Carnival Vista 2021 – Sea Day #2

Another glorious day at sea. I truly enjoy having coffee in bed while looking outside and the beautiful water. I would go out on the balcony, but I do not want to scare any fish!

We decided to skip the Sea Day Brunch and instead have made to order Omelet at the Lido Marketplace buffet. I actually had more on my plate(s) than Jim had on his. I mean, seriously, who can pass up biscuits and gravy?

After breakfast, we walked around the Lido deck. Since we are VIFP Gold status, we had to pick up our water from one of the bars on the ship due to the new COVID restrictions. We picked up our at the Tides Bar located on Lido Deck aft. It was very quick and easy to get, absolutely no issues what so ever. Plus, we got to enjoy that beautifully stunning aft view.

We returned to our stateroom to find today’s towel animal.

After a quick rest, we decided to spend some time Serenity area on deck 15. It was not crowded and the views did not disappoint. But do you really ever have a bad view on a cruise?

For lunch, we decided to go to Guy’s Pig and Anchor located on deck 5.

Then we went back to the Lido Marketplace to find something sweet for dessert.

We spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy until it was time to get ready for dinner.

We love the location of our table in the Horizon Restaurant.

Dinner cocktails for tonight are Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini for Jim and a Mai Tai for myself, but that is not what I remember them tasting like. Not a fan of tonight’s cocktail.

Breads a for tonight were Rustic French and Pumpkin Sunflower with the condiments being Whipped Butter, Olive Oil & Balsamic, and Garlic and Herb Cheese (my favorite).

For our appetizers, Jim selected the BBQ Pork Slider and I had the Shrimp Cocktail

And this is where the photos for today stopped. I do know that I had the Broiled Strip Loin Steak for dinner and it was definitely better than the first night. In all likelihood, I had the Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake for dessert.

The Carnival HUB app said to keep it casual, so that is what we did… for the rest of the night.

Please come back for the next installment when we are at Mahogany Bay!

Carnival Vista 2021 – Sea Day #1

Sea days are always a great day to relax and enjoy what the ship has to offer! This morning, I decided it would be best to let Jim sleep in and rest and much as possible since his allergies were driving him crazy! I used this time to do a little shopping!

First I went to the fun shops and found some 2 for $20 t-shirts in the sizes I needed. I didn’t want to take a chance of not being able to purchase them if I waited until the cruise was almost over, so I grabbed what I needed. These shirts would work a a shirt to wear on embarkation day for a future cruise, whenever that may be.

Then I made my way to Java Blue Cafe to grab some mugs and also a couple of Mocha’s to take to the room.

With my hands somewhat full, I made my way to our stateroom. It was time to make sure Jim was awake and ready to go to Brunch. We enjoy Sea Day Brunch and we always go whenever we can!

We tend to be creatures of habit when we go to brunch, and today was no exception. We started with Mimosa’s and coffee then stuffed ourselves with Steak and Eggs (my choice) and Eggs Benedict (Jim’s choice). The service was great and the food was fantastic. I can’t wait to come back again!!!!

Aftewards, we walked around the Fun Shops and Pixels. It was requested by my friend, Leigh Ann, to see if there were any lanyards on board. Mission accomplished!!! She will have plenty to chose from when she goes on her cruise!

Once back to our stateroom we found our new towel animal! Of course I had to take a picture of it! For today, Jim decided to be lazy in our stateroom while I decided to be lazy on deck 12 where I could watch the fun on the Lido deck yet have wonderful view of the water. And to enjoy a Pina Colada. Truly my happy place and favorite thing to do on a cruise.

After spending an appropriate amount of time in the sun, it was time to get ready for the first Cruise Elegant Night of this cruise. I started off with a gold eye mask/patch to hydrate. I do not know how well they worked as they kept sliding down my face!

With my clothes and shoes laid out and my hair sufficiently fixed, it was time to get ready and make our way to Deck 5 in search of the perfect backdrop for cruise formal night photos.

photo

When we arrived to deck 5, we did not see anything that really caught our attention so we made our way to deck 4 and this is what we decided on. Nothing fancy but still appropriate for what I was looking for.

Tonight at dinner we sat at a different table and were we glad we did. The staff was great. So much so that when we left, we stopped to see if we would be able to request the same table for the remainder of our cruise. Luckily we were able to do that!!!!

Tonight’s dinner cocktails were Bellini for me and a Chipotle Spicy Pineapple Martini for Jim. The martini was suggested by our awesome Carnival Personal Vacation Planner, Josh. According to Jim, it was a great suggestion! We also had water and ice tea to go with our meal.

