Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

[werpooles]

Love the Review.................Did they really take the sauna and hot tubs out of the spa area? So did they move them to another location, or do away with them all together?:(

 

Also......the Carnival deck plans show 3-4 bars/lounges on the Promenade deck way in the back.......The Point After, The Criighiton lounge, and one other.....all close together, but the capers you posted doesn't list any of these. It has the other bars on the Lido, Promenade, etc. and the times that they are open. I'm wondering if they combined all 3 to make one big lounge during the dry dock.

[falkcor]

Love the Review.................Did they really take the sauna and hot tubs out of the spa area?

 

Also......the Carnival deck plans show 3-4 bars/lounges on the Promenade deck way in the back.......The Point After, The Criighiton lounge, and one other.....all close together, but the capers you posted doesn't list any of these. It has the other bars on the Lido, Promenade, etc. and the times that they are open. I'm wondering if they combined all 3 to make one big lounge during the dry dock.

 

if you take a look at the deck plans, it does look like they replaced the hot tubs out of the spa area, though if i'm not mistaken the steam and sauna rooms are still in place. i never went to the spa so i can't share much info in that regard.

 

regarding the bars on the promenade deck - there are actually 5 at the rear of the ship. the point after dance club (disco), cheers wine bar, the downbeat lounge, the criterion lounge, and the apollo (piano) bar. and they're definitely all still there.

 

the capers i posted (music and dancing section) had: 'rockin music' at criterion lounge, sing-a-long piano music at the apollo bar, funship karaoke at the downbeat lounge, and dance music at the point after disco... cheers never really had ANYTHING going on there and i don't think i ever saw more than 4 people there.

[tkkerber]

Great review so far!! Were you able to save any of the menus to post or can you tell us what is on the menu?? I am also anxious to hear which excursions you chose.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this!!:)

[Froufie]

Glad to hear the drydock horror stories are basically unfounded! Sounds like they now have all the kinks worked out - aside from a few elevator problems?

[falkcor]

Glad to hear the drydock horror stories are basically unfounded! Sounds like they now have all the kinks worked out - aside from a few elevator problems?

 

i'm sure the people on the ship just before and after might have a few legitimate claims to make, but not those of us on the second cruise. at least as far as i am concerned. so an elevator or two weren't working at some time... the others were! and it's not like any single elevator didn't ever work - just some isolated outages... so what.

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(5) ORIENTATION, GETTING SETTLED IN

So, where did I leave off? I had boarded the ship, found the way to my room in a couple minutes, then found the CAPERS (and then subsequently posted them – see above). That’s right.

Here’s where I’m going to weave in and out of the chronology of this review (and I will continue to for the rest of this entire review). I could tell you that I dropped my bags, did some light unpacking, took a look around the room, counted how many outlets there were (3), got / made my first drink, met the room steward and had to wait around for about 15 minutes, reading the capers, until the muster drill. I’ll write about some of that later.

Instead, let’s consider this a tour of the ship, and I’ll throw in any information that I picked up about these places – at ANY time, during the course of my cruise. I’ll start out chronologically – like with a stop at the muster drill, purser’s desk, maitre d, and lobby bar – but I sure didn’t go right from the purser’s desk to every lounge I’d visit in one stride. But I know that you want to know more about stuff like that, than what drawer I put my socks in.

We boarded pretty late, as previously mentioned, so the muster drill snuck right up on us. As we were walking to the room, people had their life vests on and seemed confused – all over the place! A little discomforting, when you first board a boat, I thought! The laugh aside, shortly after boarding, we grabbed our life vests, evacuated to the muster drill section (A), and took a few choice pictures. It was pretty quick (because I think we were some of the last to arrive), but it seemed somewhat less than organized. Difficult to hear at times, and I think it could have been over a little more quickly. But whatever. Done.

After dropping the vests in the room, it was a quick trek back to the flagship / lobby bar in the rotunda. It’s nice enough – mostly benefit of its location. It’s a great place for people watching, especially as adventurous people are circumnavigating the ship on that first day to acclimate themselves, a stellar choice for a first drink. Through the course of the cruise, there was most often live music – mostly piano or guitar and vocals… A nice stop, but I wouldn’t spend my night here. Great for an ‘on the way’ drink though, at any time. I seemed to end up here at least once a day, though for very brief periods of time, and always on the way to somewhere else. It just never seems to be quite the destination, unless just for the novelty of it, like on the first night. And entertainment and ambience in alternate venues (such as the piano bar) was typically superior, though that’s hit or miss at… the karaoke bar!

