The Good and Not So Good - Carnival Destiny, B2B October 10 & October 15

[WendyCn]

This is my 1st review even though it is our 6th & 7th cruise and please note that it is only my observations and opinions.

Pre-Cruise
We flew in the day before on Delta from PA. Surprisingly, after a number of issues with Delta changing our flights, we had no issues and arrived safely and on time. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon. The room was very nice, the staff was very friendly and accommodating, with a typical hotel continental breakfast. We ate at the Italian restaurant across the street and to be honest although the food was good, we felt it was overpriced for what we got and would not go there again. A Publix, Chinese restaurant, Cuban restaurant, Burger King and CVS were also in the mall across the street from the hotel. So we purchased a few last minute items such as water and iced tea to take with us. The next morning the shuttle service was on time and we were at the Port of Miami by 11:20 am. We met a couple on the shuttle, Larry & Angie, from Las Vegas, who also had VIP boarding. They had upgraded to a suite and we are CVC members so we went through VIP boarding together and were onboard before noon.

This was our sixth Carnival cruise. We love to cruise and we are simply happy to get away together to soak up the rays and take time for a little R & R. So, we always enjoy ourselves. That being said, my review includes the good and not so good parts of the cruise. I am simply stating what I observed and how I felt (so no flamers, if you please).

And, yes, it’s true, you no longer have to carry or wear the life jackets to muster drill. It made muster drill a little easier to deal with.

Cabin #6179
Our cabin was a little smaller than other ships we have been on, but there was still plenty of room. We had the three closets, lots of drawers and although the bathroom is very small the shower was much larger than on the other ships, which was actually quite nice to be able to stand up and move around. The hair dryers are in the bathroom (not in the vanity drawers) and I liked them better. One big difference is that there are no shelves on the bathroom vanity, but there were small shelves in the shower. We took a small over the door hanger which came in very handy. The little basket of goodies included toothpaste, a man’s battery operated razor, small shampoos, and Pepcid. We had two outlets along the vanity in the cabin and two in the bathroom, too.

Our cabin steward, Noel, introduced himself and always said hello, but we have had more personable stewards on previous cruises. The cabin was always clean and he knew when we were not in the cabin and was quick to get it ready for us, but he missed little things. However, we did tip him extra since we appreciated all that he did for us. And, of course, I adore the towel animals. And, yes, I did take photos of them.

Food
We ate all breakfasts and lunches in the dining room. The buffet lines were very long most of the time. Seating was usually available out on the aft pool area where we spent a lot of our time. They did abide by the adults only aspect of this area and we really didn’t see any children. The main pool on the Lido deck was very small. There were some chair hogs but for the most part, if you weren’t too particular on location, you could find a lounge chair if you were out by 10 am or so. One side of the Lido was smoking & the other side was non smoking.

We had early dining in the upper section of the Universe Dining Room. Our head waiter, Alex, and his new assistant, Alena, were wonderful. So, if you want to ensure a great dining experience, check with the Maitre ‘D if you’re interested in seeing if there is a spot open in their area. They are absolutely wonderful. They did dance on the lower level every night, although not the songs or dances that we have experienced on the longer cruises. We thought the food, for the most part, was tasty. We did notice that the portions were smaller. And, they now offer prime rib rather than filet mignon. But, Alex always asked us if we wanted another portion and sometimes we had two starters and two dinners, especially lobster and prime rib on formal night. I prefer smaller portions as I do not like to waste food. I saw tons of room service trays along with uneaten food left on tables as it was. I think it is a shame for people to waste food like that.

We had room service almost every morning. It was always delivered on time, although a few times they missed an item or two. But, hey, we just ordered it when we got to the dining room. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting out on the balcony with my cup of coffee and fruit early in the morning watching the sun rise. What a way to start the day!

