My 11 Favorite Places on Carnival Vista
The first craft brewery at sea offers tasty beers and also offers tours and tastings for passengers.
Carnival Vista is huge, so you'll always be able to find something to do. In fact, the cruise ship has so much onboard — the food, music, pools, bars, daily activities — that you'll probably run out of time during your weeklong cruise before you run out of things to do.
Plus, some things are so much fun, you’ll want to revisit them often during your sailing.
I went on a voyage on the nearly 4,000-passenger ship in December, and the trip to the Southern Caribbean was incredible, just what I needed to escape the winter chill of New Jersey. We stopped in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. And I especially enjoyed discovering new places and ways to chill out in Curacao, Aruba and Grand Turk.
After a full week and some time to assess all that I saw and did — dancing, drinking, eating, laughing and relaxing with dozens of new friends I met while cruising — I have come up with my list of the best spots on Carnival Vista.
These are a mix of great places to hang out, eat, play and more. I hope this helps you navigate this cool new ship.
Get burritos for breakfast, lunch or a late afternoon fillup at BlueIguana Cantina on the pool deck.
1. BlueIguana Cantina
Located poolside, I love this place to pick up a quick meal made fresh to order. You can get tacos, taco salads, naked burritos and regular burritos (fully clothed?). Choose from pork, chicken, steak or shrimp and all the traditional toppings like guacamole, corn salsa, refried beans rice, roasted peppers, onions and pico de gallo. You can even get a wheat wrap.
Then, peruse the nearby salsa bar for all sorts of sauces and toppings to further enhance your creation. BlueIguana is open all afternoon to grab a lunch or snack whenever you want. But I really love to come by in the morning for the delicious and healthy breakfast burritos.
Keep an eye out for a chance to grab a treat at Guy's Burger Joint during once of the rare times that the lines are short.
2. Guy's Burger Joint
Juicy, cheesy and hot-off-the-grill meat-tastic concoctions brought to you by celeb chef Guy Fieri. It's hard to resist this poolside spot — I gave up and made a deal with myself to stick to just one burger a day a day. You'll love all the burger creations on the menu, and don't forget the fries. Pro tips: Get there early because the line gets long around noon. Also, while you won't see veggie burgers on the menu, you can order one — you'll just have to wait a little longer while they prepare your burger fresh.
Carnival Vista offers an outdoors sea day barbecue lunch.
3. Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse
This is another Guy Fieri joint. This is a special popup gem, though. Flavorful barbecue lunches served outside on sea days draw huge lines once word gets out that the meats are on the grill (just follow your nose to the wafting smokehouse aromas). Pork, chicken, beef and andouille sausage are served with sides of beans, corn bread, mac 'n' cheese, collard greens and potato salad. Slather with your choice of barbecue sauces.
4. SkyRide
Zip around the top of Carnival Vista under your own pedal power. The side-by-side track sends two people out at a time around the aft of the ship. You can race a fellow passenger or just take it easy and soak in all the views from one of the highest points on the ship.
5. Havana Bar
Drop by at night when the action heats up with Cuban-themed music and dancing. The outdoor area offers comfy chairs, love seats and a pool so you can enjoy the stars in the warm Caribbean air with your favorite Cuban cocktail like a mojito or daiquiri.
6. Tides Pool and Bar
The adults-only aft pool area is a quiet retreat during the day or night. Grab your drinks from the convenient bar or order from a bar staffer making the rounds as you soak up the sun or chill out at night in the small pool or one of the two hot tubs.
The atrium area on Carnival Vista is a focal point of the ship, surrounded by shops and with a hopping bar on the main floor. You can settle in to listen to live music at night.
7. Atrium Bar
This bar is located where you first board the ship. You'll naturally gravitate to this space during your week onboard. Distinguished by the giant spout centerpiece that rises five floors and changes its colorful scenes often, the Atrium Bar on Carnival Vista is a natural gathering spot to listen to live music and have pre- and post-meal cocktails with your traveling companions and new friends.
8. Alchemy Bar
Another hot spot to gather for pre-dinner drinks and lively conversation. The Alchemy Bar features dozens of creative cocktails. Even this beer lover dabbles in this kind of menu.
9. SkyBox Sports Bar
Big screens fill up the walls so you can view NFL, NBA, college hoops and other games you don't want to miss -- just like in your sports bar back home. This is a cool gathering spot to watch the games with your fellow sports fans. A menu features tasty bar bites, too.
10. RedFrog Pub Craft Brewery
The first craft brewery at sea offers a huge space to hang out, listen to live music, play bar games (shuffleboard, bean-bag toss, foosball) and savor the flavors. This Key West-inspired bar brews the line's signature Thirsty Frog Red, Frisky Frog Java Stout, Port Hoppin' IPA, Caribbean Wheat and American Pale Ale, and they're all fantastic!
11. Cloud 9 Spa and Fitness Center
The fitness center and spa on Carnival Vista are the ideal way to remain fresh and energetic throughout your cruise. The gym space and workout equipment ensure you don't have to stray from your normal regimen while on your cruise (I recommend giving the RYDE spin class a try; what a challenge!).
And the Cloud 9 Spa treatments offer a chance to reward yourself and indulge in full relaxation and pampering. That's what a vacation is all about, after all.
Thanks for reading, and happy sailing!
JR