Destiny Review May 9

[shecat]

Carnival Destiny May 9, 2004

 

I would like to thank all of the people on this board for their help. Your advice and cruising knowledge helped us immensely. Thanks, Shecat

 

San Juan: We stayed in San Juan pre-cruise for 3 days. When we arrived in San Juan the taxi drivers were on strike. We had someone picking us up so that was not a problem. We visited the El Yunque National Forest. This is the only tropical rainforest in the National Park System. It is a beautiful place. Hibiscus and Impatiens grow wild everywhere. The giant trees, ferns and bamboo plants are a sight to see. The trails are in great condition. We were there on a Saturday, so it was a little bit crowded. We visited La Mina Falls. The trail to the falls looses elevation so the trek back is more strenuous. We hiked back up the trail and found us a spot with a smaller waterfall. We ate our picnic lunch and swam in the waterfall. Yes, the water is very cold but feels good after hiking. Our next adventure was kayaking in Bioluminescent Bay. First we kayaked through a mangrove canal to reach the bay. Along the way huge iguanas are in the trees above your head and perched on the bank. We saw dozens of species of birds. We made it to the bay and waited for dark. It is best to go on a moonless night or one with heavy cloud cover. At first we thought we were in the wrong place, but then magically the water turned a blue-green glow when we stirred it with our paddles. We could see fish making glow trails in the water and when they would jump out they were glowing. The Fajardo Lighthouse sits up on the hill and is a magnificent sight at night. If you have extra time in San Juan and are into the nature and not scared of the dark or iguanas, you need to do this. We went on our own but there are tour companies that will take you. We spent Sunday walking around Old San Juan and shopping. Prices seemed to be a little bit higher than the other ports. We ate lunch at a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant. I ordered Mofongo, it basically consisted of mashed plantains stuffed with shrimp. I did not care for the plantains, but the shrimp were good.

 

Embarkation: We arrived at the pier at around 11:15. The line started moving around 11:45 and we were in our rooms by 12:30. The funpass will save you a little bit of time. Make sure all of your Sail & Sign information is complete.

 

Cabin: Our cabin was ready, although they give you a paper stating that it might not be ready until after 1:30. We were on the Lido deck balcony room 9171. We loved the location. It is on the starboard (right) side of the ship and faces the port docks everywhere but Aruba. Our cabin steward Cajetan was the best steward that we have ever had. The room was slightly smaller than our Conquest cabin and had no refrigerator, but Cajetan kept us in ice. We experienced two problems with our room. First the safe would not lock and second the toilet was not getting enough water. Both problems were fixed promptly, however the last night the safe quit working again. The shower drained great and I did not notice any sewer smells. The shower is large, but the toilet configuration could be difficult for a large person. Our room was cold which is how we like it.

 

Dining Room: We went to the maitre d the first night and requested a table for two. The next day we received a notice stating that our request had been granted and were given a table number. Ieland and Steven were our waiters. Ieland was very prompt and courteous but very dry and to the point. Steven was the total opposite always smiling and making jokes. They make a good team. The food in the dining room is basically above average. All of the hot soups are excellent. The lobster was very good. My husband enjoyed the prime rib. Be sure to get Chocolate Decadence the first night, it is soooo good. The only bad thing that I ordered was Seafood Newburg. It smelled awful. We missed two nights, both the late port nights. The first night you can wear shorts to the dining room and also the nights in Aruba and Barbados you can wear shorts. Formal nights you have a mix of cocktail dresses, long dresses, tuxes, suits, men wearing dress shirts with ties. The last night they give you a print of the ship.

 

Other food options: The buffet has a good variety. The carved ham is great. One day they had fried chicken and you could hear the chatter through out the ship, “they have fried chicken, fried chicken, I am getting me some fried chickenâ€. The grill on the back of the ship has good hamburgers and steak sandwiches. The pizza is great if you get it hot. We ordered room service a couple times. It usually arrived within 10 minutes. The BLT and shrimp salad sandwiches are good. You get potato chips with the sandwiches. I saw some wraps on the room service menu; I think that is something new. The midnight grand gala buffet is mostly desserts. One night they have a Mexican buffet on the lido deck. The iced tea is strong, I like it that way, but my husband watered his down. The fruit punch on the buffet is good to mix drinks with if you are a smuggler.

 

Entertainment: We thought both of the comedians were good. Some people did not like the first one Dean Gaines. He is a black guy from the south and if you didn’t understand his southern humor, I guess you would not find him funny. Gene Merola the comedian and Manny Zuniga the juggler have a combined show one night that is good. Manny has been certified has the world’s fastest juggler. Ladies you will like his outfit. I think it has been mentioned before but the singer on the promenade deck is awful. I really do not know how he got the job. That aside, Cool Runnings the Caribbean band on the lido deck keep you in the vacation mood. The Latino band in the Criterion Lounge does an excellent job. By the way, the Criterion is a no smoking lounge. I was surprised at how many no smoking areas there are on this ship. Plus it just seemed like there were less smokers on this sailing.

