Carnival Destiny Propulsion Problems

[marshalltp]

As some of you know, Carnival Destiny experienced substantial damage to one of its two screw propulsion drive systems on its Sept 12/09 itinerary. My understanding is that this has caused the vessel to travel at about half speed of 10 to 11 knots. As such they have modified the itineraries to drop Grand Turk, and Half Moon Cay, and to add Freeport to their Eastern departures, and to drop Grand Cayman/Jamaica and add Nassua and Freeport to their Western departures. So far they have advised travellers at the Port of Miami of the changes and offered 20% off a future booking as means of compensation.

 

Someone stated on a board here that the ship repair required dry docking and would not be undertaken for some time. Does anyone out there have any information to share regarding future cruise dates? We cruise on Nov 16 and would like to know ahead of time what we are facing:(.

 

Please note that I just received an email from Paul Medic. He just finished a back to back on Destiny, and let me know that they were not late to any ports, the ship sailed as smooth as it ever has, and that there were no noticable propulsion problems

[marshalltp]

Just returned from our Eastern itinerary. Had some major propulsion problems and vibration.....missed Grand Turk completely and they substituted another stop in Nassau from 8AM until 1PM. I feel somewhat vindicated with all of the shots I have taken on this board about making speculative posts. Seems I was right on the money....

[jtm22372]

dgp111 please read post 27:(

[pokergirl34]

Thanks for the recent update cclim...

 

We are sailing her next summer. While I would be bummed if we missed Grand Turk, I would not be disappointed if another port was substituted. We just want to make sure we can get 3 ports in. If we do Freeport, Nassau and HMC, I would not be disappointed.

 

I would assume, however, that Carnival will get the problems fixed before August of next year :)

 

Good luck to those sailing her in the near future.

[mfinkfamily]

I would not count on Freeport as a substitute. They took us back to Nassau. (11/16-11/21). They did not tell us until one hour before we were to dock in Grand Turk that we would not make it there. They had made the turn to go back to Nassau a full 10 hours before. Also, those that are to go to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman on 11/21 sailing, are now going to go to Nassau and Half Moon Cay. They will not know this until they board. This comes from crew member Pip, assitant to Tina the Cruise Director on this sailing. He was kind enough to inform us while debarking that we were lucky to have made two of our scheduled ports. Think twice about Destiny.

[pokergirl34]

I would not count on Freeport as a substitute. They took us back to Nassau. (11/16-11/21). They did not tell us until one hour before we were to dock in Grand Turk that we would not make it there. They had made the turn to go back to Nassau a full 10 hours before. Also, those that are to go to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman on 11/21 sailing, are now going to go to Nassau and Half Moon Cay. They will not know this until they board. This comes from crew member Pip, assitant to Tina the Cruise Director on this sailing. He was kind enough to inform us while debarking that we were lucky to have made two of our scheduled ports. Think twice about Destiny.

 

So are you saying you had 2 days in Nassau and a day at HMC or just a day in Nassau and a day at HMC?

 

Really, even if we end up with 2 days in Nassau, it would be ok...not perfect, but I think we would still have a great time. I just do not want to go on a 5 day cruise with only 2 ports.

 

As our cruise is 9 months away, I certainly am not going to worry about it now. Should the Destiny have more troubles as we get closer to final payment, maybe we will switch to another cruise. We are booked easy saver, so switching would cost us. If they cancel our sailing, I am sure they would get us on another ship. I will make sure our air travel occurs with enough time to accomodate a 7 day cruise. We had planned on driving to Key West for a day and also spending a day in the Everglades, but we can skip those if it is necessary to switch.

 

Thanks for your input!

[mfinkfamily]

We went to Nassau, then HMC then back to Nassau. I hope all goes well with your sailing. I hope they do fix the problems. The next sailing that left today has also changed its schedule. From Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman to Nassau and HMC. However,they will not know until they board.

[natsan]

Also just returned from the Eastern 11/16 sailing. I wouldn't call it 2 days in Nassau as much as a day and a half. The final day was 7-1, but by the time you get off the ship (7:30) and get back on (noon), it's really more like a half a day in a mediocre port you've already been to. I feel deceived after seeing previous accounts of propulsion trouble on this board. The staff acted completely surprised by the trouble on board, but this was obviously a farce.

 

The way that engine sounded near the end, I'm pretty sure it doesn't have nine months left in it, so I'm guessing you will be fine. This was my first cruise and it was okay, but I'm done with cruising.

