This was our second cruise. Our first was a Boston to Bermuda on NCL Majesty. This was a very different experience. Carnival is much larger, the Destiny was twice the size of the Majesty . Price-wise, Carnival is a better buy, but in the end, not worth dealing with some of the things we had to. Our flight from Boston to San Juan was very good, all on time and an easy transfer from airport to the port. We were able to board the ship early and settled in for a buffet lunch to await the delivery of our luggage.

Our cabin was OK, maybe in need of a good deep cleaning. It all seemed a bit grimy. Our bags arrived before dinner and we unpacked ready to set sail that night. Departure is at 10:00 p.m. so if you were in the mood to see a bit of San Juan it was an option. My son and husband took the walk up to the fort, my daughter and I stayed on ship to relax after waking up that morning for a 4 a.m. trip to the airport. We settled in after dinner to book our shore excursions for the week and sailed for St Thomas on time.

On St Thomas we took the open buses into Charlotte Amalie to shop and then in the afternoon the catamaran sail to shipwreck cove to snorkel. It was great, we had a nice time getting to know our fellow passengers and the catamaran crew was friendly and knowledgeable. They served a really good rum punch and soft drinks on the way back to the ship. Snorkeling is a blast and we try to do it wherever it is an option as you'll see when we get to the other islands. The next stop was Dominica. We were unfamiliar with the island before the cruise. Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here. It is very much a rainforest island with beautiful vistas and jungle type environments. We were apprehensive about exploring the winding roads to the rainforests after reading other reviews about folks feeling car sick in the jeeps, etc. So, we went on the kayaking and snorkel excursion. It was really good. Let me first say I am less of an athlete than other family members so when the guide told us that with 25 guests and 10 double kayaks, five of us would have to opt into single kayaks, I didn't raise my hand. My son and kayaking partner did, so like any good mom I said; "OK, let's go for it." I struggled a bit but the guide hung with me talking to take my mind off the work and encouraging me to go on. It was always an option to have the trailing boat pick me up but I'm a bit stubborn. Once we got to the snorkeling point, we tie up kayaks and in we go. We swam through the "champagne bubbles" of a warm spring and the sea life visible was great. Dominica is a very poor country so there are things that are sad to see at the port and along the roadways. Be prepared for it and the aggressive sales pitches in the markets. Read more