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Carnival Vista Overview

Carnival Cruise Lines’  Carnival Vista  amps up the “fun” factor, featuring an array of engaging onboard activities and new features. For starters, there’s the first IMAX theater at sea, the first brewpub at sea and the revolutionary open-air, pedal-powered SkyRide that has to be seen to be believed. Guests aboard  Carnival Vista can also expect to find many of the line’s most popular hotspots, such as the Punchliner Comedy Club, Alchemy Bar, BlueIguana Cantina, RedFrog Rum Bar and Guy’s Burger Joint, among others. Many restaurants will also feature outdoor seating now, designed to further connect guests with the sea. Whether you’re a family seeking a fun retreat in Carnival Vista’s innovative Family Harbor cabins, or cruisers looking for the privacy of the new Havana Cabanas – which feature private patios and direct access to the exclusive Havana Bar and pool – Carnival Vista is prepped to provide the fun.

• Passenger Capacity:  3,934 (double occupancy)
• Year Built: 2016
• Last Refurbished: N/A

• Ropes Course and SkyRide The Carnival Vista features an industry first with the exciting new SkyRide aerial circuit. Guests can enter an open-air pod and race two pedal-powered vehicles around an 800-foot track while enjoying views from 150 feet in the air. The ship’s extensive SportSquare section also includes the SkyCourse ropes course with a plethora of hanging obstacles, walkways and platforms. Between these and the rest of the SportSquare attractions, you’re guaranteed to get your blood pumping aboard the Carnival Vista.  

• WaterWorks and Pools The Carnival Vista boasts the largest of the line’s popular WaterWorks splash parks, and this one will feature an exciting new 455-foot Kaleid-O-Slide. Twist and turn your way down the enclosed pipeline on a two-person raft. On top of this, the expanded WaterWorks features a giant water bucket, fun water toys and a revamped SplashZone. In total, the Carnival Vista will include three pools.  

• Carnival Multiplex After so much fun in the sun, you might be looking for a little indoor entertainment – something there is certainly no shortage of aboard the Carnival Vista. The onboard IMAX theater – a first at sea – houses a three-story screen playing riveting IMAX documentaries and first-run movies released at the same time they’re featured in theaters on land. The Thrill Theater offers a 4-D experience with moving seats coordinated with the films’ 3-D imagery.  

Inside the Carnival Vista: An Infographic

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Carnival Vista Cruise Destinations

Spanning 6 continents and countless countries ranging from Croatia to the Bahamas, Carnival Cruise Lines' list of destinations below is nothing short of inspiring. There's somewhere for the culinary enthusiast, the history buff, the beachside lounger and the rugged explorer. Destinations include, but are not limited to: the Bahamas, Northern Europe, Canada and New England, the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera, just to name a few. You can follow the links to learn more about each particular destination.

Cruise to the Caribbean for tropical weather and splendid beach-side excursions.

Carnival Vista Departure Ports

Carnival has ships home ported in cities across the U.S. making sure you’re never more than a car ride away from embarking on an unforgettable vacation. You can find Carnival ships in Charleston, New York, Long Beach and New Orleans. Ready to sail, call The Cruise Web to start your trip today!

The seafood is fresh, the sun is shining and there’s a whole lot to do, so get out there and explore the city before, during and after your cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida.

Carnival Vista Deck Plans

Spa, waterworks & sports, carnival vista staterooms.

Balcony (HI)

A Havana Aft-View Extended Balcony puts you in the rear of the ship, prime location already for enjoying a view of the sea and the ship's wake as you sail along... but perhaps even more so thanks to the larger balcony. And let's not forget about all that Havana flavor - both in-room and out - with exclusive daytime access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Balcony (8N)

Aft-View Extended Balcony staterooms feature a larger balcony for more lounge-around room, more kick-back space... not to even mention some of the best stern-side views you'll find anywhere. Get ready to relax as you gaze upon Carnival Vista's gentle wake from your spacious balcony.

Balcony (BL)

Any balcony stateroom, or better, depending on availability.

Balcony (8G)

Balcony staterooms were designed for maximum sea breeze and the most stunning views, so look to a balcony if you're looking to cruise aboard Carnival Vista. Any time you're in your room, you're just steps away from your own personal outdoor oasis, featuring the sort of sea view you can also feel.

Balcony (8A)

Balcony (8b), balcony (8c), balcony (8d), balcony (8e), balcony (8f).

Balcony (HE)

Havana Cabana staterooms come with an outdoor patio — complete with your own loungy deck chairs — right outside your room. They also feature Cuba-inspired decor, exclusive daytime access to Havana Pool area and loads of sunlight with floor-to-ceiling window, but like we said... your very own deck chairs! (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Balcony (FM)

If your group likes to sail a little closer to the waves choose a Family Harbor Cove Balcony stateroom. You'll find your outpost a wave-watcher's paradise... You just might catch a living, swimming marine biology lesson from your railing! This stateroom features a unique nautical decor. The whole family will also enjoy exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, plus more great perks around the ship.

Balcony (HM)

In this 'balconiest' of Havana staterooms, you'll find classic old-time Cuban decor that's practically overflowing with flavor. And outside - oh, that balcony! - it wraps around for maximum coverage, and the most sea-breezed private lounging area. For a mid-day change of scenery, you'll also have exclusive daytime access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Balcony (7C)

Love the sea? Carnival Vista Cove Balcony staterooms are the best way to see the sea - these rooms get you close to the waterline, and feature balconies that let you make the most of your location. Enjoy things from a whole new perspective: one amazing up-close view of the wake and seafoam as the ship cruises along.

Balcony (9C)

Premium Vista Balcony staterooms were designed to wrap around the aft corners of Carnival Vista, giving you a unique vantage point from which to enjoy luxuriously panoramic views of the sky and the sea - and yes, take in even more of that sunshine.

Balcony (HL)

There's more to a Havana Premium Balcony stateroom than just the extra outdoor space for staring out at the ocean. A view like this is entertaining, and this balcony is designed for sharing it. Invite someone special to come along and share the comfy interior as well, featuring classic Havana decor and exclusive daytime access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Balcony (9B)

We designed Carnival Vista balcony staterooms for maximum sea breeze and the most stunning views, and this stateroom features a balcony that's even wider than our standard balcony. Enjoy the extra outdoor space, along with all the standard Carnival stateroom amenities.

Balcony (8S)

Whether you're warming up for your spa appointment or winding down after your treatment, there's no better place to do it than on your Cloud 9 Spa Balcony. Breathing is important - take the ocean breeze in, then let it out - you're already getting the hang of the whole spa thing!

Balcony (8T)

Balcony (8p).

Whether you're warming up for your spa appointment or winding down after your treatment, there's no better place to do it than on your Cloud 9 Spa Balcony. Breathing is important - take the ocean breeze in, then let it out - you're already getting the hang of the whole spa thing!Cloud 9 Spa staterooms on Carnival Vista feature exclusive decor and amenities Elemis toiletries, plus spa bathrobes and slippers to help soothe you after a long day of fun.

Inside (1A)

A Carnival Vista Interior Upper/Lower stateroom creatively maximizes space for a pair of cruisers. These staterooms feature all the same amenities as other Interior staterooms, with a different layout - including one Twin bed, and either an upper Pullman or sofa bed. They also feature linens from the Carnival Comfort Collection, a full private bathroom and more.

Inside (4G)

An Interior stateroom is the most affordable way to cruise, and Carnival Vista's interiors are not just cozy, but are full of things you'd expect from any Carnival stateroom: a full private bathroom, Carnival Comfort Collection linens and just-a-call-away 24-hour room service.

Inside (4A)

Inside (4b), inside (4c), inside (4d), inside (4e), inside (4f), inside (4h), inside (4i).

Inside (4J)

An Interior with Picture Window stateroom on Carnival Vista gives you a view beyond your stateroom, out to the observation deck outside including a great sky view. (Note that the view will be partially obstructed.)

Inside (IS)

Any inside stateroom, or better, dependng on availability.

Inside (PT)

Carnival Vista's Porthole staterooms give you the classic seafarer's view times two — a pair of round windows providing an affordable view of the ocean. If you tire of ocean-gazing, there's plenty more to do onboard, but 24-hour room service is one amenity you can enjoy as you continue to take in the view.

Inside (HA)

For a stateroom with extra sabor - for not a lot of dinero - check out a Havana Interior stateroom. You'll find yours flavorfully decked out in Old Havana style... patterned after a place that certainly wasn't lacking any. And like we said, you'll find it for a great price. Aside from the good looks, this room includes exclusive daytime access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Inside (4T)

SpaInt: We've taken the warm essence of our Cloud 9 Spas and infused it into spa staterooms on Carnival Vista. Your room is the perfect place to do less, actually: just relax and take some you-time, anytime. All Cloud 9 Spa accommodations feature private spa access, special amenities and priority spa reservations.

Inside (FA)

To truly experience the cozy sanctuary that a harbor provides, check out a Family Harbor Interior stateroom. These rooms are not only an affordable way to keep the family close, but feature a unique nautical decor inspired by the craft of seafaring itself. And while you sail along, the whole family will enjoy exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, plus more great perks around the ship.

Inside (4S)

We've taken the warm essence of our Cloud 9 Spas and infused it into spa staterooms on Carnival Vista. Your room is the perfect place to do less, actually: just relax and take some you-time, anytime. All Cloud 9 Spa accommodations feature private spa access, special amenities and priority spa reservations.

Oceanview (OV)

Any ocean view stateroom, or better, depending on availability.

Oceanview (6A)

Catch a glimpse of what's going by from your Ocean View stateroom aboard Carnival Vista, where you'll get views you won't find anywhere on land. Don't miss sunrise and sunset at sea - your comfy stateroom is the best way to experience these!

Oceanview (6B)

Oceanview (FE)

Cruising goes great with sunshine... and for a room where the family can expect a little extra of the sun's gold streaming in through their window, check out a Family Harbor Ocean View stateroom with obstructed views. All Family Harbor staterooms feature a unique nautical decor inspired by the craft of seafaring itself. And while you sail along, the whole family will enjoy not only exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, but more great perks around the ship.

Oceanview (FJ)

Let the whole family - especially the little ones - experience the wide-eyed wonder of a Family Harbor Deluxe Ocean View stateroom. Not only are the sky, the sea and the sights beautiful to behold from your window, but Family Harbor staterooms feature a unique nautical decor. And while you sail along, the whole family will enjoy not only exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge and more great perks around the ship, but a convenient full bathroom... plus a separate washroom.

Oceanview (6L)

On Carnival Vista, Deluxe Ocean View staterooms are a great choice for families who want to let the sun shine in as they sail. Rooms of this type feature great views, a full bathroom — plus a separate washroom — and while stateroom configurations vary, certain Deluxe Ocean View rooms have space to sleep up to five cruisers.

Oceanview (6M)

Oceanview (6T)

SpaOcnVw: The best way to enjoy the relaxing, invigorating Cloud 9 Spa while on a cruise is in a spa stateroom, and this one fits the bill, providing comfy accommodations and convenient, priority access to treatments and services at the Cloud 9 Spa. (Note that rooms of this type have obstructed views.)

Oceanview (6S)

The best way to enjoy the relaxing, invigorating Cloud 9 Spa while on a cruise is in a spa stateroom, and this one fits the bill, providing comfy accommodations and convenient, priority access to treatments and services at the Cloud 9 Spa. (Note that rooms of this type have obstructed views.)

A Carnival Vista suite is the ultimate way to cruise. With more space for stretching out indoors, plus a large balcony for kicking back outdoors, try an Ocean Suite to experience private, luxurious relaxation. Ocean Suites also include VIP check-in, walk-in closet and bathroom with whirlpool.

A Cloud 9 Spa Suite is the ultimate in both stateroom and spa accommodations. There's room for you and your things - with a large room and balcony - and a walk-in closet. The soothing in-room whirlpool tub will help you stay relaxed after your relaxing spa treatment. And like all suites, a Cloud 9 Spa Suite features VIP check-in, which lets you easily get right up to your amazing stateroom.

A Grand Suite aboard Carnival Vista features even more space than the standard suite - plenty of room in your room! This stateroom is loaded for an unparalleled experience: VIP check-in, a huge balcony, and even a convenient dressing area with vanity.

As you step into a Junior Suite aboard Carnival Vista, you can't help but feel that you're stepping into full-size luxury in a smaller package. Featuring a standard-size balcony, in a Carnival Vista Junior Suite you'll find everything else there is to love about a suite, including VIP check-in, a walk-in closet... and even a whirlpool tub for relaxing.

Family life is the sweet life, especially when in a Family Harbor Suite. Your whole crew will enjoy the stretch-out space, huge balcony and other perks a suite offers. Nautical decor specially-designed for Family Harbor staterooms. And while you sail along, the kids and the adults can make use of exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, plus other exclusive perks around the ship. In-room, there's a full bathroom... plus the convenience of a separate washroom.

In "the best room" you'll find all the luxury of a suite, all decked out in Cuba-inspired decor. Outside your Havana Cabana Suite lies a private lounging area with your own deck chairs and hammock, plus exclusive daytime access to Havana Pool area... not to mention amenities like VIP check-in, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom with one luxurious rain shower. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Photo Gallery for Carnival Vista Cruise Ship

Imagine the fun that’s waiting for you on a Carnival Cruise. The drinks, the games, the sights and the sun! Take a look at this photo gallery to help you envision your perfect vacation.

Carnival Vista Ropes Course and SkyRide

Carnival Vista Exterior

Carnival Vista IMAX Theater

Carnival Vista Overhead

Carnival Vista Serenity Retreat

Carnival Vista WaterWorks Aqua Park

Top 10 Carnival Vista Cruises

• Carnival Vista 8-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise Departing From Port Canaveral, Florida (May 2025 - Sep 2025)
• Carnival Vista 8-day Southern Caribbean Cruise Departing From Port Canaveral, Florida (Jul 2025 - Apr 2026)

Learn More About Carnival Cruise Line

Accessibility

Learn about Carnival Cruise Lines' handicap accessible cruises and accommodations for guests with special needs or disabilities - including special staterooms, accessible elevators, dietary accommodations and more.

Savor dining aboard Carnival cruises, including Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Cucina del Capitano, Bonsai Sushi, the Asian Kitchen, Main Dining Room, Steakhouse, Pizzeria, Coffee Bar, Seadogs, Shake Spot and more.

Entertainment

Enjoy Carnival's onboard entertainment, including stage shows, Thrill Theater, game shows, comedy clubs, live music, DJs, seaside theater, karaoke and more.

Onboard Activities

Take advantage of Carnival's onboard activities, including WaterWorks water slides, pools, sports courts, ropes course, mini-golf, video arcade, sports bars, casino, duty-free shopping, bars and lounges, art gallery and more.

Service & Awards

Learn how Carnival takes care of your every need with an extensive list of onboard services by attentive, cheerful staff. Plus, view Carnival Cruise Lines' awards.

Spa & Fitness

Relax at Carnival's Serenity Adult Retreat, Cloud 9 Spa, fitness center, jogging track, beauty salon, yoga or pilates courses. Carnivals treatments include massages, body wraps, facials, thermal suites and more.

Special Events

From weddings to parties, celebrate your special events at sea with Carnival Cruise Line.

View Carnival's cruise ship staterooms, including suites, balconies, oceanviews and interior staterooms. Plus, Cloud 9 Balconies bring health and wellness to your room.

Youth Programs

Learn about cruising with children aboard Carnival. There's Camp Carnival for ages 2 - 11, Circle C for young teens and Club O2 for ages 15 - 17. Plus, Camp Carnival Night Owls will watch kids until 3 am.

Cruise Type

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Carnival Vista

Cruise line Carnival Cruise Line

• Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida)

Carnival Vista current position

Carnival Vista current location is at North West Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 26.26266 N / -76.36170 W) cruising at speed of 20.7 kn (38 km/h | 24 mph) en route to LAST UPDATE TIME. The AIS position was reported 22 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Carnival Vista

Carnival Vista current cruise is 8 days, round-trip Eastern Caribbean . Prices start from USD 909 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 06 Apr, 2024 and ends on 14 Apr, 2024 .

Specifications of Carnival Vista

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Carnival Vista Itineraries

Carnival vista review, review of carnival vista.

The 2016-built Carnival Vista cruise ship is the first Vista-class (modified Dream-class) CCL liner. Vista is Carnival's "the most family-friendly ship" with the company's newest kids- and family-dedicated staterooms, facilities and amenities. Vista is Carnival's 25th vessel.

From the same series (Vista-Class sisterships) are the fleetmates Carnival Horizon (2018) and Carnival Panorama (2019), as well as the former Costa 's liners Carnival Venezia (2019 as Costa Venezia) and Carnival Firenze (2020 as Costa Firenze) and Adora 's ships Adora Magic City (2023) and Adora TBN (2024).

The vessel (IMO number 9692569) is currently Panama- flagged (MMSI 356883000) and registered in Colon .

History - construction and ownership

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) is a US shipping company, trademarked brand and subsidiary of Carnival Corporation (shipowner). CCL was founded in 1972 as an independent company by Ted Arison (1924-1999, co-founder of NCL Norwegian ). 

CCL has the Corporation's largest fleet as number of vessels and GT-tonnage (ship sizes/volumes and passenger capacities). In 2023, CCL had ~9% (by revenue) and ~19% (passengers) share of the cruise industry's worldwide market. In 2024, the parent company (Carnival Corporation) had ~51% stake in the US$64+ billion industry.

The 4000-passenger ship Carnival Vista was delivered on April 28, 2016. The ship has all the "Carnival Fun Ship 2.0" facilities and amenities/programs. Among the many first-at-sea features are the Multiplex (the first at sea IMAX theater with a 3-deck high LED screen), Skyride (peddled roller coaster bike ride), Havana cabins complex (with exclusive pool, lounge and bar), Family Harbor staterooms (new cabin grades), fleet's biggest SportsSquare (sports complex).

With the 3x Vista-class liners (Vista/2016, Horizon/2018, Panorama/2019) were introduced the fleet-firsts "IMAX Theater at Sea" (87-seats cinema/part of Carnival Multiplex), "SkyRide" (outdoor/aerial bicycle ride/suspended 2-track bike course), Havana Staterooms (cabin complex with a swimming pool, sundeck, lounge, lanai balconies).

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Vista staterooms (1965 total, in 34 categories) include 74 Suites, 912 Balcony, 264 Oceanview and 749 Inside, including 42 wheelchair-accessible and 104 "Cloud 9 Spa" cabins. Most cabins are sized 170-185 (16-17 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 35 ft2 (3 m2). The largest are Grand Suites (345 ft2 / 32 m2 plus 85 ft2 / 8 m2 terrace). All Spa staterooms receive exclusive access to Spa facilities (Panorama Deck) and the following amenities: Spa reservations, complimentary use of Thalassotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite, fitness classes, deluxe bath amenities.

Carnival Vista, like all Vista-class sisterships, has the new cabin types/categories Havana Cabana, Family Harbor, Deluxe Oceanview. CCL Panorama ship has 18 Havana Cabana and 86 Family Harbor staterooms - nautically-themed, with exclusive access to private facilities (Cafe-Bar-Lounge, Sundeck with a swimming pool).

The boat has 14 passenger-accessible decks of which 13 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Carnival Vista offers two main dining rooms, Horizons, and Reflections. Horizons hosts a small bar suited for pre-dinner drinks. The main dining rooms feature select items from the onboard steakhouse, available for an additional fee. Vista also has a Lido buffet. Seafood lovers are pampered with the Seafood Shack - brand new to Carnival fleet, New England-inspired casual eatery located on top deck. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating and the menu includes steamed lobster, lobster rolls, fried shrimp, fried clams, crab cakes, and other seafood surprises. Seafood Shack serves lunch and dinner and is priced a la carte starting at $4.

The available on all Fun ships Chef's Table is a dining experience that affords a dozen guests to experience multicourse dinner with the master chef, private cocktail reception and a tour of the galley. This dining option usually takes place in a non-traditional venue, like the library or the galley, and can be booked onboard for US$75 per person.

In May 2017, CCL created a tropical-flavored draft beer via a partnership with the Miami-based Concrete Beach Brewery. The special beer is served exclusively at the "RedFrog Pub and Brewery" on Carnival Vista - the first brewery found on a North America-based cruise liner. The new Miami Guava Wheat Beer was hand-crafted by Colin Presby (brewmaster on the shipboard brewery) and made with best ingredients.

• The Miami Guava beer has a light body and its primary ingredient is pink guava, also used in Miami's popular guava pastries. The new beer is available on a limited basis, and joins the other original draft beers brewed on the ship - ThirstyFrog Red (clean and light), ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin' IPA (floral flavor, with passion fruit and citrus overtones), ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat (unfiltered lager with banana aroma and spices), FriskyFrog Java Stout (with hints of coffee), ParchedPig West Coast IPA (West Coast IPA/India Pale Ale, citrus and pine aroma), ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale (toasted caramel/biscuit flavored), Carnival Birthday Beer (golden ale introduced in 2022 for the company's 50th Anniversary).
• Concrete Beach Brewery is an "Alchemy and Science" beer brand, operating as an independent subsidiary of "The Boston Beer Company". Other "Alchemy and Science" breweries in the USA include Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles) and Coney Island Brewing Co (Brooklyn, NYC New York). Their most popular draft beers are named "Tropic of Passion" (Miami), Angel City IPA (LA), and Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner (NYC).
• US-homeported Carnival ships serve the Concrete Beach Brewery’s Rica Wheat IPA, Angel City Brewery’s Pilsner, Coney Island’s Hard Root Beer, and 1609 Amber. On a regional basis, Carnival ships leaving from Miami offer Concrete Beach Brewery's Stiltsville Pilsner, ships from Long Beach (Los Angeles) offer Angel City Brewery IPA, and ships departing from NYC offer Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner.

Carnival Cruise Line also offers draft beers brewed either locally (in homeports) or within the homeport state. Such beers are offered on liners leaving from NOLA New Orleans, Galveston TX, Baltimore MD, and Tampa FL, as well as on boats visiting Alaska and Hawaii.

The current list of draft beers brewed on the ship includes ThirstyFrog Red (clean and light), ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin' IPA (floral flavor, with passion fruit and citrus overtones), ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat (unfiltered lager with banana aroma and spices), FriskyFrog Java Stout (with hints of coffee), ParchedPig West Coast IPA (West Coast IPA/India Pale Ale, citrus and pine aroma), ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale (toasted caramel/biscuit flavored), Miami Guava (primary ingredient is pink guava), ParchedPig Farmhouse Ale (dry beer), ParchedPig Smoked Porter (in-house smoked malt, hickory smoke, molasses), ParchedPig Beach Lager (golden ale available both on tap and in cans/when served in bars/dining venues), Carnival Birthday Beer (golden ale introduced in 2022 for the company's 50th Anniversary).

Follows the complete list of Carnival Vista restaurants and food bars.

• Reflections Restaurant (1474-seat, complimentary MDR; the bigger of ship’s two main dining rooms; offers two fixed dinner seatings and open seating Breakfast and Lunch; “Seuss At Sea” themed breakfasts costs $5 cover charge)
• Horizon’s Restaurant (702-seat; offers formal dining with two fixed dinner seatings and “Anytime Dining” between 5:45-9:30 p.m.)
• Bonsai Sushi Bar (Japanese restaurant)
• (new) Guy's Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse / Brewhouse is a complimentary open-air restaurant for a variety of BBQ favorites (with shipboard-smoked meats) and house-made craft beers. The menu features pork butt, blue ribbon chicken, sliced smoked beef, Guy Fieri's traditional sides, and gourmet burgers, a variety of BBQ sauces, hot sauce bar. Signature menu items are named Mac Daddy Mac'n Cheese, Old Skool Potato Salad, Scratch-Made Slaw, Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey, Molasses Baked Beans with Bacon and Burnt Ends. The new complimentary eatery is via a partnership with celebrity chef Guy Fieri. The other Fun Ship with a brewery is Carnival Horizon .
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (specialty restaurant, with “Chef’s Table” dining)
• Guy’s Burger Joint (poolside burger bar)
• Guy’s Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse
• Bluelguana Cantina (poolside Mexican fast food bar)
• Alchemy Bar
• Lido Marketplace (825-seat self-service buffet restaurant)
• Pizzeria del Capitano (24-hour pizzeria restaurant)
• Seafood Shack (offers indoor and outdoor seating, lobster and shrimp; a la carte priced)
• Cucina del Capitano (Italian Trattoria)
• Ji Ji Asian Kitchen (specialty Asian restaurant)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Long-known for an abundance of entertainment, Carnival is not sitting on its laurels with Vista. The fun onboard starts with SkyRide, the industry's first open-air, pedal-powered aerial ride. Riders have to climb onboard a hanging bike and "cycle" their way around the 800ft suspended track, 150 feet above sea level.

