"Hey! That's not my port!" -- A Carnival Destiny Photo Review

[DeloreanGirl]

Hi there, this post is related to your british isles cruise you did, I am from liverpool and was very happy that you found the city really amazing and had a great time and that you managed to see the lamb bananas !!! I think in general british isle cruises are not as popular ( weather being the main reason!) but your review has made me want to do one and I am sure other people want to do this cruise as well. Glad you had a good cruise, excellent review as well

Kind regards

Ian:)

 

Hi Ian!

 

I'm not gonna lie, the British Isles cruise was the best two weeks of my life! I loved your country and want to come back immediately. I am incredibly bummed that they removed Liverpool from the itineraries. Some of the kindest people I met were all from Liverpool and your city is gorgeous. Thank you for the kind words and I hope to be back in the UK as soon as possible!

[chosbor2]

Oh! I forgot to mention that we ordered conch fritters! I was excited to try conch at Grand Turk and since we weren’t going there, I figured I’d get it here. They were great, though I have a sneaking suspicion that anything with the word “fritter” will taste like a yummy fried food.

 

 

 

We have had the conch fritters in both Key West and in Grand Turk. We loved them both times, but DH and I loved the ones in Key West the best, they were crispier and had more flavor than the ones in Grand Turk, so you didn't miss anything there!

[loma linda ca a & j]

 

The view on the tram ride into town is quite nice. There are cottages, apartments, and rentals that are downright beautiful. I’m a sucker for two-story houses with shutters and shingles with palm trees.

 

Since we didn’t have time to book any private excursions, we figured we’d walk around the town. My goal was to take a photo at the Southernmost Point buoy and eat Key Lime Pie, while our friend Kristen had an interest in Hemmingway’s house with his six-toed cats (she's a cat person.)

 

The tram drops you off in the heart of town and it is a mile walk down Whitehead Street to the buoy. Really, you can’t miss it. You literally stay on that street all the way down. It was a great walk, too, since we were able to see a lot of the pretty homes with their front yard roosters and chickens.

 

 

T

 

Across the street from the lighthouse museum was the Hemmingway House. Normally it looks like something that would bore us to tears, but the six-toed cat story sounded intriguing. Sim checked the TripAdvisor reviews on his phone as we were waiting in line to buy tickets. People gave it a high number of stars, so we figured we would give it a try.

 

I’m glad we did, because the house was really neat! And the six-toed cat story wasn’t from the past, oh no, it was current! The cats (and there are 25 of them on the property) really do have SIX toes! The guy at the ticket booth said most of the proceeds from ticket sales go towards the vet bills.

 

 

The grounds of the Hemmingway House are equally beautiful. It’s like being in a tropical rainforest.

 

 

 

 

 

we loved key west soooooooo much - now one of my fav cities -

stayed 4 nights at angelina guest house which was just 2 blocks

from tram stop on duval street - we hopped off and on for 3 days

 

really loved all the cats too ! had lots of terrific cuban food at 2 or 3 places -

great margaritas and key lime pie too !

 

and yes your brit isles is getting read over and over -

still wish you would join us this june !!!;) ann & jim

[DeloreanGirl]

I made the mistake of reading others reactions to our switched itinerary online before we left and the forecast for Freeport looked gloomy.

 

“Freeport? No way! How awful!”

“Take them anywhere else, but not Freeport!”

“Freeport is a gross, tourist trap no better than Nassau.”

 

Great…

 

Of course, Googling “Freeport” brought up pristine beaches with clear, aqua waters and perfectly white sandy beaches.

 

“It still looks beautiful… right?” I asked our cruisemates.

 

When we awoke and looked over our balcony ledge onto the shopping plaza that was Freeport, it reminded me of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Small brightly-colored shops littered the port area and there was already a live band playing Jimmy Buffet songs. Señor Frogs was awkwardly placed on the side of this cement area and I chuckled to myself as I imagined all the people that had a minimal stagger back to the ship.

 

Tourist trap, indeed. They basically set you up with a corral of liquor and stores that all carried the exact same items. I couldn’t quite make out where a beach was, but I assumed that we had to be near something, anything, right?

 

Breakfast in the main dining room was nice, but very slow. Everything is a’ la carte, so make sure to order a lot! We made our way down to the shore and took our photo with the Mayan (??) looking character. I noticed that Carnival forces you to take photos single-file with whoever is at the port, probably to make more money on pictures I’m guessing. But we all huddled in with the guy to take a photo, visually telling the photographer, “You get all 4 of us in here or we’re not buying it!”

