From WDW to DL With Love - January 06, 2011 part 2

[DCLtravler]

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday!!!
I have to say, your conversations about cruise directors is quite compelling...I honestly never really thought much about them until reading this. I have to say though, that of the three cruise directors I have had (Rachel for 3 cruises, Brent for 1, and Clayton for 1), I liked Clayton the best (I think it was his silly "we're on vacation dance"). He seemed to be the most personable of the three. But, I have to admit, when I first found out on our last cruise it was him, I was a bit sad because he was from the US. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the US, I live here! The thing is, I love, love, love accents from other places. In fact, one of the things I miss most about the ship when I leave, is the fact that when you walk up to people you never know what beautiful sound is going to come out of their mouths! Sounds silly, but it was kind of fun hearing the announcements with that beautiful English or Austrailian accent.

 

[sak0526]

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday!!!
I have to say, your conversations about cruise directors is quite compelling...I honestly never really thought much about them until reading this. I have to say though, that of the three cruise directors I have had (Rachel for 3 cruises, Brent for 1, and Clayton for 1), I liked Clayton the best (I think it was his silly "we're on vacation dance"). He seemed to be the most personable of the three. But, I have to admit, when I first found out on our last cruise it was him, I was a bit sad because he was from the US. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the US, I live here! The thing is, I love, love, love accents from other places. In fact, one of the things I miss most about the ship when I leave, is the fact that when you walk up to people you never know what beautiful sound is going to come out of their mouths! Sounds silly, but it was kind of fun hearing the announcements with that beautiful English or Austrailian accent.

I agree that i never thought much about cruise directors till this either, and clearly people have some strong opinions. Thats ok, but i'm also thinking we should agree to disagree and not call people out any more. I too like accents and meeting people from all over, but just like our fellow passengers, we have no control over the director, so lets just enjoy the cruise! and this board!

 

[DCLtravler]

Your missing the point

I have to give credit where its due, I have only ever met lovely well behaved kids on the disney ships.
I only want to see what it is like having never been before.

Lynne, you bring up a point that I have been wondering about, and maybe some of the past PC cruisers can answer...When we were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in '05 there seemed to be a lot of miss behaved kids (and parents who allowed it) on the ship. There was this sense of entitlement that I had never seen before (or since). When I asked a cast member about it, she said that there was a higher level of poor behavior since coming to CA and she attributed it to CA (we do, as a state, have entitlement issues). My question is, have you noticed that with so many Californians on the PC cruise, a difference in behavior?
BTW: Please don't fillet me because of these comments, I was born and raised in California, still live here and have a VERY well behaved child. But, I do admit, parents here seem to allow their children far more leeway and excuses than I have seen in other states--maybe that is true everywhere, in which case I apologize.

 

[DCLtravler]

I agree that i never thought much about cruise directors till this either, and clearly people have some strong opinions. Thats ok, but i'm also thinking we should agree to disagree and not call people out any more. I too like accents and meeting people from all over, but just like our fellow passengers, we have no control over the director, so lets just enjoy the cruise! and this board!

Yep, that is my point exactly!! I will be happy whichever way it goes...If it's Clayton, I will do the silly vacation dance, Brent, I will enjoy listening to his accent, and someone new...Cool one more person to meet!

 

[sak0526]

Lynne, you bring up a point that I have been wondering about, and maybe some of the past PC cruisers can answer...When we were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in '05 there seemed to be a lot of miss behaved kids (and parents who allowed it) on the ship. There was this sense of entitlement that I had never seen before (or since). When I asked a cast member about it, she said that there was a higher level of poor behavior since coming to CA and she attributed it to CA (we do, as a state, have entitlement issues). My question is, have you noticed that with so many Californians on the PC cruise, a difference in behavior?
BTW: Please don't fillet me because of these comments, I was born and raised in California, still live here and have a VERY well behaved child. But, I do admit, parents here seem to allow their children far more leeway and excuses than I have seen in other states--maybe that is true everywhere, in which case I apologize.

