LONG! Carnival Destiny Review & Photos ~ 6-14-10 ~ 5 days to Grand Turk, HMC & Nassau

[lnew1gd1]

I know some will disagree with me but after 5 crusies a ship is a ship. I would totally base my choice on itinerary and price.

 

I vote for ship first then itin and then price. Itineraries are never a guarantee and you can end up somewhere that you would be disapointed in.

 

If you book by the ship first then itin and then price you are prepared to enjoy your cruise on board and not get "your shorts in an uproar" if the itin has to be changed last minute for some reason.

 

Also, there are ports that are tender only and if the seas are too rough the Captain may decide it's not safe to tender and you will miss that port.

 

Of course, there is no guarantee either that the ship you book will be the one that is sailing from that port if you like to book far out. Ships are switched when the cruise line wants to make a change. Just like now, the Inspiration is leaving Tampa and being replaced with the Paradise. They are flip flopping home ports. So, if you booked a cruise out of Tampa because you want to be on the Inspiration that won't be happening soon.

 

In other words, book to just be at sea, have some fun and be happy! ;)

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Thanks so much for the intel CVQ...since you have now become my official "go to guy" for this trip, DH has a question:

 

Do you happen to know if there is anywhere right at the Miami pier to return a rental car? We're debating whether or not to get a car when we arrive on Sunday night or just to find a hotel with a shuttle and cab it to the ship Monday morning. We're not going to have much of any time to look around Miami, but DH has barely gone a day in his life without wheels.

 

Given that we really, really want to try and book BTF, do you think we need to be super early? Normally we board mid-afternoon to avoid the crowds (you can basically walk on anytime after 2:00).

 

Was the comedy club up and going during your trip? If so, how compatible are the showtimes with early dinner? We ended up losing our Anytime Dining when we decided to book a second cabin for the boys. We're ok with that though...we usually always choose early traditional, just thought we'd try ATD after having one of "those" experiences with table mates on our last trip.

 

Looking forward to hearing more from you...

 

Annette

 

You are very welcome! Yep, no rental cars at the pier. Tell DH to enjoy his "night off"! LOL! The BTFT is gaining popularity but we were told it is less popular on the shorter itineraries. Have you ever considered arriving early as another way to avoid the crowds? Port of Miami is an excellent port to get there early... lots of comfy chairs and it's fun to people-watch! There are early and late shows every evening, so Anytime Dining should not be a problem! :)

Enjoy your cruise!!!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Just got off this ship yesterday. No rental cars at the pier, just their shuttles.

We had early dinner and had no problem making it to the comedy clubs, they have several shows. If I remember correctly the PG show was 7:45 and the adult shows at 9:45 and 10:45

 

Hi! Thanks for your input! Did you enjoy your cruise?

[CruiseVacationQueen]

I loved your review of the Destiny and the Inspiration. I will am having such a difficult time making up my mind on which ship to book. We will be traveling in January, it will be me, my DH and our DS (10). The first cruise for all of us! Just based on the ships and not the itinerary would you choose one over the other for a 1st cruise in January? Again thanks so much for all the details and pictures!

 

Hi! Thank you!!! I see the Liberty in your signature... looks like you picked your first cruise! Yay!

Personally, every time we book a cruise it's for a different reason... sometimes it's the ship, sometimes the price, sometimes the itinerary.

Enjoy your cruise!!!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Love the review! I am going to go on this ship next year for my one yr anniv,,,,we just went on Inspiration last week for our honeymoon! Sure miss it already!

 

Congratulations!!! Wishing you many years of smooth sailing... on land and sea! ;)

You picked great ships for your honeymoon and anniversary! Enjoy!!!

[Godiva@Sea]

I absolutely LOVED reading your review and seeing your pics. It was captivating to say the least. I will be doing this itinerary/ship in Nov. 2011 (1st cruise) and can hardly wait! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us! :D

[CruiseVacationQueen]

I absolutely LOVED reading your review and seeing your pics. It was captivating to say the least. I will be doing this itinerary/ship in Nov. 2011 (1st cruise) and can hardly wait! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us! :D

 

Hi, Godiva!