Tonights bread selection were Ciabatta and Petite Sourdough, condiments were whipped butter, oilve & balsamic, and garlic and herb cheese. The garlic and herb cheese spread was definitely my favorite!

Our selections for appetizers were blackened pork tart and Caesar Salad for me!

Main course consisted of Spaghetti Carbonara for Jim and Slow Cooked Prime Rib for me. My mouth is still watering!

For dessert I had the Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake and Jim and the Vanilla Creme Brulee.

We were so stuffed after dinner, we went to our stateroom to change clothes and ended up staying in there the remainder of the night.

Today was a good day. I’m sure tomorrow will be a good day as well.

Coming up next is our second sea day. These is something about two sea days in a row that can really relax a persons soul.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Embarkation Day!!!!

Please be aware, throughout this blog, I will be writing about our experience with the new protocols in place. The protocols were not a problem for us. Now, let’s start today’s blog.

It’s finally here!!!! Today is the day we board the Carnival Vista.

Jim likes to start his day with a relaxing hot/warm bath. It prepares me mentally for his day. Unfortunately, that was not to happen on this day as there was no hot water!!! Oh well, I guess a cold shower will have to make do. I have repacked and rearranged all the packing trying to eliminate the unnecessary. I tend to be an over-packer. So now it is time for breakfast.

We decided to go to the Gumbo Diner for breakfast as it is next to the hotel. They open at 8am so we did have to wait for a bit, but that’s okay. It comes with being early risers. The breakfast selections on the menu were good. We were able to find something we wanted and when it arrived, it was hot and tasted great! The only issue I had was that my sausage was somewhat rare. But other than that one small issue, we were satisfied with the selections and the waitstaff was very attentive. We will definitely come here again for breakfast.

After we finished our breakfast, we packed up the car and checked out of the hotel. Our cruise check-in time is 10:30 to 11:00 and we wanted to make sure we timed things right. On this day, the Carnival Vista was docked at the pier primarily used by Royal Caribbean. No big deal. We dropped off our luggage and made our way to the Port of Galveston parking garage which is directly across the street from the Carnival cruise pier.

The walk to the pier was longer than we expected but we managed and arrived about 5 minutes before our check-in time. We showed our boarding pass, vaccine card, and negative COVID test and were in the terminal in line to board!!! The one thing I noticed is that this pier is hot inside. Luckily I had our handy-dandy necklace fans with me so I was able to keep us from sweating too much!!!

The line moved quickly and we were soon on the Carnival Vista! Our first stop was to our muster station. The E-muster is quick and easy!!! Before long, we were sitting on the Lido deck having our first Guy’s burger and our first drink of the day!!!! We also indulged in a bit of dessert sampling.

We stayed here until we heard the announcements that the staterooms were open! Since we booked a stateroom on the Lido deck, it was a very easy walk for us!. The stateroom was the typical port side balcony. And this is where we watched us sail-away from Galveston and just relaxed until dinner time.

For dinner, we selected Your Time Dining when we booked the cruise. We used the HUB app to check in for dinner and within a few minutes, we were alerted our table was ready. We made our way to the Horizons Restaurant, deck 4 aft. We definitely had a wonderful view from our table. But as is typical on the first night in the MDR, service can be hectic and maybe not as attentive as the remainder of the cruise. The first thing we noticed was a change in the menu. Instead of the bread being served as soon as you got there, the menu now has the breads shown on the menu along with condiments for the bread. Today’s selection of bread was Baguette or Multigrain Cranberry and the condiments were Whipped butter, olive oil & balsamic, and bacon pan drippings. We were served one of each bread selection and Jim selected the olive oil and balsamic while I had the bacon pan drippings. Jim had the Strawberry Bisque, Roasted Beef Brisket, and Tiramisu while I had a Caesar Salad, Broiled Strip Loin Steak, and Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake. For some reason, the steak I had was not that great. I ate but it just seemed off for some reason, but not reason enough to complain. Everything else was fine. Unfortunately I only remembered to take pictures of our bread, appetizers, and my dessert.

After dinner, we returned to our stateroom to find our first towel animal of the cruise!!!

The remainder of the evening/night was spent unpacking and relaxing in our stateroom. We are very boring people!

Next installment will be the first our first sea day. Please come back to read all about it.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #11 It’s go time!!!!

