Just back from 1st Disney Cruise...My Thoughts (Solo traveler)

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Sweet fancy Moses! I hope this was just a server quirk and not a typical thing. We are cruising for the first time later this month, and I definitely don't need anyone cutting my meat for me.

In my 5 cruises no one has cut my meat for me. My son’s? Yes, and I welcome that, but not mine- that’s just weird.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Really interesting review and so neat to see your perspective!

Just to let you know we were on the 13 night transatlantic and the shows in the restaurants are never duplicated even on such a long cruise. Rather, there aren't shows every single night - some nights it's just dinner.

The server cutting meat thing is odd, but I would probably just have said no thanks on the first day! We had our assistant server offer to cut up food on one of our kids' plates, but she certainly didn't do it without asking.

In my view any day cruising is better than a day at home even if it's not on DCL. I am not a DCL cheerleader in that most of my cruises have been on other lines and most of my future ones probably will be as well. I do think DCL has some of the best service, but that's just in my experience. It wouldn't stop me from choosing another line particularly because of pricing.

 

[Adventurelawyer]

Sweet fancy Moses! I hope this was just a server quirk and not a typical thing. We are cruising for the first time later this month, and I definitely don't need anyone cutting my meat for me.

Yeah, this was super weird. I can’t imagine anyone cutting my meat for me. I have seen it done for children, but not adults. Weird.

 

[mevelandry]

I may be in the minority here but at times (exception being our first one when our server was not nice at all), I felt like the attention of the servers on DCL is a little bit too much?

I’m an introvert, I don’t want servers to become my best friends.

 

[Karin1984]

I may be in the minority here but at times (exception being our first one when our server was nice nice at all), I felt like the attention of the servers on DCL is a little bit too much?

I’m an introvert, I don’t want servers to become my best friends.

I think it depends on your own behaviour. It's like with characters, they (usually) pick up how you want to be treated. So I wouldn't worry.

I have been on one cruise, no one cut my meat.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

So- I am a pretty much DCL cruise devotee and I loved your review. It was detailed and well-balanced. And fair. Thank you!

 

[belle032]

Thank you for your well-written and thought out post! DH & I sailed on the Magic in September, and I posted a brief review about it on another thread, but I pretty much agree with your entire review. There are some areas where Disney definitely excels, such as theming and character meets and stage shows. There are other aspects I prefer on other cruise lines, such as nightlife and adult activities. I also loved participating in the fish extender group and thought that was so unique and fun! But I found the food entirely comparable to other cruise lines I've sailed and I know that repeat DCL cruisers rave about the service, but I've honestly never been treated with anything but kindness and respect on any ship we've ever sailed. I cannot say Disney ever went above and beyond for us, but I have no doubt they have for many others and I think that's awesome. And I'm also so happy you mentioned the atrium/lobby, because that was something I missed very much on the Magic. It seems minor, but I love the lobby being a center of activity so we missed that.

Cruising is our vacation of choice and DCL is a wonderful cruise line. But after 2 sailings with them, I don't believe DH & I are their target audience at this point in our lives, which is fine! I would absolutely sail with them again if the price and itinerary were right, however, the premium cost is not quite worth it for us right now in terms of what we value in a cruise vacation.

So it's all about balance and for us, that means cruising on another line in January and getting our Disney magic at WDW in the fall of 2020!

 

[mevelandry]

I think it depends on your own behaviour. It's like with characters, they (usually) pick up how you want to be treated. So I wouldn't worry.

I have been on one cruise, no one cut my meat.

My in-laws are extremely chatty and friendly. LOL

 

[bakerworld]

One of the aspects we like on the DCL cruise is the adult areas have only adults in them. My sisters went on NCL and Princess and the adult areas allowed children. Has anyone else experienced children in the adult areas - either DCL or other lines?

 

[Adventurelawyer]

One of the aspects we like on the DCL cruise is the adult areas have only adults in them. My sisters went on NCL and Princess and the adult areas allowed children. Has anyone else experienced children in the adult areas - either DCL or other lines?

People complain about children in the adult area on DCL, from time to time, but I’ve only ever seen them pass through from the forward elevator area or be escorted out by CMs. I’ve never seen kids of any age just hanging about or playing in adult only areas.

 

[belle032]

One of the aspects we like on the DCL cruise is the adult areas have only adults in them. My sisters went on NCL and Princess and the adult areas allowed children. Has anyone else experienced children in the adult areas - either DCL or other lines?

Actually one thing we really liked on our last Carnival sailing was that the adult aft pool & hot tub area was adult only and strictly enforced. There were lifeguards stationed by the doors to reiterate that point. I think it also helped that the location was all the way aft so it wasn't used as a pass through to anywhere.

I did like the adult only areas on the Magic & Dream though for sure. And there were never problems with kids that we could see.

 

[ironz]

Nice report. We were on the Magic not too long before you. There are elements of real gingerbread on the house, and it smelled good in mid-November. and yes, there are normally chairs/sofas in that space when the gingerbread house is not up.
Atrium is definitely super crowded for some of the performances they do in there. (we also had a few rude people on our cruise-- I watched one lady berate a little girl for trying to get a view of the Christmas tree lighting-- she could have scooted over 6 inches or let that little girl get in front of her and still see. And yes, maybe that little girl's parents could have gotten there earlier, too, but the lady who wouldn't scoot over was not nice.)

