museums, and a medieval show of the Knights of St. John. We didn't quite have enough time to sit down and eat, and there were no cafes or quick service restaurants. We were only able to buy an ice cream cone. Maybe we were just too tired, hot and hungry, but either way, we were completely out of energy. So we left the city, and went to our meeting spot for the motor coach, twenty minutes early. Funnily enough, almost everyone from our tour group was already there waiting.

 

When we got back to the ship, it was past 4 pm. Our first priority was to find food. We didn't feel like having Guy's Burgers, so we waited for Bonsai Sushi to open at 5 pm. We shared a wagyu short ribs appetizer with a spicy tuna roll, and we each had a bowl of miso soup. It hit the spot for us! As you may know, we're from the West Coast (in Canada), where we have some pretty amazing Japanese chefs, and plenty of fresh fish, so we're a little bit snobby with our sushi. Let me tell you, this sushi was good and I don't even think the chef was Japanese!

 

And now, our actual dinner, which was at 8:15 pm... (I know, we eat a lot.) Dinner was great. I had my soup (minestrone) as usual and a beet salad, while the boyfriend had proscuitto and another appetizer (sorry, we can't remember what it was). I enjoyed basa fillet of my main course, while the boyfriend had fried chicken. Then, I had a birthday cake! I'm not even gonna try to be surprised about this, I knew it was ordered. It was delicious, moist chocolate cake, which I've had it before on the Lido Deck, but I loved it. We still ordered dessert, and we both had bread pudding. I was a happy girl.

 

As for onboard entertainment... The Vista also welcomed two new comedians in Malta, Tony Vino and Anthony Scott. We loved Anthony Scott, he was hilarious. He was a Scottish man, but he talked a lot about home, Tenerife, and that planted a seed in our head for our next cruise adventure.

 

Now as for why I wished I had chosen the shorter, but more concentrated Blue Grotto excursion... we were glad we were able to see so much of Malta in a day, but truly, the quick stops for photos took away the feeling of being in Malta. We didn't get to soak in what we were looking at, and we didn't have a lot of chances to eat (I'm sure by now, you can tell that we love food). I think a shorter, less packed tour would have given us a better experience of what we wanted to see. It would have also allowed us to either have breakfast before the excursion, or time to find a place to eat in Malta, or return to the ship and eat.

 

Well, that concludes day five on and off the Carnival Vista. I hope you enjoyed reading about Malta! Up next is Messina (Sicily), Italy.

[vanstare]

Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily. It is located on the tip of Italy's boot, which gave us a hazy view of the Strait of Messina. We chose our excursion without knowing much about Messina. There are two main attractions: Taormina and Mt. Etna. We would have loved to see both, but we were on a budget. We ended up choosing to see Mt. Etna, Italy's most active volcano, which is also o a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There was multiple Carnival tours for Mt. Etna, with the most expensive one being Mt. Etna at 10, 000 ft ($200). We viewed Mt. Etna's Silvestri Craters at 6, 500 ft ($60). Mt. Etna was an hour and half away from the port. Unfortunately, we woke up late for the excursion and barely made it to our meeting point. We slept through the entire bus ride, and missed all of Sicily's beautiful landscape. I guess I just partied too hard on my birthday the night before (I'm just kidding, we didn't).

 

Our tour guide, Val, was very knowledgable about Messina, and she liked to talk a lot - a little too much. Once we arrived at the crater, we separated from the group and explored on our own. It was a pretty awesome experience. We got to walk around one of the craters, and the views of the mountainous landscape from the crater were stunning. It was a very larger than life feeling.

 

We didn't have much free time and with the crowds up at Mt. Etna, it was even harder to enjoy our free time. Bathrooms had long lineups, cafes were full, and gift shops were packed. There were over 20 tour buses up on the volcano. We had seen the Celebrity Equinox with us at the port, so the crowds was expected. By noon, the buses started to leave, as did we. The roads down the mountainous regions back to the ship were very windy (bottom left).

 

When we reached the port, we decided to head back to the ship for a quick lunch before coming back for a stroll. Hawkers were lined up along the terminal, trying to sell passengers souvenirs through the fence. Souvenirs at Messina were some of the most inexpensive ones during our entire cruise.

