disney magic europe 2016

[disneyholic family]

in the end, i'm not going (unless i do something last minute), but i just booked the magic med cruise for my daughter and son in law using dreams unlimited. Very good service so far.
The hardest part of that booking was her having to pay the total amount at once (not just a deposit). the sticker shock is pretty intense when you have to cough up the cash all at once.
but they're very excited about going, so that's good!!

 

[disneyholic family]

We are on Magic from 27th August. So we will be getting off when you may be getting on!

This will be my third time on Magic ( we went on Dream at Christmas), and we are really excited. There are plus points about each ship! We had our OLCI on Sunday, and have booked the port adventures we wanted to do as well as BBB for DD

Claire

We're on her this summer but in August - really looking forward to being on her having only been on the Wonder.

Alaska is without doubt the most fantastic place - we've been there twice now and have every intention of going back at least once more.

how was your cruise?

DD's on the magic now and she says it's magical!!

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[Ware Bears]

Oh yes Beth, it really was MAGICal!! Thank you for asking. Very envious of your DD being on there at the moment!

One thing I did learn was that no two cruises are the same, even doing a b2b - I knew each week had a different French port but it was incredible how different the actual cruises were! First week incorporated Frozen night with formal night, the second had them on separate nights, one cruise had a semi-formal night, the other didn't, one week all the shows including sail away and pirate parties were busy which is what we've always experienced on the Wonder, the other hardly anyone bothered to turn up!

And I didn't feel too sad getting off because we're back on in less than 9 months then are planning on taking our daughters and their partners for DH's next big birthday in 2019.

 

[disneyholic family]

Oh yes Beth, it really was MAGICal!! Thank you for asking. Very envious of your DD being on there at the moment!

One thing I did learn was that no two cruises are the same, even doing a b2b - I knew each week had a different French port but it was incredible how different the actual cruises were! First week incorporated Frozen night with formal night, the second had them on separate nights, one cruise had a semi-formal night, the other didn't, one week all the shows including sail away and pirate parties were busy which is what we've always experienced on the Wonder, the other hardly anyone bothered to turn up!

And I didn't feel too sad getting off because we're back on in less than 9 months then are planning on taking our daughters and their partners for DH's next big birthday in 2019.

that is really interesting!! i didn't realize you were on a back to back!! how fun for you!!! i'm totally jealous of anyone who gets to cruise at all, and for two weeks - wow!!!
DD says that there are about 1,000 americans on her cruise and a huge contingent from saudi arabia, qatar and kuwait.....
so many from the arabian peninsula in fact that they mentioned it on the first night..
the second largest group on board, after the americans, is from saudi arabia ....

i've actually wondered if the magic in europe is different from the magic in the states - in terms of how much people participate or not...
americans tend to be highly participatory - some europeans are much less so (the swiss for example)....
so i wondered if the cruises in europe would be more stuffy so to speak..
but DD says it's all been great so far....this is only day 3 (naples), but they've totally been on cloud 9..
they've sent videos to try to take us along a bit

she says her head waiter, waiter and assistant are fantastic...
especially the head waiter....who's been super nice and helpful to them...

they're having so much fun on board that they cancelled their excursion in naples so they could just stay on the ship.
and they're staying on board in rome as well...
the only excursion they have scheduled is in livorno...

it makes sense for them to stay on board...after all, they're on the magic for the magic, not for europe...

my fingers are crossed that it keeps going like this..
by the way, this is her husbands first cruise on DCL.....he says he's in love and it's now his favorite cruise line (he was loyal to royal before this cruise).. (this is DD's third DCL cruise, but she hasn't been on DCL for 10 years!!...she's only been on royal for the past 7 years...this was her big return to DCL...testing the waters so to speak)...

