Prior cruisers react to first time on DCL

[mikeymars]

If you -- like us - are someone who has cruised before but is planning your first trip on DCL, this might interest you. Heck, even if you aren't it might.

When our family of four (Mom, Dad and two kids 5 and 8) sailed last week for the first time on DCL (on the Magic from 3/23-3/30), we did so as a family that has previously cruised before on Costa, Celebrity, Carnival, RCCL and Holland American. So we consider ourselves to be shall we say "experienced" cruisers.

And in that context, looking back on that first DCL cruise as said "experienced prior cruisers," here are our reactions:

What Disney does well (compared to competitors):

Children’s programs (mostly due to range and variety of the programming and the efficient way check in/out is managed, both of which are outstanding compared to competitors). The counselors were good to very good, albeit not that much better than what we have seen on other lines (That wasn't a surprise; I think the industry in general is relatively picky about who they recruit to deal with children).

Entertainment. No complaints about the major evening shows (other than lack of live music, which I get into below). Good variety and good to excellent performances. Main showroom is well designed, as others state there really are no “bad” seats. Love those cupholders, too.

Palos – while not being the culinary nirvana some claim – is a nice retreat and wasn’t as difficult to get a "res" at as this board sometimes implies (likely because there are many more seats available there on the seven day – the "res rush" craziness for Palos appears to be primarily be a problem on the 3 and 4 day Wonder sailings).

Disembarkation. As the cruise director claimed, yes, DCL does this more quickly and efficiently as competitors. We stood in no lines Saturday on board on morning, and appreciated that. Nothing is more frustrating than having a great cruise end with an ugly mob scene environment while getting off the ship.

Range of dining choices: we never had a problem at any meal finding something truly desirable, and that comes from someone dealing with picky eater children and a spouse who is frankly difficult for any restaurant to impress. Can't say that for other lines (although if one is out to pick the flat out "best" food on any "mass market" cruise, one still has to go with Celebrity. And that isn't just my opinion, read any book on cruises and you'll hear the same thing).

General friendliness of staff. Disney wrote the book on how to accomplish this at their parks years ago, no additional explanation needed.

Movie Theater: nicer and better range of choices than I’ve seen since sailing on the S.S. France (now the NCL Norway) as a child back in the 1960s.

What Disney could do better (ergo, what competitors are ahead of them on):

Spit and polish: maintenance standards on the ship were not quite up to what we are have seen on other lines or at Disney resorts at WDW. Every single bathroom we used (including the ones in our stateroom) had rust around the bottom of the door openings. Lots of rust was readily viewable on exterior surfaces, including the railings on our veranda, which made it a lot less inviting than it should have been. Many, if not most of exterior wood railings could use a sanding and new coat of varnish. While deck 9 staff were quick to clear tables, there was some trash (straws in particular) in the pools, and not just during crowded hours. Bottom line: for a ship less than four years old, the Magic should be in better shape (hmmmm....are Disney's financial problems causing deferred maintenance cutbacks?) Celebrity in my humble opinion wrote the textbook here; their ships – even the older ones -- are absolutely spotless. Ditto Holland American. Carnivals and RCCL’s are tacky, but still cleaner than the Magic was.

When families with small children appear in Topsiders, why doesn’t staff offer to help carry their trays to their tables? We’ve ALWAYS experienced that on other lines. ALWAYS. We continually saw lots of families on the Magic up at Topsiders struggling to get through heavy doors while handholding toddlers and balancing fully loaded trays while CMs just stood there a few feet away staring into space. This isn’t nitpicking – yes, it’s a little thing, but one that makes a huge difference to anyone with small kids. We REALLY lectured DCL about this on our comment card.

When we go to Broadway shows in New York, we enjoy live music performed by a professional band or orchestra. When we cruised on Celebrity, same thing: professional, live music in the showroom. Ditto Holland American. Ditto on Carnival (yes, Carnival – that supposedly downscale line – in fact the 15 piece band in their theatre was quite impressive, and even provided music to entertain people before the shows). Disney? You listen to taped (read – less expensive) music. May not bother others, but as a musician it certainly bothered me, particularly given the fact DCL prices above the competition (ergo, Disney doesn’t have to be cheap here). They already invest in live music for the clubs and lounges - why not be a class act in the showroom, too?


:bounce:

[Dodie]

Thank you for your thoughtful, well-written post showing both sides of the coin. I appreciated your honesty AND your opinions (based upon all of your previous cruising experience).

As a Disney fan - sometimes we tend to see everything through "Disney-colored" glasses. Your post was refreshing.

[mikeymars]

Thanks Dodie. I guess I should have mentioned that despite our "thumbs mostly up put sometimes down" reactions, we are also Disney fans - DVC members in fact -- and overall I still rate our vacations at any Disney property as the best we've ever had. That's why were were more than willing to try out DCL. Is it perfect? Nothing is, and yes, there are improvement opportunites. But that doesn't mean we were "unhappy" with the Magic. And yes, the "reactions" piece was written (as you realized) to provide a somewhat dfferent view than one may normally see here.