If you consider that SkyRide does not provide the needed adrenaline-pumping action, SkyCourse ropes circuit will do. Both SkyCourse and SkyRide are part of the SportSquare, which also features an indoor hangout, mini-bowling, The Clubhouse, Ping-Pong, sports video gaming, arcade basketball and more.

Vista also boasts the biggest Carnival WaterWorks park, including the enclosed Kaleid-O-Slide water tube, on which riders enjoy 455 ft (139 m) of turns, twists and unique kaleidoscopic visual effects. Traditionally, the WaterWorks park also includes the Carnival's signature Twister waterslide, kids splash zone, and the 300-gallon tipping bucket PowerDrencher.

The following official YouTube video reviews Carnival's Vista-class vessels (Vista and Horizon) as facilities and onboard amenities.

Follows the complete list of Carnival Vista lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Family Harbor Lounge (a new, dedicated to families space with 24-hour complimentary dining, concierge and babysitting service, movies, video games, board games by Hasbro)
• Liquid Lounge (1400-seat, 2-level show lounge, with “Playlist Productions” and “Hasbro Game Shows”)
• Vista Atrium (3-deck high midship lounge area with LED screens, live performances, visual displays; served by 100-seat Vista Lobby Bar)
• Shopping Arcade (with two Boutique Shops and two Fun Shops); Pixels Photo Gallery and Shop; Dream Photo Studio; Cherry on Top (candy shop)
• Vista Casino (484-seat)
• Limelight Lounge
• Lanai promenade (with 60 outdoor seats, served by Lanai Bar-BQ Bar)
• FunHub (Internet room)
• Shake Spot; Taste Bar; Havana Bar; Clubhouse and Bar; JavaBlue Café
• Ocean Plaza (270-seat lounge served by 50-seat Plaza Cafe)
• Havana Outside (Havana pool area with one swimming pool, two whirlpools, palm trees)
• Carnival Multiplex (includes IMAX and Thrill cinemas)
• Thrill Theatre (5D cinema room)
• IMAX Theater (the first IMAX at sea, with 3-deck high screen)
• Circle C (kids club lounge); Club O2 (teens club lounge)
• Warehouse (Video Arcade)
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar (poolside Mexican bar)
• RedFrog Rum Bar (also serves the ThirstyFrog Red draught beer)
• Tides Pool (with one swimming pool, two Whirlpools, sunbathing area; served by Tides Bar)
• Camp Ocean (formerly known as "Camp Carnival" - youth activities program)
• Dr. Seuss Bookville (family-themed kids room with all Dr. Seuss books available to read; offers games and themed activities)
• Carnival Cloud 9 Spa (wellness complex)
• Carnival WaterWorks (water-play outdoor area with AquaPark, Twister waterslide, Kaleid-O-Slide)
• Seaside Theatre (with huge LED screen)
• SportSquare (outdoor sporting area); SkyGreens (mini golf); Jogging Track
• SkyFitness (outdoors)
• SkyRide (“bicycle ride in the sky”)
• SkyCourse (suspended ropes course)
• Serenity Retreat (adults relaxation area served by Serenity Bar, with 2 cantilevered Whirlpools and sunbathing area).

Itineraries

During the 2016 inaugural season in Europe, the liner operated on 8- to 13-day Mediterranean itineraries out of homeports Athens Greece and Barcelona Spain . In November, the ship was repositioned to New York for two 11-day cruises and later that month started year-round Caribbean service from Miami .

The 2017-2018 program was based on departures from PortMiami Florida . On its roundtrips from Florida, the liner visited popular islands and ports in Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, including Dominicana, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Jamaica, Grand Turk, St Kitts, St Maarten, Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao.

On September 23, 2018, Carnival Vista arrived in its new homeport Galveston Texas , where joined the fleet mates Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom for year-round departures from the port. Together, the three liners operate over 200 voyages and carrying over 600,000 passengers annually.

From Galveston TX, Carnival Vista cruises on 7-day Western Caribbean itineraries visiting Jamaica (Montego Bay), Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Mexico (Cozumel).

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Carnival Vista Wiki

The vessel (Fincantieri Monfalcone yard/hull number 6242) has volume 133596 GT-tons, DWT-deadweight tonnage 13415 tons, max draught 8,6 m. The powerplant is based on 5x MAN marine diesel engines (4-stroke, common-rail injection/2x 14V48/60CR plus 3x 8L48/60CR) with combined output 62,4 MW (83680 hp). The propulsion is diesel-electric and based on two ABB Azipod thrusters with combined output 33 MW (44250 hp). The registered shipowner is CARNIVAL CORPORATION while the registered manager is CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE (both companies are Florida USA-based).

The vessel's steel-cutting ceremony was in February 2014, and its keel was laid in October. By gross tonnage, Vista-class are currently the largest Carnival liners. They also have new for the fleet features, like Multiplex media entertainment complex (IMAX theater - 3-deck high LED screen for first-run movies, plus 3D Thrill cinema), SkyRide (roller coaster with multiple riding bicycles on 2 paralleled tracks), larger SportsSquare complex, Havana Outside complex (pool, jacuzzies, bar, new Havana cruise accommodations), Family Harbor staterooms (with its own family-themed lounge /24-hour dining, concierge, babysitting, entertainment).

On April 28, 2016, the ship was officially delivered to Carnival Corporation by Fincantieri Monfalcone . After the repositioning from shipyard Monfalcone to Trieste started the "Inaugural Cruise" (May 1). The 13-day maiden voyage itinerary (Trieste to Barcelona, May 1 - 14) visited Dubrovnik, Athens, Izmir, Iraklion, Valletta, Palermo, Rome, Livorno, and Marseille.

On June 25, 2015, was the vessel's launch (float-out from drydock) at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard. The ceremony was preceded by the traditional “coin ceremony”, during which a silver dollar was welded on the ship's last deck. Godmothers of the launching were Heidi Heald and Kye Heald - respectively, wife and daughter of John Heald (Carnival Corporation's Brand Ambassador). The ceremony was also attended by Benoit Clement (Carnival's VP New Builds & Refurbishment), Gabriele Cocco (Fincantieri's Merchant Ships Business Unit's SE and VP) and Attilio Dapelo (Monfalcone shipyard's Director).

On November 4, 2016, was the vessel's christening ceremony held in NYC New York . Ship's official godmother is Mrs Deshauna Barber ("Miss USA 2016"). She is the first US military-serving woman who won the 65th Miss USA pageant (held on June 5, 2016, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada). The cruise ship's naming ceremony was part of an overnight onboard event honoring "Operation Homefront" (nonprofit supporting US military families). This special event featured an exclusive (invitation-only) concert performances by the US country music star Carrie Underwood. Being an overnight ceremony, the invited nearly 2000 guests (Carnival executives, travel agents, media, hundreds of military families) also enjoyed free accommodations, food, drinks, and all the themed activities and onboard entertainment.

Carnival Vista's Inaugural season was in Europe. Mediterranean itineraries were scheduled for the whole 2016 summer, visiting ports in Greece and Greek Isles (Athens, Corfu, Rhodes, Crete /Heraklion), Turkey (Izmir), Spain (Barcelona, Palma), Croatia (Dubrovnik), Italy/Sicily (Livorno, Messina, Sardinia, Trieste, Naples, Rome), Malta (La Valetta) and France (Marseille). Ship's Inaugural Cruise/Maiden Voyage started on May 1, 2016, from Trieste Italy . The 13-day itinerary ended in Barcelona Spain . The maiden voyage was followed by a total of 18x Mediterranean cruises (in Europe). After the summer European season (May through October 2016) followed the 13-day Inaugural Transatlantic cruise crossing to NYC.

Ship's first US homeport was Miami Florida . Out of Miami were operated year-round roundtrip 7-day Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries (starting November 2016).

Carnival Vista refurbishment 2024 review

On January 8th, 2024, the ship left Port Canaveral Florida USA for an 8-day Transatlantic crossing to Europe, arriving in Cadiz Spain (Jan 16th, at 15:36 UTC) for a scheduled drydock.

The two-week drydocking project was conducted at Navantia Shipyard. It was for general maintenance works (technical overhaul, classification inspections, indoor renovation works), as well as hull cleaning/painting, including the addition of CCL’s new hull livery (red-white-blue).

All public areas (facilities and venues) as well as all passenger staterooms were refurbished.

Bahamas 2019 drydocking by Boskalis Vanguard

In July 2019, Carnival contracted the Dutch dredging and heavy-lift company Royal Boskalis Westminster NV (headquartered in Papendrecht, Holland) to lift Carnival Vista out of the water and onto the vessel BOKA Vanguard (IMO 9618783) and transport the cruise ship to Grand Bahama Shipyard ( Freeport Bahamas ) for repairs.

This floating drydock operation (world's first for a passenger ship) was required due to technical issues with liner’s azipods (propulsion units positioned under waterline). For the operation, Boskalis deployed the heavy-load carrier BOKA Vanguard - currently world’s largest heavy-lifting vessel (semi-submersible platform).

The carrier arrived in The Bahamas on July 5 to prepare for liner’s arrival (July 12). The loading and lifting operation was planned for July 12-14. Carnival Vista's repairs took place whilst the ship was on BOKA Vanguard. Due to the needed repairs , the ship was out of service for 3 weeks and three 7-day Western Caribbean cruises from homeport Galveston TX were canceled (departures July 6, 13, 20). Note: Grand Bahama Shipyard's drydock facility sustained damages when a crane collapsed onto Oasis Of The Seas (April 1, 2019).

BOKA Vanguard vessel is usually used to lift and transport large-sized offshore structures (oil and gas platforms), also to carry other vessels and as an offshore floating drydock. The ship has an open and flat stern and bow deck (275x70 m / 902x230 ft) allowing it to handle cargoes that are longer and wider. The deck is submerged by controlled filling vessel's ballast tanks with seawater. As drydocking facility, BOKA Vanguard allows under waterline inspections and hull/propulsion repairs to be conducted at sea.

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Carnival Vista Deck Plans & Reviews

Carnival Vista

Activities & entertainment

• Art Auction
• Carnival Multiplex
• Carnival WaterWorks™
• Cloud 9 Spa Treatment Rooms *
• Dance Classes
• Deck Parties
• Dreams Studio *
• Evening Kids Programs *
• Family Harbor Lounge
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Classes *
• Green Eggs n Ham Breakfast *
• Groove For St. Jude *
• Hot Tubs (6)
• Ice Carving Demonstrations
• IMAX Theatre *
• Internet Café *
• Outdoor Playground
• Photo Portraits *
• Relax Room *
• Seuss-A-Palooza Parade & Storytime
• Spa Parties *
• SportSquare™
• Thalasso Pool
• The Salon *
• The Warehouse Video Arcade *
• Thermal Suites *
• Thrill Theater *
• White Party
• Wine Tasting *
• Waterslides (2)
• Dr. Seuss Bookville
• The Clubhouse
• Carnival Seaside Theater
• Comedy Shows
• Limelight Lounge
• Lip Sync Battle
• Liquid Lounge
• Live Nightly Music
• Outdoor Movies
• Vista Casino *
• Horizons Restaurant - American
• Reflections Restaurant - American
• Ji Ji Asian Kitchen - Asian *
• Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ - BBQ
• Cherry On Top - Candies *
• Cherry On Top Outdoor Area - Candies *
• Lido Marketplace - Casual
• Havana Bar - Cuban Bar *
• Guy's Burger Joint - Fast Food
• Chef's Table - Gourmet *
• Fresh Creations - Healthy Fare
• Cucina del Capitano™ - italian *
• Bonsai Sushi - Japanese *
• Bonsai Sushi Outdoor Dining - Japanese *
• Taste Bar - Light Bites
• Vista Lobby and Bar - Lobby Bar *
• Alchemy Bar - Martini Bar *
• BlueIguana Cantina - Mexican
• Shake Spot - Milkshakes *
• Piano Bar 88 - Piano Bar *
• Pizzeria del Capitano - Pizza
• Tides Bar - Pool Bar *
• RedFrog Rum Bar - Poolside Rum *
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar - Poolside Tequila *
• Plaza Bar - Popular Bar *
• RedFrog Pub & Brewery - Pub *
• Library Bar - Quiet Bar *
• Serenity Bar - Quiet Pool Bar *
• Seafood Shack - Seafood *
• Sports Bar - Sports Bar *
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse - Steakhouse *
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse Outdoor Dining - Steakhouse *
• Excellent 37
• Very Good 22
• Terrible 11
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The Ultimate Guide to Carnival Vista ®

By Carnival Cruise Line

On a cruise onboard Carnival Vista ® , there’s no such thing as too good to be true. In fact, every moment spent on our seafaring marvel is another opportunity to discover fun and excitement, dining for every mood and taste, relaxation, or just about anything else your heart might desire.

While we understand those are some lofty claims, we promise this is one of those rare occasions where your expectations are met and then some. So give us a few minutes as we take you through our Ultimate Guide to Carnival Vista ® and the countless experiences waiting for you. Because no matter your age or interests, on a family vacation or couple’s getaway, your cruise vacation is going to be the time of your life.

Outdoor Excitement and Ocean Breezes

Even if you start your Carnival Vista ® cruise from Galveston as a land lover, it won’t take long to absolutely fall in love with the warm ocean breezes and endless blue horizons. These outdoor activities are just a sampling of what you’ll find during your cruise vacation to quicken your pulse, melt into relaxation, and create memories impossible to outlive.

Wet & Wild Fun While Sailing the Seven Seas

Who doesn’t love slipping and sliding their way down twisting tubes and slippery slides? At WaterWorks , Carnival’s onboard water park, we do you one better by combining the drenched thrills of some seriously fun rides with panoramic views from the top of our impressive ship. Bring some towels, though, because WaterWorks guarantees you a thorough soaking.

Challenge Your Skills Surrounded by Perfect Ocean Views

Now that you’re relaxed and ready for more outdoor thrills, our ropes course  is a fun and heart-racing way to test your physical skills in an obstacle course you won’t soon forget. Balance yourself across ropes and platforms high above the ship while safely strapped in to really let that adventurous spirit soar. It might take a while for your adrenaline to wear off once you’re done with this literal high-wire act.

A Relaxing Oasis

As fun and exciting as a Carnival cruise is, sometimes a bit of quiet and deep relaxation is needed to recharge the batteries. The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat ™ onboard Carnival Vista ® is exactly that, an on-deck oasis with a nearby bar and all the R&R you need before heading off to the next round of excitement.

Take Flight at Sea

Speaking of panoramic views, a truly breathtaking experience awaits you at SkyRide ® , a pedal-powered race along tracks soaring above the deck. This safe but endlessly exciting adventure pits you against a fellow cruiser as you race along a towering course, with the ocean as an unforgettable backdrop. Given the incredible views, no one will blame you if you forget about the race and slow down to soak in the scenery.

Hit the Mini Links

For a slightly more sedate but equally fun outdoor experience, a quick round of Mini Golf might be a perfect choice. Enjoy everything about the miniature golf you grew up playing, only this time while cruising the seas. Fun for the entire family , put those putting skills to the test surrounded by all of the unforgettable sights and sounds of a memorable family cruise.

Indoor Entertainment and Excitement

One of the things that makes Carnival Vista ® such a unique experience is its combination of outdoor thrills and indoor excitement. Put another way, as much fun as you’ll have on-deck, there’s an entire world of indoor activities that are sure to make your days and nights go by in the blink of an eye. Here are just a handful of those activities to whet your appetite and give you a glimpse of the amazing times you’ll have inside.

A Battle for the Ages Worthy of TV

You’ve seen it on TV, practiced while driving to work, but now it’s time to test your mettle on a stage for others to appreciate. With Lip Sync Battle ™ , Carnival provides the music, props, costumes and dancers, but you provide the skills and moves to let that inner pop star run wild. Put on a show for the ages as you go against others cruisers in a bid to be crowned the lip sync champion of the ship.

Bring Some Vegas to Your Cruise

There aren’t too many settings as lively and vivid as a casino. Bells ring, machines whirr, and the entire environment feels alive with excitement. With slots, blackjack, poker, and different table games to test your skills and luck in Carnival’s Casino , you’ll suddenly feel like you’ve been whisked away to the Vegas strip. Don’t forget to join the Carnival Players Club ® for special perks, offers, and exclusive invitations available only to members.

A Silver Screen Like No Other

There are movies, and then there are IMAX movies, and your theater experience will never be the same after the latter. Watching a first-run Hollywood blockbuster in Carnival Vista’s ® IMAX theater is immersive and exciting, with images so big and sounds so crisp you’ll feel like you’re actually in the movie. A bucket of popcorn doesn’t stand a chance as action stars and big screen romance sweep you off of your feet and put you in the middle of a true cinematic experience.

Pamper Yourself

As the name suggests, a visit to the Cloud 9 Spa ™ is an opportunity to envelop yourself in absolute peace and relaxation. Prepare to be pampered by our specialists with a massage, facial, body wraps, or in our thermal suites to loosen those muscles and feel any remnants of tension just melt away.

A Microbrewery and Pub, Carnival Style

Whether you’re a beer connoisseur or just in search of a loose and inviting atmosphere, the RedFrog Pub & Brewery ™ is an onboard gem offering good company and better conversation as you sample the perfected craft of artisanal brewmasters. Kick back and have a pint of some of the finest IPAs and ales you’ll ever run across along with live music, pub games, food, and fun to spare.

Smooth Tunes and Good Times

Rat Packers, jazz enthusiasts, mellow tunes, and a relaxed and fun vibe all swirl around the Piano Bar onboard Carnival Vista ® . It’s a spot open until the wee hours of the night for those looking for a live pianist taking requests, sing-alongs to classics, and tasty cocktails to set the mood . We have yet to find anyone in the Piano Bar not snapping their fingers, tapping their feet, or sitting around the piano without a content smile on their face.

Magical Concoctions Await You

The bartenders at the Alchemy Bar ™ are artists and scientists, twisting ingredients into new and surprising combinations that intrigue both your taste buds and imagination. You’ll be reintroduced to familiar cocktails — even non-alcoholic if that’s your preference– in an entirely different light as well as new and novel concoctions. Enjoy the relaxed environment and chart tasty new territory with our wizardly bartenders leading the way.

A Taste of Old Cuba

An authentic and captivating mix of old Cuban charm, coffee, and cocktails saturate every corner of the Havana Bar . Accept this invitation to transport yourself back to the often romanticized but rarely duplicated Cuba of yesteryear, where the rum is fantastic, the music and dancing are hypnotic, and the atmosphere is electric with rhythm and flair. The Havana Bar is a unique place onboard Carnival Vista ® and enchanting for all that wander through its inviting doors.

Delicious Dining for All Tastes and Occasions

From refined and modern cuisine to bold twists on classic comfort food, the cruise dining options on Carnival Vista ® are indeed something to behold. Don’t believe us? Well, just take a look at a handful of what’s available to you, but don’t say we didn’t give you and your taste buds fair warning.

Authentic BBQ With Personality

Barbeque done right sings on your palate with a dizzying blend of texture, taste, and aroma that makes your mouth water in anticipation for the next bite. Luckily for you, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse marries the fertile imagination and robust cooking chops of the famous TV food host to create a barbecue lover’s paradise. From succulent ribs and sausage to chicken and a variety of delectable sides, there’s no chance of you leaving Guy’s hungry or not wanting more as soon as possible.

Iconic Dishes in a Traditional Italian Trattoria

There’s something to be said for nostalgia and comfort, feeling a connection with a place even when it’s new to you. This is precisely the sense you’ll have when walking into Cucina del Capitano ® , a traditional Italian trattoria with everything from exquisitely prepared classic Italian dishes to the famous and familiar red and white checkered tablecloths. Served famiglia-style in a relaxed ambiance, Cucina del Capitano ® is an ideal place for quality family time over a fantastic meal.

A Modern Take on Classic Chinese

At JiJi Asian Kitchen ® , everything old is definitely new again as classic dishes and a traditional northern-country style are reinterpreted through a modern lens. The result is a menu and setting that are just as intriguing as they are satisfying, a delight for both your tummy and imagination. We must warn you, however, that the word is definitely out on JiJi Asian Kitchen ® – so make reservations ahead of time to make sure you don’t miss out on this incredible culinary experience.

Diner Burgers at Their Finest

Another memorable dining experience from the TV food host’s creative mind and expert skills at the grill, Guy’s Burger Joint kicks it up a notch with mouthwatering burgers in a Route 66 style setting. There’s nothing fancy about the burgers, hand-cut fries, or toppings bar, just delicious food in a laid-back atmosphere that’s sure to be one of your favorite places after a busy day of fun and thrills onboard.

Mexican Classics Your Way

What do you get when you cross amazing burritos and tacos made to your liking with a relaxed and casual vibe? Well, you get BlueIguana Cantina ™ , and it’s every bit as delicious as you would imagine. With homemade tortillas and salsa, dishes made to order, and views overlooking the deck and endless ocean, everyone in the family will love BlueIguana, especially when you need something quick and delicious to eat before your next exciting adventure.

A cruise vacation onboard Carnival Vista ® is an experience that stays with you long after you’re back home and knee-deep in your daily routine. With thrills and entertainment, relaxation and almost too many dining options to choose from, Carnival Vista ® is a feast for the senses that no one in your family will forget. In other words, there’s no time like the present to start looking forward to the amazing days and nights you’ll spend onboard, so book your dream cruise vacation today and start counting those minutes. We promise you won’t be sorry.

Note: Onboard activities, shore excursions, and dining options may vary by  ship  and destination.

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About Carnival Vista

Carnival Vista debuted in May 2016 as the first of Carnival Cruise Line's innovative Vista Class series with lots of fun and exciting new features. The 133,500-ton, 3,954-guest ship is also its largest to-date, designed to highlight the connection of passengers with the special seagoing experience with added outdoor spaces and al fresco dining venues so you can enjoy the fresh sea breezes. The floating resort is ideal for families, groups of friends and cruisers of all ages with an abundance of amenities and activities, including almost 30 dining and drinking venues. Chill-out at the many bars, including one where you can taste craft beers at the onboard brewery.

Whether you're looking for a fun retreat at the new Family Harbor staterooms or you prefer the privacy of the new Havana Cabanas, you will feel right at home in spacious accommodations. Leisurely pleasures also abound. Indulge in a host of rejuvenating treatments massages, at the two-deck spa, relax in the thermal suite with four steam chambers and keep up with your exercise routines at a fitness center and at the jogging track. A hair and beauty salon offers a variety of services.

Stretch out on a Balinese-style lounge at an area that is a retreat that is exclusive for adults while also enjoying bar service and the glorious vistas. Melt your cares away at the peaceful whirlpools and get a massage in a private hut. While you are indulging in some "me" time, excitement and fun are provided to children with age-specific youth activities .

Several exciting features made their debut on Carnival Vista, such as the first IMAX Theatre at sea and an open-air aerial attraction designed for thrill-seekers which lets them ride recumbent-like bikes and circle around the 800-foot track 150 feet above the sea. The water park features Carnival Cruise Line's first raft-riding water tube slide — at 455-feet-long — you will have an exhilarating time. You can also relax at the three pools and head to the huge sports area for some family fun time at a ropes course, mini-golf and more.

Enticing culinary delights are offered on Carnival Vista. Savor delicious international cuisine at the two main dining rooms, both with an extensive menu that changes daily. The casual Lido buffet features a variety of food to please everyone's palate and Carnival's first seafood shack — a New England-inspired eatery — serves such classics as lobster rolls, crab cakes and clam chowder. Enticing culinary options also include delicious Asian dishes, sushi, Mexican cuisine and a classic steakhouse. Grab a hand-crafted burger with all the toppings and fresh-cut fries at the poolside burger joint.

Choose from a variety of spacious accommodations, including suites, balconies, interior staterooms and oceanviews. "Family Zone" with Family Harbor Staterooms & Suites were introduced on Carnival Vista and can accommodate up to five guests. Retreat to your own oasis at the new Havana Cabana Suites, with a rain shower in the bathroom and private outdoor patio where you can sink into comfy lounge chairs and enjoy the sea breeze from a hammock. Designed with a relaxing ambiance, spa staterooms and suites offer guests easy spa access and other amenities.

Entertainment on Carnival Vista, including the first at sea IMAX Theatre, shows Hollywood blockbusters on a three-deck-high screen. A huge multiplex offers a theater with special effects that will leave you awe-struck. The comedians will keep you laughing at the comedy club. Go dancing and join in the fun at deck parties. Unforgettable nights include a magical experience under the stars with spectacular lighting effects and the excitement at the bustling casino. Enjoy new vistas on this fun-filled ship.

Carnival Vista sails to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

Grand Suite

A Grand Suite aboard Carnival Vista features even more space than the standard suite — there’s plenty of room in your room! This stateroom is loaded for an unparalleled experience: VIP check-in, a huge balcony, and a convenient dressing area with vanity. And outside your room, you’ll even enjoy access to the Havana Pool.