 

After lunch, we left the ship again to explore the port. We were there on a Sunday, so a lot of stores were closed. We stumbled upon the Cathedral of Messina by accident. We were trying to find a souvenir shop that was opened, and just around the corner, we saw a large square with a bunch of hawkers. As we turned the corner, we saw the cathedral. It was accompanied by a bell tower with the largest mechanical and astronomical clock in the world. It was opened so we walked through quickly, admiring the Gothic architecture. We walked back to the port shortly after, stopping for a croissant and cappuccino at a cafe along the way. There were only two cafes opened by the port, and they were busy. When we got back on the ship, we went straight to the deck to take some pictures of the golden Madonnina. Val had told us that the port of Messina is protected by a golden statue of the Madonnina. It was a seven metre high gold statue, and it is indeed very magnificent.

 

The entertainment that night was Flick. We caught part of the show before dinner, but we had to leave to for dinner, and we came back afterwards, to watch part of the end. I wish we could have seen the entire production from beginning to end, but that darn dinner seating just didn't work for us. The Carnival Playlist Productions cast of singers and dancers brought the silver screen to life on this cinematic adventure. The singers performed soundtrack favourites such as Take My Breath Away, My Heart Will Go On and Skyfall. It was a high energy show, and it shouldn't be missed.

 

I had two soups to start (I know! I'm a soup addict!), one was a squash soup and the other a hearty vegetable soup. The boyfriend tried a quiche, and a plate of cured meat. I also had two entrees (tee hee), I had fish again and a macaroni carbonara. I had asked for a side, but apparently, since they are pre-plated, I had to have the entree size. The boyfriend had a country fried steak. I was very pleased with the food. I was a huge fan of the carbonara, but dessert - not so much.

 

That night, after Flick, we went to the Limelight Lounge for the Comedy Club again. We'd learned that we weren't a fan of Tony Vino, so we ended up leaving early after Anthony Scott's show. I went back to our cabin, while the boyfriend went to the casino to try his luck.

 

Naples is our next port of call. We had a long, but exciting Carnival excursion booked. It was by far my favourite excursion on the entire cruise, so I'm very excited to write about it. Stay tuned!

[vanstare]

Hi, anyone out there still reading?

 

Naples, Naples, Naples. If only I had known you had so much to offer.

 

In terms of choosing an excursion, Naples really did have a lot to offer. There were just so many many things to see and do! We knew we wanted to explore the famous ruins of Pompeii, but we also wanted to see the Amalfi Coast, so Amalfi Drive and Pompeii it was! Our Carnival excursion cost $180. It was about 9.5 hours long, and it included lunch (thank God!). Docking in Naples was also a little bit different. Passengers disembarked on Deck 3 into the terminal. However, since we were on a Carnival excursion, we left the ship as we usually do, via the gangway.

 

Our brilliant tour guide, Andreas, obviously knew what he was doing. He switched the order of our day's activities. The first thing we did was visit the local cameo factory. I learned that cameo was a method of carving an object, such as a piece of jewellery. We weren't interested in making a purchase, so we waited outside for the rest of our tour. Luckily, there was a wall of flowers outside, perfect for a photo op.

 

Immediately after, we drove straight to Pompeii. We arrived before the gates opened, so Andreas gave us some time to grab a bite, and look around the souvenir stands. We had just enough time for a cappuccino, and a few postcards. By the way: Tip #1, don't try to be cool and hide your number, Andreas gave me crap for doing that - for good reason. It was ridiculously crowded inside Pompeii and it was easy to get lost or end up following another tour group. Right at 9 am, we entered Pompeii. Pompeii is one of the most famous excavation sites in the world. At the time of its destruction, it was a flourishing modern Roman city. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the entire city of Pompeii was covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash. The city remained buried and undisturbed for centuries. It wasn't until 1599 when the initial discovery of the ancient city was made.

