Live from the Vista - March 27 (Miami) to May 1 (Trieste)

[Hlitner]

Afternoon from the middle of the Atlantic,

 

This morning we were notified that the Vista has cancelled its visit to Horta (Azores) which is the 2nd port (in a row) cancelled.  This is due to bad weather forecasts for the Azores.  The Captain has changed our course to a more southerly course and we are, instead, heading to Funchal (Madeira).  This change has also put us into better weather and today was a gorgeous sea day with seas in the 1-2 meter range, blue skies, and temps in the 70s.  We also had a following wind so it was a near perfect day to be outside.  

 

This morning, we had the "Country Fair" which is a major activity (on the pool deck) where there are various games, prizes, etc.  It was well attended and kept the pool deck busy from around 10:30 until noon.  With all the constant banter (from Peter, our Cruise Director) it almost reminded me of a Carnival cruise.  As a rule, we find the higher-class lines have fewer announcements.  Peter usually has a longish daily update around 9:30, more to say around noon, and will usually have another schedule update around 4.  I prefer the attitude on Seabourn where there are very few announcements, and it is assumed that passengers are capable of reading the daily schedule.

 

A couple of nights ago we went to our first Production Show and thought it was generally awful!  Sorry to say it was more like a bad high school musical production than what we expect on ships.  The Vista has a 12 person entertainment team which includes 4 singers.  Nobody was impressive and the sound was not good.  This was probably a combination of the lack of talent and a lousy choice of music and choreography.  Thank goodness that, so far, we have had really decent Guest Entertainers.  Perhaps O should consider hiring a company like Belinda King Productions (they handle Seabourn, some Princess, etc) to staff and Produce their shows.

 

On Easter Sunday, the ship put on an expansive brunch buffet (from 9:30 - 1) in the GDR, There was a good selection of the usual breakfast items (i.e. Omelet station, eggs benedict, bacon, etc) and quite a few lunch offerings.  There was also a decent array of desserts.  While this was all good (and we did enjoy ourselves) I could not help but notice the lack of higher priced items like a decent raw seafood bar, caviar, etc.  Like we have seen on some other lines, the galley staff seems to do more with less, which is a talent.  

 

Last evening DW and I decided to have a pizza dinner at Waves.  The pizza was quite good, but the service very uneven.  In fact, of the 4 items we ordered (2 kinds of burrata and 2 pizzas) two were incorrect when served.  At the next table, a gentleman ordered a meaty pizza with mushrooms.  There must have been a language problem because his pizza was delivered with "mustard" instead of mushrooms.  It is the first time I have ever seen a "mustard pizza" which was promptly sent back :).  Obviously, a language misunderstanding and somewhat amusing.

 

We have heard some rumblings about little things that are just not right, in terms of decor. Some of the carpets are already showing signs of wearing (dye completely faded) and others tell us that some of the railing in the GDR are already worn.  We could not notice the absence of a lower rail (i.e. brass rail) at Martini's bar.  Rumors are that there will be some workmen coming aboard, in Europe, to make some "corrections."  None of this is unusual on a new ship, but certainly worth mentioning on this blog.

 

DW and I continue to enjoy most everything here on the Vista.  Perfection?  No.  But we still think it is a good product for this class of cruising.  Some others do not agree.  One single lady told me she feels a bit out of place (she gets funny looks when she asks for a table of 1) and prefers Seabourn where she says the atmosphere is better for single ladies.  A couple of men, who previously liked O, have been turned off by the way a request (for Liquor 42) was handled by O.  They did get them a single bottle (which they had requested pre-cruise) which was offered to them for $100!  The item is not stocked in the bars.  They contrasted this with a similar request they made on Seabourn.  That line had a large bottle waiting for them in their suite, and also made sure the item was stocked at all the ships' bars.  This might best explain the difference between a "Premium Line" and a "Luxury Line."

 

We also met a nice European couple who has cruised (3 times) on Explora Journeys.  This was their 2nd O cruise, but they said they intend to focus on future cruises with EJ.  Interesting comment for us (we have also cruised on EJ) and Waltershipman (who is likely following this blog).  In all fairness to O, Explora Journeys is generally a lot more expensive than O.  

 

Since we did not bother to get off the ship at Great Stirrup Key, DW and I will now have 8 consecutive sea days before reaching Funchal.  Love it :).