Havana Cabana Suite

You could call the Havana Cabana Suite the crème de la crème… but that's French. So here's your Spanish lesson for today: la habitación mejor. In "the best room" you'll find all the luxury of a suite, all decked out in Cuba-inspired decor. Outside your Havana Cabana Suite lies a private lounging area with your own deck chairs and hammock, plus exclusive daytime access to Havana Pool area... not to mention amenities like VIP check-in, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom with one luxurious rain shower. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Cloud 9 Spa Suite

A Cloud 9 Spa Suite is the ultimate in both stateroom and spa accommodations. There's room for you and your things — with a large room and balcony — and a walk-in closet. The soothing in-room whirlpool tub will help you stay relaxed after your relaxing spa treatment. And like all suites, a Cloud 9 Spa Suite features VIP check-in, which lets you easily get right up to your amazing stateroom.

Family Suite

Family life is the sweet life, whether on land or at sea… and especially when in a Family Harbor Suite. Your whole crew will enjoy not only the stretch-out space, huge balcony and other perks a suite offers, but a nautical décor specially-designed for Family Harbor staterooms. And while you sail along, the kids and the adults can make use of exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, plus other exclusive perks around the ship. In-room, there’s a full bathroom… plus the convenience of a separate washroom. A private yacht it’s not… but leave the sailing to us — you’d rather be relaxing anyway.

Ocean Suite

A Carnival Vista suite is the ultimate way to cruise. With more space for stretching out indoors, plus a large balcony for kicking back outdoors, try an Ocean Suite to experience private, luxurious relaxation. Ocean Suites also include VIP check-in, walk-in closet and bathroom with whirlpool tub

Junior Suite (obstructed view)

As you step into a Junior Suite aboard Carnival Vista, you can't help but feel that you're stepping into full-size luxury in a smaller package. Featuring a standard-size balcony, in a Carnival Vista Junior Suite you'll find everything else there is to love about a suite, including VIP check-in, a walk-in closet; and even a whirlpool tub for relaxing. (Note that rooms of this type have obstructed views.)

Havana Premium Vista Balcony

Since no other one will do, we'll go ahead and invent a Spanish word to describe the Havana Premium Vista Balcony stateroom: balconissimo. In this 'balconiest' of Havana staterooms, you'll find classic old-time Cuban decor that's practically overflowing with flavor. And outside — oh, that balcony! — it wraps around for maximum coverage, and the most sea-breezed private lounging area. For a mid-day change of scenery, you'll also have exclusive access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Havana Premium Balcony

There's more to a Havana Premium Balcony stateroom than just the extra outdoor space for staring out at the ocean. A view like this is entertaining, and this balcony is designed for sharing it. Invite someone special to come along and share the comfy interior as well, featuring classic Havana decor and exclusive access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Havana Aft-View Extended Balcony

For a stateroom with that classic Havana decor larger balcony and a great view, just look back. A Havana Aft-View Extended Balcony puts you in the rear of the ship, prime location already for enjoying a view of the sea and the ship's wake as you sail along... but perhaps even more so thanks to the larger balcony. And let's not forget about all that Havana flavor — both in-room and out — with exclusive access to the Havana Pool area. (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Havana Cabana Balcony

There are amenities by the handful in this Havana-flavored stateroom, but the one that'll excite you most of all is likely to be this: Havana Cabana staterooms come with an outdoor patio — complete with your own loungy deck chairs — right outside your room. They also feature Cuba-inspired decor, exclusive access to Havana Pool area and loads of sunlight with floor-to-ceiling window, but like we said... your very own deck chairs! (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Premium Vista Balcony

Premium Vista Balcony staterooms were designed to wrap around the aft corners of Carnival Vista, giving you a unique vantage point from which to enjoy luxuriously panoramic views of the sky and the sea — and yes, take in even more of that sunshine.

Premium Balcony

We designed Carnival Vista balcony staterooms for maximum sea breeze and the most stunning views, and this stateroom features a balcony that's even wider than our standard balcony. Enjoy the extra outdoor space, along with all the standard Carnival stateroom amenities.

Cloud 9 Spa Balcony

Whether you're warming up for your spa appointment or winding down after your treatment, there's no better place to do it than on your Cloud 9 Spa Balcony. Breathing is important — take the ocean breeze in, then let it out — you're already getting the hang of the whole spa thing!

Aft-View Extended Balcony

Aft-View Extended Balcony staterooms feature a larger balcony for more lounge-around room, more kick-back space... not to even mention some of the best stern-side views you'll find anywhere. Get ready to relax as you gaze upon Carnival Vista's gentle wake from your spacious balcony.

Family Cove Balcony

If your group likes to sail a little closer to the waves — or just in a calm location at the aft of the ship — choose a Family Harbor Cove Balcony stateroom. You’ll find your outpost a wave-watcher’s paradise… and while we can’t promise, you just might catch a living, swimming marine biology lesson from your railing! This stateroom features a unique nautical décor inspired by the craft of seafaring itself. The whole family will also enjoy exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, plus more great perks around the ship.

Balcony staterooms were designed for maximum sea breeze and the most stunning views, so look to a balcony if you're looking to cruise aboard Carnival Vista. Any time you're in your room, you're just steps away from your own personal outdoor oasis, featuring the sort of sea view you can also feel.

Cove Balcony

Love the sea? Carnival Vista Cove Balcony staterooms are the best way to see the sea — these rooms get you close to the waterline, and feature balconies that let you make the most of your location. Enjoy things from a whole new perspective: one amazing up-close view of the wake and seafoam as the ship cruises along.

Guaranteed Balcony

This category can be booked for a special rate, guaranteed to you. Please note that the category is not associated at the time of booking with a specific stateroom, deck, bedding configuration or other particular settings. The assignment of an actual cabin will be performed during your check-in. The cabin can be anywhere on the ship.

Cloud 9 Spa Ocean View (walkway view)

The best way to enjoy the relaxing, invigorating Cloud 9 Spa while on a cruise is in a spa stateroom, and this one fits the bill, providing comfy accommodations and convenient, priority access to treatments and services at the Cloud 9 Spa. (Note that rooms of this type have obstructed views.)

Family Deluxe Ocean View

Let the whole family — especially the little ones — experience the wide-eyed wonder of a room with a view: a Family Harbor Deluxe Ocean View stateroom. Not only are the sky, the sea and the sights beautiful to behold from your window, but Family Harbor staterooms feature a unique nautical décor inspired by the craft of seafaring itself. And while you sail along, the whole family will enjoy not only exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge and more great perks around the ship, but a convenient full bathroom… plus a separate washroom.

Deluxe Ocean View

On Carnival Vista, Deluxe Ocean View staterooms are a great choice for families who want to let the sun shine in as they sail. Rooms of this type feature great views, a full bathroom — plus a separate washroom — and while stateroom configurations vary, certain Deluxe Ocean View rooms have space to sleep up to five cruisers.

Family Ocean View

Let the whole family — especially the little ones — experience the wide-eyed wonder of sailing in a room with a view: a Family Harbor Ocean View stateroom. Not only will a vacation with a view like this help cultivate a lifelong love of the ocean, but Family Harbor staterooms feature a unique nautical décor inspired by the craft of seafaring itself. And while you sail along, the whole family will enjoy exclusive access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, plus more great perks around the ship.

A picture window gives you views of scenery you won’t find anywhere on land, all from the comfort of your stateroom. Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television Stateroom climate control.

Guaranteed Ocean View

Cloud 9 Spa Interior

We've taken the warm essence of our Cloud 9 Spa and infused it into your room, plus you’ll get exclusive spa perks for maximum relaxation.Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control

Havana Interior

Extra sabor — for not a lot of dinero. This room is all flavorfully decked out in Old Havana style, plus there’s exclusive perks! (All Havana stateroom guests must be 12 or older.)

Family Interior

An affordable way to keep the family close, featuring a unique nautical décor and exclusive perks the whole gang is sure to love. Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television Stateroom climate control.

Interior with Picture Window (obstructed view)

Your picture window gives you a view beyond your stateroom, to the observation deck outside, including a great sky view. (Note: view will be partially obstructed.)

This is an affordable way to cruise without leaving out the comfort or convenience! Great for curling up after a long day of fun.Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control.

Interior Upper/Lower

These staterooms are great for a pair of cruisers on a budget, creatively maximizing space with a different layout — featuring one Twin bed, and either an upper Pullman or sofa bed.

Guaranteed Interior

This category can be booked for a special rate, guaranteed to you. Please note that the category is not associated at the time of booking with a specific stateroom, deck, bedding configuration or other particular settings. The assignment of an actual cabin will be performed during your check-in. The cabin can be anywhere on the ship with possible trundle bed.

View Deck Plan

BlueIguana Cantina

Deck: 10-Lido

Nobody knows Mexican dining like a blue iguana. Well, our blue iguana, at least. That’s why it should come as no surprise that the BlueIguana Cantina features freshly made tacos and burritos stuffed specially for your enjoyment. Throw our homemade tortillas and salsa into the mix, and you have a casual dining experience that will make you say “mmmm” (which is actually Iguanese for “more, please”).Nobody knows Mexican dining like a blue iguana. Well, our blue iguana, at least. That’s why it should come as no surprise that the BlueIguana Cantina features freshly made tacos and burritos stuffed specially for your enjoyment. Throw our homemade tortillas and salsa into the mix, and you have a casual dining experience that will make you say “mmmm” (which is actually Iguanese for “more, please”).

Bonsai Sushi

Deck: 5-Promenade

So maybe you’ve had sushi on a cruise before, but you’ve never had it like Bonsai Sushi, our onboard seafood-and-soy-sauce spot. Dine amidst expertly-pruned bonsai trees while enjoying sit-down service and an affordable menu of delectable sushi and sashimi… plus rolls, soups, sides, sakes and desserts. So the next time you’re taking an onboard stroll, stop at Bonsai Sushi for a little something satisfying.

The Chef's Table

Deck: 3-Lobby

The Chef's Table.

Cucina Del Capitano

The iconic red and white checkered tablecloth in your neighborhood Italian trattoria means you’re in for a certain kind of dining experience. At a table such as this, who’s gathered around is just as important as what’s being served, and we see these as the two halves of the experience at Cucina del Capitano

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

Turn your special vacation in the direction of delicious — book a table for an unforgettably delectable evening at the Steakhouse. Our menu features mouthwatering premium cuts of beef cooked to your exact specifications, as well as a fantastic selection of seafood, entrées, gourmet appetizers and an extensive wine list. The atmosphere pairs remarkably well with — and perhaps even enhances — the culinary creations of our gourmet chefs.

Guy's Burger Joint

We went looking for someone to help us grill up the best burgers at sea, and we found just the guy. Carnival has teamed up with best-selling author, restaurateur and Food Network personality Guy Fieri to bring all the authentic appeal of a roadside burger shack to Guy’s Burger Joint, the cool poolside spot for hot burgers and hand-cut fries. Try a fresh-off-the-grill burger Guy’s way, or take it off-road to our toppings bar and truly make it your own.

Horizons Restaurant

Decks: 4-Mezzanine 3-Lobby

Horizons Restaurant.

Ji Ji Asian Kitchen

A modern dining spot inspired by a society that measures its history in millennia, JiJi Asian Kitchen serves up enticing dishes in a thoughtfully-designed space that’s ripe for experiencing not only good food, but good fortune… and perhaps a surprise or two. You’ll enjoy your meal among Asian prayer rolls and Mongolian-inspired fabrics that infuse northern-country style into this unique culinary experience. JiJi offers a full-service menu featuring a mix of exotic and familiar dishes designed to challenge and delight your senses.

Seafood Shack

A good seafood dish is quite the catch. However you like yours served — whether it’s on a roll or a platter — Seafood Shack’s the place to cast your net. Imagine a New-England-style seaside spot where you can take it all in, enjoying a great meal complete with a side of ocean view. On a Carnival cruise is where you’ll find this shack by the sea, wherever in the world you happen to be

Reflections Restaurant

Reflections Restaurant.

Pizzeria Del Capitano

On Carnival ships, the captain tends to be kind of a big deal — almost a celebrity. On a few select ships, they’ve even got their own pizza kitchen. The best part? Pizzeria del Capitano is open to everyone, 24 hours a day! And since our captains tend to be Italian, you know the quality of the ingredients truly pass muster. (Sorry, nautical pun.) Hand-tossed dough, made from imported Italian flour, plus fresh mozzarella form a solid base, and a choice of toppings put the finishing touches on this piping hot, fresh-from-the-oven mealtime — or anytime — classic.

Lido Marketplace

Lido Marketplace.

Fresh creations

Deck: 15-Serenity

Sun, sea… salad? Yep! Leave the pizza and burgers for the kids — or maybe just for later — because we’ve got an all-grown-up chopped salad station right inside Serenity. Fresh Creations is free and it’s there when you need it most: on sea days, those lazy afternoons of lounging around and enjoying all the good stuff your ship has to offer. There’s plenty of good here, starting with nearly a dozen varieties of greens (really!), tons of protein and veggie options… only to be topped by dressings creamy, vinaigretty… and in some cases freshly made right there.

Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse

Cherry on Top

A cruise is the perfect time to treat yourself to something sweet, and Cherry On Top happens to be the perfect place. You'll find this well-stocked candy-and-more-store not only great for enjoying some of your confectionery favorites, but the place to pick up food and apparel gifts for that special someone, even if — admit it — that someone happens to be you!

Carnival Multiplex

Carnival Multiplex.

Dr. Seuss Bookville

Let’s use our imaginations — just think what would happen if we took a normal library and put it through one of Dr. Seuss’s wacky contraptions… set to maximum fun, of course. It would probably come out looking much like Dr. Seuss Bookville, which as you can imagine, is exclusively aboard Carnival! The room is all decked out in bright colors, fun and whimsical furniture and even has some of your all-time favorite Dr. Seuss characters on the walls. But let’s not forget that this space is all about the books — the shelves are filled to the brim for hours of fun reading.

Redfrog Pub & Brewery

You can enjoy a pint served with Caribbean atmosphere at RedFrog Pubs across the Carnival fleet. But at one location — RedFrog Pub & Brewery aboard Carnival Vista — there’s a real working brewery, right there inside the pub! Beer connoisseurs can be found delighting their palates with complex and delicious pints of craft-brew exclusives made just feet away by our onboard brewmaster, like ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA, ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, FriskyFrog Java Stout and ThirstyFrog American Pale Ale. Plus, our brewmaster is always dreaming up unique, small-batch seasonal brews. Of course, you’ll also find great craft cocktails at the full bar — after all, one of RedFrog’s founding principles is that good rum can be served up neat in a tasting flight… or mixed with refreshing tropical flavors. So fly on in for the great drinks, but stay for the atmosphere: live music, delicious bites and pub games make this brewery a welcoming, fun-for-all chill spot.

The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat is a world of complete peace, sea breezes and swaying hammocks. On Carnival Vista, we're taking the chill to new highs with even more options for stretching out and getting comfy. And now, you can get a light bite with a chopped salad station right here. Serenity’s the place to do the stuff that’s hard to do in everyday life — reconnect with your partner, finish that book, or do absolutely, blissfully, nothing at all.

Family Harbor Lounge

Family Harbor Lounge.

Guest Services

Guest Services.

Dance Floor

Dance Floor.

Vista Lobby and Bar

Vista Lobby and Bar.

Liquid Lounge

Decks: 4-Mezzanine 5-Promenade

Liquid Lounge.

Vista Atrium

Deck: 4-Mezzanine

First impressions are important — everyone knows that. We’ll let you in on a little secret: that’s why it’s so important to us that the atrium, your first taste of your Carnival cruise, tastes like ‘wow.’ From the moment you step aboard, the atrium — the heart of the ship — simply screams “welcome aboard!” It screams it with hustle, with bustle, with music and with high ceilings featuring panoramic views of the whole scene from the upper decks. This 360-degree funspot is also the home of the Guest Services desk, the place you go if you have questions for one of our certified fun experts… about just about anything that’s on your mind.

Vista Casino

Vista Casino.

What a hangout! From the moment your teen (age 15-17) steps into Club O2 they'll hang with friends, watch movies, listen to the latest music, play video games, join Karaoke jam sessions and more.

Sports Bar.

Art Gallery

Ah, imagine a perfect day out on the links, the golfer's zen of the ball, the hole and nothing in between but well-manicured fairway... plus one cactus, a treasure chest... and wait, is that a windmill in the way? Just who designed this course anyway? Whoever it was, they had one thing in mind — maximum fun for mini-golfers, big and small! That's precisely why you'll find a course on every Carnival ship, where you can hit the holes and take in everything you’d expect, like the sights and the sounds... plus the seagulls.

Limelight Lounge

Limelight Lounge.

Havana Bar.

Havana Pool

Havana Pool.

Decks: 5-Promenade 12-Spa, WaterWorks & Sports 15-Serenity 10-Lido

Ocean Plaza

Ocean Plaza’s where it all comes together — and all in all, it’s all kinds of delicious. Enjoy live music, coffee and snacks, dancing… and best of all the outdoors are right next door, so expect extra helpings of sunshine and sea breezes, simply ripe for the sitting and savoring. Oh, and when nature’s all done sunning for the day, Ocean Plaza transforms into a spot that’s seriously stunning for the night. Get your nightlife — not to mention your daylife — done at Ocean Plaza.

Dreams Studio

Dreams Studio.

Alchemy Bar

You don’t need to be a mix-master to appreciate Alchemy – you just have to be up for trying something new. We’ve been stirring up some magic behind the scenes here at Carnival to produce a tasty series of all-new cocktails served at this unique vintage-themed cocktail “pharmacy.” Let our cocktail specialists prescribe you something from the bar, with both nonalcoholic and alcoholic elixirs to remedy what ails you. Or, create your own custom concoction from a variety of unique ingredients.

The Library

The Library.

Piano Bar 88

Play it again, Sam. Or Diana. Or whatever your name is. Because this is the bar where you call the shots – and the songs. Pull up a seat, order your favorite cocktail, and let your friendly piano player know the songs you'd like to hear. Then join the sing-along for a hand-clapping, foot-tapping, finger-snapping good time. Don't feel like flexing your vocal cords? No worries. Shy songbirds are welcome here, too. And since it's open from early evening to late at night, it's the perfect spot for a before-dinner drink or singing 'til the wee hours of the evening.

Decks: 5-Promenade 4-Mezzanine

What does the “C” in Circle “C” stand for? Well, “chill,” “connect” and “cool,” just to name a few. It’s where young teens ages 12 to 14 go to hang out, meet new friends, and enjoy some pretty awesome activities like dance parties, games, outdoor movies and more, in the special Circle “C” area or around the ship. It’s all supervised by friendly and fun-loving counselors who want your young teens to have the best vacation ever.

The Warehouse Video Arcade

If you love to play video games, you’re in luck. Our video arcade boasts a huge array of games, and is open to players of all ages, all night and all day. So get some tokens from the vending machine and let the fun times begin. Challenge your friends to a game, or just see if you can beat the top score. After all, with the video arcade open 24 hours and an entire cruise ahead of you, you have plenty of time to try

Thrill Theater

Thrill Theater.

Imax Theater

Imax Theater.

Tides Pool.

Beach Pool.

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar

BlueIguana Tequila Bar is the onboard spot to chill and enjoy a slushy tequila drink or an ice-cold Mexican cerveza. The menu offers up Mexican favorites, including several brands of tequila and a slew of Mexican brews. There’s a lineup of frozen concoctions, cocktails and margaritas served by the glass or by the pitcher, and even a special Mexican beer cocktail (yes, really). Where can you find this little slice of Mexican paradise? Next to the pool, of course. So stay cool and take in the bar’s vacation vibe while you kick back on your cruise – that’s what official bar mascot Blue the Iguana would tell you.

Redfrog Rum Bar

Guests have told us we hit on something special with the cool Caribbean chill of the RedFrog Pub. We've taken the best parts and brought them poolside with the RedFrog Rum Bar, where the frog keeps the fun hopping day and night with all the island flava you know and love. Join the party at this poolside bar featuring a great selection of frog-approved Caribbean rum-based concoctions available by the glass or pitcher, plus plenty of Carnival’s signature private-label draft beer, ThirstyFrog Red.Guests have told us we hit on something special with the cool Caribbean chill of the RedFrog Pub. We've taken the best parts and brought them poolside with the RedFrog Rum Bar, where the frog keeps the fun hopping day and night with all the island flava you know and love. Join the party at this poolside bar featuring a great selection of frog-approved Caribbean rum-based concoctions available by the glass or pitcher, plus plenty of Carnival’s signature private-label draft beer, ThirstyFrog Red.

When families cruise Carnival, even the smallest fish in the pond have a big, awesome time. Okay, so it’s actually way more than just a pond — it’s Camp Ocean. At Camp Ocean, 2–11 year-olds stay busy, keep active and have fun as they enjoy all new ocean-themed activities and entertainment made for kids

Jogging Track

Deck: 12-Spa, WaterWorks & Sports

Jogging Track.

Decks: 12-Spa, WaterWorks & Sports 15-Serenity

The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse.

Carnival Seaside Theater

Carnival Seaside Theater.

Carnival Waterworks

Carnival Waterworks.

Thermal Suite

To be the king or queen of the thermostat — doesn't it feel great? While bending the elements to your will, finding that perfect temperature for relaxation is awesome… even better is not needing to. Carnival's Cloud 9 Spa thermal suites are dedicated relaxation zones with a variety of available environments, each carefully developed by our master climate artists. Whether you prefer to lounge in the dry heat of the Laconium or Tepidarium, or like a little soothing moisture in the air (in which case try the Oriental or Aroma steambaths), prepare to experience temperature nirvana.

Cloud 9 Spa Treatment Rooms

Decks: 12-Spa, WaterWorks & Sports 14-Spa

Sometimes you just need to get away… from all that vacation. We know — sitting at home, it’s hard to imagine that, but trust us — it’s really, really nice to have a place to unwind from the day’s excitement. Escape to a world designed, from the ground up, for relaxation. Cloud 9 Spa staff are masters (or, maybe more like artists) trained in the craft of simply helping you chill. What’s their secret? Massages, facials, body wraps, thermal suites and more — plus, on certain ships, the amazing Thalassotherapy Pool — these are the tools of the trade. And the trade is ultimate relaxation. Sometimes you just need to get away… from all that vacation. We know — sitting at home, it’s hard to imagine that, but trust us — it’s really, really nice to have a place to unwind from the day’s excitement. Escape to a world designed, from the ground up, for relaxation. Cloud 9 Spa staff are masters (or, maybe more like artists) trained in the craft of simply helping you chill. What’s their secret? Massages, facials, body wraps, thermal suites and more — plus, on certain ships, the amazing Thalassotherapy Pool — these are the tools of the trade. And the trade is ultimate relaxation.

Relax Room.

Fitness Center

We have some bad news for you — your ship has a gym. In other words, there’s no excuse for leaving your fitness routine back on land. That’s great news, however, for your body, which will definitely benefit from all the extra energy that vacationing pumps directly into you. And let’s not forget the extra time you’ll have, since you won’t be waking up and spending most of the day at the office or anything like that. If those were some of your go-to excuses, we’re sorry, but we all know this is important.

Deck: 14-Spa

A trip to the salon is an opportunity to relax, to chat with others, to focus on yourself. It’s about more than just getting your hair or nails done… but it’s definitely about getting your hair or nails done! Even though you’re on vacation, you won’t have to settle for anything less than the salon style you’re used to back on land. And these good looks go beyond the usual — we even offer services like teeth whitening… great for taking those ‘I’m on vacation and I’m looking great!’ smiles to the next level.

Carnival Adventures

Carnival Adventures.

Outdoor Playground

Outdoor Playground.

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery.

Sports Court

Sports Court.

Ropes Course

Ropes Course.

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• Cruise Reviews

Carnival Vista Ship Review [PHOTOS]

Doug Parker

• November 4, 2023

I recently sailed on Carnival Vista on a Western Caribbean cruise. Although several years old at this point – since it debuted in 2016 – it was the first ship in the Vista class and still constantly ranked as a favorite among Carnival guests.

This is my Carnival Vista cruise review.

Carnival Vista Overview

Carnival Vista is the namesake of the Vista Class , surpassing its predecessor, the Dream Class, by 5,000 tons. By incorporating many successful features from previous Carnival ships and introducing innovations, Carnival Vista quickly became popular when it debuted in 2016. 

Distinctive branded partnerships stand out on Carnival Vista, from the complimentary poolside hamburger venue, Guy’s Burger Joint — created by celebrity chef Guy Fier i — to an IMAX Theater and the RedFrog Pub & Brewery, the first North American-based ship to feature a brewery at sea (not surprisingly, shipboard breweries are a popular feature on Carnival’s German-based sister company, AIDA Cruises).

Carnival Vista also leverages the latest technological advances common across the fleet.

Facial recognition software enables passengers to sift through digital photos, accessible via iPads in the Pixels gallery, on stateroom televisions, or even smartphones through the HUB app.

The app also helps guests find onboard events via digital Fun Times, view their spending accounts, and chat with other guests. 

