Just Back- Mixed Thoughts

[conandrob240]

Just back from the Aug. 27, 3-nt Wonder cruise. We had a GREAT time. It was very relaxing and the two port stops were fantastic. We spent the day at Atlantis in Nassau and had a beautiful day- what a great resort! The next day at Castaway Cay was perfect weather and another wonderful family day-that is truly one of the best islands in the world, IMO. Our stateroom was very spacious and nice. Shows (esp Toy Story) were fantastic and the first run movies (esp in digital 3D) is a great treat. The poolside movie screen is also really nice. Adult pool is also really nice and rather empty most of the time.

However, I was rather disappointed with many aspects of the cruise itself this time around. 1) I thought cabin service was poor. Our attendant was not very available and not very friendly. He was professional and polite and did the minimum he was supposed to do (cleaned the room once in the am and then did turn-down). He did NOT do intermitent straightening up like every other cabin steward I have had and he did not address us by name or speak much to us other than to say hello if we passed him in the hall. Never asked us how our day was or anything personal such as that. He also seemed annoyed that we wanted the wall bunk made up rather than the pull out sofa ( for a 10 yr old , the wall bunk is quite awesome!). 2) I thought the food was poor. Our meals at Animator's palate were gross. Veal chop was all fatty and tough. Padsta dish tasted like it was 3 steps down from Olive Garden. Kid's pizza was frozen pizza from a box. Appetizers that night were decent. Dessert was poor. Our next night we ate at Palo and it was terrible. Worst piece of fliet mignon I ever had. Lamb was gamey. Appetizers just so-so. Souffle dessert was good. Took 2 hrs before we had our entree- completely unnecessary and unacceptable. We had to rush through entree and dessert to get to pirate party in time (even though we had a 7:30pm reservation!). Tritons was the best and the food was good there for dinner last night and for both days we had breakfast there. Poolside pizza was gross. Burgers, sandwiches & hot dogs poolside were decent. Buffet at Castway cay was very good 3) Dining room service. Again, professional but not friendly at all. Constantly said our child's name wrong even though we said it for them 3x. Always felt rushed even though late seating. 4) Kid's Club. Not as many activities as in the past and sometimes they were late or didn't happen at all. Way too much focus on High School musical (great for the girls but few boys were interested). HSM activities were around the KIDS putting on shows, etc. IMO, the programs should be about the staff engaging & entertaining the kids, not the kids performing. In addition, many of the counselors in the 8-12 kids club seemed disinterested and a few were downright rude. Our nephew (who never complains about anything) said one of the counselors yelled in his face:"Don't you speak english?" when he didn't understand something that was being explained. Unacceptable. 5) Ship starting to show its age- rather worn and tattered in some areas (public rugs dirty, chairs work out, etc).

My most recent cruise was on NCL 8 months ago and I have to say that DCL fell far short of NCL in almost every way. Service, food were FAR better n NCL. And DCL service and food was FAR short of where it was on our last DCL cruise 3 yrs ago.

We had a wonderful family trip filled with fun and love and laughter and Castaway Cay is still stunning and amazing. But with the DCL prices, we may not be going again because of the issues spelled out above.

[DMMarla07860]

I have to say I was on the cruise and had a great time, great service and met lots of great people. This trip no food was really a stand out meal, but I enjoyed the duck in triton's, but I thought the food good and can't complain about that. As for the ship I really could not tell it was showing it's age, but then again that's because I didn't really look and see if it was showing it's age

[conandrob240]

Well, IMO, you didn't have to "look" to see it was showing its age. Some of the rugs in the public areas were rather stained and gross. The chairs in Triton's were all worn out on the arms. None of it was a big deal but it was obvious to me. Totally disagree on the food- in many cases, it was just downright poor. Personal taste I guess and maybe you even got lucky with ordering better than we did.

[DMMarla07860]

Well, IMO, you didn't have to "look" to see it was showing its age. Some of the rugs in the public areas were rather stained and gross. The chairs in Triton's were all worn out on the arms. None of it was a big deal but it was obvious to me. Totally disagree on the food- in many cases, it was just downright poor. Personal taste I guess and maybe you even got lucky with ordering better than we did.

well for the worn out part, I've seen hotels more worn out, so didn't notice that and the food I go with personal taste, because on the ship while talking with people who cruised and some it was there first time. I got people who said the liked and loved the food and people who didn't love or like the food. So I just say it's a personal taste of food.. Not saying it was the best food I have ever had, but wasn't gross for me.

[nokidz]

Sorry for your bad experiences, cant talk about the food or the service, but i beleive the Wonder is due to dry doc in a few weeks.

[conandrob240]

Just because I may have seen hotels more worn out or had worse food, doesn't make it okay. DCL is very expensive compared to other cruise lines and, for that money, food, service and quality of the ship should be nothing less than GREAT.

[MommyMinnie]

But with the DCL prices, we may not be going again because of the issues spelled out above.

Good to know what you like and don't like in a cruise. I'll be happy to miss you on my next Disney Cruise while I'm having fun and you are picking at your meal.

[kcashner]

The ship is due for dry dock in the October. We have previously noted some need for work...a little "shabbiness" or "showing her age" on the Magic shortly before scheduled dry docks. Nothing was "gross" or really objectionable, just ready for a full fix up. Then, when you sail several months after dry dock, everything is beautiful again.

Some room stewards are more comfortable than others with English and with "chit chat." The steward is only supposed to do the room twice a day. I've never seen any "intermittent straightening up" beyond that, but they do pick up when they do the turn down service. Certainly if you need anything else, ask. We never had a problem with DD wanting the bunk--she did that a lot!

They are training a lot of new CMs in preparation for the new ships--that might or might not have something to do with your experience in that area.

I haven't sailed with the new menus, so can't speak to that...but I've never had a bad meal in Palo. If something wasn't to my liking in the other rooms, I always felt it was a matter of my taste as opposed to anything having to do with the food. The only exception is the cakes--general rule there is that the better it looks, the more tasteless it is!

[conandrob240]

How rude you are, MommyMinnie! I posted a review of my personal experiences on DCL some of which were less than stellar. It was an honest review. Why would you attack me? Geesh, lighten up people, I ddn't attack your mother- I pointed out some things that weren't up to par, IMO, on a cruise that costs a lot of $!!!

On other cruiselines, I have ALWAYS had the experience of the steward coming in and bringing in ice or stopping in after we showered to pick up the towels or the plates after he saw we had a room service snack, etc. I have also ALWAYS been referred to/greeted by name and even those who whose English was weak, have asked me if I had a nice day or similar. He was fine- he just wasn't as engaged or friendly as others we have had. As I said, he was professional and he did his job adequately,nothing more. Service around the ship elsewhere was similar, adequate but never quite top notch except from a few. So maybe the training does explain that.

[TheWog]

Good to know what you like and don't like in a cruise. I'll be happy to miss you on my next Disney Cruise while I'm having fun and you are picking at your meal.

Wow. :scared1:

[dizneyfan23]

I haven't had the new menus yet either (going in two weeks:thumbsup2), but over my different cruises there have been a couple times that I didn't like the food one night, or perhaps something I ordered wasn't what I expected. In any case, all I had to do was ask my waiter either to take it back and get a new one, or get a different item, and the waiter was happy to do so for me.

