Has Disney really gone downhill?

[Calantha]

I’m not sure what the confusion point is here but I can explain what our party did. FIL spoke to the head waiter on our previous cruise and we received tasty and flavorful Indian food for several nights made for us (not the crew) that wasn’t on the main menu. When following up with our head waiter, he explained that the chef of the restaurant we were in made it (the reason we asked is one night we each got our own plate vs a dish to share). We didn’t ask for anything specific, so we got whatever they were serving.

 

[Jsoenning]

Now, DCL can get away with charging more and can still fill up their ships. But, I'd advise DCL to think a little more about what they want their customers to feel: Do they want customers to feel like their money was well spent on a terrific vacation? Or that DCL is taking advantage of the Disney name to provide only a slightly better than average cruise?

Hopefully now that Bob Iger is back he'll instill more customer centricity throughout all Disney entities.

I think this is key to Disney coming back to being the top brand for entertainment (e.g. other animation studios have caught up and passed Disney in some recent instances - Mario & Spiderman), theme parks and cruise ships.

Walt Disney was always focused on "plus" and less so on the bottom line, which by focusing on the "plus" enabled new innovation that kept Disney ahead of the competition. And the bottom line was healthy by creating the magical innovation that led to things such as the first fully animated movie and the initial theme park in Disneyland. And all of the movies I grew up with in the 80's / 90's.

I think Disney is driven 100% by the bean counters, which doesn't give as much room for innovation. Heck even Frozen was based on an idea from Walt Disney's vault (at least partially). Sequels upon sequels versus unique ideas. The preview for the newest Pixar movie coming out didn't even cause a flicker of desire to see between my kids (counter to my own point as it looks to be a unique idea).

To me cruise lines in general (Disney, Royal Caribbean, Carnival) have all reduced the experience compared to early cruising (my wife and I started in 2005). Royal and Carnival state room attendants only come by the room once per day now as an example. No more chocolate dessert night and even though folks replied to a different comment I added, I don't think you can order filet mignon at any of the standard restaurants without an upcharge (on any of the lines). I'd have to do some analysis to see how the $ increases per night stayed have gone up compared to inflation.

Completely different random thought is for DCL, does Disney care? Would say their target audience often ages out of DCL and moves on to other lines; just to be filled with new customers taking their children for the first time. The Disney of the Disney cruise (characters, unique restaurants, shows) are likely enough to keep the ships full. Combined with the captive audience of Disney Junior shows as some of the best shows for younger audiences, the pipeline is in place to fill their relatively low number of ships.

I still love cruising and have a bunch booked, including two Disney. My kids have out-grown being as excited by the Disney character meet and greets and going to the kids clubs. My oldest loved the Edge though last year. Out-growing these things makes Royal and Carnival more appealing from a $$ perspective.

 

[Badtoro]

So many threads complain that service is bad, food is bad, ship is over crowded, no more dinner cabanas. We spent a small fortune for a western Caribbean on the fantasy mid June. This would be our 4th Disney cruise and I am starting to regret it. I cannot imagine being stuck on a boat for 7 days if it isn’t anything but awesome. Add the late dinner seating we can’t move to earlier and sargassum, and I would cancel if I could. Ugh.

Im currently on my 13th DCL cruise, British Isles. DCL has indeed gone down in quality. Food is bad, ie meat such as chicken breasts and pork cuts are dry as can be. Staff just standing around aimlessly and blocking guest hotspots. No dinner buffet is annoying when you return from a mid-day or late day excursion. Kids running around screaming in the cove coffee shop for at least 30 mins before staff said anything. Soda dispensers broke down daily. Kids running around in cabanas putting their hands in buffet items. I have sailed about 15 other cruise lines such as Carnival, NCL, RCL, and princess. Minus the pleasant staff, i had carnival vibes the whole time. This is my last DCL cruise, its not worth the premium price any longer.

 

[stkgator]

We are on our 13th DCL cruise and have a few more scheduled - have things changed over the years? Of course, they have, some for the better, some for the worst. But overall, DCL is still a wonderful experience. Our primary reason for cruising Disney is to relax. The only event scheduled each day is our 8:15 dinner. We love the late dinner as it allows us to eat at our own pace and time to chat with the crew as they too are less rushed. On our current cruise, our MDR server asked, after the fifth or sixth MDR cast member stopped by our table to say hello, "is there anyone on this ship that you do not know?" Twice-daily room servicing is wonderful - and allows us to relax even more while cruising. Movie, show, gym, sitting on deck four, or up on the upper decks - we just decided at the moment.

