Destiny--cruisers beware

[traveler92116]

Traveler619 is 60 years old, and is a school councelor. Meaning He's Stressed out , and about to be retired. Going on a "fun ship" would not be my 1st pick. Perhaps Queen Mary 2 would fit his needs for next time.

Although I am almost 61 and a woman at least I know how to spell counselor. Yes, I am near retirement which means I have worked hard for the last 30 years and that means I expect minimum standards and some value for the money I have worked so many years to accumulate. Not enjoying a cruise is not the crime that most of you seem to think it is. Get a life!!!!

[skylock]

Doesn't sound like cruising is your thing, beause I am going to be honest, everything you have complained about except the bingo loss is on the other lines also. And if you think Carnival has their hand out, some of the other lines would cause you to faint.

 

Prehaps you should try an all inclusive somewhere next time. I highly recommed the place I usually stay. EVERYTHING is included in the price you pay.

 

All tips

All meals

All snacks

All drinks (alcoholic too with top shelf stuff)

All excursions (many to choose from)

All activities (bikes, canoes, snorkel, hair braiding, fingernail painting, and more I can't remember)

Spa treatments

24 hr Room service with hot food

there are robes in the rooms and slippers that you get to keep (the slippers only)

All shampoo, hand lotion, razors, toothpaste, toothbrush and more included

Nightly entertainment.

Beautiful pools

Daily pool games

Bar setup in room including 4 types of liquor

Fridge in room complete with bottled water, sodas, beer and refilled daily.

Several dining rooms

Jacuzzi with bubble bath stuff in room

 

I suggest one in cancun for you. Bus stop is right out front and for about 50 cents pp you can go anywhere the bus goes.

 

Total price $2700 including airfare for 2.

[traveler92116]

Total price $2700 including airfare for 2.

Thanks for the offer, but I have been to Cancun and Cozumel. Did not stay in an inclusive but did enjoy the Fiesta Americana and several excursions. Does sound nice though and a good value. Do you know of others that are as good? Thanks again

[skylock]

Thanks for the offer, but I have been to Cancun and Cozumel. Did not stay in an inclusive but did enjoy the Fiesta Americana and several excursions. Does sound nice though and a good value. Do you know of others that are as good? Thanks again

 

That is the price I am paying to go to Puerto Vallarta in June. I have only been to the ones they have in cancun and cozumel. To be honest, I prefer to stay in a small hotel in downtown cozumel, but I just love that town more that all the goodies I get at the hotel. This will be the first time I stay in puerto vallarta, but I expect the same great exp I had staying in the others. And the 5 free excursions they are offering sound fantastic.

 

I think they are opening one in the dominican republic later in the year.

 

I just really love to go, and I love to dive. I like cruising, but I really only cruise to go diving at a lower price than I can fly. For a really good vacation, I prefer an AI.

 

Oh yeah, one more perk I remember, free wireless internet.

[pe4all]

I think Skylock's advice is very good. As I posted earlier, we spent many years doing AI's before cruising (Aruba, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic - Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo- Nassau, Barbados, Antigua, etc.) Our family is lucky enough to consider ourselves well-traveled, and resort savy. After our first Carnival cruise, I was undecided whether I really wanted to cruiseagain. Had done Disney cruise 3x when the kids were young, and I loved my AI's. Well, the rest of my family decided they didn't want any more AI's - cruising Carnival was the way to go. They refuse to try another line. My teens feel all their needs are met, and now so do dh and I. Is there anything better "out there?" I am sure the answer is yes - but you have to stay in your comfort zone, or you will be disappointed. I don't like being nickel and dimed for everything - but that happens everywhere - whether you are on vacation or not. (my local Wendy's charges me .25 for sour cream for my baked potato!!) I think an AI might be the way to go, or, as I posted earlier - try another line. Don't give up over one bad experience.

[MrPete]

Just finished a 7-day Southern Carribean cruise on Carnival Destiny and it was the worst experience of my life.

 

Although I've read other posts stating they didn't care for the Destiny, or sailing out of San Juan (I've done both, and although I enjoyed it, it was a bit port intensive for me), I think it is probably impossible to be the "worst experience of your life".

 

I too think your experience is tainted from "losing money". BTW, since I was a kid, I always remember the free space had the card "number" on it, which validated it for that particular game.

