Dream 9/4-Disappointed So Far

[PBenjung]

Check-in today slower than our 3 previous sailings. They make you wait across the street in the new parking garage even though we had a 10:30 boarding. A Disney employee complained they had changed everything while he was on vacation so he couldn't offer guidance on how to save time. Waited 30min to get thru security and then waited again 15 min in castaway cay line to get processed.

Our room was available at 1:30 as promised but excursion tickets missing so had to go and wait in guest services line for 15 min to get them. Upon my return I found the previous guests' shoe in the room safe and it's twin in the closet.

I understand little things can happen but there seems to be a pattern of sub-par service developing on this cruise that is similar to what others are saying. So far the Dream is not as good an experience as the Wonder and Magic. The number of passengers overwhelms the terminal and the CMs seem more harried than those we have seen on our previous 3 sailings. I hope things improve.

 

[Zandy595]

Sorry check-in went slowly.

Did you know that they changed the terminal opening time to 11am? Your 10:30am arrival time should have been changed to 11.

I thought you were given excursion tickets for the next day at that night's turn-down. No?

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Sorry you experienced a longer wait. When you say Castaway Cay line, do you mean the check in line for the Castaway Club members?

 

[dthogue]

Sounds like you have set your expectations TOO high, go with the flow, don't let these little things bother you!!! Hope you can relax and enjoy your trip!! Look for the things that go right and have a magicial time!

 

[TandT]

Dude...have a drink and RELAX!! You are on a DISNEY CRUISE!!! I can relate to some small petty things getting on your nerves...BUT YOU are the one that is in control of whether you have a good time or not. Everything doesn't go perfect on a vacation. With that said..... ENJOY and have a drink for me!! We will be on there in 26 days!!!

 

[wdwprincess03]

Our room was available at 1:30 as promised but excursion tickets missing so had to go and wait in guest services line for 15 min to get them. Upon my return I found the previous guests' shoe in the room safe and it's twin in the closet.

Don't they put some of the excursion tickets in the room AFTER turndown?

 

[CastawayJP]

Upon my return I found the previous guests' shoe in the room safe and it's twin in the closet.

I hope they were at least your size!

Always looking for the silver lining!

 

[Tolson70]

Don't they put some of the excursion tickets in the room AFTER turndown?

The two DCL cruises we've been on, the excursion tickets were in our room when we first got on board. But that was on the Magic and Wonder.

 

[OceanLvr]

Slow down my friend, enjoy yourself...Don't let the little things get you down...Find the bar, grab a big ole glass of whatever makes ya smile and enjoy your vacation...After all is said and done, you don't have to work, do you?

ENJOY!!!!

 

[Dawn414]

I agree with many of the other posts...bummer about the boarding. We were there around 10:45 and went in pretty much immediately. (Our cruise was 8/28). I wasn't thrilled about boarding #4, but we boarded before noon which I was pleasantly surprised about. There are things that are going to be better...some things you won't like as much, but at the end of the day enjoy every minute of it...I know we did!

 

[mtchurchmonica]

Kind of weird finding a shoe in the safe. How are things going today?

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

They make you wait across the street in the new parking garage even though we had a 10:30 boarding.

The 10:30am time you selected online is only a Port Arrival time, not a Boarding Time. Your 10:30am timeslot is simply to help Disney plan for crowd control based on when guests say they will arrive at the terminal. It is not an indication as to when you will board, which is only assigned after you check-in. The terminal itself technically doesn't open until 11am.

We just got off the Dream a few days ago and had a wonderful time. Hope you were able to enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

[PBenjung]

Thanks for the feedback and yes I know I have to learn to relax.

Service improved after a rough first day but there were still some issues that will prevent us from going on the Dream again. Our dining room servers - Sebastian (Canada) and Brenton (St.Vincent) were outstanding - quick, prompt, knowledgeable and also very accommodating. The food was a little better than Wonder and Magic. Animators Palate also had classier decor. However the shows were very lame and we skipped them after the first day. They had problems with paperwork again at discharge. On previous cruises the final bill is put under your door overnight. On the Dream I had to go, once again, to Guest Relations to pick it up. Their excuse was that they delivered them at 6:45 am. Well, since we had to be in the dining room at 6:45 that meant they were planning on having punctual diners not getting their bill. The MAIN PROBLEM was with the stateroom - 10576, deck 10, Cat 4A. We have been just below deck on previous cruises (Wonder, Magic) but we never experienced the noise we heard on the Dream. Not just background noise. We heard/felt footsteps so loud that my son said his pillow moved under his head! And this was from early morning to midnight. Just people running on the deck. We survived wearing earplugs and taking sleeping pills. I know I am a light sleeper but honestly the other ships never had such noise. Its almost as if Disney skimped on the soundproofing for this ship! Also, the deck 11 overhang stops you from getting a clear view of the sky like on the other ships. We decided that if we ever go on DCL again it will be on the smaller ships. They are better designed for comfort, relaxation, and it seems Disney hasn't yet figured out how to deliver their traditional high quality service to the larger number of passengers. If you really want to go on the Dream, try a lower deck!