[TnRobin]

I too appreciate all sides of the story. This was a well presented post. I am interested in your opinions particularly because we want to cruise Hawaii next year and I feel particularly spoiled by DCL.

I am surprised that no one was helping with the kids trays. On our three prior cruises, DS never had to carry his tray.

[reveric]

Thanks mikeymars! As a first time cruiser I really appreciated the clarity and thoroughness of your post. I found it most informative. Thanks for taking the time to post it!

[FLeisure]

Having recently been fortunate to cruise with Disney, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity all in the last 12 months I have to say that Disney ranks lowest on my list.

For first time cruisers I can well understand the gloss of a large ship and all the other stuff that goes with crusing being a big plus. Hopefully it will have given you all a taste of longing to do it again.

For me, the whole Disney cruise (Last December) was off to a bad start when they started with some of the most ludicrous security measures I've ever witnessed. Checking in with RCCL last week was an absolute pleasure - yes, added security was there but we were on the ship inside 25 minutes. Disney took 90 minutes for a 3 night cruise.

Once on board we enjoyed the live music in the dualling piano bar and also in the quieter piano room next door. The shows were also pretty good but after witnessing the ice shows and the other shows on RCCL on board Explorer this year and Voyager last, I wouldn't put much between them.

The biggest disappointment on Disney was the quality of the food. Frankly, I don't know whether it was a bad weekend or not, but it was poor. The nice part was getting to visit a new restaurant every night as maybe the food would improve...:(

Earlier comments in regard to the appearance of the ship are well founded and another massive disappointment was the general attitude of the staff.....going through the motions is how I would phrase it.

Speaking as someone in the hospitality industry I have to say Disney has much to learn from its competitors. Having sailed with Carnival two / three years ago I would say they are well ahead of Disney before we even start with lines such as RCCL, Celebrity and Norwegian.

In short a big disappointment and not much really to say of a positive nature. Maybe I shouldn't have started :(

I'm sorry....

[DVC1996]

Thanks Mikeymars! Excellent cruise review. You mentioned that you were a DVC Member and I'm hoping you also post regularly on the DIS DVC Board. In particular.....I would be interested in hearing your impressions of any outside exchanges you have made through DVC. Thanks again:)

[perdidobay]

I appreciate both of these reports comparing DCL to other lines:) Thanks for taking the time to post them. I have only been on one cruise-DCL, but hope to do many more and with other lines in the future, and I'm always curious to hear how the other lines "stack up":)

[BeanoC]

I've sailed with NCL 4 times previously; on the S.S. Norway twice, M.S. Southward and M.S. Seaward (Honeymoon cruise)

We took our 1st DCL cruise on the Magic last year.

So, in direct comparison to NCL, Disney blows 'em away.

The 'historical' S.S. France, which was tranformed into the S.S. Norway, was, in a word, dirty. It's a huge ship, and I loved the spaciousness, but the whole ship looked as if the carpet was left over from the S.S. France! The food was adequate at best. We do enjoy NCL's "Dive-In" program. I wouldn't have sailed on her twice though, had the 2nd one not been a gift!

The Seaward was very elegant, and virtually spotless. Granted, this cruise was a few years ago and she was fairly new. Food was better than Norway's but still mediocre. The staff on the Seaward seemed much more fun and attentive. They had many good programs and seemed to care whether or not you were having fun. The Seaward's adult restaurant, which you could compare to Palo's, was very intimate and elegant, however it was NOT included with your cruise, so where Palo's might cost you 20-30 dollars with drinks and tips, The Seaward restaurant would easily set you back 80 bucks.

The biggest disappointment with NCL is the way they seated us for dinner. My first cruise on the Norway was just my brother and I - two young bachelors on a cruise. They seated us with a family of 6 who spoke NO english whatsoever. We spent an uncomfortable week smiling at each other, unable to communicate in the slightest. Pretty exciting for two 20-something single guys huh?

On our Seaward Honeymoon cruise, we were seated with 3 other couples, all 20-30 years older than us. We had nothing in common, but hey, at least they spoke english! We ended up skipping dinner a number of times simply because it was uncomfortable and not at all relaxing. I don't think NCL puts any thought behind the seating arrangements, they must do it randomly.

I won't comment on my M.S. Southward cruise, as it was more than 20 years ago and can't really be compared to "modern" cruises!

As for the Disney Magic - we have a difficult time complaining about anything. We had a fabulous cruise.

First of all, we were seated at a private table for 4. We are certainly not anti-social, but having this time to talk and laugh together as a family without worrying about others was very nice.

Also, we found the food to be outstanding - far superior to any NCL cruise we'd been on, and better than what we were expecting. We even ordered off the menu a couple of times and were graciously accomodated.

As most people know, DLC's staterooms are larger than most cruise lines, and we found this to be a big plus as well. With 2 young kids, room to move around in your stateroom is pretty nice!

Also, the disembarkation was a joy! After horribly long waits on all of my NCL cruises, I was simply amazed at how quickly and easily we got of the Magic!

