Destiny / Southern Caribbean / July 13 / review and photos!

[Queen B1]

Here is our review of our July 13 - July 20 cruise on the Destiny out of San Juan. We'll try to include photos!

 

 

Part 1

 

Pre-Pre-Cruise: As we were flying out of Charlotte on Saturday morning (July 12 ), we decided to stay in the Embassy Suites Charlotte/Concord Resort on Friday night. We spent Friday afternoon at Concord Mills enjoying outlet shopping and getting our vacation off to the right start! The resort was absolutely wonderful! The rooms were especially nice and we enjoyed the free manager’s reception that night. Unfortunately, we missed the complimentary hot breakfast the next morning as we had to leave before it was served. We woke up Saturday morning (July 13) and made the 15 minute drive down the interstate to catch our flight.

 

Charlotte Airport: We parked in long-term parking and took a shuttle to the terminal! Upon arrival, a US Air Skycap checked our bags and got a wheelchair for my 83 year old mother. He zipped us through security and had us at our gate in just minutes!

 

Flight: Our 9:40 direct flight on US Air left on time and actually arrived earlier than scheduled! We enjoyed everything about our trip! The flight was very smooth, and the attendants and pilots were so personable even posing for pictures with my mom! The views from our airplane were exceptionally beautiful as we passed over the coastline of Puerto Rico! It was a great flight!

 

San Juan Airport: Upon arrival, US Air had arranged for my mother to be whisked through the airport with first a golf cart and then a wheelchair as we got further out of the terminal. The attendant pushing her wheelchair took us to the baggage claims, hailed a porter for us, and then arranged for a cab to take us to our hotel. She couldn’t have been nicer!

 

Taxi: Our taxi driver was named Raphael and had lived for a while in Boston. He had been back in his native San Juan for ten years. Raphael was a wealth of information about the city as we traveled to our hotel in old San Juan. Because of the zone our hotel was in, the ride was around $22 for us two passengers and four pieces of luggage!

 

Pre-Cruise: We stayed in the Sheraton Old San Juan across from the cruise terminal! Within 45 minutes of landing, we were at the front desk of our hotel! We had booked a one room with king bed (deluxe, non-smoking, bay and city view/partial harbor view) with an AARP discount for a total of $208 (base rate if $165 plus all taxes). When we arrived, I told the sweet girl at the front desk that we really would like to have a room with two double beds. She said that she had none to offer but said that she might be able to upgrade us. We were thrilled to be put in a two room suite (king bed and sofa sleeper) corner room on the sixth floor (room 626). The view from our balcony included San Cristobal Fort and to our right was Destiny’s terminal. Wow! While there, we never had to wait for an elevator, and they both worked perfectly! Never saw any crowds during our visit, and our floor was extremely quiet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent the remainder of the day exploring Old San Juan via the free trolley system! Unfortunately, our scheduled “Night Tales in Old San Juan” tour was canceled because there wasn’t enough people signed up to take it! While disappointed, we still enjoyed seeing all of the sights. We did stop by the Parrot Club so we could try its “Parrot Passion” and, yes, it was delicious. At the end of a long day, we decided to just get a bite to eat at hotel and turn in. We enjoyed eating on the lower patio so we could take in the harbor view and people watch! The views from the roof-top swimming pool were beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued.....

[Queen B1]

Part 2

 

 

Embarkation Day: It was so nice waking up and going out onto our hotel balcony and seeing the Destiny docked at the terminal! We think it arrived between 5:30 and 6:00. Before leaving, we went back to the roof-top swimming pool to take photos of the ship!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When checking in the day before, the girl at the front desk also warned us that it would get a little crazy around 12:00 in the lobby the next day as people would be wanting to check out to board the ship as well as check in after debarking the ship. We left the hotel at 10:20 and did express check-out. A form had been slipped under our door during the night, and we just put it in a special box across from the check-in desk, and we were on our way! Again, by leaving early, we didn’t have to wait on an elevator, but we noticed that people were beginning to fill the lobby area even at that time.

 

After leaving the hotel at 10:20, we leisurely pulled our luggage to the terminal entrance which was a short block away! We really enjoyed that stroll along the waterfront! A very small line had formed outside of the first gate, and we got a passing porter to go on and take our luggage! At 10:50, we were allowed to enter that first gate (remember to have your photo i.d. and cruise documents) and walked down the covered pier. The Carnival reps. had us enter the terminal building and immediately take an escalator to the lobby area. Our first cruise photo was made, and then we walked directly to a check-in desk. The upstairs lobby area was practically deserted at first, but people began to trickle in. We were not only given our Sail and Sign cards, but a card with the “Zone 1” on it. It meant that we would be in the first group to board the ship somewhere between 12:30 and 1:00. There were rows of seats to sit in as well as water dispensers. The famous “free rum shots” weren’t ready to enjoy until around 12:00 or so!

