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Carnival Destiny Review 2/9/09 - 2/14/09

alphakitty

By alphakitty,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Carnival Destiny

2/9/2009 – 2/14/2009 – Miami, Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; Day at Sea; Miami, Florida

 

Pre-cruise

We flew into Fort Lauderdale the day before our cruise and took the Go Shuttle to our hotel in Miami. We took a town car, express to Miami for $80 for the two of us. Shared rides are also available for $21 per person, but can take a lot longer to get to your destination as there are several stops along the way to drop off others. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown, Port of Miami. This is a nice hotel, clean and the location to the cruise port is great. Across the street from the hotel is the Bayside Marketplace. It is an outdoor mall with many shops and restaurants. We had dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. When we checked into the hotel, I was surprised to learn that I’d been chosen as Priority Club (Holiday Inn rewards club), member of the day. The award came with a nice upgrade in room and a coupon for $25.00 towards breakfast in the hotel restaurant. This vacation was starting out well.

 

Embarkation – We took a taxi to the port which cost $10. We met another couple on a roll call and had dinner with them the night before. We also shared a cab ride to the ship. We left the hotel at 10:30AM for the 5 minute ride to the ship. We were checked in right away and given a zone ticket for boarding. A few minutes later they called us to board. We were on the lido deck having lunch before 11:30. Carnival’s new terminal in Miami is very nice. Since we were so early, we did not experience any lines, it was a very easy embarkation. As we were unpacking, I noticed I’d forgotten my white noise machine at the hotel. Oh no!!! I really need this to sleep. It was less than an hour to sail away and I really thought the situation was hopeless. My husband went to the Purser for help and they went right into action. The hotel was called and a good soul there drove over quickly with the equipment. We were not allowed to leave the ship as it was too late, but the Purser went outside to meet the hotel employee and collect my machine. Both were tipped well for their effort. Thank you to Holiday Inn and Carnival for being so proactive in helping us with this situation.

 

Destiny – The ship recently underwent a refurbishment and it was looking good. A new large movie screen was installed on the Lido deck. We had a balcony cabin, #6250 on the Upper Deck, midship near the elevators. It was a good location. The room is large enough with plenty of closet space. The bathroom was small as expected, but the shower was surprisingly roomy. The shower also has a small clothesline, great for hanging wet bathing suits, and a dispenser for shower gel and shampoo. The ship offers many venues for food including the buffet, two dining rooms with an upper and lower level. A Deli and Chinese food are also options as is 24 hour pizza and soft serve ice cream and yogurt. 24 hour room service is available as well. The atmosphere on board was really nice. Our fellow passengers were a good bunch. I did not witness one incident of rude, obnoxious behavior or drunkenness. We organized a Meet & Greet on our roll call and we had a good group show up. There was the usual chair hogging by the pool, but many deck chairs are available elsewhere on upper decks. The aft pool and the two whirlpool tubs are designated as Adults Only and I’m happy to report this was enforced by security.

 

After lunch and exploring the ship, we did the required muster drill and went to our balcony with our new friends Neva and Joe for sail away out of Miami. It is really a pretty skyline and a very nice sail away. Even the Coast Guard escort looked happy.

 

We went to dinner every night in the dining room. Our servers were wonderful. Some of the memorable dishes were sweet and sour shrimp, beef short ribs that were so tender they melted in your mouth, the roasted pumpkin soup, fried mozzarella for appetizers. I enjoyed the food and the menu is good and varied. One night I had the flat iron steak cooked to perfection, which is on the alternative menu every night. I was too full for dessert most nights, but did have the Grand Marnier soufflé on our last night as it is one of my favorite desserts.

 

Nassau – We debated staying on the ship in Nassau as we’ve been here many times, but we did venture off with our new friends in search of an adventure. We took the #10 jitney bus and headed out to Arawak Cay, know to the locals as the “Fish Fry”. It is a 5 minute bus ride or a 30 minute walk. This little “neighborhood” is a row of the pastel-color waterside shacks that offer local cuisine. We had the ever popular conch fritters and some grilled shrimp. I also enjoyed a fruity rum punch while we watched a man knock coconuts off the palm tree from the open second floor porch where we sat. He then split them with a machete and offered them to passing tourists and locals alike with a straw. It was an interesting show. After lunch, we walked over to the quiet beach next to Arawak and sat and enjoyed the view of the ships and the beautiful blue water. We hopped on the bus back to the downtown area and sought out an internet café. People are so helpful and friendly here….we were discussing where to find one among ourselves when a local man painting a building asked ..”What are you looking for?” We told him and he happily directed us right up Frederick Street, just off Bay Street, to Post Boxes, Etc., where we paid 10 cents a minute to send emails and surf the internet. It was a short walk back to the ship where we spent the rest of our day relaxing by the pool.