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[Disneymadhouse]

It was amazing!! There were more UK cruisers on our cruise than US visitors. I think it was something like 925 from the UK compared to 805 from the US. Our cruise director Leslie Dallas said it was the first cruise she had ever done where there more UK visitors! I guess its because it was the last cruise before most UK schools started back!
We did 2 port adventures - one in Rome and one in Pisa. The Rome day was a very long day out. We had to be at the meeting point on the ship at 7.15am, and we didn't get back to the ship until 6.30pm.
We would happily do the same itinerary again but would perhaps get off in Villefranche and Salerno, but stay on board for the Rome and Pisa days.
Food and service were wonderful as you would expect. Our assistant server - Hellen - was particularly lovely. I'm still not convinced of the role / the need to pay the head server a gratuity but hey ho, all part of the Disney cruise experience!
Weather was beautiful, really sunny and warm with no rain!
We didn't re book on board as we aren't planning to cruise again until Christmas 2018 so too early to book a placeholder!

Sound like your DD is having a lovely time!

Claire

 

[wayneg]

Food and service were wonderful as you would expect. Our assistant server - Hellen - was particularly lovely. I'm still not convinced of the role / the need to pay the head server a gratuity but hey ho, all part of the Disney cruise experience!
Claire

We have done 8 Disney cruises, only tipped 1 head server (Edward from Bolton) I have no problem tipping them if they check on me every meal and have some kind of interaction but most of them have been nowhere near, just to introduce themselves at the start of the cruise and a goodbye at the end.
If they were all like Edward I would tip them all but they are not. I am sure they are worth their weight in gold to some people.

 

[disneyholic family]

on my three DCL cruises, the head waiters were spectacular!! in fact, i'd say that the first headwaiter we had, a wonderful man from italy, really made our cruise for us.....absolutely wonderful and attentive service...

and our second one was also great....as was the headwaiter on the cruise that i took my mom and sister on...

and the waiters and assistant waiters were also outstanding on all three...

even the very first head waiter we encountered on our first cruise - he wasn't our rotation headwaiter...he was in charge of boarding day lunch in parrot cay.....i can't remember his name...a guy from australia who i know has risen through the ranks at DCL....
anyway, he too was amazing...and as i said, we weren't even on his rotation..
he sat down with us at lunch - brought out the big food ingredients book and went through it with us page by page by page...
even with the place full of people just boarding, he took the time to welcome us to our first time on DCL and show us the lay of the land in terms of food...and he was so funny...a young man from australia...wish i could remember his name..

 

[wayneg]

We usually get good waiters & assistants, just one assistant I recall that was not great.
Last night I had a dream we had boarded our next cruise, it was chaos, bad grumpy staff, horrible food, bad family dining with us. Hopefully not a premonition of our cruise next week

 

[disneyholic family]

We usually get good waiters & assistants, just one assistant I recall that was not great.
Last night I had a dream we had boarded our next cruise, it was chaos, bad grumpy staff, horrible food, bad family dining with us. Hopefully not a premonition of our cruise next week

hopefully not!!
DD and DSIL are at their own table..
do you request a table on your own?
we always do...i'm anti-social not really, but i don't like playing dining companion roulette...

 

[wayneg]

hopefully not!!
DD and DSIL are at their own table..
do you request a table on your own?
we always do...i'm anti-social not really, but i don't like playing dining companion roulette...

Its one thing I enjoy about cruising, Karen & Matt would request a table on our own but not me. This next cruise we know who we are dining with, Moira(Pootle on DIS) & her husband David.

 

[disneyholic family]

Its one thing I enjoy about cruising, Karen & Matt would request a table on our own but not me. This next cruise we know who we are dining with, Moira(Pootle on DIS) & her husband David.

well that's fun!! i'd love to share a table with friends!!!

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Maybe we will won't pay the head server next time then - I'll be brave and non conformist!! Its not that the head server did anything wrong per se - but he just didn't really pay us very much attention, whereas he lavished attention on the little boy sat at our table. They were first time cruisers, so maybe he was trying to make a good impression!