Friday, August 27th… the day I have been waiting for is finally here. It is time for our road trip to Galveston. Of course, we do need to make some stops on our way out of town. But this is nothing out of the ordinary.

First stop is to see mom and bring her some goodies she is likely to run out of while we are away. Things like mini cokes, cookies, and toothpaste. I know she has plenty of toilet paper and kleenex so she should be good in that area. Starting our trip with a visit with mom is always fun. She is so excited for us to be able to get away although she wishes she was going as well.

As with every trip, we need to go to the bank and make sure our cards are flagged as we travel and where we will be. And we need cash. Not a lot of cash, but some cash. We arrived at the bank just after it opened so it was not crowded and we were able to get in and out very quickly.

Now there is one stop that was not planned on. We had to stop at Home Depot because someone, who shall remain nameless, forgot to punch out when he left yesterday. The store manager was very surprised to see us and asked why we were there when we were to be on vacation. Such a nice man. We were able to leave rather quickly after the necessary paperwork was completed. And now we can officially begin our road trip!

For this trip, it was decided we would take Hwy 6 to Galveston and do everything possible to avoid the Houston traffic and road construction on I-45. Our plan is to have two stops before reaching our final destination. One is West, TX and one in Waller, TX.

Our first stop in West, Texas was strictly for trying Kolaches the area is famous for. We stopped at Slovacek’s which was easy to get in and out of. I ordered a lemon Kolache which was very good and Jim ordered a couple of burritos. I decided to also get a turkey and swiss sandwich which I was not a fan of. Luckily I had also grabbed some Cheeto’s and a Dr. Pepper. I do not think this is a place we will return to on our next pre-cruise adventure

No road trip is complete without a stop at Buc-ee’s. We stopped at the Buc-ee’s in Waller, Texas to get gas and to use the extremely clean restrooms. Buc-ee’s is awesome!!!! We did not get any snacks while there which is very unusual for us. Well, maybe I should say very unusual for me!

And just like that, we are checking into our hotel for the night. We stayed at The Commodore On The Beach which is located on Seawall Boulevard. We have stayed here before so we are familiar with the place and location. When we checked in, we were informed that they cable TV was out so there is would be no television available. No problem. We just wanted a place to sleep and enjoy the excellent beach views.

It is our pre-cruise tradition to have dinner at the Original Mexican Cafe. The food is ALWAS great and the service is EXCELLENT. We recommend this place 100000%. I’m already planning on my next trip to eat here!

Now to relax and prepare for tomorrow. Embarkation is always fun.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #10 Last minute preparations…

With time ticking away, it’s time to get things together.

The most stressful part has been getting the COVID Antigen test. Luckily, the results came back as negative for both of us!!! This means that tomorrow will be a very busy day but at least it will end up relaxing.

First stop is to Amazing Lash Studio. Need to make sure my lashes look outstanding.

Stop number 2 is to Ross in search of a belt for my husband and also some socks for him.

Stop number 3 is to Marshalls still searching for a belt for my husband.

And, of course, since I’m in the area, I will need to go to Ulta.

And one last stop at CVS for prescriptions. While there, I decided to use my $7.00 worth if coupons I decided to get a couple of things.

The rest of the afternoon will be finishing the packing and double checking each and every list known to mankind.

Finally, it’s time to relax and manicures and pedicures for my hubby and me.

Ending the night with a visit with mom. Unfortunately, her Alexa mysteriously disappeared, so Jim is trying to set up the replacement he bought. He’s not a happy camper.

I’m sure tonight will be sleepless as it usually is the night before a road trip.

Tomorrow will be a fun day so hopefully before we get on the ship, I will be able to share that blog as well

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #9 Packing my jewelry.

This is always the most difficult thing for me to do. I’m always changing my mind on what I want to take and what I want to wear. But one thing never changes. And that is how I pack my jewelry.

On our last cruise, I used one container for my daytime jewelry and one for the evening jewelry. Yes, I am that extra. It’s the only time I get out!!! These containers can be found at any hobby or craft store and also on Amazon. I love using them as you can arrange the sections according to your needs.

Now it’s time to sort this mess and get them into containers.

Here’s the daytime container.

Here’s the evening container.

Now it’s time to get all the last minute errands run and finish getting our stuff together.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #8 What’s in our first aid kit!

The list of items in our first-aid kit is rather long. But why take any chances when you’re on vacation.

All of the items are contained in a trifold bag I purchased from Thirty-One. It works real well and it is easy to store in our carry-on luggage.

Now for the list, in no particular order.

