Disney cruise to Alaska

[old lady]

I saw this article on the web and wanted to know a second opinion before I think about going on a cruise.


http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-cruise-to-alaska-first-impressions

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I saw this article on the web and wanted to know a second opinion before I think about going on a cruise.


http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-cruise-to-alaska-first-impressions

Already a thread going about it:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/costs-vs-level-of-satisfaction.3437364/

Most of us think she's totally wrong. There is at least one other cruise board that also has a thread going about it. They think she's a bit jaundiced in her views.

Turns out that Examiner.com is NOT a newspaper. It's an online Entertainment site. With "independent contributors" as their writers.

 

[thumpie's mom]

Agree with PrincessShmoo...would not put too much into what she wrote. We loved our Alaska cruise with DCL and would do it again in a heartbeat. The Wonder is a beautiful ship and overall we have had excellent service on all of our cruises with them. Out of our 6 cruises, we only had 1 serving team we did not care for...not that they were terrible, just not up to usual standard on DCL. Nothing is ever completely perfect, but the overall experience is truly magical and can recommend the cruise.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I think terms like whacko are very offensive. Everyone is entitled to there own opinion, if we were not there we do not know.

whacko and nuts have been used here a bit recently and are terms that are offensive to people who may have a mental illness and 1 in 4 people are affected by an illness of the mind either themselves or a family member. Someone who has different views or standards are not a whacko

An illness of the mind is that an illness and can be treated.

On this report we do not know if she is a demanding person or gave high standards but terms whacko are offensive.

A cruise is expensive people expect high standards I had my toilets flood and an air con cover fall down with a bang over night, I complained, I do not expect that of DCL. I paid a lot, I assume I will be called a name as well?

I loved Alaska I loved the Wonder, I would go again, but it doesn't mean everyone thinks DCL is perfect and if they do not, they are not to be called names.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

I think terms like whacko are very offensive. Everyone is entitled to there own opinion, if we were not there we do not know.

whacko and nuts have been used here a bit recently and are terms that are offensive to people who may have a mental illness and 1 in 4 people are affected by an illness of the mind either themselves or a family member. Someone who has different views or standards are not a whacko

An illness of the mind is that an illness and can be treated.

On this report we do not know if she is a demanding person or gave high standards but terms whacko are offensive.

A cruise is expensive people expect high standards I had my toilets flood and an air con cover fall down with a bang over night, I complained, I do not expect that of DCL. I paid a lot, I assume I will be called a name as well?

I loved Alaska I loved the Wonder, I would go again, but it doesn't mean everyone thinks DCL is perfect and if they do not, they are not to be called names.

Yes, I agree the name calling is uncalled for. And I've seen numerous threads on this board complaining about the same things she's complaining about (other people's kids and their behavior, the food, the price), so she isn't that far out of the norm, however overstated her opinions may be. But the term wacko, while insensitive, isn't really meant as en equivocation with mental illness, rather a term for someone has really far out, unusual views.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Yes, I agree the name calling is uncalled for. And I've seen numerous threads on this board complaining about the same things she's complaining about (other people's kids and their behavior, the food, the price), so she isn't that far out of the norm, however overstated her opinions may be. But the term wacko, while insensitive, isn't really meant as en equivocation with mental illness, rather a term for someone has really far out, unusual views.

Got to say that the term is highly offensive, and often connected to describe some people with an illness of the mind.

I agree name calling is totally unacceptable, her opinions maybe overstated but if she has paid and had a cruise she is entitled to them, and with free speech everyone should be allowed to express their own view without name calling.

 

[3Down1Up]

Regardless of her mental status . . . the article she wrote is terrible. If I am reading her article written at the end of the cruise correctly, she was unhappy with the food and other passengers, and that's it. I can't imagine the food was so miserable that she would never cruise DCL again, and she seems to be blaming DCL for passenger behavior that DCL can't control, nor does she offer up exactly what these terrible passengers did. So yes she is entitled to her opinion, but she didn't do a very good job expressing it.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Regardless of her mental status . . . the article she wrote is terrible. If I am reading her article written at the end of the cruise correctly, she was unhappy with the food and other passengers, and that's it. I can't imagine the food was so miserable that she would never cruise DCL again, and she seems to be blaming DCL for passenger behavior that DCL can't control, nor does she offer up exactly what these terrible passengers did. So yes she is entitled to her opinion, but she didn't do a very good job expressing it.

You describe it very well.

 

[WestFamily]

I saw this article on the web and wanted to know a second opinion before I think about going on a cruise.


http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-cruise-to-alaska-first-impressions

We went on the Alaskan Cruise this Summer and loved it! Every waking moment of it. It sounds like she went with the mindset of "it's not going to be fun and I don't like Disney". I honestly stopped caring about what she wrote by the end of the second paragraph.

The questions for you:
Do you (and your family) enjoy Disney related things?
Do you want to have your kids entertained at all waking hours of the day?
Do you want to vacation in a cold climate?
Do you want to be on a cruise that is built around the idea of family entertainment?
Will you be okay with fact that there will be about 700 kids on board, some of which will not be under supervision all the time because....well that's what happens on vacation? (note 700 was an arbitrary number, I don't know how many kids were on the ship but it was a plethora).

If you answered yes to all of those, the Disney Alaskan cruise is for you. There are pluses and minuses to all cruises. What is it that you are looking for while on vacation?

