REVIEW: VISTA ... 2/5/17 - 6 Day Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios (Super Bowl Cruise)

[RecoveryDude]

Review of the Vista … 6 day to Ocho Rios, Cozumel &Grand Cayman

Just got off the Vista … cruised SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. Here is my review:

Embarkation: Wearrived at the port about 10:45. It wasconfusing in MIAMI. Signage directingyou to parking was not very clear, and you kind of had to go around the blockto get to the parking garage, and pass it and then loop back around. Also, I thought we paid in advance; actuallyyou pay when you leave. Oh, and you needyour ticket to pay at a machine so don’t leave it in the car, just takeit with you then you will have it when you get off the ship and don’t have tomake a trip to the car to grab it. Wehad FTTF, and it was not clear which outside line to get in, make sure you ask …Security was a breeze … they didn’t look at our cans AT ALL (at other ports I’veseen them literally take apart sealed 12 packs and inspect the cans, they didn’tdo that here. Also, I had 16 oz Monstersin my luggage and they got through fine as well. Once in the embarkation area … we checkedin. We had FTTF, so we placed in aspecial “area” that was roped off. Theyare not giving out Sail and Sign cards either … they were being placed in themailbox of your stateroom. Not sure whatthe point of this was. The vibe in the embarkationcenter was not as “fun” as other ports … where they had festive music playingand beach balls being tossed around – They just made a few announcements and thenstarted boarding – No Beach Balls, no music.

The Ship: The atrium is not too impressive … but I wasexpecting that. It’s not the “grandentry” you see on other ships with the glass elevators. There is this cool tornado-shaped light thingin the middle which looks cool tho. There are also some nice looking curved stairs. You can look up and see the next two levelsand the shops. ….as others have remarkedit looks more like an upscale mall than a cruise ship. We were on Deck 7 … which I think is theperfect location – 3 decks below Lido and two decks above Promenade. We typically take the stairs exclusively towork off some of the extra calories. Weare also in the middle of the ship. Hereis my review of various areas of the ship:

• Casino: one word: Tight. Didn’t really see too many people winning,and most people agreed the machines were tight. The only machines that seemed to pay out were: The Hotsie-Totsiemachines (they were full most of the time, if you see one free, jump on), The Lock-it-in machines, and the LobsterMania 3 machines. The staff was veryfriendly in the casino, good ventilation as I didn’t really notice the smoke. Never made it to the craps table as I neverheard screams of joy so it seems that was cold all week as well.
  
  
• Super Bowl Party: They did a good job with this …it was shown on the Lido and in the theater. They pushed back the Welcome Aboard show till 10:30 so we could allwatch it. They gave out football themednoise makers. They DID NOT have footballstyle food, however, they kept Guys Burgers and Blue Iguana Burritos open till11PM, when they typically close at 6.
  
  
• Lido Deck: Always full, but this is typical on aship. The layout on the vista kindamakes it seem there are LESS chairs than on other ships, but I’m sure that’snot the case, it’s an illusion.
  
  
• WaterWorks: Very cool – Went down the Kaleidoscopeslide and it was really fun. Also spenta little time getting “wet” in the kids area. Liked this a lot. Didn’t go downthe yellow twister slide cause it looked kinda claustrophobic … however everyone seemed to like it.
  
  
• Skyride: was fun but had to wait an hour to ride… not sure it was worth an hour wait but it’s FREE, and cool – we did while inport. It sometimes closes due towind. You gotta wear a shirt and CLOSEDtoe shoes. The tracks are the same lengthif you want to race. If you are a singlerider you will prolly jump a little ahead in the line. You go fast when it “dips” down. You will have fun.
  
  
• Ropes Course & Mini Golf: Didn’t do eitherbut looked fun. Mini Golf was popular atnight cause it’s lit up and holes have lighted features.
  
  
• Serenity Deck: Very big and nice – lots ofseating options. They have a cool (Free)salad bar where you customize the salad and add a protein … pretty healthy …but ONLY OPEN SEA DAYS from Noon – 2:30.
  
  
• Cloud 9 Spa and Gym: Disappointed. Really the Carnival Pride sets the goldstandard for Gyms … every other Carnival gym has been a disappointment sincebeing on the Pride. The Vista Gym wasjust like the Conquest: Low ceiling, not great view of the water, small andcramped. Overall a huge let-down,considering the size of this ship. Theyhave some cool features in the premium spa area, like the infrared room whereyou supposedly “lose weight” just by sitting there – but not worth the $$$ theycharge for access. My friend got severaltreatments (including the “new” botox-like injections given by the doctor whichhe spent several hundred dollars on. Honestly, I didn’t see much of a difference … but I would NEVER tell himthat (what I actually said was, “Wow! You look 10 years younger!!! …Youreally got your $250 worth!)
  