[marshalltp]

So are you saying you had 2 days in Nassau and a day at HMC or just a day in Nassau and a day at HMC?

 

Really, even if we end up with 2 days in Nassau, it would be ok...not perfect, but I think we would still have a great time. I just do not want to go on a 5 day cruise with only 2 ports.

 

As our cruise is 9 months away, I certainly am not going to worry about it now. Should the Destiny have more troubles as we get closer to final payment, maybe we will switch to another cruise. We are booked easy saver, so switching would cost us. If they cancel our sailing, I am sure they would get us on another ship. I will make sure our air travel occurs with enough time to accomodate a 7 day cruise. We had planned on driving to Key West for a day and also spending a day in the Everglades, but we can skip those if it is necessary to switch.

 

Thanks for your input!

 

The problem is that Carnival wouldn't let u know that there is a problem. You, like I, could call your PVP only to be told that everything had been properly repaired. I would think that they will drydock her sometime in January or February (low census) to get it done right.

[detwings]

Our friend just got off the Destiny today (Thanksgiviing). Apparantely, there were ALOT of unhappy people on board. Their itinerary was changed due to the fact they had continuous propulsion and engine problems on this cruise. Not happy campers. So apparently Carnival has not fixed this yet. We were suppose to go in January on her, we bit the bullet, and cancelled.

[Eric2010]

Guys....guys, I sure hope I can put you all at ease!!

 

I was on the 9/17 sailing of the Destiny...Western Caribbean to Cozumel, and the ship was PERFECTLY FINE!! There was no speed problems and we didnt miss anytime in port. (Actually got to Cozumel a little early)

 

The fix did not require a dry dock and it was fixed while passengers boarded on the 9/12 sailing.

 

All is well with the Destiny, she is a GREAT ship and so far, my favorite!!

I was on the November 16th 2009 sailing. Grand Turk was cancelled, NEVER with Carnival again!! And NO people, the problem STILL has not been fully addressed, instead, they sail a shorter distance, gotta keep that HUGE revenue flowing ya know.

 

If you intend on sailing Destiny or Carnival, I would seriously give it some serious reconcideration.

 

Eric

[simpleman]

I was on the November 16th 2009 sailing. Grand Turk was cancelled, NEVER with Carnival again!! And NO people, the problem STILL has not been fully addressed, instead, they sail a shorter distance, gotta keep that HUGE revenue flowing ya know.

 

If you intend on sailing Destiny or Carnival, I would seriously give it some serious reconcideration.

 

Eric

 

 

They are back to a full route but Eastern and Western.

[lholvo]

Just got off the 1/16/10 sailing, supposed to go to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. We were informed during dinner of the first day at sea that we would not make it to Jamaica because of a problem with the propulsion system, and that it was possible we wouldn't make Grand Cayman, either. They let us know via a letter under the door that we wouldn't make it to Grand Cayman, and that we were turning around to go to Nassau.

 

We were given only a $75 shipboard credit, with no option for refund or discount on future sailings.

 

I'd say if you're booked on Destiny, be prepared to NOT get to where you're supposed to go, and I hope you like Nassau. They obviously still have a serious problem with this ship. I suspect it's also a money-maker for Carnival, since they obviously burn much less fuel by cutting trips short and going much more slowly. Plus, they keep the passengers on board, where they can spend lots more at the casino and the bars!

[tstallard]

Just got home from Nassau on board Carnival Destiny, the only problem was that we were supposed to be going to Jamaica and the Grand Cayman! After reading these posts I am now more disappointed than i was on the boat. This boat is stealing peoples time and money. At what point do you dock the ship and figure out what is wrong with it? Quit booking trips for thousands of people when the ship isn't properly working. There were several people planning on getting married on the beaches of Jamaica! WOW!!!!

[Nicknak100]

Just got home from Nassau on board Carnival Destiny, the only problem was that we were supposed to be going to Jamaica and the Grand Cayman! After reading these posts I am now more disappointed than i was on the boat. This boat is stealing peoples time and money. At what point do you dock the ship and figure out what is wrong with it? Quit booking trips for thousands of people when the ship isn't properly working. There were several people planning on getting married on the beaches of Jamaica! WOW!!!!

 

 

I couldn't imagine planning a wedding when the fine print says the ports aren't guaranteed!

