Friend just got back and now I'm concerned...

[lisa6191]

I hope you guys can help me! My family (me, DH, DS 9 and DS 6) is booked with another family (H/W, DS 9 and DD 12) on the 7-night Eastern on March 20, 2004, and we have been really looking forward to it! However, a friend just got back from the 7-night Eastern yesterday and she said they had a *horrible* time and she would never go on another Disney cruise. Once I pressed her, it didn't sound all that terribly horrible, but some of the things she said did disturb me. I was wondering whether anyone had any feedback on the following:
- She said that her kids' first day in the kids club, they tried to page them to come get the kids for over an hour and a half without success, and apparently nobody ever tried to get them in the room or find them in any way other than the pager, so the kids were pretty upset by the time they were finally picked up. Also, one of the kids was supposedly punched by another kid, but the parents were not paged or notified (although I guess who knows what really happened). Have people generally been happy with the kids club and the amount of supervision and contact with the parents?
- She felt the food was extremely mediocre, although she did say that it improved somewhat over the course of the week. She thought the breakfast buffet was particularly weak. She did say that the service was excellent.
- She said that it was a mad race to book times when you first got on the ship (which I already knew about), and also to reserve chairs at the pool and especially on Castaway Cay, and people were very pushy and unpleasant about it. She also said it was very unclear when you were supposed to book excursions and appointments, and they ended up missing out on certain things because of it.
- She said that the shows were awful and boring, so a few of the nights they just ended up going to the movies or doing something else instead.
- She felt that the rooms were incredibly tiny (now she had never been on a cruise before, but her dad and sister were with her on this cruise and had been on RCCL before, and they felt like the RCCL rooms were bigger and nicer). And she had a verandah room so it's not like she was in a Cat. 11 or something. She also felt the rooms were very noisy.
- She felt like they "nickel and dimed" you from the minute you got on the cruise, trying to sell beverage or wine packages, mugs, etc. Everything seemed to be an additional fee. They also repeatedly offered things in a way that made them seem like they were free, and then presented a bill for them (like the "welcome drink" Bahama Mamas).
- I don't really know a nice way to say this so I will just repeat what she said to me: She said that the "caliber" of the people on the ship was not exactly upscale, and many people were rude, boisterous or otherwise unsavory (which I find pretty hard to believe, but whatever).

Prior to this I have heard nothing but rave reviews of the Disney cruises, so this really caught me off guard. Before I spend the amount of money that I am spending on this trip, I figured I had better start trying to get some more feedback about these issues. The other family we are going with is now pressing us to look into RCCL instead, specifically the Navigator of the Seas, so if anyone has any opinions about how that would compare to the Disney cruise I would love to hear that also.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Lisa

 

[patches-4]

HAVING CRUISED BOTH DISNEY AND RCCL BEFORE I THINK I CAN COMPARE THE TWO SOMEWHAT. WE WERE NOT ALL THAT THRILLED WITH RCCL WHEN WE WENT IN JAN. YES THE SHOWS WERE MAYBE A LITTLE BETTER BUT OTHER THAN THAT WE PREFERED DISNEY. THE LAST TIME WE CRUISE DISNEY WE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER WITH THE SERVICE, FOOD, KIDS CLUBS, ETC EVEYONE WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO BE HELPFUL IN ANY WAY THEY COULD. AS FOR THE ROOMS WE MUCH PREFER DISNEY TO RCCL. DISNEY WAS BY FAR THE LARGER OF THE TWO. WE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS GETTING OUR PAGES FROM THE CLUB AT ANY TIME. THEY WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO LET US KNOW WHERE OUR CHILDREN WERE GOING WHEN THEY SIGNED OUT OF THE CLUB AND WOULD EVEN PAGE US WHEN THE KIDS WERE JUST GOING BETWEEN MOVIES AND SHOWS OR TO ONE OF THE OTHER CABINS.

IS YOUR FRIEND MAYBE JUST FINDING FAULT SINCE SHE HAD NOT BEEN ON THESE BOARDS AND DIDN'T HAVE ALL HER INFO ABOUT SCEDULING SPA TREATMENTS AND PALO, AND EXCURSIONS ETC?
DOES SHE GENERALLY FIND THE NEGATIVE ABOUT ANY SITUATION? I HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE LIKE THAT, THEY NEVER CAN FIND THE POSITIVE ONLY THE NEGATIVE ABOUT ANYTHING.