 

 

Can we just take a minute here to notice all the things that are incorrect about this photo? First, Sim has a crane holding his neck up like a marionette. Second, I look like I have to go to the bathroom. Third, Mike has his leg positioned in a very feminine way. Fourth, Kristen has a tree growing out of her hat. And lastly, we’re standing next to the opposite spouse. To make things more amusing, take a look at the photo frame. We’re not in Nassau!

 

It was so ridiculous we had to buy it.

 

One small thing that I liked about Royal, Disney and Princess that they give you port maps with your nightly newsletter. Carnival passed them out as you’re getting off the ship. I suppose this could be to cut down on waste? I liked having the map and an explanation of the port to read about the night before disembarking. Otherwise, I had no idea where anything was until the moment I stepped off the ship.

 

The map they give you for Freeport is confusing. It’s technically a map of the Port Lucaya Marketplace which is a 15-minute cab ride away. They don’t want you meandering the cruise port, they want you spending money at the jewlery stores. And to do this, they have a taxi station right there in front of you with shuttle vans going in all directions.

 

The line for taxis was crazy and none of us had any interest in any areas that didn’t have a beach. Our goal was to wade in clear, Bahamian waters. I asked a local man sitting on a scooter how much a scooter rental was. But my husband pointed out that getting run over in a country we weren’t familiar with probably wouldn’t be a good idea. The same scooter company also rented Jeeps. Now this part sounded better…

 

A Jeep rental is $90 for the day. Split by 4 people, it basically cost us the same amount had we taken the cramped taxi. We decided it would be fun to drive around and visit beaches on our own! For anyone who is interested in this, there is a pink building next to the ship and the jeep and scooter rental area is in an office right here.

 

The lady gave us a map of the island and circled two beaches that were within decent driving distance. One was Taino Beach and the other was Lucaya, where the hoards of cruise passengers were flocking to. She told us that she had one vehicle left and it wasn’t a Jeep and it was a hard-top. Hmm, okay. Then she knocked another $10 off the price since one of the windows didn’t roll down. Odd, but alright.

 

We were excited that we had a vehicle for the day for only $20 a person. Hello, white sandy beaches! Here we come!

 

Since Mike and I were the ones that paid for the car and studied the map in the rental office, we figured that Simeon could be the one who would drive it since he was a “car guy” and could adapt well. That was, of course, until we saw the car…

 

It was a cute Suzuki type of thing and was beat to heck like most of the cars on the island. But we nearly stopped dead in our tracks when we noticed the obvious…

 

The steering wheel was right-hand drive. And they drove European style on the left-hand side of the road. And there were roundabouts.

 

Oh no…

 

Let’s just say that the first mile consisted of a lot of yelling and laughing and “oh god we’re going to die…” comments! But I should say that good ol’ Sim did a great job and we didn’t get in any collisions. It did make for quite the hilarious and memorable commute out to Taino Beach, though. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.

 

 

Between my husband’s brilliant map-reading skills and Simeon’s backwards driving skills, we made it to Taino Beach in one piece and parked near a slew of taxi vans. It didn’t look like much from the parking lot, but the lady said that this was a nice place to go.

 

And boy was she right…

 

 

The entrance is blocked by trees and a building and brush, but once you walk up those wooden steps to the bar area you will be greeted by a beautiful view of mulit-colored umbrellas, a beach, and tons of people having a good time. Every hour or two, local men would dress up in their outfits (Junkanoo, maybe?) and do a screaming loud parade through the bar area with their trumpets and drums.

 

 

 

If you continue walking to the right towards the rocks, the beach gets less crowded and you can find a great spot without the noise. The water was cold but pleasant enough to enjoy standing in. We stayed for about an hour and enjoyed the sun and crashing waves. Nearly everyone around us had their Carnival towels on the sand and were from the cruise ship, too.

 

According to the map, Port Lucaya was right around the corner and I could see the buildings from our beach area. After enjoying Taino Beach, we decided to try Lucaya marketplace next.

 

Next post: Freeport, Bahamas contd.

