Carnival Destiny 10/3 - 10/8 Review

[Cruisin'Trooper]

Background: My wife, 3 year old son, and I on our 8th Carnival cruise and 1st time on the Destiny. This was a 6 day cruise out of Miami to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. We live in the Tampa Bay area and cruise at least twice a year.

 

Embarkation: Miami is a smooth port! There were 4 ships in port on 10/3 and we parked in the parking garage closest to the Destiny. From time to park to walking on the ship was about 30 minutes. Miami has the Self Check-In Kiosk which was simple to use and the lines seemed to move rather quickly.

 

Ship: The Destiny is 15 years old and looks it in some spots on the exterior but the interior has been updated and the ship is as clean as they come. We noticed a lot of rust on the ship and the flooring and hand rails are worn in a lot of spots. The hallways are mild and subdued in color compared to most CCL ships that are tacky and gaudy. Our cabin was 8333 ont he Verandah deck and we had an Aft Wrap balcony. The room was up to date (except for the 15 year old TV) and clean, balcony was AWESOME, and the bathroom was nice. The only complaint in the room would be the bathroom door that opens into the bathroom and comes to rest on the toilet and the shower drains that get blocked by the shower curtain causing bathroom flooding if you are not careful. Also, this room is directly under the Lido deck indoor pool area and the lounge chairs that are picked up at night and pushed around by CCL staff and other passengers is LOUD in the roof along the ceiling ALL THE TIME! I think we'll get this room again but on deck 6 or 7.

 

The common areas are very clean and up to date and the food throughout the ship is great. The kiddie pool area is pathetic with a round 1' pool and 3 Little Tykes yard toys for the kids to play with.

 

Although we requested and were guaranteed the "Any Time Dining" option, we are given assigned dining in the Universe Dining Room which turned out to be great. The menu is new and there were less Spa choices to choose from and some of the Carnival Classics are gone, but overall the choices were good and the food is great as always. Our water and his assistant were awesome and the Maitre'D was not as obnoxious as most cruises. The dining room staff only sang twice on this voyage compared to the nightly entertainment that is typical in CCL.

 

Grand Turk: This is a nice stop to visit. It is mainly a CCL dock and cruise port with typical cruise line type shops and a Margaritaville to party at and go to their beach. We took the 11:00am CCL Grand Turk Trolley Train tour which was very disappointing. The trolley broke down 6 times and a mechanic had to come to us, only to be determined that we were out of gas. After we waited for gas to arrive, we were underway again and the tour guide was so frustrated that he stopped narrating. He cut the two scheduled stops short so that he could go to the gas station and top off the tank, then drove us back with minimal narration. We got back so late that the shopping we planned on doing after the tour was cancelled. Not worth the $60.00 at all.

 

Half Moon Cay: This is CCL's private island and it is freaking awesome! Beautiful sand and water, good ship supplied food and drink, and great scenery. We had planned on renting a private cabana, but they were sold out when we boarded the ship at embarkation and checked at the Excursion desk, so we got a clam shell instead which was fine. Everyone enjoyed their time here and put it on the list of places to return to. Being a triathlete, I was pleased with the swim area to do an open water swim practice that was free of crowds.

 

Nassau: Being from FL, Nassau is common place to us as most FL crusies stop there and we have been there quite a bit, so we did not plan any excursions and walked around and shopped like we typically do when there. Nassau is a ghetto that is filled with high dollar stores only to cater to the cruise ships. The streets are dirty for the most part and the locals will harass you from time to time. This trip was not as bad as past ones, probably due to the fact that 3 ships in port means more walkers on the street and "safety in numbers". The water in Nassau is some of the most beautiful water you will ever see and the shopping is abundant. We were later leaving Nassau due to straglers that took their sweet time walking back to the ship. Why have a "return time" posted on a sign if it is not enforced, but what did I care, I was on a cruise!

 

Disembarkation: We always use the self-assist option which is a breeze and this time was no exception. They called our self assist group at 7:35am instead of 8am and were we out of the ship and through customs in less than 25 minutes. After the $100.00 parking fee we were on our way home.

 

Summary: Great food and crew, awesome room and balcony, and clean, but old ship. The itenerary was fine, Half Moon Cay made the trip for us, and the Grand Turk mishap, while preventable, was a fluke I guess. The kiddie pool area was very disappointing and the ship needs some attention to the details on its finish. Overall, great cruise and we recommend it to anyone looking for a Miami cruise on a larger than mid-size, but not gigantic ship.

[samrothstein]

Nice review! Hope I have as much fun in 3 weeks when I go!

[Cruisin'Trooper]

Nice review! Hope I have as much fun in 3 weeks when I go!

 

Thanks! I've never had a bad cruise so my bet is that you will have a great time too!

[queenL]

We leave at the end of the month and I can't wait. I do have a few questions. Did you use the kids club at all? We are bringing our 4yr old and I'm really excited for all the great things I've heard about Camp Carnival. What time did they begin boarding? Also was there any entertainment that was worthwhile?