"Hey! That's not my port!" -- A Carnival Destiny Photo Review

[DeloreanGirl]

I have to confess, I started reading your British Isles review while waiting for the Nassau day on this one. I've got a ways to go and am looking forward to it since it's on my bucket list.

 

The beach in Nassau you went to is beautiful. We were at a public beach close to Atlantis also. I think it was Cabbage Beach, but I'm not positive. Do you know what yours was called? We were originally going to taxi to the Sheraton and they wanted some ridiculous amount to go there, so we told the taxi driver to take us to the public beach on Paradise Island. It was beautiful as well. But the waves were much stronger where we were than they look in your picture. I would have liked some calmer waters. But we rented chairs for $10 each there and had a great day with other cruisers that we met and became fast friends with. They even had little areas set up where they were selling all you can drink cocktails in coconuts for $20. They were quite tasty and we definitely got our monies worth. We so weren't ready to go back to the ship when that day was over. And what was up with Carnival shortening our day in Nassau? Everything I read before the cruise said we were in Nassau until 5:00. Then they told us we had to be back on board by 3:30 for a 4:00 sailing and in the end, we didn't sail until 5:00 anyway. I would have loved that extra hour on the beach. But the nap we took shortly after we got back was nice as well. We sure needed it after all those drinks.

 

Hi there!

 

I don't remember the name of the beach, and I honestly would have never found it had the Atlantis employee not pointed it out. We literally all walked up a dirt hill to find it. I do remember umbrellas and the coconuts so it may have been the same beach. It was to the right of Atlantis' beach, if that helps any.

 

I heard sailaway was delayed so that they could fix the thrusters. Based on what the 1/26 cruisers said, the thrusters were fixed for their itinerary. Lucky ducks!

[SooNet]

I have to confess, I started reading your British Isles review while waiting for the Nassau day on this one. I've got a ways to go and am looking forward to it since it's on my bucket list.

 

The beach in Nassau you went to is beautiful. We were at a public beach close to Atlantis also. I think it was Cabbage Beach, but I'm not positive. Do you know what yours was called? We were originally going to taxi to the Sheraton and they wanted some ridiculous amount to go there, so we told the taxi driver to take us to the public beach on Paradise Island. It was beautiful as well. But the waves were much stronger where we were than they look in your picture. I would have liked some calmer waters. But we rented chairs for $10 each there and had a great day with other cruisers that we met and became fast friends with. They even had little areas set up where they were selling all you can drink cocktails in coconuts for $20. They were quite tasty and we definitely got our monies worth. We so weren't ready to go back to the ship when that day was over. And what was up with Carnival shortening our day in Nassau? Everything I read before the cruise said we were in Nassau until 5:00. Then they told us we had to be back on board by 3:30 for a 4:00 sailing and in the end, we didn't sail until 5:00 anyway. I would have loved that extra hour on the beach. But the nap we took shortly after we got back was nice as well. We sure needed it after all those drinks.

 

There is a public access walkway to the beach along the side of the Riu Hotel which is located beside Atlantis. If you were to ask the taxi driver to take you to the Riu on Paradise Island you would be able to find the walkway right beside the hotel. I do believe the beach is called Cabbage Beach. If you walk along the beach away from Atlantis you will pass the hotel (Ocean Club) that the James Bond movie was filmed at. There is a little protected area near the golf course where there are plenty of tropical fishes swimming. From the hotel to that cove it is just over a mile. We were at the Riu for a week in 2008 and loved that beach. The surf wasn't strong then but perhaps changes depending on the weather.

[whendoweleave?]

And GREAT review! :)

[DeloreanGirl]

DISEMBARKATION:

 

I really liked Carnival’s disembarkation for a few reasons. First, everyone has the same luggage tag color. This makes it easy and you’re not left standing around other people in the common areas that are confused as to whether they just called "peach", "teal", "orange", or "sky blue". Blue is blue and all that should matter are the numbers. Hurray, Carnival!

 

I also liked Carnival’s way of casually explaining the debarkation process with the paperwork they lay out for you the night prior. Sure, all cruise lines do this, but I love the whimsical way they typed it up. "If ya wanna get off early, grab all your crap and be out at 6am. Otherwise, just chill out and wait for your number." Super easy.

