Carnival Destiny Review with Photos (Key West & Cozumel) May 13-17, 2010

[miamitreo]

Thanks for the review! Destiny was my First cruise April 2009 and your pics reminded me of the great time my girlfriend and I had.

Now I'm looking forward to the Oasis in December 2010!!!!!

[sunset785]

Thank you so much for the review! We are going in July and we are definitely looking forward to it!

[Cruisinini]

Thanks for the review! Destiny was my First cruise April 2009 and your pics reminded me of the great time my girlfriend and I had.

Now I'm looking forward to the Oasis in December 2010!!!!!

 

Fun!! I'm a tad bit jealous! DH and I want to go on the Oasis but I'm not sure if it's going to happen in the near future but I hope so. I hope you have a blast!

[Cruisinini]

Alrighty here is my attempt at uploading the FunTimes I scanned in, hope it works! Friday (Key West) is missing because I don't have it. I've asked the other peeps that went with us to see if they have it but no luck so far. Sorry. :(

Destiny 4 Night FunTimes - Thursday.pdf

Destiny 4 Night FunTimes - Saturday.pdf

Destiny 4 Night FunTimes - Sunday.pdf

[Froufie]

Thanks for posting - they look great!

 

But someone needs to be 'editing' those more carefully? :D - do you know the difference between the 'digital scavenger hunt' and the amazing race (both in the sunday fun times) - and if you look at the top 10, numbers 6 & 7 are the same event in different locations? :0

 

And as for the 'farewell party' - i noticed it was mentioned on the 1st fun times (thursday) yet it didn't make the top 10 on the sunday - and can only be found on the daily schedule (5 pm - fun farewell) - and doesn't mention the free drinks! (guess you have to remember and be looking for it?) - wonder how many people didn't know about it and therefore did not attend?

[missdates]

I'm going on this cruise in a little under 2 weeks and this was a great review!!! Thanks for the newsletters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[deej696]

Thanks for posting - they look great!

 

But someone needs to be 'editing' those more carefully? :D - do you know the difference between the 'digital scavenger hunt' and the amazing race (both in the sunday fun times) - and if you look at the top 10, numbers 6 & 7 are the same event in different locations? :0

 

And as for the 'farewell party' - i noticed it was mentioned on the 1st fun times (thursday) yet it didn't make the top 10 on the sunday - and can only be found on the daily schedule (5 pm - fun farewell) - and doesn't mention the free drinks! (guess you have to remember and be looking for it?) - wonder how many people didn't know about it and therefore did not attend?

 

I was on this cruise, and the one prior, and I noticed tons of typos in the Fun Times. Just about every day in fact. They must have been in a hurry:)

[durmac]

Great review!! This has been quite helpful since we are going on the July 8th sailing. Thank you very much for the info.

[alreadypacked]

Awesome review!! Your diving pictures are amazing, and while I think the concept of SCUBA diving is fascinating, I would be scared to death of trying it myself. :eek: Glad you had a great time!

[ScoobyGal]

Alrighty here is my attempt at uploading the FunTimes I scanned in, hope it works! Friday (Key West) is missing because I don't have it. I've asked the other peeps that went with us to see if they have it but no luck so far. Sorry. :(

 

Thanks for the great review! Your time and effort is greatly appreciated. We're doing a 5 night cruise on Destiny in August and can't wait. :D

 

Question on laser tag: we're traveling with 2 fourteen year olds who'd like to do laser tag. I noticed in Thursday's funtimes that it was only offered at 6:30pm - when we'll be at dinner for early seating. Did you happen to notice if it was offered at other times during the cruise?

 

Has anyone tried the laser tag?

 

Thanks.

[DGP1111]

. . . And as for the 'farewell party' - i noticed it was mentioned on the 1st fun times (thursday) yet it didn't make the top 10 on the sunday - and can only be found on the daily schedule (5 pm - fun farewell) - and doesn't mention the free drinks! (guess you have to remember and be looking for it?) - wonder how many people didn't know about it and therefore did not attend?

 

I was on the same Carnival Destiny sailing as this reviewer.

The Fun Farewell was held on in the aft lounge on the final day of the sailing. It was listed by name only in that little tear-off section of the FunTimes delevered to all the guests. Not one mention of it whatsoever in the main section, by any crew members, or by onboard announcement. I went to the event just to see how it was handled. I was both surprised, and offended.

From 5:00-5:15 there were more servers present than passengers. From 5:15-5:25 there between 25-30 passengers. A jazz combo (who did quite well, despite the main vocalist being their trumpet player) was the only crew present, outside of the drink servers. Cruise Director and his assistants were nowhere to be seen at all. Drink choices were white, red, or blush wine, champagne, or non-alcohol punch. Those who asked if anything else was available received a quick No.

