Carnival Destiny 3/11/07 Review

[big_duck]

Our family, myself, Mrs. Duck and are 2 DD’s (14 & 11) chose this cruise primarily for the itinerary. I had booked this cruise with some trepidation because of earlier reviews from last summer however those fears turned out to be unfounded.

 

Pre-Cruise and Embarkation

 

We flew down the day before embarkation as we wanted to spend some time in San Juan and as we have learned through time and experience that leaving the day before is so much better.

 

Saturday night was spent at the Sheraton Old San Juan. Despite that it is right across the road from the cruise terminal; I found it to be way overpriced for what we got room wise.

 

We spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning taking in the sites of old San Juan. The ship doesn’t leave until 10:00 PM so we were in no particular hurry to board. If you do stay at the Sheraton, you can leave your baggage with the bell captain after check-out, which we took advantage of.

 

After lunch ashore, we returned to the hotel picked up our luggage and walked (wheeled) it across to the cruise terminal at about 2 PM. We were met by one of the many available porters at the entrance to the terminal who loaded up all our bags on a cart and took it away (with the customary tip). Freed of our luggage, we passed the security checkpoint (show ID) at the terminal entrance and headed inside. We popped into the duty free store where Mrs. Duck purchased a bottle and placed it in her carry on. The next step was to head up the escalator and enter the check-in area (show ID) where the embarkation photo was taken, then had a short wait for our turn at the counter (show ID) which was quick then up another level to baggage screening (show ID). While waiting to clear through screening, we took advantage of the many, many free samples that were available from the duty free stores. Once through security screening, where not word one was said about the booze, we headed to the entrance of the gang plank (show ID) then onto the ship where there was another short line on deck three waiting to enter the ship and have your S&S photo taken. Once we entered the ship (show ID) had the photo done, it was off to the Dining room to have our S&S card account activated.

 

I really hate this new procedure. In the grand scheme of things it probably doesn’t add any time to the embarkation procedure, but the moment my foot hits the ship I want the party to start, not have to stand in yet another line. I want to be greeted by a smiling waiter holding a tray of Funship Specials, not someone pointing to another line, but that’s just me.

 

OK, if you have been following along closely, you will note that we had to show our ID no less then 6 times *shakes head*. The ones that really got me were after you have gone through security already. I mean really does ID have to be check at both ends of the gangway?? Overkill in my opinion.

[big_duck]

Once the cards were active, we headed up to our cabins. I am not one to really pay attention to a ships décor, but it seemed nice and everything was in sparkling condition (for a ship her age).

 

The adults were in 7304 a balcony cabin and the girls were across the hall in 7306. Pepito our Stewart had both cabins prepared and in tip top shape when we had arrived. Both, cabins were expertly maintained throughout the week. My only complaint about the cabins was the toilet being at a 45 degree angle from the wall. Between the half shower enclosure glass partition and my 6’2” 200 pound plus frame it was impossible to sit square upon the ‘seat of ease’ :rolleyes:.

 

Once we were squared away, we headed top side to the Lido deck where we ran into the first of the Destiny quirks. Unlike other ships in her class and the Conquest class that followed, the Destiny has a single large bar placed at the entrances to the center pool area and another at the aft pool area right in front of the central doors. This made for some awkward maneuvering when the decks were busy. Deck chairs were found close to the pool, Funship Specials were ordered (in a regular glass of course) and the cruise officially begun :D.

[TennisLover]

Keep writing, Don! I can't wait to read more; will likely be booking this soon for next February, with DH, DD (will be 15) and DS (will be 12)

[big_duck]

After 5 Carnival cruises, you kind of know what to expect food wise, and the Destiny was no exception. All meals were up to or surpassed all of our previous experiences. We really found the new alternative selections on the menu really handy, DD #1 (a fish fanatic) usually ordered the salmon from the alternates and our youngest ordered the ribs the first night which is an alternate selection. DW and I usually found something we wanted from the main selections, however whenever a dessert didn’t take our fancy, it was nice to be able to fall back on the Warm Melting Chocolate Cake which was an alternative each night ;).