 

Half Moon Cay – Wow!!! What a beautiful, peaceful place. The water here is so pretty…the beach sand is like walking in powdered sugar. This is a tender port. We rented a Cabana for the day, sharing the cost ($225), with another couple. 4 are allowed for that price, after that it is $50 per person. We got in line at the Shore Excursions desk before the 12:00 noon opening on embarkation day to reserve. After getting off the tender, there is a tram to take you to your cabana. The price included 6 soda pops of our choice in a cooler full of ice, 2 large bottles of water, a vegetable tray, a bag of tortilla chips along with ranch dip, sour cream, salsa, guacamole and a plate of 6 oranges. We also had 4 float mats, 4 sets of snorkel equipment, air conditioning, a mister fan and a fresh water outdoor shower. The cabana has 2 chaise lounges, a round table with four cushioned chairs. There are 15 cabanas available. We choose the “Violet” or #15, the very last cabana in the row. We were right next door to the Red cabana. Bathrooms were a bit of a walk, but not too far. A nice BBQ lunch was served between 11:30 and 1:00 PM which included grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken along with a variety of salads. There were cake like desserts and fresh melons. Iced tea and lemonade were available. Soda and alcoholic beverages were for sale. The tram came back for us at the appointed time for our ride back to the tenders. There was a huge line, but plenty of places to sit and wait it out before heading back to the ship.

 

Grand Turk – We docked here at the Carnival Cruise Center. It is the manufactured spot for the tourists on the ships that dock in Grand Turk. It has many shops and Margaritaville with a nice pool and a Flow Rider. There is a nice beach here with many chairs available. This is just not our cup of tea and so we walked out of the cruise center and got in a cab for a mini island tour. We asked to be dropped off at the Bohio Dive Resort. It was a short ride, about 10 minutes away and cost $7.00 per person. The hurricane damage from Ike in September is still very apparent. The Bohio has a nice beach, bar, restaurant, bathrooms, chairs and snorkel equipment for rent and few people. We snorkeled here off the beach where we swam out about 300 yards to a rock ledge with some coral and lots of fish. There are wild horses roaming the island too. The beach is really beautiful with lots of conch shells washed up on shore. We asked our cab driver to return at a set time and he was there very promptly. We did a little souvenir shopping at the cruise center and returned to the ship for sail away.

 

Our last day was a day at sea. We went to breakfast in the dining room today as I wanted Eggs Benedict. I am giving up on having this dish on board as I have never been very satisfied with it. The eggs are too well cooked, hard yolks and the Hollandaise sauce is not at all creamy. It seems it sits under a heat lamp and gets a crust on top and dries out. I do enjoy the omelets on the buffet for breakfast and/or eggs cooked to order at the omelet station. The croissants are also delicious. After breakfast, we headed up to deck 10, one deck above the pool to get a little more sun. We attended a trivia game later in the day and also spent a few dollars in the casino. Before dinner we watched a movie in our room and read out on the balcony. We enjoyed the early show, Nightclub Express and our tablemates thought it was "fantastic". We also spent some time in the piano bar with Brad ..his late night show is very bawdy and fun! Very relaxing day.

 

Debarkation was super easy. We had breakfast and then waited in our room for our call. We did self debark, meaning we took all our luggage with us. We find this easier than looking for our luggage on the carousels after debarking. We were called to leave at around 8:30 and walked right off with little line. We rented a car for the drive to Fort Lauderdale as we had a later flight. (3:30PM) We rented from Dollar/Thrifty and they provided a shuttle to the off airport site for rental. I also saw Alamo and Hertz shuttles in the port. After renting the car, we drove up A1A to Fort Lauderdale, stopping at the beach for a short walk. We were looking for lunch on Route 1 when our noses found it! We both smelled some good BBQ and drove around till we found it! If you are ever in Fort Lauderdale and looking for lunch I highly recommend trying out Tom Jenkins Bar-B-Q at 1236 South Federal Hwy. (Route 1). The smoked ribs meal was to die for….it was a great way to end a wonderful vacation. The food here made me so happy!