Wow!! badly behaved kids? have only been on a 4 day and 7 day but havent seen that. i'm assuming these are kids with parents, not with the cruise activities. If it's those with cast members, there's real recourse. if not, boy what a fine line the cast members have to walk a fine line to get the parents to do something, as someone said, but if they are not doing anything, i'd keep complaining till someone did. that said, i have a high tolerance if it's not noisy for me or in my way so it would take a lot for me to complain, but it'll be interesting to see if A) there are a lot of kids on a TWO week January cruise, and B) if they behave differently. I see there are people on this board that are bringing kids and thats great (i took my young kids out of school for a week long trip to disney - up to maybe 6th grade - and 2 of them have affiliated with disney jobs in some way!!) but i suspect it'll be a smaller amount of kids, at least kids over 6 just beause it is 2 weeks. For those who have done 2 weekers during the school year, what did you see as far as the number of kids on the cruise??
Sherri

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I think heck might be freezing over as I agree with Alan yet again. If a CM outright lies to you that they are enforcing a policy and then don't, that's wrong and should be brought up higher. DH is cast and I can't imagine him ever doing that.
If that family was a make a wish family, that still doesn't give them carte blanche to do as they please. I say that having known families who have done that type of program.
Sounds like not all cruise directors are the same. Here's to hoping it's Christian then.

And so say all of us.

Lynne, you bring up a point that I have been wondering about, and maybe some of the past PC cruisers can answer...When we were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in '05 there seemed to be a lot of miss behaved kids (and parents who allowed it) on the ship. There was this sense of entitlement that I had never seen before (or since). When I asked a cast member about it, she said that there was a higher level of poor behavior since coming to CA and she attributed it to CA (we do, as a state, have entitlement issues). My question is, have you noticed that with so many Californians on the PC cruise, a difference in behavior?
BTW: Please don't fillet me because of these comments, I was born and raised in California, still live here and have a VERY well behaved child. But, I do admit, parents here seem to allow their children far more leeway and excuses than I have seen in other states--maybe that is true everywhere, in which case I apologize.

No filleting here.
JENNKATT< hell must be frozen cause we are both agreeing with Alan.

 

[pahrumpgirl]

I am not going to get into a debate here. You are entiltled to your opinion and that needs to be respected. I do not, however agree with that opinion. I do not like Brent. Plain and simple. I am entilted not to like him. In my view he lied to me. In my view he does not uphold Disney standard of a good Cast Member. I used to be a Cast Member as did DW. I know what it takes. If he is there on this voyage, I don't have to like it, but I can live with it. If it were just a normal 7 night I would change my reservation. Oh and if I was splashed accidently, I get that, accidents happen. The accident does not happen 6 times by tge sane person, and I would address the situation. I would not let it go espicaly if an adult was doing it.

The rules have always been enforced on the cruises we have been on but occasionally you can come upon crew members and guests that you don't like. Would I EVER let that stop me from going on a Disney. NO. I have found on DCL that it is very easy not to be around anyone you don't like.

With that said, like Alan said, everyone to their own opinions and since this subject has been up twice and everyone has given their own opinions on it, I think we should move on to more pleasant matters. JMHO

Carol

 

[orlandothebeagle]

The rules have always been enforced on the cruises we have been on but occasionally you can come upon crew members and guests that you don't like. Would I EVER let that stop me from going on a Disney. NO. I have found on DCL that it is very easy not to be around anyone you don't like.

With that said, like Alan said, everyone to their own opinions and since this subject has been up twice and everyone has given their own opinions on it, I think we should move on to more pleasant matters. JMHO

Carol

It was all pleasant from me just a disscusion and matter of opinoin which by the way I love to hear everybodys opinion

 

[granmaz]

Alan. Do you have any idea when Southwest will open up for Thanksgiving bookings? Thanks.

 

[disneywondergirl22]

Good Morning!

