Anyone else not into the dinner shows on new ships?

[Cfabar1]

We ended up changing our cruise from the Wish partly because we don't care for Marvel and really didn't want to have to do dinner there. The show just looked annoying and so cramped. We know we love the Fantasy, we enjoy talking to each other at dinner and I'm feeling really tired of everything being screens. She did okay with Crush night, since it more ambient for most of the dinner. Arendelle would have been fun but I feel like two dinner shows on one ship is a bit much for such short sailings.

Yeah... I don't see Marvel aging well over time... We shall see...

 

[phinz]

You have choices for dinner just like you have choices for rides at wdw. Two types of Adults restaurants. Its very quiet in them and the service is another level above the rotational dining rooms (food quality is 3 times higher as well). And Top deck on wish is also quite good. The pub also serves decent food for dinner. You have plenty of options.

And its only 2 meals out of 9 in a 3 day cruise that has the shows. If it was like 6 I could maybe get the complaints. But 2? When you can easily skip them? At that point it seems like complaints are not so much about one having to put up with them (cos they can easily be skipped or tolerated given how few there are) but more about wanting to stop others from enjoying them.

Ahhhhhh... I see. It's apparent you haven't done a 7-day or longer cruise.

I don't want bar food. I don't want quick service fast food. I don't want to spend exorbitant amounts for Enchante more than once every few cruises. Good luck on getting more than one reservation for Palo, given that you're only allowed to make one before your cruise date. Sure, they usually have extra Palo nights available but there's no guarantee that will be the case, and if an ordinary meal is included with my cruise why would I want to spend $100+ a night just to not have some video screen shouting at me while the lights are flashing on and off? I just want a nice meal without having to yell at my partner or use the "grunt and point at the menu" method to place my orders. Again, I don't need entertainment. I was raised to not have video screens, books, etc. at the table. That was for catching up on the day's events and interacting with your table mates, especially if you're forced to sit with people you don't know.

 

[Scalemaster34]

I think the best option is to try another cruise line. Disney is going to Disney. Sometimes you have to mix it up. I was bored to death on my last Disney Caribbean cruise. Same menus, same shows, same Trivia. Any DCL cruises going forward will be port intensive....which really limits the selection.

I like DCL for other reason... thankfully there are the classic ships.

 

[TillyMarigold]

I just got off the Treasure. My favorite restaurant was 1923, but my husband and two kids (12 and 4) emphatically disagreed and preferred Plaza de Coco, where we ate 5 times (embarkation lunch, 1st show day 1, pirate night day 4, 2nd show day 7, and debarkation breakfast). We enjoyed the second show at Marvel, although we didn't like the first one very much, and the restaurant itself is strangely laid out, weirdly lit, and hard for the servers to navigate.

But I appreciate that not everyone has small kids who need their attention captured by a show to enable them to sit through dinner. (BTW, the dinners all seemed very fast to us; we had the 5:45 seating and were out every night between 7:00-7:15.)

 

[DCLMP]

Ahhhhhh... I see. It's apparent you haven't done a 7-day or longer cruise.

I don't want bar food. I don't want quick service fast food. I don't want to spend exorbitant amounts for Enchante more than once every few cruises. Good luck on getting more than one reservation for Palo, given that you're only allowed to make one before your cruise date. Sure, they usually have extra Palo nights available but there's no guarantee that will be the case, and if an ordinary meal is included with my cruise why would I want to spend $100+ a night just to not have some video screen shouting at me while the lights are flashing on and off? I just want a nice meal without having to yell at my partner or use the "grunt and point at the menu" method to place my orders. Again, I don't need entertainment. I was raised to not have video screens, books, etc. at the table. That was for catching up on the day's events and interacting with your table mates, especially if you're forced to sit with people you don't know.

Lack of alternative dining options is a negative on DCL, but I get why they do it. They really should have another option for those that don't want to go to the loud show. I always wonder how kids and adults with sensory issues handle it.

