3 night Merrytime Cruise on the Dream - Nov 2017

[tnshsms]

We just got back from our 5th DCL cruise but our first Merrytime cruise. I wasn't sure what to expect as all the trip reports were from different ships and longer cruises but I was hopeful that ours would be similar. I have to say that this was the first time since cruising DCL that I was disappointed. There are a ton of different reports on what you can do on the ship so I won't get into much of that but I wanted to put this out here for those who have 3 night cruises booked so you aren't as disappointed as I was.

Since this is our 5th cruise, we intentionally booked this cruise for the Merrytime aspect. We have been on all 4 ships, we have seen all the characters in their many outfits and done all the different activities that the Dream has to offer. We specifically chose this cruise to use our placeholder on so that we could see the ship decorated and see the characters in their Christmas outfits.

The ship was decorated and it was beautiful. The CM's wore Santa hats and Christmas music was playing about 90% of the time in the halls. (We did hear the Monster Mash a couple of times but we were the first Merrytime cruise so I'm guessing that was a mistake). Santa was onboard and was available for pictures. Hot chocolate was waiting for us in the lobby (although it was 80 outside and not super appealing). We decorated a gingerbread house.

BUT the big thing we wanted and the reason we cruise Disney was for the characters. The first night after the tree lighting there were 2 opportunities to get pictures with Christmas characters...one time for Mickey, one time for Minnie. We got the Mickey picture but we missed Minnie as we were in the show. We assumed there would be more times later so we weren't worried about it. We were wrong. Those two 15 min photo spots were it. Not a single other time. We purchased the entire digital package since I figured I would want pictures with all the characters and their pictures always turn out better. Well we didn't get Minnie so Mickey was it. That was the only professional picture with a character in a Christmas outfit we got. The next morning they were in princess outfits, then pirate that evening then the next day, it was beach and formal.

The only other chance was when we went to Story time with Mrs. Claus, right afterwards, the Christmas wearing characters came out but it was in a "See ya real soon" type of atmosphere with no real order, a mad dash to get them all and taken with our camera. I was just happy that I had my camera with me! We could get pictures with Mrs. Claus too but none of it with a good professional camera. The lone other time was at the See ya real soon party. But again, just a mad dash to see them all and that's at 10:15 at night after a day at the beach....so everyone is tired.

I was just really disappointed in this cruise. I assumed (you know what they say about assuming) that the last day, would, at the very least, be Christmas. Its semi formal optional...why are they in their formal outfits? It should be Christmas.

Maybe its because I have done this song and dance 4 other times and had plenty of pictures of them in those outfits but I was mad enough to not book onboard again and for the first time in 5 cruises, I actually complained (nicely) to guest services. Not that they care, as I know people are banging down the doors to get on these ships, but they have lost a loyal fan.

I am curious if any other 3 night Merrytime repeat cruisers felt the same way.

 

[lanejudy]

So sorry you were disappointed in your cruise! That's a bummer. I think it's the nature of the short 3-night cruises -- there just isn't enough time to do everything in full, and that's true even without adding a special theme. We haven't done a 3-night cruise for that reason.

Hopefully your next cruise will be more enjoyable -- and now you'll be Gold for that one!

 

[quickcat]

So sorry to hear! We are trying one just for the Merrytime part as well, but not looking to do too many character meets.
I wonder if someone will comment if the week long cruises have more opportunity. I would have thought like you did, that they would be in Christmas outfits the majority of the time.

 

[tnshsms]

So sorry to hear! We are trying one just for the Merrytime part as well, but not looking to do too many character meets.
I wonder if someone will comment if the week long cruises have more opportunity. I would have thought like you did, that they would be in Christmas outfits the majority of the time.

From the trip reports I've read the longer ones seem to have at least one more opportunity but not much either. They want to still have the characters in all the outfits you would typically see them in but we all pay a premium for a Merrytime cruise and except more merriment with characters. I was bummed.

 

[tnshsms]

So sorry you were disappointed in your cruise! That's a bummer. I think it's the nature of the short 3-night cruises -- there just isn't enough time to do everything in full, and that's true even without adding a special theme. We haven't done a 3-night cruise for that reason.

Hopefully your next cruise will be more enjoyable -- and now you'll be Gold for that one!

It made us irritated enough that at this point the only thing that will get us to see the Gold lanyard is a new ship. We'll be trying out some other lines in the next few years.

 

[Shaggynamos]

We did a 3 night Merrytime cruise last year for our first cruise and loved it. We went in with no expectations and enjoyed everything we experienced.

 

[Sytrace]

That one extra day/night on a Merrytime cruise can make a real difference.
Sadly, they have to combine Pirate night with Christmas on the 3 night cruise and so there is really less of the holiday feel than a 4 night or longer cruise. It is the same way with Halloween On the High Seas cruises. Halloween and Pirate night are thrown together on one day/night and that is it.
I am sorry you did not have a great time this sailing. I am glad that you got to create a gingerbread house though...we did not do it on our first 2 Merrytime cruises but managed to get it done last year.