Returned with the receipt for my first charge at the lobby / flagship bar, I got a little note saying there was a problem with my S&S account… How convenient, or so I thought. It was right across the room (see what I’m talking about the on-the-way convenience?)… The purser’s desk seemed to be about as hit or miss as the karaoke onboard. Quick summary – there were problems with our s&s cards linked to credit cards (it seemed because we were linked bookings) – we had to make about 5 trips to get it straight. One problem resolved, back to atrium bar, and then the other persons’ card would kick off… Service was spotty. One staff member first tried to fix it, then said if it didn’t work, come right back to her (and not wait in line). We returned, but waited in line – because we weren’t really comfortable cutting a short line – she seemed shocked ‘you waited in line?!@’. Anyhow, she ‘fixed it’ again… Back to the atrium bar, another little notice. This time, one member of our party approached the desk (ahead of the (at this time long) line, as instructed) and was scolded by a (new) staff member there. That, and the next return trip to FINALLY fix it, were the lowest level of experience we received for the whole cruise. So very frustrating, actually. But enough of that, back to the atrium bar – and finally our cards worked.

Next, although our boarding documents initially said 5.45PM dinner, but we had confirmation for a change to 8.00PM and our funpass documents said that, our S&S cards said 6PM. A quick talk with the (funny and charismatic German) maitre d at the galaxy dining room, our reservation was switched to… 8.15PM. They really need to sort this dinner time thing out. Anyhow, nothing but simple and the maitre d cracked some pretty good jokes. For the record, there are four seatings for dinner – at TWO times – 6.00PM and 8.15PM. There is no 5.45, 6.00, 8.00, 8.15 anymore. Though I saw every single one of those on some carnival document! Each dining room (universe and galaxy) have two seatings, one each at 6.00 and 8.15PM.

From here forward, I’ll talk about some of the places I stopped, and the few I stayed, through the course of the cruise while ON THE SHIP. Seems as good a time as any to post the next set of CAPERS, don’t you? Here’s a look at what was going on during the first ‘fun day at sea’ aboard Destiny.

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(6) DESTINY CAPERS – 9/28/2008, (FIRST) FUN DAY AT SEA!

Here are the capers for the first fun day at sea, incidentally also formal night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone was out to party on this second night of the cruise and it was a lot of fun – so moving on, I’ll cover the bars / lounges / entertainment, etc.

[vplsh]

This is so terrific! You're really getting me excited for our Christmas cruise. Just wish you'd done our itinerary! How similar do you think the day at sea will be? Ours is the final day rather than the first.

 

You're a great writer! Keep it coming!

Thanks!

[falkcor]

This is so terrific! You're really getting me excited for our Christmas cruise. Just wish you'd done our itinerary! How similar do you think the day at sea will be? Ours is the final day rather than the first.

 

You're a great writer! Keep it coming!

Thanks!

 

I think the sea days (especially the last one, in your case) are bound to be rather similar.

 

I'd also bet that some of the activities, etc. from first sea day on my itinerary, will happen on your first day or first port day...

 

Some stuff like the hairy chest contest (on my first sea day) are guaranteed to pop up, even though the schedules are not exactly concurrent.

[Jeans*Fanatic]

I really appreciate everything that you are doing!!!! Thanks so much for all the capers and the great detail that you are putting into your review!

[2PinaColadas]

falkcor--Did you go to the past guest party? If so, what night was it? Thanks so much for the reviews and capers. You are helping me get through the next 5 months. :)

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

 

(7) BARS & LOUNGES – THE APOLLO (PIANO) BAR – MY FAVORITE

 

So according to the capers, the second day was supposed to be a ‘fun day at sea’ – and man was it ever. It seems that waking up on a cruise ship powering through the seas at full speed (we were speeding at 21+ knots toward Jamaica, to make up for time lost in late sailing the day before), has an effect on people – you realize you’re REALLY on vacation. It was also elegant night, so people were out and about looking for fun before our first port day in Ocho Rios.

 

Where to start… How about one of the most popular carnival establishments, the piano bar. It’s kind of funny, this almost qualifies as a dry-dock renovation – because after shifting home ports and a few weeks out of the water, there are some inevitable crew changes. Some of the first questions are always ‘who’s the new cruise director’, followed immediately by ‘who’s the new piano player?’.

 

For those inquiring minds that want to know, the new piano player in the Apollo (piano) Bar is Martin Kaye, a charismatic and incredibly entertaining chap from Manchester. If I’m not mistaken, this was actually his first cruise (9/27/08-10/02/08) on the Destiny. We really discovered his talent and the piano bar on this first sea day, and dutifully returned every night, and would settle in until close. I had visited everywhere else on the promenade deck (our evening home), and decided this was the venue of highest caliber – the best entertainment, best groups of people, and definitely without question the most fun.