Thank you so much, and I am glad you enjoyed the review/pics! The Destiny is an amazing ship and we can hardly wait to sail her again someday! Enjoy your cruise! You picked a great ship AND itinerary! :)

[gapearl]

What an awesome review! Thank you so much for posting. I read your Inspiration review a few days ago and had to come check this one out since I will soon be sailing on the Destiny. So there's a wine bar on the ship! YAYYYY! Any details on it? I love wine. :p Is the aft covered pool for adults only like on some ships? Thanks for the heads up on the secret buffet and to show receipts for classic drinks at the casino. I'm also glad to hear the Destiny has a future cruise desk. My last 2 cruises were on Fantasy class ships and unfortunately neither had one. I also would like to do the behind the fun tour. You and your family look like you had such a great time. I think it's so cute you surprised your son with the trip.

[richbum]

Here is link to Destiny menus from Oct 2009, 4 night Key West, Cozumel port stops:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/575373017niJgfv?vhost=travel&vhost=travel

 

Here are the Destiny Capers or Destiny Fun Times:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/575393757nKdbdy?vhost=travel

 

Thought information would be a helpful add

 

 

 

Thank you so much for posting these. I really appreciate it.

 

I loved the detail and pictures of the review too, Thank you very much for posting. This has answered a lot of my questions.:D

[CruiseVacationQueen]

What an awesome review! Thank you so much for posting. I read your Inspiration review a few days ago and had to come check this one out since I will soon be sailing on the Destiny. So there's a wine bar on the ship! YAYYYY! Any details on it? I love wine. :p Is the aft covered pool for adults only like on some ships? Thanks for the heads up on the secret buffet and to show receipts for classic drinks at the casino. I'm also glad to hear the Destiny has a future cruise desk. My last 2 cruises were on Fantasy class ships and unfortunately neither had one. I also would like to do the behind the fun tour. You and your family look like you had such a great time. I think it's so cute you surprised your son with the trip.

 

Hi! Thanks for reading and glad you enjoyed! We passed by the wine bar several times on the way to dinner but never made it back in the evening to check it out. So unfortunately I don't any info on the wine selection... sorry! Enjoy your cruise on the Destiny! Be sure to check out the Future Cruises talk... you can even buy the cruise certificates after the presentation! Happy Sailing!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Thank you so much for posting these. I really appreciate it.

 

I loved the detail and pictures of the review too, Thank you very much for posting. This has answered a lot of my questions.:D

 

Thank you! You are very welcome... enjoy your cruise on the Destiny! :)

[Sarah@Sea]

Queen..we're going again...4-day Key West, Cozemel on Destiny in February!!! Trying to decide between Nochi (?) or Dune Buggy/Beach day!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Queen..we're going again...4-day Key West, Cozemel on Destiny in February!!! Trying to decide between Nochi (?) or Dune Buggy/Beach day!

 

Yay!!! Good luck deciding! We rented a dune buggy at the pier a couple of cruises ago... what a blast! (And a jeep two other times! Each cost around $65 for the day.) We love the remote side of the island... so if you rent wheels be sure to check it out! Our favorite place to swim and eat is the restaurant on Playa Bonita. (Check out this cool map of Cozumel - see the beach called Playa San Martin? It's now named Playa Bonita!) Below are pictures of the dune buggy and Playa Bonita beach... ahhhhhh! Wish I was there now! (BTW ~ we'll be visiting Cozumel on the Inspiration in January... we still haven't decided what to do either!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy sailing!

[Sarah@Sea]

Yay!!! Good luck deciding! We rented a dune buggy at the pier a couple of cruises ago... what a blast! (And a jeep two other times! Each cost around $65 for the day.) We love the remote side of the island... so if you rent wheels be sure to check it out! Our favorite place to swim and eat is the restaurant on Playa Bonita. (Check out this cool map of Cozumel - see the beach called Playa San Martin? It's now named Playa Bonita!) Below are pictures of the dune buggy and Playa Bonita beach... ahhhhhh! Wish I was there now! (BTW ~ we'll be visiting Cozumel on the Inspiration in January... we still haven't decided what to do either!)

