My Destiny review -1/20/08

[spivey]

First let me say that this was only our 4th cruise, so we don't have a whole lot to compare it to. We were there with 2 other couples and 2 women who were traveling without their husbands. All in all, it was a fantastic vacation!

However, there were some things that could be improved upon.

 

Embarkation: What a breeze! We arrived at about 1:30 from the airport. We were immediately told that we could board even though it was early. We purchased some alcohol and headed for the ship. Our intent was to get on board, eat some lunch and then go into old San Juan for some culture. Well you know what they say about good intentions.... :) We ate and had a few drinks and just started to relax. Needless to say, we never made it into Old San Juan. Our rooms were ready early and for the most part in good shape. We had one aft balcony (wonderful!!!), one starboard balcony (a little bit of a disappointment) 1 ocean view (HUGE room but had a bit of a sewer smell at times) and 1 inside cabin (tiny and dark, but GOOD sleeping!) Dinner that first night was fairly chaotic! I'm sure that's to be expected with the open dining and people arriving in all states. Food was good, though!

 

Day 2 - St. Thomas: It was raining and cloudy most of the day. We had booked a scuba trip as many of us are divers, but decided not to spend the money on a drab day. (Diving is so much more fun when the colors are bright!) So, we spent the day shopping in town and had a wonderful time with a small shop in an alley that sold jewelry. The shop keeper (Paul) gave us beer anytime someone bought something so we just kept dragging people in to buy so we could drink :D After shopping we hired a taxi to take us around the island and show us what we should see. We thoroughly enjoyed our driver and the folks from Scotland that got stuck on the tour with us. (sorry we were so obnoxious, nice folks!) All in all, it was GREAT ! We can't wait to get back to this island!

 

Day 3 - Dominica: Wow! That's about all I can say for this island. It is simply beautiful! I will always wonder about people who say they didn't get off here. Do you folks know what you missed? This was everyone's favorite in our group- by far!!! We hired a private tour through Sheppee Fun Tours. We ended up with Sheppee's Dad (Hi, Dad!!! ) He was funny and smart. He got us to the sights before the masses and we had a wonderful time. One note here: DO NOT MISS TITOU GORGE! It is truly amazing! We went to the falls, the sulpher springs, the gorge, the gardens, and champagne reef. At the reef, we met a great guy who offered to show us around for only a tip. Let me just say that he was wonderful! We wouldn't have seen half of what was out there without him. What a fantastic day! Back on board we were starving and tired! We ate a late snack and then had a wonderful dinner. It was formal night and we did clean up well.

 

Day 4 - Barbados: We were lazy on this day. We all got up late, ate lunch and then headed out for the beach. We hired a taxi and went to a beach (I have no idea of the name, we were honestly too tired to care!) and settled down with some rum punch and umbrellas. After a while a few of us got energetic and rented a catamaran for a sail. 2 even went to the Mt. Gay factory and had a great time "taste testing." Very nice, easy day. I will say that again we got lucky and had a great cab driver who was honest, fair and fun.

 

Day 5 - St. Kitts: Too windy to dock. Darnit! We really wanted to see this island as it looked gorgeous from the ship. BUT, the day at see turned out to be a blast. We pulled a bunch of lounge chairs together and spent the day eating, drinking, going down the water slide, gambling a bit, etc. I will say that to have that many folks trapped on a ship that size should have seemed claustrophobic, but didn't. I was impressed with how well the crew reorganized and turned it into a sea day. Carnival also gave every person $25 shipboard credit up front and immediately refunded any excursions without question. Basically, they were very helpful. This was also the 2nd formal night. What fun!!!!!

 

 

Day 6 - Dominican Republic: Hmmm...this is a port that I wasn't initially thrilled with, but it grew on me. I went by myself on the first day to Bayahibe beach. I bought a day pass to a resort and had an open bar, use of the pool, beach, lounge chairs, facilities, etc. I spent the day being very lazy and asking for "another banana thingie" (drink) on repeated occasions. I really enjoyed it! Some others in our group took the historical tour through Santo Domingo. They said it was okay. Not great but had some interesting parts to it.