Claire

 

[wayneg]

Maybe we will won't pay the head server next time then - I'll be brave and non conformist!! Its not that the head server did anything wrong per se - but he just didn't really pay us very much attention, whereas he lavished attention on the little boy sat at our table. They were first time cruisers, so maybe he was trying to make a good impression!

Claire

I have never been one for conforming with tips. I expect top service on a Disney cruise if I don't get it I reduce or remove tips. On the whole I tip what they advise (with exception of Head waiter) but I have been known to half the room host tip but also add 50% extra to the waiter.
What they recommend is a starting point for me for very good service.

 

[disneyholic family]

I have never been one for conforming with tips. I expect top service on a Disney cruise if I don't get it I reduce or remove tips. On the whole I tip what they advise (with exception of Head waiter) but I have been known to half the room host tip but also add 50% extra to the waiter.
What they recommend is a starting point for me for very good service.

i always at least tip the suggested amount...
and usually a lot extra...only once did i not add on...
we had a really terrible room steward on the disney dream a few years back...
and in concierge...
i was so shocked at his bad attitude...never encountered that before..
i was terribly worried my mom or sister would notice - thankfully they didn't...
but i certainly did....
so i just gave him the suggested amount...
but that was the only time i haven't tipped extra...

 

[wayneg]

i always at least tip the suggested amount...
and usually a lot extra...only once did i not add on...
we had a really terrible room steward on the disney dream a few years back...
and in concierge...
i was so shocked at his bad attitude...never encountered that before..
i was terribly worried my mom or sister would notice - thankfully they didn't...
but i certainly did....
so i just gave him the suggested amount...
but that was the only time i haven't tipped extra...

I know some do Beth, but my opinion is if they are not upto the job they deserve less (or even zero if so bad)
If they are not happy with the tip they either up their game or leave to do another job. By tipping the recommended amount I would feel I was encouraging poor service.
We all have differing opinions on tipping

 

[disneyholic family]

I know some do Beth, but my opinion is if they are not upto the job they deserve less (or even zero if so bad)
If they are not happy with the tip they either up their game or leave to do another job. By tipping the recommended amount I would feel I was encouraging poor service.
We all have differing opinions on tipping

oh i totally get what you do Wayne - and i don't disagree with it at all.
i don't have the guts to not tip at all.
i think once in my life i was totally appalled by a waiter and actually undertipped...
it happened at disney world.
I still think we tipped about 10%, but it was so far under what the norm was, i thought it was a big breakthrough for us...

 

[wayneg]

I once ate in Golden Corral LBV, waitress was useless, she was either on drugs or had a really bad cold, coughing and spluttering all over. We had to chase her for plates & everytime we wanted a drink, she was really bad. I left 1 cent on the table. She came out shouting after me " Don't you know you are supposed to tip" I shouted back "you are supposed to give a service for me to tip for"
I know many don't like the tipping system but I do. On the whole you get a better service. Poor staff do not earn enough and leave. Good staff earn well and stay.

 

[disneyholic family]

I once ate in Golden Corral LBV, waitress was useless, she was either on drugs or had a really bad cold, coughing and spluttering all over. We had to chase her for plates & everytime we wanted a drink, she was really bad. I left 1 cent on the table. She came out shouting after me " Don't you know you are supposed to tip" I shouted back "you are supposed to give a service for me to tip for"
I know many don't like the tipping system but I do. On the whole you get a better service. Poor staff do not earn enough and leave. Good staff earn well and stay.

you're absolutely right!!

 

[disneyholic family]

for those of you with upcoming magic cruises, DD just called...
she said they skipped dinner last night so they could see Tangled twice..
she said it's fantastic!!!! standing ovation fantastic!!

on the transatlantic, do they show any of the shows more than once?
..

 

[wayneg]

for those of you with upcoming magic cruises, DD just called...
she said they skipped dinner last night so they could see Tangled twice..
she said it's fantastic!!!! standing ovation fantastic!!

on the transatlantic, do they show any of the shows more than once?
..

No, only once IIRC.