I did miss the casino, but hey - this is a family vacation. I can play cards another time! I'd rather watch my kids on the Mickey slide anyway :)


All in all, I have only positive comments to offer about DCL. We were so pleased, we booked our next cruise while still on board!


Remember, this comparison is only to NCL, I can't compare Disney to anyone else. I have no doubt that the reports of great food on Celebrity are true, as well as the other fine things offered by RCCL and Princess. But as long as our kids are young, you won't find us anywhere but on Disney!!



'Beano' :cool:

[liza]

Mikemars, thanks for your post. We took our first Disney cruise -- first cruise at all -- a few weeks ago on the Magic. We enjoyed it, but I'm wondering whether we wouldn't enjoy a different line next time. My in-laws rave about Crystal, but it's too expensive for our family of 4. My children are 7 and 4. Is there a line you would recommend that has a good children's program? I've heard good things about Celebrity, but don't know anything about the kids' programs. Would you mind describing the kids' programs on the other ships?

Thanks!

[WDWLVR]

I have cruised many times in past but it was years ago. When I took my first Disney cruise in '99 I was blown away by what a beautiful ship it was and all it had to offer. The check in was much smoother than I remembered on any other ship.

The room is huge compared to my past cruises.

I love the fact that you rotate in the dining rooms and that they are so wonderfully themed. I remember spending many nights in the very nice, but bland dining rooms on other cruises.

Food, well here Disney does lose a little. The best food I had was on the old Sitmar cruises (later bought out by Princess). I would also say the wait staff was better on those cruises - but saying that I've still had great wait staff on the Magic as well.

As for the room steward - Disney is the best. Always friendly, keeps the room great and the towel animals are such fun.

The other area that Disney blows my other cruises away is getting off the ship. I remember sitting around in public rooms for what seemed like ever just waiting for our color or number to be called to get off the ship. Disney does it right!

My previous cruises were all in the 1977 to 1989 range and then I didn't cruise for 10 years so I'm well aware that all of the lines have upgraded and changed. I for one would be willing to try others (especially now that Dreams Unlimited has expanded their offerings), but I still love Disney and will continue to cruise them.

Only 35 days until we are on the Wonder!

[Chattyaholic]

but was kind of surprised that you found the Magic to be dirty and in need of repairs. We were on the 7-night Magic cruise in January '01 and found her to be very clean and crew members were constantly cleaning, polishing, repairing, etc. Granted, this was our first cruise so we may have overlooked things simply because we were in awe, I don't know. We are going back on the ship for a Western cruise next January, really looking forward to going back. Plus, just before that cruise we are taking a short 4-night Carnival Fantasy cruise. We'll have two days between cruises. :) So, it will be fun to do some comparing of our own. We hope to cruise several different lines over the next several years. I think our next one will be the Grand Princess or possibly Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, they both look interesting! :D

[FLeisure]

Voyager or Explorer of the Seas are fantastic ships. Frankly there's nothing to compete with them in terms of size, features and things to do.

A week ago we were on Explorer and one thing did strike me compared to our sailing on Voyager a year ago. It seemed to us that RCCL were making cut-backs in various areas and that devalued the whole experience.

I do tend to be quite critical of cruise lines but my view is they promise the World in their brochures but rarely deliver it 100% as advertised. Anyway, on Explorer we had no wine waiter - extra pressure on the waiter and his assistant, no bath robes until we demanded them (!), toilet paper was the very very cheap stuff, etc - all small areas and probably missed by most people.

None of the above items are big deals but it goes towards creating the exclusive atmosphere that the lines are eager to promote. I guess most lines are cutting back or using Sept 11 as an excuse to do so.

[liza]

Does anyone have information about children's programs on other cruise lines?

[FLeisure]

Liza,

My two daughters (8 & 11) have been on several cruises over the last 5 years and they hated Disney simply because there were 950 kids on board and they never got to get near anything. From what we saw it wasn't very organised but quite how you organise 950 kids on a ship is beyond me.

We probably sailed at the wrong time ! I suppose that's part of the reason we didn't enjoy Disney as much as other lines. The best kids programs are Carnival and Celebrity. Carnival always seems to have something happening for kids.

RCCL have an infuriating program whereby the kids section actually closes down at odd times of the day. For us, cruising is the one vacation whereby we can actually sitch off when we get on the ship and the ability to lose the kids is a high priority !

All the kids programs seem to be pretty good no matter which cruise line so it really depends what your priorities are. If you like good food and a more elite atmosphere go with Celebrity, if you like the party atmosphere - Carnival. RCCL tends to be more middle of the road.

[gary in florida]

I really appreciated all the comments about the cruises. I have to smile about some of the different opinions.
First, loved Mikeymars approach, listed the good, the bad and the ugly and compared cruise ships.
I say I smile because of a couple of negative statements, like it took 90 minutes to board in December for a 3 night cuise. We sailed on a DCL cruise, 12/6/01. From the time we arrived at the terminal, via car, unloaded luggage, parked car, went upstairs to the rest rooms, checked in, thru security, boarded ship. Total time less than 45 minutes.
Could it be that on the 90 minute boarding time they had some security problems?
Regarding kids activities, I do not disagree with the "planning", our 11 yr old Granddaughter and her friend would rather be out on their own exploring the ship then do the activities. Maybe it's because of the great number of kids to counslers, not sure.
Also have to agree with Chattyaholic, surprised about the cleanlyness of the ship. During our 3 day cruise there was always someone, somewhere cleaning up. In fact, in Nassau, when we returned early, they were repainting some of the ship, and polishing the railing on the outside decks.
I guess that each person has a different opinion on what is good for them, and that's what makes the world go around.