 

Did you get your corrected table seating?

 

Everything else you describe is pretty much what cruising is. How you react to it is tantamount to YOUR experience. Yet, the person next to you could have been having the grandest of times.

[Okie Steve]

I was thinking the same thing.:D

 

I know at BINGO they always tell you several times NOT to push out the center-if you do, please get a new card. My MIL did this and had to have hers replaced. Several people do it-and they had their cards replaced. The people running the show made it clear about the centers.

 

To the original poster, I agree with you on most everything. I was a first time cruiser on the Conquest, and experienced same things. I had trouble getting simple refills on my water/iced tea at dinner, and smoke was everywhere. Those that don't gamble or drink more than one drink at a time socially, will have a harder time enjoying themselves. I was at sea 5 out of 7 days on my cruise! I think my crew members on the games (which are the entertainers not entertaining at the time) were suffering from burnout, and with a sold out ship, it showed.

 

Regarding Bingo, why would pushing out the center piece be a concern?! On my cruise, they simply read the card's "ID number" and the computer could tell if it was a winner or not up on the big screen. Why would they care if the cener was pushed out or not?!

[dec2007w3boys]

 

Regarding Bingo, why would pushing out the center piece be a concern?! On my cruise, they simply read the card's "ID number" and the computer could tell if it was a winner or not up on the big screen. Why would they care if the cener was pushed out or not?!

Lack of knowledge on my part, but I am wondering the same thing. They said many times on my cruise to not punch it out, but when they would just yell out the card number at the end, I wondered. Or is the card number on the center square? We only played the last night, so I can't remember. Come on Becca, who has an answer? :D

[brnsnbrws]

We sailed Destiny this past Nov. and never had any of the problems I read about before our cruise or any of the problems that have been posted since. We were warned every Bingo game not to punch out the free space. I agree that everyone is different. What some people consider a problem, others don't. I am sure had I lost out on $500 that would have really magnified any small negative on my trip. I have to say though that I can hardly believe they weren't told not to punch out the free card because it was really stressed not to do this!

[Kudos2Fly]

I hope your trip wasn't the worst experience of your life.. We have a neighbor that is in the hospital now and was close to death a few times and isn't out yet and probably will not be for a few weeks.. So I would consider that a worse experience... then not having a cruise vacation that didn't live up to you expectations..

 

I have had good vacations and vacations that didn't go as planned, but never had one that was the worse vacation of my life...

 

I personally liked having a lot of ports. I'm not one for a lot of sea days... We one time were stuck on a ship for 4 days because of mechanical problems and we had to skip Cozumel and return early to Ft. Lauderdale.. When we got in to Ft. Lauderdale we couldn't get off the boat until the next morning.. So I just hope you don't look at it as the "WORST" trip ever. Because life is to short to get upset about one trip that didn't go as planned...

[TheRaven]

yes i remember them saying not oto punch out the free space but maybe they did forget i mean they are human and all. I havea friend going on this cruise in a few days(i keep trying to get her on here) so Ill have a better idea about the ship in a bit

 

 

Trock--- it had been bothering me about your picture there couldnt figure out where i see it then yesterday at the tanning saloon there it was on a wall in a corner lol see ya in 50 days !!!!!!!!!!!

[suzski]

It always amazes me how people, who obviously didn't find this website BEFORE they sailed, manage to find it afterwards so they can complain...about things that could have been avoided (for the most part) if they HAD visited the site prior to sailing!:rolleyes:

[suzski]

Thanks for your wisdom...That was very helpful

 

I don't think the OP was looking for wisdom, so I didn't offer any...just an observation. Take your snippy comments elsewhere.

[suzski]

Not really sure what your problem is, but I've stated my observation and stand by it.

 

Go bicker with someone else, I'm through with you.

[bostonbob67]

To the original poster, I agree with you on most everything. I was a first time cruiser on the Conquest, and experienced same things. I had trouble getting simple refills on my water/iced tea at dinner, and smoke was everywhere. Those that don't gamble or drink more than one drink at a time socially, will have a harder time enjoying themselves. I was at sea 5 out of 7 days on my cruise! I think my crew members on the games (which are the entertainers not entertaining at the time) were suffering from burnout, and with a sold out ship, it showed.