At 12:45, an announcement was made over the loud speaker system that due to an immigration problem, new passengers would not be boarding until 3:00, and it was suggested that everyone, who had already checked in, go back on shore and enjoy Old San Juan. We walked over to a Carnival Rep. who said that the immigration computers had gone down, and that she thought it would be well after 3:00 before everyone from the previous cruise was cleared off the ship. Since we hadn’t eaten breakfast, we decided to leave the ship to go have lunch! As we left, the outside line was becoming longer! We ate at Senior Frog’s which was right behind the Sheraton, and then boarded the trolleys for some more sight-seeing as we had planned on doing anyway!

We returned to the ship around 3:20 and the line was all the way down the covered pier out onto the sidewalk at the street. There were some very angry people waiting, and we knew that there had to have been a lot of missed flights that day from the earlier cruise! We’re not sure if the crowd of people getting on ever knew that it was an immigration computer problem and not one created by Carnival. Since we had our Sail and Sign cards, we by-passed the long lines and went directly into the terminal and joined the security line as passengers were now being allowed to board. We did stop and buy some Diet Cokes at one of the stores that are right before security. We didn’t have to hide them .... just carried them on in plain sight. After leaving the gangway, we had our Sail and Sign photos out on the Lobby Deck and then entered into the Lobby area. We went directly to our room) to check it out and meet Dadang, our room steward. What a nice, attentive young man! There was an announcement that anyone interested in taking a guided tour of the boat could meet in front of the spa at 4:00. We enjoyed getting to see the ship. By the time we returned to our cabin, our luggage had been delivered, so we unpacked and settled in.

Our first dinner was open seating, and we had been assigned the Universal dining room. As we entered, we noticed that someone was asking the Maitre’D for a change in dining rooms, so we did the same. ( I also read in the Capers that this request for a change could have been done between 1:00 and 4:00 in the Galaxy Dining room, but with the late embarkation that wasn’t possible.) Since we were midship, we were able to change to the Galaxy Dining room which was much nearer to our room!

It was a lot of fun watching the Adventure of the Seas set sail around 8:30. Our Lifeboat Drill started around 9:30 P.M., and we sailed around 10:00. There was a Sail Away Party on the Lido Deck at 10:30, but we didn’t attend as we preferred watching from our balcony!

 

Our Cabin: We were in Cabin 6161 which is a cat. 8c on the Verandah Deck. We were located on the starboard (or right side) of the ship near the elevators. We enjoyed taking the glass elevators every time we moved between the floors as we loved the towering views. Our room was in excellent condition. The shower was HUGE, and our air conditioning worked amazingly well! No problems with water pressure or having hot water! The balcony had two nice chairs and a small table. The t.v. was recessed into the wall at the foot of our beds, and we liked that feature. Underneath were additional shelves with doors. Our cabin steward was incredible and during the week added to our zoo of towel animals!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued.........

[Queen B1]

Part 3

 

 

Excursions

 

Our excursions were all sight-seeing trips as we hadn’t visited any of the islands except for St. Thomas. They were booked through Carnival and were outstanding. We got a wonderful feel for each island and enjoyed each one immensely!

 

 

St. Thomas - Since we had been to St. Thomas on an earlier cruise, we signed up for the St. John National Park Island Tour. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to lack of interest! We spent the day shopping instead. If you plan on going to the nearby stores at Havensight, then you can catch the free tram that stops in front of the gate to the pier. It makes a continuous loop between the stores and the pier.

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

To Be Continued.......

[Queen B1]

Part 4

 

 

Dominica - Pools and Falls Nature Tour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued.......

[Queen B1]

Part 5

 

 

Barbados - Coast to Coast Panorama

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

To Be Continued......

[Queen B1]

Part 6

 

 

St. Lucia - Best Views of St. Lucia

 

 



 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

To Be Continued.......

[Queen B1]

Part 7

 

 

Antigua - Best of Antigua

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

 

To Be Continued......

[Queen B1]

Part 8

 

 

St. Kitts - St. Kitts Scenic Rail Tour

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

To Be Continued.....

[hill6]

Beautiful pictures sounds like you had a nice time

[Queen B1]

Part 9

 

 

The Ship and Its Crew: We absolutely loved the Destiny! Its subtle, understated elegance was refreshing to us! It was immaculate, and we never once had any problems (sewage smell, water temperature, water pressure, etc.) that I’ve read other cruisers have had in the past. Not only did we see cleaning crews out every day, but we often saw repairs being made to keep everything in tip-top shape! The entire staff was incredible! In fact, we’ve never seen a more attentive, friendly group than these were! We would sail on her again in a heartbeat!