 

Day 7 - Dominican Republic: We all decided to take the Catalina Island beach break because it left later in the day and we're lazy! This was a nice, easy boat ride to a gorgeous island/beach. We had lounge chairs under a sea grape tree, a beautiful beach, a welcome drink, and good facilities. There were shops that had some neat local things at good prices. There were also some ladies selling massages, etc. No one was pushy or obnoxious. If I said no, they left me alone. Some of our group decided to try the snorkeling there and loved it. They actually saw more sea life here than anywhere else. The only disappointment here was the food. They had a buffet available for a price of $20. Wayyyyy too much for the food being offered. Most of us decided to skip it and eat when we got back to the ship. On the boat ride back, they turned up the music and there was dancing and fun. A great day!

 

Now for some overall impressions:

Ship- Definitely an older ship but being refurbished a little every day. It is also due to go to dry dock in September for the rest of the overhaul. For the most part, the worn or stained areas were minimal and didn't bother us. The only real problem we had was that the lower deck did have a sewage smell at times. I'm not sure why. We asked at the information desk and were told that is one of the things they hope to fix during dry dock. To be honest, this is one of my favorite ships (of course I've only been on 4 so what do I know!) I like the layout and the size of it. I found the lounge areas, theater, dining rooms, etc to be comfortable and attractive. The cabins were typical Carnival cabins. (which, in my limited experience, seem to be a little bigger than other lines) and they had nice size showers. (at least our cabin did.) Everything seemed to work well in the rooms and none of us had a noise problem. The temperature was easily controlled by adjusting the little box in the ceiling. The only other complaint we had was that two of our group had a starboard balcony cabin and they were very disappointed in the size of the balcony and lack of privacy.

 

Service: We found this to be excellent. Our dining room staff was great. They were friendly, called us by name, and went out of their way to take care of us. When one of our group wanted lemon for tea, they hunted one down even though there was a shortage due to the fact that they hadn't gotten their deliveries in St. Thomas. From then on, she received lemon with her tea every night without asking for it. The entertainment in the dining room was probably the most fun we've ever experienced. They seemed to really enjoy the whole thing and that made it fun for the rest of us! Room stewards were helpful and friendly. Pursars desk was helpful along with shore excursions desk. No real complaints in this department.

 

Entertainment: We had one member of our group that seems to be a show junkie! He insisted that we go to every show, every night. Some were pretty good, and some were just okay. The cruise director, Skip, was pretty funny and seems to be quick with a sense of humor. The get-to-know you game on Monday evening was funny! The family feud game was great (especially since one of our group got up there - and lost;)) The comedian (don't remember his name, but he was Cuban) was fairly good and the magician was okay. The great thing about a cruise is that the entertainment is included. So, you can try a show and if you don't like it, you can leave without feeling guilty about wasting money!

 

Food: The lido deck buffet was not so hot. None of us liked this much. The grill (burgers, hotdogs, etc) was quite good and moved fairly quickly. The Oriental food was just okay. The deli had some really good sandwiches but needs to add some chips or something other than the weird slaw. The pizza was pretty good and plentiful. We did eat slices at weird times! The dining room food was some of the best we've ever had on a cruise. The lobster was sweet and tender but order two cause they are small! The beef was great except for the last night when our prime rib was way over cooked. But the best for me was the grouper. I have no idea what they did to it, but that meal was amazing!!! Of course, most of our group ate melting chocolate cake every night. I tried hard to eat the low cal deserts but have to say they just didn't have much taste. :o The breakfast buffet was okay, and the omelets were quite good. Breakfast in the dining room was very good.

 

Disembarkation: We did the self-assist and found this to be painless. We were in line for all of about 5 minutes. Customs was a breeze and fortunately (or unfortunately!) we found ourselves at the airport with plenty of time to kill before our 1:30 flight! Let me just say here that while everyone on the ship and in the terminal was very nice and helpful, the folks in the airport were NOT. What a rude awakening back into the real world. I thought we were going to have a fist fight with one lady.

 

Finally, I would like to comment on all the posts I've seen about the large numbers of rude Puerto Ricans on board. We didn't find this to be the case. There were way more Americans and Canadians on board that were obnoxious. Yes, there were Puerto Ricans on the ship. Why wouldn't there be??? I would certainly take advantage of the situation if I were them. They simply didn't act the way everyone said they would I found them to be fun, happy folks who minded their own business.

 

Over all, I would HIGHLY recommend this cruise for anyone looking to explore beautiful islands, relax on a fun ship, and have a good time. If you can overlook some of the minor flaws in an older ship, then take advantage of this amazing deal of a cruise!

[Ashlea13vb]

Thanks for the review! It makes me even more excited (if that's possible) for our March cruise on the Destiny!