All drink service ended at 5:32, and the combo continued to play for that last half hour. A very few passengers straggled in to see what was going on during that last half hours, but no beverages were available for them.

 

That evening I asked one senior officer his take on what I'd witnessed, and his reply was simple: "We're trying to get rid of it entirely fleetwide".

 

Hate the message, but not the messenger. Thanks!!

[Froufie]

I was on the same Carnival Destiny sailing as this reviewer.

The Fun Farewell was held on in the aft lounge on the final day of the sailing. It was listed by name only in that little tear-off section of the FunTimes delevered to all the guests. Not one mention of it whatsoever in the main section, by any crew members, or by onboard announcement. I went to the event just to see how it was handled. I was both surprised, and offended.

From 5:00-5:15 there were more servers present than passengers. From 5:15-5:25 there between 25-30 passengers. A jazz combo (who did quite well, despite the main vocalist being their trumpet player) was the only crew present, outside of the drink servers. Cruise Director and his assistants were nowhere to be seen at all. Drink choices were white, red, or blush wine, champagne, or non-alcohol punch. Those who asked if anything else was available received a quick No.

All drink service ended at 5:32, and the combo continued to play for that last half hour. A very few passengers straggled in to see what was going on during that last half hours, but no beverages were available for them.

 

That evening I asked one senior officer his take on what I'd witnessed, and his reply was simple: "We're trying to get rid of it entirely fleetwide".

 

Hate the message, but not the messenger. Thanks!!

 

They want to get rid of the 'farewell party'? Well they just instituted it last Fall - the object was to 'replace' the free drinks available at the captain's welcome aboard cocktail reception. Carnival said that as of September for the welcome aboard evening all bars would be serving drinks at $1 off (some type of 'happy hour thing') for a specified time. And to thank their guests they would now have this new 'fun farewell' party on the last night with free drinks for everyone.

 

They tested this out on the Valor and according to Carnival's 'survey' they said this new system was getting great reviews from the guests (I cannot believe that for a second)....so they rolled it out fleetwide!

 

My guess is that is not very well advertised (as is confirmed by the Destiny Fun times) and most people are either getting ready for early seating dinner or packing for debarkation the next day (the party is held from 5-6 pm on the last evening) so not too many attendees and hence $$$ savings for Carnival.

 

On my recent Valor cruise - there was a mention of it in the Capers - not obvious tho. We did show up and a big party was in full swing - the lounge was full and various servers had trays of drinks ( more than what was mentioned above) and yes a table mate was able to order something that was not on the tray! Similar to your experience - no cruise director or any cruise social staff for that matter - the 'band leader' seemed to be running the show - called someone up to 'perform' - guess he knew her and she seemed to be a professional singer/entertainer. She sang a few songs - lots of people coming in and out - it started to empty out about 5:45 with early diners leaving - and by then I would say most of the drinks had disappeared.

 

I would love to know why they are hoping to do away with this and if they will be reinstating the free drinks at the welcome aboard party (somehow I doubt it!).

[Cruisinini]

Thanks for posting - they look great!

 

But someone needs to be 'editing' those more carefully? :D - do you know the difference between the 'digital scavenger hunt' and the amazing race (both in the sunday fun times) - and if you look at the top 10, numbers 6 & 7 are the same event in different locations? :0

 

And as for the 'farewell party' - i noticed it was mentioned on the 1st fun times (thursday) yet it didn't make the top 10 on the sunday - and can only be found on the daily schedule (5 pm - fun farewell) - and doesn't mention the free drinks! (guess you have to remember and be looking for it?) - wonder how many people didn't know about it and therefore did not attend?

 

LOL I did notice the editing or lack thereof. I guess you could count me into one of the ones that did not attend because I really didn't know about it! I was probably going down the waterslide during the fun farewell free drinks!

 

Yes, I know the difference between the digital scavenger hunt and the amazing race...but I hesitate to be too descriptive for fear it will take the fun away or give away the answers! But, I'll try. =)

 

The digital scavenger hunt is a timed team challenge where you have to have a digital camera (obviously) and you are given a list of tasks with assigned point values. The tasks involve things like asking random guests or crew to perform certain things (dance moves, job related, etc) with you and then it has to be recorded via a photo.

 

The amazing race is also a timed team challenge with a list of tasks and assigned point values. The tasks ask questions like where would you go to get a massage and how many massage rooms are there at this place. (This was not a real question.)

 

I really thought the names of these challenges was backwards from what I expected. If you are a social person you'll really love the scavenger hunt, if you know a lot about the ship you'll really love the amazing race. Be prepared to walk fast (no running) and have a great time getting a great workout!