 

Entertainment: While passengers were on shore, there were activities offered on the Lido Deck for those who chose to stay on the boat when in port. There were shows, bingo, and other “Love and Marriage” type games in the Palladium at night! Since we didn’t have any sea days, we missed all of the offerings at night! We turned in early to be ready to greet a new island each day!

 

Dining: We enjoyed all of our meals on the Destiny and felt like they were all in line with those served on the Glory and the Legend. I’ve read about the long food lines others have encountered but never once did we find them. In fact, we always found a window table whenever we had breakfast or lunch. We ate from the different areas ( the Grille, New York Deli, Taste of Nations, Happy Valley, and the Sun and Sea Restaurant) and loved them all. Our waiters and bar steward in the Galaxy Dining Room were outstanding as were our evening meals. Formal nights were on Tuesday (Dominica) and Friday (Antigua) nights. The Captain’s Cocktail Reception was on Tuesday evening also. The Past Guest Reception is on Wednesday evening (Barbados). The Grand Gala Buffet is on the Lido Deck at 12:30 A.M. on Wednesday “night” (Antigua).

 

Sail and Sign Accounts: We couldn’t pull up our folios (accounts) on our t.v. as we had on our previous cruises, but we did receive a copy of our Sail and Sign Account midweek, so we could double check our expenses. Because my mom had some credit due to the canceled tour, she received a refund check at the end of the week.

 

Destiny’s Position in Port: The Destiny didn’t necessarily pull straight in at every port...several times it backed in. We didn’t think one side of the ship was better than the other for views when in port.

 

The Weather: It was extremely hot and muggy in San Juan so we were glad to be staying on the harbor and get the benefit of the breeze that was always blowing. It rained off and on Tuesday (Dominica), Wednesday (Barbados) and Thursday (St. Lucia) but it seemed to keep things cooler than usual which we were very thankful for! By Saturday (St. Kitts), it was hot and humid as it probably should have been all week.

 

Luggage Express / Debarkation Day: This is very detailed but should be really helpful for those wishing to use the program.

 

Participating Airlines: American, Jet Blue, Continental, Delta, Northwest, US Air and United

 

Cost: $15 per person (We sent 2 bags each - still $15)

 

Sign-up: Eligible passengers receive a sign-up form in their cabins in the middle of the week. Each passenger fills out his/her own form and returns it to the Information Desk by 3:00 on Friday. You will need to have a hard copy of your flight information for the Purser to check. We took our flight confirmation sheet that we printed off the computer when we first made our flight arrangements. (They seem to need this to prove you have a flight and that the flight falls within their guidelines.)

Eligible Flight Times: I have misplaced my sheet with those times. The earliest flights were sometime after 12:00 as I remember. The last flight was definitely 11:59 that night. Our flight was with US Air at 2:30.

 

Boarding Passes/Luggage Tags: These were received on Saturday afternoon along with a special instruction sheet for debarkation. We attached the white luggage tags onto our handles and had to have our luggage in the hall by midnight that night. You were given group letters (AAAA, BBBB, Tours, CCCC, DDDD, and EEEE) which seemed to reflect the time of your flight. It was great to have our boarding passes in hand!

 

Debarkation Day: Luggage Express passengers were given priority debarkation, so they were among the first off. We met in the Criterion Lounge according to this schedule:

 

AAAA & BBBB & Tours - 8:00 (our group)

CCCC - 8:30

DDDD & EEEE - 9:00

 

After eating breakfast, we met at 8:00 in the Criterion Lounge and were literally stepping into a taxi at 8:30. There is a crew member who leads you through the ship, so you don't come in contact with any other lines or people. You get off quickly and clear immigration. You continue to the baggage claim area and get your bags from your own special section (using your group letters). (We decided to use a porter.) You proceed out of the terminal building down to almost the end of the covered pier on the right side. That's where you hand over your luggage to the Luggage Express handlers (BAGS, Inc.). They replace your tags with the correct flight tags. We stepped to the curb and got a taxi!

 

Airport: We arrived at the airport and went straight through security. Thanks to Luggage Express, we avoided both the check-in lines and the USDA lines. We were sitting at our gate by 9:00. We were also thrilled to beat the crowds and zoo-like atmosphere that everyone talks about at the San Juan airport!

 

Arrival in Charlotte: We had another perfect non-stop flight on US Air on the way home. Once again, it was right on time and the flight crew and attendants were wonderful! When we arrived in Charlotte that evening at 6:00, our bags were waiting for us! Luggage Express is a wonderful service, and we would sign up for it again in a heartbeat!

 

 

 

General Information:

 

1) Cabin air conditioners can be controlled by turning the knob in the middle of the ceiling vent.

