Carioca's will be closed on our cruise : (

[dittybop]

So, I just paid in full a few days ago for our cruise on the Magic in February. Then today, I get an email saying Carioca's will be closed on our cruise and we will be dining at Cabana's that night(s) instead. This is a major bummer! Not to mention I'm sure it will be so crowded in there for dinner with everyone eating at the same assigned time... Anyone else get an email about this? Wondering when exactly ( what month) it closes...can I change cruises now that I"m paid in full 91 days out??

 

[cmwade77]

I don't know if you can change cruises, but you can call Disney and ask. Based on what we saw with Tianna's, I think the new restaurant will be amazing, but that doesn't really help you out in the meanwhile.

 

[mrswillson]

That's awful - if I was in your shoes I would feel exactly the same way, especially since Carioca's was one of my favorite restaurants from the Magic. Are they replacing it with Rapunzel's Table?

 

[mdrob214]

Which cruise? We are on the Magic 9 Feb. Saw the post on Facebook but we didn't get an email.

ETA: Must be the 14 Feb Cruise as ours is 86 days out.

 

[dittybop]

We are on the February 14th cruise. I know it will be great, as we were on the Wonder in March and LOVED the Tiana’s place restaurant, but we are a little irritated we weren’t told about this sooner.

 

[Shanti]

So, I just paid in full a few days ago for our cruise on the Magic in February. Then today, I get an email saying Carioca's will be closed on our cruise and we will be dining at Cabana's that night(s) instead. This is a major bummer! Not to mention I'm sure it will be so crowded in there for dinner with everyone eating at the same assigned time... Anyone else get an email about this? Wondering when exactly ( what month) it closes...can I change cruises now that I"m paid in full 91 days out??

Sorry to hear that. I would be disappointed, too. I would insist on changing cruises without a penalty if it worked for my schedule.

 

[darnheather]

Cabana's will be sit down and served and you will be shown a seat. It shouldn't matter how crowded. Hope that makes you feel better.

 

[closetmickey]

Personally, I don't think that's acceptable. Unless they are willing to provide some compensation, DCL should absolutely have planned ahead and take the ship offline to complete the enhancements. This reminds me of last October when we sailed the Wonder and two portions of the pool deck were marked off and construction noise was present all day. Just not appropriate with the price they charge and the inherent small spaces of a cruise ship.

No doubt you will still enjoy your cruise but you aren't getting what you paid for.

Also, does this mean the Vibe will be closed for sometime? I would be livid as there is no other comparable space for that on the cruise if it is shut down...

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

It sounds like they are treating Cabanas as the main dining room. Your wait staff will follow you there. You will have a regular dinner menu. I imagine it will be closed unless it is your assigned dinner night. They are trying to make it fun with entertainment and things.

 

[dittybop]

Definitely not getting what we paid for. We’re a family of 7, meaning we’ve paid for 2 rooms on every one of our 8 Disney cruises. I think we should be given some onboard credit or something. I’ve emailed my travel agent but haven’t heard back yet. I’m calling disney tomorrow. Vibe wasn’t mentioned in the email... but we have a teen so I’m asking about that. I can’t believe they wont wait til dry dock in March to start working on it.

 

[jetskigrl]

While it may not be ideal, I don't think it would be awful either. We have eaten in Cabanas for dinner service before and it was very nice (same sit-down service as in the MDRs, with waiters bringing the meals, etc). With the lights lowered and the table linens fancied up, it definitely didn't feel anything like the daytime buffet. I'm assuming it will hold everyone in that dining rotation (1/6 of the total people on board) otherwise they wouldn't do it. And the menus/meal service and wait staff should be the same as if you were in Carioca's.

And imagine how much better of a view it has with those big windows (especially at sunset). More like dining in Palo's than dining in Carioca's, which only has a limited outside view.

