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

[mgm3430]

Falkor,

 

I have a question.

 

On the Destiny did they offer the future cruise credit for $100 if you buy it onboard? Some ships have it and some don't.

 

Thanks for the great review! Looking forward to the rest of it especially the capers!

 

Thanks for sharing!

[falkcor]

I'm disappointed that Martin will not be on my 11/22 cruise, but hopefully someone taking his place will be a close second.

 

Where did you get his CD? I love the words to that one song you posted.

 

Looking forward to more!

 

Debra -

 

My condolences you'll be missing Martin - he really was a winner.

 

I purchased his CD from him at the piano bar. There's no link to purchase the CD on his website, here:

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

 

Unfortunately, there's only 8 seconds of the song on his site, here:

http://www.martin-k.com/Media/reach%20my%20goal.mp3

 

But I would bet that if you email him, you could arrange for purchasing it.

martinpkaye@hotmail.com

 

It's worth it! Best of luck for a suitable replacement in the piano bar just in time for your cruise!

[falkcor]

On the Destiny did they offer the future cruise credit for $100 if you buy it onboard? Some ships have it and some don't.

 

Gwyn - I don't recall future credit, or any discount, being applied if you pre-purchased / put a deposit on your next cruise while on board the Destiny. I checked the capers for some mention of it, and nada.

 

That doesn't mean it wasn't available - anybody else please correct me if you have any info regarding this topic.

[peachhead11]

Falkcor I'm going to miss your posts, they have been awesome. You need to book another cruise so we have something to look forward to:D

 

I was a Jersey girl for a long time so I feel a connection.

 

Sue

[luv2cruz66]

Let me just say thank you again for your Destiny review! It was the only thing getting me through the last week before our cruise!!

 

I just returned yesterday from the Destiny and it was our best cruise yet!

 

I took your advice and went to the piano bar......we loved Martin!

[falkcor]

Falkcor I'm going to miss your posts, they have been awesome. You need to book another cruise so we have something to look forward to:D

 

Sue - I'm going to kind of miss writing them! I'm trying to organize 30 people for a cruise some time next year - April or August. If you want a review sooner, I'll accept donations ;)

 

I'm gonna try to get the stingray city tour (and maybe more) up tonight.

[wasiii]

Sue - I'm going to kind of miss writing them! I'm trying to organize 30 people for a cruise some time next year - April or August. If you want a review sooner, I'll accept donations ;)

 

I'm gonna try to get the stingray city tour (and maybe more) up tonight.

 

.....I'm going on the Destiny for 5 days starting November 17. Are you going to put up the other 2 days of Capers for your cruise?

 

:confused:

 

wasiii

[falkcor]

luv2cruz66 - awesome, i'm glad you had a great time. you lucked out, the last destiny cruise with martin! he was so good i checked his schedule to reference where he'll be in a few months for the next cruise! i really wish he'd transfer to the conquest because i think that's up next for me.

 

wasii - yup, i'll have at least the grand cayman capers up tonight - not sure where i'll go in the review after stingray city, so we'll see about the last day's copy. and rest assured, if you're not going until november, i'll finally be done with this review before you leave!

[falkcor]

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

(22) GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – MOBY DICK SNORKELING PICS

So Stingray City review & photos are in the works, but I thought before moving on, I’d post a few photos from Moby Dick Tours, which are definitely of higher quality than those from my simplest of simple underwater cameras, and the photos posted above from that camera.

Let me say, these photos are a lot more true-to-life than mine, it’s remarkably vivid down there, and the experience is awe-inspiring. I really had the feeling of swimming through a program on the National Geographic Channel or Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel. Take a look…

This is Mark Button, the tour leader:

 

A bunch of shiny silver fish gathered at the ladders off the back of the baot:

 

 

A squid with a fancy name among the coral:

 

 

A lobster on the reef:

 

 

And this is what most of the reef looked like – great coral formations, and a great number of diverse beautiful fish species:

 

 

Photo credit for all of these go to Moby Dick Tours. You can check out their photo gallery here:

 

http://www.mobydicktours.com/Stingray-City/gallery.html

 

Stingrays up next!

[isabellmybell]

“Destiny was also benefit of Carnival’s Seaside Theatre, installed on the lido deck above the pool. It’s an about 300 square foot screen, and plays any number of different programs through the course of the day.” :eek:

What Great News……my first cruise was with Grand Princess, and this was one of the things I loved most about the ship;) ……Sitting under the stars……watching movies and shooting stars over head to wish on! I’m so excited about this upcoming cruise…….thanks for the great review!:)

Love your pictures too!:D

[falkcor]

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

(23) GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – STING RAY CITY (!)

After about 45 minutes of snorkeling through the coral reef, we were beckoned back to the boat by a blow of the conch shell (lord of the flies, anybody?), and everybody started back toward the boat. As posted earlier, this right here was the first indication of what we were in for, the first sting ray I encountered ‘up close’!