(Note: While the app is free, there’s a $5 additional charge for the chat feature.)

Staying connected during your cruise is affordable thanks to tiered Internet pricing plans with Starlink high-speed internet.

What we love about Carnival Vista

• Top deck SkyRide
• Thrill Theater 
• RedFrog Pub and Brewery
• First IMAX Theater at sea

Carnival Vista stands out from the line’s typical ship designs with its modern Caribbean resort vibe and subdued color palette, in contrast to the flashy carpets and neon lighting of Carnival ships.

Instead of glass elevators, the ship’s atrium has a three-deck-high HD LED sculpture called the Dreamscape, which can be programmed with various themed images and messages, “altering the space’s ambiance,” is what Carnival told me. A smaller version of this digital centerpiece is located in the casino.

As you explore Carnival Vista, you’ll find it’s designed to encourage conversation. Public areas, like the Alchemy Bar and Ocean Plaza , offer open and comfortable seating, as do unexpected spots like the hallways on deck four, where benches are integrated into the walls.

Carnival Vista Staterooms

Carnival Vista has two unique categories within standard cabin classes . One thing to remember about Carnival is that the stateroom steward will only make the room once daily.

On embarkation day, you will have to tell your attendant if you would like morning or evening cabin servicing. Many give push back on it but the truth is, it’s quickly becoming the industry norm. 

Standard Cabins

Carnival Vista offers a variety of staterooms to suit different needs and budgets. Standard staterooms are designed to provide comfort and convenience and are equipped with modern amenities.

Interior rooms are budget-friendly and offer the essential comforts in a cozy setting.

If you want an ocean view without splurging on a suite, cove balcony staterooms are available. These staterooms, which debuted on Carnival Dream and are cut out of the hull, are located closer to the waterline, providing a unique view of the ocean and a quieter environment and even an occasional splash or two depending on the sea conditions.

Balcony cabins are perfect for those who want to enjoy the sea scenery and have a private outdoor space. If you want a more upscale experience, suites offer spacious interiors and larger private balconies.

Cloud 9 Spa Cabins

Cloud 9 Spa staterooms are another popular option for spa lovers with access to the spa and thermal suite, included in the price, along with a few other amenities. But it’s worth comparing the cost of booking a standard room and adding a thermal suite pass.

PRO TIP: If you’re staying on deck six or seven, walk all the way forward, and you’ll find a special area to take in the views that rarely anyone knows about.

Family Harbor Staterooms

Family Harbor staterooms are perfect for families who want to stay in a single cabin.

These rooms come in different types: interior, oceanview, balcony, or suite. They also provide exclusive access to a lounge, where families can enjoy complimentary snacks, play games, and consult a concierge at specific hours.

There are a handful of these staterooms accommodating five guests with two bathrooms to avoid everyone trying to get ready at once.

Havana Staterooms

I stayed in a Havana stateroom inspired by the Cuban capital with colorful decor and special access to a dedicated bar and pool. Havana cabins are popular because they offer a private lanai and a hammock.

Those staying in Havana staterooms have exclusive access to the Havana pool area until the early evening; at night, the area opens to the public.

There are different levels of Havana staterooms so you can have a lanai with a hammock, a standard balcony, aft extended balcony cabin, or an inside stateroom.

SkyRide is undoubtedly the most talked-about feature of Carnival Vista . Described as a “bicycle in the sky,” these pedal-powered vehicles, suspended above deck 10 , offer breathtaking views, a mild workout, and a unique experience. There is no cost associated with this one, but the lines do get long so be sure to plan accordingly.

Similarly, a suspended ropes course called SkyCourse situated high above deck 14, offers beginner and advanced options with spectacular ocean views.

SkyCourse is free , as well, and tends to attract a diverse audience, from kids to adults and everyone in between.

Carnival Vista boasts three pools and six hot tubs. The Havana Pool & Bar area is exclusively available to guests in Havana cabins during the day. Still, it opens to all guests, becoming the party hotspot after sunset with a talented live band and dancing.

The WaterWorks park will delight guests of all ages, featuring the enclosed Kaleid-O-Slide , the line’s first enclosed raft-riding experience with lighting effects.

We found ourselves acting like kids and spending the afternoon on the water slide (and burning off those burgers!).

For those seeking indoor activities, the multiplex houses an IMAX movie theater (the last time I was onboard, they did not have first-run movies playing). Prices are roughly similar to a land-based movie theater with a concession stand serving popcorn and snacks.

The ship also has a Thrill Theater with special effects to immerse viewers in the on-screen action. In my estimation, it’s just okay, especially considering the extra fee involved. If you want to kill some time on a sea day, I say go ahead and do it. The first Thrill Theater debuted on Carnival Breeze in 2012.

Shows and Punchliner Comedy Club

Evenings on Carnival Vista are filled with entertainment. The multi-purpose Liquid Lounge hosts three different Playlist Productions, high-tech productions where singers and dancers interact with massive LED screens. Shows tend to be shorter, think 35-40 minutes max, and include:

• Amor Cubano : A Caribbean Dance Romance with a seven-piece Latin band (which also plays in the Havana Bar).
• America Rocks : a vibrant show with a live band performing classic tunes from artists like Springsteen and Aerosmith.
• Flick : The Power of Motion Pictures through song showcasing popular movies through the decades.

Some productions end with transforming the theater into a dance floor.

For comedy enthusiasts, the Punchliner Comedy Club, featuring family-friendly and adults-only shows, is a must-visit, but arrive early as seating is limited.

Carnival Vista Dining

There are a handful of additional cost dining options on Carnival Vista. This is one of the first ships that Carnival elevated the upsell experience. I will put a ($) next to items that have a fee associated with them.

During my time on the Carnival Vista, I dined at several places: Cucina del Capitano ($) offers a cozy atmosphere with classic Italian favorites, with waiters belting out “That’s Amore” every night.

Bonsai Sushi ($) includes rolls, sashimi , and other Asian delicacies (the terrayaki steak is amazing!). While Blue Iguana Cantina serves tacos and burritos, including delicious breakfast burritos.

Pro Tip : order the Huevos Rancheros in the morning for a special treat.

Located aft on Lido Deck, Seafood Shack ($) features various quick-service seafood items like lobster rolls, crab legs, and boiled and fried shrimp.

For a different dining setting, check out the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse ($). Carnival Vista’s lido buffet is more than you expect, offering many dishes in a casual atmosphere, as well as the Carnival Deli with piled-high sandwiches and traditional sides.

The steakhouse menu seems to evolve constantly but with every version, it gets better and better.

It’s not a Carnival cruise without a visit to Guy’s Burger Joint and for dessert, stop at Shake Spot ($), which has milkshakes and other desserts, including alcohol-infused shakes for adults.

The mentioned dining venues helped distribute the crowds during lunch and dinner. If you’re wondering, The Lido Marketplace (buffet area) was the busiest during breakfast, especially on port days when people had early excursions. The space is laid out nicely and never seems over-the-top crowded.

Hands down, one of my favorite spots is Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse on deck five, featuring the only true smokers at sea, specially designed just for Carnival. 

There’s also 24/7 pizza at the Pizzeria del Capitano. Before dinner, I had a drink at the Library Bar ($) – leave it to Carnival to combine reading and drinking –  and for coffee,  JavaBlue ($) is a must for those looking for their caffeine fix.

The Chef’s Table ($) — a multi-course meal with wine pairings — is a “must visit,” but remember to book in advance and allow at least three hours for the experience.

An often-overlooked area is the Fresh Creations salad bar in the adults-only Serenity area, featuring handmade salads and options like grilled chicken and tuna.

There are two dining rooms on this ship: Reflections for traditional early and late seating and Horizons for anytime dining (which could change depending on the sailing).

Every sea day, breakfast was served in the main dining room, but the famous Seaday Brunch was only served once during our sailing.

Other paid options include JiJi Asian Kitchen ($), where reservations were recommended, along with  24-hour room service ($), which offers a mixture of free and for-fee items.

As I write this, I’m looking at all the fees associated with dining, and it seems like a lot. Still, it’s worth noting that during lunch, Cucina turns into a complimentary pasta bar, and JiJi Asian Kitchen turns into a complimentary noodle bar.

Entertainment

Carnival does a good job of creating entertainment and activities catering to different tastes, and Carnival Vista certainly fits into that philosophy. I found several spots for adults to unwind and socialize.

For those inclined towards physical activities, SportSquare was an ideal location with basketball, mini-golf, and even an outdoor billiards table, along with the nearby SkyCourse for those seeking an adrenaline rush.

I started my first day at the RedFrog Pub poolside on Lido Deck (not to be confused with the RedFrog Pub & Brewery located along the promenade), serving Caribbean drinks in a lively environment.

Although, the RedFrog Pub & Brewery did have nightly acoustic soloists performing, and live music can be found throughout the ship, from the main atrium to the Piano Bar.

I liked the ThirstyFrog Red beer, which I paired with grouper fingers ($) off the bar menu .

The RedFrog Brewery Tour is fun to do on a sea day, so are the mixology classes at the Alchemy Bar.

Later, we went to the Havana Bar to check the scene. I’m more of a vodka and soda person, so I asked a girlfriend to describe the space in a few sentences about the aft venue on deck five.

She said, “It radiated Cuban charm with its rum cocktails. The bartenders recommended I try the Hemingway Daiquiri. Live Latin tunes enhanced the vibe.” Her words, not mine.

We found the Library Bar a great option for a peaceful ambiance, and we visited it a few times for a drink before dinner. According to Carnival, like many shipboard features of a bygone era, they won’t be incorporating any new libraries in their upcoming builds, so it’s best to relish this space while it’s still available.

Cloud 9 Spa

I found myself continually drawn to the Cloud 9 Spa , having previously used it for a pedicure and thermal suite, making it a must-repeat experience.

The spa offers an array of thermal suites, from the dry heat chambers like the Laconium and Tepidarium to steam chambers like the Oriental and Aroma.

Each suite is designed for relaxation, helping to cleanse the body of impurities. The heated chaise loungers are a nice touch. Another highlight was the thalassotherapy hot tub (albeit much smaller than the Dream class) filled with ionized mineral water, ideal for muscle relaxation after long port days.

To ensure that it never feels crowded, these Cloud 9 Spa amenities are limited to only 50 guests per sailing.

FYI: Every visit to the thermal suite requires a wristband.

One of the underrated perks was the showers in the spa locker rooms, a significant upgrade from my stateroom shower. I noticed many guests showering in the locker room while their significant other was getting ready in the stateroom.

Kids & Teens

Carnival is well-known for providing entertainment and activities for families – after all, they carry upwards of a million kids a year. Its Camp Ocean program offers supervised, age-appropriate activities for children aged 2-11, all with a nautical theme. Circle “C” is designed for 12-14-year-olds, while Club 02 caters to older teens ages 15-17.

The Dr. Seuss Bookville is a colorful space inspired by the author’s books, part of an exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Carnival offers nightly babysitting services in Camp Ocean from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., allowing parents some “we” time without the kids in tow to enjoy the evening entertainment.

(Note: Night Owls babysitting fees apply: $7.50 per hour plus an 18% service charge per child.)

A few “misses” on Carnival Vista

It’s no secret that Carnival Vista has its share of issues , particularly with its propulsion system and azipods, which have caused several mechanical problems and delays. 

In the summer of 2019, Carnival Vista was taken out of service for an emergency repair and famously towed to the Grand Bahamas shipyard via a “floating dry dock .” Passengers have reported that the ship’s speed has been reduced, resulting in longer travel times between ports.

Additionally, despite numerous repairs, some guests have complained about the noise and vibrations caused by the propulsion system, which can be disruptive and uncomfortable.

Final Thoughts of Carnival Vista

During my cruise, I noticed two areas of concern – lax enforcement of certain shipboard policies and the behavior of some fellow passengers.

Unfortunately, only one of these areas is under the control of Carnival. On sea days, I noticed children were running around the Serenity area, which is supposed to be reserved for adults only.

There were also several incidents of scuffles onboard where people were not being held accountable for their behavior. 

Overall, my experience at the Carnival Vista was fantastic. The ship was clean, the sea days were fun, and the only time I had to go to guest services was because I lost my Sail & Sign card (the line wasn’t bad at all, and I could resume my vacation quickly).

The food was solid, the vibe was fun, and the crew members were friendly. I highly recommend this ship to anyone looking for a Caribbean cruise with lots to do at an affordable price.

Carnival Vista Cruise Review and Tour [VIDEO]

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Carnival Vista

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Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 2722 guests have reviewed Carnival Vista , giving it a rating of 4.3 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type, most recent reviews.

Variety of Family Fun

Apr 7th, 2024

The green eggs and ham breakfast was delicious and fun. The skyride and ropes courses were highlights for sure! My teen son and I loved the silent disco. The orange waterslide was excellent! Trivia was fun. Love & Marriage show was hilarious! Flick was boring. My younger son enjoyed Camp Ocean. Lobster roll was delicious at the seafood shack. The included lunches at the Asian restaurant was disappointing. MDR service was wonderful. Photos taken by ship’s photographers are separated by candid or ones at the set up backgrounds. There are no packages that work for the candid photos. Live music around the ship was lovely. We had a fun family cruise vacation.

Traveler Type

Family (older children)

Great cabin location

Apr 6th, 2024

We were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed carnival after not sailing for 10 years with them.

Family (young children)

excellent trip

Apr 4th, 2024

Overall a good cruise, with great food and friends

Large Group

Our family's first cruise and definitely won't be our last!!!

Apr 3rd, 2024

Our family had never been on a cruise before and we were concerned about motion sickness and rumors that we had heard. Not one of us five got sick or had any reaction even when the Atlantic Sea was rough! Because of how great the staff were, how beautiful the scenery was, and how awesome the accommodations were on the Carnival Vista, our family agrees we need to cruise again!! We had such an amazing experience with Carnival, we will definitely cruise with them again!!! Words cannot express the great family vacation we had! THANK YOU CARNIVAL VISTA!!!!!

1 cruise (first)

Poor service, staff not attentive, crowded, not enough spaces for people to go, app didn’t always work, staff not efficient,

Crowded, not enough common spaces to accommodate people. Staff not attentive to passengers, seemed inefficient, especially at deli, long lines to get good, long wait to get food in fine dining, orders not always correct, didn’t seem to bother staff, didn’t participate in any activities-large crowds, need new and different activities, always trying to sell something in many of them, always long lines for customer service issues, big clue

4-6 cruises

Spring Break Cruise

This was a great cruise and some of the best ports. Had food options been better I would have been happier, but always enough options that I was never hungry.

carnival vista

Mar 31st, 2024

my favorite thing was the people and the food and the entertainment.

Spectacular Family Spring Break Cruise

Mar 30th, 2024

Overall, I would say it was a pretty amazing week. We had no water on embarkation day from about 5pm thru 1am, which was not the best way to begin a cruise. I'm glad they got it working again. The shows were ok, but could use improvement as far as talent level for a few of the performers. Food was good, but they need a few more options for the late night people and more workers to provide those services. Waiters were amazing at dinner. Rooms were great size and cleaned promptly. For the money, it was a nice and relaxing week!

2-3 cruises

Spring break getaway

Mar 28th, 2024

Our family took a spring break getaway on a Carnival Vista cruise ship and we enjoyed every minute of it. We loved the ship, food, and friendly service. We especially enjoyed activities onboard such as skyride, rope climbing, water slides, and the wonderful views from the ship. We loved our room, very clean and comfortable. We had a great time with our family each port that we stopped at like half moon cay, grand turks, and amber cove. Great atmosphere anywhere we went, couldn’t be better. We’re all so very grateful to God for this trip and we will remember it. Thank you!

Wonderful Caribbean Cruise

Mar 26th, 2024

As first time cruisers, we had a great experience. We enjoyed exploring the ship, and meeting the wonderful staff.

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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Carnival Vista Cruise Guide

Referred to as “The Future of Fun,” the Carnival Vista is truly in a class of its own. From spacious accommodations and larger staterooms to exciting new itineraries sailing to both the Caribbean and Europe, this is a cruise experience unlike any other. Check out the Seafood Shack, where you can indulge in New-England style seafood alongside an ocean view, or try JiJi Asian Kitchen, serving authentic food from different regions across Asia that features a mix of both comforting and exotic cuisine rich in flavor. Carnival Vista aims to take the relaxing atmosphere of an indoor retreat outside with their Havana Bar & Pool, which offers an exclusive paradise by day and a dancing hotspot at night. Adults and children alike can step outside in the Sportsquare, where you’ll find mini-golf, a ropes course, jogging track, and Carnival’s Skyride – the thrilling above-the-sea ride that lets you pedal above the ship and race other guests!

Best Carnival Vista cruise deals

6 night Caribbean

Discover your Carnival Vista cruise

What is a carnival vista cruise like.

Carnival Vista cruises are among the largest cruise lines in the world. There are a variety of different ships that take you to beautiful and fascinating destinations around the world. You’ll find a variety of different experiences, including premium cabins with balconies, special dining options, and more. You can choose different lengths of stay, with the most popular being between 5 and 7 nights. Some Carnival Vista cruises also offer exclusive perks such as exclusive shore excursions or onboard discounts. Whether you’re looking for an entertaining trip with fun for all ages, or a romantic getaway, there is a Carnival Vista cruise vacation that’s right for you.

When is the best time to book a Carnival Vista cruise?

While there are no strict rules for when exactly to book, the earlier you book, the more likely you are to come across great cruise deals. In general, if you’re travelling far away then 12 to 18 months is the best time to book your cruise. This will give you the most options to select your cabin, experience, and book any necessary flights. Most travelers usually book a Carnival Vista cruise 6 to 12 months in advance. You’ll still find affordability for your destination, and you don’t leave the anticipation for your vacation too long. Carnival Vista does offer last-minute cruises at a range of prices and availability depending on your destination and dates.

How can I find the best Carnival Vista price?

You can find cheap cruise deals for Carnival Vista on Expedia easily. First, think about the itineraries and additional features you want. You can filter results based on amenities, cabins, experiences, and prices to find the one that best suits your budget.

How to book your Carnival Vista cruise?

Expedia provides a straightforward cruise booking process to make it as easy as possible to reserve your vacation. You can search by cruise ship type, itinerary, duration, and departure port. You can also filter your results by price, amenities, and area of the world. After making any necessary changes or checking availability, simply click ‘Book’ and complete your reservation.

What to look out for when booking your cruise on Carnival Vista?

When looking at Carnival Vista cruises, it's important to keep in mind multiple factors that go into choosing a cruise. These include the length, whether you prefer a smaller or bigger ship, and departure ports. Also consider who is travelling with you, as this will influence the type of cabin you choose and what activities you choose to do on board and ashore. You can choose from several types of cabins depending on your Carnival Vista cruise ship including ones with sea views and balconies.

Can I cancel my Carnival Vista booking?

Yes. Expedia does offer you the option to cancel your Carnival Vista cruise. You can do so by going to the My Trips page and clicking on the cancellation button. There is also the option to contact customer service to cancel your cruise. Be aware that each cruise has different refund policies. Usually, if you cancel early then you’ll receive a better refund.

Why should I book a Carnival Vista cruise with Expedia?

Booking Carnival Vista cruise with Expedia is an excellent option for travellers who want a high-quality, enjoyable, and reliable experience to suit a range of budgets. You can book easily thanks to the convenient booking tools. Use the cruise finder and filter options to find the best cruise deals. Expedia also provides you with information about each cruise ship so that you can pick the one that fits your needs. You can also join the Rewards Membership to earn points for future trips.

When booking an eligible cruise as a One Key TM member, you will earn OneKeyCash TM .

This is our rewards currency which you can use to save on eligible bookings across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. The more you book on our three brands, the more perks you'll unlock.

* OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo .

Carnival Vista features staterooms ranging from simple but spacious Interior and Ocean View rooms, to larger, more lavish Balconies or Suites. If you're looking for the ultimate luxury onboard, The Havana Cabana Suite includes a private lounging area with your own deck chairs, a walk-in closet, a rain shower, and exclusive daytime access to the Havana Pool area. No matter which room you choose, Carnival's room stewards are available at your service 24 hours a day, to ensure a comfortable experience from start to finish!

Onboard Activities

Enjoy a wide variety of onboard activities that are fun for all! SkyRide lets you pedal safely high above the ship while racing other guests. Carnival Vista also features Sportsquare - complete with mini golf, a ropes course and a jogging track. Adults can unwind at the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, while kids can participate in Camp Ocean, an award winning supervised children’s camp filled with games and age-group-specific programming. Join in on the open-air Lido Mega Deck Parties and Dive-In Movies or watch top quality stage shows by Playlist Productions, Carnival's onboard live musical productions!

n addition to the main dining room, which serves a nightly three-course meal, and the 24-hour Room Service available onboard, guests can enjoy a variety of cuisines from the Seafood Shack, to Guy's Burger Joint - celebrity chef Guy Fieri's own restaurant at sea. Sit down for a delicious family meal at Cucina del Capitano, serving Italian classics made with the freshest ingredients. Carnival Vista also features JiJi Asian Kitchen, serving authentic food from different regions across Asia that features a mix of both comforting and exotic cuisine rich in flavor.

Bars & Lounges

Choose from a variety of bar and lounge options including the Havana Bar, where you can sip on café Cubano (Cuban coffee) in the day or drink authentic Cuban cocktails while dancing to live music well into the night. In the mood for a cocktail? The Alchemy Bar has you covered with endless combinations of spirits, fresh juices, syrups, and spices hand-crafted by skilled mix-masters. With a variety of lounges and bars throughout the ship, you'll be saying "cheers" all cruise long!

Entertainment

Experience a wide range of nighttime entertainment including Playlist Productions, a series of full-blown musical productions that bring your favorite musical playlists to life. Prepare to be entertained with Lip Sync Battle: Carnival, The Punchliner Comedy Club, Dive-In Movies, karaoke, nightclubs and more!

Spa & Fitness

Unwind at the Cloud 9 Spa, with massages, facials, body wraps, and more that will provide you with the ultimate relaxation experience. The ship also has a fully stocked Fitness Center and a variety of fitness classes to choose from, including yoga, pilates, indoor cycling and boot camp.

Kids & Teens

At Camp Ocean kids will have a blast in supervised, age-based groups: Penguins (2 to 5 years), Stingrays (6 to 8 years) and Sharks (9 to 11 years). They'll enjoy age-appropriate activities like arts and crafts, games, dancing, movies and video games. When it’s mealtime, kids eat together and get their own kid-friendly menus. The whole time, Carnival's experienced counselors will be there to make sure everyone in these groups has an awesome time. For a nominal charge, parents can take advantage of the additional Night Owl program, where kids get to stay up late having fun while parents can also enjoy themselves well into the night.

Onboard Shopping

Enjoy the onboard duty free shops and boutiques that are available on all Carnival cruise ships. Selling everything from beauty and apparel and fine jewelry and watches, to tax- and duty-free liquor, and even 'Cherry on Top' - a candy and ice cream shop that's fun for all!

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Fuel supplement may apply. Savings advertised are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates, and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings.

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A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE SMALL, LUXURIOUS SHIPS OF OCEANIA CRUISES

Oceania cruises' vista.

• Culinary Experiences
• Life on Board
• Suites & Staterooms

Your World From A New Perspective

Ships facts.

• Year Built: 2023
• Tonnage: 68,000
• Guest Capacity: 1,200 (Double Occupancy)
• Length: 791 feet

Innovative Mixology Program

The introduction of an elevated and innovative bar program aboard Vista reveals an expansive collection of immersive mixology experiences, curated cocktail menus, ultimate pairing experiences and specialty beverage carts. Discover the latest cocktail-crafting trends and techniques such as flavored mist bubbles, an extensive selection of low- and no-sugar wines and zero-proof cocktails, plus Negronis aged in wooden barrels and experiential beverage carts like the Bubbly Bar and Ultimate Bloody Mary Bar.

Imaginative New Dining Concepts

Vista is your world from a new perspective and honors our passion for serving The Finest Cuisine at Sea ® with imaginative new dining concepts and the debut of new epicurean delights. Be among the first to experience Ember, the newest addition to the Oceania Cruises family of restaurants, and Aquamar Kitchen, offering an array of indulgent, wellness-inspired dishes. Enjoy unforgettable dining experiences at treasured and iconic dining venues that have been elevated to new heights, from the refined elegance of The Grand Dining Room to the ultimate steakhouse experience at Polo Grill. Join us as we embark on the next chapter of Oceania Cruises’ culinary story.

Residential-Style Luxury

Vista sets new standards for comfort and residential-style luxury with all-veranda accommodations. All staterooms and suites feature beautifully appointed bathrooms with oversized rainforest showers, large vanities and copious storage space. Penthouse, Oceania, Vista and Owner’s Suites are ultra-spacious and true seagoing residences with an abundance of living and dining space for entertaining or simply relaxing. In a first for the brand, Vista will feature a new category of Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms dedicated to solo travelers.