Tylenol

Advil

Tylenol PM

Aspirin

Excedrin Migraine

Band Aids

Hydrocortisone cream

Athletes foot clotrimazole cream

Absorbine Jr back patch pain relief

Cold and Hot extra strength medicated patch.

Biofreeze.

Day time cold & flu.

Night time cold & flu.

Nasal spray

Vitamin C drops

Cough drops

Pepto Bismol

Laxative

Antacid

So, I guess you can tell I have included just about everything I could think of that could be of use. But if history repeats itself, the only thing we will use are the BandAids and antacids.

Not sure which blog will come next, but I hope it will be something useful.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #7 Shopping Amazon for the extras!

It is amazing how the stuff you see on Instagram can easily found on Amazon. I found things I never knew I needed. But now I know the truth!!!! Amazon is the best! So let’s get started with the extra things I purchased on Amazon for this cruise.

Relavel marble makeup bag, marble pattern. It measures at 10 1/2 ” wide x 6 1/4″ long x 3 3/4″ tall.

Relavel marble make up bag, large marble pattern. It masures 16 1/4″ wide x 11 1/2″ long x 7″ tall.

O2COOL deluxe handheld battery operated misting fan, light blue (FML0001). Sold by MoveAbility Brands.

TowelTouch Cooling towel, 4 pack. Sold by CHMG online.

Sani-Hands hand sanitizer wipes. Sold by Preferred Pharmacy Plan.

Aqua 4-in-1 monterey hammock inflatable float. Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC

StrawExpert Set of 16 reusable stainless steel straws with travel case, cleaning brush, silicone tips, extra long metal straws for 20, 24, and 30 oz tumbler. Sold by StrawExpert.

Aloe facial skincare sheet hydrating mask. Sold by PalNour.

Cedize under eye collagen patch, 24K Gold anti aging mask. Sold by Arena Innovative Designs.

Face Mask, pack of 50, blue. Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC

Vaccine Card protector. Sold by AISON STUDIO.

And that is the end of the Amazon shopping… at least for now.

Coming up next, what is in our first aid kit.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #5 Shopping for Jewelry on Amazon

Jewelry shopping is always fun. For vacation, I like to purchase pieces that don’t break the bank if lost yet are of a good quality. Enter Amazon!!! Amazon is been a blessing especially during the pandemic. So, let the shopping begin!!!

VK Accessories Thread Ball Dangle Earrings (blue white stripe).

Bocar Fashion Collar necklace with Thread Ball Pendant (NK-10491).

Bocar Statement Collar Beaded Necklace with chunky earrings set (NK-10585).

Orchid Art black white earrings, 2 pairs. I will only be taking the pair that is black with white dots.

Faceted leopard pear shape link post earrings (WHITE). Sold by PHI PHI STORE.

Faux pearl hoop earrings. Sold by DAVIAWD.

D.Rosse 2 pairs chic boho matte flower statement stud earrings set with gold (pink pearl and blue pearl). I will be taking the blue flower earrings and leaving the white ones at home.

Gem Stone King infinity pink ribbon spring rose pendant.

Bohemian green earrings, enamel leaf drop earrings. Sold by Surray.

Lux Accessories navy nautical starfish anchor arm candy set (5 pc). Sold by ShopLuxDirect.

CanMixs Smart Watch for Android phonies iOS Waterproof. Sold by CanMixs Co., Ltd.

And so this ends the Amazon jewelry shopping blog. The items I have shown are ones that I am 99% sure I will be taking. As I was writing this blog, I deleted several items that I purchased as I decided they will not be going on the cruise with me.

Coming up in the next blog, clothes I have purchased from Amazon for myself and my husband. Who did I purchase the most clothing items for??? Myself or my husband. I guess we will all find out on the next blog.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #4 – It’s hair day!!!!

This blog with be short and sweet!

With 9 days to go until we board the Carnival Vista, it was definitely time to get my hair taken care of. Simple! My plan is to have my hair trimmed and have some subtle highlights added. I booked my appointment with my trusted stylist and friend, Theresa Bankston at Preferred Image Salon. She is amazing and truly listens to what I want and doesn’t roll her eyes too much when I say just whatever you think it needs.

Before…

And after. This photo was actually taken the day after my appointment because I left the salon without taking the after shot! I had to return as I left my cup of Dr. Pepper at the salon.

Now I have time to play with my hair to see how it will look with curls for the fancy nights or straight for daytime and casual evening.

I’m so ready to get on this ship!!!