 

[Twilight Terror]

I am so sorry that things did not go to plan for you. It is always a let down when that happens I guess because they always cram so much in on a regular 3n cruise, that to throw in Merrytime as well, makes it very challenging to give sufficient time to everything. Were you able to come across any unscheduled character meet and greets? I know one morning on the Dream last year (regular cruise) I got up really early, did a whole heap of things, and then ended up coming across Pluto, Mickey, Minnie and Stitch, all of whom were not scheduled to be making an appearance that morning.

It's a shame they cannot trade Pirate Day/Night for Christmas Day/Night on the 3night Merrytimes to give more time to the festival celebrations. We are planning on doing a 3-night next year, but only as part of a B2B with a 4night (as currently cheaper than doing the 7night), otherwise I can't see us doing it; there is too much to cram in, especially if you throw in HOTHS or MT. We are on the upcoming 7night Western Fantasy, with Christmas Day as a sea day, so I am hoping there will be more opportunities for Christmas-dressed characters - I will keep you posted for future reference!

 

[EGHopeful]

I wonder if it was timing and yes the length as well. I've ONLY gone on Merrytime cruises but all the week/day of Christmas and everyone wore their Christmas attire all week long. So I'm guessing it's due to the earlier cruise and it being so short. We are doing our first short cruise next month on the Dream during Christmas again. So I'll see how it compares to the Fantasy.

 

[Shanti]

BUT the big thing we wanted and the reason we cruise Disney was for the characters. The first night after the tree lighting there were 2 opportunities to get pictures with Christmas characters...one time for Mickey, one time for Minnie. We got the Mickey picture but we missed Minnie as we were in the show. We assumed there would be more times later so we weren't worried about it. We were wrong...We purchased the entire digital package since I figured I would want pictures with all the characters and their pictures always turn out better. Well we didn't get Minnie so Mickey was it. That was the only professional picture with a character in a Christmas outfit we got.

It made us irritated enough that at this point the only thing that will get us to see the Gold lanyard is a new ship. We'll be trying out some other lines in the next few years.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise, but I don't see why you're angry at DCL. Everything a Merrytime cruise promises was provided, including a beautifully decorated ship, Christmas activities, Christmas music, and characters in Christmas outfits on multiple occasions. Most passengers don't cruise primarily to get professional photos with characters in one specific type of outfit (they tend to actually focus on the cruise experience itself), so if that was your top priority, you should have checked with Guest Services at the beginning of the cruise, to verify which days & when there would be professional portraits available with characters in the specific outfit you wanted photos with. Being an experienced Disney cruiser, you know the characters rotate outfits a lot, so you should have asked about that if it was important enough to ruin your cruise and make you not even want a placeholder for a future cruise. If the characters had worn Christmas gear for every photo session, someone else might have complained that there was no variety, and therefore their photo package was a ripoff, and they were going to start looking into other cruiselines as a result...

 

[tnshsms]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise, but I don't see why you're angry at DCL. Everything a Merrytime cruise promises was provided, including a beautifully decorated ship, Christmas activities, Christmas music, and characters in Christmas outfits on multiple occasions. Most passengers don't cruise primarily to get professional photos with characters in one specific type of outfit (they tend to actually focus on the cruise experience itself), so if that was your top priority, you should have checked with Guest Services at the beginning of the cruise, to verify which days & when there would be professional portraits available with characters in the specific outfit you wanted photos with. Being an experienced Disney cruiser, you know the characters rotate outfits a lot, so you should have asked about that if it was important enough to ruin your cruise and make you not even want a placeholder for a future cruise. If the characters had worn Christmas gear for every photo session, someone else might have complained that there was no variety, and therefore their photo package was a ripoff, and they were going to start looking into other cruiselines as a result...

I DID check with Guest services the first day and they were completely unprepared to provide the information. They told us that they would all be out with meet and greets that evening and when I looked at the navigator with them they were unsure of the answer. Then I asked what days they would be out again and they didn't know. I eventually got one of the guest service CM's to call the character programming who told me that they would only be out at the See ya real soon party. Before we paid our final payment, I called DCL directly and asked about the character meet and greets and were told repeatedly that although it was a 3n cruise that we'd have plenty of opportunities to meet them in their attire. So I did what I thought was my due diligence. I am not asking for every photo opportunity to be Christmas. I suggest that formal night be scrapped for Christmas. With a 3n cruise, formal is optional. Actually, its semi formal optional so even less than a longer cruise. When spending the premium for a MT cruise, you expect to get everything you see in the pictures and everything that has been told to you via their website and phone call. I was not given that option with the characters and it could have easily been done that final night in place of formal. Princess morning, pirate evening and beach attire could have all stayed.