 

 

It took just a few minutes to pull up the anchor and prepare the boat for departure from the reef. We could very well see the location of the stingray city sandbar from the reef, so it was a short little trip over there, about 5 minutes or so. By this time, as Captain Mark had predicted, the other tour groups had pretty well cleared out and the sandbar was nearly empty – there were two or three other ships, with tours of varying sizes. The crew maneuvered the ship toward the shallowest area where they could safely anchor the ship, and we were ‘there’!

Now as I had mentioned in my description of the tour, remember, these aren’t just any stingrays. These are about as ‘domesticated’ a wild sea animal could be, and they know very well, that when they hear the engines of a boat motoring toward the sandbar, that food, and well, frankly affection (I swear they really love the interaction, and the tour guides and visitors show them some love), are not far behind. I think this photo from moby dick pretty well sums it up:

 

 

 

Think about it for a second. Thousands of people a day come to feed you, hold you, and kiss you, because someone told them it’d bring 7 years of good luck? Sounds like a pretty sweet gig to me.

So anyhow, after we were anchored, the crew invited us all to debark the boat, and get this show on the road! Life vests in all sizes were available free of charge, though they were optional and really not needed except for the little ones. We had stopped in an area of the sandbar where the water was only maybe about 3 feet deep, and remember, this is 25 minutes and about as many miles from shore. The water was crystal clear, and all around you could see ‘shadows’ in the water (stingrays) approaching.

And when they got close… They were REALLY BIG!

 

 

 

There were less than 20 people in our tour group, and definitely at least as many sting rays! Most of the other groups we had seen here this day were at least several times larger, and they looked a little silly all wearing their fluorescent yellow life jackets… in three feet of water. Another thing that I had read about some of the other tours was that they do not all give you food (squid) for the sting rays. That’s like going to a petting zoo without a quarter for the pellets. You can see the white bucket with a life preserver around it, among our modestly sized group and the stingrays, floating in the middle of this next picture:

 

 

While still on board, Mark had given us a proper primer on stingray etiquette, including on how to feed them. They love squid, which is what the tour provides, cut into little 2” or so segments – that’s what the bucket was full of. A couple tips they offered… After handling the squid, do not wipe your hands off on your bathing suit or body, they’ll know! And for the men in the audience – do NOT put squid in your pocket, just think about what’s next door to your pocket! :eek:

To feed them, you should hold the squid (it’s like a little cylinder) in your hand like an ice cream cone, with your fist wrapped around it. They’ll come up, and suck it right out of your hand. That’s how they eat – it’s not like a mouth full of big teeth or anything, they work more like a vacuum cleaner. If you’re holding the squid, say, between two fingers and waving it around – they just might suck up your finger(s) with it!

They also generally advised that children refrain from feeding the rays, and if they did to do so with supervision only. Frankly, most of the younger ones weren’t dismayed, and didn’t really have a desire to do as much anyway. The rays get most excited when being fed, so they’ll flap around their ‘wings’, splash water around, and even push you around a little. Some of the kids didn’t really jive with that, and some were even afraid (for just a minute). It’s certainly not a scary situation, but a little overwhelming to the kids – it’s really not a common situation to be in…

[falkcor]

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

(24) GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – MORE STING RAY CITY (!)

One of the secrets to effectively wrangling / holding a stingray, is to pretty much put your arms out under them, and just kind of relax. If you use your muscles / tense up your arms, as if you were trying to pick them up out of the water, they’ll pretty quickly just swim right away. Mark demonstrated here – you can tell they love him, and he returns their affection.

 

 

A general note about the stingrays is that they really are like big, 5’ pancake shaped puppy dogs. Puppy dogs, or cats, and the cat analogy works pretty well in a particular right. Do you know how cats will just kind of walk by and rub themselves up against your leg, or shoulder, or whatever? The stingrays do the same thing. It was a little disarming at first – but they’ll come by and gently slap you with their ‘wings’, etc. Here’s one of them flapping up against my brother, and you can see from the ray in the bottom left portion of the picture, how this would be an astute possibility given how they swim around, flapping their ‘wings’.

 

 

Another one of the crew members, the aforementioned ‘italian stallion’ is in the lower right of the photo – he was really helpful, especially in coaching us on how to approach and hold the rays. With his help, I GOT A BIG ONE!

 

 

So the stingrays themselves, beside being friendly – they felt a little gritty, like a fine grade sandpaper on top, rather comparable to a shark’s skin if you’ve ever felt that, but with just a little more ‘grit’. On the bottom, their smooth white bellies felt more something like a wet portabella mushroom, if that makes any sense – sort of soft and rubbery, and very smooth.

