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This was my second sailing on the Destiny in a year. The first was to Cozumel and Key West 9 months ago, and my 3rd Carnival cruise overall. While I was extremely impressed with my first Carnival cruise in 2003, I noticed a decline in service and overall quality on my second Carnival cruise 9 months ago. I wrote it off as maybe "knowing what to expect" and, seeing as how my husband loved it (it was his first cruise), I thought I was just imagining it. BUT, now after my second sailing on the Destiny in a year, I noticed even more decline in service, especially in the dining room, in just 9 months!
The food was okay, some of it didn't even come out warm, and the attentiveness of the wait staff was iffy. Some nights were really good, and others, we never got a drink refill. There were even a few times that some of the appetizers (group of 10) came out at least 10 minutes before the others. We never got the coffee/cappucino/etc. that was ordered with dessert until well after we finished eating the dessert. We even called the spa one night to inquire about a price of a service and the person we talked to was very rude and hung up.
Aside from the service issues, there was a foul smell in several areas of the ship. It was in the lower decks and noticeable in the show lounge area as well. I don't know if there was plumbing problems or not, but it was not pleasant. The only other complaint, it that we missed Half Moon Cay due to weather. We had boarded the tender then were told to get off. We were told that weather was preventing them from tendering that day and received a refund for the excursions we purchased. I know that isn't really Carnival's fault, but that day was so disorganized. They announced all the new activities as we were getting off the tender, but never re-announced them or printed out anything with a new schedule. We had no idea of what was going on throughout the day, and with cloudy skies, it made for a long and frustrating day.
Now, all that said, I still did have fun on this cruise, because I don't think it's possible for me to cruise and not have fun. I really enjoy seeing new places and trying new foods and will continue to cruise in the future. It was just disappointing to see such a decline in service, especially since I was traveling with several first time cruisers.
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