 

You mentioned your oceanview cabin had a slight smell. Can you tell me whether that cabin was on the Riviera deck, and about where on the ship it was located?

 

Thanks!

[2112]

Thanks for the great review. Funny about your comments on diving in the rain. Although your right about the colors being better in the sun, I've always thought diving was one of the better things you can do in the rain. Your wet anyway!

[ShedQueen77]

Ha ha ha! We did the exact same thing. We had good intentions of getting back off the ship after embarking and seeing Old San Juan. We didn't get there either! :)

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise!

[NCTribeFan]

Our Miracle cruise stopped in San Juan (it was the first day of winter, actually. Wouldn't know it from this pic!).

 

 

I loved it so much that I'm really trying to figure out a way to do the Victory all-ports out of San Juan next December, after she replaces Destiny.

 

Of course, the itinerary is changing and the DR will no longer be part of the cruise. Too bad, because I'd love to go there as well.

 

My goal is to spend a couple of days post-cruise in San Juan. I thought OSJ was absolutely beautiful and would love to spend a couple of days there recuperating after the cruise. It's just a question of figuring out how to pay for it all! Air for December has just opened up and it looks really expensive. That plus all the excursions I'd want to do on such a great itinerary would more than offset the low cost of a inside cabin.

 

:(

 

Thanks for the review.

[pacerzfan]

Thanks for the review, spivey!

[telli01]

Thanks for the review! I would also like to know on what deck the smells were so bad. Also, is it a tender at St Kitts, I thought it docked and didn't know why it wouldn't dock for wind if we aren't tendering. Anyways thanks again for the review, we're going in March!

[djkjb6]

 

Day 6 - Dominican Republic: Hmmm...this is a port that I wasn't initially thrilled with, but it grew on me. I went by myself on the first day to Bayahibe beach. I bought a day pass to a resort and had an open bar, use of the pool, beach, lounge chairs, facilities, etc. I spent the day being very lazy and asking for "another banana thingie" (drink) on repeated occasions. I really enjoyed it! Some others in our group took the historical tour through Santo Domingo. They said it was okay. Not great but had some interesting parts to it.

 

Day 7 - Dominican Republic: We all decided to take the Catalina Island beach break because it left later in the day and we're lazy! This was a nice, easy boat ride to a gorgeous island/beach. We had lounge chairs under a sea grape tree, a beautiful beach, a welcome drink, and good facilities. There were shops that had some neat local things at good prices. There were also some ladies selling massages, etc. No one was pushy or obnoxious. If I said no, they left me alone. Some of our group decided to try the snorkeling there and loved it. They actually saw more sea life here than anywhere else. The only disappointment here was the food. They had a buffet available for a price of $20. Wayyyyy too much for the food being offered. Most of us decided to skip it and eat when we got back to the ship. On the boat ride back, they turned up the music and there was dancing and fun. A great day!

 

 

Between the 2 beach's which did you like better,Bayahibe or Catalina? I was thinking the Bayahibe beach break the 2nd. day but when you mentioned Catalina and the later time that really interest me.I read somewhere the breast cancer walk is the second day in La Romana at 9a.m. so if we did the Catalina one at 11a.m. We should still be able to do the walk,wouldn't you think so?

Do you think its better to have an excursion thru the ship/book a private tour on your own or is it safe enough to get off the ship and take a taxi to one of the beach's and get a day pass? Can you buy a day pass when you get to the beach? I've read the public beach's are not as nice so I want a day pass somewhere or book an excursion thru ship/or some private tour.

Thank You

[spivey]

Thanks for the review! It makes me even more excited (if that's possible) for our March cruise on the Destiny!

 

You mentioned your oceanview cabin had a slight smell. Can you tell me whether that cabin was on the Riviera deck, and about where on the ship it was located?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi,

It was on the riviera deck, room 1142. We were never sure if it was the room or out in the hallway because you could usually smell it in both places. It wasn't bad enough to drive that couple away from cruising. In fact, we're booking again for next January. HAVE FUN!

[spivey]

Thanks for the review! I would also like to know on what deck the smells were so bad. Also, is it a tender at St Kitts, I thought it docked and didn't know why it wouldn't dock for wind if we aren't tendering. Anyways thanks again for the review, we're going in March!