 

Regarding Bingo, why would pushing out the center piece be a concern?! On my cruise, they simply read the card's "ID number" and the computer could tell if it was a winner or not up on the big screen. Why would they care if the cener was pushed out or not?!

 

The number in the center is the id number for the card. If it is removed they can not verify the card. For all they know the card could be from an earlier game if the # is missing.

[victory2020]

Bottom line- he thought he was cheated out of $500 so the whole cruise was miserable for him.

[cruisnpat]

Sorry you had such a bad cruise.

[Kudos2Fly]

Gee what did people do about researching vacations before the internet? :D LOL I didn't know about this web site for 4 of my cruises.. And I did fine on finding what I needed to know... LOL In a way I'm glad I didn't know about this web site.. Because I kind of liked the "surprise" factor.. It was all new to me and fun... Although, having this web site also helps with my future cruise

[trock]

Gee what did people do about researching vacations before the internet? :D LOL I didn't know about this web site for 4 of my cruises.. And I did fine on finding what I needed to know... LOL In a way I'm glad I didn't know about this web site.. Because I kind of liked the "surprise" factor.. It was all new to me and fun...

I think we had travel agents...:D

[traveler92116]

Why would I lie about the free space warning? After about twenty minutes of waiting to start the game they did say not to tear off the numbers but did not say anything about the free space so I did not relate to it. If they had I would have exchanged my card. Why would I play with a card that was not valid? I was told at the next Bingo they were very explicit about the free space and several other warnings they did not stress on the first night.

[traveler92116]

It always amazes me how people, who obviously didn't find this website BEFORE they sailed, manage to find it afterwards so they can complain...about things that could have been avoided (for the most part) if they HAD visited the site prior to sailing!:rolleyes:

You are right--I wish I had found this website before the trip. However I only noticed it after when I was checking an email from Trip Advisor. I thought I would have a chance to vent without hostility but have found most of you to be narrow minded, nasty people without an ounce of human kindness.

 

For the record, I would like to correct my original statement that this was the "worst experience of my life" to the "worst vacation". As it was pointed out by a nicer person there are certainly other things worse in life than a bad vacation. As a 9-year breast cancer survivor I can attest to that.

[trock]

You are right--I wish I had found this website before the trip. However I only noticed it after when I was checking an email from Trip Advisor. I thought I would have a chance to vent without hostility but have found most of you to be narrow minded, nasty people without an ounce of human kindness.

 

For the record, I would like to correct my original statement that this was the "worst experience of my life" to the "worst vacation". As it was pointed out by a nicer person there are certainly other things worse in life than a bad vacation. As a 9-year breast cancer survivor I can attest to that.

 

HI

Dont let the hostiles keep you from coming back!

They enjoy a little excitement every now and then and unfortunately its always at the expense of negative post...

[ilovetravel123]

:)

Alot of responses from the unhappy traveller's vacation. I sail on Destiny in May, and have no expectations other than to relax and have a good time. It is all up to me. I am travelling with a terrific friend-my sister. We always have fun together.

Carnival excursions are pricey because Carnival takes a cut, and the tour operators need their payment. First cruise, I wasn't even aware of this site-but I still had a phenomenal time on Victory-what a great ship, even if I did bang my leg up immediately following the emergency drill.

This time, my sister have chosen excursions offered outside of Carnival, by reading the sites. The only thing that worries me is if, it were to rain the entire week, but even then I will have a great time.

As for food, I enjoyed the food on Victory, and look forward to the same on Destiny. I truly hope their delli is as superb as Victory's was. I also look forward to trying the melting chocolate cake I have heard so much about. Happy sails everyone.

 

Oh def. try the warm melting chocolate cake, it's fantastic. I had it 4 nights out of 6 :)

[criuisingurl079]

Please go and try RCCL. You think you had to spend $$$ for extra stuff on Carnival, which I totally disagree with, it will be 10 times worse on their ships. I know this for a fact. My SIL said you pay for everything on RCCL but they love them and will not sail on Carnival. That is their loss.

 

Sorry, but this isn't true.

[yeahbaby]

Excursions were extremely expensive and not enough time to seek out cheaper alternatives

 

i've found hundreds of ways to go on excursions that exclude using carnival, it's called doing research..

maybe you'll have better luck next time.