[rlduvall]

Good to know what you like and don't like in a cruise. I'll be happy to miss you on my next Disney Cruise while I'm having fun and you are picking at your meal.

Seriously? :confused3

[bama-mom]

As a first time cruiser and Disney fanatic, I appreciated your review! No need for nastiness, OP was just being honest. I am paying a lot for this trip, I want all the reviews I can get :lmao:!!

Glad you still had a great family trip!! And thanks for your honesty!!:)

[conandrob240]

In this experience, this was NOT a case of us simply not liking the meal. It was a case of poor quality of food- cuts of meat were tough and fatty, prepared pasta (on 2 different occassions and dishes) were bland and box or frozen quality. That sort of thing. If it had been the case where it just didn't meet our tastes, I would have not given a review that the food was "poor". We travel often to all-inclusive resorts (usually Sandals) and I have been on 4 cruises (DCL, NCL & Princess)- this DCL cruise was BY FAR the lowest quality of food in that scope of comparison.

[barney4liz]

Well I will have to chime in with the OP on a couple of things. We cruised with Disney for the 3rd time this past August, and the food in the rotation restaurants was overall much worse than our previous two cruises. And we are not super-picky eaters, but we do like good food and enjoy nice restaurants. One of the teens with us did not feel well one evening and ordered the mac n' cheese from the kids menu -- that stuff was awful!

We did have a wonderful meal at Palo, so I am sorry for the OP's experience there. It has consistently been the best food of our cruises.

The ship is definitely due for her dry-dock makeover. We also noticed a lot of stained carpet in our area of the ship, and our hall had a very bad musty odor the entire trip, despite big fans running. Fortunately, it did not permeate our stateroom.

We decided we would probably try another line next time just for comparison. Of course, that did not stop me from getting a "Kids Sail Free" quote for 2/2010. :lmao:

[Leanne1977]

Thank you for your review. Although I don't agree with any of your findings you are perfectly entitled to tell us what you experienced.:thumbsup2

We are regular vistors to WDW from the UK and are also DVC members but on 20th Aug we took our first Disney cruise on the Wonder.

From start to finish our experience was fantastic. From the servers, kids clubs, food, shows, room, cleanliness and so on, everything was top notch for us. Each and everytime we passed a member of staff they would ask how we were and if there was anything we needed.:thumbsup2

I have sat here going over every single part of our cruise and I honestly cannot think of anything bad to say. The only negative thing would be Nassau as we really didn't enjoy it there and were back on the ship within 20 minutes.:eek:
We had an outstanding meal in Palo and could not fault the food or the service.

So I am sorry that your cruise wasn't up to scratch but I am glad you had a good time anyway.:thumbsup2

[MickeyMouse'sBFF]

I am on here looking for anything I can find out about the dcl. I am trying to figure out if this is worth the $ they ask for it. I personaly am GLAD to have honest opinions here. Just because the opinions dont "match" what someone else is thinking about it, it doesnt make it WRONG. Why people can't allow someone to note something in their own opinion is crazy to me. I found the information helpful about your cruise. Quality is important when you choose to spend ALL your vacation funds for that entire year on something. Thank you speaking up and sharing. I know THAT is what I came here to find out~ Oh, I also apreciate the info on the stuff you DID like too. I noticed someone didnt hear anything you said about THAT~

[barney4liz]

And to be fair, I will also add that despite our disappointment in the rotation dining meals, and the funky smell on our hall, we still had a fabulous time, probably the most enjoyable of our 3 cruises overall. Just very relaxing and pleasant. Our stateroom hostess was great, and our dining servers were great, they just did not have much to work with. :rotfl: I even won bingo 2 sessions! :goodvibes

I guess I just felt like -- I would rather have eaten some of the yummy wraps from Goofy's Galley or a burger or dog, lounging by the pool, than spending time in the restaurants for a sub-par meal. It is unfortunate, but maybe if they get enough feedback they will work on that.

[MommyMinnie]

OP, you proved your attitude in the first two words of your response.

barney4liz, I'm sorry your son didn't like the mac n cheese. We find the kids menu el blan dan erino (bland) at best. Probably aimed at little bitty ones who want the same thing every day. Most of it's not much more than finger food at best.

In all my cruises with DCL the room stewards do spend most of their time trying to blend into the background. I wonder if anyone else has an opinon on the comparison between NCL "outgoing" stewards and DCL "blend in" stewards.

I also wonder if it has to do with the number of underage passengers.

[trimix]

I am curious - did you complain about the food quality or send a dish back?

I was enjoying seven nights on the Magic last week, and I did not have any problems with the food. However, one piece of meat my wife ordered was rather fatty. We sent it back and she had an ideal cut of meat within five minutes.
Then, as on eshould expect when trying a lot of new things, there was the one dish I just plain didn't like. My server offered alterate suggestions and again I had a new main course within five minutes.

The Magic was in drydock last September and was overall in good condition. When I took a close look I saw areas of wear and a bit of rust, but maintenance was ongoing (as you should expect in any ship that large) and almost everything looked like it was recently refurbished.

The three night cruise makes absolutely no sense to me, and after a week on the Magic I am glad I chose seven nights over four.

[Donna3271]

How rude you are, MommyMinnie! I posted a review of my personal experiences on DCL some of which were less than stellar. It was an honest review. Why would you attack me? Geesh, lighten up people, I ddn't attack your mother- I pointed out some things that weren't up to par, IMO, on a cruise that costs a lot of $!!!

On other cruiselines, I have ALWAYS had the experience of the steward coming in and bringing in ice or stopping in after we showered to pick up the towels or the plates after he saw we had a room service snack, etc. I have also ALWAYS been referred to/greeted by name and even those who whose English was weak, have asked me if I had a nice day or similar. He was fine- he just wasn't as engaged or friendly as others we have had. As I said, he was professional and he did his job adequately,nothing more. Service around the ship elsewhere was similar, adequate but never quite top notch except from a few. So maybe the training does explain that.

Please don't be upset with MommieMinnie. I took her post to be tongue-in-cheek. I appreciate your copious review. I sailed on the Wonder with my children several months ago, and feel it could use a breath of fresh air. We are sailing on the Magic Oct 30, 2010 (western Caribbean), and are paying a lot for 7 pp, 2 Cat 3 staterooms, so I would be equally as upset not to get decent food or service.

Thanks again for the great insight.

[barney4liz]

barney4liz, I'm sorry your son didn't like the mac n cheese. We find the kids menu el blan dan erino (bland) at best. Probably aimed at little bitty ones who want the same thing every day. Most of it's not much more than finger food at best.

Oh, it wasn't only the teenager (girl) who did not like the mac n' cheese -- it was ME! I tasted it to see what it was like. I consider myself a connoisseur of mac n' cheese. :snooty::lmao: Seriously, I do adore mac n' cheese, and I even love the stuff in the blue box. The stuff they served that night on the cruise was NAS-TAY.

