CruiseMates' Readers Cruise Reviews

We chose the Carnival Destiny for our honeymoon because we liked the ports of call and the fact that a room with a balcony was within our budget because 60% of the rooms on this magnificent ship have them. This was my 3rd cruise with Carnival and the first for my new husband.

We could have done our airfare separately and possibly gotten a better deal, but we chose the Fly Aweigh Plan because all transfers were included and Carnival will make sure you make it to the ship and/or home if there are any problems with the airlines. We were booked on Continental and had paid for deviations to get straight through flights, but we met some people onboard who were booked, through the Fly Aweigh, on American Airlines for the return flight home during the recent strike and Carnival arranged hotel accommodations for them until they could get flights out of Miami.

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We left Houston IAH at 7:50am and arrived at Miami at 11:05am. We were met at the airport baggage claim area by Carnival representatives who led us to the trucks that would take our luggage to the ship. We were then instructed to return to the baggage claim area where we would wait until the buses came to pick us up. Our bus driver was very nice, funny and asked for tips before the end of the ride. Even though our ticket stated gratuities were included, we tipped him because he made the ride amusing. Thanks to the Fly Aweigh Program we did not have to reclaim our luggage & deal with porters.

Embarkation:
Relatively easy even though there were hundreds of people lined up. The staff knew what they were doing and processed the papers quickly. Then we proceeded to a new line to wait to get on the ship. We were handed a blue map of the ship as we boarded and found our way to our cabin by 12:30pm. Our luggage was delivered to our room by 6:00pm.

Cabins:
The cabin was very nice and larger than the one I had been in on the Fantasy. There were lots of storage space (closets & drawers) and the suitcases fit nicely under the bed. The shower was a nice size, again, larger than on the Fantasy. There is plenty of storage space in the wall cabinet for everything and there is a clothes line in the shower. There is a towel bar inside the shower, one on the back of the bathroom door and another above the commode. Carnival provides bars of soap, but not shampoo and conditioner. I had been emailing a couple from Washington State who would be on the ship with us and they had our cabin decorated with streamers and balloons through the Carnival Bon Voyage Program. Thanks again, Jeff and Nancy! Our balcony was small but we loved it! We were on the right side of the ship and it was great standing on our own balcony to wave goodbye to the other ships in port as we left Miami and watch as we pulled into each port.

The interactive TV was absolutely fantastic! We ordered our excursions the first night to insure we got the ones we wanted. We also kept a check on our Sail & Sign balance, which I highly recommend doing. We had two charges from the Solar Bar on the Lido Deck appear on our bill that did not belong to us. We notified the Pursers Desk and were told it would be investigated and corrected by Saturday, which it was. However; had we not reconciled our account each day and notified them of the error the amount would have been automatically charged to our credit card on the last day, a total of $81.53! We played slots on Funvision (in-cabin casino) and won $50 our first day at sea.

Crew:
The Destiny crew was great! Of course, there was the occasional problem child and they seemed to concentrate at the Information (Pursers) Desk. But, I'm sure they get thousands of questions a day and that would tend to take the smile off anyones face. Our cabin steward, Antonio, knew our names by the 2nd day and kept us amused with his towel animal creations each night. He even joked with us a bit when we stayed in bed nearly all day Wednesday, our second day at sea', after experiencing the margaritas at Carlos & Charlies in Cozumel and then partying on the Lido Deck Tuesday night. Corey Schmidt, the Cruise Director, is absolutely fantastic and deserves a raise!

Ports of Call Excursions & Shopping:

COZUMEL: We took the Beginners Scuba excursion. The instructors made sure we understood the equipment we would be using, all the hand signals and exactly what to do if we had any problems before we started into the deeper water and then kept a check on each one of us throughout the entire time. We loved it and are planning on taking classes to get our certifications so we can go on a REAL dive the next time we go to the islands. After the excursion we went back to the ship for lunch then got a taxi to Chankanaab Park ($7 for 4 people). The park was not mentioned during the port of call talk, but it's a DON'T MISS in Cozumel if you like to snorkel or sunbathe. The admission to the park is $7 per person and you can rent snorkel equipment there for $5 per person. There is a bath house with fresh water showers and lockers for rent for $2. You can also swim with the dolphins for $110 per person or have a dolphin encounter for $55 per person. We didn't do either but our friends did the encounter and loved it. You can get a picture of the dolphin kissing you on the cheek, but, of course, for a fee. We took pictures of several wild iguanas resting under a tree on our way out of the park.

We returned to the ship and dressed for shopping and a visit to Carlos & Charlies. The taxi ride to the downtown area was only $4 for 4 people. Strange, as it was further downtown than to Chankanaab, only in the opposite direction. You can get some fairly good deals in Cozumel if you're willing to bargain. My husband is a lot better at this than I am. He got a very nice onyx chess set for $12. His before bargaining price was $60!