I THINK YOU WILL BE VERY HAPPY WITH DISNEY IF YOU GIVE IT A SHOT.

 

[Windermere]

I've been on Carnival Fantasy and RCCL Sovereign of the Seas and would scrounge couch cushions to come up with the extra money needed to go on disney vs either of these again.

 

[jordanyosh]

Having nothing to compare it to and probably not even aware of how cruises work, she probably felt everything was an additional expense. Most cruises are like that. She would've felt no different on any other cruise.

Every once in awhile, you'll see a post of someone who is unhappy with the kids' clubs, but they are few and far between. You have to know the limitations of your kids and the limitations of the programs as well. I believe that people who have had poor experiences with the Clubs went in with unrealistic expectations of what the Clubs will and can do.

Everyone has their own opinion of food. Everyone is different. the food is fine in my opinion.

Perhaps if she had researched the DCL like you are, she would have been more prepared for all that cruising entails. Shore excursions, Castaway Cay, etc can all be handled without hassle if you prepare for your trip.

The shows are there if you decide to go. The reason that there are other activities going on at the same time as the shows is the fact that not all folks like the shows. While they can be a highlight for some folks, for others it's no biggie. I don't care for shows in general, but loved the fact that I could see a first run movie for free.

As far as rooms, Disney has some of the largest staterooms of any cruise line. There are bigger out there and many ships being built now are trying to compete with Disney's size. However, Disney has the split bathrooms allowing folks to take showers in one room while someone gets ready in another. Very nice.

As far as "caliber" of people, well.....hmm.....What I love about Disney is the fact that once you cross over the threshold into one of their establishments, you are treated the same. Many folks who go on these cruises save a long time to go on these cruises and probably will never be able to come back. Isn't it wonderful that they can enjoy the Disney magic just like you and me? If she wants to avoid those folks in the future, maybe she should try Crystal Cruises or Celebrity or Raddison Seven Seas. Me, I will stick with DCL exactly for the reason that it is not exclusionary, that you will see a wide cross-section of people on board.

DCL is not for every one, sounds like once she got on a roll with her dissatisfaction, she just couldn't be happy. Too bad, she missed out.

Don't worry, just keep doing what you're doing. Prepare and do your research and for god's sake, it's your vacation, have fun. No need to worry with Disney.

 

[mobetsy]

Lisa, we'll be on the same cruise with you in March (with me, dh, and ds's who will be 9 and almost 6) and we're going with another family, too...and just by coincidence, I talked today at church with a mom who got back yesterday from the 7 day Eastern (are we living parallel lives?). As you can imagine, I quizzed her to the nth degree! She went with dh and dd 3, plus a bunch of other family members. She is a well-travelled woman with generally high expectations. A few of her specific comments (and she'd never cruised before, nor seen these boards):

The rooms (inside staterooms) were bigger than she expected and they never felt really squished. She liked that they were dark, as it helped them all sleep well!

The food was good.

There was so much that they wanted to do that she felt overwhelmed; they kept busier than she expected.

The ship felt very safe, and people were friendly.

Her dd didn't go to the kids' club at all, but her nephews did and enjoyed it.

The only thing she didn't like was St. Maarten; she found it depressing, though they did enjoy the Butterfly Farm.

Hard to believe your friends and mine were on the same cruise, huh? I guess expectations and attitude shape each person's experience; it is too bad that your friend had such a bad time...but we are going to have a blast 3/20-27/04

 

[Gina]

I think that there are people in this world who are happy with nothing, and find a reason to complain about pretty much everything. That's not to discount your friend's opinions, but it just doesn't sound like she was on the Magic to me!

I have found, with two cruises now, the kids' counselors to be wonderful. My little boy always raves about them, and I have always been very happy with the way I have seen them treating the kids. I just asked DS if he ever saw any child crying or upset and being ignored or anything, and he said no, for what that's worth.

There will always be rude people anywhere you go -- you're just closer together on a ship like that. I ignore them, or in the case of chair-hogging, just un-hog the chair for them and act stupid about it.

I can't imagine not knowing when you can book excursions and appointments... they tell you a gazillion times, and it's right there in the Navigators.

