carnival vista tired looking?

[Chervil]

2 hours ago, ginger123snaps said:

I guess I should be more specific in what I mean by "tired and worn".  I'm referring to cleanliness mostly but also worn chairs/public areas.  I'm still grossed out by that window from Carnival Breeze...dirt, grime, hair....all by taco bar near the pool.  We recently sailed Celebrity Equinox right before refurbishment.....what a difference in the condition of the ship compared to Breeze right before refurbishment.  I know less kids/people and smaller ship on celebrity but still....it was spotless.  Nothing looked worn and other then being "dated" there was no grime in the grout...bathroom was perfect.  I'm a bit of a germ freak so yeah I look at these things.  

The ship itself was very clean.
The only thing I would say seemed "worn" were the seats in the Imax theatre.
You would think for something that has an upcharge, they would have invested in nicer seats.
The padding felt like it was already wearing down and the seat felt sloppy, the actual seat part that folds down went a little past straight out, like too much weight had been on it in the past.

[sanmarcosman]

2 hours ago, ginger123snaps said:

I guess I should be more specific in what I mean by "tired and worn".  I'm referring to cleanliness mostly but also worn chairs/public areas.  I'm still grossed out by that window from Carnival Breeze...dirt, grime, hair....all by taco bar near the pool.  We recently sailed Celebrity Equinox right before refurbishment.....what a difference in the condition of the ship compared to Breeze right before refurbishment.  I know less kids/people and smaller ship on celebrity but still....it was spotless.  Nothing looked worn and other then being "dated" there was no grime in the grout...bathroom was perfect.  I'm a bit of a germ freak so yeah I look at these things.  

Terminology matters. The infamous hotel queen of New York Leona Helmsley once asked a staff member who said an area was under repair during an inspection tour of one of her properties: " That's dirt, how do you repair dirt!?! " 

Worn and dirty is apples and oranges.

Edited August 5, 2019 by sanmarcosman

[ginger123snaps]

1 minute ago, sanmarcosman said:

Terminology matters. The infamous hotel queen of New York Leona Helmsley once asked a staff member who said an area was under repair during an inspection tour of one of her properties: " That's dirt, how do you repair dirt!?! " 

Worn and dirty is apples and oranges.

Yes terminology does matter....when i ask worn and dirty....I mean both worn and dirty.  

[sanmarcosman]

11 minutes ago, Chervil said:

 like too much weight had been on it in the past.

How did that happen on a cruise ship sailing from America? 😉

[Organized Chaos]

4 hours ago, sanmarcosman said:

How did that happen on a cruise ship sailing from America? 😉

 

The U.S. always takes flack for being an overweight country, but worldwide, they don't even make the top 15. Our neighbors to the north and south are right up there with us. 😉

[sanmarcosman]

37 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

The U.S. always takes flack for being an overweight country, but worldwide, they don't even make the top 15. Our neighbors to the north and south are right up there with us. 😉

Chervil? 

[RenoNanaOz]

On 8/4/2019 at 8:02 PM, Shaded Lady said:

I found the Vista to be pretty buttoned up... minor things that I often notice in hotels and cruise ship cabins like dirty or worn carpets in the bed area, grimy tiles that are just grungy after a while- grout not very clean etc... upholstery on furniture is tired and worn... in other words, just regular wear & tear- I often see that on other cruiseships but I was delighted to find that most everywhere I looked, Vista was in very nice shape.

 

Sure there were a few rust spots that surprised me in a couple spots on the balcony, and a couple of the tables on the Lido were marked up, but all in all, I thought she looked pretty good, considering the number of people who travel her every single week!

Good to know, we sail in 30 days!

[jimbo5544]

On 8/4/2019 at 9:51 PM, Stick93 said:

Unfortunately the staff to passenger ratios have only gone down and the extra TLC that we used to see on our cruises of the past have almost disappeared. This is not a knock on the hard working staff but there is only so much they can do. There are also many more passengers on the vista class ships. 

It is true there are more but I have never seen anything tied the number of people on the ship that added to wear and tear.  Comparing the Vista or the next class down, the capacity difference is 250 people, which is not a sizable difference.

[Stick93]

38 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

It is true there are more but I have never seen anything tied the number of people on the ship that added to wear and tear.  Comparing the Vista or the next class down, the capacity difference is 250 people, which is not a sizable difference.