 

We noticed the smells on riviera deck right at room 1142. We also had another room on riviera inside and closer to the bow and it didn't have the smell at all. I think it is just hit and miss. However, don't let it stop you!!! The cruise is wonderful and the smell was never bad enough to drive us away.

 

St. Kitts is a docking port but its a very small dock and the wind was blowing directly across it. The information desk said that the captain thought we would knock the dock right off its pilings if we tried it. I was a little sad because this was the one island that NONE of us had ever visited.

 

HAVE FUN!!!

[spivey]

Between the 2 beach's which did you like better,Bayahibe or Catalina? I was thinking the Bayahibe beach break the 2nd. day but when you mentioned Catalina and the later time that really interest me.I read somewhere the breast cancer walk is the second day in La Romana at 9a.m. so if we did the Catalina one at 11a.m. We should still be able to do the walk,wouldn't you think so?

Do you think its better to have an excursion thru the ship/book a private tour on your own or is it safe enough to get off the ship and take a taxi to one of the beach's and get a day pass? Can you buy a day pass when you get to the beach? I've read the public beach's are not as nice so I want a day pass somewhere or book an excursion thru ship/or some private tour.

Thank You

 

This is a hard one. Bayahibe was fun because I was in the resort and had access to an open bar, gorgeous beach and pool area, water sports, and shops. I really enjoyed it. The food was not included and cost $15 dollars. And not really worth it.

 

Catalina was probably prettier and better swimming but no open bar (there is a bar but it costs). They have bathrooms, free lounge chairs, and a fun little market. The food there costs $20 and definitely NOT worth it. They also have snorkeling and water sports there but it does cost more.

 

If I had to choose, I think it would depend on what I wanted to do. If I had children I would definitely choose Catalina. Bayahibe is clothing optional, and although I didnt see much nudity, there was some. If you are a big drinker, bayahibe would be better. If you're not a big drinker, Catalina would probably be better. They are both so gorgeous that its hard to choose. Keep in mind that we got to the Dom. Rep. early because we couldn't go to St. Kitts. I'm not sure you could do one on the first day if you get there at the regular time of 3pm. Just check that carefully.

 

I booked both through the ship because this was the one port I didn't feel comfortable going on my own. However, 2 of the women in our party did go to bayahibe by themselves on the 2nd day. They went to the public beach and loved it. I'm not sure if you can buy a day pass to the resort on your own now that Casa Del Mar has been sold. Maybe ask this on the Dom. Republic board????

 

Whatever you choose to do, HAVE FUN!!!

[TennisLover]

This is a hard one. Bayahibe was fun because I was in the resort and had access to an open bar, gorgeous beach and pool area, water sports, and shops. I really enjoyed it. The food was not included and cost $15 dollars. And not really worth it.

 

Catalina was probably prettier and better swimming but no open bar (there is a bar but it costs). They have bathrooms, free lounge chairs, and a fun little market. The food there costs $20 and definitely NOT worth it. They also have snorkeling and water sports there but it does cost more.

 

If I had to choose, I think it would depend on what I wanted to do. If I had children I would definitely choose Catalina. Bayahibe is clothing optional, and although I didnt see much nudity, there was some. If you are a big drinker, bayahibe would be better. If you're not a big drinker, Catalina would probably be better. They are both so gorgeous that its hard to choose. Keep in mind that we got to the Dom. Rep. early because we couldn't go to St. Kitts. I'm not sure you could do one on the first day if you get there at the regular time of 3pm. Just check that carefully.

 

I booked both through the ship because this was the one port I didn't feel comfortable going on my own. However, 2 of the women in our party did go to bayahibe by themselves on the 2nd day. They went to the public beach and loved it. I'm not sure if you can buy a day pass to the resort on your own now that Casa Del Mar has been sold. Maybe ask this on the Dom. Republic board????

 

Whatever you choose to do, HAVE FUN!!!

 

This is all so helpful because this is the one port that I am still trying to plan. For the Catalina trip through the ship, what times do they leave? Do you have a choice? I am looking at a private excursion company... but that excursion is looking pretty pricey.

 

I think we will stay on the ship the first day (assuming we arrive at 3 pm or so), but am trying to plan the second day in DR. I am so torn!

 

I loved the rest of your review. You sound like you had a great group to travel with. Thanks for all the info!

[kimcruiser]

Thanks for the review. I LOVE Dominica and it is my favorite place to go to so far!:D Kim

[spivey]

This is all so helpful because this is the one port that I am still trying to plan. For the Catalina trip through the ship, what times do they leave? Do you have a choice? I am looking at a private excursion company... but that excursion is looking pretty pricey.

