Are Disney Cruises Back to “Normal”?

[goofy4prez]

Odd since Mexico has no restrictions. Limited excursions may be because the lack of passengers on the ship. They also got rid of the teen excursion on castaway which also makes no sense. The palo buffet obviously isn't a covid thing since the have a self serve buffet in Cabanas twice a day. I wonder what their reasoning is for that? My guess is cost everything comes down to money.

I agree, it is odd. However, there is not a single excursion off the island of Cozumel for our cruise in December. On the DCL website, they do show them, but as for booking them through Port Adventures, they are not an option. However, if you want to swim with the dolphins there are 8 excursions available LOL. When I spoke with the concierge they couldn't say when they would return. I also agree with you about the Palo buffet. I know I sound negative here, but to me, the cost-cutting, yet increasing price influences of WDW have carried over to the cruise line as well concerning Palo, and really don't see it coming back. Why should they? Dummies like me still will make a reservation and dine there.

 

[mmouse37]

Im going to need the buffet open all day.

I wish...that would be great but the buffet has never been open all day.....just during breakfast and lunch hours.

What I miss is the 11 pm dessert buffet they used to have one night of the cruise on the Magic and Wonder (many years ago). They would set up this extravagant dessert buffet that showed off the pastry chefs' talent in sugar sculptures, beautifully decorated cakes and molded chocolates and ice sculptures. It was a sight to see!!! People would line an hour before just to get pics before everything was devoured lol.

 

[brentm77]

Cabanas for dinner keeps getting mentioned. You didn’t use it; I only have been there a few times over the years - and it was always a small crowd. Seemed to be more contract workers than guests. Was there an uptick in patronage over the last few years before Covid? Just curious.

(Not singling you out. Just using your quote as a reference. And you have well-thought out posts.)

I honestly don't know. I know a few families who prefer it to the dinning rooms due to speed and casual nature of it. But I've never stepped foot up there around dinner time, so I don't know. There was one time on our last cruise when I think we would have gone for it after a long port day once or twice. We had really good servers who Disney stretched too thin. Despite their constant fast and efficient work, dinner took forever. To the point of see other people being done eating before we were served our main course. It would have been nice to head up to Cabanas on days we weren't in the mood for the long dinner.

 

[Kwami]

I agree. I think the tech desk is also gone for good. My understanding is that there are not even spaces held for those two things on the Wish.

There's a Disney Vacation Planning desk midship, starboard on deck 5 of the Wish. I don't see a dedicated tech support desk, but there are two Disney Vacation Club location for some reason, so perhaps one of those is wrong? Or, perhaps tech support is just part of Guest Services now?

Anyway, Disney hasn't announced any plans to put anything else in those spaces on the other ships. There's really no point in speculating on their future until Disney says something.

 

[DisneyConvert]

Cabanas for dinner keeps getting mentioned. You didn’t use it; I only have been there a few times over the years - and it was always a small crowd. Seemed to be more contract workers than guests. Was there an uptick in patronage over the last few years before Covid? Just curious.

(Not singling you out. Just using your quote as a reference. And you have well-thought out posts.)

Good observation. Over 60+ cruise-days, maybe we did Cabana's for supper . . . once?

With the current set-up, Cabana's is labor-intensive so curtailing until buffets are allowed again makes sense.

 

[brentm77]

Good observation. Over 60+ cruise-days, maybe we did Cabana's for supper . . . once?

With the current set-up, Cabana's is labor-intensive so curtailing until buffets are allowed again makes sense.

Self-serve buffets were open on the Magic. Wish will never have them. Have they not returned to the other ships?

Either way, Cabanas at night wasn't a buffet, so I don't think that is a factor there.

 

[Kwami]

Good observation. Over 60+ cruise-days, maybe we did Cabana's for supper . . . once?

With the current set-up, Cabana's is labor-intensive so curtailing until buffets are allowed again makes sense.

Buffets are allowed, but Cabanas was never a buffet for dinner. For dinner, Cabanas is a table service option that takes some dishes from each of the main restaurants. The servers are usually new hires training for future roles as servers and assistant servers.

I'm sure that dinner at Cabanas will return once Disney gets through the staffing shortage.

 

[AquaDame]

View attachment 697934

OK this is awesome... do you remember what it is made of? You mentioned sugar sculptures but its probably ice, right..?

 

[mmouse37]

OK this is awesome... do you remember what it is made of? You mentioned sugar sculptures but its probably ice, right..?

That was definitely ice. They had spun sugar sculptures of different things like pirate ships, sea animals, etc. They also used to have an ice carving demonstration up on deck every cruise. It was always done on the Deck 9 stage and it was awesome. They use chain saws and chisels and made a beautiful sculpture out of huge block of ice.