I was surprised at just how friendly and outgoing they were, frankly. Even if you weren’t offering food or actively seeking to hold one, they’d swim around in a circuit, and brush up against you if you were in the general vicinity. I really am convinced that they like and seek the attention of the tourists. They’re kind of like a pet when you first get home from work – they’re so happy to see you, and they want some attention.

Apparently, if you kiss a sting ray, Mark told us that you’re in for seven years of good luck… Who could pass that up?!

 

[valancy1]

To feed them, you should hold the squid (it’s like a little cylinder) in your hand like an ice cream cone, with your fist wrapped around it. They’ll come up, and suck it right out of your hand. That’s how they eat – it’s not like a mouth full of big teeth or anything, they work more like a vacuum cleaner. If you’re holding the squid, say, between two fingers and waving it around – they just might suck up your finger(s) with it!

Falkcor, love the review! We did this tour last month (and are doing it again next month) with Soto's. One thing Randy told us in regards to their suction power is they can extract an entire conch from its shell. That's pretty strong suction and I'd wager a whole lot stronger than an Oreck! LOL...

[isabellmybell]

This is the best review I have seen yet! Thank you so much! :) We did the Sting Rays a couple of years ago……My daughter had her hair in those tiny braids……we was diving I was over head snorkeling….A big stingray came over her head and started sucking on it………Was pretty funny looking…….She didn’t think it was funny……she said not so much!:eek:

[falkcor]

Isabellmybell – the movie screen on the lido deck is pretty neat. As I noted, I didn’t devote much attention to it, but it really adds an element to the on deck entertainment, and some people were definitely into it. You can also get popcorn if I’m not mistaken, and despite all the talk about chairhogs on CC, there was never a problem getting a few chairs at any time of the night or day. And the story about your daughter made me laugh!

Valancy1 – I’d reckon that you’re right about the suction power of the stingrays – and they’re quick too!

[falkcor]

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

(25) GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – THE WAY BACK

Here’s a few final photos from Moby Dick before moving on…

Another look at a tour group on the sandbar. In the FAQ section, Moby Dick notes that the cruise ship tours are twice the price with 100 of your new best friends. I was really pleased that we had such a small group, more stingrays to go around!

Mark demonstrating how it’s done!

Up close and personal with a new flat friend.

And here’s a nice close-up shot of a ray gliding through the water.

After about forty five minutes with the stingrays, we’d all pretty much had our fill of playing with the rays, and it was time to head back to shore. It was about a 25 minute boat ride back to the dock, sitting back, relaxing, and listening to some choice songs while sipping lemonade. What an excursion! Here’s one last look at the shore of the North Sound, while we were on our way back to shore:

We arrived back at the docks, tipped Mark and the staff for this great experience, and boarded the big purple barney bus once more. One the return trip, as with the previous from port, the driver shared a few bits of information about the island, it’s culture, people and everything else. He even stopped the bus along the road away from the port, to point out a grand cayman local:

One last note on the tour – you can make reservations online, without having to pay in advance. You pay at the port when you check in for the tour, and they accept payments in cash or money orders. The cost is 40.00 per adult, 35.00 per child.

Arrival back at the port was a little bit of a shocker. We got back at some time around 3.15, 3.30, kind of close to the ‘deadline’ since we opted for the afternoon tour. Immediately upon walking up to the main area, we found the line… Snaking its way through the square, and wrapping around @ the fence along the street! :-O

There was a good several hundred people, in line BEFORE you even get to the gate where they check your S&S card, etc, and almost as many people after it. As there were four ships in port, we had a wait a decent amount of time between tender boats, and the line didn’t move so quickly. And it was hot! While sometimes along the way in the main square, you could stand in the shade of some of the shops, etc, once past the gate there was no shade to be had. If you’re someone sensitive to the heat, I’d highly recommend bringing some water, or whatever else is good for that. A lady standing in front of us nearly passed out from the heat until we doused her head with some of our water. It took at least 30 minutes to get on the tender, and then it was just a few minutes back to the boat, thankfully.

So then it was back to the room to shower and change… And read the capers to plan our evening!

[Simster]

I am sailing on the Destiny November 8th.. and very excited! This will be my first cruise. Your review is very good and I've recommended it to my friends who are sailing with me.

 

I am very fair skinned and will be bringing a great sunscreen, but was wondering if there any shady spots near the pool, perhaps umbrella chairs?

 

Thanks,

Simster

[veryhotred]

Great review and pics!!!!!! Thanks for sharing....

 

I just booked the Destiny for our January cruise..we are staying on the Spa Deck!! :)

[Cruisin'Trooper]

Great Review - THANK YOU for your time writing it.

 

We cruise annually and are looking at this one for next Spring with our 1 year old. He has cruised before and we don't care about the stops anymore since he is with us, just like comfortable ships with lots to do!