On the Destiny, because of the late departure from San Juan the first nights dining is open seating and you don’t sit at your regular table (unless by freak accident) until the second night. We had the early (5:45) seating in the aft dining room. The first formal night is not until Tuesday (third night), so the prime rib and lobster menu is not utilized until then. Our head waiter Arnold was off sick on Monday, leaving his assistant Ana to hold the fort, which she did very well although a little slow.

 

With this port heavy itin. 5:45 is way too inconvenient and I would recommend that anyone take a late seating if they can.

 

Because we were (almost) always in port, lunch was always had later and usually consisted of a trip to the Pizza, Deli, Grill or Oriental venues instead of the buffet.

 

Breakfast was a mix of either the buffet or the Dining room (which I recommend everyone do at least a couple of times).

 

 

All and all we were very happy with the food quality and service.

[ShedQueen77]

Thank you for posting. I'll be sailing Destiny in December and it's always nice to see current reviews!

 

I might have to warn my 6 foot 200+ lb. fiance about the "seat" issue! :)

[cruisebabe43]

I want more! What about the ports? I will wait patiently .

[big_duck]

I want more! What about the ports? I will wait patiently .

 

Your wish is my command. ;)

 

Lots of ports on this cruise, so I will just give the readers a quick run down. If you have any specific questions I will be more then happy to answer.

 

Monday St. Thomas

 

Been there done that, so we just grabbed a cab ($8 pp) and headed to Megen’s Bay Beach ($3 pp) and spent most of the day there. This is a beautiful sandy beach with crystal clear Caribbean blue water. Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent and there is a restaurant and bar.

 

Tuesday Dominica

 

Took Beno’s tour of this beautiful mountainous island, a great tour ($40 pp).

 

Wednesday Barbados

 

We went to The Boatyard Beach, another great beach but this one had a floating iceberg, water trampoline and a swinging rope off the pier. There was also a bar, restaurant and gift shop and lots and lots and lots and lots of beach vendors. Jet ski rentals were available for those so inclined. It is a couple of dollars cab ride from the pier, and has a $15 pp entry fee. Although a little steep, this price includes a free drink, beach chairs and complimentary shuttle service back to the pier so not that bad of a deal. Beach umbrellas can be had for $2 there is no shade on the beach so I recommend that you get one, if you like to escape from the sun a bit. This beach is a favorite of the ships crew, so you are bound to run into some while you are there (like the ships dance company).

 

Thursday St Lucia

 

We had originally booked the Pirate Ship tour through Carnival, but we received a cancellation notice (due to the operator) back on Sunday. We really wanted to wait to see what we felt like doing until later in the week and decided to take Carnivals Volcanic Island and Mud Bath tour. This ended up being a pretty good tour with a trip up through the mountains and ending up in the caldera (crater) of an active volcano.

 

Words of caution. Every “Kodak Moment” stop along the way is absolutely loaded with very pushy vendors. Also, our youngest, although not prone to motion sickness, was having a hard time with all the twisting and touring the bus needed to do to make it up and down all the mountain switch backs.

 

Friday Antiqua. DW and DD1 stayed on the ship whilst my youngest and I took a cab ($32) over to Nelson’s Dockyard. A bit of a disappointment really, and not worth just going there. It would be fine though as part of a tour.

 

Saturday At Sea Day. Forwarned is foramed so they say. Because every other day is a port day finding a lounge chair on the ship is never a problem. Having done many cruises, however we knew that today was the day to arrive on deck early or be disappointed. A quick breakfast and into our deck chairs for a nice relaxing day. It was kind of sad/amusing to watch people wander up on deck late in the morning or early in the afternoon expecting to find chairs available as they were all week.

[MzOhioLady]

Don, thanks so much for the review. I can't wait until its my turn in September. I have one question for you. Something that I noticed today to be exact. I had been looking forward to doing a shore excursion in Barbados. Its called the Jolly Roger Pirate Party Boat, its operated thru Carnival and was $39. I had been telling some of my travel partners about this tour because I did it back in 2001. It was listed under Barbados Shore Excursions all last week and previous weeks. Now today all of a sudden its not listed there anymore. Do you happen to know what happened to it? Or if they have replaced it with something else? Does it show up in the Carnival Capers for Barbados? Just curious and need to know if I should be looking at other excursions now in Barbados. Thanks!

[PelicanBill]

Thanks for the great trip report. We are going in October. Great tip about the chairs on the one sea day!