All the things she seemed upset about, extra fee-wise, I don't understand. Surely she didn't think things like drinks, photos, mugs, etc. were free... if she went anywhere else on vacation, would she expect extras to be free?

Lisa, I truly would not think twice about what your friend said... I am definitely not one of those people who can find no wrong with anything Disney -- I'll speak out if Disney does something bone-headed (*cough*Dixie Landings*cough*) but it's just flat-out hard to find anything wrong with DCL... people think I'm nuts for spending as much money as I do on one week, but it's worth every single penny and then some. Go with your gut, and have a wonderful time.

-gina-

 

[lbgraves]

JW, did your friend ever say why they didn't get the page for 1 1/2 hours? Did they not keep the pager with them? I can't understand faulting DCL for that.

 

[tezb]

you have to start somewhere...if this is your first cruise, you might as well try Disney. We tried DCL the first time in 2000 and have gone back twice since. However, next summer we are venturing out and trying RCI The Mariner. Our kids are older teens now and our 3rd cruise we all seemed a little more bored w/ things on Disney. Not to say DCL is not a fun vacation, it is but our family now needs to try something else and the Mega Ship appeals to us. Will let you know how it is once we have something to compare DCL with.

Like everyone said, your friend might just be one of those people who is hard to please. She probably expected so much more and therefore was disappointed w/ everything. You have to go to judge for yourself. Just like we are trying another cruise line to find out for ourselves too.

 

[texanlvr]

We just came back from the 8/23 cruise and all I can say is that is was the best vacation in the world. I have two daughters, 9 and 12 and they cried leaving the boat yesterday. I also cried. It was worth every penny and the crew and service were excellent. We did see some ignorant families on the ship but we just ignored them and let them have their temper tantrums over who was first in line to take pictures with Pinocchio. I wouldn't miss the opportunity to sail with Disney. It was magical!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Verandah Man]

Originally posted by texanlvr
We just came back from the 8/23 cruise and all I can say is that is was the best vacation in the world. I have two daughters, 9 and 12 and they cried leaving the boat yesterday. I also cried. It was worth every penny and the crew and service were excellent. We did see some ignorant families on the ship but we just ignored them and let them have their temper tantrums over who was first in line to take pictures with Pinocchio. I wouldn't miss the opportunity to sail with Disney. It was magical!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Angela,

Glad to see you made it home safe and sound!!! We really enjoyed cruising with you, Zach, and the girls!!!

 

[Verandah Man]

My family of 6 just got off the Magic on 8-30-03 as well, and we had the time of our lives. It was without a doubt, the best vacation we ever took!!!

I look at it this way, you only get out of a vacation or cruise, what you put into it. We went in expecting to have a MAGICal time and a MAGICal time is what we received!!!

I just posted the first page of my trip report. I have a total of 15 handwritten pages of notes to go through, and I only have the first day entered in so far. I'm sorry your friend felt as though she had such a bad time, but for my family, we already booked another MAGICal cruise for next August!!!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

To quote Simon Cowell from American Idol...." I don't mean to be rude, I am going to be brutally honest, your friend is a snob" (insert English accent)

I can understand when someone has 1,2 MAYBE 3 compliants about their Disney cruise. And 9 times out of ten, there is usually a very good reason for why something went wrong. But when someone starts rattling off a list like THAT, I stop listening. If you are going to LOOK for things to go wrong, then they will.

I don't know, I am just a girl who grew up poor and now have an opportunity to give my kids Disney vacations. I don't get out much. But I DO know this, when it comes to giving people a wonderful vacation experience...Disney is the KING of them all.

I would not pay attention to your friends report. It sounds to me she should find a cruise that caters to the rich and famous. I bet she would still find something wrong. Sorry, but that's my opinion.

 

[clarabelle]

It sounds to me like your friend had not done her research. IF she had known what to expect most of these things would not have been a suprise to her.

We went on the 7 day eastern back in April and my kids are still talking about it.

My kids liked the kids club(ages 4 and 8 at the time). Keep in mind they are VERY busy places with lots of kids. Sometimes you have to wait in a line to check them in and out. The counselors were friendly. I don't know what the policy is if the beeper doesn't work. I would ask when you check them in.

We enjoyed the food. The omlettes especially at breakfast. There were pastries and bacon cereal and fruit. Bagels with all kids of things to go on them. If you didn't like something there were plenty of other things to choose from. At dinner if you didn' t like something they would have tripped over themselves trying to get you something else.