[DeloreanGirl]

we loved key west soooooooo much - now one of my fav cities -

stayed 4 nights at angelina guest house which was just 2 blocks

from tram stop on duval street - we hopped off and on for 3 days

 

really loved all the cats too ! had lots of terrific cuban food at 2 or 3 places -

great margaritas and key lime pie too !

 

and yes your brit isles is getting read over and over -

still wish you would join us this june !!!;) ann & jim

 

Hi Ann!

 

Your'e the best! I'll get to the UK again, I promise! I'm ready to had in my US passport and move there. June will be here before you know it. Make sure to find me and show me all your photos!

[DeloreanGirl]

Freeport, Bahamas contd.

 

The ride from Taino Beach to Port Lucaya was short. You can definitely sense why Carnival shuttles everyone over here. It’s pretty, it’s safe, it's colorful, and there are lots of stores to choose from.

 

 

But do you know what captured my Anglophile heart?

 

This…

 

Our last cruise was a British Isles cruise on Princess and I feel head over heels in love with the UK. Seeing this just made it worse. And what made it even funnier is that we were also in Ireland and we were able to see the real Molly Malone statue. And here we were in the Bahamas and lo and behold, there’s an Irish Pub named Molly Malone’s.

 

 

We strolled through the shops at Port Lucaya. Most of them were better than those at the port near the ship. Others were filled with souvenirs just the same. They did have a couple upscale shops here and there. We stopped to get ice cream and snacks at a small store and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around lazily and taking pictures.

 

We realized that 2pm was drawing near and we had to have the “Jeep” back by 3pm. We hopped in the car and reversed our directions. It wasn’t until we headed down the road that I finally saw the sign that said “Beach” with an arrow. Whoops, we completely missed the Port Lucaya beach!

 

We somehow miraculously found our way back to the ship. The guy on the scooter whom I had talked to earlier just happened to be at the edge of the cruise terminal border and allowed us to follow him through the winding terminal roundabouts back to the rental office. We thanked our lucky stars that the vehicle came back in good condition and walked back to the ship.

 

 

Back onboard, we had lunch at the pizzeria near the aft of the ship. And, oh man, that pizza is GOOD. Our friends had eaten it a few times before but this was my first time trying it. While I was there, I figured I’d treat myself to my first “fun” drink of the cruise and ordered a Pina Colada. It was the best blended drink I’ve ever gotten. They made it just right!

 

Please excuse the lack of makeup and hairstyling as we had just gotten back from land and were pretty winburned. But do you like my feeble attempt and adding a healthy salad?

 

Dinner in the dining room was fun. The waiters did the Gangnam Style dance and I forgot my camera!! I was so upset that I couldn’t capture it on film! Grrrrr! I did try the “Didja Ever” section of the menu and ordered Alligator Fritters which weren’t that bad. I can’t remember what else we ordered but I do know that it was all really, really good.

 

Oh! Before I forget... Please, please, please make sure that you go see "Superstar Live", if your ship has it. Yes, it is technically karaoke but the Destiny band playing that night was AMAZING. Some singers were awful, some were great, but the highlight was this one 30-something white guy who got up on stage and sang "Baby Got Back" and NAILED IT. I mean, this guy was awesome. And if there was anyone who went onstage who was shy or had zero rhythm, the audience would loudly sing along. There were old people, young people, loud people, quiet people, drunk people, sober people... it didn't matter. It was so fun to see a room of over 100 strangers throwing their glasses in the air and cheering along. It was one of the best nights on the ship!! I would say at this point I'd place Carnival first as far as the best entertaining lounge acts. It may be the younger demographic.

 

One more sunset down, and we’re off to bed.

 

 

Next Up: “We Meet Again, Nassau”

[MistyRo76]

I'm enjoying your review very much! And I'm glad that you enjoyed Key West. My fiance visited KW on our cruise last April and enjoyed it so much that we decided to make it our honeymoon destination. We are going to fly into Miami and rent a car and make the drive through the Keys to KW. We rented a one bedroom cottage just off of Duval Street that is private but also close to everything. The week we are going is also the week of the Key West Annual Song Writers Festival...so lots of free music shows at the different bars and venues, which is right up my musician fiance's alley!

 

Can't wait to read more of your review!

[BeagleOne]

Wow, great memory! You are correct!

 

And, awwww, I love your profile. We have a beagle too and she is our world. :)

 

Oh, my memory isn't THAT great, I had just come from reading your British Isles review, which was fabulous! I lived in England for three years and it was fun to read your perspective.