[zoobiechick]

I joined CruiseCritic specifically to warn others about sailing the Destiny. Carnival totally canceled our Jamaica/Grand Cayman itinerary this week while en route (Jan 16-21, 2010) because of propulsion issues, and we had the feeling they were being less than honest. We weren't forewarned about previous problems, and unfortunately I didn't do my research before booking. This ship has had ongoing problems. We left port almost four hours late, because supposedly they had to take on more "potable" water. Really? This ship has sailed for years and they don't have it together enough to have it ready to sail on time? I felt that was a lie. The night before we were supposed to arrive in Ocho Rios (after a full day at sea), the captain informed us there was a propulsion issue and they couldn't sail fast enough to get us to Ocho Rios. He said they were running tests to see if we could still make our Grand Cayman port of call. A letter was sent out to passengers the following morning that tests revealed we could NOT make it to Grand Cayman and would receive a $75 per person onboard credit to compensate, plus a stop in Nassau. To make a long story short, we were totally robbed of our itinerary on a ship that has had ongoing problems, and Carnival offered no compensatory cruise or voucher. What they did offer was a slap in the face. We are quite sure they knew the ship was not running up to speed, but sent it out anyway. We've been told that if a ship enters international waters, they don't have to reimburse passengers, and we feel that's why they began sailing for Ocho Rios knowing full well the propulsion system wasn't working properly.

 

We were sorely disappointed and had planned, scrimped and saved for almost a year specifically for the itinerary we selected, not to mention flights, hotels, etc. We are very angry at Carnival for deceptive practices and for not offering a cruise voucher to compensate us. I was a fan of Carnival before this. Now I'm a very angry past customer.

 

BOTTOM LINE: BEWARE THE DESTINY! ITS PROBLEMS ARE NOT FIXED AND THEY WILL SEND IT OUT ANYWAY.

[tsibs7]

I was on the same cruise as the previous poster (Jan 16-21) on the Destiny to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. I too was extremely disappointed with what happened. My wife and I had been planning on this cruise for over 2 years and we got shafted. A $75 port tax refund and a stop in the Bahamas are not adequate compensation in my opinion. So immediately after the cruise I sent a letter to Carnival sharing my disappointment and also asking for some sort of compensation. Here was their reply:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about your cruise on board the CARNIVAL DESTINY.

This was a well-deserved vacation and we are glad you chose Carnival. We understand that you looked forward to the vacation, especially something as wonderful as a cruise.

 

Like you, we were disappointed at the last minute itinerary change. We intended for the sailing to be as planned until we hit a bump in the road, on January 17, 2010. As you know, that is when we discovered the ship was experiencing technical difficulty. We can assure you that in no way is this related to the previous issues experienced with the propulsion system. As soon as the issue was identified, our staff immediately notified you, our valued guests that we would not be able to call on Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios.

 

Our technicians began working to resolve the problem and tests were carried out overnight. The results showed we would not be able to sustain the needed cruising speed to get to Grand Cayman. So, we had to substitute our call to Grand Cayman with an overnight visit to Nassau. A $75 per person on board credit was given to each guest, which included a refund of the government fees and taxes. While we would love for you to join us on another retreat, no further compensation will be given.

 

We know you were looking forward to visiting Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios and we sincerely regret we were unable to deliver the itinerary you expected.

 

Thank you again for choosing Carnival. We'd love to welcome you aboard another Carnival Cruise in the near future.

Sincerely,

 

Andrea Reyes

Guest Care

 

Lame right?? So needless to say, I was quite displease with their response. Especially if they had an ongoing problem and never fixed it (which by the look of this forum is certainly the case). If you were aboard the Destiny during this trip, please send some sort of letter to Carnival showing your lack of approval.

[cruizinEllen]

I was on the same cruise as the previous poster (Jan 16-21) on the Destiny to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. I too was extremely disappointed with what happened. My wife and I had been planning on this cruise for over 2 years and we got shafted. A $75 port tax refund and a stop in the Bahamas are not adequate compensation in my opinion. So immediately after the cruise I sent a letter to Carnival sharing my disappointment and also asking for some sort of compensation. Here was their reply:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about your cruise on board the CARNIVAL DESTINY.

This was a well-deserved vacation and we are glad you chose Carnival. We understand that you looked forward to the vacation, especially something as wonderful as a cruise.