If you read the navigator (and do a little research) the ressies and other appointments were pretty easy. If you were unclear a call to guest services and they would help you. I would advise parents with children to let the kids wear swimsuits when boarding- one parent watches kids at pool while the other makes the reservations.

The shows are musicals. People in costumes dancing and singing - mostly familiar Disney Characters. We loved them- I guess if you hate musicals- or if you had extremely high standards you might find them a dissapointment. My kids enjoyed them- and I liked watching my kids enjoy them. My little girls face would light up when she saw someone she liked (Look Mommy Ariel!)

All cruise staterooms are little. Disneys are bigger than usual.

She may be right about the nickle and dimeing thing. I think this also is pretty common on cruise ships. Knowing this in advance (and budgeting for it) makes a huge difference. I think this one just depends on your outlook.

There were all kinds of people on the ship. I found most of the passengers to be friendly. Sometimes you would see people who you thought were behaving rudely or dressed inappropriatley just like anywhere else. I guess you might notice it more because you are all together so much.

We took a RCCL cruise years ago- pre kids and enjoyed it. Many of the things your friend mentioned (stateroom size and paying for drinks etc...) I think will be the same. My kids like Disney Characters we enjoyed seeing them and the shows were something you could take young children to and have everyone enjoy it.

We had a good trip and will probably go again.

I hope this helps

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Bagels with all kids of things to go on them.

clarabelle - isn't that just a trifle too cannibalistic???...

 

[moinab]

Regarding the pagers, technology isn't without faults, and sometimes they don't work properly. When we checked DD and DS into the nursery, we asked the counselor to test the pager before we left, which she was happy to do. We also checked in on a regular basis, just to be sure. I would not hesitate to use this service again, but I will always take my own precautionary steps to make sure they are ok.

Regarding the food, some of it was not very good, some of it was ok, some of it was very good. If you don't like something, you can always get something else. If your friend was expecting a 5-star restaurant experience, she should realize that it just isn't possible when preparing food for a couple thousand people. I would equate the food quality with good banquet food. BTW, we loved the breakfast buffet!

Regarding CC, we were on a full ship in the middle of July. The entire time we were on CC, there were plenty of chairs available. You might have to walk farther down the beach the later you go, but there were always chairs available.

We didn't do any excursions, so I can't comment on that. The only reservation we made was for the nursery. I went up after 3 PM on embarkation day, and had no problems. We had a question about our dining room assignment, so after we ate lunch in PC, we walked over to the clubs to ask about it. While we were there, they asked us if we wanted a Palo reservation. We didn't, because of the kids, but we could have had it, no mad rush.

We didn't go to the shows because DS was afraid of them, but we found plenty of other things to do.

I thought the room was very nice, more space than I had expected, and relatively quiet. The room next to us had a toddler, and we heard his muffled cries once or twice, but we had a toddler and a baby, so perhaps we're more forgiving. We did find it quieter than most hotels/motels we've stayed in.

Regarding the "caliber" of people, you will find rude, obnoxious people everywhere. Personally, I find some of the more "upscale" people to be just as rude and inconsiderate as the "unsavory."

It seems like your friend had unreasonable expectations and did not prepare well for her trip. Try to get your friends with whom you'll be cruising to check out this board. The more you prepare and know what to expect, the better your trip will be.

 

[clarabelle]

Oops! I meant KINDS of things like cream cheese. No children to top off your bagel with. Sorry

 

[coconutty]

As my grandmother used to say: Some people would complain in Heaven, but lucky for them, God has another place for 'em.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[pal2pluto]

And the water in the ocean is too salty, water in the pool is too wet, and the sun.......oh don't get me started with how sunny it was............and the nights were really too dark to enjoy anything! and when we walked on the beach, the sand was everywhere!!!!

 

[Jeanny]

sounds like your friend may have been that same lady who told Dave to get a new hobby, and had a ton of complaints about her cruise.... some people are just not happy about anything.

Your vacation is what YOU make it.

 

[justcruisin]

Sorry your friend did not enjoy themselves. Being hugely disappointed on vacation would be a bummer. I don't understand their disappoinment in the cabins --- much nicer than RCCL and bigger too.

If they didn't like DCL, I think they'd be miserable on RCCL or Carnival!