[big_duck]

Most evenings we attended to main show lounge for whatever entertainment was offered. The two production shows “Formidable” and “Nightclub Express” were good and the comedians and magic shows were pretty much hit and miss. The “Destiny Idol” show was while not professional, it was entertaining with great, good and not so good performances.

 

BTW, during the production of Formidable, there is a cowgirl sequence where the dancers are dressed in thongs and "buttless chaps" ... most interesting ;) ... errr, if you are offended by that sort of thing avert your eyes or avoid this show.

 

There are plenty of activities, games and contests going on despite the heavy port schedule. For some reason, I decided I wanted one of those “Solid gold plastic ship’s on a stick” this cruise. I entered into one of the on deck trivia contests (and didn’t win). I also was on the men’s team for “Family Feud” on the lounge (we was robbed I tell ya). So another cruise and no trophy it was a lot of fun though.

 

Lenny the CD and all the entertainment staff were very good and really want everyone to have a great time.

 

I would also state, that there were no wins for us at bingo and between DW and I we down a bit in the casino by the end of the week. (I swear they use loaded dice at the craps table the last night).

 

Although we attended the Camp Carnival orientation night, other then the Teddy bear stuffing, the girls were not that interested in any activities this time. They would rather just hang around with Mom and/or Dad this time (dammit).

[big_duck]

Don, thanks so much for the review. I can't wait until its my turn in September. I have one question for you. Something that I noticed today to be exact. I had been looking forward to doing a shore excursion in Barbados. Its called the Jolly Roger Pirate Party Boat, its operated thru Carnival and was $39. I had been telling some of my travel partners about this tour because I did it back in 2001. It was listed under Barbados Shore Excursions all last week and previous weeks. Now today all of a sudden its not listed there anymore. Do you happen to know what happened to it? Or if they have replaced it with something else? Does it show up in the Carnival Capers for Barbados? Just curious and need to know if I should be looking at other excursions now in Barbados. Thanks!

 

Sorry, can't help you there. In general though, it could be fully booked, our the operator's contract is "under re-negotiation".

[big_duck]

Because of a school break in Ontario, a very large proportion of the passenger demographic was Canadian (like us), the rest was mostly continental US, and some from as far away as Denmark.

 

On every cruise, I like to head to the Cigar Bar and have a relaxing drink and smoke and listen to some jazz. I do not want to see some screaming 4 or 5 year old running all over the furniture whilst being ignored by her parents/grandparents, thankyouverymuch :mad:.

 

At least on the Destiny, they have started serving all cocktails (not just the DOD) in souvenir glasses at all venues (including the show lounge) unless you specifically ask for a regular glass. I got caught once :mad:. I’m writing U.B. about this one, I was very unimpressed.

 

There was the usual brigade of ships photographers, but a simple not thanks or just pose and forget works.

 

The crew was friendly and efficient, and a couple of minor problems with one S&S card was handled with ease.

 

Although the sign had been taken down :(, the privacy screen was still up around the topless deck. I didn’t make it up there (we were no where near Cuba), so I don’t know how much it was used for it’s rightful purpose. I did see some people up there with cameras, and at one point there was a whole passel of 14 – 15 year old boys hanging around up there :cool:.

 

I would be happy to answer any questions. I do have a complete set of capers and I will try to get them scanned and posted later in the week.

[MzOhioLady]

Okay Don, but thanks anyway I appreicate it.

[CruisinMama27]

Thanks so much for the review. I found it very imformative because we are staying at the Sheraton San Juan for our May 6th sailing on Destiny and we wanted to go to the Boatyard in Barbados. Thanks again!!:D:D

[Guest YesitDonna]

Ok one thing I was aware of... you don't automatically have your S&S card activated when you go through the boarding process or was that just PR? I have been on 13 Carnival cruises, the last in September and the only time they did that was way back in the stone age of 1991 on the Jubilee when you could still use cash on the ship as well.

[big_duck]

The debarkation process used by the Destiny is simplest and smoothest I have experienced to date.