GRAND CAYMAN: We took the Stingray City Sandbar Tour aboard the Sundancer. After the tender ride to shore we were taken by bus to the boat and then a 15 minute ride to a sandbar where the stingrays were. It was absolutely amazing how gentle these intimidating creatures are. They were compared to cats because they rub up against you looking for food and affection. It's a definite don't miss once-in-a-lifetime experience! Word of advice - buy underwater cameras before you leave home. We got ours on sale and paid around $5 each. They are sold on the ship and on the tours for $20.00. The tour photographer also took pictures and sold them for $10 each. He had a computer screen set up on the boat so you could see the picture before he printed it.

After the excursion we returned to the ship to change and grab a bite to eat. We went back down to catch the next tender and was very disappointed when it left without re-boarding. by the time we got back on shore we only had about an hour to shop since we had to be back on the ship by 4:00pm and the wait for the next tender and ride took about 30 minutes. If you plan on buying any of the Tortuga rum make sure you make your purchase early in the day as it has to be delivered to the ship. The duty-free store owners won't let you take it with you. And even if they did, it would be taken when you re-board and held until the last day. (Yes, they really take it) You can, however, buy and keep the Tortuga Rum cakes and candy.

OCHO RIOS: This is the most beautiful of the three ports! Lush green hills and beautiful scenery. We took the Jamaican Queen, Party Boat and Dunn's River Fall tour. The tour was supposed to take us around the island but there had been a storm the night before and the water was very rough. We tourist took a vote and decided to go directly to the falls and spend more time there instead of fighting the waves. Very strong rum punch drinks were handed out as soon as we were out on the water and this tour started at 9:30am!! The falls are GORGEOUS and even though the 900 ft climb is a little rough at times, it's worth the effort! Another don't miss attraction of the islands!! The falls guides stop at various points on the way to the top for picture taking. Be prepared to get wet, in fact, they pretty much insist on it. As they say, "You've got to experience it ALL to experience IT at all." The ride back to the ship was fun, we were bouncing on the waves, the Jamaican music was playing and the rum punch drinks were splashing everywhere!

After returning to the port we went shopping! We had the taxi ($3 per person) drop us off at the shopping area closest to the craft market. Our drivers name was Scotty and he was hilarious! He asked what time we would be wanting to return to the ship and was there early to take us back. So, ask for him by name when you go! We bought the rum cream we'd heard so much about then crossed the street to the market. This is where you can get the best deals but you have to be willing to bargain for them. We crossed the street back to the meeting place where Scotty picked us up and returned to the ship with our new acquired treasures.

Shows:
We loved all the shows that we saw. The dancers are fantastic and the magician is funny as well as magical! I made a point to sit as close to the stage as possible during the comedy acts because I love to take part! I was never let down, both managed to pick on my new husband! He loved it though and I'm hoping that he'll be included on the Video Diary tape we purchased.

Casino & Games:
We loved playing bingo and I even won the last game pot of $200 on Saturday! After that we moved on to the casino where I hit another $66 and my husband won $166! I know they weren't big wins, but a win is a win! We didn't play any of the table games, only slots.

Food:
We had late dining in the Galaxy Dining Room, table 217 near the galley. The food was very good and there was a variety to choose from. The hot food was served hot and the cold was served cold. Our waiter, Elmer, was great. My husband asked for ice tea the first night and I asked for lemon slices for my water. They were brought without being asked for every night thereafter. We only ate dinner in the dining room and breakfast and lunch were always in the Sun & Sea or on the Lido deck. We were not disappointed with the selection or quality of the food at any time. The grille, especially the grilled chicken sandwich, and 24 hour pizzeria are to die for and have been greatly missed since we returned home! We also took advantage of the 24 hour room service on a regular basis. Lunch and especially late at night when we wanted to relax on our balcony and cookies and brownies hit the spot! The brownies are the same ones they sell at the Cafe on the Way ... just day old (still VERY yummy)!

Disembarkation:
Our return flight was at 12:00 noon and the night before we received V.I.P. tags for our luggage. This would insure that our luggage would be put in a separate area of the warehouse so we would be able to find it and get to the airport in time to make our flight. Everyone with these tags were told to meet in the Point After Disco and wait until the ship had been cleared. This, I think, would be a much faster process if non-Americans would follow the instructions about reporting to immigrations for processing. There were two people whose names were announced at least every 5 minutes for over an hour and a half. After the ship had been cleared we were led to the warehouse where our luggage was. Porters were available with dollies to help take luggage to the buses which would take us to the airport. After arriving at the airport we reclaimed our luggage and then checked it with the Sky Cap outside the airport in the same area where we began.

Before our cruise we had read many of the reviews which said the ship was so large and there were so many people that you never saw the same person twice. NOT TRUE! We saw the same people over and over again! The ship is very large and there were parts that we never saw but, the way I see it, there'll be something new for me to see the next time! Only, I will make sure I get a room mid-ship. Ours was on the front, Empress Deck, room 7111, just under the bridge and the last two nights of the cruise were VERY rough. There were times I would have sworn the entire front end of the ship was coming out of the water and slamming down again. However, I would DEFINITELY cruise on the Carnival Destiny again and definitely get a balcony. I think it's worth the extra money to be able to slip away to be alone with your someone special and still enjoy the ocean sights and sounds. I highly recommend Carnival and the Carnival Destiny to anyone wanting to have a fun-filled vacation on the water!