My husband, 11 yr old daughter, myself & my father-in-law (in his 70's but generally active & healthy) recently sailed on the 11/5-10 cruise to Ocho Rios & Grand Cayman. My family (excluding f-i-l) sailed on the Dream last year and weren't sure what to expect given the age of the Destiny and the mixed reviews we had read. I am a firm believer in the vacation being what you make of it (generally speaking) and we made the most of this one.

To start, we flew into Miami on the morning of the cruise. Despite a power outage at the terminal, we managed arrive at the Port via a 15-minute cab ride costing $25 (plus tip) around 12:30. We were onboard by 1:30 with barely any delay. The staff at the port was very friendly. Once onboard, our rooms were ready & we had lunch at the Lido Buffet which was standard fare. The grill was good and the deli above-avg.

Next day was at sea. We relaxed & my daughter spent some time at the kid's club. What was nice about the Destiny is that they separated the 9-11 yr olds from the younger kids and spent alot of time at Circle C instead of Camp Carnival. My daughter was thrilled about this b/c she did not feel like being around 3 & 4 year olds (you know how they are at 11). The activities were varied & she enjoyed the ones she decided to attend to. She participated in a dancing contest, scavenger hunts (in a group), bingo, etc. Read more