Carnival Destiny Review; B2B 20th Anniversary Cruise

[PaulMedik]

I noticed many people on Destiny would run into the Lions on the stairway and wondered how many had Lion imprints on their hips. I managed to avoid hitting them, but did get a pic just in case;

 

 

After breakfast we roamed the ship for a while then headed down to the gangway and met the Carnival photogs. (why don't we remember to put our sunglasses on befor our pics?) ;

 

 

We noticed they had a second photog, but didn't know what they were doing until later. Karen's turned out OK, but mine looked like somebody just smacked me in the face so we tossed it in the pic recycle bin;

 

 

Here you can see the second photogs;

 

 

We had about twenty minutes to wait for our Jet Ski excursion was scheduled to start so we got a few pics of the pier area;

 

 

Here's the boothe right on the pier where our 28 mile Jet Ski tour around Key West was to begin;

 

[PaulMedik]

At 0930 we had our life jackets on and were on the Jet Ski boarding area waiting for our tour to begin. Twenty minutes later it was suggested that we should wait over in the shaded area of the pier. Just a few minutes after that we heard three different versions from three different employees as to why our tour had not left yet. We finally heard the truth and the truth was that our guide was KeyWasted somewhere and they had nobody to replace him. Everyone in our group then proceded back to the rental hut to retrieve our belongings and secure refunds.

 

The rental hut on the pier is staffed by two people. One female who handles the cash or credit transactions and secures personal affects and one male who does the talking. The male talker seemed to think we were in a mood to listen to talking instead of quick resolution and seemed surprized when it was suggested that he get his A$$ in gear and get in the hut and give us all of our belongings back. When I am on vacation I am very relaxed and easy going. When something or someone lazy stands in the way of my relaxation I do tend to get less relaxed. After speaking with the male talker he entered the hut and attempted to give me everything in the hut other than what they were holding for me. He was a little upset from being brought back to reality and I guess he was somewhat flustered.

 

Eventually everyone had their possessions back and everyone declined offers to return for the 1130 tour. It took considerable will power to walk away politely, but I did manage it. Several in our group commented to him that he just blew several thousand dollars.

 

Our time in Key West was 0730 - 1400 and a two hour tour that starts at 1130 and ends at 1330 was not an option I would consider. Ending a private tour at the exact time we were to be back on board was not our idea of relaxing. Taking that tour with someone who could not drag himself out of bed for an 0930 tour was not an option either. The male talker suggested it was a different tour guide at 1130, but the Jet Ski wrangler had already told us the truth and that it was the same guide.

 

My advice is to avoid the Jet Ski tour offered on the pier. They are unreliable and three versions of an answer equals at least two lies.

 

Our planned Jet Ski tour was now a bust. Several other tour operators are nearby in Key West, but from what I read their tours also start at 0930 and 1130 so they were not options we could consider.

 

We then set out to see Key West;

 

 

Key West is a very kind to photograhy and opportunities are everywhere;

 

 

There's stuff laying around everywhere that is interesting;

 

 

The natives are friendly but not very talkative;

 

 

Karen tried to hijack a ride, but the guy wouldn't give it up;

 

 

 

[PaulMedik]

I could spend hours watching cigar makers work their magic;

 

 

After a quick circle around Mallory Square and nearby areas we decided to head back to the ship and swap our shoes and swap cameras. I had our underwater camera with me and while it does take good pics, I only carry one battery for it and we were obviously going to need more than one battery.

 

There are interesting sights to see for sure in Key West. I wonder what this place looks like at night? ;

 

 

With our trusty Kodak and better walking shoes we were soon ready to head back out;

 

 

The Little White House;

 

 

ICE Cream;

 

 

After walking a looong way we came to South Beach;

 

 

For those of you who may be curious, yes it is like Miami's South Beach where tops are optional. Sorry, but I did not take any pics of the top optional participants.

[whendoweleave?]

We noticed they had a second photog, but didn't know what they were doing until later. Karen's turned out OK, but mine looked like somebody just smacked me in the face so we tossed it in the pic recycle bin;

 

 

 

I love the idea of a cool, candid shot like that! :) I hope they do that on our upcoming cruises!

 

--Julie

[PaulMedik]

Please note the date displayed on these pics is inaccurate. I changed batteries and must have not noticed the date was wrong.