Entertainment & Onboard Activities
The shows were Nightclub Express and Formidable which were shows we had seen when we were on the Legend. We enjoyed Nightclub Express, but didn’t care for Formidable. We also didn’t care for the comedian/magician or the ventriloquist. I went to the show which had acts performed by our follow cruisers. Most of them were singers and dancers. Two of the singers that performed were really good. For the one singer, we laughed so hard because as she began bouncing up and down singing the second stanza of Proud Mary, she literally lost her top and her boob popped out. She continued singing as if nothing happened. Brent wasn’t quite sure how to handle that one. He did say that the show was being recorded and would be available in an edited version.

For us, there was always something to do from the Hairy Chest Contest, to the Newlywed and Not so Newlywed Game, to the ice carving, to Karaoke. We liked the Trivia games (where we won two ships on a stick – woooohoooo), sitting around observing our fellow cruisers, and relaxing by the pool.

Since we have gotten older, we don’t do the party or bar scene, and we only dabble in the casino. So, we have no comments on those onboard activities or the spa or Camp Carnival.

We were also very disappointed by the Captains Welcome Aboard. We asked a number of employees where this was being held as it seemed unclear in the Capers which stated Promenade deck. It seemed like the staff we asked were confused too as we got three different answers. We were finally ushered into the Criterion Lounge where the band was playing, when the Captain & his staff were actually out along the Promenade deck by the Cheers bar. Hmmmm…

We did attend the Past Guest party and the Fun Farewell. In both cases drinks were served and at the Past Guest party we did have hor’ dourves. But to my knowledge there was no bar service other than the drinks served on the trays.

Ports - Ochos Rios & Grand Cayman
We spent a few hours in Ochos Rios with Marva Shaw on her Nature Tour which included Dunns River Falls and Coyaba Gardens. There was one other couple, Tyrone and Tanya, who toured with us. We had a great time. The falls were beautiful as were the gardens. Beware the “photographers” at the falls and if you don’t want to shop in the craft market be sure you know how to say “no” over and over again. This area in Jamaica was very dirty and poor. Although we enjoyed our tour, we do not wish to ever visit this island again. If we do, we will stay onboard the ship.

Since we had been to Grand Cayman and enjoyed a shore excursion on a catamaran snorkel with the stingrays, we only walked around near the port and did a little shopping.

We enjoyed the sea day and spent time by the pool and just kicked back and relaxed.

2nd Part of B2B
The transition from the 1st cruise to the next one went fairly smoothly. It was unclear as to when we were supposed to report to Guest Services (formerly the Pursers Desk), but it went quickly. We were surprised at how quickly the debarkation went – everyone was off the ship by 9:00 am. We were escorted off the ship by a Guest Services representative, handed our customs form to the officer, got back on the ship, and had a new photo taken for our new S & S card. And, voile, we were done! Warning, though, be sure that Guest Services has your S & S account recorded for this cruise. We tried to use our card in the shops and it was denied as Guest Services said that we did not have a credit card set up. We had filled out the docs for both cruises and we thought everything was all set up. No big deal, just a heads up.

We met up with Beth, Suzy, Tracey, Steve, and Jen, our Cruise Critic roll call members, at 3:00 pm in the aft pool area for our 1st meet and greet. (Hi guys, it was great meeting you and seeing you all off and on throughout the cruise.)

Then we had to go to muster drill again. Drat! But it was fairly painless so we survived.

Ports – Key West & Cozumel
We had been snorkeling in Key West last time we were there, so this time we decided we wanted to go to the Southernmost Point. We took a surrey tour with Michael as our tour guide. The ship docked during the early morning hours and for us this was the best time for a tour. It was cool outside and the bars and stores were just opening up so it was very quiet. Plus, we were the only ship in port which makes a big difference. We had a great tour and would definitely recommend Michael. So if you want to see a little of paradise, like the Rainbow Tree, Ernest Hemingway’s house, the Southernmost Point, the first Margaritaville and to learn about the history and way of life in Key West, ask for Michael. He knows his stuff and is very personable!

We had been to Cozumel before. I wanted to go to Chankanaab National Park but was not feeling up to it. I think it was the heat so we only shopped a little around the port area. I felt it was very expensive although I did find a few items that I could afford. We choose not to go downtown as I needed to take my meds and rest.