[prymsu]

He also liked Disney too, but i think he liked Carnival better. The downside though is that you don't get a pager, and i really liked that feature that Disney had to offer.

[zurgswife]

Thanks to all for there informative comments about DCL and the other cruise ships. Having never cruised before it is interesting to get other opionins and views before I do finally get to cruise.

[tecdavidt]

We have sailed Carnival, Celebrity, and Disney. Disney has the best children's program and it does not charge unless it is Flounders. After 10:00 pm Carnival charges for the service and the service was having our daughter lay down and watch a movie!!! At $10 per hour I would consider this programing. Our children pick Disney over the other lines. Our children are very outgoing and this is a plus considering DCL has large numbers of children on board. Remember everyone has their own taste. Kathy

[Denine]

We have been on 3 DCL cruises and have numbers 4 & 5 booked. I am surprised to hear it is not bieng kept up. Everytime we have been on, they are constantly painting and polishing, including the railings.
We have sailed on the Grand Princess. The whole time, we kept saying, this isn't Disney. The staff on Disney was much friendlier and willing to help than on Princess. The waitstaff on Princess was "fancier" in the way they did things, but I don't think the food was any better. I have never had a problem with the food. I have had much worse food in supposedly fancy restaurants at home.
I can't comment on the kids programming since we don't have any. But, the kids always looked like they were having fun.
We are sailing Princess again on the 15th of this month. We are sailing to the Panama Canal for 10 days. If Disney offered this itinerary, I would be on it in a heartbeat.

[FLeisure]

Gary,

Boarding times - no , it was sheer stupidity.

We had to line up for 40 mins in our vehicles waiting to unload. They checked absolutely everything and those who had brought someone with them to drive their vehicle away had to leave that person sitting on the kerb outside.

No-one thought to mention that you would need both your ticket and picture ID to get back in before you went to park your vehicle after dropping off. Fortunately, I had mine but loads of people didn't.

We then had the ridiculous sight of a woman who was in her late 60's (from this point on, known as daft old bat (DOB)) to check the drivers back in. Of course the inevitable happened right in front of me. The poor woman (now known as PW) in front of me who hadn't been told she would need picture ID had left it with her husband along with her ID. DOB then decided that she would hold everyone up until she radioed into the building to try and get the husband back. Quite what the odds on this happening where I don't know but by the time she had got a message back to say they couldn't find him (surprise, surprise!) there was a line of about 200 people behind us. The PW was very embarassed by this point and even the offer of several credit cards, which she did have to prove her ID, had no bearing on DOB.

After suggesting for the umpteenth time she could check other people who had ID , DOB finally relented. I still don't know if PW got on the ship but I can imagine the start of her vacation was totally wrecked.

So, after checking in...what did we find ? Some soldier on duty at the gangway. The guy was obviously bored out of his brains and it showed.

My point....if we are going to have extra security then lets make it common sense stuff. This was very much an over reaction to the sad events of Sept 11 and if, by any chance, a terrorist really did want to do damage to the ship he still could have done.

I don't know if I"m in a minority and at the risk of being controversial I am of the opinion that most of the so called "improved" security around the country is a joke. To me, several leading companies are using it as an excuse to make cut-backs.

I'm not just knocking Disney in this. RCCL comes in for some stick as well. In Miami, the Police blocked off the main entry and exit channel for the small boats that used to enjoy sailing past the cruise ships. Frankly, why they did this is beyond me. Just exactly what security risk is this ?

We then get to San Juan and we have jetski's coming right up to the boat and literally touching it. Just what is going on ? Maybe this should be reserved for a different forum.....

:rolleyes:

[gary in florida]

Hope my wife doesn't see your description of a women in here late 60's! :eek:

[gary in florida]

Hope my wife doesn't see your description of a women in her late 60's! :eek:

[FLeisure]

Sorry Gary ;)

What I was referring to was that this particular woman should have been retired. She clearly had no idea of what she was doing.

[plutospup]

milkymars, I appreciate your review. Interesting to note your thoughts on the wooden railings. Every morning on the 3/9 Magic(I'm an early riser-6am jacuzzi!) I noticed workers sanding,staining, & varnishing the wood railings. However, after the Thursday morning fire the "yellow suits" were concentrating on the fire damage near the Mickey pool. Hopefully, maintenance returns to the high prefire standards.

[bengals01]

i have been wanting to ask this question for awhile, what kind of food are you eating that is so bad?