 

I had to time this picture just right and could not get the whole beach area for a PG rated picture;

 

 

This pic is distant enough to maintain the PG rating;

 

 

 

The obligatory Key West photo spot;

 

 

After walking for miles we ran into a kind Serbian willing to pedal us back to the pier area;

 

 

The trip back was quicker and much easier on our feet;

 

 

It is no wonder that chicken wings are offered at every bar in town. Chickens are everywhere;

 

[PaulMedik]

Again, photops are EVERYWHERE;

 

 

Conch Fritters seemed like a good choice given the abundance of emphasis on Conch in Key West;

 

 

It only took one bite for me to discover that I was a conch lover too;

 

 

This little park appears to be home to many Key Wasted individuals. There's a small gazebo structure that was overflowing with wasted males in various stages of decay;

 

 

I declined the offers of the Key Wasted folks to take our picture for us and opted instead to use a small tripod. I assured them they would take a much needed swim if they attempted to steal our camera;

 

 

I like pics with the ship in the background, but it was simply impossible to get an angle with the water in the background because of the abundance of Key Wasted folks. I would guess our Jet Ski guide was likely among them. This pic was taken with my tripod balanced on top of a pole alongside the pier;

 

[PaulMedik]

 

 

The folks were already lining up to get back on the ship;

 

 

Finally we found an angle with some water in the background without Key Wasted folks in the pic;

 

 

 

As I recall this was the last spot we encountered a Key Wasted wishing to take our pic for us in exchange for a handout (Our tripod did the deed just fine) ;

 

 

I have no problem with being Key Wasted or having a good time while partying to excess. I have no problem with someone adapting a life style of remaining Key Wasted. On this particular day I was disappointed to have had someone's being Key Wasted nearly waste our day in Key West so I was a bit annoyed with the idea.

 

Just to clarify further, the Key Wasted folks were less than a minor annoyance and would have likely gone unnoticed if not for our earlier experience. I wouldn't have let them take pictures of us regardless simply because I do not trust their higeine or the lack thereof. I do not suggest that anyone give them a second thought or be concerned with them harassing you or your party. They were kind enough and kept to themselves.

[PaulMedik]

 

 

A nice touch for Carnival would be to open a VIP reboarding line;

 

 

Once we were back on board we checked for stragglers and noted quite a few;

 

 

I don't think we left anyone behind in Key West;

 

 

 

This looks like a pic of calm water while sitting in port. It is not; it is a typical pic of how calm the seas were throughout our trip! ;

 

[polar_purple]

Paul - thank you so much for your review so far! We're sailing her on 11/21 (western route) and looking forward to hearing that portion of your trip!

 

Question - how long did you have to stand in line to reboard the ship in Key West? Or in Ocho Rios?

[PaulMedik]

Paul - thank you so much for your review so far! We're sailing her on 11/21 (western route) and looking forward to hearing that portion of your trip!

 

Question - how long did you have to stand in line to reboard the ship in Key West? Or in Ocho Rios?

 

polar_purple,

 

The total time from when we entered the back of the line until we were on board in our room taking pics of the line was 14 minutes. Digital cameras area great at recording exact times even when you forget to set them you can count inteverals. ;) When you are actually standing in that line in the hot sun it does seem longer, but 14 minutes is fairly quick.

 

Our Western went to Cozumel instead of Ocho Rios. We've been to Ocho Rios on Victory and Liberty which are both similar in size and reboarding lines were not long at all. The only delay in Ocho Rios is getting through the pier security area, which can sometimes be lengthy depending on the time and how aggressive they are in checking people.

[Cruzin 1025]

Paul - thanks so much for this review. We leave for this same B2B tomorrow. Really getting me in the mood. Although it's not helping me pass these last few hours of work. :D

[biksgirl]

Thanks for the review so far....from the pics looks like you guys had a great time! Happy Anniversary!

 

Oh and I just wanted to point out something. Maybe it's the paranoid banker in me, but we see so much fraud and identity theft, it may not be a good idea to have your full name and signature on such a public board. (page 1, showing your paperwork with the H1N1 questions) I'm not saying anyone on CC would do anything, but you just never know who's looking on these boards. It's up to you if you want to keep the pic up of course, but like I said, as a banker it was the first thing I thought of when I saw that pic! :)

[kerrytens]

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

 

All I can say is fabulous!!! The more aft shots the better since we are in one :D:D Post as many as you want!!