I liked Clayton as a person, but there were a few things that fall under his watch that I didn't care for.

1. scheduling. It seemed as though all the events in which an "artsy" person would be interested (ie draw a charactor, origami, scrapbooking) overlapped by 15 minutes or half an hour so that one couldn't get to all of them, and then there would be long stretches of "nothing" at all.

linda- what kind of art activities were on the ship? i'm just curious. do you remember who ran them?

we are trying to get my boyfriend a job on the ship, and came up with an entire expanded art program for artists, including learning how animated (disney) films are made, photoshop workshops to learn how to make your vacation photos better, painting and drawing classes for adults and children, making your own vacation book that can be used for photos, autographs, art, etc...

we were wondering what already exists and what may be kind of exciting and new to bring to the table.

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

Lynne, you bring up a point that I have been wondering about, and maybe some of the past PC cruisers can answer...When we were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in '05 there seemed to be a lot of miss behaved kids (and parents who allowed it) on the ship. There was this sense of entitlement that I had never seen before (or since). When I asked a cast member about it, she said that there was a higher level of poor behavior since coming to CA and she attributed it to CA (we do, as a state, have entitlement issues). My question is, have you noticed that with so many Californians on the PC cruise, a difference in behavior?
BTW: Please don't fillet me because of these comments, I was born and raised in California, still live here and have a VERY well behaved child. But, I do admit, parents here seem to allow their children far more leeway and excuses than I have seen in other states--maybe that is true everywhere, in which case I apologize.

We were on the EBPC 2008.. and I have to admit..I was shocked at the behavior of some of the kids on board..there was a group that ran everywhere on the ship. Blocking people from getting on the elevator as well as off. Throwing things..knocking people to the ground as they ran though the adult only area (and I can attest to this personally as I was one of the guests knocked into a wall and suffered an injury to my shoulder and a bump to the head). I do not know where all of this children came from state-wise but I do know who a few of them were and they were not all from California. Some probably were...there were about 18-20 of them. We were told continuously that things would be handled but were not.. I was promised by our CD it would be handled once I got injured..it wasn't. I understand that it is the parents vacation as well as the kid's vacation but it doesn't mean the kids should be allowed to be distructive and rude. I have been on other cruises where you hardly know there were kids aboard.

I won't let this stopping me from going on another cruise with hopes that the kids are better behaved. Who the CD is won't matter to me either. Disney has to walk a fine line between making all of the guests happy. In my opinion..sometimes it's the adults who behave just as poorly. Although the CD techinically lied to me about making sure that the parents would be notified of the issue (the kids were located very easily and the reason I know the parents were not notified is because some of the parents were part of the dis group) there was nothing done.

A cute story...one of our friends was in the elevator with a group of these kids when they blocked her from getting off of the elevator. She had her camera with her so she snapped a picture of them and advised them she was reporting them to security.. the scooted faster then anything out of there

Another group of kids thought the funniest thing was to stand behind the glass elevators and make funny faces as you go by (nothing inappropriate)...I thought that was great...hanging out with your friends and having fun and not causing any damage or harm...

So..I think it doesn't matter where the kids come from... and now..on to a happier subject

 

[cardidog]

Hi!

I love to plan vacations right---almost more than actually going on them! I received a brochure from Cunard and they have a Panama Canal cruise from NY to LA that leaves on January 13 2011 for 17 days and the sale balcony price is $3,495 per person. That is actually cheaper than our Disney price! I always thought that the Cunard ships were way expensive. Has anyone on here sailed any of the Queens? We are thinking of sending my in-laws over on the trans-atlantic one for their 50th wedding anniversary. They both hate to fly and they do both smoke (sigh) and they allow smoking in the cabins. An inside cabin is around $700.00 per person.

Also, there is a round-trip Panama Canal Cunard cruise next March for 11 days out of Fort Lauderdale---I wonder if it just goes half-way through the canal.

 

[aan1701]

Alan. Do you have any idea when Southwest will open up for Thanksgiving bookings? Thanks.