Regarding the crew cafeteria - with the large number of Asian workers on board, I have asked how good is the rice? The usual response is something similar to: "the best you can expect when you cook rice in a pan in the oven" - for those who don't understand the intricacies of cooking rice, what they are saying is that it is not the best

There is a Filipino chicken dish, adobo, which is served in the crew cafeteria. There are three main ingredients for adobo: chicken, soy sauce, vinegar/lemon juice + seasoning. So how can you get it wrong? When the Filipino chefs make it, it is very authentic. But when the Jamaican chefs cook it, it tastes like Jerk Chicken

Which brings me back to the original question of this thread: No matter what DCL does, they will not please all the guests/crew all the time - and there seems always a few that will never be pleased no matter what DCL does. Is DCL the perfect vacation? No, but it works for our family.

 

[Kwami]

Im currently on my 13th DCL cruise, British Isles. DCL has indeed gone down in quality. Food is bad, ie meat such as chicken breasts and pork cuts are dry as can be. Staff just standing around aimlessly and blocking guest hotspots. No dinner buffet is annoying when you return from a mid-day or late day excursion. Kids running around screaming in the cove coffee shop for at least 30 mins before staff said anything. Soda dispensers broke down daily. Kids running around in cabanas putting their hands in buffet items. I have sailed about 15 other cruise lines such as Carnival, NCL, RCL, and princess. Minus the pleasant staff, i had carnival vibes the whole time. This is my last DCL cruise, its not worth the premium price any longer.

On the other hand, I just returned from a DCL cruise to Alaska and it was easily the best one yet. The ship was clean, everything was working, the staff were all fantastic, the food was about as good as its even been (which is really just OK), and I never saw a single kid in Cove Cafe. So, maybe DCL hasn't gone down in quality, but your particular cruise was bad for some reason.

 

[RedHead0186]

On the other hand, I just returned from a DCL cruise to Alaska and it was easily the best one yet. The ship was clean, everything was working, the staff were all fantastic, the food was about as good as its even been (which is really just OK), and I never saw a single kid in Cove Cafe. So, maybe DCL hasn't gone down in quality, but your particular cruise was bad for some reason.

I've heard anecdotally from others on this board that some of the European cruises this summer have just had bad guest behavior overall. So I think you might be right, at least about some of it. Of course, guest behavior wouldn't factor into food quality, but some of the other gripes might.

I also never understood the "cast members standing around aimlessly" statement, at least without context. Sometimes it is a CM's job to just stand around, be available for guest questions, etc. Again, without context I'm not sure what "aimless" looks like, but to me that comment sometimes comes across like people expect CMs to always be running around doing things (which is not my expectation).

 

[floridavet]

I just got off the Wish and I disagree. We have been on around 8 cruises between Carnival/RC/Disney but our last cruise was in 2015 with Disney. We are now a family of 4 whereas on our last cruise we had one infant.
Shows were top notch as always.
Entertainment was the same stuff from 10 years ago...Bingo, trivia, family game. Good way to kill some time if needed.
Food was hit or miss overall but most was solid, particularly the desserts. The burrito bowls near the pool were great. My kids ate their weight in crab legs in Mercaline. We didn't try any of the adult restaurants but we haven't in years.
The service was the same great service we always have. A clean stateroom at all times and very attentive waiters.

The cons I'd say are the very small pools, the lack of buffet at night for when you want to skip dinner with tired kids, and the frequency with which the Aquamouse goes down. All minor inconveniences in the grand scheme of things.

 

[jujubiee4]

I can be really critical of DCL and have been. Having recently sailed on my least favorite ship Disney Wonder we did the 9 night Alaska along with 16 family members. Now that several weeks have gone by I wanted to see if my opinion changed from the day we disembarked.
It hasn't. Hands down one of the best we have been on. Food was average to above average. However service ...cleanliness...communication..housekeeping...kids club etc were outstanding. Reminded me of disney of old. It wasnt just because it was Alaska either as we just took Princess Alaska cruise the month before. I also posted about how we took the Fantasy in the spring and that was a mess and i almost cancelled the july one.

I was close to giving up on DCL but will still sail again for now. This last cruise made me feel they are back on the right track. (Now the parks on the other hand) ......

 

[bcwife76]

I've heard so many reports from people who went to Europe on the Dream this summer and were disappointed. We were on the 11night Northern Europe trip and had a fantastic time, food was good (not all of it but enough for us not to be put off). Service was fantastic, I didn't see any unruly guest behaviour. Our only gripe was disembarkation in Southampton, that was a hot mess.

