Back from 7 night Eastern! Mini-report

[CRB#33]

Just EXCELLENT

Really it was! So sad to leave and come home

The shows are all terrific! The comedy acts side splitting and the activities for adults and young kids were wonderful!

We have three teens and I have to say, unless your teen is a social butterfly, there is not much for them to do. The structure is not there like it says and I found some of the non-advertised activities questionable. I can elaborate if you want. My DD found a friend and the 4 kids hung out together.

We had LAPL rotation...fantastic servers and great table mates...I miss them already We did Palo for Brunch and Dinner and it was worth the extra and we loved it!!!

We had wicked wind and waves for the first part of the week and the two early sea days! We had some great waves in the adult pool...just too cold from the wind to get in! Lots of stuff to do for adults! But we mostly worshiped the sun!!

Thurs. weather was stunning and CC was great in the morning, yucky most of the afternoon (very cloudy and threatening).

A word of advise....GO PARASAILING!!!! It is just amazing up there! I'm terrified of heights and it didn't feel that high! I just couldn't believe it!

St. Thomas! Just beautiful....I want to go back and stay there for a week! St. Maarten....I thought is was a beautiful island and I did enjoy our tour of it. But, I don't need to go back. Probably many nicer places in the Caribbean.

Now for the sad thing. I have never seen so many "Me" oriented people as I did on this ship. No one has any consideration for anyone else. I felt like I was constantly telling my children that this or that wasn't appropriate behavior and what they should do instead. Our neighbors next to us with the screaming teen in the middle of the night (you know who you are) were the rudest people I have ever come across.

Now I don't want to end on that, so I will say that the cruise was fantastic! We all miss it terribly. I don't think we'll go on another Disney cruise though with the kids because there just wasn't anything for them to do on Sea Days. Maybe the Western!

Thanks for listening! Fire away with questions!!

 

[bobsuzla]

Welcome home, sorry to hear you had lousy neighbors! One question: What did you do in St Maarten? Oh, one more: Why didn't your kids enjoy the clubs etc?

 

[magic cruiser]

Thanks for the report ! We leave next Sat...all 13 of us ! Sorry to hear about all those rude people...I just don't understand people's behavior sometimes. I feel very thankful that we are able to go on such a wonderful vacation. Oh, if we could all try to live by The Golden Rule !

Was the Ressie Rush stressful? I have decided to prioritize this 1st day but not get "crazy" about it.

My Grandsons want to know what kind of arcade games there are, and what movies are playing.

Which was your favorite resturant, not counting Palo's ?And what daytime ship activity did you enjoy the most ? Nighttime activity ? THANKS !:thewave:

 

[PRaffen]

We will have two teens with us for our cruise and my daughter is shy - definitely not a social butterfly. I would appreciate if you would elaborate more on what you felt were questionable teen activities.

You said your teens did not find much to do - what activities did they participate in that they liked?

Thanks so much for the help.

 

[CRB#33]

Originally posted by bobsuzla
Welcome home, sorry to hear you had lousy neighbors! One question: What did you do in St Maarten?

We did the See and Sea Island tour. It starts out in a nice air conditioned bus and takes you around the island to Marigot, where you get on a "semi-submersible." You go out to the reef, they feed some fish and you can watch the frenzy. It was neet and we saw a few Stingrays on the way back in. It then takes you to Marigot where you have an hour to shop in the craft market and the jewelry stores. You then keep travelling around the island where they will stop and let you take pictures of the views (which are spectacular really)

Oh, one more: Why didn't your kids enjoy the clubs etc?

Actually, they liked the first night when most of the kids went. After that, there wasn't a lot going on and to tell you the truth, they didn't do many of the things that were in the teen Navigator. Now, they may have enjoyed it on Thursday when they made animation cells, but by that time they had lost interest. My DD did meet a friend who lives about 40 minutes from us and they really want to keep in touch.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

We had wicked wind and waves for the first part of the week and the two early sea days! We had some great waves in the adult pool...just too cold from the wind to get in! Lots of stuff to do for adults! But we mostly worshiped the sun!!