[mikeymars]

Originally posted by plutospup
milkymars, I appreciate your review. Interesting to note your thoughts on the wooden railings. Every morning on the 3/9 Magic(I'm an early riser-6am jacuzzi!) I noticed workers sanding,staining, & varnishing the wood railings. However, after the Thursday morning fire the "yellow suits" were concentrating on the fire damage near the Mickey pool. Hopefully, maintenance returns to the high prefire standards.

Interesting that you saw work on the railings going on just two weeks before we cruised, given what I saw. To be more specific about the latter: the varnish on the outside of the railing on our veranda (cabin 6064) was completely gone -- and I mean completely, we're talking 100% raw wood -- as was much of the varnish on the sides of the railings near the tables on both sides of the Mickey pool up on deck 9. Also noticed some varnish gone on railings up on 10 (I wasn't looking for this, it was just impossible not to notice). I didn't seen any work on the railings going on during our cruise, in fact, the only maintenance I saw during that whole week was some painting of the walls up on 9.

[plutospup]

Can't respond to the veranda rails, since we didn't have one. The railing work I saw was near the Quiet Cove pool, including the stairways up to deck 10. I was suprised by the awful smell, and their ability to get down to the bare wood. Usually, this occurred before 8 am. I didn't go near the Mickey pool too often since it was very crowded. Hopefully, they tend to the railings throughout the ship.

[FLeisure]

Bengals - to answer your question re: food ;

From the DCL brochure :
"Each restauarant offers its own special menu of tantalizing cuisine. And, of course, you can expect an unsurpassed level of personalized service and attention to detail. For example, your own personal wait staff rotates with you each night so you can enjoy one innovative dining experience after another, with servers who already know you like lemon in your iced tea or your steak cooked just so."

From this description you would expect top quality food and excellent service. I have to say the food we received was nothing more than average and our servers the same.

Having eaten at several of Disneys top restaurants the DCCL is well below this standard in my opinion. The meats we had had little flavour and were never cooked as required. The vegetables were soggy and the potatoes nearly always cold. I know cooking for so many is difficult but Disney has the experience of its restaurants to draw from unlike its competitors.

Seems to me that Disney places more emphasis on rotating folks through the different restaurants than it does on food quality. Talking of the restaurants....is it really necessary to play the music so loud through every meal ?

Maybe I'm too demanding but when cruise lines claim to have the best level of service not to mention "tantalizing cuisine" , I do tend to expect it. The only thing "tantalizing" about Disney's cuisine is the question "will it be edible?". For those folks who love McDonalds then DCCL will be great for you...for those who like something a little better ....prepare for disappointment.

[amy1007]

I have never been on the Disney Cruise, and I am so excited about our upcoming cruise. However, the above post about the poor quality of the food really has me worried. Do others share this same view of the food?

[FLeisure]

Amy,

Sorry to put a downer on your forthcoming vacation. Maybe I've been too harsh....the food is OK just not as good as Disney tries to claim..that's all. Get into Pablo's....

Enjoy your trip.

[pal2pluto]

I think fleisure meant Palo's, not Pablos. Palo's is the gourmet dining room for adults only. It is super.

A lot will depend on your attitude, I believe. We thoroughly enjoyed our 7 day in January. I'm shocked and saddened that fleisure had such a poor experience. I believe that his was an exception. Please, I'm not criticizing him/her, but some people are better at making "lemonade out of lemons" than other people. If you're stuck in line waiting, realize you are not the only ones, and maybe try to meet some of the people around you, and instead of being a "seed of discontent" (sorry, been watching 3-2-1 penguins too much), try to find something to good and helpful to focus on.

Okay, I know I'm going to get lambasted, but I choose to make lemonade when I can. We loved our cruise. Yes, there were things that could have been different, but I chose to focus and look for what was magical. My children will remember how wonderful it was, too. :)

[bcburgner]

I don't eat at McDonald's and enjoy really good food. I'm not into totally gourmet type food or dining. Too stuffy for me and the atmosphere isn't much fun for us either. We loved our dining experience on the 4 day Wonder cruise. Food was great, our server was the best and we ate plenty of food. To us, this was one of the highlights of our cruise. Now, I have never been on any other cruise line, so I don't have any comparisons to make. But for us, the food was great. We look forward to ourr 2003 Western Carib cruise.

[prymsu]

I guess if i don't have to shop for it, prepare and cook it, serve and then clean up afterwards it is all good to me. Unless something was really poorly under or over cooked, to me it is always good if i am not the one who has to lay out the spread.

As far as servers go, there is no difference between Carnival and Disney. All are pleasant and try to go the extra mile. Of course they may have off days, but then who wouldn't when you work a six month stretch without any days off...

[FLeisure]

I don't think it's a case of attitude at all. I was just giving my opinion on events as I saw them and comparing our experience with other cruise lines.

Overall we still enjoyed our trip on DCL but it's not one we would repeat for the reasons already stated. Hopefully our cruise experience as far as food was concerned was indeed, a one off.