 

Sadly the beagle puppy in my pic is no longer with me...I had to put him down in October due to liver failure. He wasn't even six. The foxhound in the pic, a Katrina rescue, is still going strong and I DO have a senior beagle I got from a shelter two years ago. I do love the beagles! :)

[loma linda ca a & j]

I'm enjoying your review very much! And I'm glad that you enjoyed Key West. My fiance visited KW on our cruise last April and enjoyed it so much that we decided to make it our honeymoon destination. We are going to fly into Miami and rent a car and make the drive through the Keys to KW. We rented a one bedroom cottage just off of Duval Street that is private but also close to everything. The week we are going is also the week of the Key West Annual Song Writers Festival...so lots of free music shows at the different bars and venues, which is right up my musician fiance's alley!

 

Can't wait to read more of your review!

you will love it !!

[loma linda ca a & j]

Hi Ann!

 

Your'e the best! I'll get to the UK again, I promise! I'm ready to had in my US passport and move there. June will be here before you know it. Make sure to find me and show me all your photos!

 

thought maybe we could meet for lunch or dinner sometime on a sat or sun to share our journey !!

[gelo7]

Enjoying your review.

[javamom]

Day 1: “Humidity, Boarding and Soda – Oh My!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luckily both flights ended up airborne while they spent the night at the lovely Hampton Inn near Miami Airport and we slept upright in our ridiculously luxurious (read: sarcasm) coach seats on flight 1790 through the night. We landed at 7:30am Florida time and hopped on a shuttle to the Hampton Inn to meet up with them. And can I just say, holy heck it’s humid in Florida! You gator folks must be used to it but it was like a wet towel in the face to us Californians. ;)

 

{Shameless Plug} The Hampton Inn is really nice! It’s only 1 mile away from the airport, is incredibly clean and modern, houses a warm coffee and tea area with complimentary breakfast and is located across the street from a Publix, Walgreens, CVS, Starbucks, Wendys and McDonalds.

 

 

 

We killed some time in the ultra-modern hotel room (seriously… a giant plasma TV, gorgeous bathroom and super comfortable chairs and bed? Yes, please!) and I told them that passengers usually can’t get access to the ship at 9-10am. But by 11am we couldn’t hold it in any longer and were thrilled to get to the port! Despite noting “free shuttle ride to port” on their TripAdvisor page, the Hampton Inn charges $10/pp for a ride. I had heard that taxis were a flat rate of $24 from MIA to the port so we called a cab and minutes later a yellow minivan taxi pulled up and we all hopped in.

 

 

 

 

Do you know if this Hampton Inn Airport was South or West? There are two. Thanks

[thecruisers723]

Thanks for taking time to write the review. We were on this cruise with you. Sorry we didn't get to meet you at the meet & greet. Seems the sailaway time and port change threw that off for us. We too made the most of it and rolled with the changes making it a great vacation. Funny thing is we spent 3 days in the Keys pre-cruise and then drove 2 hrs. back to Miami the day of the cruise only to take a 2 day cruise back to Key West. We had been to Key West 3 times prior and wanted to try something different, so we rented one of those little electric cars and toured the island making a few stops including the bouy for pics and the beach. We ended up at Sloppy Joe's and also had Conch Fritters on our appetizer sampler there while listening to some really good live music. So it was a nice day. We did go to Lucaya Beach in Freeport and rented chairs for the day at the Sheraton. It was absolutely beautiful and not very crowded at all. The sand was so soft and white, the water was beautiful and the waves were so calm. We spent a lot of time in the water here and were not as disappointed that we missed Half Moon Cay after our day there even though we didn't get to use a Cabana like we had rented there. Next time. I'm looking forward to hearing about your day in Nassau. Thanks again for taking the time to share your trip.

[JohninDC]

Keep it coming - loving this review! :)

[DeloreanGirl]

Do you know if this Hampton Inn Airport was South or West? There are two. Thanks

 

It was the one on 57th avenue. I want to say something like Blue Lagoon?

 

Funny thing is we spent 3 days in the Keys pre-cruise and then drove 2 hrs. back to Miami the day of the cruise only to take a 2 day cruise back to Key West. Thanks again for taking the time to share your trip.

 

Oh no! What are the odds?! Glad you guys still had a good time!