I sure do. On 6/15/10 we open reservations thru 1/7/11. So not only does that open Thanksgiving for you, but it opens getting to the cruise. Remember to go at it right away as Thanksgiving deals are few and far between.

 

[aan1701]

I think heck might be freezing over as I agree with Alan yet again. If a CM outright lies to you that they are enforcing a policy and then don't, that's wrong and should be brought up higher. DH is cast and I can't imagine him ever doing that.
If that family was a make a wish family, that still doesn't give them carte blanche to do as they please. I say that having known families who have done that type of program.
Sounds like not all cruise directors are the same. Here's to hoping it's Christian then.

Jenn thanks for agreeing with me. I must clear it up, it was not just one family on this paticular cruise. It was a lot of kids. Now you are so right, and it may sound harsh, but if one of the offending families was a make a wish family, that dies not give them the right to do and break the rules they want. I think the biggest offender was the guy with the stroller who thought it was alright to nap in the cove area with a baby. And no the baby was not only sleeping. Also this was one of the things the Cruise Director turned a blind eye to after it was brought to his attention. Moving on now. Hope Jeff had fun driving the Monorails this weekend. I am so envyous.

 

[granmaz]

I sure do. On 6/15/10 we open reservations thru 1/7/11. So not only does that open Thanksgiving for you, but it opens getting to the cruise. Remember to go at it right away as Thanksgiving deals are few and far between.

Thanks alan. The infor is for a friend. I wish I live over there to take advantage!!!!

 

[aan1701]

Thanks alan. The infor is for a friend. I wish I live over there to take advantage!!!!

My only advise is book early and I mean early. Thanksgiving is a time we do not need to offer discounts as it seems the whole country wants to fly. They are there but will go really, really, really fast.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I hope we get Christiaan.
He is THE best dancer EVER...
I LOVE to dance, anyone for a boogie?

 

[aan1701]

I hope we get Christiaan.
He is THE best dancer EVER...
I LOVE to dance, anyone for a boogie?

No dancing for me. There was not even dancing at my wedding. I don't dance. I have no problem going to Wavebands for a drink or four.

 

[carmie3377]

We were on the EBPC 2008.. and I have to admit..I was shocked at the behavior of some of the kids on board..there was a group that ran everywhere on the ship. Blocking people from getting on the elevator as well as off. Throwing things..knocking people to the ground as they ran though the adult only area (and I can attest to this personally as I was one of the guests knocked into a wall and suffered an injury to my shoulder and a bump to the head). I do not know where all of this children came from state-wise but I do know who a few of them were and they were not all from California. Some probably were...there were about 18-20 of them. We were told continuously that things would be handled but were not.. I was promised by our CD it would be handled once I got injured..it wasn't. I understand that it is the parents vacation as well as the kid's vacation but it doesn't mean the kids should be allowed to be distructive and rude. I have been on other cruises where you hardly know there were kids aboard.

I can't believe that parents allow their children to act badly. I would be mortified if I found out that DD acted like this. In fact, if there was any doubt in my mind that she would act like that I would not allow her on her own. If I do find out she acted in that manner, her sign in/out privileges would be revoked and she would be confined to the cabin as punishment. We ran into her and her friends several times on the cruise in Dec and she was always on her best behavior even before she saw us. So, I have confidence that it will be same in Jan. If not, I will not allow it to continue.

 

[sak0526]

I can't believe that parents allow their children to act badly. I would be mortified if I found out that DD acted like this. In fact, if there was any doubt in my mind that she would act like that I would not allow her on her own. If I do find out she acted in that manner, her sign in/out privileges would be revoked and she would be confined to the cabin as punishment. We ran into her and her friends several times on the cruise in Dec and she was always on her best behavior even before she saw us. So, I have confidence that it will be same in Jan. If not, I will not allow it to continue.

Ahhh, if only parents were ALL like you - and not just on cruise ships!