 

[disfam3mi]

Off topic of Alaska, but on topic of offensiveness - Whacko only refers to an eccentric, strange or odd person by dictionary definition. The mental illness connotation was taken on by some individuals. Our family affectionately teases with the term when one of us does something outlandish. I doubt the person who originally said it intended to offend a segment of society.

 

[Masonmj84]

Getting back to the topic of Alaska, we are interested in the Alaska cruise for summer 2017.

We've done the Western Caribbean 7 day cruise on the Fantasy and are scheduled to do the 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise next spring.

We also love the Pacific Northwest and just finished a week long trip to British Columbia (during that trip, we happened to notice the Wonder docked at Canada Place in Vancouver).

We're especially interested in the opinions of those who've cruised Alaska and the Caribbean on DCL.

1. How is the Wonder compared to the Fantasy?
2. Did you notice any significant difference in the food and service?
3. Based on my experience riding ferries in British Columbia, I'm guessing it's somewhat cold on deck. Was that a downer relative to Caribbean cruising?
4. The Alaska cruises, on average, seem more expensive than the Caribbean ones. Did you feel like you got decent bang for your buck relative to your Caribbean cruise(s), especially given Alaska has no Castaway Cay-type experience?
5. Any reason the verandah rooms on the Alaska cruises are so much more relatively expensive than other rooms (as compared to the price difference on the Fantasy)? Does it have to do with the design of the ship? (I know the Alaska scenery is generally better than the Caribbean but it's also got to be a lot colder sitting out there)

 

[Mrs Green]

We went on the Alaskan Cruise this Summer and loved it! Every waking moment of it. It sounds like she went with the mindset of "it's not going to be fun and I don't like Disney". I honestly stopped caring about what she wrote by the end of the second paragraph.

The questions for you:
Do you (and your family) enjoy Disney related things?
Do you want to have your kids entertained at all waking hours of the day?
Do you want to vacation in a cold climate?
Do you want to be on a cruise that is built around the idea of family entertainment?
Will you be okay with fact that there will be about 700 kids on board, some of which will not be under supervision all the time because....well that's what happens on vacation? (note 700 was an arbitrary number, I don't know how many kids were on the ship but it was a plethora).

If you answered yes to all of those, the Disney Alaskan cruise is for you. There are pluses and minuses to all cruises. What is it that you are looking for while on vacation?

I am all yes! Especially regarding vacationing in cold climate in August! I am in suburbs of Dallas and it is the hottest day in the past three years! This week next year I will be on the wonder...cooling off

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Getting back to the topic of Alaska, we are interested in the Alaska cruise for summer 2017.

We've done the Western Caribbean 7 day cruise on the Fantasy and are scheduled to do the 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise next spring.

We also love the Pacific Northwest and just finished a week long trip to British Columbia (during that trip, we happened to notice the Wonder docked at Canada Place in Vancouver).

We're especially interested in the opinions of those who've cruised Alaska and the Caribbean on DCL.

1. How is the Wonder compared to the Fantasy?
2. Did you notice any significant difference in the food and service?
3. Based on my experience riding ferries in British Columbia, I'm guessing it's somewhat cold on deck. Was that a downer relative to Caribbean cruising?
4. The Alaska cruises, on average, seem more expensive than the Caribbean ones. Did you feel like you got decent bang for your buck relative to your Caribbean cruise(s), especially given Alaska has no Castaway Cay-type experience?
5. Any reason the verandah rooms on the Alaska cruises are so much more relatively expensive than other rooms (as compared to the price difference on the Fantasy)? Does it have to do with the design of the ship? (I know the Alaska scenery is generally better than the Caribbean but it's also got to be a lot colder sitting out there)

1) I have not cruised Alaska yet ( I am going on Celebrity in one month!) but I have cruised the Wonder twice and Fantasy once. Wonder is smaller and less crowded -- overall, less hectic. 2) Food is subjective and changes with crew turnover, but food and service on Wonder we're both better than Fantasy., IMHO. Wonder does not have the bells and whistles and things Fantasy has, but still a nice, classic DCL ship. 3) can't say yet, sorry. 4). Alaska can only be cruised 4 months a year, only certain size ships, etc. Carribbean is year round and anyone and everyone can do it. Thus, Alaska is more expensive across the board with all cruise lines. 5). Verandah are sought after in Alaska because so much of the cruise is looking at the beautiful shoreline or for whales, etc. Some people swear they would never do an Alaskan cruise without verandah. Others prefer inside because they plan on being on deck the whole time to get 360 degree views. If you are in the latter and are willing to do an inside cabin you can cruise to Alaska a LOT cheaper.

 

[disfam3mi]

The window would be nice, but we're spending the savings on more/better excursions.

 

[AcuraTL]

We just came back from the Disney Alaska cruise, the one she was on. I really did not see kids acting crazy on the ship. She must have been hanging out near the kids zone.

For the people thinking about going on this cruise. Don't hesitate and just book it. It was an awesome cruise. Alaska is beautiful and we had awesome weather. Again, book it now if you are on the fence.

 

[sdjen]

We were also on the same cruise. I didn't see any more unruly kids than any of our other cruises, in fact it was probably less. We did hear of someone complaining of corridor noise but that is really luck of the draw as to who your neighbors are. I try hard to keep an eye on my kid and make sure she isn't causing issues. But the article says her kids were either with her or in the kids club. She must have younger kids because for anyone with kids over 10 I doubt she Never left their side.