Its not the number of people on the ships - Its the decrease in staff on the ships. There are less staff members per passenger. I used to see people polishing the railings every morning and cleaning the carpets on the stairs... I see them now but not daily and sometimes never. Maybe its just me but my wife and I have commented multiple times that on our last couple of cruises we have felt the ship to be not as clean as they once were. Again this is not a knock on the staff as they can only do what they are physically able to do. 

[VentureMan_2000]

On 8/5/2019 at 11:10 AM, Chervil said:

The only thing I would say seemed "worn" were the seats in the Imax theatre.
You would think for something that has an upcharge, they would have invested in nicer seats.
 

They charge you for the IMAX ?  How much ?

[Chervil]

8 minutes ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

They charge you for the IMAX ?  How much ?

It was $12.95 for adults.
Which really isn't too bad considering they were showing stuff that had just released.

Our cruise was on Jan. 27th and we saw "Glass" which had just been released on Jan. 18th.
We actually waited to see it since we knew it would be shown, just to have the experience.

The price is in line with most first-run movie theatres.

John Heald usually has the list on his Facebook page.
The last one I found was from July 25th and the IMAX movies for that next week were Toy Story 4, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Hobbs and Shaw.
 

[jimbo5544]

In addition to the post above, the charge for Imax documentaries and thrill theater is $5.50 

[AdGuyMG]

On 8/5/2019 at 11:44 AM, ginger123snaps said:

I guess I should be more specific in what I mean by "tired and worn".  I'm referring to cleanliness mostly but also worn chairs/public areas.  I'm still grossed out by that window from Carnival Breeze...dirt, grime, hair....all by taco bar near the pool.  We recently sailed Celebrity Equinox right before refurbishment.....what a difference in the condition of the ship compared to Breeze right before refurbishment.  I know less kids/people and smaller ship on celebrity but still....it was spotless.  Nothing looked worn and other then being "dated" there was no grime in the grout...bathroom was perfect.  I'm a bit of a germ freak so yeah I look at these things.  

 

It's weird that in this recent "pre drydock" Equinox review posted October 2018 the poster who has cruised 20 times viewed the ship as:

 

- Old and in need a major face lift

- Needs to be taken to the standard of other cruise lines and sister ships.

- A room that is dated & worn out with a bed was so bad it had a massive dip in the middle.

- A bathroom shower head that was broken ..  food under the bed from other guests .. and the back of the cabin door with "black hand prints all over it.

-  Balcony full of rust, Paint falling off.

 

www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=636974

 

 

Edited August 9, 2019 by AdGuyMG

[jimbo5544]

Amazing how different eyes see different things.  

[VentureMan_2000]

I recall sitting in the MDR -- maybe it was brunch -- with random folks.  There was a lady complaining to the people at the table that the ship was filthy.  My wife and I we beside ourselves.  All we had seen during this cruise are the crew scrubbing the floor on their hands and knees... sometimes with a toothbrush... the banisters constantly being wiped down and brass polished.

Perhaps she saw a speck of rust on an outside railing... I don't know. 

Another older couple at the table were trying to treat the wait staff like servants... just demanding and rude to them, attempting to order them around.  Seems the wait staff knew how handle this -- these two got the service level they deserved.  My wife and I always say please and thank you to the staff, and we are treated like Kings and Queens.  We really do appreciate the service they provide us.

Anyway, we were just amazed at the expectation of some.

[ginger123snaps]

We are in our mid 40s but LOVE cruising and have done so for a many years.  Cruising used to be so different years ago but as the ships have become larger things have definitely changed.  I understand when "older" folks expect a certain level of service and cleanliness.  We are pretty laid back folks and understand the change in the industry.  The service is by no means bad...its all relative.  People who are new to cruising might not have experienced what we  and "older" cruisers have experienced.  Having said that....I like "clean"  

I really do want to sail carnival vista but am so hesitant at the same time.  We live in Texas and its so much more convenient.  I haven't read great reviews....but I try to keep an open mind because those who enjoyed tend not to post as much.  If the ship is clean....I'm all in!  It sounds like it is clean...so maybe I will go ahead and book.  I'm thinking two rooms a suite and interior right across.  Any tips on which level and room?

