Oceania Vista Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Simply put, the only reason the Vista did not rate a fifth star was the inconsistent service and dining experiences, but more on that later.
The ships is beautiful and tastefully decorated throughout. With a full complement of only 1200 passengers there are rarely any lines and it was always possible to find a seat in the buffet area. We booked one of the few "juliet" balcony balconies which has a full sliding door but only a railing outside and no room to sit. It was well worth the savings over a full balcony because it was usually too hot or uncomfortable to actually sit on a balcony. The juliet balcony always provided the sunlight and fresh air in the cabin as needed.
The cabin was the most comfortable and luxurious we have cruised in. A retreat unto itself!
Cabin Review
Veranda Stateroom
Comfortable in every way. Bedside access to all lights including a night light for the bathroom. Most luxurious shower we have ever had at sea. Oceania provides unlimited soft drinks in your cabin fridge-restocked every day. Digital controls for the "do not disturb" sign- no more door placards. Bathroom is "huge" by ship standards with ample storage in two different cabinets.
Port Reviews
Antigua
Antigua is yacht capital. We headed to Nelson's Dockyard by arranging a private tour at the dock. Many options if you do not have a ship tour.
Barbados
Its a long walk to the town from the pier (about 1.2 miles) but the port provided a $2 shuttle from the ship. Not so returning- you are on your own. A short taxi ride (expect to pay more then $2) or a half-hour walk. Barbados downtown is a bit grungy. We visited the synagogue and then walked back to the ship.
St. Lucia
We did the tramway in the rain forest on ship tour. The van that took us could have used some new tires but otherwise we arrived safely after about 20 minutes. We had a guide the entire trip and enjoyed the experience despite our guide's insistence that the peak of the forest was 14,000 feet in altitude (its more like 1500 feet). He also firmly believed that one side of St. Lucia faces the Atlantic, and the other faces the Pacific. We guess geography is not part of the St. Lucia curriculum.
St. Barts
St. Barts is super-yacht parking lot with high-end stores and many restaurants. If you are into super-yachts bring your camera! We did the "submarine" (not really a sub but more of glass enclosed hull) for about 40 minutes and then walked around.
Puerto Plata
We did a ship tour to Ocean World which is a delightful marine park, and beach area. We saw four "shows" featuring different animals, feed the birds out of our hands and had an included lunch. Very clean park.