Destiny disappointment!

[Lovely_Star]

Avoid major holidays and the summer . . . try sailing when the kids are in school

[Georgia Peach 4]

I think I would have followed those kids to their cabin and reported them to their parents, or better yet, to the security. This poses a risk of accidents, and they sure don't need that. (I've been known to be the mean person, to grab a kid by his/her arm and say "take me to your leader"). Saying "kids will be kids" doesn't excuse rude behavior. If one of THEM had gotten injured, I'm sure it would have been the ship's fault.

[Kurbanfan]

Avoid major holidays and the summer . . . try sailing when the kids are in school

 

For some people with a family this is the only time they can cruise. No one should have to put up with others misbehaved kids ever. The cruiselines need to be more responsible in controlling this. They need to make the parents accountable...........

[NCTribeFan]

Who is the person to dictate what is "Un-Ruly" or even "Out of control".

How about the person who gets to decide what is too much splashing? or Too much Laughing? Or too noisy?

 

My 19yr old son and I,(42) were almost escorted out of a local store for tossing a nurf football down the isles..

Now,, we were not hurting anyone, no one was in the isle with us,, but someone,, (and I know who she was that) blasted the manager and gave him the what for over our behavior..

 

Some people need to really learn how to lighten up..

 

And some people simply need to understand that the entire world is not their personal playground and that all events and everything that happens are not for their sole entertainment.

 

There's a time and place for everthing. Showing a little (now too often un-) common courtesy won't stunt anyone's growth or ruin anyone's life.

 

No one is saying that kids and adults shouldn't enjoy themselves. Simply understand that when you're in a public place, you need to be mindful that there ARE others around. Why is it that the people who want to enjoy a little peace and quite are the ones expected to leave? Why isn't it the ones who are being loud and rowdy? Why must we all have to cater to the lower common denominator?

 

And please don't tell me to go cruise on a luxury "old fart" cruiseline. I also paid for my vacation and your right to enjoy yourself shouldn't override MY right to enjoy myself. We need to coexist. That means having some consideration for others.

 

The extent of the selfishness of the general population is astounding.

 

Anyway, I'm sorry OP encountered some issues. I personally don't have any desire to sail during the summer (mainly because the costs are higher, but also because of the number of kids), but I very much want to sail from Puerto Rico. We only stopped there last December, but we loved it!

[linda_22003]

Maybe I should try a different Carnival ship????

 

Maybe you're ready to try a different cruise line. :)

[snoodel]

I agree that out of control is one thing..

(and this is why when the wife and I cruise without our kids.,, it is in off months, less kids in general)

From what I have seen and even witnessed,, what one person thinks is normal behavior (kids being kids), another will take it as rotten children with bad parents..

I am not arguing that there are horrible little demons on board ship's..

But I have witnessed kids doing nothing more than laughing and having fun get a full dressing down from a passanger who felt they just came from the Zoo....

And as I agree that my fun should never impead on your fun. In turn, your fun should not impead on mine. :D

 

But

[CyClore]

This happened to us when the victory sailed out of San Juan. I don't think I will ever sail out of that peir again. I have been on cruises out of Miami and have not seen this. We like to go in Jan-April when it is the quiet time. IF you look back the Victory use to get the same reports when it sailed out of San Juan.

[Young cruiser]

Two years ago we stayed at Disney and the walk from our room to the main lobby was literally 1/4 mile with about 40 turns. On day one our two little ones would see who could make it their first. My son imposed a self handicap of going backwards to make it fair for his sister half his age. On the way home of a great vacation, my wife asked them what the favorite part of the whole vacation was...and this included a bungee jump, dolphin wave runner cruise and a princess dinner...and they both said "Hallway race!".

 

This does NOT fall into the "Kids being Kids" catagory. It is rude and dangerous (what if someone had been coming round the corner and ran into two running children (one that would for sure not have seen them because as you stated he was running backwards) Your children getting hurt would have been there own fault and YOUR choice but not that of the other persons....running is for outdoors in wide open places and on the track ONLY.