Pal2pluto - yes, I try to make lemonade when I can but I refuse to gloss over things that could be better. I realize on a Disney forum that people will defend Disney but simply put, Disney isn't what Disney used to be in my eyes. 10 years ago Disney was light years ahead of any other company in terms of service and general standards. Unfortunately we now live in different times when bottom line is all that apparently matters. And yes, I meant Palo's ;)

[gary in florida]

Everybody has their own opinion on food and service. I do not like McDonalds but felt the food at the three restaurants were above average. Also, you can get poor service even at the best 5 star restaurants.
So, in my humble opinion, the food on DCL & the food service is above average.

[tecdavidt]

I have stated on these boards several times don't cruise Disney because of the food. You won't starve and on our last cruise 3/16 this year the food was improved over our previous cruises. I still believe the food I had on Carnival and Celebrity was better but Disney is improving. The servers also have a lot to do if your food is cold. That is true for any cruiseline.

We all will have different opinions and that is the plus of a board. I like reading everyone's opinions. The best judge is yourself, go on the cruise and then decide.

We love to cruise and I have to agree a lot of the new security measures are a joke and waste of our tax paying money. Standing in lines is the downside of cruising. Sometimes embarking is fast other times slow. Debarking is the same. The inbetween part is my favorite, being on a ship and seeing only the beautiful deep blue ocean water. It makes it all worth while. Kathy :cool:

[mikeymars]

Originally posted by liza
Mikemars, thanks for your post. We took our first Disney cruise -- first cruise at all -- a few weeks ago on the Magic. We enjoyed it, but I'm wondering whether we wouldn't enjoy a different line next time. My in-laws rave about Crystal, but it's too expensive for our family of 4. My children are 7 and 4. Is there a line you would recommend that has a good children's program? I've heard good things about Celebrity, but don't know anything about the kids' programs. Would you mind describing the kids' programs on the other ships?

Thanks!

There are a lot of things I like about Celebrity, but their children's programs are an afterthought (the facilities are a joke compared to those on DCL). Carnival had better stuff for the kids, great counselors (facilities so-so, small playroom but a nice kids-only pool and outdoor play area). The newer RCCL ships are probably the best for kids next to DCL.

[Mjasp]

OK I have to say something now. Let it be known now, I am NOT putting down anyone who lives in FLORIDA. So don't attack me. I honestly feel its the water.

Being from New York, I eat in excellent restaurants, even the bad ones here are better than any Florida restaurant. ALL DISNEY food tastes the same to me. All of it has a smoked flavor, anyone who has been to the Hoop-de-doo review will know what I am talking about. I have alot of family in Florida (and all over Florida, not just Orlando) and I have gone away from the touristy restaurants and gone to eat in (as our family says) "The Best" restaurants, and believe me, they are not the best.

This will be our first cruise ever, so I can't compare the food to other cruise lines, but if you are going for the food, I would say Disney is a poor choice for the food category. Take it for what its worth, Its Disney and it's Disney food, don't expect "Carmines" or the "Russian Tea Room" and you will be happy.

We already know the food is not going to be a highlight, so we can't be disappointed.

OK I'm done, Now be nice people:rolleyes:

[gary in florida]

Typical reaction from a New Yorker - everything is better in New York -

From a former New Yorker, who was glad to leave.

[mmouse37]

Carmine's......you just made my mouth water. Hands down one of our favorite restaurants in New York!!!!!

Rigatoni Country Style, Yeah!!!!!


MJ

[ripleysmom]

Mmm...Carmines.

Okay my take on the DCL cruise.....

We had a really great time. The kids loved it and the rooms were great!!

While the kid's programming was nice, most of the programming was the kids playing on their own. We will be cruising on Carnival next year and the kids are quite excited about some of the activities they have listed.

Also I have to say I wasn't that thrilled with the food. I am not really a gourmand or anything (I can eat at Old Country Buffet without a problem) but I didn't really like the entree's I had to choose from. Also while the entree's do try to give the appearance of gourmet items, the underlying quality of the ingredients could have been better. One night I ordered steak (I wasn't happy with any choices) and wasn't too happy with that either. I can see where the comments about food come from.

Please don't get this wrong, I really enjoyed the DCL cruise and had been considering taking one again. A friend (Hi Deb!!) talked us into Carnival and we are looking forward to trying them next year for about $2,200 less than the cost of a Disney Cruise.

[Mjasp]

Mmmmmmmmm... Now I want Carmine's myself. If we all meet there we could order 3 different entrees and have left overs to bring home.

My favorite dish at Carmine's is the Chicken Saltambucca

[ripleysmom]

Veal Parm!!

And what about Calamari appetizers?

[fireplug]

here it goes,:(

I have read many of these "comparison" threads and always feel the same way. Not everybody is going to like the same thing.
Therefore one person may enjoy the whole experience and one may not. That is fine, we are all different.
The problem I have is when someone sets themselves up as being better than someone else or that they are somehow more quaified to comment on a topic that is as totally individual as we are.
If you thought the food wasn't as good as expected, thats fine.
You are entitled to your opinion. Why lambast somone who liked it by saying if they like Mcdonalds they will like DCL food. I assure you that the food on a Disney cruise is better than a Big Mac.
Could it be that you have too high of an expectation ? Did you speak to the head waiter and voice your concerns ? How about talking to the chefs and telling them how to do a better job of pleasing you ?
If you were unhappy about the food you were served did you send it back or ask for a different dish ?

