Just back & a bit disappointed...

[kristinemomof4]

Thirteen of us just got back on Sat from the 7 day eastern on the Magic. It was supposed to be western but last minute the captain changed it to eastern due to hurricane ernesto. That was fine with us & the weather was gorgeous. Couldn't have been any better.

The cruise itself was excellent along with the food & the nightly shows. Our waiter Orlan was awesome! All 7 kids & 6 adults had a ball.

But, there were 3 major disappointments...

1) The deck party started at 9:30 pm & the fireworks are at 10:30 pm. Now, if this cruise is geared to kids why in the world would they do this so late?? All of the kids were wiped out from being in St. Thomas all day & could not stay up. So, therefore we all missed it. I know there is a late seating for dinner but that is just not fair.

2) Also, obviously we all know the disney cruise is a lot of money (it's no secret) & you are paying for the name & to have characters on the ship. Well, we were all disappointed that the charatcers are just not walking freely around. You still have to wait on lines to see them like disney world & after waiting for 20 mins, they leave & sometimes another comes & sometimes they don't. As you can see (if you have cruised before) on the navigator, sometimes there are hours where there are no character appearances. They should be constantly in the atrium or up on deck 9 so every child has a chance to see or visit with a character. The other thing is they make it like an assembly line...you can talk or have any interaction with them.

3) Then adding to our character frustration, my ds, dd & dh were taking a picture with sorcerer mickey & I took a picture behind the photographer. I took another & Max, the charatcer manager told me "mam, only 1 picture please" I said WHAT...YOUR KIDDING ME? He said we have a long line here. I said yeah I know we just waited there!!! Off to guest services DH & I went. One of the managers called us that night & offered us to meet all the characters at 10:30 that night. Yup, once again, exhausted kids couldn't make it. A little too late.

I don't mean to be a downer...like I said we did have a great time & it was a trip we will never forget. The youngest was 5 months old (my ds) & the oldest on the trip was my 91 year old grandmother so we will have great memories.

Would I ever take another disney cruise? Definatley not! We would go on another crusie line & pay 1/2 the price to not have the characters.

 

[jima53]

Sometimes I think the policy makers, at no matter what level, lose some of their common sense when they plan things. They forget about the kids and what their systems can take in a day. Too bad about the character meetings and how controlled they are. Having more availability during the day would correct this problem.

Jim

 

[married@wdw]

I hate to disagree, but much like Disney World, you have to prioritize what you want to see and do. With kids, you can't do it all. If the the fireworks had been that important, maybe a nap was in order -- no matter what the age. My four neice and nephews are between 8 and 15 and we handle vacations that way -- if we have late night plans, we have to plan in about two hours of rest time in the afternoon. We've done four trips to Disney this way since the youngest was three as well as an annual trip to the Jersey shore and we pretty much always have rest time from 3 to 5 p.m., unless there's something we absolutely have to do during that time. The adults appreciate too!

As for character interaction, I'm really surprised at this -- not the lines, but the actual interation part. DH and I took an anniversary cruise last year and had an incredible time with the characters, especially Stitch. I had an anniversary cake in my hand because we'd just come from dinner, so he tried to steal it. Well, I told him he really needed a time out -- so he went and sat in a corner!!! It was SOOO funnny. I had to go in the corner and drag him back to the center of the atrium. Everyone was laughing. I also have a wonderful picture of Captain Hook and I -- he tried to "throw me overboard."

I'm sorry you had a disappointing time though! I hate when I think things will be one way and they end up different -- especially when it's something so important and special!

 

[andy99]

If your looking for a great cruise for the whole family without the Diseny Theme try Royal Carribean. You will have a great time and so will the kids.

 

[JNorris]

I agree about the character line ups too. We are sailing in a week (YEAH!) and we've convinced DD8 to skip the autograph sessions this time. But then again, she's been on 3 other Disney cruises and goes to WDW at least once a year, so we've done the autograph thing to death.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I think it's difficult to please everyone. Disney does the best they could. Personally, I think if you knew the party and fireworks were so late, then perhaps not doing as much in St. Thomas that day and allowing the kids some downtime/naptime would have helped. Who knows.