 

I’m sure this isn’t the case all the time, but the Customs/Immigration part was insanely easy. There were zero lines at Customs. ZERO! Do you know how rare that is? That’s insane! Beyond that, the baggage area was actually really well run. There were porters asking folks if they needed help, and the baggage carousel was matched to your luggage number. Everything was logical which I loved.

 

Outside, you had the option of departing on a Carnival excursion, to be picked up by a family member, to hitch a private transfer somewhere, or to take a taxi. In our case, we needed a taxi. They have queue lines set up for the hoards of people waiting for taxis and the lady in charge of hustling people along did a fantastic job. She got masses of people through the queues in a very efficient manner.

 

 

 

 

OVERALL FOOD ON THE SHIP:

 

Main Dining Room:

The food in the main dining room (Galaxy Dining Room, for us) was quite good. I never felt snobbish about anything I ate and nobody complained or had to send anything back. There was a breaded veal that wasn’t that good, but otherwise everything was wonderful. The flat iron steak was voted Best Meal by our tablemates and I was glad I tried the wacky alligator and other fun starters.

 

Dessert was equally scrumptious and everyone LOVED the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. I’m so thrilled that we got the recipe straight from the chefs to make at home! The only concern I have is with the bread pudding. On the menu, it is called "Black & White Pudding" with zero mention of the word "bread" in the title or description. Kristen and I ordered that and were let down when we realized it was bread pudding. We checked the menu on the wall on the way out and, sure enough, it only described it as something that would make you assume it was chocolate or vanilla pudding or custard. A re-type on that one would be helpful. (My husband ended up eating it since he’s a bread pudding fanatic.)

 

Buffet:

The buffet was my least favorite buffet that I’ve eaten on a cruise ship. This was based on both layout and food offering. The layout, which I described earlier, is wonky and the wishbone-shaped lines backed up and created a traffic jam down the hallways. There weren’t as many items offered as I have seen on other lines and the salad was always wilted. The containers that the salad dressing come in are funky and interesting but drip a lot so my hands would always be covered with ranch dressing by the end of it.

 

I will give props to the dessert section, though. I was surprised to see full-sized cupcakes and full-sized slabs of cake offered. On previous sailings I have been used to getting small, square-shaped frothy mousse desserts that come in one size only.

 

The pizza station was great and the few slices I had were excellent, even better than some pizza chains on land. The Pina Colada I ordered from the pool bar was the best I’ve ever had on a ship.

 

 

 

STATEROOM:

I was very, very impressed with the stateroom. Of course, we got lucky since we had an updated "Sunshine" balcony room. The layout was pleasant and I enjoyed the big plasma television and new color scheme. I also found myself liking the window-and-door combination. I’m so used to sliding glass doors on other ships that this design took me by surprise. It was nice to close the curtains halfway to only leave the door exposed. It was also easier to open the heavy door outwards than to pull an equally heavy siding glass door aside.

 

Carnival takes first prize when it comes to the showers. I was thrilled to see the full-sized showers and, as mentioned, the water pressure was amazing. I actually looked forward to taking nightly showers on the ship because it was that spacious. I appreciated the shampoo and body wash stations in the shower which saved me two bottles in my carry-on luggage (I still brought conditioner.) Our friend commented on how much he loved the shampoo, so that’s a plus.

 

The dual closets were interesting. I’d assume that one long closet would be better but maybe people like the his & hers layout to it. I always find myself needing more hangars and wish I had brought some. The amount of storage in the room was INSANE. I mean, sure there are drawers in staterooms but it seemed like these balcony rooms had TONS of storage. More than you could ever want! I guess I should cork it about the closet space and should have just folded everything in the deep wooden drawers.

 

We never used the leather couch or table at all. Neither did our friends. The couch was basically a glorified lump to hold all our stuff.

It took us days to figure out that there are circular buttons on the reading lamps near your pillow to turn the lamps on and off (smacks forehead.) And if Kristen hadn’t mentioned it, I would have never realized that there’s a circular switch on the vanity mirror that lights up the frame of the mirror. And wouldn’t you know it, the most important light didn’t work in either of our rooms – the switch that turned on the balcony light. Never worked. Zero, zilch. I guess I could’ve mentioned it to our steward but I never got around to it.