This happened to us on our first cruise -- December '01. It was too darn windy and cold to even think of getting in the pools!

A word of advise....GO PARASAILING!!!! It is just amazing up there! I'm terrified of heights and it didn't feel that high! I just couldn't believe it!

This is something we've been going back and forth on, but after this report from you I think we'll definitely book it! What time slot did you have? After your experience doing this, what time slot do you think would be best? We are thinking of taking one of the last time slots so that this is our grand finale on CC. What do you think?

 

[CRB#33]

Originally posted by magic cruiser
Was the Ressie Rush stressful?

We were about the 50th group to board and when right to Rockin' Bar D and made our reservations for Palo and got all the times we wanted. We then ate a relaxing lunch and went up to the spa for massage ressies. We didn't to the Serenity Bay massages, so we had no trouble picking the times we wanted.

My Grandsons want to know what kind of arcade games there are, and what movies are playing.

My kids are out, but I'll ask about the arcade games when they come home on Monday. The movies were, "Hidalgo" "Around the World in 80 Days" "Raising Helen" "Finding Nemo" The Alamo" . I'll have to find my paper to let you know the rest.
[/B]

Which was your favorite resturant, not counting Palo's ?And what daytime ship activity did you enjoy the most ? Nighttime activity ? THANKS !:thewave: [/B]

You know we had such and awesome time at dinners with our table mates, that I loved them all. Honestly! During the day, we sunbathed an ate . In the evenings, we always went to the show and the we went to the Cabaret show (which was the comedians that were doing the variety shows, but for adults) at 10:15 and we would stay a bit and dance after that. It was really wonderful!

 

[CRB#33]

Originally posted by PRaffen
We will have two teens with us for our cruise and my daughter is shy - definitely not a social butterfly. I would appreciate if you would elaborate more on what you felt were questionable teen activities.

You said your teens did not find much to do - what activities did they participate in that they liked?

The first night, during the meet activity, they asked for 3 boy volunteers and 3 girl volunteers. After they had their kids, they sent them to their rooms to get a pair of underwear. They had to come back with them and the opposite sex had to put them on outside their clothes. I'm actually going to write Disney about this one.

The other was a Truth or Dare game which was okay, I guess, but one kid had to go to the whirlpool at the Goofy pool and shout for help like he was drowing. Another girl was supposed to do something so lousy, that she refused to do it. I'll have to ask DD when she comes home, what that was.

The kids liked haning out and playing board games the first day, but like I said, they didn't follow the Navigator a good part of the time, so it was mostly make your own thing.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by CRB#33
The first night, during the meet activity, they asked for 3 boy volunteers and 3 girl volunteers. After they had their kids, they sent them to their rooms to get a pair of underwear. They had to come back with them and the opposite sex had to put them on outside their clothes. I'm actually going to write Disney about this one.

The other was a Truth or Dare game which was okay, I guess, but one kid had to go to the whirlpool at the Goofy pool and shout for help like he was drowing. Another girl was supposed to do something so lousy, that she refused to do it. I'll have to ask DD when she comes home, what that was.

NO WONDER the teens like just hanging out on their own! These activities IMO are not tasteful nor do they seem safe! What's going on with the programming at the clubs???

 

[aprilgail2]

I had an almost 15 year old with me on our May trip and she went to the first night at the club....I thought it was going to go well when she didn't come back until 1am but she said she was up on deck playing shuffleboard with another girl and that the club was boring...she went one more time but that was it...and because she wasn't an outgoing type kid she spent the rest of the cruise miserable and hanging out in the room most of the time other than meals....by the time we got to Cozumel she was begging to be flown home from there!! Never taking her again LOL!!