As far as the characters are concerned I am very happy they don't let them just roam around. Could you imagine the mob scene that would ensue? You think the lines as they are now are rediculous? Well, mass chaos would result in the alternative. I like how they have it organized -- you can check out the board in the atrium to see who is going to be where and when and I believe there is a character hotline from your stateroom telephone.

As far as pictures with characters are concerned, yes the lines might be a bit long but can you imagine if each guest took their time taking multiple photos? The lines would never move, kids waiting somewhat patiently would lose their composure with all the excitement.

Yes, I know you are just giving your opinions and thoughts and I really do appreciate them. I'm sorry that these reasons would keep you from taking another Disney Cruise - it is a lot of money to not be more satisfied.

I hope your next cruise meets and exceeds all of your expectations. Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[princess22]

1) The deck party started at 9:30 pm & the fireworks are at 10:30 pm. Now, if this cruise is geared to kids why in the world would they do this so late?? All of the kids were wiped out from being in St. Thomas all day & could not stay up. So, therefore we all missed it. I know there is a late seating for dinner but that is just not fair.




.

I had late dinner seating, and I didn't think it was fair that we had to rush dinner to get to the Pirate Party on time. Life's not fair, but I think they were trying to make it fair on that night. If it's any earlier, the late seating wouldn't make it at all (they are already pushing it). I think they found the perfect time. I'm not trying to attack you, just give you a different perspective!

I'm sorry to hear about your character experiences. I think the worst part of my crusie was the line for the chocolate/dessert buffet. We waited in a really long line for that, and our table mates told us the next day that they waited in line and when they were almost there, they told them it was closed! How dissapointing!

 

[BethA]

I think the lines for the photographs need to be dealt with. More characters, more lines--especially those with Mickey and Minnie in formal attire and sorcerer Mickey. The lines are awful and they are only available for a very brief time. I think they should have separate autograph times, because kids with books seem to tie up the lines. The books and pens aren't ready and you'll have everyone in the family getting an autograph. Characters should be available without the shutters photographers for autographs more frequently.

I think the deck parties are so late because we were often in the second seating til almost 10 some nights.

As far as free interaction with the characters--they started having lines in WDW because of the behavior of the guests-pushing, cutting in, etc. I'm not sure how else they could handle it, unless you had an area like in Mickey's tent at WDW with a long line leading to small rooms guests enter a few at a time to see the characters, and i doubt the ship has room for that,

 

[wayneg]

I understand the fireworks being too late for little ones but can't see any other option for them. Cant do in daylight or when people are dinning, They also cant do 2 shows for different sittings, I know someone at Disney and they had to jump thru hoops to get the 1 show, they would never get permission for 2. (should never say never so highly unlikely)
We felt the other way after our Disney cruises, suprised how many characters were about, Sunbathing and Donald duck turned up, Walking down a corridor and Captain hook walks by etc.
We have just done a RCCL cruise and saved loads of money, but will never go on the Sovereign of the seas again, it should be scrapped. Will pay double and do Disney in future.
Glad you had a good cruise despite dissapointments.

 

[Float My Boat]

1) The deck party started at 9:30 pm & the fireworks are at 10:30 pm. Now, if this cruise is geared to kids why in the world would they do this so late?? All of the kids were wiped out from being in St. Thomas all day & could not stay up. So, therefore we all missed it. I know there is a late seating for dinner but that is just not fair.

So you would rather that all the kids at the late seating miss the fireworks? That would be "fair"? Give me a break. Trust me, there are PLENTY of kids at the pirate party. Apparently those parents are able to either prioritize, or figure out a way to make it happen for their children. Sorry you are not one of those parents.

2) Well, we were all disappointed that the charatcers are just not walking freely around. You still have to wait on lines to see them like disney world & after waiting for 20 mins, they leave & sometimes another comes & sometimes they don't. As you can see (if you have cruised before) on the navigator, sometimes there are hours where there are no character appearances. They should be constantly in the atrium or up on deck 9 so every child has a chance to see or visit with a character. The other thing is they make it like an assembly line...you can talk or have any interaction with them.

