Fast & Dirty Review - Destiny 12/1/12

[ThisFemmeKat]

So I am not one for lengthy writing over a week's time.. so here it is in a nutshell.

 

Destiny 5-day

Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and 2 Sea Days

12/1/12

CD: "Tex"

 

 

So let me start by saying, I went in expecting to have a good time and also expecting that the ship would not be in the condition of some other ship like the Dream (sailed 1 year from maiden voyage). We all know the Destiny is about to be no more.

 

Overall, it was a cruise and I had fun with my fiance and made new friends as we always do.. Now the details..

 

Embarkation: normal - lines were not unusually long, security did their thing efficiently. we brought some juice with us and kept our bags with us and had no issues.

 

Activities: Right off the scheduling of activities was different on this sailing than any others.. The Welcome Aboard show (one showing only) is usually at 10 so everyone can go.. but it was scheduled at 7:30??? so We couldnt go as we were still in dinner. I found this took away from the connection I usually feel to the entertainment staff. I missed that getting to know you part..

 

Karaoke.. I love this part. My fiance says I'm like Tinkerbell and need applause to live.. lol And this is how I get my fix. Superstar Karaoke was the best I have experienced yet.. It moved quickly so many people got a chance to perform, the Band didnt waste a slot doing their own songs.. and the members of the band seemed genuinely happy to be there.. They pumped up the crowd, spoke to us, interacted.. and the keyboardist, Ron, really made it the best experience for us. I wish I could say as many good things about the standard karaoke.. The person running it (never even got her name) was not at all aware of the sound quality, she kept the music so low that people really werent into it. We kept asking it to be turned up but that never really happened. If your job is "Karaoke Host", you should at least be knowledgeable about your equipment and sound levels. Also, (and this goes for all ships) STOP scheduling karaoke in the small deck 4 lounge!!!! its boring with very few people and always so quiet.. Not a good time..

 

Shows.. There were 2 that I saw. Nightclub Express, and Viola Paris. OK first up, Nightclub Express.. WTH??? lol It featured a stuffed talking couch.. kinda like Chairy from Peewee's playhouse. And he looked like he was also from 1986 just like her.. VERY OUTDATED and had nothing to do with nightclubs or Carnival.. He confused many people.. the show also used a projection screen alot and it was very outdated as well. (I wasnt too shocked given the knowledge that Destiny is old and about to be redone) The dancers we good with exception to 2 of the 4 male dancers who moved like it was torture to be there.. But the rest were quite good.

 

Viola Paris was a million times better than the NE show. I loved it.. the songs themselves were old and unfamiliar to many but the staging and dancers were great in it.. it was very entertaining. Not much negative to say about it. I enjoyed it.

 

Overall activity scheduling was weird and not to my liking.. On both Sea Days, we were bored.. very bored.. I am never bored.. I like playing all the trivia games and stuff.. but they were all sceduled early in the morning and then nothing after like 10 am?? so weird..

 

Food: I eat in the MDR for Breakfast and dinner everyday and then once for lunch. Then Lido for lunch sometimes and definitely a late night burger. My dinners were quite good. Tender and still warm.. only had something overcooked once (flat iron steak) and they quickly brought me a new one. the one lunch I had in MDR was Baby Back ribs that were AWESOME!, breakfast was just ok. 3 of the 5 days I got old stale hashbrowns. But overall I enjoyed the MDR food.

 

The Lido burgers were a different story.. Only 1 of the 5 burgers was cooked properly and not a dried out burnt hockey puck.. very dissappointing as I enjoy the burgers. There is just no reason for them to be cooked so long when you know you arent plating them immediately..

 

My fiance loved the midnight mexican Buffet.. LOved the black bean tostadas.

 

Tried the Deli one time.. Got a simple grilled cheese.. and all the chees in it was refrigerator cold.. not melted at all.. Again such a simple thing to get right if you take any pride in your work.

 

Ship Condition: No shock here.. You can tell she is an old vessel.. Lights broken or missing, trim falling off in spots, normal wear and tear.. But nothing that had me running off the ship.. Bottom line.. Was she the prettiest ship I've seen... no... But nothing to freak out about.. her decor was very dark and heavy and outdated.. but That is why she will become the Sunshine..

 

Room: I had a simple interior room.. not much to go wrong there.. the bed and bedding were comfy, as always. but I was surprised to find there was not fridge in the room.. there for there was no way to keep something to drink cold.. It you get thirsty at night in your room its warm tap water or nothing.. Ice only stays as ice for so long.. And since room service took forever to answer (20-30 minutes) You couldnt call for a cold drink either.

 

Staff: Room Steward - Mar was nice and came to introduce himself on the first day. He tried to keep a little ice in the tiny bucket for us but it usually melted quickly.. As normal, the room was always tidy and beds made up.

 

The CD "Tex" - I enjoyed him once I got to see him in action on night 3 at the Showcase of the stars.. He did a little thing where he firted and sang to an audience member and also did some wicked awesome dance moves. lol He was funny and flirty.. all in all I like him on stage.. but his activity scheduling left me confused.