2) Don’t forget to pick up several Destiny Deck Plans which are on the counter of the Information Desk. They’ll help you get around the ship.

3) We admit to ordering more than one appetizer each night!

4) Your camera or video camera might have condensation on the lens when you move from your cabin to your balcony. Each of ours always did because of the humidity, and it would take a while before we could take crystal clear photos.

5) Whenever the Capers listed an arrival time at each of our ports, we could be sure that we were entering the port area an hour earlier or so than stated.

6) The adult section the back of the Lido Deck is a wonderful, quiet area. We ate breakfast and lunch out there several times when the roof was retracted (otherwise it was too humid).

7) For excursions, etc., passengers leave from the “O” deck. The clear glass elevators didn’t go to that level, so be sure to use the regular ones.

8) When you go ashore, take a very small umbrella with you. We were so glad we did as several of the showers turned into downpours.

9) Extension cords are only available at the Information Desk for those with “sleep machines.”

10) There is a wall-mounted hair dryer in the bathroom of each cabin. It blows on two speeds but is not as efficient as one you might bring from home.

11) We used a “white noise” machine to block out any outside noise! We never heard anything.

12) The ship often seemed to be quite deserted while in port. Finding a chair for sun was never a problem.

 

 

 

Extra Photos

 

Our cabin's picture window.

 

 

Those glass elevators

 

 

Our zoo of animal towels.

 

 

 

The Destiny in St. Kitts

 

 

 

The Destiny's Bridge (top left) in Antigua.

 

 

 

Found all over the islands we visited.

 

 

 

The End!!!!!

[63Corvette]

That was a great "day by day" tour. I was on the Destiny last January, and really enjoyed the cruise. Thanks for the great pictures.

[cjkumbaya]

Thanks so much for sharing your review and great photos. Looking forwarding to more!

[Stacey779]

Thanks so much for your wonderful review! We'll be doing the same itinerary in December on the Victory. I think I read you said you got to the pier to check in at around 10:50 a.m., is that right? I'd love to get one of those Zone 1 passes! I'm wondering what time you'd recommend we get there.

[Queen B1]

Stacey779 - I would get there around 11:00. Even if you have to wait, you will have access to the chairs, air conditioning, and restrooms. You can even enjoy the "rum" while you're there. If it hadn't been for the computer glitch, we would have boarded fairly early.

[grammylaurie]

Since you were on the Verandah deck was your room #8161?

[Queen B1]

Grammylaurie - you're exactly right - we were in Cabin 8161. My mistake! Thanks!

[grammylaurie]

I am booked in room 8161 Jan 31, 2009. Can't wait!!!!!! Love seeing your pictures. Thank You!!!

[Queen B1]

Grammylaurie - What a coincidence! We love its location since it is so close to both the atrium and regular elevators as well as access to the lobby. It is a across from the stewards' service closet, and you can hear noise from it while the stewards are working. It was never a problem for us, however. We use a white noise machine whenever we are sleeping/napping on a cruise so noise (from elevators, people, etc.) is never an issue! I think you'll really enjoy this room. We were surprised to be assigned the Universal Dining Room since we were midship. As you read, we were able to change it easily! You'll enjoy it!

[DOTTE]

Part 9

 

Luggage Express / Debarkation Day: This is very detailed but should be really helpful for those wishing to use the program.

 

 

Glad to hear that they have this now on the Destiny...when we were on her in Oct 07 I don't think they had it...It's always been a hassle in San Juan airport...sounds like it's a breeze now...I hope they still have this when we go on the Victory in Oct 09.

[DOTTE]

By the way, great review and pictures...Before I hit submit reply button before I had planned.

[Queen B1]

I would bet that it will still be available. It does seem to be growing in popularity at many of the ports. In fact, as of last spring, US Air didn't participate in Luggage Express on the Destiny. Sometime between then and now, the airline jumped on the bandwagon! I'm so glad that they did!

[Stacey779]

Stacey779 - I would get there around 11:00. Even if you have to wait, you will have access to the chairs, air conditioning, and restrooms. You can even enjoy the "rum" while you're there. If it hadn't been for the computer glitch, we would have boarded fairly early.

 

Sounds like a plan! Thanks! :D

[TanIslandGirl]

:) Great review.... The pictures are beautiful, I'm so glad to hear the ship met your expectations. We sail on The Destiny in February and I can't wait.

[Queen B1]

TanIslandGirl - Thanks so much! I know you'll love the Destiny as much as we did!

[gail811]

Thanks for the review...your pictures are beautiful! I am interested in St. Kitts and St. Lucia; did you venture out on your own or take tours? These will be new ports for us and there is not as much information out there as there is on the western and eastern ports of call. Any tips would be appreciated!