 

Martin’s great – he has an incredible demeanor and voice, and even greater talent. He would grace us each night with some of his own original compositions (which were all great) – I think his favorite, or at least most played, is ‘about you’, also the name of his CD (available for purchase for 20.00). The last night, I purchased a CD – it’s a tip with a benefit, and a great souvenir for the great times I had in this bar. If you’re interested, check out his web site – there are a few clips of his original compositions:

 

http://www.martin-k.com/

 

And here’s a link to some of his original compositions:

 

http://www.martin-k.com/clips2

 

I guarantee you that he’ll be impressed if you come in and request some of his songs. And you won’t be disappointed. Some of the clips are a little short on his site, I can attest – they’re actually longer. Check out a minute of ‘about you’ here:

 

http://www.martin-k.com/Media/about%20you.mp3

 

Like I said – he’s quite the entertainer. He’ll jump up on the piano, play the air guitar and sing to requested songs, and ad lib with guests all night. He knows a good deal of songs that everybody else in the room does, which makes for great sing-a-longs. He’d pit the guys against the gals, to see who could sing the loudest, which was always a lot of fun – even when the gals cheated by singing into the mic, we still won. Very fun.

 

Some of the favorites were: Rocketman, Candle in the Wind, Hotel California, We are the Champions, Brown Eyed Girl, Layla, Sweet Caroline, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Nightengale, and Piano man (of course). Though I’ll note – this must be the most requested song, and if he’s already played it, he can be a little testy – I swear he doesn’t like the song. One night, we tipped him 30 dollars to play Piano man (again), and learn a new song for me. That’s a TIP in itself – he can get lyrics to any song you want, but I definitely recommend asking nicely and a tip.

 

In short, Martin and the Apollo (piano) Bar made my cruise. We’d settle in every night, with some other regulars, all really great and fun people. He even started announcing our entrance ‘yeaaaah, my boys are here!’. So much fun. Here’s a pic of Martin, from my seat at the bar around the piano on the last night…

 

Just a preface. Drink service in the piano bar is strictly via the bar waitresses – there is no physical bar with service in the Apollo bar, and they have last call for drink service earlier than the bar or Martin shut down… So, for the picture – they said last call, and I obliged:

 

 

Yeah, that’s crazy isn’t it? Well, I realized that Martin would play for at least an hour after they stopped drink service in the piano bar, as long as he was enjoying himself (and he was, he admitted it). So think ahead!

On the topic of thinking ahead,Martin has a fish bowl in the middle of the piano – take plenty of singles. I’ve tried crumpling them up, making them into paper airplanes and the like – but if you make it in, you get to request a song… And for you single women out there, you might be able to get a kiss out of the piano man if you make it in. And for the men out there – you can always say the person next to you got it in! LOL

Here’s an apropos excerpt from one of Martin’s songs – track 6 on the CD, ‘Reach my Goal’:

Stuck in a moment, and I can’t get out

I’m goin’ no where, and my mind’s in doubt

So many places that I want to see,

I’m holding back my life from me

There are walls that keep me from my dreams

There’s a life that’s waiting there for me

Deep inside I know I still believe

I will reach my goal,

I will take control

I will reach my goal,

I will never ever let go

Just when I’m feeling that I can’t go on

Life turns a corner and my fears are gone

It’s getting started, things are happening

And now, I know my DESTINY

You can never tell where you may go

If it’s right the light will let you know

It was distant, now it feels so close

So that’s enough of the piano bar… And for those that want to know – smoking is allowed in the piano bar (I’ll mention that, as I know inquiring minds want to know). Moving on, a few tips and tricks I picked up before we visit the rest of the bars / lounges aboard…

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(8) BARS & LOUNGES – A FEW TIPS

So here’s a few tips that I picked up through the course of the cruise, having visited… Well, every establishment with the exception of the Onyx Bar (it was in an off-the-path location, and the idea of a cigar bar did not appeal to me)… Here’s my response to some of the most-asked questions about bar service on ship, and a few of my own observations.

1) Ask for the BIG GLASS. Mixed drinks / cocktails come in little (I’d say 8-10 ounce) glasses, and ordering multiple refills / drinks can get old pretty quickly, especially if you’re staying in the same place. Like I said, mine was the piano bar, and bar waitress service can be intermittent when they get busy. The ‘BIG GLASS’ is a glass tumbler / big glass that is exactly twice the size of the small cocktail glasses – nobody will serve it in that glass (do not ask me why, I don’t understand) – so order two cocktails and the BIG GLASS – they’ll know what you’re talking about. See my pic from the piano bar above – the screwdriver (orange) far left is in the big glass with a straw. Now that’s a drink.