Bathed in soothing tones and detailed with multiple layers of luxurious furnishings, accents and artwork, each stateroom and suite is a welcoming home away from home.

Vista will present a fresh perspective on the finest cuisine at sea with an astounding array of dining options that range from informal to the extravagant.

Signature Spaces Revealed

From the oceania cruises blog.

INTRODUCING VISTA’S DRAMATIC NEW SIGNATURE SPACES

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Vista cruise ship review: What to expect on Oceania’s first Allura-class ship

"Is this a luxury cruise ship?" That was the question on everyone's lips during the maiden sailing of Oceania Cruises' Vista, the first new Allura-class vessel to debut for the upscale cruise brand.

We gawked at the beautifully designed public spaces, with their detail-oriented accents, eye-catching light fixtures and highly textured materials. (Yes, I petted the walls of the elevators and stroked every chair.) We luxuriated in enormous standard cabin bathrooms and sumptuous Tranquility Beds. We dined on exquisite freshly made pasta, perfectly cooked fish and decadent desserts. We ordered smoked, bubbled, herbed and ice-balled cocktails at the ship's craft cocktail bar and took photos of each creative concoction.

Vista is clearly a ship for travelers who love to explore new destinations, prioritize fine dining and premium beverages and immerse themselves in chic surroundings. However, in the cruise space, this ship is clearly in the upscale category and not true luxury.

Then again, when you're curled up on a circular day bed, drink in hand, on a resort-style pool deck in the Mediterranean, Vista might just provide all the luxury you need.

Overview of Vista

Vista debuted in May 2023, the first new ship for Oceania Cruises in a decade and the flagship of the line's new Allura class. It carries 1,200 passengers in cabins and suites that all have either a true balcony or a French veranda (meaning you can open doors to the fresh air but can't step outside).

The ship's target demographic is well-off, mature couples who are looking for destination-focused itineraries on a ship with elevated dining. For a small, 67,000-ton ship, Vista wows with eight restaurants, plus a bakery and private dining rooms for wine-paired meals. It also stands out for its expanded Culinary Center, for cooking classes and demos, and Artist Loft, where passengers can get crafty under the tutelage of resident artists.

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Fans of the line will appreciate that Vista is modeled from sister ships Marina and Riviera, and the layout is strikingly similar.

Vista is not an all-inclusive ship, but it's more inclusive than lines such as Celebrity Cruises or Holland America. Its fares cover all dining (except for private, wine-paired dinners), fitness classes, nonalcoholic beverages and in-port shuttles. Its booking promotions may offer additional inclusions, like free Wi-Fi, airfare, excursions, beverage package or shipboard credit.

What I loved about Vista

Dining choice.

Some people love to return again and again to their favorite restaurants; others prefer to try a new venue every time. I fall into the latter category, so I loved that I could eat at a different restaurant each night of my cruise on Vista.

I could get dolled up and go to a steakhouse or Italian restaurant, or I could play it casual and eat on the buffet's outdoor terrace or at the pizzeria. I could enjoy a multi-course sit-down lunch or take my pick of eight burgers at the grill. Vista also had plenty of options for between-meal grazing – a quiche from the Bakery, a scone at Horizons' afternoon tea, or a cookie from the Concierge Lounge.

Not only did Vista's large selection of eateries keep my meals interesting, but there wasn't a bad option in the bunch. Sure, sometimes I didn't order the right dish, but I enjoyed every meal I ate on board.

Vista will wow you with its gorgeous looks from the moment you step on board. The atrium gives a knockout first impression with its stunning floor-to-ceiling sculpture with a changing light display.

The bold center archway of the Grand Dining Room will immediately catch your eye, as will the ceiling design of the intimate Privee dining room. Each specialty restaurant has been designed with care, from the brick oven-inspired ceilings of Ember to the pagoda-style floor lamps in Red Ginger.

The noteworthy Grand Lounge sports geometric chandeliers and glass shelves of vases and glass sculptures, while the faux wood paneling on the pool deck sets it apart from any cruise ship Lido you've ever seen. The glam settings make you feel like you're a movie star and add to the decadent feeling of being on vacation.

Cocktails and mixology program

The new mixology program on Vista is one of its standout features. I happily ordered cocktail after craft cocktail at the Founders Bar in the name of research, trying drinks with smoke bubbles on top, frozen fruit balls in their center and unique ingredients (like tea) in their centers. The concept turns your standard pre-dinner drink into a playful and exciting event. It also makes a ship carrying mainly retirees feel hip and trendy.

Vista also carries a line of nonalcoholic "liquors" to make zero-proof cocktails that taste like the real deal, as well as nonalcoholic beer. It's a fabulous option for sober cruisers or travelers who need to rest their livers after a lively evening. Unfortunately, not all bars carry nonalcoholic cocktails. On my cruise, I found them on the menu at the new Aquamar restaurant and Horizons observation lounge.

What I didn't love about Vista

I failed to find anything serious to critique about Vista, so what I didn't love about the ship is more about my personality than any real failing of the cruise line.

Evenings on Vista do not offer a variety of pursuits. You can go to a bar, with or without music. You can try your luck at the casino. You can attend the one show each evening, but only if your dinner time allows for it. That's pretty much it.

My cruise did not offer karaoke night, evening trivia and games, or a pool deck party. I missed the two special-guest acts, a pianist and a guitarist, and the song-and-dance performances by the onboard cast failed to impress. The ship didn't offer any secondary shows at night — no comedians or musical acts you came to listen to and not talk over.

To be fair, small-ship upscale cruising isn't about nightlife, and most travelers on Oceania are perfectly content with a long dinner, an evening dancing or drinking in Horizons and an early bedtime. The library does have some board games you can borrow, so consider that as an alternative activity.

One should never judge a ship's service based on its first sailings when the crew is still getting used to each other and the layout and procedures of a new ship. I mention service solely to answer the question of why Vista isn't considered a luxury ship.

In terms of hardware, Vista is one fine ship, which rivals the vessels belonging to luxury lines like Silversea Cruises and Seabourn, even nipping at the heels of over-the-top sister line Regent Seven Seas Cruises. It's in the "software," so to speak, where the line relegates itself to the upscale sector. And that's fine.

In addition to not offering truly all-inclusive fares, Vista doesn't offer the personal, often fawning service you find on true luxury lines. I barely met my room steward. No one offered to carry my plate at the buffet. The chefs weren't offering to make me dishes off-menu, and on occasion, I had to work to flag down a waiter to bring me a drink. Personally, I'm fine with this level of service, but it does not put Vista in competition with ultra-luxury ships.

The few service issues will improve over time. But Vista, by nature, will never offer the crew-to-guest ratio or over-the-top service levels you'd expect to find on a more expensive cruise line.

Vista cabins and suites

Vista has only eight major cabin and suite types, making cabin selection a relatively straightforward process. Its three main non-suite cabin types – French Veranda, Veranda and Concierge Level staterooms – have identical interior layouts, so you're really only choosing between perks and exterior space.

New and noteworthy on Vista are Oceania's first dedicated solo cabins, 270-square-foot balcony cabins with a twin bed, smaller bathroom and slightly narrower design than a regular veranda room. They're Concierge Level rooms, so solo travelers get extra benefits, such as access to the Concierge Lounge and Aquamar Spa Terrace.

My cabin was a regular Concierge Level room with a private veranda. At 291 square feet, it was the same size as a Veranda room, but with a slightly nicer interior design. (French Veranda rooms are identical to Veranda rooms in design, but where the Veranda cabins have a private balcony, French Veranda rooms have floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a railing; you can get fresh air but you can't step out.)

I was very happy in my Concierge Level room on Vista. Oceania's Tranquility Beds are some of the best in the business, and I loved falling asleep between a snuggly duvet and 1,000-thread-count sheets. Even better, the bed is flanked by three-drawer nightstands, 100V plugs and USB ports and reading lights.

Storage is decent with a two-door closet, two deep drawers in the desk, two coat hooks on the wall and a few additional shelves. It was the perfect amount of space for me, but I could see how a couple might fight over the drawer space.

The room had a mostly forgettable love seat, other than it looked nice and pulled out into an extra bed. The oval marble table was a perfect size for room service breakfast.

The highlight of the room, in my opinion, was the spacious, marble-tiled bathroom. Here, there was storage in spades: two glass shelves in the large shower, one large drawer and shelf space in the vanity and a corner unit with four deep drawers and three shelves in a mirrored cabinet. The shower had a rain head and a wand on an adjustable mount. The large no-fog mirror lit up at the touch of a button, perfect for putting on makeup.

I also appreciated the comfortable, padded balcony furniture. Standard balconies on Vista come with two upright chairs and a round drinks table, but the cushions made the seating comfier than the mesh-and-metal versions you find on many big-ship cruise lines.

Other thoughtful touches in the room include an electronic thermometer and do not disturb sign touchpad, quiet-close drawers, wooden hangers and carafes of Vero water, plus reusable water bottles to take on tour (to reduce single-use plastic water bottles). The mini fridge was stocked with soft drinks, though my cabin attendant didn't seem to notice that I was drinking exclusively club soda. You'll also find the requisite safe and hair dryer (neither of which I used), an umbrella and a shoehorn.

Concierge Level rooms come with extra perks, most of which are useful but not necessary. You get access to the lovely Aquamar Spa Terrace, with its hot tubs, day beds and thalassotherapy pool. You also get access to the Concierge Lounge on Deck 9; I don't know why you'd want to watch TV in this windowless lounge, but I appreciated the 24/7 drinks and snacks and access to a concierge.

Other amenities include a welcome bottle of Champagne, pashmina-style cashmere lap blankets for use in your cabin and a tote bag. Perks include priority embarkation, lunch and dinner room service from the Grand Dining Room menu (I totally missed this one), priority specialty restaurant reservations, and complimentary laundry (up to three bags), pressing (on embarkation day) and shoeshine service.

For those with an urge to splurge, Oceania has four additional suite categories, each with butler service and access to an Executive Lounge. The Penthouse Suites are simply an expanded version of the balcony rooms, with additional closet and seating areas. The Oceania Suites have a full living and dining room, a separate guest or TV room, large balcony, guest bathroom and marble-clad master bath and dressing area. They are mostly found on Deck 12, but two on Deck 11 aft have wraparound corner balconies.

The eight Vista Suites, which I didn't see, are even bigger than the Oceania Suites and located at the front of the ship, so they have extra-long wraparound balconies. The three Owner's Suites span the entire aft width of the ship, with two balconies, and are designed by Ralph Lauren Home. A light-filled grand foyer opens onto the living, dining and bar area on one side and the enormous master bedroom with king-sized bed, walk-in closet and generous bathroom with soaking tub and ocean-view shower.

Vista restaurants and bars

Oceania prides itself on being a foodie cruise line, and Vista carries on the line's tradition with six major dining venues included in the cruise fare, over-the-top extra-fee wine-paired private dinners and a new mixology program that goes above and beyond what its competitors are offering.

It's hard not to nitpick a line that brags it has "the finest cuisine at sea" (and has even trademarked that tagline). Each meal may not be the best you've ever had on a cruise ship, but each meal you have will be solid, with plenty of choice of both where to dine and what to select from the menu. Vista is certainly a ship foodies will appreciate.

Restaurants

I made a point to try every restaurant on board during my weeklong cruise, and it actually took some scheduling to make it happen. It's a good thing most of Vista's sailings are 10 days or longer, so you have ample time to sample all the dining venues and even make repeat visits to your favorites.

You are allowed to make at least one advance reservation for each of Vista's four specialty restaurants — possibly more depending on the length of the cruise and the type of cabin or suite you book. Once on board, you can ask if there's walk-in availability for additional meals.

The Grand Dining Room is perhaps the most gorgeous main restaurant I've ever seen on a cruise ship. The design, with white archways in the center of the room, is also functional; it separates the giant venue into nooks, so it doesn't have that hotel ballroom feel.

At breakfast, you can order everything from grilled lamb chops and broiled kippers to omelets, pancakes and lighter fare, such as yogurt parfaits. The highlight of the lunch menu is the "Taste of the World" sampler platter themed around a different country each day.

The dinner menu makes three suggestions for themed meals: selections from Jacques Pepin's namesake French restaurant on Vista's sister ships, global cuisine and Aquamar Vitality cuisine (ie lighter dishes). Don't miss the creative Humphry Slocombe ice cream for dessert, with flavors like Elvis the Fat Years and Harvey Milk & Honey Graham.

The Terrace Café is Vista's buffet venue with indoor and outdoor seating. The stunning wall mosaics set the tone for the sophisticated spread you can sample here. Think daily sushi, an array of fine cheeses, made-to-order omelets, pasta and steaks and premium ice cream (including one Humphry Slocombe flavor at lunch and dinner). The vegetarian options weren't always the best at the Terrace Café, though it often had gluten-free pasta.

On either side of the Terrace Café are several new and returning casual dining venues that should not be overlooked.

Waves Grill has always been one of my favorite grill venues at sea. Midday, it serves sandwiches, hot dogs, grilled entrees (mahi mahi, cajun chicken) and a huge selection of burgers, including Wagyu, veggie and salmon, in addition to the classic cheeseburger.

In the morning, it offers a downsized breakfast buffet with made-to-order omelets. At night, it transforms into a pizzeria with Italian-style pizza, a burrata menu (do not miss the burrata and tartufo dish) and a sinful Nutella pizza dessert. Pro tip: You can place an order at Waves and ask for your dish to be delivered to your table at the Terrace Café, so you don't have to choose between the options.

Past Oceania cruisers might wonder where Waves' famous smoothies and power bowls got to. The answer is Vista's new "healthy" dining venue, Aquamar, set up on the opposite side of the Terrace Café from the Waves Grill.

In the morning, don't miss Aquamar's selection of avocado toast or its freshly made juices, unusual lattes and smoothies. (You haven't lived until you've spiked your morning OJ with turmeric and cayenne pepper.) Energy bowls, banana pancakes and omelets round out the breakfast menu.

The lunch menu at Aquamar is vast. You can order poke-style bowls or compose your own, do a breakfast repeat with omelets and avocado toast, or order sandwiches from around the world, including tuna tacos, falafel pita, a Mexican chicken wrap or an Impossible burger. Wash it all down with a nonalcoholic cocktail that will have you convinced you're drinking the real thing.

All the previously mentioned restaurants allow you to dine at will, but Vista has four reservations-required dinner spots that are the stars of the show. Three return from sister ships Marina and Riviera, while one is new, replacing French restaurant Jacques.

The new entrant to Oceania's food scene is Ember, serving inventive American fare. Though the venue is one of Vista's signature restaurants, it has a more casual vibe than the others, and meals here don't take quite as long. Consensus on my sailing is the standout dishes are the spinach and artichoke dip, lobster mac and cheese (with an actual hunk of lobster-in-the-shell on top) and the triple chocolate brownie sundae.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Polo Grill, Vista's fanciest restaurant, where dinners can take hours. It's a classic steakhouse in a dimly lit setting with an enormous menu where protein is the star.

While it was perhaps not my favorite dining venue on board, the salmon I ordered was cooked perfectly, so moist and tender that I raved about it for the rest of the cruise. Folks at my table ordered everything from filet mignon to a whole Maine lobster, and everyone was satisfied with their choices.

Also, you may be understandably tempted to order the Polo Quartet of four desserts to finish your meal. I will save you the trouble by telling you the key lime pie is hands down the best of the bunch, and you should order the full-size version and skip the tasting plate.

Toscana is Oceania's long-standing Italian restaurant, but on Vista, it's newly enhanced with dishes created by the ship's godmother, Italian food star Giada De Laurentiis. If you enjoy veal, this is your spot; nearly half of the secondi menu consists of veal dishes (you can also order lamb and roast suckling pig here). I tried Giada's branzino and wasn't wowed.

Whatever you order, make sure to order at least one pasta dish with Toscana's incredible ship-made pasta. You can't go wrong with Giada's lemon spaghetti or the pesto gnocchi. If you need to skip dessert at one specialty restaurant, this is where I'd pass … unless you are a die-hard tiramisu fan.

The final specialty restaurant is Red Ginger, a pan-Asian dining experience. Perhaps it's because I love Asian food, but I have a hard time choosing what to eat at Red Ginger because everything looks so good. You could make a meal on appetizers alone.

To start, try the sushi, duck and watermelon salad or summer rolls. For your main, consider the miso-glazed sea bass, lobster pad thai, bulgogi ribeye steak or red curry chicken. You might think dessert is a non-starter, but the caramel tapioca was tasty, and the soft ice cream with Japanese togarashi is a fun mix of sweet and spicy.

Vista also offers multiple options for intimate or private wine-pairing lunches and dinners on board. They include a wine-pairing lunch at Ember and wine-themed dinners in private dining rooms attached to Toscana and Polo Grill. Hidden between those two restaurants is Privee, another intimate dining room where two special dinners are held: Odyssey (described as a "gustatory journey for the senses") and the Dom Perignon Experience that pairs special Champagnes with equally special dishes.

But the food options don't end with the restaurants. The Bakery by Baristas was a popular spot for daily beignets, quiches and pastries. Afternoon tea in Horizons is an Oceania specialty, with your choice of Twinings tea, scones with jam and clotted cream, tea sandwiches and cakes and petits fours all wheeled around in glass carts by formally dressed waiters.

Vista's bars are hopping before and after dinner because there's not much else to do on board at night.

The Martini Bar is the most happening lounge, located near the Grand Dining Room, several specialty restaurants and the casino. A pianist performs here on and off throughout the evening. You can find all your standard mixed drinks here, as well as a special martini menu. At peak times, you might not be able to find a seat.

On the other side of the casino is the Founders Bar, a new concept for Oceania, dedicated to creative craft cocktails. If you like your drinks topped with smoke bubbles, frozen balls of fruit or sprigs of herb or dried fruit slices, this is your spot. Seating is limited, but you can request your drink be delivered around the corner to the Grand Lounge, a stunning scenery area where a classical string quartet plays in the evening.

Be careful — it's so fun trying out all the crazy concoctions that you might bust your drink budget if you haven't upgraded to the premium beverage package.

Horizons is the observation lounge at the top of the ship, looking forward. We heard rave reviews of the live band here and some choice words about the resident DJ, but if you want to watch the sunset or get your groove on after deck, Horizons is the bar for you.

Baristas is the coffee bar by day and aperitif bar by night. Get your daytime caffeine fix with Illy espresso, macchiatos, cremas and more, including coffees spiked with booze. After 6 p.m., you'll find an Italian-influenced list of aperitifs and digestifs (amaretto, Campari, limoncello), as well as wines and cocktails (such as an Aperol spritz or negroni).

The pool bar serves all the daiquiris and coladas you can drink while lounging on Vista's gorgeous, resort-style pool deck. You can also order drinks at any of the restaurants. Aquamar has a lovely menu of nonalcoholic cocktails, fresh juices, lattes and smoothies.

Vista is also introducing new immersive cocktail experiences for the cruise line, which unfortunately had not yet debuted on my sailing. These will include a customizable Bubbly Bar in Baristas, a Bloody Mary Bar at lunch in the Terrace Café, a Macallan whisky and chocolate pairing, and cocktail-making seminars pairing Brugal 1888 rum with ice cream or tea.

Vista activities and shows

An Oceania cruise is a destination-focused trip, so onboard activities are kept to a minimum. You'll find trivia contests, spa seminars, casino tournaments and technology classes at the LYNC Digital Center, such as travel photography and photo editing for social media.

Where Oceania excels in onboard activities are with cooking classes and demos in the Culinary Center and art classes at the Artist Loft. Oceania brings on real chefs and working artists to lead the workshops. Sign up as soon as you get on board because these popular classes fill up quickly.

I tried a "drip technique" painting class where we decorated glass plates, and it was a far cry from the watercolor or needlepoint classes you might find on other ships. The two-part class explored a unique technique, and even though I'm not experienced in crafting and my plate looked pretty bad after the first class, the artist knew what he was doing, and my final product was surprisingly good. It's also a fun way to socialize with other passengers and the artists in residence.

Vista's culinary center is three times larger than the versions found on sister ships Marina and Riviera. In addition to the test kitchen with 24 individual cooking stations, a second room can be arranged for lectures or even dinners. Classes are themed, often related to the ship's destination, and yes, you can eat what you cook. They do cost extra; fees start at $79.

On a warm, sunny day, Oceania's gorgeous resort-style pool deck is the place to be with padded loungers and day beds, a main pool with a wading area around it and a couple of hot tubs. Sporty types should head to the ship's topmost half decks for an outdoor running track, shuffleboard, croquet/bocce, pickleball, mini-golf and a golf-driving cage.

The Aquamar Spa on Deck 15 offers a barber shop, salon, fitness center with aerobics studio and sauna and steam rooms in the men's and women's locker rooms. Concierge Level and suite guests receive complimentary access to the Aquamar Spa Terrace at the front of the ship, with two hot tubs and a thalassotherapy pool.

If it's cool and rainy, consider decamping to the nook- and book-filled library, where you can borrow games, settle in with your laptop or peruse guidebooks. Baristas is right around the corner. The ship also has the requisite shops selling fine jewelry and logo items.

In the evenings, you can find a singer-pianist in Martinis, a string quartet in the Grand Lounge and a band followed by a DJ in Horizons. I heard great things about Vista's Music Station Band, but somehow I was always eating dinner when they were performing.

Each night, there's a show in the Vista Lounge, either a guest performer or a typical cruise ship song and dance show by the onboard performers. One of the new shows on Vista was choreographed by Britt Stewart, a professional dancer who's worked with "Dancing with the Stars."

Vista itineraries and pricing

Vista will spend its summers in the Mediterranean and winters in the Caribbean. In fall 2023, the ship will also visit Canada and New England and transit the Panama Canal twice. Cruises range in length from seven to 90 days, but most are one to three weeks in length.

Cruise-only prices start from $1,799 for a French Veranda cabin or $2,049 for the lowest-category balcony room on a seven-night Caribbean cruise. Alternatively, you can choose Oceania's more inclusive and expensive OLife fares; these start from $2,599 for the French Veranda cabin or $2,849 for a regular balcony room.

The current OLife promotion runs through June 30 and includes round-trip airfare and transfers, plus your choice of four shore excursions, a beverage package or $400 onboard credit per cabin. Starting in July, the line will offer a set of included perks, without the need to choose, but the actual inclusions may change during promotional periods.

What to know before you go

Required documents

The travel documents you need for your Vista cruise are determined by your itinerary and homeports. For most cruises, you will need a passport that is valid for six months after your trip ends. For round-trip sailings out of U.S. homeports, a birth certificate and government photo ID will suffice. It's up to each passenger to determine if any of the ports of call require additional visas.

When you finish checking in online for your cruise, Oceania will email you a boarding pass that you should print out and bring with you to the terminal.

Crew gratuities are added to your onboard bill and amount to $18 per person, per day, in Concierge-class rooms and below, or $23 per person, per day, in upper-level suites. Gratuities can be prepaid. You are always welcome to tip above the auto-gratuity for exceptional service. All tour guides should be tipped in cash at the end of a tour.

A 20% gratuity is added to onboard bar and spa bills.

Vista is one of the first Oceania cruise ships to use Starlink high-speed internet. I can attest to the speed of Oceania's premium plan after attending a 90-minute Zoom meeting with only the slightest of lag.

Every cabin comes with one free Wi-Fi login (for one device at a time), or you can pay to add additional devices or for the premium plan that accommodates music and video streaming.

Carry-on drinks policy

Passengers can bring up to six bottles of wine per cabin for consumption in their room. If you wish to drink your own wine in a restaurant or public area of the ship, you will need to pay a $25 per bottle corkage fee.

Smoking policy

Vista offers designated areas on the Deck 12 pool deck (forward, starboard corner) and in the smoking lounge on Deck 14 forward, outside Horizons. The latter is a gorgeous space with forest-green walls, but it is entirely indoors. This policy applies to e-cigarettes, pipes and cigars, in addition to regular cigarettes.

Smoking is forbidden everywhere else on board, including in cabins and on private balconies. Passengers who are caught in violation of the smoking policy will be disembarked at the next port of call and may also be required to pay additional fees to cover costs for cleaning or replacing damaged furniture or decking.

Vista has complimentary self-service launderettes on decks 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Each is outfitted with a detergent dispenser, washers and dryers, an ironing board and a seating area with a TV if you choose to wait for your load to finish. You can walk away while your load runs, but set a timer because folks will remove your clothes if you don't pick them up in a timely fashion.

Alternatively, you can pay to send out your clothes to have them washed and/or pressed.

Electrical outlets

Vista's cabins and suites offer electrical outlets and USB ports on both sides of the bed and by the desk. You'll find both U.S. 110V and European 220V outlets. Americans may want to bring an adapter for charging devices in public rooms where the outlets are all European-style.

The onboard currency is the U.S. dollar. The reception desk can change dollars for the local currency.