Here is one of the finished products....all done in about 10 minutes.



MJ

 

[gatordoc]

Buffets are allowed, but Cabanas was never a buffet for dinner. For dinner, Cabanas is a table service option that takes some dishes from each of the main restaurants. The servers are usually new hires training for future roles as servers and assistant servers.

I'm sure that dinner at Cabanas will return once Disney gets through the staffing shortage.

Well, not exactly. Cabanas for dinner is almost always table service with a hybrid menu of dishes available in the MDRs plus a few extras (they do steaks cooked to order that are amazing). But over the years we’ve been there a couple of times for dinner when they had a buffet instead. We generally like having the Cabanas dinner option when when we’ve had a long day and don’t want to wait until second seating to eat.

 

[otten]

I know people have been very focused on vaccine and test requirements but until the potential for a ten day quarantine for what are often minor cold symptoms cruising won’t be back to ‘normal.’ That’s longer than required pretty much anywhere else now.

On that topic though, on you recent cruise the daily notifications that we were required to report any Covid symptoms to health services stopped about 7 days in.

 

[goofy4prez]

Well, not exactly. Cabanas for dinner is almost always table service with a hybrid menu of dishes available in the MDRs plus a few extras (they do steaks cooked to order that are amazing). But over the years we’ve been there a couple of times for dinner when they had a buffet instead. We generally like having the Cabanas dinner option when when we’ve had a long day and don’t want to wait until second seating to eat.

Same with us. My wife and I are a rarity (especially here on the DIS), and just not overly impressed with the MDR experience. On our first cruise in 2019, we did Cabana's twice because it was easy to get in and out so much quicker, or it was a long day, and didn't want to wait until after 8 to eat. We have a 5-night cruise on the Dream in December and with staying in concierge, we are using up some Disney Visa reward points and have Remy dinner booked twice, Palo Dinner twice, and Palo brunch one day (Concierge services can book these more than once if in concierge). We are scheduled for the second seating in the MDR for our cruise. However, the day we have Palo brunch we were hoping to do Cabana for a quick. light dinner and then afterward head over to our rum tasting at 9:30 before calling it a night. If Cabana is not open we will just go with the flow and either snack in the concierge lounge or do room service.

 

[lwilliam]

Cabanas has been open for dinner before Covid..miss that. Only thing we would like back is Platinum perks, boarding after concierge (27 cruises with Disney under our belts)…things coming back slowly, so maybe one day in future will be normal again.

 

[Clevelandbruce]

Just spent 11 nights on the Iceland/Norway/Scotland cruise. Our 13th overall since 2003. My spin is "almost". Not yet there are Real Deck Parties, Merchandise selection, laundry services, passenger numbers and crew numbers which hampered the staffing of the DCL desk (empty) and the Port Adventures desk (diminished hours).
Normal are food and beverage and bars, cleanliness, shows, courtesy and friendliness of crew, characters. Shore excursions felt 'normal' but that'll depend on where you are. In Iceland and Scotland things seem 'normal'.
Overall things are maybe an 8.5 on a normal scale of 10.

 

[bakerworld]

I hope, as DCL is stopping the Covid pre-board test in September, that the bartenders won't be masked for our October cruise. After all, they are a good 4 feet away with the counter. I get the MDR staff being masked because those areas are so crowded there is no way to keep distance.

 

[Ohmymonty]

I hope, as DCL is stopping the Covid pre-board test in September, that the bartenders won't be masked for our October cruise. After all, they are a good 4 feet away with the counter. I get the MDR staff being masked because those areas are so crowded there is no way to keep distance.

agreed! I really miss seeing their faces. And I have a hard time hearing this in general, the masks make it really difficult for me (I'm sure for everyone) so the end result on my end is I don't strike up conversation because I don't want to feel weird or embarrassed by mis hearing or asking "what???" Every ten seconds. So I've got my fingers crossed that by our cruise in October the castmembers will at least get to choose.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

That was definitely ice. They had spun sugar sculptures of different things like pirate ships, sea animals, etc. They also used to have an ice carving demonstration up on deck every cruise. It was always done on the Deck 9 stage and it was awesome. They use chain saws and chisels and made a beautiful sculpture out of huge block of ice.

Here is one of the finished products....all done in about 10 minutes.

View attachment 698360

MJ

Awww, this just reminded me of our first cruise on the Magic. 2007. It was amazing to watch.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

One of the many reasons I knew it wouldn't be a "once in a lifetime" cruise.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

This one was set up for the super bowl party. It looks a little melted but still fun.
So many little touches that keep disappearing.

 

[mmouse37]

One of the many reasons I knew it wouldn't be a "once in a lifetime" cruise.

This seems like it wouldn't be that difficult to bring back if they wanted to.

MJ