Our Destiny Review 7/2 - 7/9

[klfrodo]

My wife and I actually left Seattle on June 28th. We flew to Miami, rented a car, and drove to Islamorada and stayed at the Hampton Inn for a couple of days. Islamorada is in the florida keys and is absolutly beautiful. The sunrise will take your breath away. We did this to break up the travel and to get acclaimated to the weather and time change from Seattle. 87 degrees, 90% humidity and 3 hour time change is a big difference for us.

 

On July 1st, we got up (too damn early in the morning:) ) to drive back to Miami to catch our flight to San Juan.

We arrived in San Juan around 12:30. This is when the party started. We hooked up with our Jersey friends (Hi Kevin,Kathy, Megan, Mike, Shaun, and Erin) and caught a cab to the Sheraton Old San Juan.

 

1st Tip There are people at the cab stand who organize the cabs. I think they were wearing yellow vests. They determine the cost (by the trip and # of pieces of luggage). They give you a sheet of paper with the total cost and then get you a cab. You give the sheet of paper to the cabbie and off you go. The total cost does not include any gratuity to the cabbie.

 

Sheraton Old San Juan. My wife and I redeemed Sheraton points so our stay was free. The hotel is nice. VERY busy. 2 maybe 3 cruise ships get new passengers there every week and it seems like everyone stays there. It wasn't the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at but not the worst either. Old San Juan is a party district. Cars, people, car horns, and car alarms are going off ALL NIGHT LONG. The clubs don't close down until around 4:30 AM. The biggest advantage is that the ship docks directly across the street. We only had to lug our luggage about 100 yards the next morning. We had dinner at the Hard Rock, a few drinks at Senor Frogs, walked around, played in the hotel casino for a bit and then crashed.

 

Tip: Blackjack in the hotel casino was a little different. The dealer only dealt themselves 1 card face up. Only after all players had played their hands did the dealer deal themselves a second card.

 

Got up the next morning at 4:30 AM and watched the Destiny round the point and pull into port at 5:00 AM.

 

EMBARKATION - Being Carnival Vacation Club members we had priority boarding along with Platinum members and Skippers Club members. We walked over to the port with our luggage around 10:30. Handed our luggage off to the porters and in we went. The CVC area was a private area up the escalator. There we just handed over our documents and had a seat. While seated, they did all the paperwork, then when completed, they would call your name and hand you your documents, boarding pass, and S&S card. Then you just wait until the ship is ready. Then at 11:30, they told us where to line up, security opend the doors and off we went. My wife and I were about the 2nd or 3rd couple to board the ship. As you board the ship there is a big sign that reads WELCOME HOME.

We went directly to our cabin which wasn't quit ready yet. Briefly met our Steward and dropped off our carry-ons in the closet out of his way. We then headed to the Lido deck for our 1st drink of the day, ate some lunch, then explored the ship.

This was our 5th Carnival cruise. We only expect to have a good time which we had. We don't inspect the ship for carpet stains, fingerprints on the glass, or sniff around for smoke smells. What we did see was a very hard working crew that always smiled, said hello, and went out of their way to ensure we enjoyed ourselves.

Due to the ship not leaving port until 10 PM, dinner is not at your assigned table. You go to your assigned dining room, they ask how many in your party, and then someone leads you to a table.

 

SAIL AWAY - This had to be the best sail away party I have ever seen. Great music and great people all ready to have a good time.

 

 

PORTS

 

St. Thomas - We did the carnival Christmas Cove Sail and Snorkle tour. We boarded a bus a drove to the other side of the island and boarded a catamaran. We left the harbor under power. After leaving the harbor they raised the sails and let the wind take us to our stop. I had never "sailed" before. What an experience

 

Dominica - Pronounced ( Dom a knee ka ) - A mountainous rainforest island. Little to no beaches. The people reminded me a lot of Jamaica but a lot less pushy and very very friendly. They would actually take time to talk to you to welcome you to their country, to learn about you and to answer any questions you had about Dominica. Beautiful island.

 

Barbados - Our best stop in my opinion. We went away from carnival and did the Silvermoon II catamaran excursion. Out of 5 cruises, this has to be one of the best excursions I've ever had. Even ranks above the Stingrays in Grand Cayman. http://www.oceanadventures.bb/sailing.htm Click on this link to view their web site. Don't miss this experience. It was the best I've ever had.

 

Aruba - Beautiful island. We grabbed a cab and went to Palm Beach and spent the day there. Rented a cabana and some chairs and just enjoyed everything.

 

Debarkation - We had priority debarkation but didn't use it. Our flight out wasn't until 2:20 PM so we just sat up on the lido deck and relaxed. Orange was the last color called and thats when we got off the ship. Around 11 AM

 

 

We had a great time with our friends on this cruise and look forward to our next cruise. I'm sure I left out a lot of details and would be happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

 

Now, :cool: back to work :(

[Darcy03231]

Thanks for the review. We're sailing the Destiny the first week of September and looking forward to it.