[MommyMinnie]

Oh, it wasn't only the teenager (girl) who did not like the mac n' cheese -- it was ME! I tasted it to see what it was like. I consider myself a connoisseur of mac n' cheese. :snooty::lmao: Seriously, I do adore mac n' cheese, and I even love the stuff in the blue box. The stuff they served that night on the cruise was NAS-TAY.

I understood that you tried it too. FYI for the really good stuff, go to House of Blues. No MnC will ever be good enough again.

[barney4liz]

I understood that you tried it too. FYI for the really good stuff, go to House of Blues. No MnC will ever be good enough again.

For the really good stuff, I stay home and make Ina Garten's "Grown-Up Mac N' Cheese." I don't think I can post the link, but the recipe is on the Food Network website. Three kinds of cheese and BACON. :goodvibes

Maybe I'll bring some on my next DCL cruise. ;)

[waltfan1957]

I understood that you tried it too. FYI for the really good stuff, go to House of Blues. No MnC will ever be good enough again.

At the price of a DisneyCruise the really good stuff should be on there.

[tink_lover]

I don't mean to change this thread into another direction, but leann1977 - what was it about Nassau that you didn't like? Did you get stuck in the straw market? I'm struggling with what to do that day with my mom, dh and kids.

[MommyMinnie]

In all my cruises with DCL the room stewards do spend most of their time trying to blend into the background. I wonder if anyone else has an opinon on the comparison between NCL "outgoing" stewards and DCL "blend in" stewards.

I also wonder if it has to do with the number of underage passengers.

Seriously this thread has been hijacked by cardboard mac and cheese. It's awful in the parks and awful on the ships but people just keep buying tickets.

I really would like to hear if anyone has an opinon on possible room steward attitude policy on the two different lines.

[es45]

Just back from the Aug. 27, 3-nt Wonder cruise.

OP, Thanks for your posting your review:thumbsup2

[Leanne1977]

I don't mean to change this thread into another direction, but leann1977 - what was it about Nassau that you didn't like? Did you get stuck in the straw market? I'm struggling with what to do that day with my mom, dh and kids.

We just felt really uneasy there. From the minute we got off we were getting hassled to take the tours or the taxis. I am not easily intimidated but after telling one particular man "NO" 4 or 5 times and to still have him following us down the street, I wasn't comfortable with that.

Just didn't feel like a particularly safe, family place to me. We couldn't wait to get back on the ship.:eek:

Hope that doesn't offend anyone just my opinion.:goodvibes

[Donna3271]

Seriously this thread has been hijacked by cardboard mac and cheese. It's awful in the parks and awful on the ships but people just keep buying tickets.

I really would like to hear if anyone has an opinon on possible room steward attitude policy on the two different lines.

Well, I've cruised on NCL. At the time I did not think about it, but in hindsight, they were present a bit more, and very accommodating. On DCL, the Steward knew our name, and was very courteous. He was demure, and quiet. It could be because English was his second language. We are booked on the Western Caribbean next year. I will make a mental note to pay more attention to the Steward.

[Ivory]

We have been on 5 DCL cruises our 6th will be in March, to tell you the truth it has been a crap shoot for us with everything. Sometimes outstanding room steward and waiters, other times not good or mediocre. Sometimes some really good food, sometimes not to my liking. Its really hard to say all or nothing even going on the same or different cruiselines. We have also been on RCL, Cunard and Carnival. And I have to say the only consistancies with DCL is FUN!

For our family DCL works because our daughter is an only child and she LOVES the kid clubs. DH and I LOVE quiet cove. We get together with our daughter to do things through out the day, but when we want to chill we can all have a fantastic time. Other cruise lines don't offer the wonderful kids clubs and that is what decides it for us. It is a personal choice and you have to go with whatever it is that really counts for you and your family.

I hope you all have many more wonderful vacations and hopefully DCL will read these threads and try to correct the problems especially with the food and up keep as well as the servers, as one poster did say these are not cheap vacations.

[RedSox68]

In all my cruises with DCL the room stewards do spend most of their time trying to blend into the background. I wonder if anyone else has an opinon on the comparison between NCL "outgoing" stewards and DCL "blend in" stewards.

I also wonder if it has to do with the number of underage passengers.

In our six Disney Magic cruises, we have never once had a room steward who didn't go out of his way to mention our names, be there to greet us, ask us about our day or say good morning have a great day.

However, during our one Wonder cruise, that was a different story. Our room steward was virtually invisible. When we arrived in our stateroom, there were no towels or soap -- and he spent most of the cruise (when we did see him) talking about how his contract was done and he couldn't wait to go home. Believe me, it showed! And yes, on that cruise (in 2006) we noticed a tremendous difference between the Wonder and Magic as far as upkeep and wear and tear. We were stunned at how "abused" the Wonder looked. And their staff, including wait staff, we honestly subpar compared to the Magic.

Now as far as comparing them to NCL staff -- YUCK. We were on NCL last year and UGH, what a ROTTEN rotten crew. From the greasy haired, unkempt waitstaff, to the LOUSY housekeeping to the guest service lousy attitude, we could not WAIT to get off that ship. I would never sail NCL again even with a free cruise -- but I would be terribly crushed if Disney is really letting their quality control go down hill THAT badly!

One thing I know for sure -- I have read truly abysmal reviews of their new menus and food quality on both ships, and that worries me. After our NCL experience last year, I could not wait to get back onto the Magic. But I sure hope we don't have the same subpar menu experiences we had on NCL -- not for those prices! NCL was several rungs below Disney, but because of their pricing it was easier to "accept" your fate. At Disney's prices, and because of the name alone and what you've come to expect, there should be NO room for subpar products, service or food!

[TifffanyD]

Oh, it wasn't only the teenager (girl) who did not like the mac n' cheese -- it was ME! I tasted it to see what it was like. I consider myself a connoisseur of mac n' cheese. :snooty::lmao: Seriously, I do adore mac n' cheese, and I even love the stuff in the blue box. The stuff they served that night on the cruise was NAS-TAY.

Hi barney - just wanted to say that we are sailing with you next year. My husband and I, with his parents next door.

[MommyMinnie]

In our six Disney Magic cruises, we have never once had a room steward who didn't go out of his way to mention our names, be there to greet us, ask us about our day or say good morning have a great day.

However, during our one Wonder cruise, that was a different story. Our room steward was virtually invisible. When we arrived in our stateroom, there were no towels or soap

Now this is an interesting comparison. Since Magic cruises are 7 days and the steward has the time and opportunity to get to know you.

Wonder cruises (and the OP) are 3-4 days and the steward does not have as much time.

It's ugly of me to mention this but it also affects their tips. Magic stewards have one shot per week to please each family and make a good tip for the week.

Wonder stewards have two attempts.

Did you decorate your door with your names? We never do and we have never been called by name on either ship even though the whole family has perfectly boring American names.

[KSandbergFL]

We have sailed the Wonder three (3) times before.

Each time, the best service was from our room attendant. We have had an awesome room attendant every time! Our rooms have always been spotless and "ship shape". We love our room attendants, never had a bad one.

The food service is a different story... the first cruise, our food servers were EXCELLENT; the second, the servers were "nice"; the third cruise, our food server was "barely ok".