 

[BethA]

We were also on this cruise. We had several teens in our group and they enjoyed the club and the activities and made a lot of friends. I certainly don't think the underwear thing is something to write to DCL about, but if you felt it was in bad taste tell them. In my opinion all the activities that involved the running around were annoying, but I'm sure some teens enjoyed them and maybe thought the underwear thing was funny---not really something a shy person would feel comfortable about, but no different than the family activity where the men had to wear women's shoes, with a purse and parade around. Not everyone's idea of humor-but to some it was funny. I'm sure everyone goes away with something they didn't care for and DCL needs to hear the input. I intend to write about some issues as well, but our trip was also EXCELLENT.

I thought the 8-9 programming was weak. My son did not enjoy it. The kids seemed loud, out of control, and very few structured activities. He loved the club previous trips, but after the first 2 times this year did not want to go back.

Beth

 

[CRB#33]

I have a 13 year old boy. I think it's not appropriate and it was extremely humiliating to my 15 year old, very modest daughter. It sure doesn't teach children how to respect the opposite sex, only to look at them as sexual objects. And I thinkg that's a HUGE problem these days. I see it all the time in the schools I sub in. This kind of thing just promotes it. To compare an adult activity with sexual inuendo and say that it's okay for the teens too, is logical and makes sense???? With all due respect I don't think so.

I don't like it for the adults either although I understand in that case it's just my taste, and we as adults are not being role models to each other and are capable of making responsible decisions as to what influences us.

Oh, my kids did have fun shuffleboarding also.

I think their is an air hockey machine in the arcade, to answer someone's question.

 

[sum41gurlie0270]

I was a teen on this cruise.

I also had an awesome time ...but not at the stack.

The underwear thing was kinda stupid if you ask me, and my friends also found it rather idiotic.

Me and my friends didn't spend anymore time at the stack, we just hung out the whole trip. The stack was full of what appeared to be stuck up teenagers and 12 year olds. We had more fun just hanging out around the ship.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by sum41gurlie0270
The stack was full of what appeared to be stuck up teenagers and 12 year olds.

LOL...thats what my god daughter said too! But to be fair I don't think she gave it a chance...she was more into "I miss my boyfriend at home and want to be at home with him" than enjoying the cruise....

 

[ann-e-mator]

We were on the Wonder last year for a 4 day cruise, and my 15 year old daughter...who is here with me as I type this...totally does not understand everyone's opinions here...

She said she had a total blast and that the counselors kept them busy with activities all the time...she adds that there wasn't a single moment when they were'nt being kept busy with fun activities...

I think you have to figure in some of these cases that you get out of it what you put into it...

 

[coleland]

Thanks so much for the report

 

[CRB#33]

Originally posted by ann-e-mator
She said she had a total blast and that the counselors kept them busy with activities all the time...she adds that there wasn't a single moment when they were'nt being kept busy with fun activities...

I think you have to figure in some of these cases that you get out of it what you put into it...

There were several activities that my kids went to take part in that never happened. The first PS2 Tournement never happened, but my 3 children went to get into it. There was a 2 on 2 basketball thing that never took place. Now my kids said that "They never did it."

I'm sure not all councelors are the same and it sounded like these were not too into doing things. Well at least when my kids were there.

But again, overall, my children did have a good time on the cruise. They loved the islands, they hung out together and made a new friend, they went to all the shows, meals with us and got pictures with us, they swam in the Goofy pool later at night, so it really was a good cruise for them.

 

[jeanneg]

Welcome home......sounds like you had a great trip.

Quickie question: Do you remember which night they had the Captain's Gala dinner menu (lobster tails)? We have 2 older children (19 and 20) so it's very likely we will also have LAP rotation and I was trying to plan which night to do Palo when we sail on the 8/7 Eastern.

 

[CRB#33]

Yes, the Captain's Gala was on Thursday...semi-formal night. We did our Palo night on Wednesday, which is Around the World night.

I wondered why the Captain's Gala wasn't on Formal night. All the servers are dressed in their finest on Semi-Formal nigh, but we are dressed in our "semi-finest"

 

[jlawall]

I think it depends on the kids on your trip. My DDs usually go in the beginning of the cruise to the clubs and then hang out with the kids that they like that they met. Sometimes they do the club activities and sometimes they do their own thing.