Drinking age

You must be 21+ to drink alcohol onboard all Oceania cruises. When the ship is in international waters, young adults ages 18 to 20 may purchase and drink beer or wine (as well as the House Select beverage package).

Oceania does not have a complicated dress code with specific attire required on certain evenings. Instead, the line suggests "elegant casual resort wear" for evenings and requests that guests do not wear casual jeans, shorts, T-shirts, baseball caps, casual sandals or sneakers in the restaurants after 6 p.m.

For casual dining, choose the Pizzeria or Terrace Café for your evening meal. Shorts and baseball caps are allowed; athletic wear is not.

Elegant casual resort wear translates into date-night dresses (but not full-on cocktail attire), skirts and blouses or dressy pants and tops for women, and collared shirts and slacks for men. Jackets and ties are not required.

During the day, casual attire is fine, but please don't wear swimwear, bathrobes or pajamas in public areas. You'll need footwear if you leave the pool deck.

Bottom line

Vista is an elegant mid-size cruise ship that's the perfect home base for travelers who appreciate dining variety, enjoy interesting cocktails and fine wines and wish to explore the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Cabins and suites are thoughtfully designed, though, for longer voyages, you might need to take advantage of onboard launderettes as cabin storage might be tight.

Vista offers a high-end experience on a beautifully designed ship, but you'll have a choice in how you spend your vacation budget rather than paying upfront for all-inclusive fares.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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Oceania’s First New Cruise Ship in a Decade Sets High Bar for Fine Dining at Sea

The 1,200-passenger “ vista” also offers some of the best new solo cabins as well as impressive onboard and in-port immersive experiences..

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Vista’s godmother chef Giada De Laurentiis is developing signature dishes for the vessel’s haute-Italian restaurant Toscana.

Courtesy of Oceania Cruises

With an appearance by celebrity chef and ship godmother Giada De Laurentiis and a private concert by Harry Connick Jr., Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, Vista , entered the cruising world with a splash (plus fireworks and beaucoup Veuve Clicquot) at a christening ceremony in Malta earlier this month.

The 1,200-passenger vessel, the first in Oceania’s newest Allura class of ships ( Allura , the next in line, won’t set sail until 2025) is the cruise line’s first to debut in 10 years. And while the layout will feel familiar to cruisers who’ve sailed on the line’s previous class of vessels ( Marina and Riviera ), the Vista is more decadent with plenty of new bells and whistles onboard, all designed to put a focus on the immersive aspect of discovering new tastes and places while delivering an intimate, service-driven experience with a 2:3 crew-to-guest ratio.

About the food and drinks on Oceania’s “Vista”

When a cruise line brands itself as having “the finest cuisine at sea,” the bar is already set pretty high. During the inaugural sailing in early May, my sister and I got right down to putting the 11 dining options onboard Vista to the test. Notably, none of the onboard restaurants requires an additional fee, but you’ll want to make dinner reservations early on in your sailing if you want to attempt trying them all.

Hoping to set a healthy tone for the trip, we had our first meal at Aquamar Kitchen, one of the three new dining concepts debuting on Vista with breakfast options that include over-the-top avocado toasts (among the best I’ve had) and a lunch menu featuring poke, gravlax bowls, and compose-your-own salads. Cold-pressed juices with ingredients like coconut, ginger, beets, and turmeric were a nice touch, as well as zero-proof cocktails, like the Skinny Mimosas, made with nonalcoholic sparkling wine.

For healthier fare and some detoxing (via juices and mocktails), passengers should head to Aquamar Kitchen.

It felt good to have healthy options and smaller portions, but all the restraint was for naught during an at-sea day’s overwhelmingly decadent buffet in the ship’s gorgeous Grand Dining Room (this offering is staged only on longer itineraries), complete with king crab claws, raw oysters, lobster tails, a station serving Jacques Pépin’s crepes Suzette recipe, plus a heaping table of French cheeses and a foie gras bar unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before.

Another culinary offering that is new to the line on Vista is Ember, a modern American restaurant designed to be more casual with easy pleasers on the menu like crab cakes, French dip sandwiches, and steak and seafood.

Fan-favorite Oceania restaurants from the line’s other ships include steakhouse Polo Grill and Toscana (which rival restaurants you would seek out in any top-tier travel destination on land). We also enjoyed our meals at Asian concept Red Ginger, where we ate a delicious lobster pad thai and sipped sake, Waves Grill, with delicious pizzas and buffalo mozzarella salads, and Terrace Cafe, an elegant buffet restaurant with an impressive sushi spread and grilled-to-order lobster tails.

When peckish after a long walk in port, the spot I found myself retreating to most often back onboard was Baristas, high up on Deck 14 with curved panoramic windows overlooking the ship’s centerpiece pool. The horseshoe-shaped espresso bar—stocked with Illy coffee and helmed by a caffeine wizard named Massimo—paired with the adjacent bakery proffering cookies, quiches, and croissants rich with French butter were impossible to resist.

At Barista, guests will find perfectly-executed espresso drinks accompanied by addictive pastries.

Vista’s cocktail game is particularly strong, and it’s worth considering splashing out on an upgraded beverage package (no alcoholic drinks are included on Vista, but from $40 per guest per day, the House Select+ package includes unlimited champagne, beer, and wine with lunch and dinner; for $70 the Prestige Select plan includes unlimited premium spirits, champagne, beer, and wine “wherever and whenever”) if you’d like to enjoy the same style of cocktails you enjoy at your favorite bar back home ($14 was the average price). At Martinis on Deck 6, my favorite was the Bogart Casablanca, with Bombay Sapphire Gin, ginger liqueur, lime juice, pineapple puree, and basil, which I would have particularly enjoyed sipping while watching the sea below if the curtains hadn’t been drawn.

Founders Bay, also new on Vista , is behind the ship’s small casino. It always had something smoking, bubbling, or being misted at the bar and drew me in more than once for its creative cocktails.

The only thing I felt was missing onboard was an outdoor bar that stays open for sunset for enjoying sea breezes and sundowners. (Waves Bar, by the pool, made delicious spicy passion fruit caipirinhas but was always shuttered by late afternoon, right around the time I’d be craving an alfresco cocktail before dinner.)

Unique service, solo cabins, and staterooms

Oceania was already known for its high level of service. But Vista brings the highest crew-to-guest ratio of any of the line’s seven ships: 800 crew for 1,200 passengers. Whether I was lounging on the pool deck while sailing along the coast of Sardinia, or sidled up at the top deck espresso bar, there was never a moment when I didn’t feel like whatever beverage, throw blanket, or other creature comfort I was longing for wasn’t being intuited by the ship’s omnipresent yet never obsequious crew.

Every solo cabin—and every cabin onboard for that matter—has its own balcony.

Solo cruisers—a growing market in cruising—will feel particularly seen on Vista , which features new concierge-level veranda staterooms for those who are sailing sans companions, complete with spacious balconies that have previously been absent in solo staterooms on Oceania ships. The six solo cabins on the ship’s Concierge level also have access to a complimentary laundrette (a critical amenity for light packers or those who like to return home with a suitcase full of clean clothes) and a private lounge stocked with snacks and beverages, plus a crew member who can help with any office needs such as printing and light technical support for a laptop or personal device. The Vista also has a new 24-hour internet center on Deck 14 called LYNC Digital Center with large video monitors and internet-ready computers, comfortable chairs for working, snacks and drinks within reach, and a technical support team for assistance (passengers could easily make this their own co-working space at sea).

During our recent sailing, my sister and I couldn’t get over how comfortable our veranda cabin was (every cabin on Vista has a balcony and the standard cabins, at 291 square feet, are the largest of their kind at sea), with billowing duvets, 1,000-thread-count sheets, plush pillows, and ample storage space throughout.

The suites and staterooms resemble the kind of accommodations and high-quality design details you would expect to find at a high-end land-based resort.

Additional touches such as a marble bathroom featuring a spacious shower with a rain shower head and cushioned furniture on our veranda were comparable to the details you would expect in a luxury hotel. Another passenger I heard refer to the cabins as being “Four Seasons–level luxury” was not wrong. Thoughtfully designed and with artwork in soothing colors, the overall aesthetic was residential resort luxe.

What to do—both on and off the ship

While the Oceania crowd is hardly coming onboard to race a go-kart at sea or take in some ice skating before a midnight chocolate fountain buffet (none of which you’ll find aboard the 791-foot-long Vista ), the ship’s thoughtful interior and exterior spaces offer good options for leisure and entertainment when you’re not lounging around the ship’s centerpiece pool on Deck 12, complete with two raised hot tubs and several day beds fringing shallow shelves of water that made the whole deck glow turquoise.

There’s plenty to do beyond relaxing poolside—but you can’t go wrong with the pool either.

For staying fit, there’s an excellent gym with floor-to-ceiling windows that’s stocked with Technogym equipment you might already be familiar with from your home gym and an adjacent cycling studio. See also: the top deck’s walking track, pickleball court, and mini golf course.

My sister spent one morning taking an art class in the Artist’s Loft, where artist-in-residence, Andre Allen, onboard Vista for its launch and a few months to follow, trained her in the therapeutic state of swirling resin with acrylic colors atop canvas; she left with a frame-worthy souvenir.

I enjoyed a cooking class in the ship’s gleaming Culinary Center, which has been expanded on Vista with individual stations for 24 passengers. Views of the passing ocean swept in through soaring windows while I learned how to use typical Mediterranean ingredients like limoncello, figs, and prosciutto in recipes (the limoncello-soaked semolina cake was particularly straightforward and delicious) I can easily re-create at home.

My favorite shore excursion was a small-group outing from Valetta, called A Taste of Malta, during which we visited a sheep farm making cheese that was so small and off-the-radar it didn’t have a website and enjoyed lunch in olive groves featuring all local products, including spring’s sweetest strawberries and Maltese wines and cheeses with production too small for export.

I never did make it to Deck 15’s Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center for a treatment, but if I had I would have waffled between offerings like the Thai Herbal Poultice massage with acupressure and the body wrap with warm sea algae (always a sucker for more ocean immersion). The spa’s outdoor terrace beckoned right off the bow, too, with two hot tubs overlooking the sea and several heated lounge chairs—a peaceful space passengers can take advantage of whether they’ve booked a treatment or not.

Happily, I found my own shipboard zen for no additional fee in Vista’s impressively curated library, spanning several small rooms with cozy nooks for settling in alongside hundreds of loaner tomes that ranged from self-help books and murder mysteries to classics like Don Quixote and an impressive travel section that only served to further stoke my wanderlust.

How “Vista” practices sustainability

Sustainability-minded features aboard Vista and, eventually, Allura , too, include energy efficiency management plans that factor in navigation and speed optimization to reduce overall energy use, as well as energy-efficient LED lighting onboard and advanced wastewater treatment systems. Oceania Cruises also uses a Vero Water system, providing passengers with reusable bottles; 80 percent of the water consumed on the vessels is produced onboard. In 2022, Oceania launched some 200 Go Green tours that look to educate travelers on ways people at ports are working to conserve their environment. In St. Lucia, you can book a tour to learn about beekeeping practices at an apiculture collective; in Myanmar, you can learn about regenerative farming in Yangon.

Oceania Vista ’s 2023 summer season will see the vessel sailing the eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, and Adriatic seas before wintering in the Caribbean, where a 10-night cruise to Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Bart’s, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic is priced from $2,799 per person (penthouse suites start from $4,699 per person).

Oceania's Latest Ship Has Roomier Cabins, Elevated Design, and a Can't-Miss Cocktail Bar

By Madison Flager

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This past may in Malta , under a domed tent beside the Valletta harbor, I watched as Harry Connick Jr., bathed in the soft glow of chandeliers, crooned “It Had to Be You.” I'd come, alongside hundreds of other guests, to witness the christening of Oceania Cruises ' Vista cruise ship, the company's first new offering in more than a decade, which became official when TV personality Giada de Laurentiis , the godmother, pulled a lever that initiated the requisite whack of a bottle of Champagne against Vista's hull. Like most baptisms, this was a multigenerational affair. “Family is the bedrock of this organization,” declared Frank A. Del Rio, Oceania's new president. Standing beside him was his father, Frank Del Rio Sr., the outgoing Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO, who founded Oceania with two small ships more than 20 years ago. “And it will continue to be how we define ourselves.”

So consider the arrival of Oceania Vista, which will spend much of the summer in the Mediterranean before making its way to the Caribbean this winter, the passing of the torch to a new generation. Structurally, the ship, the first in Oceania's new Allura Class line, resembles its predecessors , but its common spaces, designed by the Miami -based Studio Dado, are more elegant, modern, and open. The striking two-deck-tall chandelier over the grand spiral staircase stopped me every time I passed by. The suites and staterooms all have verandas, a first for Oceania, which has also made a concerted effort to court solo travelers by offering new perks like lounge access, free laundry, and priority restaurant reservations without a singles supplement.

The whitewashed village of Oia, Greece, which passengers can explore when Vista docks in Santorini this year

Grilled octopus and horiatiki at Taverna Katina, the perfect coda to an excursion in Oia

Vista also has terrific entertainment and a top-notch spa, but its most distinguishing feature is the same one the line staked a claim to when it launched in 2002: food. The 11 eateries include beloved establishments found elsewhere in the Oceania fleet, including Toscana, an Italian spot where I had an entire oil-and-vinegar cart rolled out alongside my bread, and Red Ginger, a pan-Asian restaurant at which the duck-and-watermelon salad reigns supreme.

There are also a number of newcomers like Ember, where the sleek fireplace and arched exposed-brick ceilings made me think of Northern California , and I sampled New American plates like porcini-dusted rib eye and blackened crab cakes. Aquamar Kitchen, meanwhile, was more South Beach, with its palm-frond-printed cushions and health-conscious breakfast and lunch options—think superfood smoothies, avocado toast, and poke bowls. On Vista, Waves, which is a daytime-only spot on other ships, morphs into a pizza joint here come evening. Don't skip the burrata.

The main pool deck on Oceania Vista, a prime place to spend an afternoon at sea

All these culinary choices are part of a concerted effort by Oceania to lure more millennials onto its ships, as well as anyone with a “hyperfocus on wellness,” Del Rio says. There are also new experiential offerings: During the pandemic, Oceania's product-development team set out to revamp its excursions beyond the typical greatest-hits tours, adding small-group programs focused on music, food, and art. In tandem with the ship's expanded Culinary Center, for example, guests can join one of the 50-plus chef-led culinary-tour programs. More time in port is also a priority, with overnights included in upcoming Vista itineraries whenever possible.

Above all, Vista is about a good time, so it's no surprise that its cocktail game is strong. (So too are its zero-proof drink options, as you might expect of a ship catering to the wellness-obsessed.) During the inaugural cruise, I found myself visiting a pair of locations with my new cohort of friends each night: We'd start at Founders, which has barrel-aged negronis on tap and mixologists who top martini glasses with vapor-filled bubbles. After a drink or two, we'd head to Horizons, a classic type of shipboard venue with a crowded dance floor and plenty of cushioned swivel chairs for when you're all boogied out. If you've cruised before, you'll recognize this kind of space—and once you lean into the clubby vibe, brought to us by the ever-energetic DJ Steve, you'll have a blast. These nightly bar crawls felt like a pleasing mix of the comfortable and the unexpected—which I'm pretty sure is just what Oceania is going for.

This article appeared in the July/August 2023 issue of  Condé Nast Traveler.  Subscribe to the magazine   here .

803 Carnival Vista 2024 Review, Cruise News + Trip Insurance Cruise Radio

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A Southern Caribbean review of Carnival Vista after its dry dock. Dan Skilken, President of TripInsurance.com stops by to answer some listener questions on the Norwegian Cruise Line guests being stranded in Africa and medical conditions on a cruise ship. Staff writer Richard Simms drops by with cruise news. 

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Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever

Seven agonizing nights aboard the Icon of the Seas

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Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET on April 6, 2024.

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MY FIRST GLIMPSE of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, from the window of an approaching Miami cab, brings on a feeling of vertigo, nausea, amazement, and distress. I shut my eyes in defense, as my brain tells my optic nerve to try again.

The ship makes no sense, vertically or horizontally. It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots. Vibrant, oversignifying colors are stacked upon other such colors, decks perched over still more decks; the only comfort is a row of lifeboats ringing its perimeter. There is no imposed order, no cogent thought, and, for those who do not harbor a totalitarian sense of gigantomania, no visual mercy. This is the biggest cruise ship ever built, and I have been tasked with witnessing its inaugural voyage.

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“Author embarks on their first cruise-ship voyage” has been a staple of American essay writing for almost three decades, beginning with David Foster Wallace’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” which was first published in 1996 under the title “Shipping Out.” Since then, many admirable writers have widened and diversified the genre. Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel. I am 51, old and tired, having seen much of the world as a former travel journalist, and mostly what I do in both life and prose is shrug while muttering to my imaginary dachshund, “This too shall pass.” But the Icon of the Seas will not countenance a shrug. The Icon of the Seas is the Linda Loman of cruise ships, exclaiming that attention must be paid. And here I am in late January with my one piece of luggage and useless gray winter jacket and passport, zipping through the Port of Miami en route to the gangway that will separate me from the bulk of North America for more than seven days, ready to pay it in full.

The aforementioned gangway opens up directly onto a thriving mall (I will soon learn it is imperiously called the “Royal Promenade”), presently filled with yapping passengers beneath a ceiling studded with balloons ready to drop. Crew members from every part of the global South, as well as a few Balkans, are shepherding us along while pressing flutes of champagne into our hands. By a humming Starbucks, I drink as many of these as I can and prepare to find my cabin. I show my blue Suite Sky SeaPass Card (more on this later, much more) to a smiling woman from the Philippines, and she tells me to go “aft.” Which is where, now? As someone who has rarely sailed on a vessel grander than the Staten Island Ferry, I am confused. It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD , or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship. I trust that you have enjoyed this nautical lesson.

I ascend via elevator to my suite on Deck 11. This is where I encounter my first terrible surprise. My suite windows and balcony do not face the ocean. Instead, they look out onto another shopping mall. This mall is the one that’s called Central Park, perhaps in homage to the Olmsted-designed bit of greenery in the middle of my hometown. Although on land I would be delighted to own a suite with Central Park views, here I am deeply depressed. To sail on a ship and not wake up to a vast blue carpet of ocean? Unthinkable.

Allow me a brief preamble here. The story you are reading was commissioned at a moment when most staterooms on the Icon were sold out. In fact, so enthralled by the prospect of this voyage were hard-core mariners that the ship’s entire inventory of guest rooms (the Icon can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers, but its inaugural journey was reduced to 5,000 or so for a less crowded experience) was almost immediately sold out. Hence, this publication was faced with the shocking prospect of paying nearly $19,000 to procure for this solitary passenger an entire suite—not including drinking expenses—all for the privilege of bringing you this article. But the suite in question doesn’t even have a view of the ocean! I sit down hard on my soft bed. Nineteen thousand dollars for this .

The viewless suite does have its pluses. In addition to all the Malin+Goetz products in my dual bathrooms, I am granted use of a dedicated Suite Deck lounge; access to Coastal Kitchen, a superior restaurant for Suites passengers; complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream (“the fastest Internet at Sea”) “for one device per person for the whole cruise duration”; a pair of bathrobes (one of which comes prestained with what looks like a large expectoration by the greenest lizard on Earth); and use of the Grove Suite Sun, an area on Decks 18 and 19 with food and deck chairs reserved exclusively for Suite passengers. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz , an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations. The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them.

In preparation for sailing, I have “priced in,” as they say on Wall Street, the possibility that I may come from a somewhat different monde than many of the other cruisers. Without falling into stereotypes or preconceptions, I prepare myself for a friendly outspokenness on the part of my fellow seafarers that may not comply with modern DEI standards. I believe in meeting people halfway, and so the day before flying down to Miami, I visited what remains of Little Italy to purchase a popular T-shirt that reads DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL across the breast in the colors of the Italian flag. My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. “Oh, and who is your ‘daddy’?” some might ask upon seeing it. “And how long have you been his ‘little meatball’?” And so on.

I put on my meatball T-shirt and head for one of the dining rooms to get a late lunch. In the elevator, I stick out my chest for all to read the funny legend upon it, but soon I realize that despite its burnished tricolor letters, no one takes note. More to the point, no one takes note of me. Despite my attempts at bridge building, the very sight of me (small, ethnic, without a cap bearing the name of a football team) elicits no reaction from other passengers. Most often, they will small-talk over me as if I don’t exist. This brings to mind the travails of David Foster Wallace , who felt so ostracized by his fellow passengers that he retreated to his cabin for much of his voyage. And Wallace was raised primarily in the Midwest and was a much larger, more American-looking meatball than I am. If he couldn’t talk to these people, how will I? What if I leave this ship without making any friends at all, despite my T-shirt? I am a social creature, and the prospect of seven days alone and apart is saddening. Wallace’s stateroom, at least, had a view of the ocean, a kind of cheap eternity.

Worse awaits me in the dining room. This is a large, multichandeliered room where I attended my safety training (I was shown how to put on a flotation vest; it is a very simple procedure). But the maître d’ politely refuses me entry in an English that seems to verge on another language. “I’m sorry, this is only for pendejos ,” he seems to be saying. I push back politely and he repeats himself. Pendejos ? Piranhas? There’s some kind of P-word to which I am not attuned. Meanwhile elderly passengers stream right past, powered by their limbs, walkers, and electric wheelchairs. “It is only pendejo dining today, sir.” “But I have a suite!” I say, already starting to catch on to the ship’s class system. He examines my card again. “But you are not a pendejo ,” he confirms. I am wearing a DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL T-shirt, I want to say to him. I am the essence of pendejo .

Eventually, I give up and head to the plebeian buffet on Deck 15, which has an aquatic-styled name I have now forgotten. Before gaining entry to this endless cornucopia of reheated food, one passes a washing station of many sinks and soap dispensers, and perhaps the most intriguing character on the entire ship. He is Mr. Washy Washy—or, according to his name tag, Nielbert of the Philippines—and he is dressed as a taco (on other occasions, I’ll see him dressed as a burger). Mr. Washy Washy performs an eponymous song in spirited, indeed flamboyant English: “Washy, washy, wash your hands, WASHY WASHY!” The dangers of norovirus and COVID on a cruise ship this size (a giant fellow ship was stricken with the former right after my voyage) makes Mr. Washy Washy an essential member of the crew. The problem lies with the food at the end of Washy’s rainbow. The buffet is groaning with what sounds like sophisticated dishes—marinated octopus, boiled egg with anchovy, chorizo, lobster claws—but every animal tastes tragically the same, as if there was only one creature available at the market, a “cruisipus” bred specifically for Royal Caribbean dining. The “vegetables” are no better. I pick up a tomato slice and look right through it. It tastes like cellophane. I sit alone, apart from the couples and parents with gaggles of children, as “We Are Family” echoes across the buffet space.

I may have failed to mention that all this time, the Icon of the Seas has not left port. As the fiery mango of the subtropical setting sun makes Miami’s condo skyline even more apocalyptic, the ship shoves off beneath a perfunctory display of fireworks. After the sun sets, in the far, dark distance, another circus-lit cruise ship ruptures the waves before us. We glance at it with pity, because it is by definition a smaller ship than our own. I am on Deck 15, outside the buffet and overlooking a bunch of pools (the Icon has seven of them), drinking a frilly drink that I got from one of the bars (the Icon has 15 of them), still too shy to speak to anyone, despite Sister Sledge’s assertion that all on the ship are somehow related.

Kim Brooks: On failing the family vacation

The ship’s passage away from Ron DeSantis’s Florida provides no frisson, no sense of developing “sea legs,” as the ship is too large to register the presence of waves unless a mighty wind adds significant chop. It is time for me to register the presence of the 5,000 passengers around me, even if they refuse to register mine. My fellow travelers have prepared for this trip with personally decorated T-shirts celebrating the importance of this voyage. The simplest ones say ICON INAUGURAL ’24 on the back and the family name on the front. Others attest to an over-the-top love of cruise ships: WARNING! MAY START TALKING ABOUT CRUISING . Still others are artisanally designed and celebrate lifetimes spent married while cruising (on ships, of course). A couple possibly in their 90s are wearing shirts whose backs feature a drawing of a cruise liner, two flamingos with ostensibly male and female characteristics, and the legend “ HUSBAND AND WIFE Cruising Partners FOR LIFE WE MAY NOT HAVE IT All Together BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE IT ALL .” (The words not in all caps have been written in cursive.) A real journalist or a more intrepid conversationalist would have gone up to the couple and asked them to explain the longevity of their marriage vis-à-vis their love of cruising. But instead I head to my mall suite, take off my meatball T-shirt, and allow the first tears of the cruise to roll down my cheeks slowly enough that I briefly fall asleep amid the moisture and salt.

I WAKE UP with a hangover. Oh God. Right. I cannot believe all of that happened last night. A name floats into my cobwebbed, nauseated brain: “Ayn Rand.” Jesus Christ.

