Taking the plunge on Carnival's latest fun-packed ship
From high-altitude activities to grooving away to salsa music, Andrew Doherty explores the delights of Carnival Vista, Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship.
Casting my gaze upon the rolling waves of the Mediterranean Sea, I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of freedom. Having spent the past four hours cooped up in a plane, I’m eager to feel the ocean breeze. Through the taxi window I spot Carnival Vista, all 133,500 tonnes of her, docked at Crete’s Heraklion Port. The ship is a week into its first 12-night voyage and I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of fun.
With that in mind I potter up the gangway, passport in hand. This Irishman is looking forward to getting rid of his Casper the Ghost complexion. Carnival Vista is completing its inaugural Mediterranean sailing, starting in Barcelona and ending in Athens. Billed as the most innovative ship in the Carnival fleet, Vista sports unique features such as the first Imax cinema at sea, the RedFrog Pub & Brewery and SkyRide, a pedal-powered aerial bike ride suspended 150 feet above the ocean.
The ship has an impressive range of facilities and I’m unsure where to go first. Before I can get lost in the vast and multi-coloured world of Vista.
I am invited on a tour of the bridge. Captain Rocco Lubrano points to the high-tech navigational equipment.
“This ship has the latest Platinum system. The computer connects to all five engines and controls everything from the engine’s temperature to the ship’s performance,” he says.
Somebody asks him where the wheel is; he points to a small joystick and laughs.
Vista has some impressive features, for example the propellers can turn around 360 degrees with no need for reverse thrusters. I leave the bridge with a newfound appreciation of the term cruise control.
Tasty treats
A chance encounter later on with Jon Carpenter, brewmaster for Alchemy & Science, has me sitting in front of samples of Vista’s three beers, all made from scratch exclusively onboard. Alchemy & Science, part of the Miami-based Concrete Beach Brewery, is working with Carnival to create craft beers for clients to enjoy on the ship.
Jon is onboard testing the quality of the product. He tells me he is particularly proud of the ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin IPA. I take a sip and am chuffed to discover the hints of citrus and passion fruits. Next up is the ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat. Jon explains that it was crafted with Belgian wheat. “It gives it a hint of coriander and dried orange peel,” he says. The FriskyFrog, a stout similar to Guinness with undertones of coffee, finishes off proceedings.
Dinner time onboard Vista brings with it a plethora of gastronomic choices. I sample the Italian delights of Cucina del Capitano and the carbonara is delicious. Most restaurants are included within guests’ cruise packages apart from six speciality dining restaurants, which have a maximum surcharge of $35, including Cucina del Capitano; Bonsai Sushi; Ji Ji Asian Kitchen; Seafood Shack; Steakhouse; and Green Eggs and Ham breakfast.
I end a great day with a strawberry daiquiri in the Punchliner Comedy Club. Admission to the venue is included in the cruise price and features both family-friendly and more adult-oriented shows. Given the dominance of the American market onboard, it is refreshing to see a British comedian catering for our darker humour.
My second day sees the ship docked in Rhodes. Despite the overcast skies the mood onboard is jovial. I head to the SportSquare and get stuck into the outdoor activities.
That’s entertainment
This area is the haven of thrill seekers. There is the SkyCourse, a 270-foot long suspended ropeclimbing activity high above deck; a basketball court with football nets for the British guest; and of course the SkyRide.
I play a game of pool before releasing my inner Tiger Woods at pitch and putt. If the weather takes a turn for the worse clients can head indoors to the Clubhouse and have a go at the mini-bowling, ping pong or arcade games.
Carnival WaterWorks is close by too, awash with fun features such as the 455-foot Kaleid-O-Slide water slide and the enclosed Twister spiral slide. The WaterWorks is just one of Vista’s four main pool areas. On deck five there is the Havana pool while deck 11 houses both the Tides and main outdoor pool. Not wanting to get my suede loafers wet I skip past and journey to the Cloud 9 Spa.
Extending over two floors, the spa has some impressive treatments on offer. There are four steam chambers, a Turkish bath and the line’s first-ever infrared sauna. Clients can also indulge in thalassotherapy, the medical use of sea water, to treat the skin. Or work up a sweat in Ryde, the spa’s 45-minute high-tech indoor cycling class.
Vista features 98 Spa Staterooms and six suites where guests have the option of exclusive spa packages, easy access to Cloud 9 and priority on spa appointments.
Over the next couple of days I flit between the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat and the Havana Bar.
Serenity houses a bar with DJs and Carnival’s first outdoor massage huts. Havana Bar is my favourite area with its Cuban decor and Latin dance club where music is provided by a live salsa band.
Cherry on Top, the ship’s ice-cream bar and sweet shop, stops me in my tracks one day. Belmin, the server, urges me to try some of the chilli flavoured candy.
“You won’t be able to handle them,” he says.
But I’m a spice lover and the sweets don’t even make a dent.
My time on Carnival Vista is coming to an end and I am reluctant to leave the multisensory extravaganza that has been my home for the past four nights.
Feeling reflective, I take a walk on the moonlit deck and cast my gaze on the inky sea, and then towards my marginally pinker arms; it looks like Casper has gone on holiday.
Book it: Carnival offers a 12-night Mediterranean cruise, sailing from Barcelona to Athens from £922pp departing August 6.
Shore excursion to Athens
Navigating the narrow streets of Piraeus in a coach requires a lot of steel but driver George hardly breaks a sweat. Today I will visit the Acropolis, the birthplace of modern democracy. My guide Irene informs me that almost half of Greece lives in Athens – four million people. “I’m telling you this now to psychologically prepare you for the traffic problems,” she says.
Being trapped on a bus isn’t really an issue when you are surrounded by such beauty. Since leaving the port at Pyros I have spied dozens of gorgeous private yachts docked in the Zea Marina, delighted in the orange trees lining the roads, and have been gobsmacked by the distant views of the Parthenon.
I finally arrive at the foot of the Acropolis ready to climb the marble steps leading to the temple. Irene informs me that they were put here during the Roman occupation – the earlier Greeks preferred the alternative zigzagging stone pathways.
The Parthenon officially opened in 430 BC and is dedicated to the goddess Athena. Irene points to the colour difference of the temple marble. “The whiter marble is where restoration work has taken place and the more yellow marble is the original stone.”
The day ends with some down time in the Plaka neighbourhood, where I relax with a traditional Greek kebab and a glass of wine.
The romance of Athens has already got under my skin and I’ll certainly be back here soon.
Book it: The Athens shore excursion will cost clients £55 for a five-hour experience.
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