[G'ma]

I just got back from a Destiny cruise, and I was a little disappointed. Kids were running around in the halls screaming and playing hide-and-go seek. No parents around! They pushed all the elevator buttons then ran out. They left the pool dripping wet...no towels....wearing wet, squishy water shoes into the halls and elevators. When we got in the elevator, I slid and almost fell. Again, no parents near. (For anyone who took boys with them on the Destiny...they were on deck 4.)

 

As I said, my first cruise and I was so disappointed. It didn't ruin my cruise or anything. I just was so looking forward to a "nice" vacation. I felt like I was at Six Flags or Disney World with all those kids running around.

 

For those of you with kids, I meant kids running and chasing each other without parents keeping an eye on them. I saw many wonderfully behaved children; and I was very impressed with their excellent table manners and controlled behavior.

 

The food was not consistent. Some nights excellent and some nights just okay. We waited in long lines to get food on the Lido deck. Biggest disappointment was that we didn't get to eat lunch on most days. They started serving lunch at 12:00 and we had to be on the pier by 12:00 or 12:15. I think Carnival should start serving lunch at 11:30. Why do they serve breakfast so late during the day? Couldn't they still offer breakfast to some at the grill and serve lunch at the sun & sea restaurant?

The highlight of our cruise was talking to our waiter every night. He was a great young man with a great sense of humor.

 

I was also disappointed in what people wore to the cruise elegant nights. Flip flops,shorts, etc. I felt so over-dressed with a cocktail dress.

 

Maybe I should try a different Carnival ship????

 

Next time, plan your cruise during times when schools are in session. Many of us avoid school vacations and breaks like the plague. Many, if not most, parents simply turn their kids loose to run rampant all over the ship. You can't avoid it. Simply chose a time to cruise when the little darlings are in school.

 

There are so many food venues and options available. No reason to complain, really, about the Lido being open at a time when you must be ashore. Many people are in the same boat with you. Grab a sandwich, a coupla slices of pizza or room service. There are so many options.

 

With the selection and variety of food onboard, you can always find something you like. If you order in the dining room and it isn't to your liking, simply order something else. Simple.

 

As for the (lack of a) dress code, wear what you like and try to avoid the Clampetts and McCoys.

[Onlycruisin13]

We did the Destiny last year and although we had a good time and loved the itinerary, it was one of the worst cruises we have been on. The passengers were rude and loud, the food was mediocre, the entertainment was pretty bad and we really thought about never doing another Carnival ship. Debarkation took FOREVER!!! (and we nearly missed our plane) I am glad we gave it one more try because the Glory was fantastic and beyond my expectations after the Destiny experience. We can only cruise in the summer due to my DD being out of high school, so we are stuck for a few more years with going during summer months. So my final response is try a different Carnival ship and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

[pe4all]

I guess dh and I better stop our hallway races. :p we usually do one a cruise. (we are at about a 50/50 win-loss record against each other!)

[Boatdrill]

Maybe I should try a different Carnival ship????

 

Or another cruiseline.

 

As for the Six Flags amusement park atmosphere, many large cruiselines, (such as Carnival, RCI and Norwegian) view DisneyWorld, Six Flags, Las Vegas, etc. as their competition.

 

That's why you see rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, water slides, no dress code, freestyle dining, and all the other, ahem, "amenities", on the mega ships.

 

Too much structure, and their paying passngers won't be back.

 

Try Princess next time, or Celebrity. You may like them better.

 

(just a suggestion !)

[ebbaday]

We did the Destiny last year and although we had a good time and loved the itinerary, it was one of the worst cruises we have been on. The passengers were rude and loud, the food was mediocre, the entertainment was pretty bad and we really thought about never doing another Carnival ship. Debarkation took FOREVER!!! (and we nearly missed our plane) quote]

When you went on the Destiny last year was it out of Miami? We are booked on Destiny this Oct and Im getting alittle nervous reading this thread.

[Queen B1]

ebbaday - Our July 13 cruise on the Destiny could not have been more wonderful! We feel badly for those who didn't get to experience the kind of cruise that we did! Without a doubt, we would sail on the Destiny again in a heartbeat!

[G'ma]

Dont any of you remember what it was like to be a kid?

 

Man...I am sorry, but the few examples the OP posted did not seem too outrageous to me. Kids running in the halls...pressing the elevator buttons (that has a name...cannot recall it)...seems like pretty normal kid stuff to me.

