We booked this cruise only about a month and a half out, long story short we have had a terrible year so far due to family illness and we really needed a getaway! We had planned to possibly vacation for our anniversary in August but our summer got tied up with family things so we decided to take the chance to go somewhere when we could which happened to be in May. I went on the Big Red Boat about 20 years ago and hubby hadn't ever cruised so we were excited to see what it was all about.
We went in with an open mind and not too many expectations. I knew we were going to have fun b/c we always do but didn't know what to expect from the ship. Embarkation was super easy, we were on the ship about 45 minutes after we arrived to the port. Our room was ready, 1197 on the Rivera deck. Looked just like photos I had seen of cabins so no surprise there. Hubby was pleased at how much room we had, he thought the cabins would be smaller. Our steward was fabulous and our ice bucket was filled several times per day, clean towels, etc.
As far as the ship itself, the Destiny was great! Sort of outdated which we knew, but it had charm and we found the decor amusingly tacky. I liked it. I really didn't have a problem finding my way around on board at all. And the elevators were fine, I didn't find them all that slow as some reviews said. And if you were sick of waiting, take the stairs! People seem to moan and gripe about buffet lines but they weren't that bad. I don't think people realized there were two buffet lines. Of course during peak times you're going to have more people in food lines no matter what.
1197...very quiet cabin. Nothing to complain about : )