Carnival Destiny Review; B2B 20th Anniversary Cruise

[PaulMedik]

amen, brother, amen. you're speaking my language there...

 

LOL, anyhow, paul, i've been looking forward to your review... i've enjoyed your past reviews, and am particularly pleased since this one was a B2B on my other favorite ship...

 

i can't pick, so i decided they're tied, for now

 

 

 

btw, very cool

 

i'll be on the lookout for him next time!

 

Mark,

 

I bet many of us have sailed with him, we now have to start looking for him because he is there!

 

 

Happy Anniversary. I enjoy your reviews. Thank you for posting them.

 

boaterette,

 

Thank you.

 

 

Hey Paul, congrats on the anniversary, and thanks for posting the review with the pictures!

 

We are cruising on Destiny in January, so I will be following along intently.

 

DarthGrady,

 

You will enjoy her. I believe Brent will still be on in January too; he is EVERYWHERE!

 

 

Pual,

You mentioned that a Empress Deck mid ship suite was not to your liking. I was curious why, just personal preference? or is there something else?

 

My wife & I are taking the exact same B2B on the Destiny in March. We also have an empress deck suite, room 7215 to be exact

 

Thanks for the great review looking froward to the rest.

 

rmlow,

 

Totally personal preference based on what we are most familiar with; Panorama balconies and aft wraps. We've never sailed mid ship before and we were as mid ship as could be. The seas were VERY calm so the movement we were used to simply was non existant. I swear our house moves more than that ship did.

 

I don't have a good reason for why we didn't book a 9A aft wrap. For some reason I planned all along to book last minute and we simply ended up in a mid ship suite hoping for an upgrade to a more expensive but lower category than we were in. Our logic was very flawed. :o

[manmtnmike]

Paul,

We're doing BACK 2 BACK --Destiny

1/21/10-4 and 1/25/10-5

 

Who we're the main cover bands in the lounges?

 

Great review!!!!

 

Mike

[Oakman]

GREAT REVIEW so far and Welcome Home!!! Just viewed all the photos in your album, and it looks like you and Karen had an excellent adventure. By the way, when did you decide to shave the mustache and goatee ? I feel like I follow in your footsteps, as we are going on the Destiny in December. I might as well book the Dream now, and be done with it!!!

[hill6]

Great review so far. We leave on the Destiny in 16 days and I can't wait.

[sharecruises]

 

 

 

While we were eating Karen received texts from the boys and had to tell them what we were eating. They know our routine and knew we would be eating;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 20th Paul and Karen!

 

Thanks for the great review...I was just on Destiny Sept 3 and then we had the lifejackets...so that is a good new change

 

Love your review...but I sort of miss your Boys....

this is just too funny ...they texted Karen to find out what you guys were eating?? I have loved your other reviews, your family is beautiful

 

One thing that amazes me in your family reviews tho is the amount of food your guys can handle LOL

I am still laughing at the thought of them texting her about that haha

 

(and hey you did say that you almost save money on a cruise without buying groceries for your guys lol...maybe you should have sent them on the Imagination with the baby sitters haha....save on your food bills)

 

IMHO Cahill should pay you, Falcor and Cele-brat and a few others to put your fantstastic reviews on the Carnival site...now that would be a nice side job Huh??

[gypsyrose]

Congrats on 20 years!! I have been anxiously awaiting your review. Let it be as long as you want. I love it!!

[gypsyrose]

I had to also add that I would miss the pics of your adorable boys though.

[SueG]

Wonderful pictures!! I was hoping to see a few shots of me doing the flowrider since my camera battery died right when I went on. The flowrider was definitely a good time.

 

I see my daughter and I were in the cabana next to yours. We were number seven. That was my birthday and I was in so much pain that day. I got an abscess tooth while on board and thursday and Friday I went down for the count. I stilled stayed all day on HMC though. It was so relaxing there. My child spent the whole day playing in the sand and in the water. She loved it there also.

 

I'm so glad you took so many pictures. It brought back a ton of wonderful memories.

[PaulMedik]

Paul,

 

We're doing BACK 2 BACK --Destiny

1/21/10-4 and 1/25/10-5

 

Who we're the main cover bands in the lounges?

 

Great review!!!!

 

Mike

 

 

Mike,

 

Thank you. You chose an excellent ship for B2B!

 

Blood Power was the main band and they played in both the main and aft lounges, cigar bar and out on Lido. There was a Calypso band on Lido, but their name escapes me right now. Several other smaller bands / solo artists were scattered throughout the ship. A solo rock guitarist played in the cigar bar on several occasions and he seemed to just be learning to play guitar?