Miscellaneous
We didn’t go to any shows or the Captains Welcome Aboard (which on this cruise was held at 7 pm when we were dining). Since it was a 4-day cruise there was no Past Guest party and we opted not to attend the Fun Farewell.

It was overcast and rainy with swells of 10’ to 12’ on our last sea day, which did hinder activities on the Lido deck and some of those activities needed to be moved indoors. But there were tons of things to do and lots of fun going on until the wee hours of the morning.

Debarkation
The ship was a little late getting back to Miami. We opted for self-assist debarkation since we had an early flight. We had room service for breakfast as we were supposed to debark by 7 am. However, it was closer to 7:30 am but once we got started it went fairly quickly. We were off the ship and through customs in 15 minutes. We grabbed a cab and got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. For us, this is the way to go and we will choose the self –assist debarkation for our next cruise.

There were a few disappointments which we realize had absolutely nothing to do with Carnival. They included a very loud and rambunctious crowd of partiers. Yes, I realize that people are there to have fun and enjoy themselves and should be allowed to do so. However, do respect others in the process. Remember that voices carry in the hallways especially at 2 a.m. Loud music playing at all hours of the morning is not acceptable – and yes, Guest Services, did intervene. And, please, please, future cruisers, do NOT allow the cabin and balcony doors to slam. Take 2 seconds to pull it gently closed. And parents, please do NOT allow your children to run in the hallways with the cabin stewards having to tell them it is dangerous to run as they may hurt themselves.

Yes, we felt there were a number of things we did not feel measured up to our previous Carnival experiences. I felt that the public areas were not kept as clean as other ships. This was especially apparent in the public restrooms. A few examples were in the ladies room stalls where there was a dark substance on the one stall wall during the entire cruise and missing soap dispensers. But I did LOVE those hand dryers, though, wow they were great! I didn’t see the cleaning staff nearly as much anywhere on the ship like we had seen on previous cruises.

[wanderlust402]

Thank you for the wonderful TR! I am glad you enjoyed your B2B on Desitny.

Do you happen to still have any of the copies of the carnival capers that you could scan and share? DW and I are sailing 12/19 and were trying to get an idea of activities and events that are currently offered.

I understand that you were in 6179. (Was that for both parts of your cruise?) That room is across elevators and rotunda. We are considering an upgrade if the opportunity presents itself, but are a little leery of excess noise (you mentioned running kids and 2 am revellers). Right now I think we are in a quieter part of the ship near the front. Have you sailed in rooms near the bow and if so do you have an opinion on which is more pleasant?

[apictureisworth]

Thanks for the review! I am going on Destiny on Nov 16 and was happy to read that you had lunches in the main dining room. We were on the Imagination in Sept and thought the buffet and lido lunches were well below average (lunch was not offered in the dining room on that cruise). Can you tell me what types of things they offered for lunch in the dining room?

[WendyCn]

Wanderlust402 - I saved all copies but I'm sorry we do not have a scanner. But I could answer any specific questions you have. I will also check with other roll callers onboard when we were to see if they kept their capers and can scan them.

Apictureisworth - They always serve a pasta, a few sandwiches, and always some sort of salad. And, they always have burgers. Plus, they have appetizers and desserts (I liked the ice cream with sweet cherries on it, yummy), I could always find something to eat that I liked. Once or twice one of our tablemates didn't like what they got, and asked for something different. The waitstaff are accomodating if you make it known (nicely of course) that you don't like something or it wasn't what you expected .

[wanderlust402]

Originally Posted by WendyCn

Wanderlust402 - I saved all copies but I'm sorry we do not have a scanner. But I could answer any specific questions you have. I will also check with other roll callers onboard when we were to see if they kept their capers and can scan them.

1.) Casino Info. I have a Capers from the Valor on 9/6. It lists various casino special events like low limit gambling on the first night ($3 table games $0.50 roulette), a limited special "face up blackjack" one night, and "pool side blackjack" on the Lido deck. During your Destiny cruise were these type of casino specials offered?

2.) Sea Side Theatre. How many evenings were movies offered and what did they show?

3.) Dinner. Which night was formal/elegant dining offered?

Thank you very much!