 

So you could rent them on your own like golf carts from Nathan in Grand Turk...my boyfriend would much rather explore on our own than follow the leader. =) Was hoping Cozemel was safe enough to do so....thanks.

[CruiseVacationQueen]

So you could rent them on your own like golf carts from Nathan in Grand Turk...my boyfriend would much rather explore on our own than follow the leader. =) Was hoping Cozemel was safe enough to do so....thanks.

 

The first time we visited Cozumel we took a Jeep Tour through Carnival, but have rented independently ever since. The island is relatively small, just 30 miles long & 10 miles wide (for a comparison, Grand Turk is 7 miles long & 1.5 miles wide) and we feel completely safe exploring on our own. As you can see on the map I linked in my previous post, the main road en-circles the island and another road cuts through the center. The island is very easy to navigate. We don't reserve a car in advance, we just get off the ship early and rent from the offices right there at the pier. We always fill up on gas in downtown first thing, so that we don't run out of gas on the remote side. You can easily see most of the island in just a few hours! Wear lots of sunscreen and bring some bottled water, too. Even in the winter, the sun is very hot!!!

You can read lots of threads here on CC about renting Jeeps in Cozumel... you will find posts from me on several of them. Some CC posters claim that it is dangerous to drive in Coz and that accidents happen regularly. I can tell you that is not our experience. We've never had any problems or witnessed any accidents, and we don't drink & drive. If you both want to drink, then I'd suggest: (1) take a taxi to Nachi Cocum and enjoy your day there... or (2) hire a prive taxi to drive you around... or (3) go on the Party Bus! All of these options make for a fabulous day in Cozumel! :) Ahhh... can hardly wait to go back!

[Sarah@Sea]

The first time we visited Cozumel we took a Jeep Tour through Carnival, but have rented independently ever since. The island is relatively small, just 30 miles long & 10 miles wide (for a comparison, Grand Turk is 7 miles long & 1.5 miles wide) and we feel completely safe exploring on our own. As you can see on the map I linked in my previous post, the main road en-circles the island and another road cuts through the center. The island is very easy to navigate. We don't reserve a car in advance, we just get off the ship early and rent from the offices right there at the pier. We always fill up on gas in downtown first thing, so that we don't run out of gas on the remote side. You can easily see most of the island in just a few hours! Wear lots of sunscreen and bring some bottled water, too. Even in the winter, the sun is very hot!!!

 

You can read lots of threads here on CC about renting Jeeps in Cozumel... you will find posts from me on several of them. Some CC posters claim that it is dangerous to drive in Coz and that accidents happen regularly. I can tell you that is not our experience. We've never had any problems or witnessed any accidents, and we don't drink & drive. If you both want to drink, then I'd suggest: (1) take a taxi to Nachi Cocum and enjoy your day there... or (2) hire a prive taxi to drive you around... or (3) go on the Party Bus! All of these options make for a fabulous day in Cozumel! :) Ahhh... can hardly wait to go back!

 

Thanks...I will check out the Cozumel board...we don't drink...and we live in Miami so dangerous drivers...LOL...we know all the Spanish saying to yell back at them!

[Sarah@Sea]

How was your January cruise???? Getting ready to set sail this week, was just visiting the thread to get the map!!! Also, I FOUND Grampa's Bakery, but we just got Jaxson's ice cream as we had already eaten sushi for lunch...but now I know where to go!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

How was your January cruise???? Getting ready to set sail this week, was just visiting the thread to get the map!!! Also, I FOUND Grampa's Bakery, but we just got Jaxson's ice cream as we had already eaten sushi for lunch...but now I know where to go!

 

Hi, Sarah! So nice to hear from you again!!! The cruise in Jan was awesome! Just the break we needed from the freezing temps we were having here in Central Florida! LOL! Enjoy your cruise and report back to let me know how it went, please! Woo Hoo! Only 2 more days until you sail!!! Hope you get to try Grampa's one day soon... we are really looking forward to eating there again next month! Take care!

 

BTW ~ in Jan we did something a little different for us while in Cozumel... we took the ship's tour to the Tulum Ruins! We have always wanted to see the ruins, but we usually sail to Coz during the summer months, when the weather is just too HOT to be hiking around the ruins! LOL! Highly recommend that excursion... during the cooler months, at least! Happy Sailing!