 

 

GREAT REVIEW so far and Welcome Home!!! Just viewed all the photos in your album, and it looks like you and Karen had an excellent adventure. By the way, when did you decide to shave the mustache and goatee ? I feel like I follow in your footsteps, as we are going on the Destiny in December. I might as well book the Dream now, and be done with it!!!

 

Oakman,

 

Thank you.

 

I shaved it off at the end of July while camping at Myrtle Beach. I was unable to get a good seal on snorkel masks and had to wear a mask quite a bit at work by then and needed a better seal.

 

I'd sure like to retrace my steps and do them all again!

 

Great review so far. We leave on the Destiny in 16 days and I can't wait.

 

hill6,

 

Thank you.

[PaulMedik]

Happy 20th Paul and Karen!

 

Thanks for the great review...I was just on Destiny Sept 3 and then we had the lifejackets...so that is a good new change

 

Love your review...but I sort of miss your Boys....

this is just too funny ...they texted Karen to find out what you guys were eating?? I have loved your other reviews, your family is beautiful

 

One thing that amazes me in your family reviews tho is the amount of food your guys can handle LOL

I am still laughing at the thought of them texting her about that haha

 

(and hey you did say that you almost save money on a cruise without buying groceries for your guys lol...maybe you should have sent them on the Imagination with the baby sitters haha....save on your food bills)

 

IMHO Cahill should pay you, Falcor and Cele-brat and a few others to put your fantstastic reviews on the Carnival site...now that would be a nice side job Huh??

 

sharecruises,

 

Thank you.

 

I missed and didn't miss the not having to wear life jackets. It's a great change, but at the same time it was part of cruising that is gone now.

 

The amount of food we eat has finally caught up with us! You will notice we're carrying a lot of extra weight; I packed on 20 extra pounds in the two months prior on top of the 25 extra I was packing already. It really is a close call for saving on groceries while cruising!

 

Cruising as a side job would be GREAT!

 

Congrats on 20 years!! I have been anxiously awaiting your review. Let it be as long as you want. I love it!!

 

I had to also add that I would miss the pics of your adorable boys though.

 

gypsyrose,

 

Thank you.

 

We missed taking pics of them and seeing them enjoy the places we visited. It has been fun showing them pictures and telling them about the experience though.

 

Wonderful pictures!! I was hoping to see a few shots of me doing the flowrider since my camera battery died right when I went on. The flowrider was definitely a good time.

 

I see my daughter and I were in the cabana next to yours. We were number seven. That was my birthday and I was in so much pain that day. I got an abscess tooth while on board and thursday and Friday I went down for the count. I stilled stayed all day on HMC though. It was so relaxing there. My child spent the whole day playing in the sand and in the water. She loved it there also.

 

I'm so glad you took so many pictures. It brought back a ton of wonderful memories.

 

SueG,

 

Thank you.

 

Our Cabana was number 15 at the far end but we tended to roam around quite a bit until the rain came. Karen slept through most of the rain while I soaked up the water! It was amusing to see the beach empty and all those people get soaked tendering back to the ship. I bet they got wetter than anyone who stayed on shore. :D

 

Did the seawater help your abscess? It should have made it better.

 

I have more Flowrider pics that I will post to see if you're in any of them. From the angle where we were we could just get pics as people entered the flow and were tossed to the top. The people watching at the front blurred most of the pics of people actually on the flowrider when I'd try to focus.

[whendoweleave?]

Love your reviews! :) You, Mark (falkcor), fofita and Celebrat have inspired me! I've only been on one cruise (last fall on the Holiday), but am heading on 2 more within the next five months and I plan to do reviews! :) I just love a good picture review, whether I'll ever be on that ship or go to that port or not! I've finally found a subject I NEVER grow tired of reading about or looking at pictures of! :eek::D

 

And congrats on the 20 years! My hubby and I just got to 20 this summer and that's part of the reason for our cruise in January. He's never been....I SO HOPE he loves it as much as I do so we can keep it up! We're taking our boys (18, 16, and 11) in March for Spring Break! Can't wait for that! :D

 

Thanks again for taking the time to do this!

--Julie

[pmoniz]

Paul - First off - happy anniversary! Was patiently awaiting your review and it's finally here!! I love it! Can't wait to read more! We will be sailing on our first B2B on the Destiny in May and can't wait! Thanks for all the great info!