2) Those hurricane glasses – don’t sweat it. From what I can tell, they do not in any manner distinguish hurricane glasses on a per cruise basis. I saw clear, pink and yellow glasses through the course of the cruise, and often two at any given establishment.

3) Those hurricane glasses are the same as the ‘distinctive 15oz glass’ that the drinks of the day are served in.

4) Shop around – All bartenders are not created equal, and some yield notably stronger drinks than others. If you’re into that kind of thing.

5) Pick a bartender / bar waiter/waitress and stick with them – tip a few dollars through the course of the night (I typically tip at least 1-2 dollars every round) and you’ll find they’ll be on top of your every whim and watch out for when you need them.

6) Tip your bartender! A few dollars can go a long way. Let ‘em know you appreciate what they’re doing, and you might expect some stronger drinks as the night goes on.

7) If the bar / lounge you’re at isn’t serving, the one across the hall might be! – the hours of the various establishments vary, but don’t forget that there’s always something across the hall. I would sometimes go from the piano bar late night, and pick up drinks at the disco.

8) The bar open the latest, according to the casino staff, was always the bar at the lido deck – it’s typically open until 4AM.

9) Room service can bring you beer with your order – for a charge of course, but sometimes it’s just plain convenient.

10) Those drink tickets – i didn’t bother with them. i did some research – MAYBE you’ll save some money, but that’s not even guaranteed. lots of people report having to pay the balance of the drink value + gratuity vs. ticket face value – so if you have to pay for it and sign the S&S receipt anyway, what’s the point?

11) Put your s&s on a credit card, and when you get the final bill before debarkation, don't look, pack it, and worry about it later - what a bad note to end a vacation on . A few friends i made on the boat & hung out with every night put it well - 'we don't like to talk about how much we spent'. My sentiment, exactly.

[falkcor]

Great review so far!! Were you able to save any of the menus to post or can you tell us what is on the menu?? I am also anxious to hear which excursions you chose.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this!!:)

 

I didn't even think to take pictures of the menus or anything like that, but I'll offer some information regarding what I came across / ate.

 

And no worries, I will detail which excursions we took - because they were great!

[tw67]

Thank you soo much! This is the itinerary that I am sailing on Dec 6, so reading about your cruise is wonderful!! I love hanging out at piano bars, but a new entertainer will be on board when I get there, I hope he is even half as good!!

 

I am waiting for the rest of your review!! You are doing a great job. I really like your common sense approach and you don't let the little things get to you! You realize you are on vacation!!! YAY!!

 

Terry

[bsdmhutch]

Your review is great and I love the detail. Although you did the one itin we aren't on (doing the b2b), I'm loving the Capers. As you mentioned, several things will be the same!!!

 

Keep it coming.

[JRock59]

Falkcor, great review and thanks for posting the Capers. We don't sail on her until Feb 2010 but it's always fun to plan ahead! :) If you have the time you might want to check out and post the Capers on this site http://capers.stateroom.info/main.php Love your inside tips! :D

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(9) BARS & LOUNGES – THE REST OF ‘EM

So here’s a quick tour of the rest of the bars and lounges that I visited while aboard Destiny. If you can’t tell, I really liked the Apollo (piano) bar, and so I didn’t spend nearly as much time in the rest of ‘em.

The Point After Disco / Nightclub was frequently the busiest and most crowded bar on the ship. People of all ages could be found here, though the crowd tended to grow decidedly younger the later it got. Frankly, I was most often not a fan of the music being played (a healthy amount of hip hop, etc.), though I think that the DJ would take some requests (I didn’t try this). Nevertheless, it was always a happening place to be, and a great place to meet & mingle with other passengers. The disco has hundreds of televisions on the wall playing miscellaneous things, and a load of neon lighting – cool, I guess. Smoking is allowed in this lounge, and it’s so big I can’t imagine this bothering others. This place is typically the last on the promenade deck to close, and is conveniently located to the piano bar (I’d come here to get drinks after service was suspended at the Apollo). It was also the site for the captain’s reception…

The cheers wine bar is directly adjacent to the entrance / exit of the disco, and it was never anywhere near as happening. I think it just loses out to the other lounges directly around it (disco, piano and karaoke bar) because it doesn’t have the same sort of activities, crowds or ambience to offer. And I don’t think that the red lighting did it any favors either – it didn’t look to be a very welcoming or the kind of place you’d want to settle in all night. I never saw more than 5 people here, during the course of the entire cruise, and more often less.