Regarding the food, yes it can leave a lot to be desired -- we have a theory... with thousands of guests from all over the country, with varying tastes and expectations, we think Disney shoots for the "lowest common denominator", ala a national chain like TGIF or Olive Garden. It's that way at their resort restaurants too. We generally aren't crazy for the items straight off the menu. On the positive side, it is our experience that Disney will try their best to accomodate any reasonable request -- so feel free to ask for a little more garlic on this, a little more "zip" on that. Disney chefs certainly get bored cooking 1000 of the same meals every night, and I think they enjoy special requests. There are several posts in this forum about people getting non-menu items like Indian food.... Myself, I was able to get chicken tikka masala for lunch one day, and it was one of the best I ever had. In other words -- talk with your servers, and even the chefs, about what might make your meals extra-special, and they will come thru if they can.

[Scooby3x1y]

Good to know what you like and don't like in a cruise. I'll be happy to miss you on my next Disney Cruise while I'm having fun and you are picking at your meal.

:sad1:

[Scooby3x1y]

Wonder cruises (and the OP) are 3-4 days and the steward does not have as much time.

It's ugly of me to mention this but it also affects their tips. Magic stewards have one shot per week to please each family and make a good tip for the week.

Wonder stewards have two attempts.

Did you decorate your door with your names? We never do and we have never been called by name on either ship even though the whole family has perfectly boring American names.

Really? Kidding right? First, they do not need your names to ask, "How was your day?" "Is there anything you need?" "Hello!" Also, they have your names.....ALL of your names, it's on the list they get from the ship. Along with Anniversaries, birthdays, etc.....who do you think decorates the rooms for these occasions?

Second, I've walked down the hall, and the cabin attendents working in other cabins and in the hallways almost always say hello. It's not about being called by name, but the sentiment and conversation. Nobody expects to have a full blown, write to me when you get home conversation (although some do). However, you would expect (and I've always had) great service.

[MommyMinnie]

Really? Kidding right? First, they do not need your names to ask, "How was your day?" "Is there anything you need?" "Hello!" Also, they have your names.....ALL of your names, it's on the list they get from the ship. Along with Anniversaries, birthdays, etc.....who do you think decorates the rooms for these occasions?

Second, I've walked down the hall, and the cabin attendents working in other cabins and in the hallways almost always say hello. It's not about being called by name, but the sentiment and conversation. Nobody expects to have a full blown, write to me when you get home conversation (although some do). However, you would expect (and I've always had) great service.

No, The OP is disappointed that none of his family was called by name on his 3 day cruise. I'm just gathering comparisons and stories.

I've got no problem with the stewards. I'm actually trying to defend them. They work very hard for very little pay and mostly tips. They are not US based employees and not protected by the same laws that even our lowest paid employees get.

Read the OP again to see who has the real problem with the room stewards.

[conandrob240]

The bigger problem here MommyMinnie is how extremely rude you are being to me. I posted opinions on a recent cruise. Period. I wish you'd stop the personal attacks.

I do not have a "problem" with room stewards. I was pointing out that the one we had on this particular cruise was not as friendly nor did he do the kinds of things all of the other cabin stewards I have had on previous cruises have done such as address us by name, ask us how our day was, do some additional straightening up in the room. He was fine, he just didn't provide the great service I expected especially on a higher-priced cruise line. He received the recommended daily tip from me. If he were better, he would have gotten quite a bit more.

[SweetSpot]

I really would like to hear if anyone has an opinon on possible room steward attitude policy on the two different lines. [/QUOTE]

We've been on the Magic 8 times and have had very different experiences each time with room stewards and servers. Although each has been very different they all were efficient. Some were not as sociable but even they went out of their way to know us and my children by name and be very cordial. Even other room stewards in the hall will ask how you day was. I would definately have noticed a difference if a room steward was as the OP mentioned. The great people onboard, and how nice they are has been a big reason we stay loyal to DCL.

I haven't been on NCL yet but we have been on 2 RCL cruises and the difference in the staff was really noticable. The service was no where near as good as DCL and most would avert thier eyes rather than say hello in passing. That never happened to me on DCL.

The original OP's opinion should not be slammed because you don't happen to agree. Again, every one of my cruises on DCL have been different. Some are filled with the best service, food and entertainment others really are lacking in one or all the areas. I agree the food quality has changed if you don't agree maybe your tastebuds and expectations are different. Really there was no need to attack.

[Scooby3x1y]

[/QUOTE]We've been on the Magic 8 times and have had very different experiences each time with room stewards and servers. Although each has been very different they all were efficient. Some were not as sociable but even they went out of their way to know us and my children by name and be very cordial. Even other room stewards in the hall will ask how you day was. I would definately have noticed a difference if a room steward was as the OP mentioned. The great people onboard, and how nice they are has been a big reason we stay loyal to DCL.

I haven't been on NCL yet but we have been on 2 RCL cruises and the difference in the staff was really noticable. The service was no where near as good as DCL and most would avert thier eyes rather than say hello in passing. That never happened to me on DCL.

The original OP's opinion should not be slammed because you don't happen to agree. Again, every one of my cruises on DCL have been different. Some are filled with the best service, food and entertainment others really are lacking in one or all the areas. I agree the food quality has changed if you don't agree maybe your tastebuds and expectations are different. Really there was no need to attack.[/QUOTE]

Well said...I agree.

[PizzieDuster]

On our first DCL cruise after reading these boards, I had high hopes of meeting our room steward. He never showed the first day (4 day Wonder). I had to call guest services for ice, etc. The cast member who came said our room steward was sick. We just called guest services for ice, etc for the next two days. We finally saw him on day 3. Now that is bad. :confused3

Our following DCL trips were improvements.

But nothing compared to our RCCL room stewards. We had a balcony room for my DH, DD and I and an inside room across the hall for our teen boys. They were always present in the hall. Took care of the teens. Would tell them as they came down at dinner time "your mammas looking for you boys" and would open our stateroom door for the boys to come check in. And many times would tell us where they went. "Awww, the boys were hungry..." And a couple of times I didn't want them sleeping in I gave them a time to knock on the door to wake them up ;) They did have a job to do and couldn't wait all day for those teens to get up :) They were wonderful! My teens and daughter loved them. (Because of cabin locations we had two - one for the boys inside cabin and one for us.) They got to know our family very well.

OT: Best Mac & Cheese ever: Marongo Casino, almost to Palm Springs in California....the restuarant on the top floor ---- lobster mac & cheese....worth the drive :) :hug::cloud9::banana::lovestruc:worship:

[RedSox68]

No, we never post our names on our room door. The stewards learned our names from their list. The amazing thing to me is when we sailed on the next cruise and a former room steward yelled down the hall to my daughter, calling her by name! How he (Calvin) remember, I'll never know -- but we've had servers who also remembered us and remembered our names! To me, that is a talent and well deserved tip follows for the extra attention and effort ;)

[Perdie]

I agree about it being a crapshoot for food and service on DCL...but mostly it's been excellent. That said, I choose DCL over any other (been on RC and Celebrity). We had really bad food on our Med Cruise in 2007 (always came out cold) the whole table complained, it got to the point where Fitz (head server) walked around with a meat thermometer to test our food! And our server was wet behind the ears...and it showed...she was flustered and not all that nice. On the other hand, we have always had great room stewards! And our Feb 2008 cruise the food was fantastic! But the Magic needed a good cleaning-which I guess it has since we were on-with the flat screens added etc, we noticed it needed an upgrade!