[sunlover5]

Thanks! We are sailing on her in Feb. and glad to know you loved the Silvermoon. We are doing that in Barbados and already scheduled it since they only take so many. Thanks for the nice review!!:)

[Keys2Heaven]

Thanks for a honest review without all the nitpicky stuff. We too booked the Silvermoon I for our Barbados excursion.

 

Can't wait!!

[cruisebabe43]

Thanks for the great review. We are planning to go in June of 2007. We also are CVC members and it was nice to hear that you are happy with that also. I can't wait! It sounds like the good time that we have grown to expect with Carnival.

[klfrodo]

Thanks for the great review. We are planning to go in June of 2007. We also are CVC members and it was nice to hear that you are happy with that also. I can't wait! It sounds like the good time that we have grown to expect with Carnival.

 

Let's not get crazy over the CVC thing. Out of the entire process, the priority embarkation and priority debarkation was the ONLY thing about CVC that went without a hitch.

 

We had 2 cabins booked. Had to cancel 1. They cancelled the wrong one. We had travelgard insurance. CVC won't communicate with Travelgard so we can receive lost points from the cancellation. The promised (sales pitch) of guaranteed upgrade did not come through. No CVC personnel on board the Destiny, so no private parties. My wife didn't receive her discount for her Spa visit. Received no priority table request. Didn't receive documents until the day before we left after MANY MANY phone calls.

 

Let's just say that in my opinion, Carnival needs to disassociate themselves from Solutions At Sea to protect their good name.

 

But thanks for taking the time to read the review. Other than our dealings with CVC, we had a great time.

[wwakla]

Great review. One of the few without complaints lately.:)

What room did you have?

[mnstahl]

Thanks for the review!

 

Question: I've sailed 3 times, yet unfamiliar with the Carnival Vacation Club and how to become a member. What are the benefits?

[klfrodo]

Great review. One of the few without complaints lately.:)

What room did you have?

 

We eventually had a cat 11 cabin number 7159.

 

We originally booked an 8A guar. knowing that as a CVC member we were assured to be upgraded. (:eek: The salesperson got us there) Anyway, when it came down to cabin assignments we found that we were assigned an 8A right above the Palladium Show Lounge. We went ahead and paid to upgrade ourselves to an 11.

[klfrodo]

Thanks for the review!

 

Question: I've sailed 3 times, yet unfamiliar with the Carnival Vacation Club and how to become a member. What are the benefits?

Carnival got into a business agreement with a company called Solutions At Sea. It's a timeshare type company. You pay $5000 and you receive points that you can use to book future travel. It's only sold on certain ships, and you MUST purchase in international waters.

 

In my opinion, Stay as far away as possible. Sounds great when listening to their schpiel. In reality, my experience is that I made a $5000 blunder.

[kathy32259]

klfrodo - I am so glad you liked the Destiny! I really enjoyed that sailing last year and I am hoping to go again when the itinerary changes - although that is a lot of port days!!:eek:

 

About Dominica - is the Black Pearl still anchored there? I believe they were filming Pirates of the Caribbean when I was there and we were so excited to see the ship! Of course I would have rather seen Johnny Depp:rolleyes: !

 

And I agree - the sail away on the Destiny is a blast!

 

Thanks for a great review - it was fun to read and remember!

[klfrodo]

klfrodo - I am so glad you liked the Destiny! I really enjoyed that sailing last year and I am hoping to go again when the itinerary changes - although that is a lot of port days!!:eek:

 

About Dominica - is the Black Pearl still anchored there? I believe they were filming Pirates of the Caribbean when I was there and we were so excited to see the ship! Of course I would have rather seen Johnny Depp:rolleyes: !

 

And I agree - the sail away on the Destiny is a blast!

 

Thanks for a great review - it was fun to read and remember!

 

No other ship anchored there that I saw. Nobody mentioned anything about one either. I would think that if it was there, they would have highlighted it.

 

Interesting that you mentioned Johnny Depp. When we did the Christmas Cove excursion in St. Thomas, we passed a small island. They told us that Johnny Depp had bought that island and stayed there occasionally. :eek: My wife would have jumped ship had she been along. :D

[63galaxie]

I would love to know what your room and the balcony were like in the Cat. 11. Is the balcony covered and how large is it (i.e. how much furniture did you have on the balcony)? Was it private? Thanks.:o

[bikinibottom]

Glad you had a good trip.

Hey! Were we neighbors - we were in cabin 7175.

 

This was one of the best vacations I have ever had. We had about 20 in our group and I wish I was still on board right now!!! I am working on my vacation DVD and missing the Destiny. It was a great week.

 

We had such a fun week - good food, plenty to drink and lots and lots of fun and sun. Our steward and our server were awesome and I found everyone on the ship to be very friendly. My neices were all over that Travelouge DVD they made - I guess it pays to be 23 and a total hottie! I manage to stay out of the limelight and enjoy the people watching - some of the best ever.

 

Sorry I did not get a chance to meet any fellow CC members - I was so busy with my family this time - I hope I can next time.