I breakfast alone at the Coastal Kitchen. The coffee tastes fine and the eggs came out of a bird. The ship rolls slightly this morning; I can feel it in my thighs and my schlong, the parts of me that are most receptive to danger.

I had a dangerous conversation last night. After the sun set and we were at least 50 miles from shore (most modern cruise ships sail at about 23 miles an hour), I lay in bed softly hiccupping, my arms stretched out exactly like Jesus on the cross, the sound of the distant waves missing from my mall-facing suite, replaced by the hum of air-conditioning and children shouting in Spanish through the vents of my two bathrooms. I decided this passivity was unacceptable. As an immigrant, I feel duty-bound to complete the tasks I am paid for, which means reaching out and trying to understand my fellow cruisers. So I put on a normal James Perse T-shirt and headed for one of the bars on the Royal Promenade—the Schooner Bar, it was called, if memory serves correctly.

I sat at the bar for a martini and two Negronis. An old man with thick, hairy forearms drank next to me, very silent and Hemingwaylike, while a dreadlocked piano player tinkled out a series of excellent Elton John covers. To my right, a young white couple—he in floral shorts, she in a light, summery miniskirt with a fearsome diamond ring, neither of them in football regalia—chatted with an elderly couple. Do it , I commanded myself. Open your mouth. Speak! Speak without being spoken to. Initiate. A sentence fragment caught my ear from the young woman, “Cherry Hill.” This is a suburb of Philadelphia in New Jersey, and I had once been there for a reading at a synagogue. “Excuse me,” I said gently to her. “Did you just mention Cherry Hill? It’s a lovely place.”

As it turned out, the couple now lived in Fort Lauderdale (the number of Floridians on the cruise surprised me, given that Southern Florida is itself a kind of cruise ship, albeit one slowly sinking), but soon they were talking with me exclusively—the man potbellied, with a chin like a hard-boiled egg; the woman as svelte as if she were one of the many Ukrainian members of the crew—the elderly couple next to them forgotten. This felt as groundbreaking as the first time I dared to address an American in his native tongue, as a child on a bus in Queens (“On my foot you are standing, Mister”).

“I don’t want to talk politics,” the man said. “But they’re going to eighty-six Biden and put Michelle in.”

I considered the contradictions of his opening conversational gambit, but decided to play along. “People like Michelle,” I said, testing the waters. The husband sneered, but the wife charitably put forward that the former first lady was “more personable” than Joe Biden. “They’re gonna eighty-six Biden,” the husband repeated. “He can’t put a sentence together.”

After I mentioned that I was a writer—though I presented myself as a writer of teleplays instead of novels and articles such as this one—the husband told me his favorite writer was Ayn Rand. “Ayn Rand, she came here with nothing,” the husband said. “I work with a lot of Cubans, so …” I wondered if I should mention what I usually do to ingratiate myself with Republicans or libertarians: the fact that my finances improved after pass-through corporations were taxed differently under Donald Trump. Instead, I ordered another drink and the couple did the same, and I told him that Rand and I were born in the same city, St. Petersburg/Leningrad, and that my family also came here with nothing. Now the bonding and drinking began in earnest, and several more rounds appeared. Until it all fell apart.

Read: Gary Shteyngart on watching Russian television for five days straight

My new friend, whom I will refer to as Ayn, called out to a buddy of his across the bar, and suddenly a young couple, both covered in tattoos, appeared next to us. “He fucking punked me,” Ayn’s frat-boy-like friend called out as he put his arm around Ayn, while his sizable partner sizzled up to Mrs. Rand. Both of them had a look I have never seen on land—their eyes projecting absence and enmity in equal measure. In the ’90s, I drank with Russian soldiers fresh from Chechnya and wandered the streets of wartime Zagreb, but I have never seen such undisguised hostility toward both me and perhaps the universe at large. I was briefly introduced to this psychopathic pair, but neither of them wanted to have anything to do with me, and the tattooed woman would not even reveal her Christian name to me (she pretended to have the same first name as Mrs. Rand). To impress his tattooed friends, Ayn made fun of the fact that as a television writer, I’d worked on the series Succession (which, it would turn out, practically nobody on the ship had watched), instead of the far more palatable, in his eyes, zombie drama of last year. And then my new friends drifted away from me into an angry private conversation—“He punked me!”—as I ordered another drink for myself, scared of the dead-eyed arrivals whose gaze never registered in the dim wattage of the Schooner Bar, whose terrifying voices and hollow laughs grated like unoiled gears against the crooning of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

But today is a new day for me and my hangover. After breakfast, I explore the ship’s so-called neighborhoods . There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000. There’s the aforementioned Royal Promenade, where I had drunk with the Rands, and where a pair of dueling pianos duel well into the night. There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself. Thrill Island refers to the collection of tubes that clutter the ass of the ship and offer passengers six waterslides and a surfing simulation. There’s the Hideaway, an adult zone that plays music from a vomit-slathered, Brit-filled Alicante nightclub circa 1996 and proves a big favorite with groups of young Latin American customers. And, most hurtfully, there’s the Suite Neighborhood.

I say hurtfully because as a Suite passenger I should be here, though my particular suite is far from the others. Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private. There is a quiet splendor to the Suite Neighborhood. I see fewer stickers and signs and drawings than in my own neighborhood—for example, MIKE AND DIANA PROUDLY SERVED U.S. MARINE CORPS RETIRED . No one here needs to announce their branch of service or rank; they are simply Suites, and this is where they belong. Once again, despite my hard work and perseverance, I have been disallowed from the true American elite. Once again, I am “Not our class, dear.” I am reminded of watching The Love Boat on my grandmother’s Zenith, which either was given to her or we found in the trash (I get our many malfunctioning Zeniths confused) and whose tube got so hot, I would put little chunks of government cheese on a thin tissue atop it to give our welfare treat a pleasant, Reagan-era gooeyness. I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad. Still, this ship, this plenty—every few steps, there are complimentary nachos or milkshakes or gyros on offer—was the fatty fuel of my childhood dreams. If only I had remained a child.

I walk around the outdoor decks looking for company. There is a middle-aged African American couple who always seem to be asleep in each other’s arms, probably exhausted from the late capitalism they regularly encounter on land. There is far more diversity on this ship than I expected. Many couples are a testament to Loving v. Virginia , and there is a large group of folks whose T-shirts read MELANIN AT SEA / IT’S THE MELANIN FOR ME . I smile when I see them, but then some young kids from the group makes Mr. Washy Washy do a cruel, caricatured “Burger Dance” (today he is in his burger getup), and I think, Well, so much for intersectionality .

At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. I am proved correct! Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station.

“Everyone is here for a different reason,” one of them tells me. She and her ex-husband last sailed together four years ago to prove to themselves that their marriage was truly over. Her 15-year-old son lost his virginity to “an Irish young lady” while their ship was moored in Ravenna, Italy. The gaggle of old-timers competes to tell me their favorite cruising stories and tips. “A guy proposed in Central Park a couple of years ago”—many Royal Caribbean ships apparently have this ridiculous communal area—“and she ran away screaming!” “If you’re diamond-class, you get four drinks for free.” “A different kind of passenger sails out of Bayonne.” (This, perhaps, is racially coded.) “Sometimes, if you tip the bartender $5, your next drink will be free.”

“Everyone’s here for a different reason,” the woman whose marriage ended on a cruise tells me again. “Some people are here for bad reasons—the drinkers and the gamblers. Some people are here for medical reasons.” I have seen more than a few oxygen tanks and at least one woman clearly undergoing very serious chemo. Some T-shirts celebrate good news about a cancer diagnosis. This might be someone’s last cruise or week on Earth. For these women, who have spent months, if not years, at sea, cruising is a ritual as well as a life cycle: first love, last love, marriage, divorce, death.

Read: The last place on Earth any tourist should go

I have talked with these women for so long, tonight I promise myself that after a sad solitary dinner I will not try to seek out company at the bars in the mall or the adult-themed Hideaway. I have enough material to fulfill my duties to this publication. As I approach my orphaned suite, I run into the aggro young people who stole Mr. and Mrs. Rand away from me the night before. The tattooed apparitions pass me without a glance. She is singing something violent about “Stuttering Stanley” (a character in a popular horror movie, as I discover with my complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream Internet at Sea) and he’s loudly shouting about “all the money I’ve lost,” presumably at the casino in the bowels of the ship.

So these bent psychos out of a Cormac McCarthy novel are angrily inhabiting my deck. As I mewl myself to sleep, I envision a limited series for HBO or some other streamer, a kind of low-rent White Lotus , where several aggressive couples conspire to throw a shy intellectual interloper overboard. I type the scenario into my phone. As I fall asleep, I think of what the woman who recently divorced her husband and whose son became a man through the good offices of the Irish Republic told me while I was hoisting myself out of the infinity pool. “I’m here because I’m an explorer. I’m here because I’m trying something new.” What if I allowed myself to believe in her fantasy?

“YOU REALLY STARTED AT THE TOP,” they tell me. I’m at the Coastal Kitchen for my eggs and corned-beef hash, and the maître d’ has slotted me in between two couples. Fueled by coffee or perhaps intrigued by my relative youth, they strike up a conversation with me. As always, people are shocked that this is my first cruise. They contrast the Icon favorably with all the preceding liners in the Royal Caribbean fleet, usually commenting on the efficiency of the elevators that hurl us from deck to deck (as in many large corporate buildings, the elevators ask you to choose a floor and then direct you to one of many lifts). The couple to my right, from Palo Alto—he refers to his “porn mustache” and calls his wife “my cougar” because she is two years older—tell me they are “Pandemic Pinnacles.”

This is the day that my eyes will be opened. Pinnacles , it is explained to me over translucent cantaloupe, have sailed with Royal Caribbean for 700 ungodly nights. Pandemic Pinnacles took advantage of the two-for-one accrual rate of Pinnacle points during the pandemic, when sailing on a cruise ship was even more ill-advised, to catapult themselves into Pinnacle status.

Because of the importance of the inaugural voyage of the world’s largest cruise liner, more than 200 Pinnacles are on this ship, a startling number, it seems. Mrs. Palo Alto takes out a golden badge that I have seen affixed over many a breast, which reads CROWN AND ANCHOR SOCIETY along with her name. This is the coveted badge of the Pinnacle. “You should hear all the whining in Guest Services,” her husband tells me. Apparently, the Pinnacles who are not also Suites like us are all trying to use their status to get into Coastal Kitchen, our elite restaurant. Even a Pinnacle needs to be a Suite to access this level of corned-beef hash.

“We’re just baby Pinnacles,” Mrs. Palo Alto tells me, describing a kind of internal class struggle among the Pinnacle elite for ever higher status.

And now I understand what the maître d’ was saying to me on the first day of my cruise. He wasn’t saying “ pendejo .” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters.

And now I understand something else: This whole thing is a cult. And like most cults, it can’t help but mirror the endless American fight for status. Like Keith Raniere’s NXIVM, where different-colored sashes were given out to connote rank among Raniere’s branded acolytes, this is an endless competition among Pinnacles, Suites, Diamond-Plusers, and facing-the-mall, no-balcony purple SeaPass Card peasants, not to mention the many distinctions within each category. The more you cruise, the higher your status. No wonder a section of the Royal Promenade is devoted to getting passengers to book their next cruise during the one they should be enjoying now. No wonder desperate Royal Caribbean offers (“FINAL HOURS”) crowded my email account weeks before I set sail. No wonder the ship’s jewelry store, the Royal Bling, is selling a $100,000 golden chalice that will entitle its owner to drink free on Royal Caribbean cruises for life. (One passenger was already gaming out whether her 28-year-old son was young enough to “just about earn out” on the chalice or if that ship had sailed.) No wonder this ship was sold out months before departure , and we had to pay $19,000 for a horrid suite away from the Suite Neighborhood. No wonder the most mythical hero of Royal Caribbean lore is someone named Super Mario, who has cruised so often, he now has his own working desk on many ships. This whole experience is part cult, part nautical pyramid scheme.

From the June 2014 issue: Ship of wonks

“The toilets are amazing,” the Palo Altos are telling me. “One flush and you’re done.” “They don’t understand how energy-efficient these ships are,” the husband of the other couple is telling me. “They got the LNG”—liquefied natural gas, which is supposed to make the Icon a boon to the environment (a concept widely disputed and sometimes ridiculed by environmentalists).

But I’m thinking along a different line of attack as I spear my last pallid slice of melon. For my streaming limited series, a Pinnacle would have to get killed by either an outright peasant or a Suite without an ocean view. I tell my breakfast companions my idea.

“Oh, for sure a Pinnacle would have to be killed,” Mr. Palo Alto, the Pandemic Pinnacle, says, touching his porn mustache thoughtfully as his wife nods.

“THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S your time, buddy!” Hubert, my fun-loving Panamanian cabin attendant, shouts as I step out of my suite in a robe. “Take it easy, buddy!”

I have come up with a new dressing strategy. Instead of trying to impress with my choice of T-shirts, I have decided to start wearing a robe, as one does at a resort property on land, with a proper spa and hammam. The response among my fellow cruisers has been ecstatic. “Look at you in the robe!” Mr. Rand cries out as we pass each other by the Thrill Island aqua park. “You’re living the cruise life! You know, you really drank me under the table that night.” I laugh as we part ways, but my soul cries out, Please spend more time with me, Mr. and Mrs. Rand; I so need the company .

In my white robe, I am a stately presence, a refugee from a better limited series, a one-man crossover episode. (Only Suites are granted these robes to begin with.) Today, I will try many of the activities these ships have on offer to provide their clientele with a sense of never-ceasing motion. Because I am already at Thrill Island, I decide to climb the staircase to what looks like a mast on an old-fashioned ship (terrified, because I am afraid of heights) to try a ride called “Storm Chasers,” which is part of the “Category 6” water park, named in honor of one of the storms that may someday do away with the Port of Miami entirely. Storm Chasers consists of falling from the “mast” down a long, twisting neon tube filled with water, like being the camera inside your own colonoscopy, as you hold on to the handles of a mat, hoping not to die. The tube then flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism. It both knocks my breath out and makes me sad.

In keeping with the aquatic theme, I attend a show at the AquaDome. To the sound of “Live and Let Die,” a man in a harness gyrates to and fro in the sultry air. I saw something very similar in the back rooms of the famed Berghain club in early-aughts Berlin. Soon another harnessed man is gyrating next to the first. Ja , I think to myself, I know how this ends. Now will come the fisting , natürlich . But the show soon devolves into the usual Marvel-film-grade nonsense, with too much light and sound signifying nichts . If any fisting is happening, it is probably in the Suite Neighborhood, inside a cabin marked with an upside-down pineapple, which I understand means a couple are ready to swing, and I will see none of it.

I go to the ice show, which is a kind of homage—if that’s possible—to the periodic table, done with the style and pomp and masterful precision that would please the likes of Kim Jong Un, if only he could afford Royal Caribbean talent. At one point, the dancers skate to the theme song of Succession . “See that!” I want to say to my fellow Suites—at “cultural” events, we have a special section reserved for us away from the commoners—“ Succession ! It’s even better than the zombie show! Open your minds!”

Finally, I visit a comedy revue in an enormous and too brightly lit version of an “intimate,” per Royal Caribbean literature, “Manhattan comedy club.” Many of the jokes are about the cruising life. “I’ve lived on ships for 20 years,” one of the middle-aged comedians says. “I can only see so many Filipino homosexuals dressed as a taco.” He pauses while the audience laughs. “I am so fired tonight,” he says. He segues into a Trump impression and then Biden falling asleep at the microphone, which gets the most laughs. “Anyone here from Fort Leonard Wood?” another comedian asks. Half the crowd seems to cheer. As I fall asleep that night, I realize another connection I have failed to make, and one that may explain some of the diversity on this vessel—many of its passengers have served in the military.

As a coddled passenger with a suite, I feel like I am starting to understand what it means to have a rank and be constantly reminded of it. There are many espresso makers , I think as I look across the expanse of my officer-grade quarters before closing my eyes, but this one is mine .

A shocking sight greets me beyond the pools of Deck 17 as I saunter over to the Coastal Kitchen for my morning intake of slightly sour Americanos. A tiny city beneath a series of perfectly pressed green mountains. Land! We have docked for a brief respite in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. I wolf down my egg scramble to be one of the first passengers off the ship. Once past the gangway, I barely refrain from kissing the ground. I rush into the sights and sounds of this scruffy island city, sampling incredible conch curry and buckets of non-Starbucks coffee. How wonderful it is to be where God intended humans to be: on land. After all, I am neither a fish nor a mall rat. This is my natural environment. Basseterre may not be Havana, but there are signs of human ingenuity and desire everywhere you look. The Black Table Grill Has been Relocated to Soho Village, Market Street, Directly Behind of, Gary’s Fruits and Flower Shop. Signed. THE PORK MAN reads a sign stuck to a wall. Now, that is how you write a sign. A real sign, not the come-ons for overpriced Rolexes that blink across the screens of the Royal Promenade.

“Hey, tie your shoestring!” a pair of laughing ladies shout to me across the street.

“Thank you!” I shout back. Shoestring! “Thank you very much.”

A man in Independence Square Park comes by and asks if I want to play with his monkey. I haven’t heard that pickup line since the Penn Station of the 1980s. But then he pulls a real monkey out of a bag. The monkey is wearing a diaper and looks insane. Wonderful , I think, just wonderful! There is so much life here. I email my editor asking if I can remain on St. Kitts and allow the Icon to sail off into the horizon without me. I have even priced a flight home at less than $300, and I have enough material from the first four days on the cruise to write the entire story. “It would be funny …” my editor replies. “Now get on the boat.”

As I slink back to the ship after my brief jailbreak, the locals stand under umbrellas to gaze at and photograph the boat that towers over their small capital city. The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway. St. Kitts, I’ve been told, is one of the few islands that would allow a ship of this size to dock.

“We hear about all the waterslides,” a sweet young server in one of the cafés told me. “We wish we could go on the ship, but we have to work.”

“I want to stay on your island,” I replied. “I love it here.”

But she didn’t understand how I could possibly mean that.

“WASHY, WASHY, so you don’t get stinky, stinky!” kids are singing outside the AquaDome, while their adult minders look on in disapproval, perhaps worried that Mr. Washy Washy is grooming them into a life of gayness. I heard a southern couple skip the buffet entirely out of fear of Mr. Washy Washy.

Meanwhile, I have found a new watering hole for myself, the Swim & Tonic, the biggest swim-up bar on any cruise ship in the world. Drinking next to full-size, nearly naked Americans takes away one’s own self-consciousness. The men have curvaceous mom bodies. The women are equally un-shy about their sprawling physiques.

Today I’ve befriended a bald man with many children who tells me that all of the little trinkets that Royal Caribbean has left us in our staterooms and suites are worth a fortune on eBay. “Eighty dollars for the water bottle, 60 for the lanyard,” the man says. “This is a cult.”

“Tell me about it,” I say. There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. For a large middle-class family (he works in “supply chains”), seven days in a lower-tier cabin—which starts at $1,800 a person—allow the parents to drop off their children in Surfside, where I imagine many young Filipina crew members will take care of them, while the parents are free to get drunk at a swim-up bar and maybe even get intimate in their cabin. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care.

There is another man I would like to befriend at the Swim & Tonic, a tall, bald fellow who is perpetually inebriated and who wears a necklace studded with little rubber duckies in sunglasses, which, I am told, is a sort of secret handshake for cruise aficionados. Tomorrow, I will spend more time with him, but first the ship docks at St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is more charming in name than in presence, but I still all but jump off the ship to score a juicy oxtail and plantains at the well-known Petite Pump Room, overlooking the harbor. From one of the highest points in the small city, the Icon of the Seas appears bigger than the surrounding hills.

I usually tan very evenly, but something about the discombobulation of life at sea makes me forget the regular application of sunscreen. As I walk down the streets of Charlotte Amalie in my fluorescent Icon of the Seas cap, an old Rastafarian stares me down. “Redneck,” he hisses.

“No,” I want to tell him, as I bring a hand up to my red neck, “that’s not who I am at all. On my island, Mannahatta, as Whitman would have it, I am an interesting person living within an engaging artistic milieu. I do not wish to use the Caribbean as a dumping ground for the cruise-ship industry. I love the work of Derek Walcott. You don’t understand. I am not a redneck. And if I am, they did this to me.” They meaning Royal Caribbean? Its passengers? The Rands?

“They did this to me!”

Back on the Icon, some older matrons are muttering about a run-in with passengers from the Celebrity cruise ship docked next to us, the Celebrity Apex. Although Celebrity Cruises is also owned by Royal Caribbean, I am made to understand that there is a deep fratricidal beef between passengers of the two lines. “We met a woman from the Apex,” one matron says, “and she says it was a small ship and there was nothing to do. Her face was as tight as a 19-year-old’s, she had so much surgery.” With those words, and beneath a cloudy sky, humidity shrouding our weathered faces and red necks, we set sail once again, hopefully in the direction of home.

THERE ARE BARELY 48 HOURS LEFT to the cruise, and the Icon of the Seas’ passengers are salty. They know how to work the elevators. They know the Washy Washy song by heart. They understand that the chicken gyro at “Feta Mediterranean,” in the AquaDome Market, is the least problematic form of chicken on the ship.

The passengers have shed their INAUGURAL CRUISE T-shirts and are now starting to evince political opinions. There are caps pledging to make America great again and T-shirts that celebrate words sometimes attributed to Patrick Henry: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” With their preponderance of FAMILY FLAG FAITH FRIENDS FIREARMS T-shirts, the tables by the crepe station sometimes resemble the Capitol Rotunda on January 6. The Real Anthony Fauci , by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears to be a popular form of literature, especially among young men with very complicated versions of the American flag on their T-shirts. Other opinions blend the personal and the political. “Someone needs to kill Washy guy, right?” a well-dressed man in the elevator tells me, his gray eyes radiating nothing. “Just beat him to death. Am I right?” I overhear the male member of a young couple whisper, “There goes that freak” as I saunter by in my white spa robe, and I decide to retire it for the rest of the cruise.

I visit the Royal Bling to see up close the $100,000 golden chalice that entitles you to free drinks on Royal Caribbean forever. The pleasant Serbian saleslady explains that the chalice is actually gold-plated and covered in white zirconia instead of diamonds, as it would otherwise cost $1 million. “If you already have everything,” she explains, “this is one more thing you can get.”

I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship. They already speak English better than most of the passengers and, per the Serbian lady’s sales pitch above, better understand what America is as well. Crew members like my Panamanian cabin attendant seem to work 24 hours a day. A waiter from New Delhi tells me that his contract is six months and three weeks long. After a cruise ends, he says, “in a few hours, we start again for the next cruise.” At the end of the half a year at sea, he is allowed a two-to-three-month stay at home with his family. As of 2019, the median income for crew members was somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000, according to a major business publication. Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice.

And because most of the Icon’s hyper-sanitized spaces are just a frittata away from being a Delta lounge, one forgets that there are actual sailors on this ship, charged with the herculean task of docking it in port. “Having driven 100,000-ton aircraft carriers throughout my career,” retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, writes to me, “I’m not sure I would even know where to begin with trying to control a sea monster like this one nearly three times the size.” (I first met Stavridis while touring Army bases in Germany more than a decade ago.)

Today, I decide to head to the hot tub near Swim & Tonic, where some of the ship’s drunkest reprobates seem to gather (the other tubs are filled with families and couples). The talk here, like everywhere else on the ship, concerns football, a sport about which I know nothing. It is apparent that four teams have recently competed in some kind of finals for the year, and that two of them will now face off in the championship. Often when people on the Icon speak, I will try to repeat the last thing they said with a laugh or a nod of disbelief. “Yes, 20-yard line! Ha!” “Oh my God, of course, scrimmage.”

Soon we are joined in the hot tub by the late-middle-age drunk guy with the duck necklace. He is wearing a bucket hat with the legend HAWKEYES , which, I soon gather, is yet another football team. “All right, who turned me in?” Duck Necklace says as he plops into the tub beside us. “I get a call in the morning,” he says. “It’s security. Can you come down to the dining room by 10 a.m.? You need to stay away from the members of this religious family.” Apparently, the gregarious Duck Necklace had photobombed the wrong people. There are several families who present as evangelical Christians or practicing Muslims on the ship. One man, evidently, was not happy that Duck Necklace had made contact with his relatives. “It’s because of religious stuff; he was offended. I put my arm around 20 people a day.”

Everyone laughs. “They asked me three times if I needed medication,” he says of the security people who apparently interrogated him in full view of others having breakfast.

Another hot-tub denizen suggests that he should have asked for fentanyl. After a few more drinks, Duck Necklace begins to muse about what it would be like to fall off the ship. “I’m 62 and I’m ready to go,” he says. “I just don’t want a shark to eat me. I’m a huge God guy. I’m a Bible guy. There’s some Mayan theory squaring science stuff with religion. There is so much more to life on Earth.” We all nod into our Red Stripes.