  
• IMAX/Thrill Theater: Pricey. Didn’t go, and really … I can see a movie athome. Do I really need to go on a cruiseto see La La Land? The 4D “Thrill”theater was a little more interesting, even though I didn’t go, I think it was$5 and lasted about 45 min with different short movies and it’s a 4D experience… so I would have tried that out but always seemed to conflict with somethingelse I wanted to do. Also, the IMAX theateris right in the middle of the ship, and the reason the atrium is not massivefrom a design perspective. I personallywould have rather had the massive atrium and not had the theater.
  
  
• Production Shows: The only one we went to wasFlick. I have seen it before, and I willsee it again. It’s one of the best showsI’ve seen on Carnival. The Theater,however, is TOO SMALL. I can’tunderstand how Carnival can build their “biggest ship” and give it what feelslike it’s “smallest theater”!!! Only 2floors, and just not very big. The stageitself is not as big as other ships, and therefore, the front “orchestrasection” does not even have permanent rows/seats, as it doubles for a “dancefloor” … so they have chairs they bring in for most of the front section. All in all, you gotta arrive EARLY if youwant a seat … unless you want to be on the side upper level like we were for Loveand Marriage … which gives a terrible view.
  
  
• Comedy Club: Great comedians, as per the usualon Carnival. The comedy club seemedsmall, however, we were able to get a seat when we decided to go. I didn’t care for the female clubmanager. She seemed cheesy. She also gave me a hard time, during herintroduction, about texting on my phone, to the point that she took my phoneand brought it to the stage and took a selfie of herself and the audience andbasically heckled me about texting. Quite frankly, if I want to text on my phone I will text on myphone. I am an adult. I understand that it’s rude to the performers,but she is not a performer. Furthermore,I was trying to let my cruise partner know that I had found us seats anddescribing where I was since he was running behind. But regardless of the reason, it’s nobody’sbusiness if I am texting or not.
  
  
• MDR: We were in “reflections” – the wait staffwas great, as I would expect … however, I hated the layout of therestaurant. Low ceilings, no windows, andwe were back in a corner, so we really couldn’t see anything. No windows, and the staff entertainment wasnice, but again, we couldn’t see anything. The Matre D never introduced himself, I don’t even think he ever cameinto this restaurant – I had even emailed him prior to cruising and he nevereven bothered to reply. The “Main”restaurant was “Horizons” and we ate there for Sea Day brunch one day, and Imuch preferred this restaurant. It hadtwo levels and was more of a typical cruise ship MDR. If you sail the vista, make sure you requestHorizon’s restaurant as opposed to the other one.
  
  
• Specialty Restaurants: both Ji Ji Asian Kitchenand Cucina Del Capitano (Italian) restaurants offer lunch for FREE … althoughgo early in the cruise … we tried to go the last sea day and there was a 45 minwait to be seated plus a 25 min wait to be served. The only one we got to try was Cucina DelCapitano, and it was fantastic. I got ½ portionsso I could get two dishes. They give youa menu you fill out to “create your own pasta.” And you pick the pasta, sauce,protein and add-ins. Was fantastic. We had reservations for the steakhouse … butjust never made it there. Heard it wasfantastic … as are all the steakhouses. Reservations at all these restaurants were hard to come by once onboard. If you have your heart set ontrying one, MAKE RESERVATION … BEFORE you sail.
  
  
• Grab n Go Specialty: SEAFOOD SHACK: Lobster Roll: FANTASTIC! Well worththe $12. Also tried to crab cake sliders(not a fan) and the fried shrimp/clam combo (was good). If you eat here, just get the Lobster Roll …it really is the best thing on the menu. BONSAI SUSHI: very good qualityand prices are not bad. SHAKE SPOT: GotLattes here and they were great. Alsogot milkshakes and they were good too.
  
  
• Bathroom placement: TERRIBLE. If you are eating in Reflections restaurant …you have to go UP one floor to get to the Men’s room. Really? …also the closest men’s room to the casino is also UP one level. Overall, bathrooms all over the ship (atleast the Men’s rooms) seemed to not make sense.
  