 

Welcome home! :)

[klfrodo]

I would love to know what your room and the balcony were like in the Cat. 11. Is the balcony covered and how large is it (i.e. how much furniture did you have on the balcony)? Was it private? Thanks.:o

 

The cabin was GREAT. It's about 1 1/2 times as wide as a cat 8 balcony room. The balcony had 1 plastic chair, 1 small table, and 2 (very low to the ground) plastic lounge chairs.

 

The cabin looks just like it does on Carnival's web site. After having the cabin, I'm kind of spoiled now. Have to have a balcony at the minimum. Will try to do an 11 at often as possible. Probably don't even want my wife to try a 12 :D

[klfrodo]

Glad you had a good trip.

Hey! Were we neighbors - we were in cabin 7175.

 

This was one of the best vacations I have ever had. We had about 20 in our group and I wish I was still on board right now!!! I am working on my vacation DVD and missing the Destiny. It was a great week.

 

We had such a fun week - good food, plenty to drink and lots and lots of fun and sun. Our steward and our server were awesome and I found everyone on the ship to be very friendly. My neices were all over that Travelouge DVD they made - I guess it pays to be 23 and a total hottie! I manage to stay out of the limelight and enjoy the people watching - some of the best ever.

 

Sorry I did not get a chance to meet any fellow CC members - I was so busy with my family this time - I hope I can next time.

 

Welcome home! :)

 

Best trip ever wasn't it?

 

You'll be able to see our group on the DVD. Gotta look quick though. It's when they were filming in Barbados. They passed our catamaran (Silvermoon II) and they filmed us. We saw them and started waving and stuff.

[sheephugs]

Klfrodo, so glad to hear you had a wonderful time! I'll be going in 4 weeks & had a couple of questions. What time did you leave Barbados & Aruba? I have printouts with conflicting times. Also what entertainment acts were there? Thanks! Sheephugs

[klfrodo]

Klfrodo, so glad to hear you had a wonderful time! I'll be going in 4 weeks & had a couple of questions. What time did you leave Barbados & Aruba? I have printouts with conflicting times. Also what entertainment acts were there? Thanks! Sheephugs

 

We departed from Barbados at 6 PM and Aruba at 10 PM.

 

Entertainment acts. Wow, thats a tough one. Maybe Bikinibottom can help here also. There was a pretty decent salsa band in the Criterion Lounge every night. The guys on the Lido Deck for the deck parties were pretty good. One night in the Palladium Lounge there was some guys who used to record with The Platters. I love old time Soul and R&B. I actually walked out. I was embarassed to walk out on a legend but it was bad. Another night they had an Illusionist. Now, he was good.

[sheephugs]

Thanks for the info klfrodo. The itinerary from the travel agent has us leaving Barbados at 10:00PM (I guess they forgot to mention it was a rowboat:eek: ).

[pholter]

Thanks for the info klfrodo. The itinerary from the travel agent has us leaving Barbados at 10:00PM (I guess they forgot to mention it was a rowboat:eek: ).

 

The old itinerary when I cruised was Barbados at 10pm and Aruba at 11pm. This changed I guess about 4 months ago, give or take. Is your itinerary the original when you booked maybe some months back?

[klfrodo]

Thanks for the info klfrodo. The itinerary from the travel agent has us leaving Barbados at 10:00PM (I guess they forgot to mention it was a rowboat:eek: ).

 

I can honestly say I don't understand Carnivals logic of changing time of departure due to fuel costs. According to the on board ship video, the props rotate at a constant speed of 150 RPM's. Speed is determined by the "pitch" of the prop. So if the engines are always running at the same speed, how does this use more fuel?

 

On top of that, by leaving Barbados sooner, we arrived and docked in Aruba at 2 AM. They said that this allowed them some extended down time for ship maintenance.

 

It was also interesting that by leaving Aruba earlier, we actually arrived in PR by 10 PM on Saturday evening. You could see the lights of San Juan. Crashed out early that night. I guess we just sailed around in circles till it was time to pull into port.

[TheChocogirl]

Thank you very much for your review. I am Embarkation Staff of Carnival San Juan for the Destiny. Nice to hear great reviews from passengers and at the port we try to do our bests to make people have the most wonderful vacations.

Hope to see you here again soon!

[serene56]

you mentioned the cab in san juan charges per person PLUS luggage.

 

We have 4 adults and about 8 pcs of luggage. Any idea on what it costs?

 

Do you remember what you paid

[klfrodo]

Thank you very much for your review. I am Embarkation Staff of Carnival San Juan for the Destiny. Nice to hear great reviews from passengers and at the port we try to do our bests to make people have the most wonderful vacations.

Hope to see you here again soon!

You guys "ROCK". Easiest Embarkation ever

[klfrodo]

you mentioned the cab in san juan charges per person PLUS luggage.

 

We have 4 adults and about 8 pcs of luggage. Any idea on what it costs?

 

Do you remember what you paid

 

Serene,

 

The "Zone" Charge was $19 (Up to 4 people per cab). The luggage charge was $0.50 for the first 3 pieces of luggage and then $1 for each additional piece. Counted as luggage was what I consider carry-ons (laptops, loaded down beach bag type thingys). After tip, my wife and I paid $27. The actual charge was $21.50.