Just past the piano bar (I’ve already covered that in detail above), is the Downbeat Lounge. Don’t let the oversized brass instruments hanging from the ceiling or the jazzy décor trick you – this is no jazz lounge – it was the site of Karaoke every night. Now, sometimes this could be fun, but it really was hit or miss. The place was always PACKED, eventually standing room only every night, I didn’t really like that. There is a full bar at the back of the room, smoking is not allowed, and it was always a little warm in this place due to the crowds. The capers listed the first sea day as tryouts for destiny’s all star (like american idol), but that wasn’t true – they hold separate auditions for this, it seems. Just like the disco, I didn’t typically care for the music here, though my brother did rock Karaoke (2 songs) here one night, they loved him.

Behind the Downbeat Lounge, at the aft of the ship is the Criterion Lounge. I made it a point to try to visit this place as it seemed pretty cool, but it never seemed to be open. The capers list it as open from something like 9.30-LATE, but apparently my and Carnival’s definition of LATE is not the same, and definitely not the same as LATE as it applied to the Apollo or disco in the same area. Too bad, I’ll try to catch it next time.

The Destiny Bar is the bar in the Casino – and don’t expect any free drinks in this casino! I still don’t understand that, I find the odds of winning in this casino a lot steeper than in a land casino (you can’t push the buttons / pick on the slots, and outside bets on roulette are 5.00 minimum, while numbers are 1.00), and they don’t even give you free drinks. I lost 20.00 on roulette in about 10 minutes, and then 20.00 more on the slots in about 10 more minutes. That was all I needed – I realized I lost 40.00 in 20 minutes, and that I would have a lot more fun drinking eight cocktails over the course of hours, instead.

Anyhow, the destiny bar was nice enough – it’s got a big glass bar top, and then a few granite top tables adjacent to the casino floor. Smoking is permitted at a small area of the bar, but not the majority of it. There was live music here next to the casino every night, though hours varied. Frankly, the guitar player there for a few nights was rude, and not very good – he butchered so many great songs! This is another one of those ‘on the way’ kind of places – I wouldn’t go for the ambience or the music, but did end up here at least once every day.

Now – the Lido bar areas. During the day, the Lido deck was always packed, as were the bars. I would recommend going to the bar and getting your own drink(s), because the guys walking around often took a LONG time (I know they were busy, but still). Late night, the lido aft / rear bar was always the latest open bar – the casino staff told me they’re typically open until 4AM. So, for those late night orders, hit up the lido deck.

Now the Palladium lounge was a pretty cool place too – the late night comic was hilarious, though I didn’t care to check out much else. Drink service is offered on the ground floor only, if I’m not mistaken, and it was pretty quick and easy.

It was a late night out, this first fun day at sea, but before too late we made it back to the room to rest up for the first port of call, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, the next morning. I’ll cover that next, and if you haven’t been there, or are just looking to plan your shopping (and I would recommend this, do NOT wander too far from the port, etc. because these vendors are pretty pushy), I’ll post the map and shopping guide for Ocho Rios in the next post!

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(10) OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA – MAP & SHOPPING GUIDE

So for anybody looking to plan their port visit to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, here’s the map and shopping guide provided by Carnival.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll talk about the excursion we chose – Dunns River Falls and the Sky Explorer at Mystic Mountain in the next post.

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(11) OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA – TEASER

So I didn’t have the time to write about our Ocho Rios excursions this evening – here’s a quick teaser, a great view of Ocho Rios.

 

Look at that beautiful, blue water. More tomorrow (or should I say, later today).

[perryrr]

Seriously, if you don't work for Carnival you should. They should pay you to travel around on all the cruises and post reviews. Your review is the BEST I have ever seen. I have only been on 2 cruises (both within the last 16 months) and my 3rd will be in 3 days on Destiny. I have been checking these boards every day and honestly I look forward to your updated review every day.

 

On the note of the piano bar... on my two previous cruises (Holiday and Miracle) the piano bar was not what I had expected. When I think of piano bar I think of a place with dualing piano's like (www.thebigbangbarstore.com) The Big Bang. I think from your review, Martin Kaye might be right down my alley with his style of "piano playing" and fun. There is nothing like a group of strangers, singing as loud as they can to songs that everyone knows. It's great times to be had by everyone.

 

Again, thank you for the review.

 

I do have one question, being a poker player, did you ever see anyone playing poker in the casino? Do you know if they actually had enough people to play the Texas Hold'em Tournament on the first night?