[Cruisin Christi]

I have sat here and read this who review...it took me 2 hours, lol. I also linked it as my favorite Destiny review on my blog..Thank you very much CVQ.

[CruiseVacationQueen]

I have sat here and read this who review...it took me 2 hours, lol. I also linked it as my favorite Destiny review on my blog..Thank you very much CVQ.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading... and Happy Sailing!

[thecruisers723]

Thank you so much for your AWESOME review. I truly felt like I was on vacation with you the whole time I read it. I loved the Cabana and hope to make it to Half Moon Cay on a future cruise so we can try one out. This was just one of many good things I'll take from your review. One other things I want to thank you for is sharing about why you drink bottled water on a cruise. I had no idea. My husband has had swollen feet and ankles on the past 2 cruises and we were dumbfounded as to why. But it put a real damper on things because it was uncomfortable for him to walk and as you know, there's tons of walking on a cruise ship and in ports. He drinks a lot of water, so I know now this has to be what it was. We'll be bringing some bottles for the cabin for sure and buying bottled water at dinner from now on. I don't have this problem since I'm not a big water drinker. So this makes sense. Thanks again for sharing your cruise experience. We haven't been on a cruise ship in almost 2 months now and don't have our next one booked yet :(. Our good friends were on the Desitny when I started reading your review a couple of days ago and I came across it looking for Destiny posts. They just got off yesterday and had a great time, of course. I'll have to read some of your other reviews. I see you did one on the Southern Caribbean. We did this itinerary in Jan. of 2010. So it will be fun to compare how we spent our time in these ports. Have fun on your cruise next month. Enjoy your new perks. My DH is platinum on Carnival and we both get to enjoy his perks as a result. His favorite thing is the free laundry each day. I have to admit, it's nice coming home with clean clothes :).

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Thank you so much for your AWESOME review. I truly felt like I was on vacation with you the whole time I read it. I loved the Cabana and hope to make it to Half Moon Cay on a future cruise so we can try one out. This was just one of many good things I'll take from your review. One other things I want to thank you for is sharing about why you drink bottled water on a cruise. I had no idea. My husband has had swollen feet and ankles on the past 2 cruises and we were dumbfounded as to why. But it put a real damper on things because it was uncomfortable for him to walk and as you know, there's tons of walking on a cruise ship and in ports. He drinks a lot of water, so I know now this has to be what it was. We'll be bringing some bottles for the cabin for sure and buying bottled water at dinner from now on. I don't have this problem since I'm not a big water drinker. So this makes sense. Thanks again for sharing your cruise experience. We haven't been on a cruise ship in almost 2 months now and don't have our next one booked yet :(. Our good friends were on the Desitny when I started reading your review a couple of days ago and I came across it looking for Destiny posts. They just got off yesterday and had a great time, of course. I'll have to read some of your other reviews. I see you did one on the Southern Caribbean. We did this itinerary in Jan. of 2010. So it will be fun to compare how we spent our time in these ports. Have fun on your cruise next month. Enjoy your new perks. My DH is platinum on Carnival and we both get to enjoy his perks as a result. His favorite thing is the free laundry each day. I have to admit, it's nice coming home with clean clothes :).

 

Awww! Thanks for your kind words... and you are very welcome! :)

 

Yes, those swollen ankles are a painful nuisance! I do hope the info helps your DH... it's no fun to be miserable on vacation! He may want to mention the swelling to his DR. Mine wrote a prescription for a "water pill" and "potassium pill" for me to take as needed. Between the bottled water and the pills, my ankle swelling is very minimal on cruises now.

 

Thanks again for reading the review. I hope your friends had a great time on the Destiny and I hope you book another cruise real soon! We probably won't sail again until next year, so I plan on enjoying every minute of our cruise next month... and we are really looking forward to that laundry perk! Happy sailing!!!

[2Zornot2Z]

awesome review

[darth frosty]

Thx for the review. will be on the destiny in april and you have given us a lot of good pointers!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Thank you, 2Zornot2Z!

 

Glad to help, darth frosty! Enjoy the Destiny in April!