 

[DCLMP]

I can be really critical of DCL and have been. Having recently sailed on my least favorite ship Disney Wonder we did the 9 night Alaska along with 16 family members. Now that several weeks have gone by I wanted to see if my opinion changed from the day we disembarked.
It hasn't. Hands down one of the best we have been on. Food was average to above average. However service ...cleanliness...communication..housekeeping...kids club etc were outstanding. Reminded me of disney of old. It wasnt just because it was Alaska either as we just took Princess Alaska cruise the month before. I also posted about how we took the Fantasy in the spring and that was a mess and i almost cancelled the july one.

I was close to giving up on DCL but will still sail again for now. This last cruise made me feel they are back on the right track. (Now the parks on the other hand) ......

I booked that cruise for next year. After shopping every cruise line for something interesting that didn't involve a long-haul flight I landed on that one. I'm working on accumulating enough miles to fly to Japan business class in 2025.

We went to Alaska on the Wonder in 2017, but it was in September and the days were short. I want to experience Alaska in the heart of the Season. I'm glad you enjoyed the cruise it's an interesting itinerary. I'm thinking about flying into Seattle or Bellingham, renting a car, and driving around the northwest for a few days.

I booked an inside sideways room. I'm one of those people that doesn't think you need a balcony for Alaska. I'd rather save the money. Unlike you though the Wonder is my favorite ship.

As far as Disney being back on track. I don't think they were ever off track, but cruises vary. Sometimes you have a great one and the next one might be a dud.

 

[DCLMP]

I've heard so many reports from people who went to Europe on the Dream this summer and were disappointed. We were on the 11night Northern Europe trip and had a fantastic time, food was good (not all of it but enough for us not to be put off). Service was fantastic, I didn't see any unruly guest behaviour. Our only gripe was disembarkation in Southampton, that was a hot mess.

I was on that cruise and I thought it was great. We had a so-so serving team and the food was meh, but other than that it was great. Like I said in my previous post you can't expect every cruise to be perfect if you do you'll be disappointed.

 

[Flying Fish]

DCL has probably gone down hill a little bit in various ways in various areas. The food is not nearly as good as it was years ago when we started sailing Disney, but it is still better than Royal or some others. The service in the MDRs does seem slower than in previous years, and I am not sure why that is. It's not a major issue to us, though. When the food does come, it is generally okay (not great but not bad at all). The staff around the ship are helpful and friendly much more than any other line. The entertainment is still good for the most part, although I don't like that some of the same shows are showing up on various ships. It was always fun to have to go on certain ships to get the headline show of that ship. My biggest gripe is with the new ships: they lack the charm and character of the first four, the dining rooms are too cramped, the theater seats are less comfortable, the theaters seems more crowded in general, and I hate the lack of a true walking deck. That all being said, I will be giving the Treasure a shot and we have other cruises booked on the four "good" ships.

 

[Flossbolna]

Another one with a really great all around experience on the Wonder in Alaska. I might be biased though as we had my favorite cruise director (Jimmy) on that cruise.

We also did a Dream cruise in May in the Med. and with both we thought the quality was very high, but the Wonder topped the Dream by quite a bit. I think I just love the smaller ship experience. We also had the best serving team of all of our cruises. And spending more time on the ship and less in ports also helps getting to know the crew better, but in general I felt the crew on the Wonder was more genuinely friendly. Chatting with you, the pool deck attendants coming over bringing me a blanket after I sat down on the adult pool deck to read and other small touches like that.

We are very critical of the downturn in customer service quality at WDW, so definitely not looking through rose colored glasses. But all in all we find that DCL so far has not gone down in quality since we started cruising (me in 2013, my husband in 2006).

The only thing that we really find annoying is that Cabanas dinner service was discontinued.

 

[goofy4prez]

Walt Disney was always focused on "plus" and less so on the bottom line, which by focusing on the "plus" enabled new innovation that kept Disney ahead of the competition. And the bottom line was healthy by creating the magical innovation that led to things such as the first fully animated movie and the initial theme park in Disneyland. And all of the movies I grew up with in the 80's / 90's.

I think Disney is driven 100% by the bean counters, which doesn't give as much room for innovation.

I agree in part with this. I think that Walt Disney certainly did have an eye on the bottom line, but did an excellent job of staying focused on the "plus" for the consumer as well as being successful on the bottom line. He and his team certainly understood how to create the "magic" while adding to the bottom line.