 

Thanks Again!

[falkcor]

Seriously, if you don't work for Carnival you should. They should pay you to travel around on all the cruises and post reviews. Your review is the BEST I have ever seen. I have only been on 2 cruises (both within the last 16 months) and my 3rd will be in 3 days on Destiny. I have been checking these boards every day and honestly I look forward to your updated review every day.

 

Wow, thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I still have to pay carnival for the pleasure of writing reviews... But don't think that idea hasn't crossed my mind! Maybe I'll forward my review to them when I'm done ;)

 

On the note of the piano bar... on my two previous cruises (Holiday and Miracle) the piano bar was not what I had expected. When I think of piano bar I think of a place with dualing piano's like (www.thebigbangbarstore.com) The Big Bang. I think from your review, Martin Kaye might be right down my alley with his style of "piano playing" and fun. There is nothing like a group of strangers, singing as loud as they can to songs that everyone knows. It's great times to be had by everyone.

 

No dueling pianos, but Martin is a hoot and a class act. I think two of the quotations from the bing bang are definitely applicable:

 

"...the most fun I've ever had in a bar. I walked in planning to stay for an hour, and stayed all night!"

 

"...an instant cure for shyness...how did I end up on stage?"

 

I made it a point on the second night to check out the piano bar, and we never left... And I'm typically a pretty reserved guy, but man - a few screwdrivers later, I was belting out tunes as loud as I could. We looked forward to it every night. Check out Martin, and tell him Mark & Rob aka the Jersey Boys say hi. I'm trying to see how many people I can get to do this :D

 

I do have one question, being a poker player, did you ever see anyone playing poker in the casino? Do you know if they actually had enough people to play the Texas Hold'em Tournament on the first night?

 

I did see people playing poker, and they sure did have enough people for the Texas Hold'em tournament on the first night. I checked the capers for you, and here were the scheduled tournaments:

 

First night - 6PM $25 texas hold 'em tournament

First night - 9PM AND 11PM $1 and $2 no limit texas hold 'em

Second night - 11AM, 2PM, 9PM AND 11PM $1 and $2 no limit texas hold 'em

 

A note on the timing of the 6PM first night tournament - the time is actually AFTER THE SHIP HAS LEFT PORT. Our departure was delayed by about 3 hours, so of course the tournament got bumped too.

[falkcor]

Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(12) OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA – DUNNS RIVER FALLS ARRIVAL

Despite our late departure from Miami, all through this first ‘fun day at sea’, the ship had been powering through the waves at full speed, according to the captain (more on that later) and we arrived at port on time.

Debarkation in the morning was a relative breeze. We departed the boat some time around 9.00AM for our 9.45 excursion – it was a quick trip down to deck zero, and the lines moved rather quickly, maybe about 10 minutes total. You can purchase water and other beverages with your S&S card before departing (which I would recommend), and then take a walk down the dock to the port facility.

I’ll say that I had read a good number of less than stellar and sometimes questionable things about Jamaica, so I decided to play it safe and book a carnival excursion with transportation for Ocho Rios, and I don’t regret it one bit. In the port facility, we found our way to the representative for our tour (they hold signs with the tour name, etc.) where we effectively ‘checked in’ and were each given a bracelet with the name of the tour, which the rep. wrote ‘valid’ on. We waited for everybody to gather, and then made our way to the parking lot.

We boarded a relatively comfortable / newer Toyota mini-bus, with about 15-20 other people, and made our way toward the falls first. About half way through the 15-20 minute trip, the driver asked if anybody needed to rent or purchase water shoes (which are highly recommended, and with good reason for climbing the falls) – and of course a good number of us did. We stopped at a little independent storefront along the way – kind of a gift shop sort of establishment – rental fees were 5.00, and you could purchase your own pair for 15.00. Given the ‘independent’ nature of this little shop, and well, being in Jamaica, I was just the slightest bit leery of leaving my birks here – but it turned out just fine. Don’t worry about it – it is part of the carnival excursion after all… Anyhow, about 10 minutes later we were there. The drive was pretty scenic, mostly ocean view. I just find it at first a little difficult to adjust to being a passenger driving on (vs. the US) THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD! But we made it there OK, of course.