 

[twindaddy]

I wonder why someone would put ONE shoe in the safe, but not the other? I dont know about others, but both shoes are pretty equally important, KWIM?

 

[PBenjung]

The shoes didn't fit anyone in our family otherwise we would have considered them a Disney welcome on board gift!

 

[Zandy595]

Thanks for the feedback and yes I know I have to learn to relax.

Service improved after a rough first day but there were still some issues that will prevent us from going on the Dream again. Our dining room servers - Sebastian (Canada) and Brenton (St.Vincent) were outstanding - quick, prompt, knowledgeable and also very accommodating. The food was a little better than Wonder and Magic. Animators Palate also had classier decor. However the shows were very lame and we skipped them after the first day. They had problems with paperwork again at discharge. On previous cruises the final bill is put under your door overnight. On the Dream I had to go, once again, to Guest Relations to pick it up. Their excuse was that they delivered them at 6:45 am. Well, since we had to be in the dining room at 6:45 that meant they were planning on having punctual diners not getting their bill. The MAIN PROBLEM was with the stateroom - 10576, deck 10, Cat 4A. We have been just below deck on previous cruises (Wonder, Magic) but we never experienced the noise we heard on the Dream. Not just background noise. We heard/felt footsteps so loud that my son said his pillow moved under his head! And this was from early morning to midnight. Just people running on the deck. We survived wearing earplugs and taking sleeping pills. I know I am a light sleeper but honestly the other ships never had such noise. Its almost as if Disney skimped on the soundproofing for this ship! Also, the deck 11 overhang stops you from getting a clear view of the sky like on the other ships. We decided that if we ever go on DCL again it will be on the smaller ships. They are better designed for comfort, relaxation, and it seems Disney hasn't yet figured out how to deliver their traditional high quality service to the larger number of passengers. If you really want to go on the Dream, try a lower deck!

No offense, but how would you know the shows were lame if you only saw one?

I think if you did some research on the boards you could have found a better cabin location. I've read many reviews of the cabins on deck 10 being loud because of the noise from deck 11. I've also read about the verandah overhang. I guess I'm just a crazy planner and try to make sure I know everything I can before I book a cruise.

Sorry your vacation wasn't everything you wanted it to be.

 

[lmhall2000]

I wonder why someone would put ONE shoe in the safe, but not the other? I dont know about others, but both shoes are pretty equally important, KWIM?

I can tell you, a child thinking it was cool..tried it out and forgot about it!

I'm sorry for your disappointments...on the shows I will say we have only really 'loved' one or two of them (been on two long cruises, 7 and 10 night)...to me, once you've seen one, you've seen them all..I wish they would do something like the Tarzan/acrobat one they had at Animal Kingdom...that one kept us hopping..the music/talent/tricks were amazing!! I do not like the one about the little girl dreaming and Peter Pan is in it...her forced child voice was unnerving....just give me singing/action entertainment.

We are going a year from this week, how was the weather? Was it warm enough on nights that you did not need anything extra? Thanks for sharing, the info about rooms is great, hope you post a room report...we will be on the 9th floor..our window sits right below the captain's navigation area..wondering if that will be weird to spy people above you!

Thanks!

 

[PBenjung]

I should have been more precise. Our entire family went to see the Villains show. It was not a good shows as the characters were not of interest. My wife and son also went to see the Golden Mickeys show and found the dancers off key and the show too similar to what she saw on earlier DCL cruises.

I don't understand why, with such a strong movie and cartoon catalogue, Disney doesn't present more variety in their shows. It seems they want the most plain vanilla shows possible, using only general themes. And even then they don't mix it up and make you see the same shows year after year.

 

[dstevens]

My family was just on the Dream September 1st. We loved everything about the ship, even the shows. Maybe a Disney cruise is really not your thing.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

We were on the 9/4 and 9/8 sailing. We did not have any of the problems you experienced. We did not like the Vilains show either, but we loved Golden Mickeys enough to see it on both sailings, as well as Believe. If Villains was the first show I had seen, I would not have bothered with another either.

That being said, we were thrilled enough with our experience that we booked two more while on board, both on the Dream. Maybe my expectations were not that high.