  
• Pixels Photos: No more searching on walls ofendless photos … Pixels has now entered the digital age … you just go to one ofthe iPads and enter your folio number and all your pictures pop up on thescreen and you pick out which ones you want to buy, then place your order …then come back in 2 hours and pick up the prints. You also have an option to purchase a “digitaldownload” which will show up on your phone. FYI, you can also view your photos on your TV in your cabin … OR on yourphone via the Carnival Hub app … they have a “carnival” watermark across them …but depending on your body placement in the photo, the water mark might noteven cover your face. You can do ascreen-shot of the photo on your phone and keep it, for free of course, which I did with ALL the pictures … and thenyou have to decide if you like a picture enough to pay $14.99 to get a copyprinted or get a digital one without the watermark. Personally, I think Carnival would make a lotmore money if they just charged $4.99 for digital downloads … I would havebought most of them for five bucks each but as It was I only bought one to giveto my mother as a gift. I will say Ikinda miss the “scavenger hunt” aspect of looking for your photos on the wall.
  
  
• Our cabin, 7337 – GREAT location! Right in the middle of the ship … near thestairs/elevators. Pretty typical cabinlayout … with an empty mini-fridge … what I liked MOST was there were TWO USBports in addition to the standard outlet! Really made it easy to keep our devices charged. Also, the safe was a push button one so noneed to use an old gift card to lock and unlock the safe. HOWEVER, you WILL need an old gift card (anycard with a magnetic strip) to keep in the slot by the door so you can keepyour lights on even if you are not in the cabin ( you are supposed to just openthe door and put your sail and sign card in the slot, but I don’t like to dothat cause then I forget the card and lock myself out of the cabin!) Our cabin steward, Mihigh, was reallyfantastic. Also, I used to $15 laundryservice (all you can get into the bag for a flat fee) and it was great as usual… same day service. Just keep in mindthey use HOT drying.
  
  
• Excursions: We booked excursions for each of thethree ports. We used Carnivalexcursions. In the past, I have bookedprivate excursions but more and more I’m finding that Carnival has a monopolyon most islands, with companies not letting you book if you are on a Carnivalship. The ones on this cruise werereasonably priced for what we wanted to do, so we just went with them. NOTE: DO NOT BE LATE AT THE MEETINGSPOT! We misread one of the tickets andarrived FIVE MINUTES LATE to the restaurant to meet prior to departing for ourexcursion and they had LEFT for the tender already!! We had no choice but to wait for next tenderto Grand Cayman. The Carnival dude “Shawn”didn’t seem to care at all … “You probably missed your excursion but you canalways get a refund if you did.” – He said there was nothing he could do, noone to call and no way to radio ahead to shore. This is ridiculous. As it turnedout, we DID NOT miss the tour, they were still waiting for us once we got toGrand Cayman. Here is what we did:
  

-Grand Cayman: USS KittyWake &Reef Snorkel: This was great. My cruisebuddy did NOT want to see the stingrays so this was the only excursion thatincluded snorkeling and DIDN’T go to Stingray City. It was cool seeing the sunken ship, and itwas close to the surface. Saw some coolfish too. The other reef we went to was “ok”but not too colorful, and not too many fish. FYI, I purchased one of those “SeaView 180” snorkel Masks from Amazon,and it’s a game-changer! No more jaw fatiguewith the snorkel, this special mask lets you breath normally out your nose ormouth while snorkeling and increases your field of view to a true 180degrees. I got the one with the Go Promount and it was $80 HOWEVER, the ones without the mount are like $50. I used to not enjoy snorkeling but now I can’twait to do it again cause this mask makes it much more comfortable.

- Jamaica: EXTREME Zip Line:Awesome. However, this is NOT the onethat is in the combo on “Mystic Mountain.” – That one combines zip lining, thechairlift and the bobsled. WE DIDN’T DOTHAT ONE … because that zip line is notas long, and is more “commercial”. Theone we did was 25 minutes away … in the middle of the JUNGLE! It was great! The staff was amazing, I had never zip lined before, and it was abreeze. I’m 45 and my cruise buddy is 58years old. Neither one of us is in greatshape, and we did it no problem. Therewas a 15 min walk to the first platform but it’s mostly downhill and there are “stairs”built into the terrain and a rope “handrail” – once we started it was reallycool – we were high up and zipping between trees. In the middle you do 3 back to back runs withlittle break and that was cool. The lastrun is 600 feet long and is intense. Theytell you to “let go” and we did and it was exhilarating!! They have a photographer who follows you andgets good pictures you can buy on CD after. He will present several options … tell him you want the $45 package, FORALL THE PHOTOS … but you will TIP HIM … he will do that instead of charging$75. I did that and tipped him $10 so Igot all the pictures for $55. I alsobrought my Go Pro and used a shoulder harness. Also, if you bring a backpack with you, they WILL let you wear it duringthe whole course, you don’t have to rent a locker. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS EXCURSION.