Now, the parking lot was a bit of an adventure and things got pretty interesting, pretty quickly! There were plenty of local vendors peddling their wares – carved statues, bead necklaces, and some other (illegal in the US) things we won’t discuss, and also vendors with beer (think RED STRIPE, my favorite), soft drinks, water and snacks. With the exception of the drink vendors, the thing that really struck me about so many of the others was that everything they were offering was ‘free’, or so they said – but ‘donations’ are welcome – come on, what a load of bull. I also noted a recurrent theme, of them pulling you in by extending their hand (to shake, or whatever, yours) and asking where you’re from – remarkably, they all knew someone from Houston (where I live) and Jersey (my family) – wow, small world, right? ;-)

The facilities at Dunns River Falls were professionally managed (not sketchy) and adequate. We were then approached by our tour guide, and led toward the entrance to the falls. They warn you as you approach ‘you ARE going to get wet’, which some people seem shocked to learn (hello? Climbing a WATERFALL?), and locker rentals are available – it’s about 5.00 for a relatively large, about 3x2x3 foot locker big enough for everybody’s stuff. After everybody dropped their stuff, the tour guide lead us down a walkway next to the falls to the bottom, where the falls meet the ocean.

 

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Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(13) OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA – DUNNS RIVER FALLS

Maybe you’re wondering – ‘wow, how did you get a great picture like that with almost no one else in the picture’ – no, we didn’t buy it. Here’s a tip – bring a disposable (didn’t even need to be waterproof), and make friends with your tour guide. Our tour guide’s name was Phillip, and he was great – I think he was impressed with the fact that I always was at the head of the pack, shadowing him while most others were straggling… Well he had seen me fiddling with the disposable camera, devising a strategy to keep it dry, and said ‘give it here, mon, I’ll take de pictures’.

I obliged, and he not only managed to keep it dry, but also stopped us at several very photogenic points and took our picture – frickin’ awesome, free great pictures (they’re 8.00 each in the gift shops afterward, by the way).

So, climbing the falls was actually my favorite excursion of the cruise. The tour guide was definitely skilled, and always advised the best route in making it up the falls. For the most part, it was relatively simple – the falls are pretty much shaped like a big staircase. There are some portions of the climb that are definitely more difficult to traverse than others, and at these times Phillip (our tour guide) would ask that we effectively form a human chain, holding our ‘neighbor’s’ hand – everybody obliged and looked out for each other. A note on the more challenging areas of the falls – most of them were toward the beginning of the trip up the falls. It gets more mellow higher up, it seems.

Don’t take that the wrong way – people of all ages – my 8 year old little sister, and 50 year old ladies all did just fine – it’s not inherently dangerous, it’s just that some areas are more challenging than others. And a note on the kids before moving on – the tour guides do a great job of looking out for the little ones – whether it be lifting them from one place to another, or even grabbing them and carrying them up a steeper incline, and of course there are plenty of times where you can help out the little ones in your party, too. I wouldn’t shy away from bringing kids (probably 6+ or so) for this very awesome adventure.

 

 

The water was invigorating! It’s much cooler (but not too cold) than the sea, and definitely refreshing. It was much fun to just stand under the water fall or take a dip in one of the ‘pools’ along the way. There’s even one spot – maybe half way up, that our tour guide called the ‘slide’. There’s a depression in the rocks at this spot, and you can slide down from one ‘pool’ do the other about 5’ below – fun. And here’s a decent view of about the size of a typical tour group:

 

 

Along the way, expect to get some rocks / pebbles in your shoes – it’s inevitable, and we stopped more than once to take ‘em out. It was at one of these points that the carnival camera crew caught us, and we were part of the on-board excursion show for the falls the rest of the week (we also bought the dvd, for this and other reasons, 25.00 I think but totally worth it). In all, I think it took about 1 hour to climb to the top of the falls, then it was a pretty quick walk back to the facilities. We tipped Phillip well, and were on our way.

We picked up our stuff, used the restrooms, then found a comfortable place to chill for just a minute. A palm tree, perfectly crafted to the specifications of… a bench!

 

 

 

You can purchase pictures on the way out – for 8.00 – a heck of a lot cheaper than the carnival pictures – they take about 3 of each family / group, and one was so good we purchased it.

On the way toward the parking lot, there’s a little ‘village’ of vendors, with a exit sign and an arrow pointing right toward the village. There are wood carvers, t-shirt vendors, and every other kind of little souvenir you could think of… They all will stand around and strike up a conversation, and try to get you to visit their shop – kind of an uncomfortable situation, even though they’re friendly… Friendly, but persistent. After looking at a good deal of things that I had absolutely no interest in, and picking up 2 more (I already had one) bead necklaces, I became frustrated and insisted somebody tell me where the parking lot was because I had enough. A kind vendor leveled with us, and said we could indeed bypass the village and make it to the lot – we thanked her, and obliged.

