We'’re out of it! A summer 14 “MAGICal” Med adventure Day 14/Aug 05 updated 05/05

[dizneeat]

I would love to do a galley tour on a cruise!

So far they have offered them on all our cruises. We hope to do one on the Wonder in August, since that is the ship we missed.

I can't believe how bad your stateroom host was on this cruise.

Yeah, they were out of everything, including service. But, by that time we were kind of used to his kind of service.

Ours on the last cruise wasn't the best, but at least we got service once a day. I'm about to get to that.

I really hope he wasn't as bad as ours, but thankfully that was a once in 15 cruises. Looking forward to your update!

Also too bad that you couldn't find a quiet place to have a drink. At least you finally could come back to a clean room!

We were so used to being able to "escape" to somewhere on the Dream and Fantasy, but it did not happen on the Magic that trip and the next one as well. Thank god for a room with a balcony.

I saw Minnie in her pirate finery I'm sure we'll be in those character lines.

We'll watch you from above!

Yay an update! Karin the galley tour is neat! Sorry about the lack of a quiet spot. Looking forward to more!

It was more than about time for an update, but things were a bit hectic before we went back to WDW last month.

We love the galley tours. Hope the will offer some on the Wonder, than we'll have done them on all four ships.

 

[englishrose47]

How annoying to not have your room cleaned till soo late in the day. I am anxious to see what was on the menu.!! Also I started a new PTR for Rosie Roams 2016, I tried pming you but for some reason it wouldn't let me !!

 

[Poolrat]

That galley tour looks great to see behind the scenes like that.

I cannot believe that your room host was so bad. I know you were so frustrated by that point. Then to not find a quiet place to just sit. So sorry - Hope Palo fixes that.

 

[Flossbolna]

I know we have talked about this, but I absolutely understand your frustration about places to sit on the Magic. You at least had a balcony! That was the one thing why I would hesitate to book a cold weather cruise in an inside stateroom again, because for us hanging out in our cabin was not really an option either. When it is warm outside, I don't mind being up on deck and can usually find a lounger somewhere. But in Norway that was not an option. We commented on that in our comments at the end of the cruise that they need to keep in mind that people need to have spaces to sit inside during these cold weather cruises. They can't have toddler playtime in the Promenade Lounge all day long!!

 

[jenseib]

I can't believe how long it took to have your room cleaned. That is insane!
I have yet to do a galley tour. I need to sign up for one on my next cruise. Did you sign up at Guest Services the first day?

 

[jedijill]

Yay! Another update! The service from your cabin steward is inexcusable! I'm glad it finally got cleaned but that late is terrible! And not having a quiet lounge somewhere is not good either.

Jill in CO

 

[dizneeat]

How annoying to not have your room cleaned till soo late in the day.

Rosie, this stateroom host was no fun and we were kind of used to the non existing service.

I am anxious to see what was on the menu.!!

The menu hadn't changed much then, but Palo is always worth the upcharge.

lso I started a new PTR for Rosie Roams 2016, I tried pming you but for some reason it wouldn't let me !!

I found it, Rosie! And as you know I am already signed up!

That galley tour looks great to see behind the scenes like that.

It is really interesting to peek behind the scenes and get a glimpse on how they produce meals for so many guests. Even though some chefs provide far more information than others.

I cannot believe that your room host was so bad. I know you were so frustrated by that point. Then to not find a quiet place to just sit.

He was really one of a kind. I am glad we have not come across someone like him more often.
We were pretty unhappy by then already with everything that had happened. I told Tom a few times that if it had been our first cruise it would have definitely been our last as well, but we knew that Disney can deliver something totally different, so we were and will be back.
Oh yeah, and the quite spot - I guess it is different on the new ships - they are so big and we always easily find somewhere where you can order a drink and sit and chat. Well, on the Magic not so much - I wonder how this will turn out on the Wonder for 14 nights and only 4 ports!

So sorry - Hope Palo fixes that.

Palo fixes everything - but what came after Palo???

I know we have talked about this, but I absolutely understand your frustration about places to sit on the Magic. You at least had a balcony!

That balcony was our saving grace.

That was the one thing why I would hesitate to book a cold weather cruise in an inside stateroom again, because for us hanging out in our cabin was not really an option either. When it is warm outside, I don't mind being up on deck and can usually find a lounger somewhere. But in Norway that was not an option. We commented on that in our comments at the end of the cruise that they need to keep in mind that people need to have spaces to sit inside during these cold weather cruises. They can't have toddler playtime in the Promenade Lounge all day long!!

We have often talked about booking another stateroom class - at least to save a little money, those verandas come at a high price, but I am just too scared of feeling boxed in on a sea day.

And I am with you on the fact that sometimes they just overdo their "kid friendly" programmes.

I can't believe how long it took to have your room cleaned. That is insane!

Jen, we were used to it by then. It was not the cruise experience I would like to relive, even though the ports were great and we had a good time.

I have yet to do a galley tour. I need to sign up for one on my next cruise. Did you sign up at Guest Services the first day?