 

　

IN CONCLUSION:

I swore to myself in the past that I’d never sail Carnival. Like I mentioned, I always thought it was a drunken party boat. I will say that we all had a great time and we can’t wait to go on more cruises in the future.

 

Would I go out of my way to fly across the country to sail on Carnival again? Probably not. Not because I don’t like them, but because I’d rather go with Royal or Princess for their itineraries if I’m going to travel that far.

 

Would I sail Carnival out of our home port of Los Angeles? Sure! Carnival definitely has most lines beat when it comes to price. If there was a 3-4 day’er, I would jump on it.

 

I basically consider Carnival the Southwest Airlines of cruise ships. They’re simple, they’re fun, they’re wonderfully priced, they get you to where you need to go and the crew is happy.

 

I was underwhelmed by the layout of our ship, but any smart cruiser knows that you cant base an entire fleet on one ship. I’m sure the newer, bigger ships are quite awesome. I do think that Carnival had the best musical acts and lounge shows of other lines. And I really enjoyed walking down the hall to my room and hearing modern pop artists playing softly on the speakers instead of dentist music.

 

I don’t know if I’ll ever have a favorite cruise line. I appreciate them all because they’re all so different. I know that Destiny is on her way across the Atlantic right now to be completely transformed into a new ship. But if you’re a cruise newbie and want to try Carnival out, take it from me and do it. You’re lookin’ at someone who was anti-Carnival who now thinks they’re pretty swell.

 

We boarded the plane home and I was left with the same "cruise withdrawal" symptoms that I’ve gotten after prior cruises. The longing to be back onboard with free food and windy afternoons and naps where the phone doesn’t ring.

 

So....that's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed the report and, despite riding on a little ship that limped its way through the Bahamas, we had a great time!

 

Thanks, and happy sailing!

 

[Dutch Diver]

And wouldn’t you know it, the most important light didn’t work in either of our rooms – the switch that turned on the balcony light. Never worked. Zero, zilch. I guess I could’ve mentioned it to our steward but I never got around to it.

 

We were on the Destiny last November and we noticed the same issue with the balcony lights. We mentioned it to guest services, and it had to do with nautical procedures. While at sea, the balcony lights are switched off ship-wide (from a central location). They will only work when the ship is in port (and when it's dark).

 

BTW, I really liked your review, your laid-back attitude and honest comparison.

[chiefillini99]

AWESOME REVIEW! We were on this sailing. We had 7 adults and 2 kids, 9 & 3, and we had a blast. Were we upset about the port changes? Sure. Did we let it ruin a great vacation? Absolutely not! I was so nervous that the changes would affect the entire mood of the cruise but fortunately it did not seem to!

[DeloreanGirl]

We were on the Destiny last November and we noticed the same issue with the balcony lights. We mentioned it to guest services, and it had to do with nautical procedures. While at sea, the balcony lights are switched off ship-wide (from a central location). They will only work when the ship is in port (and when it's dark).

 

BTW, I really liked your review, your laid-back attitude and honest comparison.

 

Oh, interesting! Good to know. We mostly tried to use them when it was pitch black outside though.... hmmmm. :confused: Instead, we just pushed open the drapes and let the light from the stateroom light up the balcony.

 

Edit: You must have meant dark outside while in port. Got it!

[AFAMILY]

DISEMBARKATION:

 

 

So....that's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed the report and, despite riding on a little ship that limped its way through the Bahamas, we had a great time!

 

Thanks, and happy sailing!

 

 

Wonderful and fun review to read. I'm glad you all enjoyed your cruise. We are doing our first Carnival cruise in August of this year and have first-time cruisers in our group as well. Like you, I've heard all the "rumors" about the "Party Ships" and after reading yours and a few other reviews, we are more excited than ever to get onboard and have a great time. Thanks for sharing with us.

[loma linda ca a & j]

Wonderful and fun review to read. I'm glad you all enjoyed your cruise. We are doing our first Carnival cruise in August of this year and have first-time cruisers in our group as well. Like you, I've heard all the "rumors" about the "Party Ships" and after reading yours and a few other reviews, we are more excited than ever to get onboard and have a great time. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

just getting all your cousins together will make it memorable !

we have lots of fun on carnival even tho we are much older !!