Overall, I love DCL-even with a few bumps along the way!!!

[watergal]

On the one hand we have never been called by name unless we made an effort to introduce ourselves personally. But then again, we all travel under our legal names, not our everyday names.

James = Chip

Paula Jane = PJ

Elizabeth = Becky

Robert = Bobby


We promised ourselves wouldn't do that to the kids but did anyway.

[watergal]

The food on the ships for us has always been comparable to the parks. If you think the food at the parks is bland then guess what.....

At the same time, the entertainment, restaurants, and parties are also similar to the parks and also fantastic.

The great thing is the variety and frequency of character greetings on the ship.

I don't understand th problem with including kids in the entertainment. The opportunity to participate should be part of the fun.

[nenner1]

No, we never post our names on our room door. The stewards learned our names from their list. The amazing thing to me is when we sailed on the next cruise and a former room steward yelled down the hall to my daughter, calling her by name! How he (Calvin) remember, I'll never know -- but we've had servers who also remembered us and remembered our names! To me, that is a talent and well deserved tip follows for the extra attention and effort ;)

Calvin is freakin' awesome!!! :goodvibes

We had a problem with one of our two rooms and our kids room was separated from ours, we were given the option to move to a different floor to have adjoining rooms but we decided NO WAY because we liked Calvin so much! :goodvibes He is really a shining star of DCL!! :thumbsup2

[RedSox68]

Ah, what the heck - might as well throw in my other favorite story about a staff member.

On our cruise in 2002, we had Alex (from Croatia) and Glynnis (Trinidad). My 13-year-old daughter just fell head over heels for him and cried when she had to say goodbye. In fact, she would not go to the final breakfast, but gave us a drawing she had done to give him.

When we sailed again in 2004, we found out Alex was still onboard as head server, and Glynnis had been promoted to head server. We went to their respective dining rooms to say hello. Glynnis remembered us immediately and gave us big hugs and we talked quite a while. Then we went to find Alex. As we walked toward him, he turned around, got a huge smile on his face and yelled "Emily, I still have your picture hanging in my room". I was floored -- and Emily was thrilled. We talked for a while, found out he was engaged and wished him the best (hugs all around). Those are the people who make DCL what it is!

[katlady]

I just returned from the Disney Wonder today. I sailed the 4-day cruise back in 2003 both times on Deck 2. My experience in 2003 was much better than this past week. Immediately upon arrival on Day 1, I went to Guest Services and complained about the odor on Deck 2 near 2635-2645. I complained on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They did try to mask the smell but it didn't work.

Guest Services (Blair) went over and above my expectations to ensure that the problem was being addressed. I'm pleased with the customer service but they were not able to eliminate the odor. There were several of us that complained to Guest Services and others that noted it on the comment cards.

I can't complain about the food. I thought it was good, but my husband didn't agree with me. I'm not hard to please when it comes to food:) My kids never complained either.

The stateroom was showing wear and tear. I was surprised but the ship is 10 years old.

We did save a Carnival passenger at sea. It was great to see how Disney was able to successully rescue him. Carnival was not able to properly launch their rescue boats. Safety is my 1st priority.

Even with the odor in the hallway and the aging of the ship, I will still continue to sail with Disney. I've been on 3 Carnival cruises and nothing compares to the total Disney experience. When looking at the whole experience Disney still comes out on top!

[RedSox68]

We did save a Carnival passenger at sea. It was great to see how Disney was able to successully rescue him. Carnival was not able to properly launch their rescue boats. Safety is my 1st priority.

Terrific articles this morning from the Florida newspapers. Disney got very high marks for their quickness and successfulness in helping the man. Reports indicated that Carnival's lifeboats were taking on water :confused3:confused:

[altiek]

Wow, I just joined here today, and this is only my second TR to read. Makes me very leery to post one in case I have a differing opinion than a certain poster, or she feels my "attitude" needs pointed out again and again. Which by the way, the "attitude" you think he is showing is directed at his trip, yours is directed at him personally....pretty uncalled for, IMO


conandrob, thank you for your honest report. I read no attitude it in. My cruise is costing a lot of money(a $1600 deposit...yikes), I have very high expectations from Disney itself and because of reports I have read elsewhere. If my food is subpar to me and things look shabby after dropping $6000, I know I would be upset.

[PrincessYessenia]

The three night cruise makes absolutely no sense to me, and after a week on the Magic I am glad I chose seven nights over four.


OUCH! I completely agree with you. HOWEVER, I have only gone on 7 nights and one 10 night BUT will be going on my first 3 night in December because it was all DBF and I could afford at the moment. We are only 20 & 21 and we just got a house, we have dogs that need dog-sitting while we're gone, school, and work to deal with. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to do 7 nights sometimes. Also, some people may not even want to be on a ship 7 nights and CHOOSE a shorter trip. You have to factor in getting days off work as well, some people can only get so many days off. :confused3 I think it's better to go on a 3 night than no cruise at all. Just saying. :goodvibes

[barney4liz]

OUCH! I completely agree with you. HOWEVER, I have only gone on 7 nights and one 10 night BUT will be going on my first 3 night in December because it was all DBF and I could afford at the moment. We are only 20 & 21 and we just got a house, we have dogs that need dog-sitting while we're gone, school, and work to deal with. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to do 7 nights sometimes. Also, some people may not even want to be on a ship 7 nights and CHOOSE a shorter trip. You have to factor in getting days off work as well, some people can only get so many days off. :confused3 I think it's better to go on a 3 night than no cruise at all. Just saying. :goodvibes

Well first, I have to say:

GO GATORS!!

Thank you.

We have only gone on 3 & 4 nights thus far. We had a 7-night booked for this past August and had to reschedule to a 4-night due to a conflict with DD's band camp schedule. Living 2.5 hours from the Port, we sort of treat the ship as a favorite weekend beach destination. There is a big market for the shorter cruises, for many reasons. There are lines that offer two-night cruises. I personally can't imagine going for less than 3 nights, but clearly there is a market. Different strokes, etc. :goodvibes

[DollyXXXX]

I agree that to attack with sarcasm an honest review is out of line and uncalled for on such a "friendly oriented" board.

We are celebrating our 10th anniversary in Jan. and I hope it is just as fantastic as it was 10 years ago. I am a gourmet foodie and back then I had the best food I have ever had on a vacation.:dance3: I can tell you everything I had to eat at every meal!!