Yes, you sign up at Guest Services right after you board. If they tell you they "don't have" one, have your name put on a waitlist. They sometimes don't even know if/when they are offered. (seadays)

Yay! Another update! The service from your cabin steward is inexcusable! I'm glad it finally got cleaned but that late is terrible! And not having a quiet lounge somewhere is not good either.

It was really not the best Disney cruise - too many thing went pearshaped. But the cruise we did the next year out of PC was totally different and we loved it a lot.

 

[GoofyFan1515]

Sorry things weren't going so well with your Stateroom host, and with the noise interrupting your attempt to relax and all the visible imperfections, your cruise wasn't being very MAGICal....... But the galley tour looks like fun and it's really hard to go wrong with warm chocolate chip cookies!

Can't wait to read about Palo......that always seems to be a treat.

 

[englishrose47]

Yes I saw you found my new Rosie Roams !!! Can't believe in a fw days I can start making my adrs

 

[Flossbolna]

I wonder how this will turn out on the Wonder for 14 nights and only 4 ports!

I think you will be fine! First of all, the events will be far more adult focused, so you might be more interested to actually take part in the programming. ;-)

And then there is the wonderful Outlook Cafe!! They do spa events in there, but these were never obtrusive or loud.

 

[Leshaface]

I love seeing pictures like this! Gives me even more reassurance of how clean they keep everything. And so orderly too with all the pictures of the way the food should be prepped, even down to the waitstaff's attire for that evening!

to sit and have a conversation. So we went and checked the different venues. Keys was first, but it was closed for some kind of function. Well, let’s check out O’Gills. Yikes, they had some kind of quiz going on and it was LOUD in there. What about Promenade Lounge? We headed over and it looked pretty good, just a few kids, so we took a seat, smiled at the cheap pallets of beers they had still out and were now offering at a premium price and took a look at the menu. We ordered two glasses of wine and as soon as they arrived so did a group of kids. They were having some kind of kids even and it got loud, so loud that you could not hear the person opposite without leaning in. No fun. The server, noticing we were not happy, asked what was wrong and after telling him that we would have liked to finish our drinks in a more quiet surrounding answered that we could pick up a drink at the adult pool and sit in the Cove Café. After previous experiences there we did not really want to do that, so we left most of our drinks and fled. And on the way back to our stateroom we noticed a few of the things we had seen in connection with the drydock the Magic had been in. There were quite a lot of places with paint drippings, paint on windows and overpainted spots where rust was already coming through again. Being not in such a good mood made these things stand out even more.

Agh, sorry you couldn't find someplace nice and quiet. I found that on the Dream, it was pretty much packed out in every bar/lounge we went too, but we didn't mind. But on the Wonder, we would walk in somewhere and be like, "Uh, are you guys open!?" Quite the different experience.

 

[dizneeat]

Sorry things weren't going so well with your Stateroom host, and with the noise interrupting your attempt to relax and all the visible imperfections, your cruise wasn't being very MAGICal.......

I r
Well, it was definitely not the cruise we will remember for magical moments.

But the galley tour looks like fun and it's really hard to go wrong with warm chocolate chip cookies!

They have the best chocolate chip cookies by far! And the galley tours are always fun - the galleys don't look much different on any of the ships but what the chefs tell you is always up to them and some can tell you some awesome facts (and stories )

Can't wait to read about Palo......that always seems to be a treat.

Palo and a bit more coming up shortly.

Yes I saw you found my new Rosie Roams !!! Can't believe in a fw days I can start making my adrs

for booking ADRs shortly! That makes it so much more real.

I think you will be fine! First of all, the events will be far more adult focused, so you might be more interested to actually take part in the programming. ;-)

I bookmarked your TR Joann's and will have to go back and take notes. Thanks for the thumbs up!

And then there is the wonderful Outlook Cafe!!

I completely forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me! We loved the Outlook Cafe - so nice!

I love seeing pictures like this! Gives me even more reassurance of how clean they keep everything. And so orderly too with all the pictures of the way the food should be prepped, even down to the waitstaff's attire for that evening!

Those kitchens are immaculate! And it is so fun to go behind the scenes and learn how they work back there. And while it is interesting to learn about it, I would NOT like to work there - boy, they have a hectic life.

Agh, sorry you couldn't find someplace nice and quiet. I found that on the Dream, it was pretty much packed out in every bar/lounge we went too, but we didn't mind. But on the Wonder, we would walk in somewhere and be like, "Uh, are you guys open!?" Quite the different experience.

In the evening bars were always packed on the Dream, but during the day it was easy to find somewhere to sit, chat and enjoy a beverage. Not so much on the Magic - I really hope it will be different on the Wonder.

 

[Flossbolna]

I bookmarked your TR Joann's and will have to go back and take notes. Thanks for the thumbs up!