 

Paula

[hill6]

I agree about missing the life jackets with the drill but in this day of communicable stuff (Noro and N1H1) it may be the best move to also stave off those things and lord only know how many people had them on before and blew into the whistle.

[PaulMedik]

Love your reviews! You, Mark (falkcor), fofita and Celebrat have inspired me! I've only been on one cruise (last fall on the Holiday), but am heading on 2 more within the next five months and I plan to do reviews! I just love a good picture review, whether I'll ever be on that ship or go to that port or not! I've finally found a subject I NEVER grow tired of reading about or looking at pictures of!

 

And congrats on the 20 years! My hubby and I just got to 20 this summer and that's part of the reason for our cruise in January. He's never been....I SO HOPE he loves it as much as I do so we can keep it up! We're taking our boys (18, 16, and 11) in March for Spring Break! Can't wait for that!

 

Thanks again for taking the time to do this!

--Julie

 

 

Julie,

 

Thank you.

 

I will be looking for your reviews. It sounds like the cruise bug has bitten you and the only salve is more and more and more! Be sure and have your camera ready when your husband and then when your sons first board the ships. That's always a special moment that you will remember and want to share the most.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have sailed from most Florida ports, but Miami has always been our favorite for sail away. I don't know it it's the scenery or the familiarity of having seen it so many times in person, in reviews, or on TV shows like CSI Miami, but for some reason Miami sailaways are the ones I always remember the most.

 

 

As I am taking pictures during sailaway and throughout our cruise, it is hard to remember to maintain the perspective of where you are and who you are with instead of focusing on the scenery around the ship. I tried to focus on where we were in relation to what was around us as much as possible.

 

I spent countless hours scouring the internet for pictures of the new Spa balcony cabins when Valor first got hers. On Destiny I had four days to get as many pics as I desired from the outside then five days after that to get pics from inside (We had a Spa balcony for the second cruise) ;

 

 

As this picture demonstrates, people can look down on to Spa balcony areas, but it wasn't as bad as I expected;

 

 

I have a lot of pics with this view angle over Karen's shoulder;

 

 

South Beach! ;

 

 

I don't know the girl in blue who was beside us, but hopefully she won't mind that I share pictures of her. As you can see, I stepped back a lot to get pics with on board perspective;

 

[PaulMedik]

Paul - First off - happy anniversary! Was patiently awaiting your review and it's finally here!! I love it! Can't wait to read more! We will be sailing on our first B2B on the Destiny in May and can't wait! Thanks for all the great info!

 

Paula

 

 

Paula,

 

Thank you.

 

 

I agree about missing the life jackets with the drill but in this day of communicable stuff (Noro and N1H1) it may be the best move to also stave off those things and lord only know how many people had them on before and blew into the whistle.

 

hill6,

 

I bet I am not the only one who cringed every time I heard someone blow that whistle; not from the sound, but from the thought of what they were sticking in their mouth!

 

I wonder what the statistics would show in terms of decreased incidence of infections if not for the current increase skewing the results? I know there will be some who would be infected who now won't be simply because of the change in procedures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more over the shoulder;

 

 

I was remembering the Carnival photogs came after South Beach, but as this picture clearly shows, my memory was wrong! The Carnival photog caught us during the 180 turn at the end of the channel instead of after South Beach (maybe the second one was after SOBE?) ;

 

 

 

Spa balcony for six? ;

 

 

Pilot or as people around us always say 'Somebody must have missed the boat!' ;

 

 

Me;

 

 

 

For some reason I always end up with a lot of pics of aft balconies;

 

[PaulMedik]

When I took this pic, I assumed I would be spending a lot of time in and around the aft pool;

 

 

Our first evening's sunset was dramatic;

 

 

 

 

The entire sky as so vivid I had to try out the Panorama mode;

 

 

[Capette]

Hey Paul:

I just checked out Half Moon Cay from your Webshots. Fantastic shots! I am flying waaaaaay north today because I deserve punishment for the week of sin and sun lol! It took me a while to find my Parka and snow boots last night for trip. A big hello from Steve as well.

[PaulMedik]

 

I am glad Carnival uses glass for their balcony walls and I am glad our steward cleaned the glass every day;

 

 

Johnny cleaned our room while we watched the sunset from our balcony and it was a pleasure to watch him construct this little critter;

 

 

We made a trip to the casino where they returned some of our my previous cruise' casino donations to me;

 

 

We opted for room service dinning on the first evening;

 

 

Our capers for the next day showed an 0730 arrival at Key West. We had a busy day planned for Key West of Jet Skiing so we turned in early;

 

[cjkumbaya]

Great start Paul - happy anniversary! Looking forward to more - thanks for sharing your cruise and photos.

