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Carnival Cruise Line

MS Carnival Destiny

Your Rating:
Reviewed by:Mike Grunwald
# previous cruises: 4
Date of Trip: February 18, 2001
Itinerary: Caribbean - Southern

For someone looking for a bargain and lots of people, this is the ship. Noisy and crowded says it all. Our cruise started off in confusion, long lines, and bad attitudes. We were herded around the airport and missed the airport check in... a big mistake. We were shuttled onto deck 0 (the working entrance, with no glitz or glamour). We waited in long and slow lines for 45 minutes to get our pre-boarding picture taken, then we waited another 45 minutes to get checked in. Move ahead, stop, don't do that, sit, stand up, go here, no there... it was not a fun way to start our cruise. It took 2 days for the ship to feel comfortable, and for all the kinks to get straightened out. 3400 people was just too much around the pools and around the breakfast and lunch buffets. The 4 of us will not sail on Carnival again, at least not on a 100 ton ship.

Busy and lots of noise. I could not find a lounge or sitting area that felt comfortable. The long promenade with all the public areas off of it, was again noisy, busy and uninviting. The ship staff did do an above average job keeping us from being totally disappointed. The casino was large and well attended. We actually hit several large jackpots.

The evening meal was excellent. However, Celebrity and Princess did a better job in preparation and presentation. Our waiter and assistant was excellent. The dining room was noisy, but not annoying. Kids galore. The buffet was always crowded, the food in the buffet was presented the same way at both breakfast and lunch.. no variety at all. The lines were long for burgers and pizza. There was only one line (one on each side of the ship) for the main buffet, and you had to wait in line whether you wanted a salad or a hot entry. The food was nothing to kick about... substantial, hot or cold, but not very much variety. There seemed to be plenty of table space. One thing I thought we would have was an outside sitting area, in back of the ship. The Destiny's outside area was around the pool. Pizza was excellent, but during peak eating times the lines were long and tense.

The cabin area was about the same size as other ships we have been on. We were in a balcony room and were able to open the outside divider between our rooms. Sitting outside during the cruise was wonderful. However, if you are with another couple and your balcony doors open off the same wall, you will not be able to open the balcony divider. We were in 6214 and 6218, so subtract or add your rooms from there if this is important to you. Several decks have the same layout and this configuration should be helpful. We were disappointed that our room did not have a small fridge. We did have a 5 foot sofa (we never used it), which I thought was wasting space. The closets and drawer space were adequate. The bathroom toilet seemed to be at an awkward angle, but the shower was large. Several visible mx problems were present in the bathroom. If you were sitting outside on the balcony, your next door or even above deck neighbors conversations were quite interesting.

The shows were well presented and all performers were well versed in what they had to do. However, most shows lasted less then an hour, and all the other entertainment lasted a half hour and no more. Malcolm the coordinator was right there to make sure the entertainer was off the stage within that time... even the special late shoe-adults only lasted exactly a half hour. Crowds everywhere, but seating was plentiful. Don't sit up front during the dance routines... some of the costumes and stockings were in less then perfect repair. Dancers and singers was excellent. The day entertainment was normal affairs and if this was your first cruise probably quite entertaining.

The islands we visited were exceptional. We never partake in the cruise offered tours and either rent, hire, or taxi our way around the islands. St Thomas was exceptional, St Lucia was beautiful, but hard to get around, Curacao was interesting... the floating bridge was great! And Aruba was great for exploring... what a diverse place to explore. Don't take a taxi or any other ground transportation to any beach further then 5 miles from the ship. We went to Jalousie Bay (between the peaks) and it was a ride from hell. Up, around, through, at break neck speeds was the fare of the day. It took 1 hr 30 minutes to get there. By the way, the sand is imported from Ghana, and isn't black. Beautiful, but maybe not worth the drive. Go there by boat or helicopter if you can.

Passengers came from everywhere, but the majority were from the states. Noisy, raucous crowd. Most of the more annoying cruisers were young families, not watching or maybe caring about who was sitting or lying next to them. The ship is huge and 3400 people is just too many people on one ship. If this was your first cruise and you didn't know any better it probably was a great cruise. Try another cruise line and you will discover there is a difference.