[deej696]

Thanks for the great review! Your time and effort is greatly appreciated. We're doing a 5 night cruise on Destiny in August and can't wait. :D

 

Question on laser tag: we're traveling with 2 fourteen year olds who'd like to do laser tag. I noticed in Thursday's funtimes that it was only offered at 6:30pm - when we'll be at dinner for early seating. Did you happen to notice if it was offered at other times during the cruise?

 

Has anyone tried the laser tag?

 

Thanks.

 

We did a B2B on this cruise and the leg before. One night laser tag was offered at 10pm ish. I'm sorry I can't recall which night it was, or if it was on the 5 night or 4. Part of me thinks it was when we were in Cozumel on the 4 night leg, but another part of me thinks it was on the 5 night, as we were cruising with some friends and we almost went. Sooo, long story short, it may or may not be offered when you can go:D

[Froufie]

LOL I did notice the editing or lack thereof. I guess you could count me into one of the ones that did not attend because I really didn't know about it! I was probably going down the waterslide during the fun farewell free drinks!

 

Yes, I know the difference between the digital scavenger hunt and the amazing race...but I hesitate to be too descriptive for fear it will take the fun away or give away the answers! But, I'll try. =)

 

The digital scavenger hunt is a timed team challenge where you have to have a digital camera (obviously) and you are given a list of tasks with assigned point values. The tasks involve things like asking random guests or crew to perform certain things (dance moves, job related, etc) with you and then it has to be recorded via a photo.

 

The amazing race is also a timed team challenge with a list of tasks and assigned point values. The tasks ask questions like where would you go to get a massage and how many massage rooms are there at this place. (This was not a real question.)

 

I really thought the names of these challenges was backwards from what I expected. If you are a social person you'll really love the scavenger hunt, if you know a lot about the ship you'll really love the amazing race. Be prepared to walk fast (no running) and have a great time getting a great workout!

 

Thanks for the great explanations - being a very competitive and outgoing person they both sound like something I might like to do - will be on the lookout for these! (and make sure to pack the runners!:D)

[ScoobyGal]

We did a B2B on this cruise and the leg before. One night laser tag was offered at 10pm ish. I'm sorry I can't recall which night it was, or if it was on the 5 night or 4. Part of me thinks it was when we were in Cozumel on the 4 night leg, but another part of me thinks it was on the 5 night, as we were cruising with some friends and we almost went. Sooo, long story short, it may or may not be offered when you can go:D

Thanks for the info. I think I just won't mention it to the boys in case it won't be offered at a time when they can go. Maybe they can substitute a pedicure! 14 year old boys will like that right? :)

[Sarah@Sea]

Monday, May 17: Debarkation

We woke up around the same time I wake up to go to work on a normal Monday. So much for this being a vacation day! We were ready to go around 7:10am but had not heard any announcements so went up to Lido to grab a quick breakfast. Then around 7:30am they announced the ship had been cleared and the self assist passengers could debark the ship. So we went down 2 decks to grab our luggage from our cabin which was already being cleaned in preparation for the guests on the next cruise! Then all the way down to deck 3 for our final *DONG* and across the gangway. So sad when your Sail & Sign card becomes nothing more than a plastic souvenir. Once we got to customs, there was barely a line where we only had to show our passports and hand over our declaration forms and we were done! Super quick, the customs agents weren't even behind the desks yet, just standing there to glance at passports and collect papers!

 

Outside we found the taxi stand down on the left. While walking to the line, we heard a few solicitors(?) get threatened by security that if they were caught trying to give passengers a ride they'd get thrown in jail!! Apparently, there are issues with people trying to take advantage of passengers! The taxi line was short and soon we were given a van taxi to take the 5 of us to the airport. Only DH and I had an early flight, the rest did not leave until after 4pm but we're going to try to get on earlier flights. Again we got a taxi that technically should have been large enough for the 5 of us but it was a handicap van with no backseat. Squish, 4 across and 1 up front yet again! It's a flat taxi rate of $24 from the Port of Miami to Miami International Airport. When we got to the airport, the cab driver told us $30. I later asked DH about it and he said he just assumed the driver had added a tip for loading our luggage.

 

(Goodbye Destiny!)

 

(Hello MIA.)