 

Hank

[Vallesan]

15 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Afternoon from the middle of the Atlantic,

 

This morning we were notified that the Vista has cancelled its visit to Horta (Azores) which is the 2nd port (in a row) cancelled.  This is due to bad weather forecasts for the Azores.  The Captain has changed our course to a more southerly course and we are, instead, heading to Funchal (Madeira).  This change has also put us into better weather and today was a gorgeous sea day with seas in the 1-2 meter range, blue skies, and temps in the 70s.  We also had a following wind so it was a near perfect day to be outside.  

 

This morning, we had the "Country Fair" which is a major activity (on the pool deck) where there are various games, prizes, etc.  It was well attended and kept the pool deck busy from around 10:30 until noon.  With all the constant banter (from Peter, our Cruise Director) it almost reminded me of a Carnival cruise.  As a rule, we find the higher-class lines have fewer announcements.  Peter usually has a longish daily update around 9:30, more to say around noon, and will usually have another schedule update around 4.  I prefer the attitude on Seabourn where there are very few announcements, and it is assumed that passengers are capable of reading the daily schedule.

 

A couple of nights ago we went to our first Production Show and thought it was generally awful!  Sorry to say it was more like a bad high school musical production than what we expect on ships.  The Vista has a 12 person entertainment team which includes 4 singers.  Nobody was impressive and the sound was not good.  This was probably a combination of the lack of talent and a lousy choice of music and choreography.  Thank goodness that, so far, we have had really decent Guest Entertainers.  Perhaps O should consider hiring a company like Belinda King Productions (they handle Seabourn, some Princess, etc) to staff and Produce their shows.

 

On Easter Sunday, the ship put on an expansive brunch buffet (from 9:30 - 1) in the GDR, There was a good selection of the usual breakfast items (i.e. Omelet station, eggs benedict, bacon, etc) and quite a few lunch offerings.  There was also a decent array of desserts.  While this was all good (and we did enjoy ourselves) I could not help but notice the lack of higher priced items like a decent raw seafood bar, caviar, etc.  Like we have seen on some other lines, the galley staff seems to do more with less, which is a talent.  

 

Last evening DW and I decided to have a pizza dinner at Waves.  The pizza was quite good, but the service very uneven.  In fact, of the 4 items we ordered (2 kinds of burrata and 2 pizzas) two were incorrect when served.  At the next table, a gentleman ordered a meaty pizza with mushrooms.  There must have been a language problem because his pizza was delivered with "mustard" instead of mushrooms.  It is the first time I have ever seen a "mustard pizza" which was promptly sent back :).  Obviously, a language misunderstanding and somewhat amusing.

 

We have heard some rumblings about little things that are just not right, in terms of decor. Some of the carpets are already showing signs of wearing (dye completely faded) and others tell us that some of the railing in the GDR are already worn.  We could not notice the absence of a lower rail (i.e. brass rail) at Martini's bar.  Rumors are that there will be some workmen coming aboard, in Europe, to make some "corrections."  None of this is unusual on a new ship, but certainly worth mentioning on this blog.

 

DW and I continue to enjoy most everything here on the Vista.  Perfection?  No.  But we still think it is a good product for this class of cruising.  Some others do not agree.  One single lady told me she feels a bit out of place (she gets funny looks when she asks for a table of 1) and prefers Seabourn where she says the atmosphere is better for single ladies.  A couple of men, who previously liked O, have been turned off by the way a request (for Liquor 42) was handled by O.  They did get them a single bottle (which they had requested pre-cruise) which was offered to them for $100!  The item is not stocked in the bars.  They contrasted this with a similar request they made on Seabourn.  That line had a large bottle waiting for them in their suite, and also made sure the item was stocked at all the ships' bars.  This might best explain the difference between a "Premium Line" and a "Luxury Line."

 

We also met a nice European couple who has cruised (3 times) on Explora Journeys.  This was their 2nd O cruise, but they said they intend to focus on future cruises with EJ.  Interesting comment for us (we have also cruised on EJ) and Waltershipman (who is likely following this blog).  In all fairness to O, Explora Journeys is generally a lot more expensive than O.  

 

Since we did not bother to get off the ship at Great Stirrup Key, DW and I will now have 8 consecutive sea days before reaching Funchal.  Love it :).

 

Hank

THANK YOU!  Really enjoy your posts. Keep enjoying your trip.