[valancy1]

Falkcor,

 

Do you recall (or would you kindly tell us) how many and which nights would have been the Formal night(s)?

 

Thanks a bunch!

[dizneydawn]

Falkcor, I am VERY interested in doing the Sky Explorer and have not seen much info on it! Thanks for doing the detailed review.

 

I have a question, how far is it to/from the port to the Sky Explorer or Mystic Mountain? I have already done the falls, so we would book the Carnival tour for just Sky Explorer or Sky Explorer with bobslead. Do you make up your mind how long you spend there and come back when you want or did the tour tell you what time to catch the bus you took back?

 

Thanks!

Dawn

[falkcor]

Simster – RE: shaded areas around the pool(s) – there are some shaded areas, but not any umbrellas that I recall. This is the main pool – you can see that at the first deck right and along the rear of the pool / tubs, the area for the bar, and past that the grill line, etc. is shaded. As is the area on the first deck left, where you can see tables set up next to windows looking out – you can grab your lunch on the lido and eat it here, but these are typical tables, not loungers. There are a limited amount of loungers in shaded areas too, which you can see on the second deck, right of this picture.

Veryhotred – congratulations! Nice location, and these rooms on the spa deck were just remodeled to include balconies, with some other upgrades too.

CruisinTrooper – well then you picked a good ship for lots to do! You’re going to have a blast.

Valancy1 – There is one formal night on the 5 day cruises. It is on the second night, the first sea day. You can read the details in the capers posted a few pages back. This was the night of the captain’s reception(s), and lobster / prime rib night, etc.

[falkcor]

I have a question, how far is it to/from the port to the Sky Explorer or Mystic Mountain? I have already done the falls, so we would book the Carnival tour for just Sky Explorer or Sky Explorer with bobslead. Do you make up your mind how long you spend there and come back when you want or did the tour tell you what time to catch the bus you took back?

 

Dawn - Mystic Mountain / Sky Explorer is located right in Ocho Rios, and I'd estimate it was no more than a 15 minute ride from the complex back to the port.

 

You can spend as much or as little time there as you want, and you do NOT have to necessarily go back to port with the group you came with. Some people come just for the sky explorer, others for the bobsled adventure, and others for the zip lines. Trying to coordinate keeping all the groups together wouldn't be efficient.

 

While you're at the top of the mountain, you can also take advantage of the infinity edge pool, the big twister waterslide, both for free. There's also a restaurant on the second level, which was pretty big, clean, and modestly priced. I didn't eat there, but did get my obligatory red stripe for about 3 dollars. There's also a lookout tower, and a few shops / vendors. But M.M. runs them all, and unlike at dunns river falls, or outside the secure shopping areas closer to port - the vendors are NOT pushy at all - it's a very relaxed and controlled setting.

 

When you're done with whatever you've chosen, you just take the sky explorer back down to the bottom, and load onto an available mini-bus. They leave whenever they have enough people to justify a trip back to port (or when another bus arrives). M.M. operates this service themselves.

 

Just before getting back to port, you're given the option of being dropped in one of the secure shopping areas (with carnival-sponsored stores, etc.), or brought right back to the port. Here's a link with some more info about the attraction:

 

http://www.rainforestrams.com/jamicaintro.html

 

Hope that helps! If you have any other questions ask away.

[cruisin USA]

Hi Everyone,

 

I came back to thank you Falkcor for pointing out the re-mod on the Spa deck cabins. Mary Ann and I had booked a Guaranteed Balcony cabin in the hopes we might end up with a 9A. The cost was $659. I've been checking the prices daily and not only found out that the price of Guarantee Balcony had gone down to $609, but also we could get Spa deck cabin for just $599. We took the Spa deck, and saved $60 bucks apiece!!! We also plan to do Dunn's river, and the skylift. And your review of the stingrays just might convince us to do that too!!

 

Thanx again for the great review,

 

 

 

Gary aka cruisin USA

[falkcor]

I came back to thank you Falkcor for pointing out the re-mod on the Spa deck cabins. I've been checking the prices daily and not only found out that the price of Guarantee Balcony had gone down to $609, but also we could get Spa deck cabin for just $599. We also plan to do Dunn's river, and the skylift. And your review of the stingrays just might convince us to do that too!!

 

Wow! That's a great price for that cabin I think! And I like the idea of the spa deck cabins - it's such a small floor with only 16 cabins, I'm sure it's quiet & a bit more private - plus the renovations.

 

Dunns & Sky Explorer was a lot of fun. And the stingrays - what can I say - it's a very unique experience. On the ride back to shore, there was a lot of talk about it being a 'once in a lifetime experience' or 'this was the highlight of the trip'. I'm not typically into this sort of thing, but am so glad I went - In my opinion, it has to be the best excursion on Grand Cayman, hands down. And at $40 per person - one heck of a value too!