 

We arrived at MIA by 8am and got checked in. My SIL could only find a flight a couple hours earlier and for a fee that didn't really justify such a short difference so she just decided to wait at the airport. Our friends couldn't get on our flight because it was sold out so they ended up going to South Beach. Not really sure what they ended up doing with their luggage when they went. DH and I were at our gate at least 2 hours before our flight so no more anxiety for me!! Once on the plane, the pilot told us we'd be delayed about 30 minutes while they changed a tire. It was a smooth flight until we got close to home and had to fly through a bunch of thunderstorms where it got a bit bumpy. Once back on the ground we were greeted with rain and 60 degree temperatures. I texted our friends who were still in Miami and told them to stay since it was much nicer there!

 

Other Comments:

Ship Age: Having only been on newer ships (2 and 4 years old) versus Destiny's 14 years old, I definitely noticed some rust and wear & tear. However, I never thought the ship was dirty and often saw crew members cleaning and scrubbing so for a 14 year old I thought she was looking purty good.

 

Cruise Director: Brent Mitchell. DH and I really loved the cruise directors on our previous cruises but didn't really feel the same love for Brent. He did a great job and did everything you would expect from a cruise director but he just didn't have that wow factor. He did seem like a nice guy if you were given a chance to chat with him.

 

Past Guest Party: I was excited this would be our first cruise as a repeat guest but DH and I never received an invite. I later found out here on CC that they only happen on 5 or more night cruises. Yay for Cruise Critic help!

 

Drink Coupons: My SIL received one sheet (4 coupons) of these as a gift. They were delivered in the dining room at dinner on the first night of the cruise. Their face value is $5.25 each but she was able to use them toward any drink and only owed the balance after the coupon was applied.

 

Smells: In the reviews I read before this cruise, I kept seeing mentions of an occasional "smell". I think this is really dependent on a person's nostril just like tastebuds taste differently. But, personally I never really noticed any funky odors. However, a few times in certain areas of certain hallways, others in our group would mention a bad smell. So you may or may not smell something not to your liking LOL!

 

Weddings: This really had no effect on our cruise but if you are considering going this route you might be interested in knowing this. I did notice a number of couples in wedding attire on pretty much every day of the cruise. Not sure if it was the short length or the time of the year or the time of the week but it definitely seemed to be a popular choice. We actually went SCUBA diving with a gentleman whose daughter was getting married onboard the next day and he was under strict orders to not get a sunburn before the wedding photos were taken!

 

Cabin Photos: Interior Category 4F, Empress Deck 7 Aft Port, Cabin 7264

 

 

 

 

This is a difficult cruise for me to rank. I want to put it in 3rd place of 3 as far as ship and port experiences but I had such an awesome time with the people we went with that I'd rank that part 1st so I'm not really sure how to rank it overall! Alas, I'd much rather go on this cruise again than be sitting here at home writing about it. Two weeks ago today we were sailing out of Miami on this cruise. So sad how time passes so quickly sometimes...time to start planning my next trip! =D

 

Hope you enjoyed my review, thanks for the comments, and let me know if there's anything I can answer for you!

 

FINALLY a picture of the shower!!! I've been looking for one for a long time...nice that it is so wide...I've got a lot of junk in the trunk...lol.

[Cruisinini]

Thanks for the great review! Your time and effort is greatly appreciated. We're doing a 5 night cruise on Destiny in August and can't wait. :D

 

Question on laser tag: we're traveling with 2 fourteen year olds who'd like to do laser tag. I noticed in Thursday's funtimes that it was only offered at 6:30pm - when we'll be at dinner for early seating. Did you happen to notice if it was offered at other times during the cruise?

 

Has anyone tried the laser tag?

 

Thanks.

 

I'm fairly certain the laser tag was offered at least one other day than just that first day when I took the photo but I don't recall when.

 

Here's a recent thread with discussion about the laser tag including a couple people that have tried it if that's of any help... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1203205

 

Hope you have fun! And if you end up substituting a pedicure for laser tag for your boys, let us know how that works out! ;-)

[ScoobyGal]

I'm fairly certain the laser tag was offered at least one other day than just that first day when I took the photo but I don't recall when.

 

Here's a recent thread with discussion about the laser tag including a couple people that have tried it if that's of any help... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1203205

 

Hope you have fun! And if you end up substituting a pedicure for laser tag for your boys, let us know how that works out! ;-)

 

Thanks Cat! The thread link you provided had some great info. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be offered when the boys can do it. I'd hate to think of the psychological damage that pedicures could do to 14 year old boys! :D

[crewsweeper]

Nice review, cruisinini...great pictures too. Glad you folks had fun and made the best of any unfavorable situation. :)

[cruisergirl31]

Can't wait to leave on the same cruise!!!! See you in 16 days :-)

[Froufie]

Can't wait to leave on the same cruise!!!! See you in 16 days :-)

 

Hey cruisergirl31 - think we are on the same cruise! Come and join in the roll call if you like! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1202623&page=3