As for Disney today being 100% driven by bean counters... Yepper, I agree with this. Over the years I have always spent and spent a lot when at WDW, but still felt like I was getting value and immensely enjoyed myself. Now I don't feel the same way and feel like I'm getting less and less while paying more and more. At this point in my life I have discovered DCL and while still expensive, I feel I am getting a value for what I am paying. Even with the changes with DCL with Palo brunch and a few other things, I still don't feel the grasp of the bean counters like I do with the parks.

 

[holula]

On the other hand, I just returned from a DCL cruise to Alaska and it was easily the best one yet. The ship was clean, everything was working, the staff were all fantastic, the food was about as good as its even been (which is really just OK), and I never saw a single kid in Cove Cafe. So, maybe DCL hasn't gone down in quality, but your particular cruise was bad for some reason.

I’m currently on the Wonder and in total agreement with you. No issues on here like the pp had on the Dream in Europe, apart from an over cooked steak one night.

 

[DCLMP]

I agree in part with this. I think that Walt Disney certainly did have an eye on the bottom line, but did an excellent job of staying focused on the "plus" for the consumer as well as being successful on the bottom line. He and his team certainly understood how to create the "magic" while adding to the bottom line.

As for Disney today being 100% driven by bean counters... Yepper, I agree with this. Over the years I have always spent and spent a lot when at WDW, but still felt like I was getting value and immensely enjoyed myself. Now I don't feel the same way and feel like I'm getting less and less while paying more and more. At this point in my life I have discovered DCL and while still expensive, I feel I am getting a value for what I am paying. Even with the changes with DCL with Palo brunch and a few other things, I still don't feel the grasp of the bean counters like I do with the parks.

I agree with you, but I have also found value in other cruise lines for a fraction of the cost. I'm not saying DCL isn't great, but it's not the end all be all of cruising not by a long stretch. I feel like I'm getting good value when I find a cruise that's a reasonable price or I get a good discount. Some of their cruises are so mind-blowing- expensive that there is no way I would consider that a good value.

 

[goofy4prez]

I agree with you, but I have also found value in other cruise lines for a fraction of the cost. I'm not saying DCL isn't great, but it's not the end all be all of cruising not by a long stretch. I feel like I'm getting good value when I find a cruise that's a reasonable price or I get a good discount. Some of their cruises are so mind-blowing- expensive that there is no way I would consider that a good value.

Same here; I also mostly agree. I did a cruise with RSSC for the first time this past March. It was a luxury cruise line and all-inclusive for 10 nights. This included a night at the Miami Intercontinental, round trip airfare, all food and beverages including wine, beer, and alcohol, excursions, butler you name it. Was it expensive? Yes, it was. But it will still be less than my DCL cruise in concierge this upcoming April. I have another with RSSC in February 2025 and thought of canceling and doing DCL on the Treasure. That thought lasted all of about 5 minutes until I saw the prices. I love me some Disney, and with DCL I still enjoy and feel a decent value, but unlike 15-20 years ago, I have discovered life away from the mouse as well and will mix it up between Disney (parks and/or DCL) and other cruise lines or destinations.

 

[FastPasser.]

We’ll be doing a lot fewer DCL cruises not because of the money or other factors, it’s mainly because it’s become repetitive. We’ve tried a couple of other cruise lines and for the most part they were fine. DCL will be in the mix but it’s time to venture out.

 

[DCLMP]

We’ll be doing a lot fewer DCL cruises not because of the money or other factors, it’s mainly because it’s become repetitive. We’ve tried a couple of other cruise lines and for the most part they were fine. DCL will be in the mix but it’s time to venture out.

I was excited about Australia until I saw the short cruises. I'm guessing Singapore will be the same. If they put a ship in South America is it just going to be 4-night cruises? I wish they would add some new itineraries out of the US. Even Alaska could be changed up by adding some one-way cruises.

 

[Kwami]

I was excited about Australia until I saw the short cruises. I'm guessing Singapore will be the same. If they put a ship in South America is it just going to be 4-night cruises? I wish they would add some new itineraries out of the US. Even Alaska could be changed up by adding some one-way cruises.

I know that cast member rumors aren't worth much, but I talked to my server about the Australian cruises when I was on the Wonder a few weeks ago. He said that the cruises were short this time because Australia is a new market and they're experimenting. He expects longer and more interesting itineraries in future years. We'll see, though.

Disney prefers closed-loop cruises of 7 nights or less. They don't offer many longer cruises and they don't offer many one-way cruises. There's probably some good business sense in that. Their repositioning cruises don't sell very well, except for special ones like the Hawaiin and the Panama Canal cruises.