 

Monday St. Thomas: We opted to catch the ferry to St. John and go it on our own. We caught a cab to Red Hook, which was a modified long bed pick up truck. When we got to Red Hook we saw a little bit of home. There is a ferry there named the Roanoke. It was in Alabama at one time and ended up in a marsh after Hurricane George. It is all fixed up with palms on it. We ferried over to St. John caught another truck/taxi to Cinnamon Beach. This is a nice facility. No entrance fee unlike Trunk which is just before Cinnamon. There is fairly good snorkeling here and the beach is not crowded at all. There is a little restaurant that serves lunch only. We hiked one of the trails in the park so we could find a geocache. If you don’t know what geocaching is it is explained at geocaching.com. We saw an Antillean Crested Hummingbird and some funky looking lizards on this trail. We caught another truck back to town, but were able to negotiate a better price along with another person wanting to go back. Shopping is expensive on St. John although they have higher quality items. We drank a few beers across the street from the ferry dock. It was a place we were not too sure of, but the $2 Miller Lights drew us in. The customers in there were betting on horse racing. It was fun to watch them. We made it out alive and took the Charlotte Amalie ferry back to St.Thomas. This worked out good because the Carnival tour was on there and they dropped us off at the ship, so we did not have to catch another cab. Havensight Mall at the dock has plenty of shops to choose from. Found another geocache which is hidden between the mall and the ship.

 

Tuesday Dominica: It rained early but cleared up for the rest of the day. We took the Champagne Springs Snorkel Tour. You are snorkeling over volcanic vents. The water is warm in the area of the vents. We saw several types of eels. On the way to the springs Spotted Dolphins were jumping in our wake and riding the wake. They are smaller than bottled nose dolphins and so speedy. Champagne Springs is just off the bank. We saw several people with Carnival towels on the bank. It looked like they caught a cab there. Talked to some people that took the Wacky Rollers tour and they enjoyed it. The Whale tour saw some whales. Shopping is located at the dock. We chatted with some folks that took cabs into town to shop and they said nothing there that was not at the dock.

 

Wednesday Barbados: After a night of too many of those “Little Blue Drinks†at the past guest party I was not feeling too well, but trudged on and I was glad I did. We booked the Eltigre over the internet. They meet you at the dock and take to you the catamaran. We made 3 snorkel stops one at the turtle feeding. We saw maybe 7 different turtles. Our cat passed up all the other boats. It was fun being the leader. The only negative is when the other boats get there it is a little hectic in the water with so many people. We did the 3 hr tour so they dropped us off at this beach and had a cab waiting for us to take us back to the dock. Some people decided to stay at the beach and catch a cab later. We shopped again around the dock and picked some nice items. Hubby got a mini steel drum. There is a little convenience store there and I bought some of the local sauces and snack foods. I talked to some passengers that took a cab to the Wildlife Preserve and they saw some Green Monkeys. I would rank Barbados as our 2nd favorite port.

 

Thursday Sea day: Finally a day to relax. We had no problem getting a deck chair at 9:30. The Survivor competition was fun to watch. Cool Runnings keeps the music flowing.

 

Friday Aruba: This is our favorite port for many reasons; the Arubian people are happy to have you there, no rain, although it rained briefly that morning and the locals were thanking us for bringing the rain. The water visibility and snorkeling is best here. You can rent a car and drive yourself around with no problem. Our cab driver was complaining about how bad the traffic had gotten. We laughed, there was hardly any traffic at all. The shopping is easy to get to from the ship. Anyway, I would like to fly there and spend a week. We booked the Jolly Pirates online. We took a cab to Moomba Beach where the ship is moored. These guys are a blast. We met some of our fellow cruisecritic folks on board the Jolly Pirates, hey janey829. We highly recommend Jolly Pirates. Found a few good deals in Aruba. Good quality baseball caps can be found for $5 in a lot of the shops. Lots of mega cheap t-shirts. Most shops close by 6:00 pm, but there are a few that are open late. The one in the cruise terminal stays open until the ship leaves. It is easy to get on and off the ship in Aruba. Shopping and nightlife are within walking distance. One of the highlights of the trip for me was getting to pet a Siberian Tiger. Her name is Tessa, she is a former Exxon Commercial Tiger. She is in great shape for her age, but is showing her age. For $25 you get to sit with her briefly and they take your photo. Update on Tessa, animal rights groups said that she was being exploited, so they have found her a home in New Zealand and she is scheduled to be moved this month. Carlos N Charlie’s was the usual fun, however be very careful with how much they charge you and if they give you the proper change. My beer was $4 and I gave him a $10 bill and he handed me $2 back, he acted as if I purchased 2 beers, he reluctantly gave me the rest of my change. I talked to other passengers and they got the same treatment. Go have fun, but watch your money! We ran into the bartender from the Jolly Pirates there and it was like meeting an old friend. The main singer for the band “Cool Runnings†was in a singing contest in Carlos and Charlie’s and of course he won, that guy can sing opera. It was amazing he made it back to the ship; they were pouring tequila shots down him, left and right. He did make it back for the pajama sail away party that night. The band wears matching pj’s. Two of our passengers made it back on the ship in handcuffs, I guess they had too much fun……..