[CruizinTwosome]

What a fun review! It goes to show the difference a positive attitude can make!

Looking forward to the rest of your review!

[strummer]

Great review - you defiantly have the knack for writing reviews as I also loved your BI review.

[DeloreanGirl]

　

Eight years ago, my husband and I enjoyed Nassau’s tranquil turquoise waters at Sandals on our honeymoon. We visited the impressive Atlantis resort and ran with flamingos at Ardastra Gardens & Zoo. Even though we had a fantastic time, we never thought we’d return to Nassau.

 

And hey, here we are!

 

But first, we had a fun morning planned for us as we all got our names on the list for the "Behind The Fun" tour! This was super cool for us because we had done the "Ultimate Ship Tour" on Princess and had an absolute blast. I must say that Carnival’s $55 price for the tour was great and only 1/3 what Princess charged for theirs (even though you got more goodies on Princess.)

 

The tour is an absolute MUST for anyone who has a fascination with cruise ships (raises hand) and is a nautical geek all around (raises husband’s hand.) It gives a great feel of the world of a crew member. You get to go on stage, see the dressing rooms and talk to the lead dancer, visit the laundry area and learn about the machines, go into the kitchen where a chef makes you chocolate-covered strawberries and fresh pastries, see the food storage and refrigeration areas, go on the bow of the ship, see crew quarters and recreation areas and visit the engineers in the engineering room before you make your way up to the big kahuna.... meeting the Captain on the bridge.

 

For the record, there was a whiteboard in the engineering room that had "THRUST #2 DOWN" written on it and multiple glossy sheets over the control panels that read "DO NOT USE - DIVERS IN WATER". I'm assuming this meant that they were still attempting to fix the thruster. And....oh yes... I asked the pesky question about the issue. They tried to skim over it and make it sound like it was no big deal, but I literally said, "The January 26th people are coming on board next and they are freaking out about the thrusters." I got the same look that the Caribbean Princess engineers gave me. The "who are you and how do you know about our propulsion system" look. It’s priceless.

 

The bridge is absolutely awesome. The Captain was much younger than I had imagined and he was incredibly friendly, answering all questions silly and serious. It was a great tour and I would highly recommend it. You get this souvenir photo, a plate of edible goodies in your stateroom, and the nifty lanyards!

 

 

Back to the port...

 

I can see why Freeport may not have gotten much love from cruisers (even though I had a nice time and didn’t mind the beaches we went to), but Nassau gets a downright scowl. Sure, it can get crowded with four cruise ships in port. And, yes, it is quite the stampede on the main street when 10,000 people come walking through.

 

But overall? You’re not that bad, Nassau. I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to come here, but it still has nice areas tucked away.

 

When planning this trip, I was tied between booking our group a day at the Sheraton Nassau or a day at the British Colonial Hilton. They both sounded nice and both included non-motorized water sports. The Sheraton was cheaper but apparently had prettier beaches while the Hilton was closer and included a meal with your entry.

 

In the end, we got so caught up with our ports being changed that I left Nassau open as a "free day" to do whatever we felt like. We started walking towards the British Colonial Hilton until Simeon piped up and said that he had an interest in seeing Atlantis again. I was thankful he spoke up, because I didn’t want to be the one making decisions and leaving anyone out.

 

Luckily, the cab fare is pretty cheap to Atlantis. It’s a flat $4.00 per person. And believe me, you won’t forget that amount because every local is yelling it everywhere you walk. We hopped in a minivan and headed over the bridge to Paradise Island.

 

Atlantis has changed a lot from 2005. Back then, we could walk around the grounds and enjoy the waterfalls and aquarium. But nowadays you can’t even walk down the pathways outside of the hotel because they have guards there on watch. The prices to use the resort were astronomical. Not just for The Digs and aquarium but the use of pools and beach, too. Kudos to you if you can afford it, but I couldn’t justify over $100 a person for access to it. The hotel is still incredibly impressive. The color scheme is beautiful and it’s pretty classy all around. I wish it were all-inclusive like Sandals.

 

We saw a group of young adults ask where the public beach was. An employee pointed down the road and said that it was two driveways over. Our group and theirs walked down a service road and up a dirt path between some trees which led us to a very beautiful free public beach.

 

 

 

I mean, not bad...right? We parked ourselves on the sand and enjoyed the view and pristine water. It may not have been a slide through a tank of sharks or a day spent with dolphins, but we were pretty happy right here.