 

Photos here: http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b276/alphakitty/Carnival%20Destiny%20cruise/

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cindyz12

cindyz12

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Thanks for the great review and pictures. Our group will be on the Destiny in April and review and pictures gave us even more incite on what to expect. Can't wait for April to get here I think this will be a great cruise with some wonderful friends.

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Steve-N-Steph

Steve-N-Steph

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alpha kitty - maybe you could answer a few questions.

 

1. Is the sign and sail card the room key?

2. Is there a refridgerator in the balcony rooms?

3. Did you see a basketball court on the ship?

4. Do they show your sign and sail charges on your television in the room?

 

Thanks!

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Thanks for the review....will be sailing her in 60 days woohoo cant wait...

 

Did you happen to hear how much the oasis cabana was on HMC? I think it was quoted at $1200...for 12 people..not bad really...I know it includes private chef for lunch and a hot tub....great perks! :)

Thanks

 

Linda

 

alpha kitty - maybe you could answer a few questions.

 

1. Is the sign and sail card the room key? yes

2. Is there a refridgerator in the balcony rooms? no

3. Did you see a basketball court on the ship? Changed answer...hubby says yes, there was one.

4. Do they show your sign and sail charges on your television in the room? no

 

Thanks!

 

Always happy to help. :)

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tess2cruz

tess2cruz

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Always happy to help. :)

 

Unfortunetly, the $1200 for 12 people on the Oasis, seems to be for HAL. In my research I can't find anyone that rented it through Carnival, and on the Shore Excursions link on Carnival . com, it says for 10 people but no price listed. Getting frustrating trying to get an answer:eek:

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Thanks for the wonderful review! Myself and 3 girlfriends will be doing this same itinerary April 20 (Girls Only cruise) Could you please tell me what night was "cruise elegant" night? Thanks!

 

The elegant night was on the second night of the cruise.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Unfortunetly, the $1200 for 12 people on the Oasis, seems to be for HAL. In my research I can't find anyone that rented it through Carnival, and on the Shore Excursions link on Carnival . com, it says for 10 people but no price listed. Getting frustrating trying to get an answer:eek:

 

Sorry Tess wish I could be of more help...I do remember seeing it advertised on the Shore Excursions listings shown on the TV.

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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I am pretty sure you can see your S&S charges on the TV using your folio number? Is this not available on all Carnival ships? or just some?

 

It is not available on all ships Froufie :) I will add though that we did get a statement half way through the cruise.

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tess2cruz

tess2cruz

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Thanks for the wonderful review! Myself and 3 girlfriends will be doing this same itinerary April 20 (Girls Only cruise) Could you please tell me what night was "cruise elegant" night? Thanks!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=881097

 

 

Come on over to the roll call thread and introduce yourself. Our group has a couple of cabins with girls only shacking up for the week!! And if you like to party, you really want to know us:rolleyes:

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tess2cruz

tess2cruz

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I am pretty sure you can see your S&S charges on the TV using your folio number? Is this not available on all Carnival ships? or just some?

 

I remember for sure we could on the Elation, NOT on the Legend, pretty sure not on the Destiny. Guess it isn't fleet wide. Good question for the boards. :D

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laurierocs

laurierocs

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Alphakitty,

 

A question about your cabana...did you like #15, was there any shade from trees? Did you have a hammock? Was there another cabana that looked like a better location? How long did you have to wait in line to get the cabana?

 

Also, did you say you had a refrigerator in the room?

 

Thanks, great review! Thanks for posting!

 

Laurie

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Alphakitty,

 

A question about your cabana...did you like #15, was there any shade from trees? Did you have a hammock? Was there another cabana that looked like a better location? How long did you have to wait in line to get the cabana?

 

Also, did you say you had a refrigerator in the room?

 

Thanks, great review! Thanks for posting!

 

Laurie

 

Hi Laurie :)

 

Yes, we liked #15 a lot! It was definitely a much quieter spot on the beach, being so far down from the main area. We did not have a hammock, I think the hammocks started with #12. They all look good. We did have some shade from trees, but it depends on the time of day...morning was more shade, when the sun came around in afternoon, there was less. Cabana provided shade too and the A/C was nice. We got to the Shore Excursion desk about 11:30 and it opened at noon.

 

We did not have a fridge in our room. There was one in the Cabana though. :)

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