 

I think we will stay on the ship the first day (assuming we arrive at 3 pm or so), but am trying to plan the second day in DR. I am so torn!

 

I loved the rest of your review. You sound like you had a great group to travel with. Thanks for all the info!

 

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply! I'm still trying to adjust to being back in the real world. As far as I can remember, the Catalina excursion left at 11am only. We did get to DR early because we had to miss St. Kitts so we had time to do things on both days. I think it would be hard to do something if you don't get there until 3pm, so just plan a boat day for the first day!

 

We did have a great group. We're already searching for our next cruise. We wanted to go over New Year's but the cost is outrageous for all cruises that week!

 

Whatever you decide to do, have fun! I'm jealous.:o

[michalanajon]

I was thinking that when we arrive on the first day at 3PM we would take a venture to Altos De Chevron. I heard it doesn't take long to walk through it, and thought the night time sun setting might be beautiful in a village that looks Mediterranean! Sounds magical. Do you think we will have enough time to do that?

Also, how was the Kandela show? Has anyone seen it. Las Vega style shows don't seem appealing to me, but maybe it's better than that. Any comments?

[spivey]

I was thinking that when we arrive on the first day at 3PM we would take a venture to Altos De Chevron. I heard it doesn't take long to walk through it, and thought the night time sun setting might be beautiful in a village that looks Mediterranean! Sounds magical. Do you think we will have enough time to do that?

Also, how was the Kandela show? Has anyone seen it. Las Vega style shows don't seem appealing to me, but maybe it's better than that. Any comments?

 

Several of the folks in our group did go to Altos De Chevon. They said it was pretty and worth seeing - even though it is reproduction. As long as the ship is on time, you would definitely have enough time to visit on the first day. None of us went to the Kandela show. We honestly thought it was a LOT of $ for that amount of time. We did watch a bit of it on tv and we thought it looked okay. We're like you, though, not really big into that type of show (except one of us...who seems to have an obsession!) so that might be why we weren't overly impressed. I know on the DR board lots of people gave it favorable reviews. If you go, let me know what you think, please?

[Forchunut1]

It really is worth seeing Old San Juan if you can work it out. We flew in a day early and had a little time to sight see and shop. And after the cruise, in order to disembark early, we signed up for a San Juan tour which actually ended up being very nice.

 

Here's a tip for you ladies who want to shop at the Coach outlet store in San Juan. There is a little bar just up the street where the guys can have a drink or two while you are shopping. Then, when you meet him there with your great purchases, he'll be more than happy to hear about your shopping bargains. :D

[wework2play]

Does anyone know when in September the Destiny goes into dry dock? We are looking at going on the Destiny Sept 27. So, that would probably be right after dry dock? :)

[michalanajon]

Spivey....thanks for the info. And yes, I will let you know if we go to the show and if it's any good. we'll be there at the end of April.

[afcj1]

Does anyone know when in September the Destiny goes into dry dock? We are looking at going on the Destiny Sept 27. So, that would probably be right after dry dock? :)

 

 

I read on another thread that her last cruise was on 8/31, then to drydock. We're going on her 10/20, so we're excited to have a "newer" ship.

[Georgetown2008]

We went on the same cruise, all 32 of us! When I got home I remembered that past guest get a pin. We did not get one did you? Have they stopped this practice?

[BeyondKen]

I read on another thread that her last cruise was on 8/31, then to drydock. We're going on her 10/20, so we're excited to have a "newer" ship.

I shudder to think what she'll look like when I cruise her!

[Kinderfolk]

Thanks for the Destiny review Spivey. My wife and I are sailing on Destiny next month - sounds like it will be enjoyable.:)

[mommyto2girls]

Does the Destiny have the all you can fit in one bag laundry service one time during the cruise?

[TennisLover]

Does the Destiny have the all you can fit in one bag laundry service one time during the cruise?

 

Yes - they had that - it was a pretty small paper bag though.

 

It is in my Capers for Thursday (St. Kitts Day on my cruise in February):

 

Special Laundry Promotion

Tonight your stateroom steward will be delivering a bag as well as an order sheet for anyone that wants to take advantage of tihs special offer. Let our staff wash, dry and fold your laundry, Details will be on the order sheet.

 

(I didn't save the order sheet - and we didn't use this service.)