 

The weather was cool in the morning, and the cobblestone was difficult to navigate. Tip #2: Wear proper shoes! My pretty sandals were no match for Pompeii's cobblestone roads and dusty dirt grounds. I stepped into a crack, and my foot got caught between the cobblestone. I ended up scraping my shin (it's now a nice little nano sim card sized scar). Pompeii reminded me of Ephesus, but it was nothing like I had imagined. Ephesus felt magical and godly. Pompeii truly felt like a town that had just stopped living one day. It was an eerie and sad feeling. As we exited Pompeii, we went through an exhibition with a video of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, showing us the events of that fateful day. The exhibition also showcased a preserved plaster cast of a body found buried in Pompeii. It was a very surreal experience.

 

It was a smart choice to visit Pompeii in the morning. While the sun was peeking through the clouds, we could feel the heat in the air. Our tour was only about two hours long. By the time we left mid-morning, the temperature had shot up - it was hot! Parking was limited in Pompeii, so we had to walk a little bit to meet our motor coach driver. Off we were to the Amalfi Coast!

 

It was a two hour drive to the Amalfi Coast. Unfortunately, we sat on the wrong side of the bus, and we missed a lot of the gorgeous views you see in pictures and postcards. The left side of the bus, which we were on, saw the walls of the cliffs, while the right side had the incredible ocean and coastline view. It was a challenge to drive on the coast as well, as the roads were narrow and windy. Only one bus can pass at a time, so there were a lot of traffic jams along the way. We arrived at Il Calaianara Restaurant (at the Hotel La Conca Azzurra) at 1:30 for lunch, where we were served lasagna, vegetables, parmesan chicken with a sweet rum cake and a cappuccino for dessert. It was quite delicious. The ocean view at the restaurant was beautiful. I could live here for a week or two!

 

After lunch, we continued on our drive along the coast. We finally arrived to our destination at 3:20, but with only 40 minutes of free time. We entered through the Porta Della Marina gateway, one of the Medieval entrance stop the city from the waterfront. We first decided to take a leisurely stroll to enjoy our time in the marketplace, then when we realized we only had 15 minutes left, it was a flurry of rushed purchases, and we ended up running back to our meeting place. It was a gong show. Our tour guide had told us about a few amazing ice cream shops, but we didn't have time to try it out. I ended up buying some limoncello, lemon soap, lemon candy and postcards; while the boyfriend had stopped by a deli to buy some salami.

 

It was a long drive to the port. Traffic was bad and there were a few times when we thought we wouldn't make it back. We both fell asleep during the bus ride. All aboard time was 6:30, and we finally arrived at the port terminal at 6:15. The lines to boarding were ridiculously long. In Naples, we had to go through X-ray with the Italian port officers prior to boarding. And yes, the salami made it back on board!

 

We were exhausted when we finally got on board, but we knew there was a clear, gorgeous view of Mt Vesuvius during sail away, so we rushed up to the deck to take photos. It was pretty magical view, alright. On one side, it was Mt. Vesuvius with blue skies, on the other side, the sun was setting. Don't miss this view!

 

Dinner is served... On the menu for me was lobster bisque, a salad and fish again. Did I just have fish three nights in a row!? The boyfriend had fish (no chips) and beef wellington. We both had bread pudding for dessert. Hmm.. there has been a lot of fish on the menu during this cruise.

 

Tonight was officially the last night for Anthony Scott in the comedy club. We enjoyed his shows so much! In the Liquid Lounge for an evening of comedy and hypnotism was Rich Guzzi. We had previously seen him on a Royal Caribbean ship so we decided to pass this time.

 

This was the best excursion thus far. We had the best time exploring Pompeii, and an even more amazing time at the Amalfi Coast. We did feel rushed and naturally, we wished we had more time at the Amalfi Coast. I would love to go back to Naples to visit Positano, Sorrento and Capri one day. I definitely recommend this excursion, and Carnival did a great job in selecting this tour company. It helped that our guide was so invested in our group as well. Andreas truly wanted us to have a memorable experience in Naples, and we sure did. Thank you, Andreas!

 

I hope you enjoyed this entry. Next up is Rome!

[bjstenman]

Hi, anyone out there still reading?

 

 

Yes, still reading, and still enjoying! :)