 

 

 

There’s not much more to say. This is how we spent our afternoon. We enjoyed the cool sand and great scenery until it was time to hop a cab back to the ship. I liked walking between the huge towers of ships. They’re so beautiful, all of them. No matter what line you sail on, there’s something about your ship that is special. We were parked next to two Carnival’s (Sensation and Imagination?), the Disney Dream and NCL Epic. The Dream is crazy beautiful. We sailed on Magic in 2007 but the Dream is breathtaking. Epic is just massive. I don’t really like her big forehead look, but I’m sure she’s a fun ship. The two other Carnival sister ships looked much older with barely any balcony rooms.

 

 

 

Next up: Sunset Sailaway & Final Thoughts

[DeloreanGirl]

Great review - you defiantly have the knack for writing reviews as I also loved your BI review.

 

Aww, thanks! I always get goosebumps when people say they've read the BI review. I had such a blast writing it and I don't think any other vacation could compare to it. Curious... did you find it through my signature or were you led here from the Europe boards?

[thecruisers723]

I have to confess, I started reading your British Isles review while waiting for the Nassau day on this one. I've got a ways to go and am looking forward to it since it's on my bucket list.

 

The beach in Nassau you went to is beautiful. We were at a public beach close to Atlantis also. I think it was Cabbage Beach, but I'm not positive. Do you know what yours was called? We were originally going to taxi to the Sheraton and they wanted some ridiculous amount to go there, so we told the taxi driver to take us to the public beach on Paradise Island. It was beautiful as well. But the waves were much stronger where we were than they look in your picture. I would have liked some calmer waters. But we rented chairs for $10 each there and had a great day with other cruisers that we met and became fast friends with. They even had little areas set up where they were selling all you can drink cocktails in coconuts for $20. They were quite tasty and we definitely got our monies worth. We so weren't ready to go back to the ship when that day was over. And what was up with Carnival shortening our day in Nassau? Everything I read before the cruise said we were in Nassau until 5:00. Then they told us we had to be back on board by 3:30 for a 4:00 sailing and in the end, we didn't sail until 5:00 anyway. I would have loved that extra hour on the beach. But the nap we took shortly after we got back was nice as well. We sure needed it after all those drinks.

[Breezy72]

Ok, the hubbies remind me of my hubby and cousin! Totally off the chain and trouble when together!:rolleyes:

Great review! Fun to read up on Key West as I've always wanted to spend some time there.

Forgot all about the legendary cats! The pictures reminded me of my extra toed Fred. The scientific term, I believe, is Poly-dactyl. Fred was the most uncoordinated cat ever! One would think with those extra toes they would be able to grasp and balance better... NOPE... the stupid thing was constantly falling off edges! :D Good memories....

Anyway, fun review!

[wrigley80]

Nice Review. I cruised on the Destiny years ago and will be cruising on the new Carnival Sunshine in December

[strummer]

Aww, thanks! I always get goosebumps when people say they've read the BI review. I had such a blast writing it and I don't think any other vacation could compare to it. Curious... did you find it through my signature or were you led here from the Europe boards?

 

Hi Emily,

 

Must admit it was just through pure luck that I found this review, I was on my phone on tapatalk and I have started to look at the latest posts and recognized your username so followed the link from there.

Your BI review was so good I guess I just recognized your username :D

 

Hannah

[cruisinJenF]

Loved your review!!! Loved it so much I decided to read the British Isles on! Question- I notice not all of the pics show up on it- just ? In a box. I am on page 5 for example and none of the Liverpool pics are showing :( Is it just me?

[DeloreanGirl]

Loved your review!!! Loved it so much I decided to read the British Isles on! Question- I notice not all of the pics show up on it- just ? In a box. I am on page 5 for example and none of the Liverpool pics are showing :( Is it just me?

 

Hi there!

 

Sweeeeet! So excited that you booked it. You're going to love it.

 

Yes, that's my fault about the Liverpool pictures. I had them in an album when I was writing the report and I have since moved them to another album which threw off all the links.

 

At the bottom of the Liverpool post, it should say "For all my Liverpool pictures, click here...." with a link to Photobucket. They should all still be there in their own album (I have a separate album for each city we visited.)

 

Hope that helps, and congrats on booking such an awesome cruise. :D