 

Dinner staff - Amin (Head Waiter) did a fine job but his assistants did not understand anything that the people at our table asked him. They brought us the wrong items often. They couldnt answer questions about the menu either. But Amin handled it.. and as I said the food was very good.

 

Debarkation and shuttle to FLL: ship cleared normally.. lines moved quickly.. off the ship by 930 and thats because we went to breakfast in the MDR at 8:00. I used SAS Transportation to shuttle us to FLL Airport and it only cost 15 pp and they were already there when we got out.. easy peasy..

 

Well, I feel like Im forgetting something so just ask and Ill tell.. :D

[alymb03]

So I am not one for lengthy writing over a week's time.. so here it is in a nutshell.

 

Destiny 5-day

Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and 2 Sea Days

12/1/12

CD: "Tex"

 

 

So let me start by saying, I went in expecting to have a good time and also expecting that the ship would not be in the condition of some other ship like the Dream (sailed 1 year from maiden voyage). We all know the Destiny is about to be no more.

 

Overall, it was a cruise and I had fun with my fiance and made new friends as we always do.. Now the details..

 

Embarkation: normal - lines were not unusually long, security did their thing efficiently. we brought some juice with us and kept our bags with us and had no issues.

 

Activities: Right off the scheduling of activities was different on this sailing than any others.. The Welcome Aboard show (one showing only) is usually at 10 so everyone can go.. but it was scheduled at 7:30??? so We couldnt go as we were still in dinner. I found this took away from the connection I usually feel to the entertainment staff. I missed that getting to know you part..

 

Karaoke.. I love this part. My fiance says I'm like Tinkerbell and need applause to live.. lol And this is how I get my fix. Superstar Karaoke was the best I have experienced yet.. It moved quickly so many people got a chance to perform, the Band didnt waste a slot doing their own songs.. and the members of the band seemed genuinely happy to be there.. They pumped up the crowd, spoke to us, interacted.. and the keyboardist, Ron, really made it the best experience for us. I wish I could say as many good things about the standard karaoke.. The person running it (never even got her name) was not at all aware of the sound quality, she kept the music so low that people really werent into it. We kept asking it to be turned up but that never really happened. If your job is "Karaoke Host", you should at least be knowledgeable about your equipment and sound levels. Also, (and this goes for all ships) STOP scheduling karaoke in the small deck 4 lounge!!!! its boring with very few people and always so quiet.. Not a good time..

 

Shows.. There were 2 that I saw. Nightclub Express, and Viola Paris. OK first up, Nightclub Express.. WTH??? lol It featured a stuffed talking couch.. kinda like Chairy from Peewee's playhouse. And he looked like he was also from 1986 just like her.. VERY OUTDATED and had nothing to do with nightclubs or Carnival.. He confused many people.. the show also used a projection screen alot and it was very outdated as well. (I wasnt too shocked given the knowledge that Destiny is old and about to be redone) The dancers we good with exception to 2 of the 4 male dancers who moved like it was torture to be there.. But the rest were quite good.

 

Viola Paris was a million times better than the NE show. I loved it.. the songs themselves were old and unfamiliar to many but the staging and dancers were great in it.. it was very entertaining. Not much negative to say about it. I enjoyed it.

 

Overall activity scheduling was weird and not to my liking.. On both Sea Days, we were bored.. very bored.. I am never bored.. I like playing all the trivia games and stuff.. but they were all sceduled early in the morning and then nothing after like 10 am?? so weird..

 

Food: I eat in the MDR for Breakfast and dinner everyday and then once for lunch. Then Lido for lunch sometimes and definitely a late night burger. My dinners were quite good. Tender and still warm.. only had something overcooked once (flat iron steak) and they quickly brought me a new one. the one lunch I had in MDR was Baby Back ribs that were AWESOME!, breakfast was just ok. 3 of the 5 days I got old stale hashbrowns. But overall I enjoyed the MDR food.

 

The Lido burgers were a different story.. Only 1 of the 5 burgers was cooked properly and not a dried out burnt hockey puck.. very dissappointing as I enjoy the burgers. There is just no reason for them to be cooked so long when you know you arent plating them immediately..

 

My fiance loved the midnight mexican Buffet.. LOved the black bean tostadas.

 

Tried the Deli one time.. Got a simple grilled cheese.. and all the chees in it was refrigerator cold.. not melted at all.. Again such a simple thing to get right if you take any pride in your work.

 

Ship Condition: No shock here.. You can tell she is an old vessel.. Lights broken or missing, trim falling off in spots, normal wear and tear.. But nothing that had me running off the ship.. Bottom line.. Was she the prettiest ship I've seen... no... But nothing to freak out about.. her decor was very dark and heavy and outdated.. but That is why she will become the Sunshine..