That is weird if your adult friends/tablemates let the servers cut their food. I can see them doing that for kids, or when they remove lobster meat from the tail or cut shrimp tails off, but our servers certainly let us cut our own regular food! We had good servers who were the right amount of attentive--not too much, not too little.

Theater-- I agree. We didn't notice too many people try to come late, but it happens. If you are not in need of it, you wouldn't know about the entrance through Keys that goes to the front of the stage for accessible seating. They only let the people who need it go through that way, from what we observed on a previous cruise.

I don't recall it being a zoo for embarkation at Miami-- sort of crowded. Embarkation at San Juan for the Nov. 15 cruise was a hot mess, though.

And isn't Gus cool? We did one of his animation classes and really enjoyed it.

 

[mevelandry]

One of the aspects we like on the DCL cruise is the adult areas have only adults in them. My sisters went on NCL and Princess and the adult areas allowed children. Has anyone else experienced children in the adult areas - either DCL or other lines?

On Carnival (which only allows on certain ships or during certain periods) and Royal (16+), I did not see any problems. Both lines had water slides, splash zones and/or main pools that are very attractive to children so they were usually very little kids/teenagers (if any) at the "boring" aft pool.

On the Disney Dream, we saw a lot of children passing by (using the stairs) but they usually did not stay in the area.

 

[Dug720]

For those concerned about having your meat cut, all you have to do is politely open your mouth and say "No thank you." It's very simple, and I have never had it not work.

People are so "I don't want to make a fuss" but then complain when all it would take is NOT a fuss but a simple "No thank you." or "Please don't do that." and that is the end of it. IF by some weird chance it's not the end of it, a quick word with the head waiter would take care of it.

 

[TreeFalls]

Thank you for your post! My family and I are doing our first cruise in the Spring, and your review has a good amount of details on things I am interested in.

 

[bakerworld]

Actually one thing we really liked on our last Carnival sailing was that the adult aft pool & hot tub area was adult only and strictly enforced. There were lifeguards stationed by the doors to reiterate that point. I think it also helped that the location was all the way aft so it wasn't used as a pass through to anywhere.

I did like the adult only areas on the Magic & Dream though for sure. And there were never problems with kids that we could see.

This is good to know. We like staying aft.

 

[jtntx34]

For those concerned about having your meat cut, all you have to do is politely open your mouth and say "No thank you." It's very simple, and I have never had it not work.

People are so "I don't want to make a fuss" but then complain when all it would take is NOT a fuss but a simple "No thank you." or "Please don't do that." and that is the end of it. IF by some weird chance it's not the end of it, a quick word with the head waiter would take care of it.

Normally, I would agree with you, but I did try one night to say no thank you, but my Asst. Server insisted. At that point, I just gave up; and, as I said, my table mates (who are my friends) did not think it was weird. I thought I was in the minority until I posted here. I honestly thought it was a weird Disney quirk.

My friend at work and I were discussing this, and she decided to google this topic; she said she found somewhere that this is a DCL policy—to cut the meat for ALL the passengers (children and adults). Maybe it is a new policy? I don’t know. It was my first and possibly last DCL Cruise, so I am not the expert. I can only speak to my experiences.

 

[Adventurelawyer]

Normally, I would agree with you, but I did try one night to say no thank you, but my Asst. Server insisted. At that point, I just gave up; and, as I said, my table mates (who are my friends) did not think it was weird. I thought I was in the minority until I posted here. I honestly thought it was a weird Disney quirk.

My friend at work and I were discussing this, and she decided to google this topic; she said she found somewhere that this is a DCL policy—to cut the meat for ALL the passengers (children and adults). Maybe it is a new policy? I don’t know. It was my first and possibly last DCL Cruise, so I am not the expert. I can only speak to my experiences.

I’ve never had it happen, so if its policy, its a new one, something tells me we would be hearing more from those just back and checking in here.

in terms of “just open your mouth and say no,” I shouldn’t have to say no thanks to something like that. Perhaps the servers will blow on my soup to cool it next time. Its weird and it’s invasive for an adult to do that to another, fully capable adult. It shouldn’t even be done to a person with a disability with out permission. I said done to, because it removes that person’s autonomy and is an indignity. Its really not cool, and I don’t blame you in the least for being put off by it, but again, its not been my experience on ship.

 

[lds0191]

Normally, I would agree with you, but I did try one night to say no thank you, but my Asst. Server insisted. At that point, I just gave up; and, as I said, my table mates (who are my friends) did not think it was weird. I thought I was in the minority until I posted here. I honestly thought it was a weird Disney quirk.

My friend at work and I were discussing this, and she decided to google this topic; she said she found somewhere that this is a DCL policy—to cut the meat for ALL the passengers (children and adults). Maybe it is a new policy? I don’t know. It was my first and possibly last DCL Cruise, so I am not the expert. I can only speak to my experiences.

So weird. After 16 cruises (last one 2 weeks ago on the Magic) and I have never seen a server cut up an adults meat. When my DD was little they would offer and I was appreciative that they would remove the meat from my lobster tail but that was it.

 

[Chirple]

OP, thanks for your thoughts on your cruise experience.

Regarding the meat cutting for adults, I have only witnessed this once on our WBTA. There was an older couple at our table, and the wife seemed to be not fully engaged mentally. Our server cut her meat every night; her husband did not. In fact, our server would reach around her with both arms (as if embracing her) to cut her meat. We assumed they had requested this in advance.