Many times it is easier to sit back and complain than to take up your issues with those who could help you. Next time you are unhappy tell somebody then, maybe they can fix it. Not when you get home and it can't be.

Steve

[pal2pluto]

Steve, Thank you for reminding us. We are a very big world with diverse tastes/expectations/desires/likes. It is impossible to please everyone all the time. Diversity is what makes the world interesting. And food is one place where those differences are the greatest. Let's play nice..........:)

[FLeisure]

Steve,
I don't mean to be offensive but try taking another cruise line and then make comment.

[fireplug]

We have been on RCL Monarch of the Seas and do not remember it as being any better. Some meals were real good some were not.

You did not offend me but it may have offended others. :rolleyes:

My main concern was that if you were that unhappy with the food , say something on the cruise. I'm sure that someone would have at least tried to please your palate. I know our waitstaff and head waiter were all very helpful. I hope you have a better experience next time.

I realize that food can be a big factor in determining which cruise line to take. We have taken Disney because we enjoy the WHOLE experience and food is just a portion of that.

Steve

[mmouse37]

Hey....we could have a local DIS meet at Carmine's!!!!!! Don't forget about the great ceasar salad!!!!


MJ

[Laurajean1014]

Only cruised once before on DCL last year.

DCL Success: Oceaneers Club
Teen Activities
Movies, Internet and tweener stuff to do
Palo's
Service (room staff)

DCL Pitfalls: Pools (very small)
Food (overall was good but nothing to rave about)
Service (food staff)
JMO,

L

[Laurajean1014]

Carmine's.................. Is it on Mulberry or Arthur?

I like Portobello's on Mulberry and Dominic's on Arthur. Am I missing something by not knowing Carmines'? Give me a break, I've been in CT for the past 13 years?!

[Mjasp]

There are 2 Carmine locations, One is in the theatre district which is the one we go to, but there is also one uptown, where my neighbor always goes and she said its much less crowded, so next time I want to go uptown with no wait.

Yeah wouldn't that be a blast, a DIS meet at Carmines.

OK I dreamt about the cruise last night, since we have never cruised before, in my dream, when the ship left the dock, I felt I couldn't even stand up due to the motion, and my stateroom had no walls only a chain to keep you from falling off. Hopefully it stays in my dreams. Actually it was a nightmare.

3 more weeks for me!

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[DARWIN91]

We cruised DCL Sept 2001 and now are going back in less than 3 weeks. DH and I are "not" Disney fanatics, personally I would rather be on a carribean beach all day than standing in a park on line for hours in the heat (reason for 7 day versus land/sea) but of course with child, you have to make some changes in life. This is a Happy Medium.

My opinion: We found DCL cruise to be awesome. I am sure there are other great kids programs but they sure won't have Mickey and friends and that is priceless when you see your childs face after a character has just hugged them. I have read that other cruise lines kids programs are not open as late and if they are you then get charged for babysitting. DCL is free (unless under 3) all day and night. This is great if you would like some adult time.

Food is good not great. There should be enough choices to please your palate though. I also love Carmines and my husband used to work in the restaurant business for many years. Personally, I love the fact that I don't have to worry about where I am eating every night. I was always full and I usually stuck to 3 meals a day - who needs a midnight buffet?? The mudslides are great - that should fill you up (LOL).

Thought I would miss not having a casino- Not. Saved me money and Bingo satisfied my gambling craving.

I thought the shows were very good. I wish that the night clubs would get rolling a little earlier at night. Always had dreams of staying up late and dancing and after being in the sun all day we would poop out about 10 pm. If the DJ had started earlier than 11 pm I probably could have lasted and been a dancing fool.

I thought the rooms were great! Plenty of room, very clean and spacious. I also thought the whole ship was spotless. I remember commenting to my husband that the bathrooms were always very clean no matter which one I went to. Very important when taking child ( didn't have to stress about saying "don't sit"!! Sorry to be blunt)

Service was excellent no matter where we were.

I guess we thought it was the best for our family. My daughter is almost 5 and she remembers everything. She loved the kids club and never wanted to leave. We had such a great time. I thought it was a floating paradise.

So the food is just a small portion of the trip. The other things outweigh the fact that the food could be better, but I never left any restaurant hungry or unsatisfied.

[mikeymars]

Originally posted by gary in florida
Typical reaction from a New Yorker - everything is better in New York -

From a former New Yorker, who was glad to leave.

LOL - as a New Englander who had to relocate to New York (work in Manhattan, live outside it) I have to agree. But to add honesty to this subject, here are some culinary things that are NOT better in New York:

Barbecue (want real Kansas City or Oklahoma barbecue in New York? Forget it. Repeat, FORGET IT.) Doesn't exist, never did and probably never will, even though locals born and bred in places like -- ugh-- Long Island foolishly claim otherwise).