[DollyXXXX]

Gee, if I thought I'd be reading so much animosity, I'd start talking to my husband!!!! LOL :rotfl2:

[saffiebella]

I have to agree 100% with the OP. We were on the same cruise (8/27-8/30 2009 Wonder) and I am so disappointed to concur with those sentiments. I was actually a little embarrassed b/c I raved and applauded the Wonder after returning from our 2008 3 night ....so much so that I convinced even more of my family to sign on for an annual family reunion cruise. The food was h-o-r-r-i-b-l-e. No ifs, ands or any amount of wishful thinking could change that. We chose Disney b/c we thought the quality control and attention to detail would trump other liners especially in the food department. My friends, I got food poisoning the 1st night. I am not the kind to go telling anyone about it, b/c I was soooo embarrassed and quite frankly too sick to stand in one place long enough to relate the story!! I visited just about every bathroom on each floor on night 1. I was so determined to enjoy the ship that I set out on a tour with my sister and had to bail every 5 minutes for the restroom : (

The best thing about the food on the cruise was the mango yogurt (The Mountain Hike) at Triton's breakfast and that is not saying a good thing. We ate at Palo the last night and had a wonderful evening b/c 1) we had just been back from the Rasul and 2) haven't had a romantic dinner in 5 years!! The food was just OK but the experience more than made up for it.

Service on the cruise was terrible. Our head server was the worst and we were stuck with him and his bad attitude right up until our last dinner and breakfast, not a pleasant memory. Kecha was his name, my husband joked that he needed to kecha-clue and realize he works in the service industry and put a smile on his face. I can't believe this guy can continue to work for Disney with such a poor attitude. He was annoyed that I had to excuse myself to take our 1 year old to the nursery and he rushed us out of every meal actually telling us he had to get ready for the next seating. Sometimes our food came out cold...the list goes on. We are now researching other cruise lines (something I thought I'd never have to do) for next year's big family vacay just based on the meal quality & food service alone! The room stewards were just OK, not very friendly.

As I'm writing this I can hardly believe I'm speaking about the DISNEY cruise. I thought we'd found the perfect vacation after my 1st experience and never bothered to research any other lines....but how can I wholeheartedly recommend my friends and family spend the extra money for a premium service that (if we are honest with ourselves) no longer exists?

I am a die hard Disney loyalist and I will post my trip report with tons of awesome photos, but I felt this post was refreshingly honest and I had to chime in and call a spade a spade this time around. The Disney Wonder was in need of an S.O.S. It's splendor was hijacked by age and the present economy...Grade: C (not very Wonder-ful : (

[tink_lover]

After reading this about the service in more than one post, I have to ask - do you think that the bad economy is affecting people's ability to tip what is expected? Do you think the bad service is related to poor tipping due to tighter budgets for people?

[saffiebella]

You could be on to something. The attitudes of some crew members were dejected, distracted and downright negative. The morale among them could be pretty low. I've heard this is true in the parks w/disgruntled, over-worked, under-paid workers providing poor service.

Disney should treat their workers better so we don't have to suffer!

[MMitchell29]

What I find amazing is that everytime someone have a difference of opinion about Disney and talk about their bad or negative experience there are people that come on here and make the other person feel like their lying or it's not possible to have a bad experience with Disney as if can do no wrong.
I mean seriously, I love Disney just as much as the next person but I also keep it real and know that with 1,000 or more passengers not everybody is going to have a super duper great time. And it should be o.k to express your feelings about without someone following up behind you with a rude or smart a$$ comment. Or the person that come on here and talk about how great of a time they had. seriously how inconsiderate.

OP thank you for keeping it real and sharing your experience with disboards, I myself can appreciate a person like you.

[Silly Little Pixie]

Oh no! We loved the Wonder last year, and dear friends of ours will be cruising on her in November, based upon our rave reviews...:guilty: Hopefully the shabbiness will be fixed up pronto in the upcoming drydock. Food- geesh- hopefully DCL reads this. I hope the PPs who had bad food experiences have LET DCL KNOW. Help out the folks coming after you! Send a letter! Or two! ;)

AND we raved so much about DCL we are on the Magic this time with both sets of parents. My folks are definite foodies, so this worries me. Hopefully the food is better on the Magic!

[DMMarla07860]

You could be on to something. The attitudes of some crew members were dejected, distracted and downright negative. The morale among them could be pretty low. I've heard this is true in the parks w/disgruntled, over-worked, under-paid workers providing poor service.

Disney should treat their workers better so we don't have to suffer!

I was on this same cruise and have to say I didn't see any crew members with attitudes. All the ones I saw were great. Servers were awesome, not the best I've had, but were still great and head server was better then one I had on the Magic

[barney4liz]

Food- geesh- hopefully DCL reads this. I hope the PPs who had bad food experiences have LET DCL KNOW. Help out the folks coming after you! Send a letter! Or two! ;)

I definitely let them know. DH filled out the comment card on the ship and I don't think he was explicit enough, so when I got the online survey via email after our return I provided lots of detail about how disappointed we were in the food on this trip.

[conandrob240]

I did not fill out the card but I did write an e-mail as soon as I got back and heard back with a very nice apology within hours. That at least made me feel better and I hope helps bring about some needed changes. Tipping less because of the economy would be awful. If you can't afford to tip appropriately, you should stay home. I really hope that is not the reason for the poor service.

[barney4liz]

We are booked on a 3-night in February b/c of the "Kids Sail Free" promotion, but I am still questioning whether we should go. If we do -- my plan is to skip the rotation restaurants altogether, except maybe for Animator's b/c we missed it last time on the night that it goes from B&W to color, and DD really likes that. :goodvibes We would just enjoy the food around the pool area or do room service. The fast-food type offerings meet or exceed expectations (although I have not tried the pizza; I don't think it looks that good).

I would definitely still tip our serving team at least the recommended amount -- I recognize that the tips compensate them for their other serving duties outside of the rotation restaurants.

[conandrob240]

Plan is a good one. I would not rush to eat in the dining room. I was told (on the night we had bad meals in Animator's) that we could order anything we like even off te menus at the other restaurants (which was nice but we were already done with sitting there and so underwhelmed by the food, we didn't try). So, you could order off the Triton's menu (by far the very best food) and enjoy the atmosphere of Animators and then do pool side or room service the other two nights. 2nd night also has a buffet dinner I think.

[breakingd_awn]

I have to say alot of these posts are making me a little worried. Although I'm a calorie natzi I loooove to eat good food , who doesn't. I actually looked at the menu for the Wonder before I booked, I thought it sounded DELISH!! . I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO SETTLE FOR "FAST FOOD" ON MY FIRST DISNEY CRUISE!!!!! OR ANY FOR THAT MATTER!!! That would be horrible :eek:, especially for how much the cruise costs and how much planning it takes, all the things you have to buy before the cruise, all that for crap food? I really hope they change things before we go in Feb, I was already thinking about booking a 7 day before we went on our 4 day now I think I'll wait and see. By the way OP thanks for your honost opinion:) Thanks for letting me vent;)

[Disney-Brat]

We aklk have different standars and expectations AND DCL is expensive so when we go in Oct I want ot have all the current thoughts I can----

[jasminewannabe]

oh no! im going on my first disney cruise in december. the 3 night on the wonder. this worries me because the most important to me is always the food!