If the characters were walking freely around, and stopped to chat with my son, I guarantee there would be a ton of kids (probably yours included) who would mob them and interrupt. There is no way to allow EVERYONE who wants contact to have contact without having scheduled times and a line. However, I have been on 2 cruises before and have always run into characters here and there walking around. It's not common, but it does happen.

3) the charatcer manager told me "mam, only 1 picture please" I said WHAT...YOUR KIDDING ME? He said we have a long line here.

If I had been behind you in line, I have a sneaky hunch I would have applauded.

 

[VAgal76]

Well, first off it's kind of hard to do the Pirate Deck party right after first seating. As you stated, they do have a second seating and they have to accommodate them as well. You're right, it would be grossly unfair for only those on first seating have a chance to enjoy the pirate deck party. Second, if they made it earlier then during the summer you're having fireworks at dusk. Not exactly how I like to view fireworks. KWIM? I'm sorry you missed the party. Seeing that it is in the navigator we told DS to take a nap in preparation for it. He's 10 so this can be a little tough. He just sat on the sofa watching tv so I let it ride. Lo and behold if he wasn't too tired to stay up for the treats after the deck party. He barely made it through the deck party. Oh, well - DS will plan better next time. I was looking forward to the all the treats I've heard so much about and seen a few pictures of. I was disappointed, but that's how the cookie crumbles. I don't see when else they could hold this. The firework shows at Disney are late night, too, so like another poster stated - we plan for it.

Character interaction. Again, there is no guarantee here and I have yet to see where anyone claims characters are non-stop. It's like the park - they are here and there during certain times of the day. I found characters more accessible on the ship than in the parks. There were a few characters I hadn't gotten in the park that we saw on the ship and and decided to get. It's still busy and they don't have time to play with each child/person. I'm sorry, but I don't agree they should have characters the in atrium all day. First, until you wear one of those suits you'll never know how hot it really gets in one. Second, it wouldn't be feasible. They most likely have a group of employees that rotates. They need to rest up since most of the action is in the evening and not during the day when every one is in port. I think more characters are out during the day on sea days, but I'd have to refer to my navigator to see if that it is a true statement or not.

Did you tell they photographer that your picture may not have taken? They were so pleasant with us even during the busiest of nights (Pirate Night). The character assistant even took a picture with our camera for our group shot on Pirate Night after he saw our camera sitting there. This is after the photographer snapped our photo. So, we got two pictures. Though we didn't have a lot of time with the characters we never felt like we were being pushed through either. I felt more rushed at the parks during character interactions, but I guess it's just me. I'm in awe that manager gave you a private character interaction to make up for your complaint. I applaud them for taking such drastic measures to try and make you happy.

It seems kind of sad because you didn't plan for the party, didn't like the fact that characters were out a lot at night instead of during the day and had one not so pleasant interaction with a photographer would drive your decision not to cruise with them again. You seem to really have enjoyed yourself all other times. I really feel it was a planning thing and not a DCL thing. Other cruiselines have a late night activities as well. You will be disappointed with them also if you don't plan accordingly.

 

[Cindi0511]

I"m glad you have some good memories of your trip. That does make it worthwhile. I'm not sure there is a way to for Disney to make it fair for everyone because there are just too many different people with different priorities aboard at the same time. I do hope you took the time to fill out the comment card, though, as Disney presents those to us for the specific purpose of trying to do better when they can and giving well deserved praise to the cast members who earn it.

I do think there could be some more impromptu character times. We were walking down a hallway, and ran into Donald Duck. He knelt down with my very young daughter and had a great interaction with her and was not mobbed by anyone else at all. I don't know if he was coming from or going to a timed appearance, but he was great. Of course, we didn't have our autograph book with us then. Murphy's law!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

uh oh









::cop:

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

My DH and I cruised the Magic earlier this year and had a blast with no complaints. Now granted we had no kids with us, BUT we raised two kids and did WDW many times. I can honestly say that with my experience raising our kids the cruise can be done IF YOU PLAN. Times are given in the Navigator and plenty of info is given on the Dis to help you with planning. Sorry, I am not buying your complaints.

