Early May 2023 the Vista was christened in Malta. Attending the naming ceremony was magical, speeches and entertainment ending in fireworks. The care and attention to detail so evident in the festivities extended to Vista. As soon as I stepped into the interior of the ship it was evident that she is a special vessel. Light, airy, contemporary and beautiful. The stunning features reveal themselves around every corner.
Public areas are open and spacious. Glass is used extensively, light fixtures are often art. Art is tasteful, abundant, unique and congruent. Colors are serene and muted; finishes are high quality and appear durable. Individual chairs are often artistic and fun.
She was at full capacity for her first sailing. However, even the show lounge was uncrowded.
Two new to Oceania restaurants, Ember and Aquamar Kitchen, are exciting additions. Ember joins the always popular specialty restaurants complimenting Polo, Red Ginger and Toscana. Dining is always a highlight of sailing with Oceania. Barista has been moved to a midship location overlooking the pool and added more snack options.
I was in Concierge Class cabin 9111, however the non-suite cabins have the same layout. Baths do not have a tub but instead have a very large shower with a rain shower head and a wand. The light fixture over the vanity is a tasteful O. My favorite feature of the bath is the corner cabinet which is surprisingly useful for storage. As on most ships the lighting in the bath is poor for makeup application, for whatever reason designers assume that women put makeup on at the desk?
A new category for Oceania is the solo occupancy cabin but at the concierge level. Smaller but still with a balcony. If I were to stay in one, I would certainly utilize the showers in the gym/spa area as the shower in the bath is claustrophobic. Otherwise, a grand idea as the number of solo cruisers seems to be increasing every year. There are only 6 solo cabins on Vista.
Technology is everywhere on Vista, on her first sailing some gadgets had issues in particular soap dispensers in public restrooms. Head’s up on the public restrooms…..to enter there is a touchless keypad either near where the door handle would be or to the right on the wall. There are 3 “buttons” red on the top, black in the middle and green on the bottom. To open hover over or touch the black button above the green button, to close hover over or touch the black button below the red button. Very important to know that there is approximately a 5 second delay before the door opens or closes.
A nice technology touch is the thermostat in the staterooms, right by the door it has several functions including Do Not Disturb and Make Up Room. Very convenient.
We found our cabin to have an unusual amount of noise from both the door to the hall as well as from the adjoining cabins. We had one neighbor who talked loudly, and you could hear the conversations clearly. Light sleepers may want to download a white noise app on their phone and pack a small speaker.
There are no plastic water bottles on the ship. Provided in your stateroom are metal bottles and filling stations around the ship. The provided metal bottles are large so unless you carry a larger day pack you may want to pack a smaller water bottle. We were not offered water on any of our tours.
A popular feature for the brand are several self-service laundries which are attractive and convenient. The library is large and very comfortable beside the Barista.