[DollyXXXX]

I called my TA because I was worried, too. She said that a few months ago, they changed to a new menu, but now they have gone back to the old one. Not sure what is up with that unless the new one is going to be on the new ships???? She said she hasn't heard anything negative about the food. She went on the cruise back in May and is going on the Wonder in Oct. just after it drydocks. She is going to get me know.:thumbsup2

[DMMarla07860]

Don't worry about the food, everyone has to remember everyone has different tastes. I was kind of worried about food because I heard it wasn't good, but then once I got there food was great to me, so everyone is different

[VeroBeach]

My family and I were on the 8/27 Wonder, it was our very first cruise ever. We can't stop talking about it - it was AWESOME. From the time we entered the Port terminal to the time we returned again, just everything was top notch.

Awesome food. My 18yo son had the mac and cheese, TWICE. He even told our main server how good it was. My wife and I ate at Palo's, and had a little bit of everything - wonderful meal. My youngest son even tried different dishes (besides his usual chicken fingers) and he loved everything that he had.

I saw no signs of wear and tear - and usually have a good eye for those things. Our stateroom was immaculate - our room attendant was there whenever we needed him, and I did need him for a few special requests.

While my wife and older son visited and toured Nassau (with no problems being bothered by locals), I swam with my younger son (age 6) in the Mickey pool and then the Goofy pool. I got to know a few of the waiters who kept my thirst quenched - and then remembered my name and preferences once we were at Castaway Cay!

The first night was a little rough - high seas - but we were unaffected - although others weren't so lucky - saw a few "protein spills" during the Golden Mickeys.

Guest Services helped me with a last minute wheelchair request on Saturday just before we docked at Castaway Cay. I'd take a Disney cruise just to visit this marvelous island - and to think its being expanded!

Attendants in hallways, dining rooms - everywhere - were very attentive to my obvious special needs - but not overly so - I felt the service was extremely top notch.

The night we went to Palo, my 2 boys went to dinner together, and we heard how attentive our wait staff was - as well as the head waiter who gave them extra attention.

We're already deposited on our next Disney cruise.

[cdnliving]

Thank you to the OP for expressing their genuine experience. Not always easy...... It's always interesting to read trip reviews because everyones experience is always different, and that's a good thing,... and is often based on what one is accustomed to, and what is important to each individual in a vacation, and we're all different!!!! In any event, I appreciated hearing your dining experiences. We have read on many boards recently, peoples poor dining experiences with DCL. This is our first Disney cruise, after having cruised both Royal Caribbean and Princess. We absolutely loved Royal Caribbean, and the food, entertainment and service were truly wonderful. We are foodies, and enjoy fine dining, so this is important to us in a vacation, and it was fabulous with RCL. This is our first cruise that we have paid any where near $981.00/ night, and at that price, I certainly expect the food to be very good. All in all, I am sure we will have a fabulous vacation, cause there's no such thing as a bad vacation!! but the quality of food and service will certainly be a predictor of whether we will pay this price to sail Disney in the future. I must say, it would be nice if teens could join their parent at Palos. We are only on a three day cruise and enjoy family dining, especially on vacation. Our children are used to fine dining , and certainly this would have been a nice experience together. We would love to try it, but on such a short itinerary, don't want to eat dinner apart from our children. Thanks for sharing your review. We are looking forward to our Disney cruise experience, and hope it's as good as our land ones.

[stephmarty]

Thanks for your trip report conandrob. Sorry you didn't have a better time. As someone whose experiences on DCL have been better, I don't doubt that your experience failed to meet expectations and I do appreciate the report. My guess is that some who disagreed with your report (how do you disagree with someone's personal report unless you were there?) fell silent for a reason. I'd describe that type of attitude as "el blan dan erino (bland) at best." LOL. :rolleyes1

[DCLunatic]

What an intriguing thread!! I had to chime in. I'm so glad to hear the differing opinions. We cruised back in March and I LOVED it. I vowed to never go on another cruise line. We just booked our $99 deal for the end of this month and I'm worried now. hehehe.... I'm REALLY hoping that they dry docked that boat!

As for the restaurant food, it was "just okay" IMO. I have to agree with water gal. DCL offers unique entertainment, so I think they admit that the food won't be fabulous and offer Palo as a consolation. BUT there is other good food on the ship. The Barefoot Buffet place was surprisingly delicious, and the burgers and fries are yummy. If you're a foodie, this just isn't the cruise for you. If you're a Disney lover AND foodie, you still might have a great time.

RedSox, I LOVED your story about Glynnis and your daughter. How touching! I remember feeling like her back when I was 13 on the Big Red Boat (the old Disney cruise.) I haven't had a server or steward/ess that didn't bend over backwards for us. They've always been such a great part of the experience. I know it's impossible for everyone to be bright and cheerful on a cruise staff-- that sucks for the ones who get the sour grapes.

Thanks for sharing your experience cob and saffie! I'm sorry things weren't better.

[First Timer 2009]

This was our first cruise and although we had an overall great time...I too was extremely disappointed with the food...especially dinner. There wasn't a night that our kids enjoyed their dinner...and you may think big deal but you stop your day, shower up, dress up and then have poor selections and poor food. My kids are teenagers and the menu was primarily fish or seafood, lamb, duck or cajun, vegetables like okra salads that no one has ever heard of (plus really the same menu ever night just different room) even desert wasn't good...one night we all just got room service...lasagna...the kids menu is disgusting and the menu is not suitable for teens....really the cruise isn't suitable for teens....I would recommend the DCL for 10 and under.

What really surprised me is the food we had at the Disney theme parks blew this away...Planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck, Yak and Yeti, even the pasta bar in our own hotel was fabulous....no frozen pizza...home made pizza...

The teen program is non existant.......think twice about taking teens on this cruise.

[First Timer 2009]

We took some time to talk to the staff (things were slow in the sports bar) The staff pretty much work right through for their entire time on the ship..I asked why and he said that if they take the 2 days off there is really nothing to do...(it is not like they can enjoy the pool etc) so they work right through and take all their holidays at the end and go home (to their country) early...which makes sense but you can see how that might make people a little crabby or burnt out!!! Not that that is a good excuse because we pay a lot to go on these cruises but just the truth.

[JohnO]

Just to calm the fears of some, we just got back from a four night Disney Wonder cruise. This was our second trip on the Wonder. Our first was a three night in October of 2008.

I noticed some wear but nothing compaired to what I've seen and heard of the other cruise lines working similar itineraries, namely three and four night cruises.

Our cruise was 9/27/09 through 10/1/09. When we arrived back at Port Canaveral the Wonder was already being prepped for dry dock overhaul that same day. The ship left PC for Freeport, Bahamas for a three week drydock period which is a pretty extensive overhaul.

Also, we've never experienced bad service either time aboard ther Wonder. Some of the food we didn't care for, some we loved. Our room attendant, Maurice, was great. Our room attendant from last year, Freddy, recognized us and said hello to us, asked how we'd been etc.

Our food servers were great. Ralph, from Jamaica, went out of his way EVERY night to try and please DW's vegetarian needs. The assistant server, Willie from South Africa, was very funny, friendly and a pleasure to be around.

We ended up on the Wonder last year after reading reviews about RC ships on the shorter itineraries, namely the Sovereign class. We're glad we decided to spend the extra dollars for Disney.

[sns4063]

Thanks OP for your candid thoughts of the cruise!