 

Two years ago we stayed at Disney and the walk from our room to the main lobby was literally 1/4 mile with about 40 turns. On day one our two little ones would see who could make it their first. My son imposed a self handicap of going backwards to make it fair for his sister half his age. On the way home of a great vacation, my wife asked them what the favorite part of the whole vacation was...and this included a bungee jump, dolphin waverunner cruise and a princess dinner...and they both said "Hallway race!".

 

We are blessed with two great kids...but you have to let them be kids sometimes.

 

You may think it's perfectly OK to let your precious littles ones run up and down the hallway in a hotel but, believe me, it's not OK. It is annoying to others who are entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their room. If this behavior was acceptable....we'd all be holding races in the hallway.

 

Part of being a kid is learning appropriate behavior from caring parents. Misbehaving and rowdy children have no place in adult environments or in any public place where daddy and mommy smile at them "just being kids".

 

Parents who don't give limits to their children, who don't say "no", who don't teach courtesy, politeness and manners aren't doing their job. They are raising brats who will turn into adults who believe the rules don't apply to them and they can do anything they want.

 

As for me personally, I don't put up with rowdy behavior. I've chased kids out of the elevator, scared the bejesus out of them when they insist on running up and down the hallway on a ship yelling at the top of their voices, barrelling through the crowds of people at top speed without regard to who they might run in to. So, if you don't curb your kid....I will if I chance to run into the child who is making a mess, causing inconvenience to me and others, punching the elevator keys, shoplifting (which is rampant, by the way-I've turned in 4 of them in the last 2 years), throwing things overboard - like buffet plates and flatware.

 

I raised 4 kids so know perfectly well when it's OK to let a kid be a kid and when to insist on good behavior. So did they.

[Nuttycruisegirl]

I think like anything else, the "kids being kids" thing is all a matter of opinion. Kids don't bother me if they are a little loud and excited. They don't bother me on the elevators with their wet swimsuits dripping. A little running doesn't bother me. If they were being mean to others, or outright brats, acting up/being rude at dinner, it would bother me. There is a large gray area here. Many people may not realize that often when you see a group of kids running about, they are actually in the middle of a ship sponsored activity...Like a scavenger hunt etc. That the ship's kids programs have planned. They do get a little loud and unruly...but if the kids club has turned them loose to race for treasure, whose fault is that?

[Odoyal Rulez]

personally i would have followed them to find their parents and handed them a box of condoms...

[missygirl]

Just my 2 cents, what about misbehaved seniors. We were on Princess last year - week before Christmas - the kids on the ship were very well behaved but we had to watch out for the seniors. We were run over by scooters, pushed in elevators by wheelchairs, hit with the cane and had to listen to constant complaining, there was no way to make these people happy, the way they spoke to the staff, these ADULTS should have been guided off the ship. This year we are back to Carnival and we are really looking forward to the mix of people - heck we will be on a very well deserved vacation and we will be bringing our children.

 

 

No offence to anyone over the age of 40...but we were traveling with a couple (65+) on a ships excursion, that we all paid for. Anyway my friend, like I said that was over 65, and I were talking and looking at the sights that the lady was pointing out to us. We laughed at something and a RUDE senior upfront starts shouting that she couldn't hear, my gosh the woman pointing out the sights was beside her. She didn't want to stop, she was hungry, it was hot, she complained about people bumping her as they jumped off the bus to take pictures, at the end she was tired so she asked, if by a raise of hands, that we not stop for the shopping segment of the excursion and just go back to the ship...by the way she lost and all on the bus shopped ... Even on vacation, paying a sizeable amount of money, some people are never happy....stay home....we should have left her in Tortola.

 

I know that the topic was children misbehaving and I agree all parents need to be responsible on vacation...I always kept mine pretty close to make them mind but I would have traded anyone's child for her that day.

 

Missygirl

[beachbrat]

My Transatlantic cruise had 7 kids! Ahhh...it was so nice.

[ebbaday]

ebbaday - Our July 13 cruise on the Destiny could not have been more wonderful! We feel badly for those who didn't get to experience the kind of cruise that we did! Without a doubt, we would sail on the Destiny again in a heartbeat!