- Cozumel: AMAZING SECRET RIVER: Wow. Just save yourself the trouble of doing any more researchand BOOK THIS TOUR. I'm a seasoned cruiser and this was the BEST islandexcursion I've ever taken. I was a little skeptical because we would NOT get tosee Cozumel at all but believe me ... it's WORTH it. Plus we got to seePlaya Del Carmen, which we never got to see before. We boarded a tender directly from our ship,we never set foot in the Cozumel port. The ride over to mainland Mexico wasnice. Perfect weather, and the water was not that rough at all. Took like 30min. Once arriving at the dock, we met TOMAS ... Let me tell you, if you canREQUEST HIM ... DO IT. He's by FAR the BEST tour guide they have. Not that theother guides are bad, he's just SUPER EXCELLENT. We got into a van with TOMASand rode through Playa Del Carmen and he told us about local culture andanswered our questions. He Also prepared us for what was to come. We turned offthe main road and were in the middle of the jungle. We rode on a dirt road thatwas bumpy, and FUN! After about 10 minutes, we arrived at the Rio Secretocompound. Tomas gave us a lock and key for the locker. We changed into our bathingsuit. YOU MUST LEAVE ALL BEHIND. NO PHONE, NO CAMERA, NO NOTHING. Oh, and trustme, GET THE WET SUIT. The water down there is "refreshing" at 72degrees. You will appreciate the wetsuit. ...Plus it's all black so you willlook slim in the photos. Oh yeah, they have a staff photographer thataccompanies you along the way, and gets both posed, and "action"shots of your adventure (Some of mine are attached with this review) Now we godown into the caves ... and for 1 hour 45 min it's like being in a differentworld ... so beautiful and PEACEFUL. Totally quiet. If we turn our head lightsoff its totally dark. Really cool. Tomas was AWEOME. Really amazing. He learnedmy name (Jeff) and also the names of everyone else in the group, which made fora nice, personal touch. He kept us SAFE, and also gave us history andinformation along the way. We hammered him with questions and he was able toanswer every one. TOMAS has worked there for several years so he really knowswhat he's talking about. He also gave us the "long" tour so we got anextra 15 minutes in the cave!!!!! After we came out of the caves, we had aceremonial shot of alcohol (well, I am sober since 8/5/2008 so my"shot" was just water, lol) and you can have as much as you want ...TOMAS gave my group the whole bottle to drink if we wanted to .... and one ofour group BROKE THE RECORD and did 14 shots and he took a photo with her. Thenwe ate a DELICOUS full lunch, Rice, Chicken, beans, salad, it was reallyawesome. They also have these strange juices, try them all, they are delicious.Then you can buy your photos ... they are $99 and they put them on a cool souvenirThumb Drive and the photos themselves came out AWESOME, very clear and crisp,considering we were under ground. Yes, they are expensive ... but how often inlife will you be exploring an underground river in Mexico? Trust me, justbudget the photos into the total cost, you will be glad you got them. Afterlunch TOMAS took us back to the port area, and we had like an hour to shop! Hisfriend and fellow guide took us to a cool store that sold EVERYTHING and quotedin USD and also took credit cards. TOMAS also told me about a place called AHCAOCO! That sold pure chocolate products including this cool "NATURALGUM" that TOMAS told me about and suggested I buy, which I am glad I did.Also got some Vanilla and other all natural products. After that TOMAS took usback to board the tender and it was time to SAY GOODBYE to TOMAS and Mexico. wegave TOMAS a tip cause he was so awesome, those guides depend on tips as amajor part of their salary so if you like your guide, give them a tip. Thecaves were spectacular, and the lunch was fantastic ... but it was really theGENUINE & AMAZING service provided by TOMAS that made this honestly theBEST CRUISE EXCURSION I have ever been on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU TOMAS ANDTHE ENTIRE RIO SECRETO TEAM FOR A WONDERFUL DAY IN MEXICO I WILL NEVER FORGET

• Stores: All the typical ones. The one difference I noticed was Cherry onTop also had ICE CREAM! …and it’ssimilar to “Cold Stone Creamery” where you select a flavor and then pick out “addins” and they mix it all together for you.
  