I wanted this to be more of a PSA so that others who are about to get on a 3n MT cruise are aware that whatever they have been told, there is lack of characters in Christmas attire.

 

[tnshsms]

I wonder if it was timing and yes the length as well. I've ONLY gone on Merrytime cruises but all the week/day of Christmas and everyone wore their Christmas attire all week long. So I'm guessing it's due to the earlier cruise and it being so short. We are doing our first short cruise next month on the Dream during Christmas again. So I'll see how it compares to the Fantasy.

I do think that adding one more night would have been beneficial but it was hard enough to miss school for a 3n so we didnt want to miss for a 4 night. I couldn't find any direct information about 3n MT cruises when I did my search before we booked so I wanted this thread to serve as PSA for anyone who might be searching for that same information in the future.

I would be curious to see your comparison though!

 

[tnshsms]

I am so sorry that things did not go to plan for you. It is always a let down when that happens I guess because they always cram so much in on a regular 3n cruise, that to throw in Merrytime as well, makes it very challenging to give sufficient time to everything. Were you able to come across any unscheduled character meet and greets? I know one morning on the Dream last year (regular cruise) I got up really early, did a whole heap of things, and then ended up coming across Pluto, Mickey, Minnie and Stitch, all of whom were not scheduled to be making an appearance that morning.

It's a shame they cannot trade Pirate Day/Night for Christmas Day/Night on the 3night Merrytimes to give more time to the festival celebrations. We are planning on doing a 3-night next year, but only as part of a B2B with a 4night (as currently cheaper than doing the 7night), otherwise I can't see us doing it; there is too much to cram in, especially if you throw in HOTHS or MT. We are on the upcoming 7night Western Fantasy, with Christmas Day as a sea day, so I am hoping there will be more opportunities for Christmas-dressed characters - I will keep you posted for future reference!

I would guess that with 7 nights and ON Christmas your experience will be much better....I hope so for your sake!

Yes, the one time we did get the Christmas characters was in an unscheduled meet and greet...after Mrs. Claus read her story. We were fortunate enough to have go back from Castaway Cay that day early enough to go and I had my camera with me. However, she read before the all aboard so if we had stayed longer on CC then we'd miss that too because we didn't know the characters would be there. And it was the usual mess that unscheduled meet and greets are with no lines and characters moving from spot to spot.

 

[Shanti]

I am not asking for every photo opportunity to be Christmas. I suggest that formal night be scrapped for Christmas. With a 3n cruise, formal is optional. Actually, its semi formal optional so even less than a longer cruise. When spending the premium for a MT cruise, you expect to get everything you see in the pictures and everything that has been told to you via their website and phone call. I was not given that option with the characters and it could have easily been done that final night in place of formal. Princess morning, pirate evening and beach attire could have all stayed.

So your cruise was ruined by the fact that just one of the photo ops featured the characters in formal gear rather than in Christmas gear? Slept on any peas lately? You did get everything, including a chance to get professional photos with M & M in Christmas gear. But you chose to skip one of those to do a show instead. Other cruisers expect to get everything they paid for, and in terms of photos, DCL cruisers expect photo ops with the characters in formal gear. And if that were taken away, someone else might do a long, angry "PSA" about it.

 

[tnshsms]

So your cruise was ruined by the fact that just one of the photo ops featured the characters in formal gear rather than in Christmas gear? Slept on any peas lately? You did get everything, including a chance to get professional photos with M & M in Christmas gear. But you chose to skip one of those to do a show instead. Other cruisers expect to get everything they paid for, and in terms of photos, DCL cruisers expect photo ops with the characters in formal gear. How many repeat photo ops do expect they can do on a 3-night cruise?

I sleep on a pea every night.

When I'm told by cast members that I will get what I asked for, then its disappointing when that's not the case. As stated, I expected more than 2 15 min opportunities as that is what was told to me.

 

[Shanti]

I sleep on a pea every night.

When I'm told by cast members that I will get what I asked for, then its disappointing when that's not the case. As stated, I expected more than 2 15 min opportunities as that is what was told to me.

You did have more than those 2 ops, but you didn't like them because there weren't professional photographers available.

 

[DisneyJenn23]

So sorry to hear you were disappointed. We did the 3 day on the Dream a few years back and really enjoyed it. We are going again on December 8th. Hoping I won't be disappointed. Any chance you kept your Navigators? Maybe seeing those would help others better plan their 3 days!

 

[tnshsms]

So sorry to hear you were disappointed. We did the 3 day on the Dream a few years back and really enjoyed it. We are going again on December 8th. Hoping I won't be disappointed. Any chance you kept your Navigators? Maybe seeing those would help others better plan their 3 days!

I did! But I haven't been home much to get them scanned. Darn work that pays for those vacations.