Any VIP’s, Early flight people or those taking ships tours in San Juan met in the Palladium Lounge at 7:45. Once the ship was cleared (around 8:15), these people started to leave the lounge and the ship. At this point, they started calling deck colors to report to the lounge (not leave the ship). Once seated in the lounge (in order of arrival), they would move out groups of about 150 at a time to debark and clear customs and immigration. This allowed for a good ordered pace for leaving the ship and allowed the Immigration area to not become overcrowded. Once through immigration, it was down to our luggage, hand our form to an customs official and off to grab a cab. BTW, cabs which are mostly vans are only $24 to go to the airport, Carnival transfers are $15 pp, save yourself the money and aggravation, take a cab. As you exit the terminal, look for a small kiosk marked Taxis. They will fill out a slip with your destination and how many bags you have, then escort you to the next available cab suitable for your party. A very efficient an fair system, that is also how it works at the airport coming in BTW.

 

A word of friendly advice. If you can book a late flight or even stay overnight. The airport is not built to handle the influx of passengers they get with two cruise ships unloading passengers at the same time. Book a late flight and take one of the offered late flight tours and avoid the long lines at the airport. You will thank me.

[big_duck]

Ok one thing I was aware of... you don't automatically have your S&S card activated when you go through the boarding process or was that just PR? I have been on 13 Carnival cruises, the last in September and the only time they did that was way back in the stone age of 1991 on the Jubilee when you could still use cash on the ship as well.

 

I have seen this mentioned in a couple of reviews of other ships. I believe they are starting to implement this fleetwide. :(

 

On the subject of S&S cards, the Destiny doesn't seem to have Funvision TVs, I really missed that. They do however send you an interim S&S statement towards the end of the week.

[lynyrd]

Sounds like you had a great time.

 

I just have one question. How was the hot tub? :p :D

[Katz A Prowl]

Sounds like you had a great time Duck!! Is there anything in SJ that you think is a must see for evenings?

[big_duck]

Sounds like you had a great time Duck!! Is there anything in SJ that you think is a must see for evenings?

 

Not really, however two restaurants I would recommend are Barrachina's and the Bohemia Cafe.

[big_duck]

Sounds like you had a great time.

 

I just have one question. How was the hot tub? :p :D

 

Ummmm, errr, I actually never went into a hot tub all week. As we were cruising as a family, we stayed away from the adults only pool and HT's and the other ones were just overrun by youngsters.

[sharecruises]

Thanks for an informative review, glad you had a good time :)

 

It is nice to see that the (real) problems they had on this ONE ship have apparently been fixed, there were some air conditioning issues and housekeeping problems but lately the reviews are much more positive

 

My neighbors were on this and enjoyed it, except for the buffet, pretty crowded and according to them a lot of pushy people, this may be due to the heavy port intensive nature of the cruise

seems like they have really stepped up the housekeeping and hopefully Carnival does listen to complaints

[wentworth]

Duck.........did everyone have to go to the dining room to get their

S & S activated or was it "hit and Miss"

 

Two weeks ago we were one of first ones on the Liberty and had ours

activated during check in. We were able to go right to Lido deck after

boarding. But then some said they had to go to lounge to have theirs

activated after boarding. Not sure what Carnivals policy is going to be.

 

We have done the Destiny twice and love her. I'm thinking all the negative revues are from people who sail at the wrong time.

 

Great review.

[big_duck]

Duck.........did everyone have to go to the dining room to get their

S & S activated or was it "hit and Miss"

 

Two weeks ago we were one of first ones on the Liberty and had ours

activated during check in. We were able to go right to Lido deck after

boarding. But then some said they had to go to lounge to have theirs

activated after boarding. Not sure what Carnivals policy is going to be.

 

We have done the Destiny twice and love her. I'm thinking all the negative revues are from people who sail at the wrong time.

 

Great review.

 

We were handed a sheet of paper at check-in giving a time-frame to go to the dining room for activiation. You don't have to do it right when you board, but the dining room is right there so we said "get it over with". The cut off was 4:30, what they did for anyone after that I don't know. Destiny doesn't leave until 10 PM and you can check-in right until 9 PM. Maybe someone with a later check-in can fill us in.

[MzOhioLady]

Don - Thanks for the tip. We do have a late flight out of San Juan on the return home. Our flight doesn't leave SJ until 4:10pm. We were thinking of taking an excursion with an airport transfer once we get back to SJ to fill up the time. That way there is no rush in getting to the airport. So I guess we are on the right path? Who is the cruise director and what did you think of him?