[tandemcruzr]

for the review. We have now missed HMC twice. :( 0 for 2. We'll keep trying. Did you get your Key Lime pie in Key West?

[DeloreanGirl]

for the review. We have now missed HMC twice. :( 0 for 2. We'll keep trying. Did you get your Key Lime pie in Key West?

 

It's a shame they can't figure out some other way to get there. I suppose it's too expensive to have a tug with driver/sailor on the island.

 

I did get Key Lime pie at the Rooftop Grill in Key West and it was great. However, I'm so used to it being tinted green that this version (the authentic one) looked just like cheesecake. :) Our friends thought it was too sour but I quite liked it.

[tandemcruzr]

It's a shame they can't figure out some other way to get there. I suppose it's too expensive to have a tug with driver/sailor on the island.

 

I did get Key Lime pie at the Rooftop Grill in Key West and it was great. However, I'm so used to it being tinted green that this version (the authentic one) looked just like cheesecake. :) Our friends thought it was too sour but I quite liked it.

 

Good for you. Yeah, the real thing is not green. ;)

 

HMC is a tender port and if the seas are rough, they can't safely transfer passengers from the ship to the tenders and vice versa. I do have photos of 'leaving' HMC. :D

[foxcent]

Freeport, Bahamas contd.

 

The ride from Taino Beach to Port Lucaya was short. You can definitely sense why Carnival shuttles everyone over here. It’s pretty, it’s safe, it's colorful, and there are lots of stores to choose from.

 

 

But do you know what captured my Anglophile heart?

 

This…

 

Our last cruise was a British Isles cruise on Princess and I feel head over heels in love with the UK. Seeing this just made it worse. And what made it even funnier is that we were also in Ireland and we were able to see the real Molly Malone statue. And here we were in the Bahamas and lo and behold, there’s an Irish Pub named Molly Malone’s.

 

 

We strolled through the shops at Port Lucaya. Most of them were better than those at the port near the ship. Others were filled with souvenirs just the same. They did have a couple upscale shops here and there. We stopped to get ice cream and snacks at a small store and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around lazily and taking pictures.

 

We realized that 2pm was drawing near and we had to have the “Jeep” back by 3pm. We hopped in the car and reversed our directions. It wasn’t until we headed down the road that I finally saw the sign that said “Beach” with an arrow. Whoops, we completely missed the Port Lucaya beach!

 

We somehow miraculously found our way back to the ship. The guy on the scooter whom I had talked to earlier just happened to be at the edge of the cruise terminal border and allowed us to follow him through the winding terminal roundabouts back to the rental office. We thanked our lucky stars that the vehicle came back in good condition and walked back to the ship.

 

 

Back onboard, we had lunch at the pizzeria near the aft of the ship. And, oh man, that pizza is GOOD. Our friends had eaten it a few times before but this was my first time trying it. While I was there, I figured I’d treat myself to my first “fun” drink of the cruise and ordered a Pina Colada. It was the best blended drink I’ve ever gotten. They made it just right!

 

Please excuse the lack of makeup and hairstyling as we had just gotten back from land and were pretty winburned. But do you like my feeble attempt and adding a healthy salad?

 

Dinner in the dining room was fun. The waiters did the Gangnam Style dance and I forgot my camera!! I was so upset that I couldn’t capture it on film! Grrrrr! I did try the “Didja Ever” section of the menu and ordered Alligator Fritters which weren’t that bad. I can’t remember what else we ordered but I do know that it was all really, really good.

 

Oh! Before I forget... Please, please, please make sure that you go see "Superstar Live", if your ship has it. Yes, it is technically karaoke but the Destiny band playing that night was AMAZING. Some singers were awful, some were great, but the highlight was this one 30-something white guy who got up on stage and sang "Baby Got Back" and NAILED IT. I mean, this guy was awesome. And if there was anyone who went onstage who was shy or had zero rhythm, the audience would loudly sing along. There were old people, young people, loud people, quiet people, drunk people, sober people... it didn't matter. It was so fun to see a room of over 100 strangers throwing their glasses in the air and cheering along. It was one of the best nights on the ship!! I would say at this point I'd place Carnival first as far as the best entertaining lounge acts. It may be the younger demographic.

 

One more sunset down, and we’re off to bed.