 

[becka]

I am sorry that you had so many disappointments. At least it sounds like you did have some fun.

#1: I have to agree with the majority here that your problem with the pirate party was not an issue with DCL's timing but with your timing. You knew in advance how late the party was and if you knew your kids could not stay up that late then you should have planned for that earlier in the day. We can't always expect to do everythhing we might want to do because we have to make some things a priority. My DD still has to nap everyday and still goes to bed early. Should they not have activities from noon-2 while my DD naps. It is not fair that I have to miss them. They should know that lots of little ones still require naps about that time....

#2: I have to admit I was suprised at the length of the character lines on our first cruise and as a result we only stood in 1-2 lines the whole trip. It seemed to us the lines at WDW were much more managable in length and since we were also doing the parks we didn't feel like spending that much time in line on the ship. The picture lines were the same way so we didn't do the pictures. With two very little kids standing in line that long is not always a great option for us. We did however see a few charaters walking around the ship and they did stop to talk to our kids. I have to admit those were the best moments but I can see how things could easily get out of control if there were no lines for the vast majority of the character encounters. I would still rather cruise DCL and get some character interaction rather than another line with no characters - at least with the age of my kids.

 

[Frankiesmom]

I guess I feel like the majority of everyone is being really harsh to the OP. Yes alot of her complaints could have been solved by better planning on her part. But I do have to agree with the character interaction-having done 2 DCL cruises and a 3rd coming in April-we never got a chance to meet the characters-because of long lines etc.-but we didn't plan on making the character visits a priority-so this next time we will. Everyone should be able to post here-even about their perceived nagatives without being called names-and especially calling little kids names-a cruise is what you make of it-and if your vacation is ruined by a couple of minor disappointments-well maybe next time you'll just have to plan better. I am glad to hear that overall you had a good time!

 

[VAgal76]

It seems you took a very small thing and amplified it a million times and how DCL should only cater to you and your family. If you didn't intend it that way then maybe you should say so. I see how my post came off a little snotty. It wasn't my intention. I'm really floored they did such a big thing to sweeten your sour experience. Just out of curiousity. What other time could they have the Pirate Party? Do they need to change dining hours? Cut port time short in order to meet that earlier dining time for everyone? Having characters non-stop is a little absurd if you ask me. It's nice to have the excitement build for the kiddos. If they were around the entire time it lessen the magic. Again - JMO.

Cindi - Yes, some people DO need to take it easy with personal attacks.

 

[VAgal76]

You don't have to worry. I don't think her post was directed at you. I'm the one applauding management for trying to give her a unique experience she had to pass on. Maybe cruising just isn't for her family?

 

[Lindy Loo]

Trying to get on track with the Ops observations. Is there any hints or tips please, cruisers could give me for my first cruise in 6 weeks time.

The TA showed us a Video of the cruise and on the TV holiday programme it made out characters were wandering all over the ship. This was part of the reason for booking. if you have to queue for a long time for each character, do we give this a miss? My DD4 will be so sad, but we are at WDW too.
Gosh for the $s we are paying, I thought there would be characters everywhere.................. on the Video they show lots of them at Castaway cay, please say that bits right!!!!

 

[Dreamer04]

I can understand how disappointed the OP is, but, as others have said, planning is key. When I travel with my children, it is not, generally speaking, a laid-back vacation. There are times of rest, but mostly its go, go, go!

The pirate night party was a huge part of our cruise. We planned for it. We went to the beach on St Thomas. Then took a nap, early dinner, rest and then the show. Between the show, the dancing and the fireworks..you need to rest.

I seriously disagree about the character interaction. We always take a moment to chat with the characters. Some of my happiest memories of our cruises are my children with the characters. There were lots of times we ran into Chip and Dale, Princess Aurora, Donald, and best of all Captain Mickey! ( I think I squealed louder than my DD did, when we saw him!)

The characters lines were long. But in the AM, we would call the PALS # and make and effort to see the ones we wanted to see.

Anyway, I hope you try DCL again, soon. Maybe next time, you'll be able to get some tips from the boards before you go, to help your trip!