Miriam

PS. Enjoying the review immensely.

[hill6]

 

 

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

 

 

 

We have an aft balcony on deck 8 were you able to see alot of that balcony or was it the lower decks that showed alot?

[ERTHDOG]

paul - superb review sofar

 

now i'm even more bummed that we wont be with you guys on the dream

 

ah well, were still cuising at least, and thats what matters

 

patiently waiting the rest,thanks again

 

dave

[PaulMedik]

Paul - thanks so much for this review. We leave for this same B2B tomorrow. Really getting me in the mood. Although it's not helping me pass these last few hours of work.

 

 

Cruzin 1025,

 

Thank you. I'd love to have our cruise starting tomorrow instead of ending three days ago! I know what those last few hours of work are like and I know how you'll feel as you're leaving!

 

 

Thanks for the review so far....from the pics looks like you guys had a great time! Happy Anniversary!

 

Oh and I just wanted to point out something. Maybe it's the paranoid banker in me, but we see so much fraud and identity theft, it may not be a good idea to have your full name and signature on such a public board. (page 1, showing your paperwork with the H1N1 questions) I'm not saying anyone on CC would do anything, but you just never know who's looking on these boards. It's up to you if you want to keep the pic up of course, but like I said, as a banker it was the first thing I thought of when I saw that pic!

 

biksgirl,

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you for the advice as well. I was a victim if identity theft a few years ago and I have been paying for protection since then. Luckily the incident did not result in a financial loss, but very easily could have. As for my signature, that can't be duplicated even by me!

 

 

All I can say is fabulous!!! The more aft shots the better since we are in one Post as many as you want!!

Miriam

PS. Enjoying the review immensely.

 

kerrytens,

 

Thank you.

 

 

We have an aft balcony on deck 8 were you able to see alot of that balcony or was it the lower decks that showed alot?

 

hill6,

 

Deck 8 was least visible, but it seemed all were less visible than similar ships. I'm not sure why it seemed that way.

 

 

paul - superb review sofar

 

now i'm even more bummed that we wont be with you guys on the dream

 

ah well, were still cuising at least, and thats what matters

 

patiently waiting the rest,thanks again

 

dave

 

Dave,

 

You could make yours a B2B and join us!

[sharecruises]

Oh no Paul...I wasn't talking about YOUR food (or Karen's)...I was thinking about some of the pictures you have shown us of your 3 growing growing guys and the amount of food they can put away LOL

 

I think it is so funny they texted to find out what you guys were eating

 

~~~~~

 

I enjoyed Blood Power a lot

 

~~~~

 

Key Wasted...LOL>> what a great description

 

it was so funny...I was with a bunch of (single) gals and we started laughing our heads off when one of them said "Well now we know where all the single middle aged and older guys are...in Key West" LOL

and we all agreed...and they even have JOBS...LOL>> yeah, like making hats out of palm trees, playing a steel drum on the sidewalk, or the guy who would tell jokes for $1 (with a sign that said Hell no I'm not hungry, I just want a beer LOL)

 

we sure had our "pick" of eager guys that day....could have even had a palm frond hat lol

 

Key West is a real trip

[gaylensgigi]

Paul, I always love your reviews.Finding this one made my day:)

[Yankeegirl]

Paul ~ I am really enjoying your review, we will be on the Destiny in February. We are so excited as it will be our first cruise with our son. We are doing the Easter Itinerary. Thanks for all of the pics, they are awesome! What kind of camera do you use? I love the idea of using a small tripod, I wondered how you were getting so many pics together.

 

Thanks again, looking forward to the rest of your review.

[PaulMedik]

gaylensgigi,

 

Thank you.

 

 

sharecruises,

 

Key West is definately in a category of it's own.

 

 

 

 

Paul ~ I am really enjoying your review, we will be on the Destiny in February. We are so excited as it will be our first cruise with our son. We are doing the Easter Itinerary. Thanks for all of the pics, they are awesome! What kind of camera do you use? I love the idea of using a small tripod, I wondered how you were getting so many pics together.

 

Thanks again, looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

 

Yankeegirl,

 

Thank you.