[Kay S]

I don't cruise for the entertainment, so a substandard show won't bother me, I don't think.  Have you been to the high tea?

[clo]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

This might best explain the difference between a "Premium Line" and a "Luxury Line."

Don't you bet that's going to be the majority of people's assessment? Which is how it should be.

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, Kay S said:

I don't cruise for the entertainment, so a substandard show won't bother me, I don't think.  Have you been to the high tea?

Have not done high tea.  Yet.

[Waltershipman]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Afternoon from the middle of the Atlantic,

 

This morning we were notified that the Vista has cancelled its visit to Horta (Azores) which is the 2nd port (in a row) cancelled.  This is due to bad weather forecasts for the Azores.  The Captain has changed our course to a more southerly course and we are, instead, heading to Funchal (Madeira).  This change has also put us into better weather and today was a gorgeous sea day with seas in the 1-2 meter range, blue skies, and temps in the 70s.  We also had a following wind so it was a near perfect day to be outside.  

 

This morning, we had the "Country Fair" which is a major activity (on the pool deck) where there are various games, prizes, etc.  It was well attended and kept the pool deck busy from around 10:30 until noon.  With all the constant banter (from Peter, our Cruise Director) it almost reminded me of a Carnival cruise.  As a rule, we find the higher-class lines have fewer announcements.  Peter usually has a longish daily update around 9:30, more to say around noon, and will usually have another schedule update around 4.  I prefer the attitude on Seabourn where there are very few announcements, and it is assumed that passengers are capable of reading the daily schedule.

 

A couple of nights ago we went to our first Production Show and thought it was generally awful!  Sorry to say it was more like a bad high school musical production than what we expect on ships.  The Vista has a 12 person entertainment team which includes 4 singers.  Nobody was impressive and the sound was not good.  This was probably a combination of the lack of talent and a lousy choice of music and choreography.  Thank goodness that, so far, we have had really decent Guest Entertainers.  Perhaps O should consider hiring a company like Belinda King Productions (they handle Seabourn, some Princess, etc) to staff and Produce their shows.

 

On Easter Sunday, the ship put on an expansive brunch buffet (from 9:30 - 1) in the GDR, There was a good selection of the usual breakfast items (i.e. Omelet station, eggs benedict, bacon, etc) and quite a few lunch offerings.  There was also a decent array of desserts.  While this was all good (and we did enjoy ourselves) I could not help but notice the lack of higher priced items like a decent raw seafood bar, caviar, etc.  Like we have seen on some other lines, the galley staff seems to do more with less, which is a talent.  

 

Last evening DW and I decided to have a pizza dinner at Waves.  The pizza was quite good, but the service very uneven.  In fact, of the 4 items we ordered (2 kinds of burrata and 2 pizzas) two were incorrect when served.  At the next table, a gentleman ordered a meaty pizza with mushrooms.  There must have been a language problem because his pizza was delivered with "mustard" instead of mushrooms.  It is the first time I have ever seen a "mustard pizza" which was promptly sent back :).  Obviously, a language misunderstanding and somewhat amusing.

 

We have heard some rumblings about little things that are just not right, in terms of decor. Some of the carpets are already showing signs of wearing (dye completely faded) and others tell us that some of the railing in the GDR are already worn.  We could not notice the absence of a lower rail (i.e. brass rail) at Martini's bar.  Rumors are that there will be some workmen coming aboard, in Europe, to make some "corrections."  None of this is unusual on a new ship, but certainly worth mentioning on this blog.

 

DW and I continue to enjoy most everything here on the Vista.  Perfection?  No.  But we still think it is a good product for this class of cruising.  Some others do not agree.  One single lady told me she feels a bit out of place (she gets funny looks when she asks for a table of 1) and prefers Seabourn where she says the atmosphere is better for single ladies.  A couple of men, who previously liked O, have been turned off by the way a request (for Liquor 42) was handled by O.  They did get them a single bottle (which they had requested pre-cruise) which was offered to them for $100!  The item is not stocked in the bars.  They contrasted this with a similar request they made on Seabourn.  That line had a large bottle waiting for them in their suite, and also made sure the item was stocked at all the ships' bars.  This might best explain the difference between a "Premium Line" and a "Luxury Line."