 

 

Next Up: “We Meet Again, Nassau”

 

Where is the Nassau Review...That is what I waiting to read...We are docking there in September on our Imagination Cruise to the Bahamas....

[foxcent]

Where is the Nassau Review...That is what I waiting to read...We are docking there in September on our Imagination Cruise to the Bahamas....

 

Sorry I found it, I must a skip a page....Ewwwwww. I was like noooooo, I need to read that. LOL:D Nice review by the way...

[tequilasunrise]

Thanks for your review. I also read your BI review (both when you posted it and recently). I am a diehard Princess fan thinking about giving Carnival a go for it's casual and fun approach, which I think would be great in the Caribbean. The demographics fit me better too, as my fellow Princess cruisers tend to be 20-30 years older than I am. Since you have tried various lines, I really appreciated your perspective! Although, it seems that you and your DH would have fun anywhere because of a good attitude. But that makes your reviews more fun to read.

 

Glad you had a good trip! :D

[DeloreanGirl]

Thanks for your review. I also read your BI review (both when you posted it and recently). I am a diehard Princess fan thinking about giving Carnival a go for it's casual and fun approach, which I think would be great in the Caribbean. The demographics fit me better too, as my fellow Princess cruisers tend to be 20-30 years older than I am. Since you have tried various lines, I really appreciated your perspective! Although, it seems that you and your DH would have fun anywhere because of a good attitude. But that makes your reviews more fun to read.

 

Glad you had a good trip! :D

 

Hi there! Yes, all the lines are different and have a unique feel to them. Princess is definitely the classiest (I haven't tried Celebrity though), and Carnival is pretty simplistic. However, Carnival's prices are great for what you get. I was literally the 4th or 5th youngest person on the ship during the British Isles cruise but blended in a bit more on Carnival for sure. If you're looking for a fun atmosphere with flashy lights and signs and activities, you'll be just fine with Carnival. :)

[BeagleOne]

Our friends thought it was too sour but I quite liked it.

 

That's what whipping cream is for! You can never have too much! :)

[loma linda ca a & j]

Thanks for your review. I also read your BI review (both when you posted it and recently). I am a diehard Princess fan thinking about giving Carnival a go for it's casual and fun approach, which I think would be great in the Caribbean. The demographics fit me better too, as my fellow Princess cruisers tend to be 20-30 years older than I am. Since you have tried various lines, I really appreciated your perspective! Although, it seems that you and your DH would have fun anywhere because of a good attitude. But that makes your reviews more fun to read.

 

Glad you had a good trip! :D

 

we had so much fun in the carib on carnival !

altho we were lots older than most, we felt much younger !!!

 

enjoyed playing poker at the one "automated" table with young people from europe -

they were so well educated & enjoyed talking to us about california

 

found a fantastic drink - kiss on the lips !!

[DeloreanGirl]

Hi all,

 

I forgot to mention a few key things in my report that I’ll add here. :)

 

Things I noticed that were....interesting:

 

– There is no thermostat in the stateroom. (Or at least our stateroom - 6226) I guess you really don’t need a heater on a ship since the ship is mostly sailing in Caribbean waters. But get this: the dial for the fan that sort of blows cold air... is on the ceiling. Yep, the ceiling. If you’re less than 5'4" in height, you’re sort of screwed unless you stand on top of the bed and reach upwards. There is a circular dial that spans from low to high. It basically goes from blowing a little bit of cold’ish air to blowing a lot of air across the top of the ceiling. Also, please note that it is pretty loud, so you don’t have to worry about packing a sleep machine!

 

– The stage shows were incredibly dated. I get that it’s a cruise ship production and that some are better than others, but this one did a fantastic job of covering 1993. No joke, nearly every song they sang or danced to was straight from my 5th grade mix tape: Reba McEntire’s "Why Haven’t I Heard From You", the Macarena, and techno early-90's tunes. We left after 15 minutes. Also, was I seeing right? Were the cowgirls wearing thongs? Wow. (I didn’t see the Paris show so that one may have been better. In fact, I think the head dancer noted that it was his favorite production when we were on the Behind The Fun Tour.)

