Empress Room
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 15, 2007
- Messages
- 426
[Disclaimer: DW and I love DCL. We have been on 10 DCL cruises, on both the Magic and the Wonder, most recently the Western on May 3. We have two more DCL cruises booked and believe that the DCL cruise experience is far better than that on other cruise lines on which we sailed. Our first cruise was a four-day (yes, four-day) on the Magic (yes, the Magic) in 1999. DW and I were reflecting upon our decade of cruising DCL and concluded that, although still great, some of the details and magic that made our first DCL cruises are no longer part of the experience. We were just wondering whether other veteran DCL cruisers feel the same way.]
In no particular order, here are some things (some small and some big) that have changed on the Magic (and Wonder) since our first DCL cruise experience back in 1998 that, IMHO, has made the experience a little less "magical..."
1. The absence of the "wow" shrimp cocktail - when DW and I first boarded the Magic in 1999 and headed up to Topsiders, we were "wowed" by the presence of a massive display of huge peeled shrimp cocktail and ice sculptures. Reallly impressive. Sure, there are still peel and eat shrimp on sailaway day, but the scope and presentation of food no longer screams "you are very special and in for the experience of your life."
2. The absence of complimentary champagne on sailaway evening - there was a Captain's Gala in the atrium which was done a little differently than it is today. Nice reception on the first night and a horde of waiters and waitresses with trays of complimentary champagne and appetizers. It's no longer done this way any more - some complimentary drinks and not champagne, not usually on that first evening. Again, a little touch that's lost.
3. No live bands, especially at sailaway - maybe it's just us, but we love live music. Musicians/band playing at the sailaway parties, playing in the adult clubs during the cruise and on theme nights. Obviously, as anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows, live bands cost more than a DJ, but set a better atmosphere and show the guests that no expense is too great for them.
4. The demise of Diversions - before Diversions was Diversions, it was the home of (at first) an ad lib comedy show and (later) dueling pianos. Live entertainment that has again been eliminated in favor of a more mundane bar/flat screen experience. Again, live performers cost money, and consistency with quality can always be an issue, but performers can make the experience. Some of our best times on the Magic were attending the comedy shows (think Comedy Warehouse at PI only on the open seas).
5. Technical and theme absences - there were many more technical and thematic touches on the Magic that no longer exist. From the simple smoke and steam effect that used to waft from the fake manhole covers on Beat Street to the better cared for shuffleboard game on Deck 4 and basketball/floor hockey facilities on the Sports Deck, it seems that these areas are now "afterthoughts" and not the viable entertainment alternatives they once were.
6. Grander shows during dinner - although the entertainment at Animator's is essentially the same, Parrot Cay and Lumiere's (Triton's) used to have grander and more extravagant shows during dinner (they still exist, but, again, not to the level of the Little Mermaid show that used to be part and parcel of the dinner hour).
Okay, okay, I am sure there are more and, in re-reading my list some appear to be a bit overzealous; however, DW and I both agree that the experience on DCL, although superb, is not quite as "wow" as it used to be. Anyone care to weigh in?
In no particular order, here are some things (some small and some big) that have changed on the Magic (and Wonder) since our first DCL cruise experience back in 1998 that, IMHO, has made the experience a little less "magical..."
1. The absence of the "wow" shrimp cocktail - when DW and I first boarded the Magic in 1999 and headed up to Topsiders, we were "wowed" by the presence of a massive display of huge peeled shrimp cocktail and ice sculptures. Reallly impressive. Sure, there are still peel and eat shrimp on sailaway day, but the scope and presentation of food no longer screams "you are very special and in for the experience of your life."
2. The absence of complimentary champagne on sailaway evening - there was a Captain's Gala in the atrium which was done a little differently than it is today. Nice reception on the first night and a horde of waiters and waitresses with trays of complimentary champagne and appetizers. It's no longer done this way any more - some complimentary drinks and not champagne, not usually on that first evening. Again, a little touch that's lost.
3. No live bands, especially at sailaway - maybe it's just us, but we love live music. Musicians/band playing at the sailaway parties, playing in the adult clubs during the cruise and on theme nights. Obviously, as anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows, live bands cost more than a DJ, but set a better atmosphere and show the guests that no expense is too great for them.
4. The demise of Diversions - before Diversions was Diversions, it was the home of (at first) an ad lib comedy show and (later) dueling pianos. Live entertainment that has again been eliminated in favor of a more mundane bar/flat screen experience. Again, live performers cost money, and consistency with quality can always be an issue, but performers can make the experience. Some of our best times on the Magic were attending the comedy shows (think Comedy Warehouse at PI only on the open seas).
5. Technical and theme absences - there were many more technical and thematic touches on the Magic that no longer exist. From the simple smoke and steam effect that used to waft from the fake manhole covers on Beat Street to the better cared for shuffleboard game on Deck 4 and basketball/floor hockey facilities on the Sports Deck, it seems that these areas are now "afterthoughts" and not the viable entertainment alternatives they once were.
6. Grander shows during dinner - although the entertainment at Animator's is essentially the same, Parrot Cay and Lumiere's (Triton's) used to have grander and more extravagant shows during dinner (they still exist, but, again, not to the level of the Little Mermaid show that used to be part and parcel of the dinner hour).
Okay, okay, I am sure there are more and, in re-reading my list some appear to be a bit overzealous; however, DW and I both agree that the experience on DCL, although superb, is not quite as "wow" as it used to be. Anyone care to weigh in?
