well here goes. lets hope the third time is the charm. Id like to start by thanking all the DISboarders for their helpful information and general enthusiasm. even though this was our 4th cruise I learned some new tricks and spent many pleasurable pre-cruise hours on the board. although our DISmeet did not materialize I meet a few of the DISboarders on the cruise and they were as nice and friendly as they are on the board.
we left Hartford Friday, 6/25 and leaving the night before proved to be a wise decision. we saved $250 by flying on Friday. the hyatt was convenient and only slightly more expensive than a Hartford hotel would have been. the hyatt gave us a larger room and a rollaway bed on request and when we told them we were with
dcl they gave us instructions for am luggage transfer. they picked up our luggage and brought it to the dcl bus. the next time we saw it was in our stateroom. we each packed our traveling clothes, pjs and toiletries in day bags so there was no need to unpack at the hotel. the dcl representative was in the hyatt lobby to sign us in and escort us to the dcl bus. the real advantage to traveling the night before is that we slept late and were rested for our first day on board.
this trip we reconsidered our transportation options especially as we were going to wdw after the cruise. dh insisted that we use dcl to go from mco to the pier. he feels like the dcl bus is part of the total cruise experience.
we left mco around 10:30 and arrived at the pier approx 45 minutes later. check-in was problem free and we boarded around 12 ish. 2 of the adults in our party took the children to parrot cay for lunch and the other 2 went to rockin bar d for reservations and dinner assignment changes. again no problems. the room was ready soon after lunch. the room itself was fine and we were greeted by bon voyage decorations and gifts, including cake and a bottle of wine. we prepared for the lifeboat drill by taking the traditional lifejacket pictures.
I also signed up for the rainforest. I highly recommend it. I used it every day and at least when I went it was never crowded. It is extremely quiet and relaxing and good for my psyche if not for my skin. I did not do any other spa treatments this trip. they are not as good as my local spa and far more expensive.
the food was much better this trip. that includes quality and presentation. several meals were outstanding and none were less than good. the menu was appealing and varied enough to suit everyone in our party (except one extremely picky eater). the servers, mihaela and Rebecca were, as advertised, excellent. I do not look for entertainment at dinner only efficiency and competence. the meals were nicely paced, hot food was served hot, bread was replaced without asking and both women promptly responded to special requests, such as lemon for water, and remembered those requests on subsequent nights. they were courteous and friendly and unobtrusive. my standards for servers probably differ from most cruisers. I look forward to spending time with family and friends at dinner and I am not particularly interested in interacting with the servers as well. thats me and mihaela and Rebecca did a wonderful or excellent job as far as I am concerned.
I went to palo brunch with the other adult female in the party. it was superb. the food was scrumptious and the service was excellent. we skipped palo dinner. high tea is mediocre. it is too close to dinner, the sandwiches were ordinary and stuck to the roof of my mouth, tea is tea, nothing exciting there. the scones were quite good and we took some to go. I would not do tea again.
the free soda is an inspired idea. my children are older so they were able to help themselves and I was happy to be able to stay hydrated without running up a bar bill. the iced tea dispenser was out of order but the iced tea from the soda machine was adequate.
the coffee from the cove is quite good and not too dear at $1 per cup.
since we were traveling with another family the children did not reach out as much as they have on other cruises. they did, however, make some nice acquaintances on the cruise and through the DISboard. they were disappointed in the stack. it didnt feel as cozy or as welcoming as common grounds. they did go infrequently and participated in a few of the activities. the counselors allowed dd 12 and ¾ to sign up for the stack with my permission so she could be with her siblings, 14 and 16.
this version of Hercules was the best yet. the non-disney portions of the variety shows were quite good. we also enjoyed who wants to be, etc., the cabaret shows, the dance lessons, the dance parties and family karaoke. I saw 3 movies I wouldnt have paid to see at home. I dont care for Disney entertainment as, IMO, it is simply recycled versions of songs/movies that I have seen man times before. plus the shows are very loud. we skipped Disney dreams and golden mickeys. I am aware I was on a
Disney cruise and I am not suggesting dcl eliminate the Disney entertainment, I just prefer the alternatives. Ill bet the younger children just love that stuff.
kayaking on st maarten was great. the staff worked very hard to make an ordinary excursion memorable. when my dd couldnt quite get the hang of paddling one of the guides towed us. shopping in phillipsburg was ok and we didnt get to the French side of the island (lack of time).
st thomas was beautiful. in the am we shopped and in the pm we hired an open air taxi. our driver, jose, met us in charlotte amalie and took us back to the ship for bathing suits and lunch. after lunch he took us to sapphire beach for swimming and then on a tour of the island. at $20 pp it was cheaper than an excursion. unless you have a specific plan it is not a bad way to spend the day. the group vetoed a trip to st john because they did not want to taxi the necessary transportation. maybe next time. shopping is st Thomas is much better. I cant talk about prices because we are not real shoppers but the shops were nicer and more numerous and the streets are wider. unfortunately the vendors hawk from storefronts which I find unpleasant.
castaway cay was perfect. the weather in the am was lovely and the storm that threatened in the pm never materialized. we found a lovely spot on the family beach with hammocks, chairs and shade. the banana boat ride was a disappointment, according to the children it was 20 minutes of sea water sprayed in your face. the sea trikes were fun and good exercise which I really needed at that point. cookies bbq was fine and a nice alternative to some of the more upscale food served on the ship. the fresh fruit and salad was a real plus.
disembarkation was also without a hitch. we were off the ship and through customs by 8:30. happy limo arrived promptly with an suv to take us to wdw. a note about happy limo. the cars are clean, the drivers are courteous and prompt and the price is right. for a family of 5 it was cheaper to sue happy limo for transportation to wdw and from wdw to mco. as an added bonus the car that arrived for our trip to mco was a stretch suv which the driver claimed was a random upgrade. the children were thrilled and it was a nice ending to a fabulous trip.
sorry this is so long. I tried to restrict myself to the highlights. I am happy to respond to specific questions and I thank you all again for welcoming me to the DISboard.