 

We also met a nice European couple who has cruised (3 times) on Explora Journeys.  This was their 2nd O cruise, but they said they intend to focus on future cruises with EJ.  Interesting comment for us (we have also cruised on EJ) and Waltershipman (who is likely following this blog).  In all fairness to O, Explora Journeys is generally a lot more expensive than O.  

 

Since we did not bother to get off the ship at Great Stirrup Key, DW and I will now have 8 consecutive sea days before reaching Funchal.  Love it :).

 

Hank

Thanks Hank i always appreciate your thoughtful comments and your years of extensive cruising.  I totally understand what you are saying particularly given both of our recent cruises on EJ and Vista. I have been hopeful that you will love everything about O and Vista. I am not sure exactly what it was but we found something slightly missing on Vista that I still cant quite pin point. It may have been more crowded than I prefer but its possible that as I digest your comments I will be able to het mire clarity.  If course it did not help that we got Covid when we got off the ship. 

 

Im looking at our next cruise experience which is as yet unknown 

 

Enjoying your posts and the gift that we were able to cruise on the same ships and meet each other

 

All the best

David aka Waltershipman 

[Waltershipman]

3 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Have not done high tea.  Yet.

High tea is lovely and the strings played very peaceful and beautiful 

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Don't you bet that's going to be the majority of people's assessment? Which is how it should be.

But if you don't drink, then it doesn't really matter.

 

After 4 O cruises and 2 SS cruises, I'm still not very clear about the difference between "Premium Line" and a "Luxury Line." The only thing that was significantly better on SS was the cabins. The 305 sqft cabin with walk-in closet, curtain between the bed and the sitting area etc was a real treat. But we are perfectly happy with O class cabins, and Vista cabins are similar. All the rest? Food is better on O, rest of the things comparable.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

After 4 O cruises and 2 SS cruises, I'm still not very clear about the difference between "Premium Line" and a "Luxury Line.

Price?

[ak1004]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

Price?

 

Well, this is exactly my point. If most of the things are comparable, why to pay 30-50% more for a "luxury" line? For people who drink and require larger cabins, it might be justified. Otherwise? I'm not sure. 

 

We still need to try SB (will be doing it in September) to see if their overall experience is significantly better than SS. If it's not, we will probably stick with O.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

 I am not sure exactly what it was but we found something slightly missing on Vista that I still cant quite pin point.

I will speculate that it is the lack of steerage cabins on Vista...that's where all the cool kids hang out. 😉 

[grmmybtty]

Does anyone know if the drinks in the Founders Bar are included with the Prestige drink package?

[Wheelhouse]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

 

We also met a nice European couple who has cruised (3 times) on Explora Journeys.  This was their 2nd O cruise, but they said they intend to focus on future cruises with EJ.  Interesting comment for us (we have also cruised on EJ) and Waltershipman (who is likely following this blog).  In all fairness to O, Explora Journeys is generally a lot more expensive than O.  

 

Your blog has been excellent. Thank you for doing this.  I beg to differ with you on the cost difference between Oceania Allura Class and Explora.  Even without adding in the gratuity cost and drinks expense necessary to bring Oceania up to the more inclusive Explora, I have found my per diem cost to be less on Explora than Oceania.  I have two somewhat recent bookings on each. 

[ak1004]

29 minutes ago, Wheelhouse said:

Your blog has been excellent. Thank you for doing this.  I beg to differ with you on the cost difference between Oceania Allura Class and Explora.  Even without adding in the gratuity cost and drinks expense necessary to bring Oceania up to the more inclusive Explora, I have found my per diem cost to be less on Explora than Oceania.  I have two somewhat recent bookings on each. 

 

It probably depends on category. We booked 2 cruises on Vista for 2025 in FV for less than $400/night. Explora is around $550-600 on average, with some exceptions. So 30-40% more expensive. Of course if you book standard veranda on O, the gap is smaller. Drinks package on O is offset by excursions credit, so the only difference is gratuities (and $20/day is not really material when you pay $400-500 per day).

[Wheelhouse]

4 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

It probably depends on category. We booked 2 cruises on Vista for 2025 in FV for less than $400/night. Explora is around $550-600 on average, with some exceptions. So 30-40% more expensive. Of course if you book standard veranda on O, the gap is smaller. Drinks package on O is offset by excursions credit, so the only difference is gratuities (and $20/day is not really material when you pay $400-500 per day).