 

Kodak Z1285 for most dry pics and Olympus Stylus 1050SW for the underwater pics. The tripod is a small flexible tripod purchased from Kodak dot com.

 

 

 

 

After the pilot boat retrieved the pilot from Key West we were sailing away at highspeed when a school (or group or whatever you call a dozen dolphins swimming together) approached the ship from the starboard side at a 90 degree angle. This is what a pic of the water looks like after they all just jumped at once and plunged back under;

 

 

They were jumping like mad, but I only managed to catch a few;

 

 

 

In this pic I just missed a whole group jumping at once and accidentally got a pic of mama dolphin and her young one jumping beside her. I tried for a pic of them a few seconds later and missed it (You will need to click on the pic then click on full size. Send me a freind invitation on Webshots to be able to view full size. It sucks that webshots removed the full size option for anyone.) ;

 

 

This pic and the one previous of mama and young one were toward the aft of the ship. I missed most of the dolphin in this pic, but it does show again just how smooth the water was for our entire trip;

 

 

There's really no good excuse for seas this smooth during hurricane season;

 

[PaulMedik]

Smooth as glass;

 

 

The sunset was beautiful again as we sailed toward Cozumel;

 

 

 

One of the few pics I took of our room. It was glowing red from the brilliant sunset, but the camera failed to capture the red glow;

 

 

The red glow dissipated quickly as the sun dipped below the horizon;

 

 

Again, red skies at night sailors delight;

 

[mnsawyer]

Paul - where was the "south beach" in KW and how far of a walk was it from town? I remember a small beach by the Naval Base but it didn't have much for amenities, etc.

[PaulMedik]

The 'Cruise Elegant' dinner is the evening after we sail away from Key West. Karen and I had opted for the Your Time dinning to see if we would like the new way of doing things. It turned out OK for us, but I'm not so sure I like the idea overall.

 

Would you believe I have no pics of the lobster etc from the cruise elegant dinner because I didn't take my camera with me? We did run into a Carnival photog along the way;

 

 

After dinner I again accepted a donation from the casino (I took the pic in front of the mirror so only half the $25 tokens are real. It is amusing to hear the dealers say 'Green action. We have green action' I think they just keep saying that to try and jinx people. I was up two hundred more at one point, but they took it back from me. ) ;

 

 

 

We also visited Lido's grill later on that night;

 

 

When we turned in for the evening we had capers for Cozumel to keep us informed of the next days schedule;

 

 

We also had a new animal to sleep with us;

 

 

Our day in Cozumel began with another hearty breakfast;

 

[PaulMedik]

Paul - where was the "south beach" in KW and how far of a walk was it from town? I remember a small beach by the Naval Base but it didn't have much for amenities, etc.

 

 

mnsawyer,

 

South Beach was one block, maybe two North or East of the Southern Most Point Marker. The bar there was called Southern Most Bar and there was a Southern Most Hotel beside it as well. I am just guessing about the direction, but it seemed North North East. It was in the opposite direction of the Naval Base from the Southern Most Point Marker. I am assuming the Naval base is South or West from the Southern Most Point Marker?

[PaulMedik]

Our port time in Cozumel was scheduled for 1200 - 2200 with a 2130 reboarding time so we had a few hours to roam the ship before arrival in Cozumel. After breakfast we saw Carnival workers replacing a section of hand rail;

 

 

I am always amused by Carnival's proactive approach to maintenance. They seem to operate by the motto of; 'If it is not broke, fix it anyhow.' Personally I like that approach much better than the reactive approach of most companies.

 

Another fixin' it pic. You can see they cut the old hand rail off in small sections and disposed of it. I looked closely and the old hand rail appeared to be solid and smooth as well;

 

 

I took pics while on the Legend in April of workers removing the rails and grinding the old welds down and installing new bolts and rewelding of the rail on deck three that was damaged in Cozumel a few weeks ago. It is safe to say that the section of rail that was damaged was essentially brand new. Perhaps if not for having new welds the entire rail may have gave way in the collision? Proactive maintenance pays!

 

Chairhogs were all still asleep before we arrived in Cozumel;

 

 

Every saved chair had a warm body occupying it;

 

 

We visited the photo gallery to purchase the Key West pics;

 

 

We also checked out deck three's outside deck;