  
• Disembarkation: We had FTTF so we had prioritydisembarkation. We also did the selfassist so we could be off the ship as early as possible. It was weird the way they did it. . . we wentto the appointed dining room, and they had us form a line … WITH OUR LUGGAGE,and then just sit down anywhere … however the luggage was lined up in betweendining tables and there was not that much room. It was fine until it was time to go, and those of us who had GOT THEREON TIME, went to our bags and started to file out … problem was there werepeople who ARRIVED LATE, right as we were leaving … and they just went to thefront of the line and tried to merge in with the already established line. The staff didn’t direct them otherwise. I know, I know, it really didn’t make thatmuch of a difference, a few minutes maybe, but it’s the principle. Customs was a breeze, especially with GlobalEntry.
  
  
• Cruise Director: Matt – Not much to say, he isjust THE BEST cruise director Carnival has. So much so that I would actually book a ship specifically to cruise withhim again. He’s in a league all hisown. So much energy. Love, Love LOVE his style and hope I get tocruise with him again.
  

[KCMiller]

(my mistake)

[pcvtmom]

Thanks for the review and great information on the excursions you all did. I may look into that snorkeling mask!!

[mcgore83]

Great review Jeff! Do you have pictures?

[crewsweeper]

Thanks for sharing your cruise Jeff! I will agree with most of your comments on the ship. Mirrored my thoughts. We started out in Reflections, but snotty (or stressed out) maître-d' caused us to seek reseating in the Horizons Upper level. We ate at JiJis and the Cucina at night. Great food, but way too much!. Spa and gym were terrible. Folks it's NOT WORTH the $$$ to book a spa cabin on the Vista!.

 

Glad you got to go to the cenotes on the mainland while docked in Coz. Sounds like that was a better excursion than the equally long trips to Tulum or Coba.

[watermelonqueen99]

Is the chocolate shop at Puerta Maya?

[easyboy]

Thanks for your detailed review.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[RecoveryDude]

Is the chocolate shop at Puerta Maya?

Chocolate Shop is in Playa Del Carmen. Never saw one anyplace else. I just tried the Chocolate shampoo this morning and .... Oh. My. Goodness. It is AWESOME. So much so that I tried to email them and see if I can order more. It smells like you are washing your hair with a hershey bar ... the lather is silky smooth ... and after rinsing, my hair is sooooooooooooooo soft. I typically use very expensive shampoo I get from my salon (Moraccan Oil brand, $28 for a bottle), and this stuff was way better. I hope I can have the place send me more ... otherwise Imma have to fly to mexico and get some more, lol.

[RecoveryDude]

Great review Jeff! Do you have pictures?

 

 

I have lots of pictures ... but I have NEVER been able to figure out who to get pictures posted on here. and I am not Tech-Stupid, either ... I know I have to get an account with Tumblr and "host" them and then somehow get links to the pics to get them to show up? UGH ... if someone can give me DETAILED instructions I will be happy to post some pics.....

[RecoveryDude]

Thanks for the review and great information on the excursions you all did. I may look into that snorkeling mask!!

 

 

You will love it! Right now, if you search "180 snorkelling mask" on Amazon there will be lots that pop up ... starting for $38 - You will not regret it. And if you order it right before your cruise, you can still return it if you don't like it after using it. . . . but trust me, YOU WILL LOVE IT..... it's really a game-changer. I can't wait to go snorkelling again just so I can use it again.

[mllekaren]

Great review! Was Serenity crowded?

[Hawaii697]

Hello RecoveryDude,

 

Thank you for your honest and informative review. My group and I will be sailing on the Vista Super Bowl cruise next February and looking forward. It's unfortunate Carnival is no longer serving snacks during the game, but good to know we can get burgers and burritos! Can't wait to sail!!

[Luke Dawg]

Hi, we are thinking 4-day Feb 12, 2018 Miami-Key West-Cozumel - if we go this will be our first February cruise, how was the weather in Miami and in the Western Caribbean

[1cruisingal]

I really enjoyed your review! I will look into those excursions and the mask as well! Thank you

[firemanbobswife]

I have lots of pictures ... but I have NEVER been able to figure out who to get pictures posted on here. and I am not Tech-Stupid, either ... I know I have to get an account with Tumblr and "host" them and then somehow get links to the pics to get them to show up? UGH ... if someone can give me DETAILED instructions I will be happy to post some pics.....

 

I post pics from my cell phone through Tapatalk. So easy.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Clarea]

Just saw this, thanks for the very detailed review.