[hazlnut]

I don't understand the comments about the food. I just got off a 3-night Aonder (April 8-11) and the food was fine.

I usually went with the recommended appetizer and main dish.

We are from L.A. and we frequent some of the highest rated (Zagats) restaurants in town. I've also eaten at many of the nicer places in NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco + the top places at WDW, California Grill, Brown Derby, and Victoria & Alberts.

The food on the Disney Wonder is just fine. It's high-quality family cruise food. My 16-year-old ate with us 2 nights and he loved it.

It is what it is, folks. Disney Cruises are very reasonably priced for the quality of the service and food. You want five-star, white glove? Go book a Cunard or Regent. But the Wonder is a family ship--that means they must accommodate kids and adults. I noticed that the service was tailored to the table. If you wanted your food fast, you got it. My girls were served right away and the cheeseburgers and mac&cheese were well above theme park food. It's kids food, folks. There's not that many levels.

The adult food was great. Not Aquavit or Spago--but the quality of the food and the presentation were both fine. Maybe they redid the menus since this thread started, because it seems like some of the posters ate on a different boat than I did.

For those who think the food was terrible or unacceptable -- please name some restaurants you've eaten in that you consider to be 4/5-star. If you only eat at Applebees or the Cracker Barrel, I imagine the DCL food might taste funny.

If you showed up to Tritons in jeans or shorts, it really wasn't your type of restaurant anyway. If you've never had tuna tar-tar... Well, don't complain that it was undercooked.

We ate at Emerils at Citywalk the night before we set sail and the DCL food was in the same ball park. Everyone I cruised with agreed the food was great. And our servers were tops.

[barney4liz]

For those who think the food was terrible or unacceptable -- please name some restaurants you've eaten in that you consider to be 4/5-star. If you only eat at Applebees or the Cracker Barrel, I imagine the DCL food might taste funny.

Well I am one of the previous posters who expressed disappointment in the rotation restaurant meals, but it was not because my palate is trained to enjoy Cracker Barrel and Applebees. :lmao:

My comments stemmed from my experience of living for extended periods and eating in fine restaurants in D.C. and New Orleans (frequent diner at Commander's Palace and Galatoire's, since you asked for examples), and generally enjoying fine dining in other cities I have visited.

It's never good to make assumptions about others' tastes! :)

Anyway, my previous comments were based on our observation of a decline in the quality of food from a previous cruise. It is great to hear that you had a good experience and enjoyed the food, and I am looking forward to trying it again. I love the Wonder and can't wait to go back. We don't cruise for the food.

[conandrob240]

Well, that is exactly the problem with the food- it is Applebee's or Friday's quality.;)

[wuv tigger]

to the DREAM ... YAHOO for him!

We saw him when we were delivering our FE's on our 2nd cruise. He had been moved from Deck 2 to Deck 5 and was looking forward to "moving on up" to the DreamNo, we never post our names on our room door. The stewards learned our names from their list. The amazing thing to me is when we sailed on the next cruise and a former room steward yelled down the hall to my daughter, calling her by name! How he (Calvin) remember, I'll never know -- but we've had servers who also remembered us and remembered our names! To me, that is a talent and well deserved tip follows for the extra attention and effort ;)

[zalansky]

We just got back from the 4 night cruise and I have to say, I agree with many of the things the OP has said. The first stand out issue for us was the food quality. I even mentioned to my DH that I thought it was seriously lacking from our previous cruises with DCL. Animators Palate was the worst by far, I had the pasta dish and barely touched it. Our server noticed and I was honest. Parrot Cay was just ok. Tritons was very good. Our service was very good as well all the way around. We had a Palo reservation but had to cancel it due to wimpy kids not wanting to go to the club. I digress. Anyway, I thought about sending DCL an email about my opinion of the food because it is an area that needs major improvement. Even Plutos for the greasy kids food was not as good as it was in years past!

I also noticed some wear and tear in some areas. But thats to be expected. Overall, the ship was in pretty good shape and those things don't bug me too much.

As for the room steward, ours didn't talk much either. But we're fine with that. He did his job very well. Nothing above and beyond but I didn't expect more. I do remember a card in our stateroom the first night asking if we wanted ice to let him know.

So anyway OP, I definitely agree with you. We did rebook for next May on the Dream and I am really looking forward to that. I just hope the food improves. With more people sailing I hope that doesn't mean less quality for food service.

ETA: Oh my goodness! I just realized this is an old thread, sorry! And whoops, dry dock already passed. Oh well.

[hazlnut]

Well, that is exactly the problem with the food- it is Applebee's or Friday's quality.;)

I guess you were on a different boat than me. I'd say the food on the Wonder is as good a Cheesecake Factory. High quality, good presentation, not world class, but fine quality.

Comparing a cruise ship kitchen to a small 5-star restaurant doesn't make sense--if you know anything about restaurants, how the food/ingredients are ordered and prepared for different size dinning rooms.

For the size dining room they have, the DCL does an excellent job by any standards.

I don't even know how you could mention Applebee's in the same sentence as Fridays. They are completely different types of food and quality. Maybe the Fridays were you live is dive, but not in SoCal.

I must have been on a different ship--our food was fine by any standards.

[hazlnut]

It's never good to make assumptions about others' tastes! :)


My comments were not directed at anyone in particular -- just a general confusion about how people who ate on the same ship I did could complain about the food or the service. Both were fine. I base my opinion on a lifetime of eating at L.A./NYC/S.F. hotspots and staying at quality hotels.

This is an older thread and perhaps the ship I was on had undergone an overhaul recently.

I noticed a handful of people in all three dining rooms who ignored the dress code (or didn't realize there was one) and obviously never ate in that type of restaurant before--I can't help but wonder, are these the type of people who are complaining.

If you've never had French cuisine before, then Tritons might taste funny. That's not Disney's fault.

[starstruck93]

The bigger problem here MommyMinnie is how extremely rude you are being to me. I posted opinions on a recent cruise. Period. I wish you'd stop the personal attacks.

I do not have a "problem" with room stewards. I was pointing out that the one we had on this particular cruise was not as friendly nor did he do the kinds of things all of the other cabin stewards I have had on previous cruises have done such as address us by name, ask us how our day was, do some additional straightening up in the room. He was fine, he just didn't provide the great service I expected especially on a higher-priced cruise line. He received the recommended daily tip from me. If he were better, he would have gotten quite a bit more.


ITA with this.... this attitude is pretty common here unfortunatly:sad2:.

[zalansky]

I agree too Starstruck. I love Disney and DCL but my gosh, you can't say one negative word without someone taking it personally. Its sad!

As for the comment above also, saying that people who ignore the dress code means that those people are pretty much low class and never eat in nice restaurants so they have no idea what good food tastes like. Hilarious! Come on now. I don't think that because a guy chooses to wear shorts to dinner means he is a classless jerk who only eats at Chilis.

I don't wear shorts to dinner, (and could care less if others choose to) I eat at casual AND fine dining establishments, and I still think the food was no where near as good as it could have been and had been on past DCL cruises. AS others have stated, I have to wonder if i was on the same cruise as some of the people who say the food was fabulous.