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, ginger123snaps said:

We are in our mid 40s but LOVE cruising and have done so for a many years.  Cruising used to be so different years ago but as the ships have become larger things have definitely changed.  I understand when "older" folks expect a certain level of service and cleanliness.  We are pretty laid back folks and understand the change in the industry.  The service is by no means bad...its all relative.  People who are new to cruising might not have experienced what we  and "older" cruisers have experienced.  Having said that....I like "clean"  

I really do want to sail carnival vista but am so hesitant at the same time.  We live in Texas and its so much more convenient.  I haven't read great reviews....but I try to keep an open mind because those who enjoyed tend not to post as much.  If the ship is clean....I'm all in!  It sounds like it is clean...so maybe I will go ahead and book.  I'm thinking two rooms a suite and interior right across.  Any tips on which level and room?

Sail the Vista, she is fine and has the highest rating of cruisers who have sailed her than any other Carnival ship.  All is good.

[cathyz]

4 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Another older couple at the table were trying to treat the wait staff like servants... just demanding and rude to them, attempting to order them around.  Seems the wait staff knew how handle this -- these two got the service level they deserved.  My wife and I always say please and thank you to the staff, and we are treated like Kings and Queens.  We really do appreciate the service they provide us.

Anyway, we were just amazed at the expectation of some.

I hate seeing that, we treat all the staff very well, they love to chat about their families and their countries and love when you are interested in them.  My parents taught me to treat the CEO and the janitor the same and I always have.  

[Chervil]

4 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Sail the Vista, she is fine and has the highest rating of cruisers who have sailed her than any other Carnival ship.  All is good.

We were on her in January and she was nice and clean.
We will be on her again in October, so I will update IF that has changed.
If you don't see an update, then everything was ship shape (intended, yes)

[ginger123snaps]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I booked a suite on deck 7 with an interior right across.  I was hesitant to book the family harbour suites because of all the noise complaints I had read.  I'm not sure where all the old threads went....maybe cruise critic does a periodic clean out but I had saved the cabin numbers to avoid in my notes.  The idea sounded nice with lounge access in the family harbour suite area but so does sleep 😉  

I'm really excited to see what the Vista has to offer.  Spring break airfare tends to be high and its just so nice to drive to port.  I really hope I'm not disappointed.  We have done RC Liberty of the seas now 2 times and I was ready for a change from Galveston.  I wish cruise lines would move ships around more frequently.  I'm excited that Galveston port is expanding in the next couple of years.....it will be nice to have more options from here.  Its  too bad the port of Houston did not work out and NCL and Princess pulled out.  Maybe they will make a return once the port expands.  

[hotsauce126]

On 8/5/2019 at 6:47 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

The U.S. always takes flack for being an overweight country, but worldwide, they don't even make the top 15. Our neighbors to the north and south are right up there with us. 😉

 

While that's true, based on my last few cruises I think the cruising population tends to skew more to the morbidly obese side than the general population

[dan4182]

Unless you are in a suite there won’t be any unclean grout lines. The showers and countertops in the bathroom are pretty much groutless.

 

 

[LatinaInTexas]

Will be on the Vista next month, this talk about wear and tear and cleanliness got me thinking....I dont think I have ever really looked or paid much attention😮

[aknguyen]

On ‎8‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 8:42 AM, ginger123snaps said:

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I booked a suite on deck 7 with an interior right across.  I was hesitant to book the family harbour suites because of all the noise complaints I had read.  I'm not sure where all the old threads went....maybe cruise critic does a periodic clean out but I had saved the cabin numbers to avoid in my notes.  The idea sounded nice with lounge access in the family harbour suite area but so does sleep 😉  

I'm really excited to see what the Vista has to offer.  Spring break airfare tends to be high and its just so nice to drive to port.  I really hope I'm not disappointed.  We have done RC Liberty of the seas now 2 times and I was ready for a change from Galveston.  I wish cruise lines would move ships around more frequently.  I'm excited that Galveston port is expanding in the next couple of years.....it will be nice to have more options from here.  Its  too bad the port of Houston did not work out and NCL and Princess pulled out.  Maybe they will make a return once the port expands.  

I didn't realize there were ever plans for a cruise terminal out of Houston. That would be less photogenic than Galveston!

[ginger123snaps]

9 minutes ago, aknguyen said:

I didn't realize there were ever plans for a cruise terminal out of Houston. That would be less photogenic than Galveston!

 

They used to have a cruise terminal out of Houston.  NCL and Princess were both operating out of this terminal.  This terminal has been closed for a few years....I think they stopped operating cruises from there in 2015 or 2016.