Hi
Just back from the Eastern 4/17- Here are a few thoughts, forgive me for jumping around a bit.
- I have been reading these boards for nearly a year while planning the cruise and recieved many valuable tips, but on the other hand I think my level of expectation was also so high after reading all the posts that some things didn't quite live up to them.
- Our diner servers did a fine job at what they did, take orders, serve the meal and keep the table tidy. Beyond that nothing else that would be described as magicial. We have two six year old girls at our table and saw other servers doing napkin tricks, magic and card games. I am not saying every server needs to be a part time circus performer. But there should be some consistancy especially when serving younger dinners.
- The pools were ridiculous. My daughter had a great time splashing in the mickey pool, but there was no place to swim. The goofy pool was full of 10-16 year olds rough housing, it was not a swimable pool.
-Nothing ircked me more than to check the Charecter shedule, make a plan to attend, wait in line and then be told it was a picture opptuninty only, no autographs, then to try and figure out if their next apperarnce would be the same. This also happened at the Charecter Breakfast with Mickey and Minnie.
-My daugher spent very little time in the kids clubs, the first day she checked in a cried when we went to get her. The next day we were paged during Palo dinner and for the rest of the cruise she could care less if she went. I heard this from alot of the parents I spoke to. The minute we started to relax we were beeped. I wouldn't cruise again until she was old enought to check her self out.
I don't know if this was since the ship had so many kids the counselers didn't really try to engage the kids who didn't have any one to play with, or encourage them to join into another group. The counselours had their hands quite full and did a great job, but it just appeard that they almost had too much to do.
The rooms are small. Pack One case per person and one carry on. There is very little space to store empty bags. I was wanred to unpack a few outfits, I didn't listen. Also I hade 5 pairs of shoes, I wore two.
-Play Bingo, Que ( I think that's how you spell it) was the bingo caller and he was great!!! Ditto for the entire cruise staff. Get involved with the cruise staff events they are fun.
The pillowcase I brought to Guest Services was awesome, it came out great.
If you don't have any shore excurisoions planned, do have some plan of where you are going and how to get there. We assumed there would be people there to tell us where things were. All we got were people trying to sell us their tours, or taxi companys.
My husband tried to play some acarde game with DD, and he said half the machines were broken and the other half had older kids all over them. He bought a 10 card and it is barely used.
If you have younder kids get first seating. Don't assume your kids will want to be in the clubs during dinner. They are so tired alot of them are alseep by 10.00. Second seating dinner ends at about 10pm. I can't stress this enough don't plan your trip around drooping off your kids at the clubs, the minute they say they want to leave you get paged.
All in all it was a very good time, the cruise staff was great, dinner was nice, the shows were great, as I said earlier the next time we go our daughter will be old enough to sign herself out of the clubs.
Just back from the Eastern 4/17- Here are a few thoughts, forgive me for jumping around a bit.
- I have been reading these boards for nearly a year while planning the cruise and recieved many valuable tips, but on the other hand I think my level of expectation was also so high after reading all the posts that some things didn't quite live up to them.
- Our diner servers did a fine job at what they did, take orders, serve the meal and keep the table tidy. Beyond that nothing else that would be described as magicial. We have two six year old girls at our table and saw other servers doing napkin tricks, magic and card games. I am not saying every server needs to be a part time circus performer. But there should be some consistancy especially when serving younger dinners.
- The pools were ridiculous. My daughter had a great time splashing in the mickey pool, but there was no place to swim. The goofy pool was full of 10-16 year olds rough housing, it was not a swimable pool.
-Nothing ircked me more than to check the Charecter shedule, make a plan to attend, wait in line and then be told it was a picture opptuninty only, no autographs, then to try and figure out if their next apperarnce would be the same. This also happened at the Charecter Breakfast with Mickey and Minnie.
-My daugher spent very little time in the kids clubs, the first day she checked in a cried when we went to get her. The next day we were paged during Palo dinner and for the rest of the cruise she could care less if she went. I heard this from alot of the parents I spoke to. The minute we started to relax we were beeped. I wouldn't cruise again until she was old enought to check her self out.
I don't know if this was since the ship had so many kids the counselers didn't really try to engage the kids who didn't have any one to play with, or encourage them to join into another group. The counselours had their hands quite full and did a great job, but it just appeard that they almost had too much to do.
The rooms are small. Pack One case per person and one carry on. There is very little space to store empty bags. I was wanred to unpack a few outfits, I didn't listen. Also I hade 5 pairs of shoes, I wore two.
-Play Bingo, Que ( I think that's how you spell it) was the bingo caller and he was great!!! Ditto for the entire cruise staff. Get involved with the cruise staff events they are fun.
The pillowcase I brought to Guest Services was awesome, it came out great.
If you don't have any shore excurisoions planned, do have some plan of where you are going and how to get there. We assumed there would be people there to tell us where things were. All we got were people trying to sell us their tours, or taxi companys.
My husband tried to play some acarde game with DD, and he said half the machines were broken and the other half had older kids all over them. He bought a 10 card and it is barely used.
If you have younder kids get first seating. Don't assume your kids will want to be in the clubs during dinner. They are so tired alot of them are alseep by 10.00. Second seating dinner ends at about 10pm. I can't stress this enough don't plan your trip around drooping off your kids at the clubs, the minute they say they want to leave you get paged.
All in all it was a very good time, the cruise staff was great, dinner was nice, the shows were great, as I said earlier the next time we go our daughter will be old enough to sign herself out of the clubs.
We did okay in St. Thomas because my husband had been there before and knew to take a taxi to Megan's Bay beach. It is interesting to see all the different perspectives. How did you family take the high seas? Luckily we were not sick at all and kind of liked being rocked to sleep!