 

Saturday Sea Day: We decided to do the slide the last day, but unfortunately it was closed due to high winds. Lido deck activities today are the Hairy Chest Contest and ice carving. Inside activities include galley tour, $3000 bingo and battle of the sexes.

 

Debarkation: Fill out your customs forms. The people with early flights go first. You go to the Palladium lounge when your deck is called. You go to the stage with your form of how much you spent (up to $1200 per person duty free) and some form of id. They read it, stamp it, and then at the back of the lounge Carnival personnel mark you off of their list as completing customs. After everyone has completed customs they start calling off decks. We were lucky; Spa and Lido deck were first. You go find your luggage and then another customs person will ask you for your completed form and whether you have any fruits or nuts with you. We were off of the ship by 9:00. Our flight did not leave until 5:45 so we strolled around San Juan with friends. At the airport they saw our luggage tags from the cruise ship and told us go on in that we did not have to do customs again. The airport was empty and we breezed on through.

 

Tips and afterthoughts: There is a big sign at the scanners “All liquor will be confiscated and returned to you on the last nightâ€. They did not confiscate any liquor at the ports that we could see. In Barbados we brought on two liters of liquor, no questions asked. I saw a lady send a box with 4 bottles of Baileys right through the scanner pick it up on the other side in St. Thomas. This ship stays alive late into the night. So if you want to be a party animal or laidback and relaxed you have that option. Captain Casula is very visible. He walks the ship frequently. I never saw the Captain on the Conquest. The night of the Captains Party they have free drinks in several of the lounges. The past guest party is fun and the drinks are free flowing. They show a short film on Carnivals history and ask you to cheer when they show a ship you have sailed on. The online funpass would not accept our past guest numbers so we did not automatically get our invitations. We went to the purser’s desk and they issued us our invitations so we could attend. Ladies, the ship’s doctor is an Italian hunk. I almost became ill so I could visit Dr. Bruno. I found the Puerto Rican community to be very friendly. Total strangers would translate for us when Spanish was spoken. Overall, this was a great cruise. This was our first cruise without other people going with us. I was scared we might not have as good a time without the group, but we enjoyed it immensely. Now I want the group to go back with us so they can see how much fun the ports and the Destiny can be. If anyone has any particular questions I will try to answer them for you.

 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

[NEEDVACATION]

shecat, thanks for the review. I do have 1 question. When dining every night do they have a vegetarian part of the menu? I know you can most likely get fish but just wondering if they give you other alternatives. I am also doing the ElTigre tour with a bunch of friends in Nov. Any other thoughts about that you would like to share I would love to hear. Thanks

 

Cheers,

Adrienne

 

Meet me in St. Louie...

 

 

Until fun fun fun in the sun

 

 

<MARQUEE>Are we on the ship yet?</MARQUEE>

Century 11/02

Mohican Hylander 7/03

NOS 11/03

Carnival Destiny11/04

[crisp1]

Nice review, Shecat, brings back the memories

 

 

 

To Sea, or not, to See.

Starward 81, Volendam 83, Oceanic 87, Majestic 93, Victory 2/10/02, Imagination 5/23/02, 1/30/03, Conquest 12/28/03, Destiny 04/11/04

 

Conquest New Years Cruise

http://community.webshots.com/user/crisp1028

 

[mnsawyer]

Shecat: At the Jolly Pirates area in Aruba, there is some type of beach bar...Moomba's or something. Did you by chance check that out? It looks like a really fun place to spend a few hours.

[shecat]

Needvacation, Yes I remember some vegetarian choices.

 

Mnsawyer, We did not really check out Moomba Beach Bar. It is a nice beach. A plus there too is that the buildings block the wind. There were people on floats, so I guess you could rent them. The bar has a chandelier made of beer bottles.

[prbabe]

Thank You for saying that the Puertorican Community was friendly. I am glad you had a great time.

 

Destiny 1/09/2005

Jubilee 1/17/2004

[weswas]

Fantastic review!!! I am so excited about our trip on her next year and it brought back memories from last years sailing on her. I love the Destiny and can't wait Thanks

 

UNTIL WE SAIL AGAIN.......

[shecat]

PRBABE, We plan on going back to San Juan before my sister-in-law and her husband leave. She has a 3 month old and we strolled him all around San Juan. Traffic would stop for us so we could cross the street with the baby. You don't always get that kind of respect here in the states.

[prbabe]

I'm glad you have a positive view of puertoricans. If you return I suggest visiting other places. I suggest Ponce, Fajardo(the Cabezas of San Juan are great), Mayaguez, Vieques & Culebra(best beach). As a local I think the real beauty of Puerto Rico is outside of the San Juan Metro area. Besides the roadtrip is half the fun. I will be sailing on the Destiny in January and your review was helpful. Thanks!

 

Destiny 1/09/2005

Jubilee 1/17/2004