 

– We played the movie trivia game in the theater and they had slightly incorrect names of movie titles. They would show you a picture from a movie scene and you’d have to write down the answer. I guarantee you I’ve never seen "Raider of the Lost Arc". Also, one of the photos was from Rocky 2 specifically, yet they only gave out points for Rocky 1. Another photo was from "Empire Strikes Back", yet they labeled it as "Star Wars". C’mon, give us movie geeks something to work towards! That could’ve been my Ship On A Stick! :)

 

– There was no Fun Ship Freddy walking around. He probably hangs out on the nicer 7-day Caribbean sailings. But we were bummed because we wanted to get a picture with him. He’s both terrifying and awesome at the same time.

 

– Your room number isn’t printed on your key card. There are other numbers on there to confuse you, like the Folio Number. But they never print your room number on it, so you’d better make sure you memorize it on day one! I asked the gift shop girl why this was, and she said it was for privacy reasons if your card were to ever become lost and picked up by another passenger. Makes sense, I guess. If you really wanted to, you could bring a sharpie and write it on the back of the card if it helps any. It took my husband days to remember our room number. How hard is it to remember 6226?!

 

These were all afterthoughts that made me chuckle.

[europe14]

Thank you so much for your review. I was so excited when I saw there was a new review from you because I have actually read your British Isles review three times and will read it again before our Carnival British Isles cruise in September. Your British Isles review was the best review I have ever read! This one was fun too. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks again! :)

[canmom1966]

Wonderful and fun review to read....loved your photos and reminded me of my families cruise.

 

I was on the cruise right after you on the Destiny from Jan 26th-Jan 31st..and was so worried about the possibly changes to the ports of call due to the techincal problems on the previous cruises. we were in forward inside rooms 6153 and 6141 on deck 6..great location so close to everything..walk up 3 flights or down 1 or 2 so very centrally located...no noise either.

 

I still have to write my review.:D

[DeloreanGirl]

Thank you so much for your review. I was so excited when I saw there was a new review from you because I have actually read your British Isles review three times and will read it again before our Carnival British Isles cruise in September. Your British Isles review was the best review I have ever read! This one was fun too. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks again! :)

 

Wow, thank you so much! That totally made my day. :) I'm very curious about Carnival's B.I. itinerary. Where are your stops? You'll have a great time. It's gorgeous, gorgeous country. (And yes, I'll probably do another review for the Coastal cruise on NCL in mid-May -- I'll be visiting your lovely state along the way... ;).)

 

Wonderful and fun review to read....loved your photos and reminded me of my families cruise.

 

I was on the cruise right after you on the Destiny from Jan 26th-Jan 31st..and was so worried about the possibly changes to the ports of call due to the techincal problems on the previous cruises. we were in forward inside rooms 6153 and 6141 on deck 6..great location so close to everything..walk up 3 flights or down 1 or 2 so very centrally located...no noise either.

 

I still have to write my review.:D

 

I was wondering how your cruise would be affected. Rumor has it that they fixed the thruster in Nassau which was why we were late leaving. You lucky ducks! And yes, we really enjoyed Deck 6. Great room and great accessibility.

[Pooh72]

 

 

 

 

Great review and I love this picture!

[Blueboss]

Stumbled upon your review and so glad I did! Daughter's first cruise was on Destiny to the Bahamas and she wants to do this itinerary to see the changes Carnival has made transforming Destiny into Sunshine as well as visit the Bahamas again. I am not 'in love' with the itinerary and had no idea what to do in port. Spending a day at a resort is not our thing. Your review and wonderful pics have given me some ideas! Thanks!

[DeloreanGirl]

Stumbled upon your review and so glad I did! Daughter's first cruise was on Destiny to the Bahamas and she wants to do this itinerary to see the changes Carnival has made transforming Destiny into Sunshine as well as visit the Bahamas again. I am not 'in love' with the itinerary and had no idea what to do in port. Spending a day at a resort is not our thing. Your review and wonderful pics have given me some ideas! Thanks!

 

Hi Blueboss,

 

We had SO many cool things planned for Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk! I had about 2 hours to quickly Google ideas for Freeport and Key West. If I had months to do research it would have been more exciting, but we made the best of it as newbies! I'd definitely look into excursions in Freeport because there is nothing to do and nothing nearby the ship where it docks (except Senor Frogs). ;) But if you are fortunate enough to go to HMC and Grand Turk you will have a great time!