 

[Weedy]

They are redoing it to Rapunzel’s Royal Table.
Cabanas should be fine. They will have a full menu and your wait staff will follow you there. It will be set up with your table number.
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2017/11/disney-magic-2018-dry-dock-details-announced/

 

[Weedy]

Also, does this mean the Vibe will be closed for sometime? I would be livid as there is no other comparable space for that on the cruise if it is shut down...

Why would Vibe be closed?

 

[MUN]

So, I just paid in full a few days ago for our cruise on the Magic in February. Then today, I get an email saying Carioca's will be closed on our cruise and we will be dining at Cabana's that night(s) instead. This is a major bummer! Not to mention I'm sure it will be so crowded in there for dinner with everyone eating at the same assigned time... Anyone else get an email about this? Wondering when exactly ( what month) it closes...can I change cruises now that I"m paid in full 91 days out??

I am sorry to hear this. It's terrible timing for your cruise. We sailed for the first time on the Magic this June and Carioca's was our favorite MDR. I'm surprised they are reimagining it so soon. I'm sure if you contact DCL to complain about having to eat in a different restaurant, they will do something for you.

The good news is DCL won't have to change the dining rotation letters in that Cabana's and Carioca's both begin with a C.

MUN

 

[closetmickey]

Why would Vibe be closed?

It is also being reimagined. Hopefully it is a shorter project.

 

[Ljbadfan]

Disney doesn’t owe any compensation. It is what it is. You take that chance when you cruise. Sometimes they don’t know stuff ahead of time. At least you still have a place to eat. It’s only going to be you rotation there not the other people who like to dine in there.

 

[ivanp91]

Outlook Cafe (upstairs portion of Cove) was closed for the entirety of my recent Alaska cruise on the Wonder... I had been looking forward to relaxing in there, so was disappointed when it wasn't open, but at no time did I expect Disney to compensate anyone for it. IMO just go with it, you never know, they might have something special planned to take place during the Cabanas rotation. As others have said, you will still have your normal dining staff and it will be proper table service. Really, Disney doesn't owe you anything...

 

[Ljbadfan]

Outlook Cafe (upstairs portion of Cove) was closed for the entirety of my recent Alaska cruise on the Wonder... I had been looking forward to relaxing in there, so was disappointed when it wasn't open, but at no time did I expect Disney to compensate anyone for it. IMO just go with it, you never know, they might have something special planned to take place during the Cabanas rotation. As others have said, you will still have your normal dining staff and it will be proper table service. Really, Disney doesn't owe you anything...

That cafe now up above isn’t open to general people. That is now a concerige lounge and you need to be concerige to use it, because the door won’t open without your concerige key

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

So, I just paid in full a few days ago for our cruise on the Magic in February. Then today, I get an email saying Carioca's will be closed on our cruise and we will be dining at Cabana's that night(s) instead. This is a major bummer! Not to mention I'm sure it will be so crowded in there for dinner with everyone eating at the same assigned time... Anyone else get an email about this? Wondering when exactly ( what month) it closes...can I change cruises now that I"m paid in full 91 days out??

Actually, it will be less crowded as Cabanas has a higher dining capacity than the 3 MDR's. Also, you'll have the same rotational menu as if you were in Carioca's. Plus as someone pointed out, there's better views in Cabanas and you might just score one of the outside tables!

Do you really want to change your whole cruise and all your planning just because you're going to miss the decor of Carioca's?

 

[ahain]

When I first heard that Carioca's was going to be closed for some sailings, I felt bad for affected passengers, believing that I, too, would be disappointed, as we've always preferred to eat in the MDRs (not Cabanas) for dinner. (That, plus the fact that I don't like "last-minute/unplanned" changes ;-)) However, the more I think about it, I actually think it would be pretty cool to be able to eat at Cabana's, with my "normal" rotational menu, with my "normal" waitstaff, at my assigned table, but with (potentially) amazing views of the sea! It's an experience relatively few passengers will ever have the chance to experience. When we've eaten in MDRs, we've never had a table near any windows, so could never enjoy the sunset. As others have mentioned, DCL might do other things to make it even more special.

FWIW, I don't think that DCL owes anyone any compensation for this change.