We boarded the Carnival Destiny on May 18.  Check in was quick and smooth.  We were on the ship by 11:30AM.  We were told we could drop off our bags in our cabin and head up to the Lido for lunch.  We were then allowed in our rooms by 1:30PM.  I have been on 15 cruises and had not been on Carnival in 13 years.  We had been on RCCL and Holland several times in between.  Our kids are ages 13 & 10.  We were convinced we were not interested in Carnival and Holland America was our line. But, this great price came up on Carnival Destiny and we decided to give it a shot.  And last year our cruise on Holland America's Westerdam was a disappointment.  We kept an open mind with the Destiny.  When we arrived on the ship we did notice our room was in need of a remodel but it was very clean.  That is most important to us.  The cabin was in need of a remodel/update.  No flat T.V.   Big stain on the sink.  Walls marred.  But very clean.  Nice size for an inside cabin.  Could use a little more shelf space.  Take your own blowdryer.   These are not worth using.  We were on Deck 8 right below the Lido.  Great location.  Would stay there again.  Our Room Steward Jose (this was his first cruise) was AWESOME.   Leaving cookies for the kids each night and towel animals.  He took time daily to talk to us and we would tease each other back and fourth.  He was great.  It sounds like I am complaining about the cabin.  I am not.  I would stay in that cabin again.  There are 3 movie channels in the rooms.  However you never knew what you were watching.  They need to put it in the daily schedule what the movies are each day.  I had to come home and google the characters in the movies to know what I was watching.  There were several good ones.  We would watch movies each afternoon while resting before dinner.  All movies were new releasesWe headed to the pool after lunch and the big draw for the kids when booking was the big slide.  We loved the stadium style deck with the lounge chairs.  We NEVER had a problem getting a chair and did not notice too many people saving chairs by throwing towels or shoes on them like we had read.  The kids LOVED the slide and we were always right beside the pool and were able to keep our eye on the kids the whole time.  We spent each day eating the buffet for breakfast and lunch.  At dinner we had early sitting with Bruno and Irvin.  The food was absolutely fantastic.  Not one complaint.  The service was the best we have had in a long time. The one thing we forgot about Carnival was how much FUN Carnival is.  After reading reviews we had to try the famous chocolate melting cake and became hooked.  Every night for dinner we would share a Chocolate Melting Cake.  Although Bruno would bring a couple when we requested only one with 4 spoons.  And we did finish it every time.  The kids loved the shows and the comedians on board.  We have never EVER been on a ship with a captain like Captain Scala.  He was so friendly and so funny.  He was everywhere.  I credit the awesome staff to him as well.  You can tell everyone is happy with their jobs because it was hands down the best service we have had in years.  We loved it so much we are considering a repeat cruise this summer before the kids go back to school.  I really enjoyed reading cruise critic and got lots of tips.  I have a few to verify and add.  We flew in the day prior into Ft. Lauderdale.  Upon leaving baggage claim we walked outside and went to "GO SHUTTLE" and got a private car to take us to Holiday Inn Bayside (across the street from the Port Of Miami).  The private car was $25p/p (Carnival transfers were $30p/p) or a family of 4 was $70 (a savings of $50 off the Carnival transfer) the Holiday Inn Bayside was $135 for the night and we walked across the street to the Bayside Market for dinner and entertainment. It was a lot of fun.  At 6:30AM my son woke up and saw our ship docking.  It was so pretty to see the ship out our window.  It was lit up like a Christmas tree as it was docking so early in the morning. The Holiday Inn was a nice clean hotel and the beds were very comfortable.  I would stay there again.  The next morning we took a taxi to the ship for $12 including the tip.  When reading reviews there were several positives and negatives.  I am a seasoned cruiser and have done some of the better lines and I am here to tell you do not be afraid to cruise the Destiny.  Sometimes people look for perfect and let little things upset them and ruin their vacation.  Don't be one of those people.  When you travel NOTHING is ever perfect and if you want it to be you will be disappointed.  This is your vacation. This is what you work so hard for all year.  Enjoy it.  Don't look for bad things.  Don't sweat the small stuff. Life is too short.  Enjoy it. We had a week full of rain. This on top of having a bad winter and spring. We were really looking forward to some sunshine and it did not happen.  We really looked forward to Grand Turk and it rained on us the whole time.  We were not able to swim at the pool on the island.  We could have been really upset by all of this but we chose to enjoy the entertainment on the ship and we had a blast.  Kudos to Brent, JoJo, LJ, Pip, Gavin and of course our wonderful Captain for making us forget the weather and have a great time. (Although the first full day while at sea the Captain took a different route so we could have sunthat was great!!!).  Go on the Destiny and have the cruise of a lifetime!!!