Thank you Queen B1 -that does make me feel better. :)

[SantaCruzer]

To all who had bad experiences: I am a preschool teacher, so I too am locked into the times when most kids get their school breaks. We went Carnival Destiny out of San Juan last April 08. While food did vary, we still had some very good to great food. There was always a deck chair to be found, which is more than I can say for the last Princess cruise we took, and...as always there are many children, but I think most were being entertained in the children's clubs or something because we saw hardly any. We've gone out of San Juan twice now, both times no poblems getting on or off the ships. Once on Grand Princess (I think) and then the Destiny. The Destiny had the most comfortable bed I have slept on for any cruise so far. I have only been on 7, but I think that is a good number to compare to. I like to think that --yes there are the cheaper cruises and your more expensive cruises, but you can still run into problems on ANY cruise and hopefully can make the best of the situation at hand. Happy sailing. I don't go again until Dec. 20th out of Mobile, AL on the Holiday. We'll see how it compares to the Destiny. Most everyone reports Southern Charm!

Cheers!

[patches12]

Clarification.

 

Wal-Mart of the cruise line meaning.....everyone can afford the cruise...even poorly paid teachers...(ME)

 

Running in the halls...playing hide-and-go-seek....I just stepped in front of them and they usually skidded to a stop or hit me. Trust me, I will be standing if that encounter occurs. My comments were based on a pregnant woman being run into in front of us one time and other close calls with older people. These events happened after 5:30 when the kids camp was closed.

 

Lunch time...all excursions went from Destiny to the water excursions we had planned. It never occured that lunch would start at 12:00. I thought food was non-stop on a cruise ship. (Couldn't handle the pizza either and it was the only thing open. The deli sandwich place was not open.) Some excursions started at 10:30 too. If Carnival people read this, maybe they can make some small changes. Hey I didn't even talk about the smoking in the hallways.

 

Restaurants... service was excellent and the waiters were the highlights of our day. Funny, entertaining, remembered what our preferences were. We gave them a huge cash tip (each one) on the last dinner and they were shocked. One actually hugged us as a thank you. Every time they saw us in other places on the ship they acknowledged us. Loved the entertainment in the restaurant...hilarious!

 

Food not consistent...We did say some days excellent and some not. Didn't say food was horrible. We got one steak on the first night that could be cut with a fork! Could have been a bad week. Maybe they were short handed on some nights. Who knows?

 

"For those of you with kids, I meant kids running and chasing each other without parents keeping an eye on them. I saw many wonderfully behaved children; and I was very impressed with their excellent table manners and controlled behavior. " This was my original post about WONDERFUL kids on the ship too. Some people DID read this.

 

Cruise attire... husband griped while shopping for sport coats... while packing... before the first formal night... and at the first formal dinner because if HE had to wear a sport coat, others shouldn't be wearing T-shirts and flip flops on formal night. :D He is a blue-jean guy! Funny thing is he wore the sport coat on the second formal night too. I didn't insist or anything. Guess he wanted to look nice for me!

 

I will probably try Carnival again at a different time/place/ship. It was probably a fluke that it was my particular cruise. I will also try other lines in the future. Thanks for the great advice. I read these forums for many months before signing up for a cruise. We chose this one because of the itinerary and because it was the only one that had availability at short notice. (I had to sign up last minute because of a possible surgery that didn't happen.)

 

More research will be done next time so I can use the advice of all the wonderful people on this forum.

 

Those people worrying about Destiny. Don't worry. Every cruise is different. I am a rule follower and I shouldn't have expected as much as I did. I forget that some people are above the rules. Rules are a big part of a teacher's classroom since we spend so much time teaching behavior, manners, and rules to the kids.

 

Enjoy your Destiny cruise. Don't worry...be happy.

[tha sista]

I enjoyed my Detiny cruise....alot.

 

But, JMO, I think this kind of behavior happens more in the summer while school is out. Which is why I don't cruise in summer or school holidays.

 

But definately try a different ship. I really, really like Valor.

Ditto, I did this cruise in September last year and it was great. Not alot of kids and I thought everything was great!