Gina
Remembers the Great DIS Board Crash of '99
- Joined
- Aug 16, 1999
- Messages
- 4,648
I would never in a million years have time to write a day-by-day trip report, so here are my random thoughts on our 2/21 Eastern Magic trip. This was cruise #3 for my son and I; he turned 8 during the cruise.
We flew in Friday and stayed at the Radisson the night before on the $89 rate I had secured quite a while back. Our room was as nice as always, and this time was directly in front of the koi pond. Very nice! Rented a car from Budegt again at the airport and dropped it off up the street from the Radisson. Hopped on the shuttle, bopped to the terminal, and managed to be first in line.
The cruise was, as always, just awesome. Getting to sit together for dinner with 3 other DIS families made it that much better!! I really had a ball... they are all just super people. And our sons got along so well, we hardly saw them for much of dinner! I'm sure that made our serving team happy.
Servers were Jean (Zan-Zan) and Zita, and they were just so great. Really fun and always made us smile. Head server was Simon, and he was great!! He always had terrific puzzles and riddles for all of us to solve. We had late seating, as always. I don't know how you people do early seating.
I am always amazed not only at the eternal freshness of the ship, but in the crew and staff as well. Everyone from the bartenders to the person polishing the railing smiles at you as though you are the first guest to ever board the ship. It makes you feel so happy.
I *love* the new Cove Cafe. It was such a quiet, less-bright, cool, peaceful place to go sit for a while. They have an amazing array of books and magazines -- something for absolutely everyone. And they make yummy caffe latte. And for smokers -- finally a place of our own. Outside the Cove Cafe are wonderful little tables for having coffee and reading, with an ashtray at each. Hallelujah! I loved sitting there at night and listening to the soft music at the Quiet Cove pool area.
Now for the rants:
I hated the category 11. Not just because I had cruised in a cat. 7 before, but because it was just way inadequate for us on lots of fronts. I knew it would be a bit smaller, but my son and I were constantly bumping into each other. There is WAY less storage than the other categories -- no steamer trunk, and 4 very shallow drawers. Where were our clothes supposed to go?? And while I could live with the single bath, there is NO reason to not have some sort of storage in there. All that is there is that tine little shelf over the sink. No corner shelves, not even a shelf in the bathtub to put shampoo.
And I knew the room layout, but didn't click that in my mind with the layout of the ship. In these rooms, the bed is sideways -- that is, when the ship rocks, you rock head to foot. Not entirely unpleasant, but rather disconcerting. And I am one of those weirdos who is happier in 20' seas. Someone who does not like movement that much might really be unhappily surprised by the head-toe rocking.
I really had tried to talk myself into being happy with it, because so many before had said that there was little difference between the 11 and other categories other than no window and no split bath, but I really really hated it.
Second rant:
For the love of all that is holy, leave the strollers at home. I still can't fathom why people bring babies onboard, but hey, that's fine. But THERE IS NO ROOM for your lovely Maclaren double-wide in Shutters!! And when you see before you that there is one foot of walk space between the rows of chairs at the pool, use some common sense and don't put your stroller there!!!
It boggles my mind.
Last rant:
I heard way more parents snapping pretty meanly at their kids this time... This isn't Disney World -- go lie in a lounger and have a drink or something, and let the poor kids go to the kids' club and have some fun.
That is all... any questions?
-gina-
We flew in Friday and stayed at the Radisson the night before on the $89 rate I had secured quite a while back. Our room was as nice as always, and this time was directly in front of the koi pond. Very nice! Rented a car from Budegt again at the airport and dropped it off up the street from the Radisson. Hopped on the shuttle, bopped to the terminal, and managed to be first in line.
The cruise was, as always, just awesome.
Getting to sit together for dinner with 3 other DIS families made it that much better!! I really had a ball... they are all just super people. And our sons got along so well, we hardly saw them for much of dinner! I'm sure that made our serving team happy. Servers were Jean (Zan-Zan) and Zita, and they were just so great. Really fun and always made us smile. Head server was Simon, and he was great!! He always had terrific puzzles and riddles for all of us to solve. We had late seating, as always. I don't know how you people do early seating.
I am always amazed not only at the eternal freshness of the ship, but in the crew and staff as well. Everyone from the bartenders to the person polishing the railing smiles at you as though you are the first guest to ever board the ship. It makes you feel so happy.
I *love* the new Cove Cafe. It was such a quiet, less-bright, cool, peaceful place to go sit for a while. They have an amazing array of books and magazines -- something for absolutely everyone. And they make yummy caffe latte.
And for smokers -- finally a place of our own. Outside the Cove Cafe are wonderful little tables for having coffee and reading, with an ashtray at each. Hallelujah! I loved sitting there at night and listening to the soft music at the Quiet Cove pool area.Now for the rants:
I hated the category 11. Not just because I had cruised in a cat. 7 before, but because it was just way inadequate for us on lots of fronts. I knew it would be a bit smaller, but my son and I were constantly bumping into each other. There is WAY less storage than the other categories -- no steamer trunk, and 4 very shallow drawers. Where were our clothes supposed to go?? And while I could live with the single bath, there is NO reason to not have some sort of storage in there. All that is there is that tine little shelf over the sink. No corner shelves, not even a shelf in the bathtub to put shampoo.
And I knew the room layout, but didn't click that in my mind with the layout of the ship. In these rooms, the bed is sideways -- that is, when the ship rocks, you rock head to foot. Not entirely unpleasant, but rather disconcerting. And I am one of those weirdos who is happier in 20' seas. Someone who does not like movement that much might really be unhappily surprised by the head-toe rocking.
I really had tried to talk myself into being happy with it, because so many before had said that there was little difference between the 11 and other categories other than no window and no split bath, but I really really hated it.
Second rant:
For the love of all that is holy, leave the strollers at home. I still can't fathom why people bring babies onboard, but hey, that's fine. But THERE IS NO ROOM for your lovely Maclaren double-wide in Shutters!! And when you see before you that there is one foot of walk space between the rows of chairs at the pool, use some common sense and don't put your stroller there!!!
It boggles my mind.Last rant:
I heard way more parents snapping pretty meanly at their kids this time... This isn't Disney World -- go lie in a lounger and have a drink or something, and let the poor kids go to the kids' club and have some fun.
That is all... any questions?
-gina-
. Just kidding as today is DW's 40th bday.
It is pretty far ahead,but it gives me plenty of time to pay for it. I got one of the secret porthole rooms on deck 5 for October 15,2005. I got a great price through mouseearsvacation.com.
I am just so confused..... It is hard being a single Mom. This may be a mistake,but I think I need time to figure out what I really want. I don't want to stay with someone just because I don't want to be alone!