My Explora I bookings in OT3 and OT1 have both run well under $400 pp per day.  There is also currently an excursion credit included with Explora bookings ($400 pp on my most recent).  I booked CV on Vista and Allura. 

[Waltershipman]

21 minutes ago, Wheelhouse said:

My Explora I bookings in OT3 and OT1 have both run well under $400 pp per day.  There is also currently an excursion credit included with Explora bookings ($400 pp on my most recent).  I booked CV on Vista and Allura. 

EJ at 400 pp is great

[ak1004]

28 minutes ago, Wheelhouse said:

My Explora I bookings in OT3 and OT1 have both run well under $400 pp per day.  There is also currently an excursion credit included with Explora bookings ($400 pp on my most recent).  I booked CV on Vista and Allura. 

Those prices don’t exist anymore. At least not for Europe. But yes, anything under $450-500 on Explora I would book.

[clo]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Have not done high tea.  Yet.

We're usually doing our late afternoon nap 🙂

[EJL2023]

1 minute ago, ak1004 said:

Those prices don’t exist anymore. At least not for Europe. But yes, anything under $450-500 on Explora I would book.

Agree.  Just did a look for the Med next year…..cheapest I saw for an OT1 was 3880 pp for 7 days. Most OT3 were 4200 pp plus for 7 nights. I have been following them closely as interested in their product. I have not seen too many great deals. The prices indicated above were also under their The Total Luxury promo. My biggest issue is their overall lack of interesting itineraries for me and most are 7 nights. I’ll definitely keep watching though as it appears they have an excellent product. 

[Waltershipman]

45 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Those prices don’t exist anymore. At least not for Europe. But yes, anything under $450-500 on Explora I would book.

While on the Vista in February i attempted to book EJ for January of next year. When I had my TA call EJ he was told that the discount had just been reduced to 15% off and even though I was a repeat passenger they would not offer the larger discount. I was disappointed but did not book it as I was one day late. Seems like a poor business plan. Otherwise EJ is great 

[cruiserchuck]

51 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Those prices don’t exist anymore. At least not for Europe. But yes, anything under $450-500 on Explora I would book.

 

There are two Explora Europe cruises in November 2024 with rates less than $400 US per person per day.  They are also offering a significant amount of OBC on those cruises.

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, EJL2023 said:

Agree.  Just did a look for the Med next year…..cheapest I saw for an OT1 was 3880 pp for 7 days. Most OT3 were 4200 pp plus for 7 nights. I have been following them closely as interested in their product. I have not seen too many great deals. The prices indicated above were also under their The Total Luxury promo. My biggest issue is their overall lack of interesting itineraries for me and most are 7 nights. I’ll definitely keep watching though as it appears they have an excellent product. 

 

Yes, and too many sea days for us. Having 2-3 sea days on 10-11 nights sailing is way too many. We don't cruise to spend time on the ship.

 

57 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

There are two Explora Europe cruises in November 2024 with rates less than $400 US per person per day.  They are also offering a significant amount of OBC on those cruises.

 

You are right, I was looking at 2025. But this is also for November, and November is typically significantly cheaper for Europe sailings. 

[Snaefell3]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

high tea

Pet peeve here.

 

• "High tea" is a full meal, served in early evening, usually with fried meat.

 

• "Afternoon tea" is what is served in Horizons, originally designed to --cough-- stave off starvation --cough-- until a late evening, formal, Downton Abbey-style dinner.

 

[edgee]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Since we did not bother to get off the ship at Great Stirrup Key, DW and I will now have 8 consecutive sea days before reachi

Hello, We are a few days behind you on Regent Splendor crossing from Miami to Barcelona. Familiar story for us also..left Miami Easter Sunday...had Bermuda and Horta cancelled due to predicted bad weather..substituted stops in Nassau and Funchal, resulting in 7 straight days at sea. Regent, like corporate cousin Oceania, will cancel and change ports seemingly for nearly any reason .legit or not IMHO...but still a lot to like about Regent just as we enjoyed our recent cruises on Vista. Wishing you a great cruise..and thanks for your informative posts! 

 

[koolforkatz]

16 hours ago, grmmybtty said:

Does anyone know if the drinks in the Founders Bar are included with the Prestige drink package?

We are also on this cruise and yes, Founders bar drinks are included in prestige package. We are a group of six and between us have tried most of them 😁