I think www.disneycruiselineblog.com has the navigators from the 2014 and 2015 WBPC cruises, you can scope out activities there! And remember that with the new app you should be able to see all the activities for the whole cruise already at the beginning. I found this helpful to see what might be repeated and such on our Norway cruise. My recommendations would be the cruise director's morning show. It is only 30 minutes, but gives you a good overview of the special things that happen. Also, there will be many more cooking demonstrations. Arrive early for those, though. The one time I went, Studio Sea was filled to the max, they even brought in extra chairs. I decided to leave... There will be some kind of Disney speaker with several talks. And then there are some fun and silly events involving some of the senior staff. Expect the CC reception to be held on the pool deck. Also, there will be two DVC events. One at the beginning and then one in the second part of the cruise. And if you are so inclined, on some evenings they offer events for adults in the kids clubs. We never got around to those though...

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 13, August 4

Another day at sea - Part 3

We sat and studied the menu, then ordered some drinks.

Soon after our server returned with our drinks, a

Balsamic Grande, Grey Goose Vodka, 5 year old Balsamic Vinegar and freshly muddled strawberries and a

Limone Basilico, Absolut Citron Vodka, Limoncello and Fresh muddled Basil Leaves and a minute later he returned with the Antipasti cart and filled a plate with

Bressaola, f Parma ham, olives, marinated red peppers and artichokes and a few nice chunks of Parmesan Cheese and put a basket of

housemade breads on the table. And after putting in our order we started to munch on our yummy antipasti and sipping our drinks. Didn’t take too long for our starters to arrive. Tom had the

Ciuppin Soup, Mussels, Shrimp, Calamari, Red Mullet and Monkfish poached in a Garlic Basil White Wine Tomato Broth and some Garlic Baguette. I was happy with my

Tomato Mozzarella Caprese, sliced Beefsteak Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, Virgin Olive Oil and Arugula Leaves. It was beautiful outside and we enjoyed the perfect view from our window seats.

Didn’t take long after we had finished our starter for the plates to be whisked away and the Palate Cleanser, a refreshing

sorbet to be served. We had asked the server to pace our meal and pace it he did. Tom wanted to try something new, so he ordered the

Pappardelle con Aragosta, Pappardelle Pasta tossed in Lobster Tarragon Sauce with Leeks, White Truffle Oil and Grilled Lobster and not only did it look fantastic, the taste did not disappoint either. I had gone with another old favourite, the

Fagotti di Petto di Pollocon Ricotta e Basilico, Baked chicken breast filled with ricotta, basil and red peppers served with Pinot Grigio reduction. Again, this was a winner and we both cleaned our plates. When the server came around to clear the plates from the table we chatted with him for a while before he had to disappear to go get our desserts,

Palo’s famous Chocolate Souffle, served with Vanilla Bean Ice-cream and Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Sauce. Needless to say we needed to pour both sauces onto the Souffle and enjoyed that sweet goodness. Dessert eaten we were served

Palo’s farewell drink, which is really awesome and then we were presented our bill. We added a nice tip to the bill, signed it and rolled back to our stateroom. Tonight was Pirate Night and people, dressed up as pirates, were all over the ship. We “fled” to our stateroom, changed into something more comfortable and chilled on the balcony for quite a while. About 40 minutes before the fireworks were about to start we met with Bobbie and Connie and staked out a nice spot overseeing the stage. We all stood around a huge wooden crate right at the railing. There we stood, chatted and enjoyed ourselves, watching the crowds on deck getting thicker and thicker.

About 10 minutes before the main show was to start grandparents with their grandchild came over to ask it the kid could stand in front of me, so she could see what was going on on the stage.

To be continued ..........​

 

[dizneeat]

I think www.disneycruiselineblog.com has the navigators from the 2014 and 2015 WBPC cruises, you can scope out activities there!

That was the first thing I did! Haven't had time to read them "in detail" yet, but that is on my to do list!

And remember that with the new app you should be able to see all the activities for the whole cruise already at the beginning.

Thank you! That's an awesome hint. We rarely use the app (other than looking at menus ) as we have done most of the itineraries before. But I guess we will know what to do once we are on board now!

My recommendations would be the cruise director's morning show. It is only 30 minutes, but gives you a good overview of the special things that happen.

That was what I wanted to read up on again - sounded so fun in your TR. And thankfully Brent has moved on from DCL - so whoever is cruise director will be fine with me.

There will be some kind of Disney speaker with several talks. And then there are some fun and silly events involving some of the senior staff.

Another thing I am looking forward to! Thanks for reminding me.

Expect the CC reception to be held on the pool deck.

Yikes! Sounds like a BIG event.

And if you are so inclined, on some evenings they offer events for adults in the kids clubs. We never got around to those though...

I really need to look into that too. Now looking at all that it looks like there is LOADS to do on that vacation.

 

[pas130]

Balsamic in a cocktail how was it? That food and the soufflé YUMMMMM

 

[Pinkocto]

Dinner looks amazing, as Palo usually does hopefully it helped with the not so good mood from earlier that afternoon.

I'm sensing some trouble with these grandparents and child.

 

[englishrose47]

The food looks fabulous !! I would LOVE that Lobster dish !!! Mind you your chicken sounded pretty good too!!! I have started with my adrs for the first 2 days of my October trip!!

 

[jedijill]

Mmmm, Palo. I'm drooling!

Jill in CO

 

[franandaj]

Dinner at Palo looks great! It's funny how everyone has different "goto" dishes there!