“I never get off the ship when we dock,” he says. He tells us he lost $6,000 in the casino the other day. Later, I look him up, and it appears that on land, he’s a financial adviser in a crisp gray suit, probably a pillar of his North Chicago community.

THE OCEAN IS TEEMING with fascinating life, but on the surface it has little to teach us. The waves come and go. The horizon remains ever far away.

I am constantly told by my fellow passengers that “everybody here has a story.” Yes, I want to reply, but everybody everywhere has a story. You, the reader of this essay, have a story, and yet you’re not inclined to jump on a cruise ship and, like Duck Necklace, tell your story to others at great pitch and volume. Maybe what they’re saying is that everybody on this ship wants to have a bigger, more coherent, more interesting story than the one they’ve been given. Maybe that’s why there’s so much signage on the doors around me attesting to marriages spent on the sea. Maybe that’s why the Royal Caribbean newsletter slipped under my door tells me that “this isn’t a vacation day spent—it’s bragging rights earned.” Maybe that’s why I’m so lonely.

Today is a big day for Icon passengers. Today the ship docks at Royal Caribbean’s own Bahamian island, the Perfect Day at CocoCay. (This appears to be the actual name of the island.) A comedian at the nightclub opined on what his perfect day at CocoCay would look like—receiving oral sex while learning that his ex-wife had been killed in a car crash (big laughter). But the reality of the island is far less humorous than that.

One of the ethnic tristate ladies in the infinity pool told me that she loved CocoCay because it had exactly the same things that could be found on the ship itself. This proves to be correct. It is like the Icon, but with sand. The same tired burgers, the same colorful tubes conveying children and water from Point A to B. The same swim-up bar at its Hideaway ($140 for admittance, no children allowed; Royal Caribbean must be printing money off its clientele). “There was almost a fight at The Wizard of Oz ,” I overhear an elderly woman tell her companion on a chaise lounge. Apparently one of the passengers began recording Royal Caribbean’s intellectual property and “three guys came after him.”

I walk down a pathway to the center of the island, where a sign reads DO NOT ENTER: YOU HAVE REACHED THE BOUNDARY OF ADVENTURE . I hear an animal scampering in the bushes. A Royal Caribbean worker in an enormous golf cart soon chases me down and takes me back to the Hideaway, where I run into Mrs. Rand in a bikini. She becomes livid telling me about an altercation she had the other day with a woman over a towel and a deck chair. We Suites have special towel privileges; we do not have to hand over our SeaPass Card to score a towel. But the Rands are not Suites. “People are so entitled here,” Mrs. Rand says. “It’s like the airport with all its classes.” “You see,” I want to say, “this is where your husband’s love of Ayn Rand runs into the cruelties and arbitrary indignities of unbridled capitalism.” Instead we make plans to meet for a final drink in the Schooner Bar tonight (the Rands will stand me up).

Back on the ship, I try to do laps, but the pool (the largest on any cruise ship, naturally) is fully trashed with the detritus of American life: candy wrappers, a slowly dissolving tortilla chip, napkins. I take an extra-long shower in my suite, then walk around the perimeter of the ship on a kind of exercise track, past all the alluring lifeboats in their yellow-and-white livery. Maybe there is a dystopian angle to the HBO series that I will surely end up pitching, one with shades of WALL-E or Snowpiercer . In a collapsed world, a Royal Caribbean–like cruise liner sails from port to port, collecting new shipmates and supplies in exchange for the precious energy it has on board. (The actual Icon features a new technology that converts passengers’ poop into enough energy to power the waterslides . In the series, this shitty technology would be greatly expanded.) A very young woman (18? 19?), smart and lonely, who has only known life on the ship, walks along the same track as I do now, contemplating jumping off into the surf left by its wake. I picture reusing Duck Necklace’s words in the opening shot of the pilot. The girl is walking around the track, her eyes on the horizon; maybe she’s highborn—a Suite—and we hear the voice-over: “I’m 19 and I’m ready to go. I just don’t want a shark to eat me.”

Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines. He is a sweet, gentle man, and I thank him for the earworm of a song he has given me and for keeping us safe from the dreaded norovirus. “This is very important to me, getting people to wash their hands,” he tells me in his burger getup. He has dreams, as an artist and a performer, but they are limited in scope. One day he wants to dress up as a piece of bacon for the morning shift.

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE TITANIC (the Icon of the Seas is five times as large as that doomed vessel) at least offered its passengers an exciting ending to their cruise, but when I wake up on the eighth day, all I see are the gray ghosts that populate Miami’s condo skyline. Throughout my voyage, my writer friends wrote in to commiserate with me. Sloane Crosley, who once covered a three-day spa mini-cruise for Vogue , tells me she felt “so very alone … I found it very untethering.” Gideon Lewis-Kraus writes in an Instagram comment: “When Gary is done I think it’s time this genre was taken out back and shot.” And he is right. To badly paraphrase Adorno: After this, no more cruise stories. It is unfair to put a thinking person on a cruise ship. Writers typically have difficult childhoods, and it is cruel to remind them of the inherent loneliness that drove them to writing in the first place. It is also unseemly to write about the kind of people who go on cruises. Our country does not provide the education and upbringing that allow its citizens an interior life. For the creative class to point fingers at the large, breasty gentlemen adrift in tortilla-chip-laden pools of water is to gather a sour harvest of low-hanging fruit.

A day or two before I got off the ship, I decided to make use of my balcony, which I had avoided because I thought the view would only depress me further. What I found shocked me. My suite did not look out on Central Park after all. This entire time, I had been living in the ship’s Disneyland, Surfside, the neighborhood full of screaming toddlers consuming milkshakes and candy. And as I leaned out over my balcony, I beheld a slight vista of the sea and surf that I thought I had been missing. It had been there all along. The sea was frothy and infinite and blue-green beneath the span of a seagull’s wing. And though it had been trod hard by the world’s largest cruise ship, it remained.

This article appears in the May 2024 print edition with the headline “A Meatball at Sea.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

Reader's Digest

The Best Caribbean Cruise for Every Type of Vacationer

Posted: July 29, 2023 | Last updated: July 29, 2023

Get ready to set sail in the Caribbean

It's no wonder cruising in and around the Caribbean is so popular. But with so many ships—50,000 yearly—offering up exciting itineraries from a variety of departure ports, not to mention the number of islands the ships call on, finding the best Caribbean cruise can seem downright overwhelming! We're here to help by breaking down the options with all the best Caribbean cruises. Whether you want an affordable warm-weather family cruise, a luxury couples getaway or a solo cruise to meet new people, we've got the scoop.

If you're in the market for the best deal on a Caribbean cruise, there are two seasons to be aware of. Between January and March is what's known as "wave season." This is when the cruise lines promote deeply discounted fares for the best Caribbean cruises. Or you can choose to shop around for sailings during the fall, when prices tend to be low because of hurricane season. Don't worry, though—the captains of the ships are well-versed in avoiding stormy weather.

How we chose the best Caribbean cruises

Not only did I rely on my own personal experiences at sea (I've taken eight cruises in the past year alone, and I've been cruising for about a decade), but I also scoured websites to find the  best cruise lines based on the many different types of travelers, from those who want to snorkel every day to cruisers who want nothing more than a sunny deck chair by the pool. Now, all you need to do is brush up on all the things you can't do on cruises , discover the many hidden cruise features , decide if you want to add on a stay at one of the most glamorous all-inclusive Caribbean resorts before or after your cruise , and then book your vacation!

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Best overall

Celebrity cruises.

With a breathtaking mix of elegant ship design, gorgeous cabins, delicious restaurants and luxurious outdoor spaces—including a rooftop garden, martini-glass hot tubs seemingly floating in mid-air, the adults-only Solarium and the thrilling Magic Carpet lounge jutting out over the water on the Edge-class ships (Beyond, Edge, Apex and the forthcoming Ascent)— Celebrity is our choice for the overall best Caribbean cruise. Plus, the Edge-class ships feature a unique main dining room concept that not only soars above other cruise lines' complimentary dining options but also the majority of the fee-based specialty restaurants that I've dined at. Each of the four main dining destinations has stunning, regional-specific design elements, shared and individualized menus and top-notch service.

Additionally, the Celebrity spa and its thermal suite are the best at sea for affordable luxury and ultimate relaxation while island-hopping. If you're looking for the best cruises for couples in the Caribbean, it's hard to beat the affordable elegance and sheer class of these ships.

• 11-day southern Caribbean itineraries with a port of call in Cartegena, Colombia
• Three top-notch complimentary main dining rooms
• Eden, the live entertainment venue that's home to more than 5,000 live plants
• The spa's SEA Thermal Suite is the apex of relaxation
• Lack of outdoor activities like waterslides and rides for families
• The theatrical stage shows sometimes disappoint

Best budget

Carnival cruises.

For decades, Carnival "fun ships" have been the premier choice for cruisers looking for ways to travel on a budget . Carnival is still competitively priced, still hosts hairy-chest contests and a St. Jude charity dance party, and still ranks as one of the best Caribbean cruises you can book for less. Better yet, the newest ships in the fleet have added a touch of class thanks to the Brass Magnolia, a cool, new jazz club. Overall, we love the fact that you can have a ton of fun on board Carnival cruise ships in the Caribbean, not just in the most exciting ports, like Nassau in the Bahamas, Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico. On the ships, you'll find colorful water parks with twisty waterslides, the Bolt roller coaster and the Red Frog brew pub. While the ideal time of year to cruise the Caribbean is usually from January to April during the Caribbean's dry season, Carnival makes visiting the islands fun any time of year.

• Affordable prices starting at under $500 per person for a week in the Caribbean
• Guy's Burger Joint and Smokehouse offer some of the best free food at sea
• Superb live music and theatrical entertainment
• Exciting kids camp partnership with the Kennedy Space Center on Carnival Celebration
• Low prices make Carnival one of the best cruise lines for kids as well, which means couples and seniors may find these ships too loud and busy

Best for kids

Disney cruises.

The best cruises for kids and families will naturally be focused on the joys of childhood and the unique needs of children from start to finish. That's definitely true on Disney cruises , which pay as much attention to the bright and fun design of the staterooms as they do to the interactive restaurants, bars and lounge experiences that call on Marvel,  Star Wars and Disney's famous animated characters. (These are all exclusively on Disney Wish.) In my experience, the kids clubs—with Marvel superhero school, Jedi training camp and never-ending arts and crafts—are where Disney truly excels. In fact, your elementary-school-aged kids may never want to leave!

Another high point are the Broadway-caliber shows, including Aladdin , Frozen and The Little Mermaid . So put on your mouse ears or grab your lightsaber, check out these  Disney cruise tips , and book a magical Caribbean cruise with Disney.

• Character meet-and-greets and multiple interactive dining experiences
• Themed sailings for Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars fans
• First-run Disney films premiering in the onboard movie theaters (think: the live-action Little Mermaid )
• Access to Castaway Cay, a private Caribbean island
• Cost-prohibitive for many families

Best for luxury lovers

Scenic cruises.

The world's first discovery yacht, the Scenic Eclipse , which spends part of the year exploring the Arctic and Antarctica, is now bringing guests to some of the most exotic small ports of the Caribbean. Scenic is one of the best Caribbean cruises for the traveler who wants to experience remote escapes for a more culturally authentic vacation in well-traveled waters. You will visit ports such as Darby Island, Egg Island and Long Island in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico's Isla de Culebra, Grenadine's Mayreau and Colombia's Isla de Providencia, as well as have the opportunity to make a full Panama Canal voyage.

And the joy of cruising the Caribbean on this luxury small ship isn't limited to the destinations—you'll enjoy extraordinary onboard experiences too. Let's start with the fact that there are private butlers for each cabin and suite, and just 228 guest maximum on any given sailing, with almost a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio. You'll also find 10 dining options, premium beverages and all airport transfers and gratuities included in the price. Plus, once-in-a-lifetime immersive excursions and enrichment experiences, like floating through mangroves and small caves in glass-bottom kayaks, are all complimentary. With everything covered and handled on a Scenic Caribbean cruise, the only thing you'll need to worry about is figuring out what to pack .

• Private butlers and a nearly 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio
• Remote ports of call accessible only on a small ship
• Truly all-inclusive , with even excursions included in the price
• Lack of diverse activities and entertainment on board

Best for LGBTQIA+ travelers

Virgin voyages.

Virgin took to the Caribbean Sea a few years ago with the aim of disrupting the cruise industry. Its cruises feature cabins that convert to social spaces thanks to beds that become seating areas, and swing hammock chairs on private balconies, and nearly everything is rolled into the main price—including restaurants, Wi-Fi, group exercise classes and gratuities. In short, Virgin comes the closest to offering affordable all-inclusive cruises . With no kids under 18 allowed onboard, the upstart cruise line was and still is a breath of fresh air for cruisers looking for adults-only cruises .

The most exciting thing about Virgin Voyages, however, just may be the "come as you are" vibe on their cruise ships. Crew members are allowed to show off their tattoos and piercings, and the ships have unisex bathrooms, sexy shows, raucous parties and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere for LGBTQIA+ cruisers, making them feel safe and seen in the sunshine of the Caribbean.

• A "come as you are" vibe
• Sexy, adult-oriented entertainment, dances and parties
• Private Bahamian beach experiences and parties that go late into the night
• All food, many beverages, Wi-Fi and gratuities included in the cost
• Vegan dining at Razzle Dazzle
• Families, even those with worldly teens, aren't able to cruise on Virgin Voyages

Best for Texans

Norwegian cruise line.

The brand-new Norwegian Prima is an amazing Caribbean cruise for families—both because of its features and its accessibility to different parts of the country. Those family-friendly features include go-kart tracks spanning multiple decks, virtual reality games, an escape room, thrilling dry and wet slides hanging off the edge of the ship, and a neon sports area featuring mini golf, dart rooms, pickleball courts and so much more. And thanks to departures from both Galveston, Texas, and New York City, the Caribbean has never been more accessible to so much of the country. From Texas's south coast, Prima easily reaches southern Caribbean ports like Roatán and Belize, while travelers departing from New York can cruise all the way down to St. Kitts, the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands, with a stop in Bermuda on the way back, without having to get on a plane first. Whether your family is in the Midwest or the Northeast, Norwegian puts the Caribbean right at your doorstep.

• Departs from Galveston, Texas, and New York City
• Access to a private Caribbean island for exclusive beach time
• A go-kart track spanning three whole decks, and a massive virtual reality gaming room
• Studio staterooms for solo travelers
• Go-kart drivers must be under a set weight, which means some family members may not be able to drive

Best for action lovers

Royal caribbean oasis class cruises.

Like a thriving city at sea, Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships offer up more fun, entertainment and activities than most people can even see and do during a typical weeklong cruise! It is nearly impossible to be bored on an Oasis-class ship. That's why these vessels are the best Caribbean cruises for anyone who wants to try new things like ziplining or simulated surfing, feel nostalgic riding a carousel on a boardwalk, or see Broadway-caliber theatrical shows inside and out.

While they are some of the biggest cruise ships at sea, these vessels were cleverly designed to make it not feel like you are surrounded by upwards of 6,000 other passengers. There's so much to see and do on Royal Caribbean in the Caribbean, you may not even have time to ponder those strange white balls on cruise ships , but if for some reason you do get bored, know that you've got Perfect Day at Coco Cay to visit. This is arguably the best private island in the Caribbean, and you can spend a day here ziplining, riding in a hot-air balloon, chilling out by one of many pools or playing in an incredible waterpark that features North America's tallest waterslide.

• Multipurpose deck that serves up ice skating and ice shows, then transforms into a laser-tag arena
• The tree-lined Central Park neighborhood in the center of the ship is literally a breath of fresh air at sea
• Interior rooms have balconies and views of "Central Park"
• Every itinerary includes a trip to Perfect Day at Coco Cay, a private island paradise
• Oasis-class ships may feel too big for some cruisers

Best for cultural explorers

Windstar cruises.

Thanks to departures from Caribbean ports like San Juan, Puerto Rico , and Bridgetown, Barbados, Windstar allows you to spend less time in transit and more quality time in places like St. Barts, Montserrat, St. Maarten, Barbados and the British Virgin Islands. Not only are these budget-friendly luxury smaller ships fabulous, but the excursions also offer the opportunity for you to make deep dives into the history and traditions of some of the most culturally rich islands in the Caribbean. You'll meet locals who will invite you into their homes, teach you to cook with their herbs and spices, and provide you with experiences that showcase why travel is so important in the first place.

There are itineraries covering two distinct sides of the Caribbean: Eastern and Western. The Eastern side is where you'll find more cultural and historical ports of call, with some great shopping too. The Western side is better known for water sports and fun in the sun on white-sand beaches.

• Intimate excursions that explore the culture and traditions of each island
• Option for a 35-day grand Caribbean adventure
• Windstar's Signature Beach Party on a secluded beach with a buffet lunch and free water sports
• Onboard poolside barbecues
• Not a robust selection of onboard activities or entertainment

Best for seniors

Princess cruises.

If you're of a certain vintage that fondly recalls the TV show  The Love Boat , then Princess Cruises is the best Caribbean cruise for you! It was a Princess ship featured in that classic show, and they still call it The Love Boat, so nostalgic seniors will think that Princess Cruise Line ships are the bee's knees! But Princess is one of the best Caribbean cruise options because the ships have a retro elegance about them, an old-fashioned level of class with shiny brass decorative elements, elaborate chandeliers, familiar tasty food, upscale wine tastings, cultural enrichment programs, Deal or No Deal games on the main stage, Broadway-style entertainment, and The Love Boat Piazza Party on one of your formal nights.

Additionally, seniors will enjoy knowing that on every Princess ship cruising the Caribbean, there are many ADA cabins with full wheelchair-turning space, roll-in showers with grab bars and a fold-down bench seat, as well as closets and desks that are both cleverly designed and highly accessible. Princess Cruises also offers one of the best Alaska cruise itineraries.

• Numerous ADA-accessible staterooms across all cabin types (from suites to interior rooms)
• Old-school elegance
• May feel too old-timey for some travelers

Best for sailors

Star clippers.

These classic clipper ships have sails that aren't just for show—they are actually powered by the wind whenever possible! When it's time to sail away to a new island, the ceremonious hoisting of the sails, which is accompanied by the epic strains of "Conquest of Paradise" from the movie 1492,  is a truly breathtaking sight to behold. And here's an interesting fact : Star Clippers holds the Guinness World Record as the world's largest full-rigged sailing ship. The five-masted vessel is a beauty and a throwback to another era of seafaring. While the big ships may have ziplines and ice-skating rinks, on a Star Clippers cruise you can lounge in a net suspended high above the sea and kayak or stand-up paddleboard off the marina platform at the rear of the ship.

• A working sailing ship that transports you to another era
• Sailings start and end in the Caribbean
• Access to small islands like St. Lucia and Martinique and Virgin Gorda
• "Treasure Island" itinerary visits a host of small, intriguing Caribbean islands that you won't get to experience on the bigger cruise ships
• Pirates don't mind the rough seas on a sailboat, but you might on a Star Clippers cruise
• Pirates also don't need a lot of entertainment options on board, so don't expect Broadway productions on these ships

Best for LEGO fans

Msc cruises.

While we love the F1 simulators and the full-size bowling alley on MSC cruises , spending a week at sea on this Caribbean cruise is really all about LEGO for us. MSC and the LEGO Group have an exclusive entertainment partnership that gives kids the chance to play and build with LEGO bricks in colorful areas of the ship designed just for them in the Mini and Juniors clubs. But the LEGO (and Duplo) fun isn't confined to the kids clubs. Once during every Caribbean cruise, there's an entire day dedicated to LEGO activities for kids of all ages to enjoy, LEGO diplomas to earn, and parades to watch.

But, of course, it's not really  all about LEGO. For environmentalists and cruisers looking for a relaxing private island escape with miles of white-sand beaches with chairs, umbrellas and cabanas calling your name, MSC's Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is a sheer delight. It's a biodiverse and sustainable environment with coral reefs being relocated and saved, and you get to explore it on your trip.

• LEGO fun for kids, with loads of play areas and activities
• MSC Meraviglia departs for the Caribbean from Brooklyn, New York
• Late-night and overnight stays on MSC's exclusive private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
• Not as many onboard activities for families as the other big cruise ships

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Press Releases

Oceania cruises announces new 2025-2026 tropics and exotics collection.

Explore new horizons and set sail beyond the ordinary on more than 130 immersive itineraries spanning Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, South America and the South Pacific

MIAMI , April 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Oceania Cruises , the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has revealed its 2025-2026 Tropics and Exotics Collection, which is available for preview online at OceaniaCruises.com and opens for sale on April 17, 2024.

The new collection includes a total of 135 captivating itineraries, visiting five continents on voyages ranging from seven to 180 days, including Vista's debut Around The World Voyage. Spanning 329 ports, the new itineraries offer a unique opportunity for curious guests to delve deeper into some of the most enticing and exotic corners of the globe.

"Our new Tropics and Exotics Collection is one of our most exciting yet, featuring a heady mix of iconic cities, remote islands and hidden gems to discover for the very first time," commented Frank A Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises. "With various voyages allowing guests to explore a region for weeks or months at a time, and several new overnight port stays, the collection offers a wealth of opportunities for our guests to explore further than ever before, savoring the many flavors of the world and enjoying uniquely curated experiences ashore in these exotic and tropical regions."

More than 90 sailings feature overnight stays allowing guests the chance to immerse themselves in ports of call as diverse as Panama City, Bali and Melbourne, plus new overnight destinations including Willemstad, Curacao; San Juan, Puerto Rico and Port Louis, Mauritius.

Travelers seeking to explore more of the world will revel in the selection of 40 Grand Voyages that afford opportunities for epic journeys across distinct regions and multiple continents. These Grand Voyages explore the wonders of Asia, the stunning topography of the Oceania region, vibrant African cities, tropical Caribbean island retreats and South America's dramatic terrain, all whilst enjoying the home-away-from-home luxury aboard Oceania Cruises' elegant small ships.

Visitors wanting to focus on a specific region of the world have a myriad of carefully curated voyages to choose from, including immersive itineraries discovering the South American continent's dramatic landscapes and diverse heritage, an array of exotic visits to Japan and Southeast Asia, and adventures through Australia and New Zealand.

2025-26 Tropics and Exotics Collection Highlights

• Asia Odysseys | Experience Asia's unique icons, cultural traditions and incredible landscapes with a wider array of sailings in the region than ever before. Regatta focuses on Japan and Southeast Asia, many with multiple overnight stays and ranging from 12 to 16 days, while Riviera offers five additional voyages in these regions. Sirena 's exotic lineup of 10- to 24-day sailings explores the diverse locales of Southeast Asia and Japan with select voyages featuring India and China, plus an exciting 25-day Africa voyage opening the season, and two enchanting South Pacific sailings closing the season.
• Oceania Discoveries | The spectacular topography, remote islands and isolated beauty of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific come to life with Riviera 's range of 14- to 22-day sailings in the Oceania region. The finale is an adventurous Bering Sea crossing to Alaska.
• Africa Adventures | Nautica focuses on Africa's amazing wonders, offering opportunities to experience the continent's unmistakable unity of culture and nature with a series of five voyages ranging from 11 to 30 days.
• Panama Canal & Caribbean Retreats | Experience the crystal-clear Caribbean waters, island culture and iconic Panama Canal aboard Insignia, with Tampa as a new convenient embarkation and debarkation port. Allura, the line's newest ship – launching in summer 2025 – offers even more opportunities to experience island bliss as she spends a sun-drenched season in the balmy Caribbean across both the Eastern and Western regions with a series of nine sailings, ranging from seven to 14 days.
• South America Explorations | Take in the continent's dramatic landscapes, diverse heritage and natural beauty with a series of six sailings aboard Marina – ranging from 10 to 24 days –exploring Patagonia, the best of Brazil, the Amazon and beyond, before crossing to the Mediterranean in April.
• Vista 's First Around the World Journey | Experience an Oceania Cruises first as Vista becomes the ultimate home at sea for an epic 2026 sojourn that explores South America for nearly six weeks before discovering jewels across Australia, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, continuing onwards to spend a memorable month in Europe.
• Unique and new overnight stays | With more than 90 voyages featuring overnight stays, enjoy more opportunities for unique destination experiences and more immersion in ports as diverse as those found in Panama, Bali, Indonesia and Australia as well as new overnight port stays for Oceania Cruises such as Willemstad, Curacao; San Juan, Puerto Rico and Port Louis, Mauritius.

For additional information on Oceania Cruises' small-ship luxury product, exquisitely crafted cuisine and expertly curated travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 855-OCEANIA, or speak with a professional travel advisor.

About Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line's eight small, luxurious ships carry a maximum of 1,250 guests and feature The Finest Cuisine at Sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences are available aboard the designer-inspired, small ships, which call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents, on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. Oceania Cruises is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH). To learn more, visit  www.nclhltd.com .

SOURCE Oceania Cruises

Released April 11, 2024

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