[PaulMedik]

Hey Paul:

I just checked out Half Moon Cay from your Webshots. Fantastic shots! I am flying waaaaaay north today because I deserve punishment for the week of sin and sun lol! It took me a while to find my Parka and snow boots last night for trip. A big hello from Steve as well.

 

 

Liz,

 

Your parka and snow boots won't keep you nearly as warm as that Hot water in the torrential rain did! In hindsight, shouldn't we have got together earlier and booked Karen a cabana since she's the only one of the four of us that actually used it for shelter? Why did we rent two cabanas for one person?

 

As you are are all snug in your parka and boots, remember this pic;

 

 

Show the folks waaaaay up Norh this pic and they'll give you a break since you suffered through such terrible Caribbean weather (I wish I had been recording audio for this one because you were hillarious!) ;

 

 

Tell Steve I said Hey as well. You two need to book Dream for April 3 and come do the Western with us. Great ports, great ship and some one along to record the moments!

[mnsawyer]

Fabulous review as always - congrats on your 20th. What was the laundry special that you took a picture of with the KW capers? Looking foward to more of your review! Thanks for sharing as always.

[sharona211]

After seeing your beautiful sunset pics I have to ask if you were on port or starboard side to get that view on the way to Key West?

[jerseygirl79]

The next area of the form required me to lie to avoid seeing the ships doctor immediately upon boarding; the form asks if I or anyone close to me has been in contact with a confirmed H1N1 infected person. I lost count of how many H1N1 infected persons I had been in close contact with. I don't even check anymore to see if they are H1N1 infected after I test them in triage. I prefer not to lie, but in this case it would have been pointless to answer truthfully because I know I have tested more people than the people who would be testing me had tested so why bother? It was nice to see that steps are being taken to protect the cruise population, but health care providers need an exemptive statement so we aren't forced to lie. I did struggle with the answer, but I looked at Karen and she said just choose No, so I did.

 

What do you do for a living?

 

Sometimes it makes sense to listen to your wife!

 

Ahhh....my husband is learning this and we've only been married 5 months, hahahaha :D

[PaulMedik]

Great start Paul - happy anniversary! Looking forward to more - thanks for sharing your cruise and photos.

 

cjkumbaya,

 

Thank you.

 

Fabulous review as always - congrats on your 20th. What was the laundry special that you took a picture of with the KW capers? Looking foward to more of your review! Thanks for sharing as always.

 

mnsawyer,

 

Thank you.

 

The laundry special was $15 per bag.

 

 

After seeing your beautiful sunset pics I have to ask if you were on port or starboard side to get that view on the way to Key West?

 

Sharona211,

 

Starboard. Red sky at night sailors delight as the saying goes. This trip proved that saying to be spot on! We had great weather and the most smooth seas I've ever seen.

 

 

 

 

When we woke up the next morning we were approaching Key West. It was still too dark to get any pics so I enjoyed the view then went back to sleep. When I woke up again we were docked;

 

 

Pasengers were already exiting the ship, but since the Jet Ski tours we had planned didn't start until 0930, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast;

 

 

It takes a lot of food to maintain my round shape;

 

 

The seas around Key West were alive with reflections from the sky;

 

 

Karen checking out the Navy Pier;

 

 

We weren't the only ones roaming around the ship getting pics;

 

[PaulMedik]

What do you do for a living?

 

 

 

Ahhh....my husband is learning this and we've only been married 5 months, hahahaha :D

 

 

jerseygirl79,

 

I work in an ER. I mostly work triage which is the person who assesses you when you first enter. Normally we do not perform lab tests in triage, but with H1N1 we now test everyone with any flu like symptom whether that is what they are there for or not. The high volume of ER patients prevents segregation of symptomatic patients, but it enables us to get them discharged quicker when the main thing they are there for is to find out if they have the flu or just a cold. Ideally we would just tell them to go home and treat their symptoms, but we follow whatever current CDC guidelines happen to be at the moment. As of two weeks ago they were recommending routine testing again and recommending people stay home if they have symptoms. Such recommendations fly in the face of logic because they suggest one thing and advocate the opposite. :rolleyes:

 

Congrats on your first five months! I can honestly say after twenty years it still feels like five months and feels like forever at the same time. It's hard to explain. :o