Hi, Dave,
That's a lovely itinerary you're contemplating.
The ships can't really be compared "apples to apples." The Destiny is quite
a bit older and will feature fewer bells and whistles, not to mention some
very gaudy/glitzy interiors as compared to what you've enjoyed on Princess
and RCI. I think she has been in drydock fairly recently for a face lift,
but bottom line, there is no way you can compare the Destiny to the other
two ships, at least on "hardware" alone. For my tastes, the Serenade is the
most gorgeous ship I've ever cruised--we were on her inaugural voyage in
August 2003. And then, there's the Crown. She hasn't even made her debut,
has she? I have read lots of interesting things about that ship, and hands
down, if you are looking at what the ship will offer, then I think the Crown
is the most intriguing of the bunch. I also imagine the three cruises are
priced accordingly, with the Destiny being quite a deal and the Crown being
premium, but only slightly ahead of the Serenade. Price for all three is
probably going to hold strong as February is peak season. Are you going over
President's Day/Week by any chance? That is a high demand week, and more
families with kids will be cruising due to school holidays, which could be a
plus or minus for you.
From a "software" standpoint, we've cruised all three lines, but in the
Carnival line, only on a Spirit-class ship. (Destiny is a Destiny-class
ship!) The Spirit class is the one class of Carnival ship that draws mostly
high praise from all and is easily comparable in many categories to RCI and
Princess. We felt the food and service were above average on that Carnival
cruise and, in fact, competitive with Princess. We didn't let the "Fun Ship"
features like singing waiters and cheesey games distract us (see other
thread below), but we do prefer the more understated ambiance of Princess.
RCI is our first choice when it comes to entertainment. What are your
tastes, and what's important to you when you cruise? This kind of discussion
is sooooooo subjective..... I'd certainly recommend that you study many
firsthand reviews of the Destiny if you are leaning in that direction. You
can find a bunch over at www.cruisecritic.com and also at
www.cruisereviews.com
Of course, another way to look at that trip is, the itinerary is so
port-intensive, the choice of ship/line might be less significant to you
than the finer details of the itinerary, relative value considering the
amount of time spent on the ship, etc. I am a traveler who frequently
analyzes cruises that way--especially because we travel as a family of 4, so
travel gets expensive--but by my observation, most cruisers are much more
emotionally invested in the cruise ship as a destination. If you are going
for the cruise as much or more as you are going for the ports, I think most
would agree, the new Crown would have to come out on top, with the Serenade
a close second. And in this case, I think I'd have to reason that having
invested in the RT air fares to get to San Juan, it is silly to pinch
pennies over the cruise when the difference in cruise experience is
potentially so great, i.e., I, personally, do see the Crown and Serenade as
being much better choices than the Destiny.
My opinions are just that, my opinions. I'm sure others will weigh in, too!
Note, we hit St. Thomas, Dominica and Barbados last December 2005. If you
want to look at our port reports, they are posted here and can be accessed
via Google Groups search of rec.travel.cruises by using, e.g., Dominica as
the keyword, my handle "D Ball" as author, and date after 1/1/2006.
Take care, have fun researching your trip!
Diana Ball
near Houston, TX
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