We found the information desk on our way out, and asked where to find the transfer to the sky explorer at mystic mountain – they said to look for the lady in the green shirt, and indeed that worked. The staff for mystic mountain were totally professional, and lead us to the parking lot, where we were given the chance to make a last minute purchase from the food / beverage vendors. I ordered 3 red stripe, thinking I was ordering for others in my party, and they had them open before I realized they already had their own. Oops. I ended up taking 3 red stripe with me on the bus (TIP, you can bring your beer on the bus!), and dutifully drank them by the time I got to the mystic mountain.

And that’s the next story…

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Destiny – Post D-D 9/27-10/2/08 Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman – Review & Capers

(14) OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA – SKY EXPLORER AT MYSTIC MOUNTAIN

So when booking excursions to Dunns River Falls, there are more ‘Dunns River falls AND…’ tours than those that go to the falls only. And you should book one of those. The falls are great (and awesome!) but they don’t fill a whole day.

I thought that the ‘sky explorer’ at mystic mountain, which is effectively a chair lift (like at ski resorts or the boardwalk) that takes you up the side of a mountain – with great views – to the top of ‘Mystic Mountain’, and back again would be a great, relaxing follow-up. In relation to the craziness in the parking lot of Dunns River Falls, I felt very comfortable immediately at Mystic Mountain. The staff are all professional, uniformed, and it is a controlled environment without the vendors and the like.

After a quick orientation, we were off to the chairlift. Each one could hold up to 4 people, and probably about 8’ wide or so. The trip on the way up is set ‘just above the jungle canopy’, affording great views of ocho rios bay, the ship, and the shoreline. Here’s the view of Destiny from the sky explorer:

 

It’s about a twenty minute ride up to the top, passing through a narrow channel carved out of the rain forest around you. There’s plenty of native vegetation, flowers and the like – it’s pretty neat. Here’s a view of some houses on the hillside from the way up:

 

 

When we ‘landed’ at the top of Mystic Mountain, we were pleasantly surprised by what we found. The grounds are well landscaped and even better maintained, and there were relatively few people through the entire complex. After debarking from the chair lift, there was a covered patio with tables and a few (very NOT obnoxious) vendors with local wares like name bracelets or carvings, and bar service. The bar and restaurant is on the second floor – and it’s a nice, clean establishment, again with professional and friendly staff, and while we didn’t eat here, it was a refreshing experience. The view on this second floor is great – with wrap around windows, and shutters propped open to let the breeze flow through.

Quickly, though, I returned to the ground floor, where there was an infinity edge pool of pretty significant size (and NOBODY in it), and a staircase to a water slide that rivaled the twister on the ship, and seemed like it’d be pretty fun. So I gave it a shot – I took off the beads I had picked up on my journey here, and took the plunge:

 

 

 

It WAS fun! And did I mention that the view from this summit of Mystic Mountain wasn’t too shabby either? You can clearly see Destiny in the background, docked in Ocho Rios Bay. There was NO line for the slide, at all, and you could go on it as many times as you wanted – the pool, slide, etc. were all available free of charge.

Also here at Mystic Mountain was the Jamaican bobsled ride – a small-scale roller coaster you could take from the summit to the base of the mountain – about 3,500 feet long if memory serves me. You can control the speed of your descent via a brake in the car, but most people didn’t opt for this mode of descent. Also available, you could take a series of zip lines (12 or so, I think) from the top of the mountain and zip down to the bottom. I could see several of the ‘base stations’ along the way – looked like a lot of fun, but we took the chair lift back down for a leisurely descent. The return trip on the chair lift is set just ‘below the forest canopy’, and while this was kinda nice, I liked the ‘just above the forest canopy’, and the better views, just a bit more.

True to form, organizing to leave Mystic Mountain was painless and simple – we boarded a similar Toyota min-bus, and back to port. We walked the short 3-5 minutes over to the ‘Island Village’ shopping center, and browsed for a while. There were still some of the local merchants on the street offering their wares or hair-braiding, though I will say they were far less pushy than @ Dunns River Falls. And when we got to the shopping center, there is a guard posted at the entrance, and the local vendors abided by such regulation – which, in its own way, was nice.

A short walk back to port, and we were again traversing the port facilities – where the representatives would check bags and cards, and then waive you to walk down the pier to the ship. Embarkation was painless, with the line never growing larger than about 10 people or so. So it was back to the cabin for a room service lunch, some much deserved rest and relaxation, and preparing for perusing some of the shops, a drink at the lobby bar, and dinner.

And I can’t forget… Preparing for this night out, by reading the CAPERS! I’ll post the capers for the night in transit from Ocho Rios to Grand Cayman in the next post.