Ice Cream: the whole gourmet ice cream trend (Steve's, Hagen Daz, . etc.) started outside of New York and for whatever reason never migrated here. New Yorkers wouldn't know great ice cream if it slapped them in the face. One of my biggest treats is stopping at Herrells in Boston when on trips there, for a fix of the REAL ice cream one just can't get in New York.

Mexican/Tex Mex: despite having a reasonably large Mexican immigrant population, real southwest hasn't made it to the Big Apple. Perhaps it's seen as too downscale; New Yorkers equate this cuisine with Taco Bell. :p

[Mjasp]

Lucky you Mikey, that you can travel the country for BBQ'ed food and Ice Cream.

WOW You people are real lucky, now that you left New York, so now you don't have to work and can sit around and eat Bon Bons and BBQed food , now that you sold your homes and live the good life elsewhere.

My brother is building himself a pretty big home in FL. Sold his house in NY and is building as we say a castle for half the price. Can't wait to do it myself in a year or two. Imagine retiring with 2 small children, can't wait.

OK Where's the good Italian and Chinese food, Bagels, pizza, etc?

Hey Mikey, remember you have play nice on the boards. Remember the RULES!!!

I've never cruised before, but hey like someone has said previously, cruising is not for everyone, and I will know if its for me after i've done it, small pools, small children, doesn't sound like alot of fun, but from what I hear there is plenty of other things to do.

[FLeisure]

Don't worry, once you've bought your house with a pool in Florida, the size of the pools on the ship cease to matter ;)

[DARWIN91]

Personally, I like Carvel for Ice Cream!!!!

And Barbecue????? what kind?? The kind like on Fried Green Tomatoes(movie)? No thanks. Ha

[mmouse37]

Hey Mikey...ever been to "No Name Restaurant" in Boston...out on the wharf....it is great. A bit of a dump but great seafood!!

Gloucester and Rockport are two other of my favorite New England towns. My mom was born and raised in Gloucester.

MJ

[Dave_from_Marietta]

How are all you NYC expatriates handling the lack of Tasty Kakes?

[plutospup]

Life just wouldn't be the same without a delicous "Butterscotch Krimpet". Tastykakes - a fine Philadelphia delicasy!
(Last month on DCL I had to suffer - eating only croissants, creme brulee, and chocolate soufflee! Oh the tragedy of it all!)

[bcburgner]

mmouse37,

When I was a kid, my family had a small cottage in Rockport. My favorite spot was the little beach across from the Peg Leg restaurant and the toy store on the main shopping street. What great memories I have of that place. Thanks for reminding me about them.

[4cruisin]

I had to laugh about all the different opinions about the DCL food.

During our December 2001 3 day cruise, we went to the lunch buffet at Topsiders and my DH, BIL and Sister all came away with full plates. I on the other hand, finished coming down one side of the buffet with a totally empty plate! That's right, there was not one thing on it that I liked nor wished to even try. I ended up eating off of the kids side of the buffet, chicken fingers, french fries and pizza!

I am not an adventurous eater by any means, pretty much plain chicken, meat, pasta etc., so it was a little difficult to please me but I did not go hungry. I'm thrilled to know that I can order off of the children's menu if absolutely nothing appeals to me in the dining rooms. I was not aware of this the first time.

The other 3 adults in my party really enjoyed the food on the cruise. We did not have children with us so I cannot speak for any one with kids. There are enough fast food type eateries on the ship to please anyone. I did expect a better type of food, lobster, prime rib etc., but it did not deter us in any way from taking another DCL cruise. In fact, we booked the Jan. 25, 2003 eastern the day after we got home.

One of the best parts of the cruise for me was just standing on our verandah at night looking up at the stars and down at the absolutely gorgeous ocean. Although we eat out very often at home, in some very good restaurants, food was really secondary to our trip. We enjoyed the overall experience and can't wait til January 2003.

One thing we won't miss this time is the embarkation buffet. We were starving when we boarded and did not know about the buffet with Prime Rib and shrimp etc. so we just grabbed some pizza by the pool. When we started to walk around, my BIL and DH almost had a heart attack when they saw people eating at the buffet. I still haven't lived that one down!:Pinkbounc

[mmouse37]

bcburgner......I know just where you mean.....also, in Gloucester, Good Harbor Beach must be one of the most beautiful on the East Coast.

Hey a bit a DCL trivia......Helmsman Mickey onboard the Magic was fashioned after the Gloucester Fisherman "Man at the Wheel" Statue. I have been on DCL 5 times and just found that out when I went on the ship tour this past Feb. It holds a special meaning to me now that I know that, since I have such a love for Gloucester!!!

MJ

[mikeymars]

Originally posted by mmouse37
Hey Mikey...ever been to "No Name Restaurant" in Boston...out on the wharf....it is great. A bit of a dump but great seafood!!

Gloucester and Rockport are two other of my favorite New England towns. My mom was born and raised in Gloucester.

MJ

Have been to the No-Name several times, and agree, the seafood there is hard to beat, as are the prices. By the way, regarding Gloucester and Rockport, my wife is from that area! Can't say I particularly like the way the locals there drive, but other than that, it's a wonderful area.