 

Room: I had a simple interior room.. not much to go wrong there.. the bed and bedding were comfy, as always. but I was surprised to find there was not fridge in the room.. there for there was no way to keep something to drink cold.. It you get thirsty at night in your room its warm tap water or nothing.. Ice only stays as ice for so long.. And since room service took forever to answer (20-30 minutes) You couldnt call for a cold drink either.

 

Staff: Room Steward - Mar was nice and came to introduce himself on the first day. He tried to keep a little ice in the tiny bucket for us but it usually melted quickly.. As normal, the room was always tidy and beds made up.

 

The CD "Tex" - I enjoyed him once I got to see him in action on night 3 at the Showcase of the stars.. He did a little thing where he firted and sang to an audience member and also did some wicked awesome dance moves. lol He was funny and flirty.. all in all I like him on stage.. but his activity scheduling left me confused.

 

Dinner staff - Amin (Head Waiter) did a fine job but his assistants did not understand anything that the people at our table asked him. They brought us the wrong items often. They couldnt answer questions about the menu either. But Amin handled it.. and as I said the food was very good.

 

Debarkation and shuttle to FLL: ship cleared normally.. lines moved quickly.. off the ship by 930 and thats because we went to breakfast in the MDR at 8:00. I used SAS Transportation to shuttle us to FLL Airport and it only cost 15 pp and they were already there when we got out.. easy peasy..

 

Well, I feel like Im forgetting something so just ask and Ill tell.. :D

 

Thanks for the quick review! I am sailing Destiny in January!

 

I am not expecting the ship to be in tip top shape but I hope they get the activity scheduling sorted out... sounds kind of lame...

[ThisFemmeKat]

All in all I had a vacation with my fiance and it was great.. I dont regret the trip at all.. Go and have a blast..

 

We did a day pass to The Jewel in Ocho Rios.. 75pp with transfer.. you could take a Hobie cat sail and use their kayaks etc. and fruity drinks included.. it was a great deal and pretty place.. no kids.. they also have one for families too.. not sure the name.. booked on jamaicaforaday.com

[chipq]

Thansk for sharing your review. It will be interesting to see how well the refurbish to the Sunshine comes out.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[ThisFemmeKat]

Thansk for sharing your review. It will be interesting to see how well the refurbish to the Sunshine comes out.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

 

I was saying the same thing to my fiance.. I cant wait to book the Sunshine and compare.. I am looking forward to the 3 deck Serenity area.. Especially since the Destiny didnt have one at all..

[re-re]

Thanks for the review, I did this same cruise in October and had a good time, i didn't go to any of the shows except the comedy shows. I also had the baby back ribs in the dining room, wish i could have some now lol. How did you like Ocho Rios?

[ThisFemmeKat]

Thanks for the review, I did this same cruise in October and had a good time, i didn't go to any of the shows except the comedy shows. I also had the baby back ribs in the dining room, wish i could have some now lol. How did you like Ocho Rios?

 

 

THE COMEDY SHOWS.. thats what I forgot.. lol They were good.. Marvin Todd and John Knight.. alot of "male organ" humor.. and since we are lesbians.. the same ****** jokes over again get a little old.. but all in all good.. I had seen marvin todd before and thought he was good back then too.

 

This was my second trip to Ocho Rios and after the first time I said I would never go back.. I didnt feel safe.. and was hassled more than any other port ever!! I understand it a bit.. but they are ridiculous there.. so this time we opted for the day pass at the Jewel (posted above) and enjoyed it a lot.. I would do it again.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[re-re]

THE COMEDY SHOWS.. thats what I forgot.. lol They were good.. Marvin Todd and John Knight.. alot of "male organ" humor.. and since we are lesbians.. the same ****** jokes over again get a little old.. but all in all good.. I had seen marvin todd before and thought he was good back then too.

 

This was my second trip to Ocho Rios and after the first time I said I would never go back.. I didnt feel safe.. and was hassled more than any other port ever!! I understand it a bit.. but they are ridiculous there.. so this time we opted for the day pass at the Jewel (posted above) and enjoyed it a lot.. I would do it again.

 

They changed the comedians, we had Eddie Clark in October, i'm looking at a cruise for next fall that goes to Ocho Rios again, most likely gonna do the Bob Marley tour again, to much fun.:D

[Moteen99]

thanks for most of your contributions no understanding why you reveal your sexual orientation can't recall a single message that states "I am hetero" Is your belly button an innie or outie? no one cares. Do lesbians have a different laugh impulse at jokes? Move on from that otherwise, good info

[shaw04]

Do you happen to have any of the daily capers that you could scan. I leave on the Destiny next Sat for Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

[ThisFemmeKat]

thanks for most of your contributions no understanding why you reveal your sexual orientation can't recall a single message that states "I am hetero" Is your belly button an innie or outie? no one cares. Do lesbians have a different laugh impulse at jokes? Move on from that otherwise, good info

 

 

I only mentioned it because i dont find those jokes and funny when in constant repetition.. basically the entire hour of show was all "male organ" jokes.. Its funny once or twice.. but good god there were alot of them.. maybe thats why i didnt love all 30 stories about them.. lol Thats the only reason it was even there..