 

Like you, we were disappointed at the last minute itinerary change. We intended for the sailing to be as planned until we hit a bump in the road, on January 17, 2010. As you know, that is when we discovered the ship was experiencing technical difficulty. We can assure you that in no way is this related to the previous issues experienced with the propulsion system. As soon as the issue was identified, our staff immediately notified you, our valued guests that we would not be able to call on Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios.

 

Our technicians began working to resolve the problem and tests were carried out overnight. The results showed we would not be able to sustain the needed cruising speed to get to Grand Cayman. So, we had to substitute our call to Grand Cayman with an overnight visit to Nassau. A $75 per person on board credit was given to each guest, which included a refund of the government fees and taxes. While we would love for you to join us on another retreat, no further compensation will be given.

 

We know you were looking forward to visiting Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios and we sincerely regret we were unable to deliver the itinerary you expected.

 

Thank you again for choosing Carnival. We'd love to welcome you aboard another Carnival Cruise in the near future.

Sincerely,

 

Andrea Reyes

Guest Care

 

Lame right?? So needless to say, I was quite displease with their response. Especially if they had an ongoing problem and never fixed it (which by the look of this forum is certainly the case). If you were aboard the Destiny during this trip, please send some sort of letter to Carnival showing your lack of approval.

 

I was scheduled on the Feb 18th sailing and it was cancelled. We were offered a $75 OBC for a future sailing. We had flights, vacation from work, babysitters etc. Talk about lame.

[UNDATC]

I was booked on the Feb. 13th Destiny trip =(. We just found out the bad news today from our TA and I guess RCCL has a cruise the same day but only suites are open. This is my first cruise, what would you do in my situation? Take the full refund including our airfare? OR Rebook with carnival and take them up on the $100 ship credit? Either way we want to go somewhere warm over our snowy Central New York winter!

[MakinMemries]

We were also booked on the Feb. 13th Destiny cruise. We didn't even know that it was cancelled and only found out by going back to the web to see if prices had dropped and saw that the cruise no longer appeared. We were lucky enough to be sitting in front of the computer and I put a hold on a room on RCCL Navigator of the Sea. They were running a great sale for inside cabins but only had two rooms left. I understand that they are all now gone.

 

When exactly was Carnival going to tell me that my cruise was cancelled?

 

How much difference from what you booked on Carnival is a suite on RCCL? We were offered $100 pp onboard credit for another cruise within 24 months. Trouble is, Carnival holds (and invests) your money. We decided to take the full refund.

[jetwet1]

Nassau + $75 obc instead off Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman.........

 

Ok I know a bunch of people are going to say lines have the right to change ports for any reason, but at some point there is say going to Barbados instead of St Lucia which ok fine, kind of close, but Nassau is nothing like OR or GC, sorry in this case I would nicely tell Carnival to shove it.

 

To those that have had their cruises canceled, what is Carnival covering ?

[cruizinEllen]

Nassau + $75 obc instead off Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman.........

 

Ok I know a bunch of people are going to say lines have the right to change ports for any reason, but at some point there is say going to Barbados instead of St Lucia which ok fine, kind of close, but Nassau is nothing like OR or GC, sorry in this case I would nicely tell Carnival to shove it.

 

To those that have had their cruises canceled, what is Carnival covering ?

 

Absolutely nothing! If you rebook another cruise, you get $75 OBC, otherwise NADA

[tbjl24]

Absolutely nothing! If you rebook another cruise, you get $75 OBC, otherwise NADA

 

Those on the cancelled cruises are receiving a full refund or future cruise credit. :confused:

 

Did you buy trip insurance? This surely would cover independent airfare and hotels.

[UNDATC]

I booked my airfare + cruise through carnival so the offer to me was full refund including my airfare and cruise + $100 ship credit if we rebook on another cruise, or full refund. The only thing open on RCCL is a Junior Suite which is almost double what my balcony was on carnival, needless to say thats too much.

[cruizinEllen]

Those on the cancelled cruises are receiving a full refund or future cruise credit. :confused:

 

Did you buy trip insurance? This surely would cover independent airfare and hotels.

 

To clarify: Yes I will receive a full refund in 3 weeks. No I did not submit a claim with my insurance company because I re booked with Royal Caribbean and I'm still using my flights and hotel.

 

If I were to have re booked with Carnival for another date, year etc (because they could offer me nothing within the time frame I already had off for work and babysitting) I would have received $75 OBC.

 

Hope that clears up your confusion.