It was fun to spend 60% less on a cruise fare and book all the speciality restaurants on Royal. Before people get bent out of shape it's not a knock on DCL, but variety, and a change is nice. The same menus cruise after cruise gets old. It also doesn't mean I won't be cruising DCL again.

 

[Kerr84]

You can call in and request a dining rotation. Like, call in and ask to be in 1923 twice. They will tell you the order you are requesting, then you can try to book Palo on the same night you would have Lion King. Or you can book Palo first, then call in and request that you have Lion King that night. It’s a request but they have fulfilled mine in the past.

 

[DCLMP]

You can call in and request a dining rotation. Like, call in and ask to be in 1923 twice. They will tell you the order you are requesting, then you can try to book Palo on the same night you would have Lion King. Or you can book Palo first, then call in and request that you have Lion King that night. It’s a request but they have fulfilled mine in the past.

Was it late or early dining? I would imagine there is more flexibility with late dining. We have always done late dining and never been denied a table to ourselves.

 

[jwalk03]

I like DCL for other reason... thankfully there are the classic ships.

The classic ships have 2 dinner shows as well. Animators Palate & Rapunzel/Tianas.

I think we will see a 2nd one added on the Dream class ships in the medium term as well.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

The classic ships have 2 dinner shows as well. Animators Palate & Rapunzel/Tianas.

I think we will see a 2nd one added on the Dream class ships in the medium term as well.

I feel like the shows in Animators Palate are different, the animation show really just has the one big moment. I didn't really pay attention to the Crush show, but felt like it was more of a background thing (I think it really only had the one big moment too). I would hate to see them change the other two restaurants though, I love both of them.

What were Rapunzels and Tianas before they changed? Were they Parrot Cay or was that a different one? I think there was some kind of show there too?

 

[Mommb]

What were Rapunzels and Tianas before they changed? Were they Parrot Cay or was that a different one? I think there was some kind of show there too?

Yes, the Magic and Wonder had Parrot Cay. The Magic changed to Carioca’s for a few years. After the Wonder changed to Tiana’s, the Magic changed to Rapunzel’s.

I do not recall a show in Parrot Cay or Carioca’s, but I do recall a buffet in Parrot Cay on embarkation day (and maybe breakfast throughout the cruise) that was, for my family, much better than the current embarkation options.

 

[jwalk03]

I feel like the shows in Animators Palate are different, the animation show really just has the one big moment. I didn't really pay attention to the Crush show, but felt like it was more of a background thing (I think it really only had the one big moment too). I would hate to see them change the other two restaurants though, I love both of them.

What were Rapunzels and Tianas before they changed? Were they Parrot Cay or was that a different one? I think there was some kind of show there too?

Magic & Wonder don’t have Crush in Animator’s Palate. They have Drawn to Magic & Animation Magic as the 2 shows. (2nd show on longer cruises only)

Rapunzel’s Royal Table was Carioca's.

Tiana’s Place was Parrot Cay

 

[Kerr84]

Was it late or early dining? I would imagine there is more flexibility with late dining. We have always done late dining and never been denied a table to ourselves.

One time it was early dining and one time it was late dining. I think most often, people will call in to request Animator's Palate for pirate's night or something similar. I don't think a lot of people know you can call in and request a dining order so it is usually granted. If you don't get your request, you can see if they can change it once onboard.

 

[OKW Lover]

It's funny how many of us willingly book a DCL cruise but then complain about the lack of options.

Yes, I include myself in that.

 

[DCLMP]

It's funny how many of us willingly book a DCL cruise but then complain about the lack of options.

Yes, I include myself in that.

Like with all cruise lines there is good and bad.

 

[mcd2745]

Like with all cruise lines there is good and bad.

No question. While a majority of our cruises have been DCL, we have sailed on RCCL, Carnival and NCL.

And if I were able to create my ideal ship and cruising experience, I would be incorporating elements from each of those lines as well as DCL.