Just returned from 3/8 Eastern with feedback on excursions and Oceaneers

[joy_to_the_fishies]

This was our first Disney cruise, and I can't say enough great things!

We went on the Golden Eagle Catamaran Tour in St. Maarten and the 5 Star Snorkel Tour in St. Thomas (actually, Trunk Bay on St. John.) Both were fabulous. It was only my second time snorkeling, so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I can say it was 1000 times better than my first snorkeling adventure in Cozumel.

I'm actually experiencing Disney DTs because I miss it so much. We loved our stateroom steward (Jeffrey from the Philippines) and our servers (David from England and Joyce from St. Vincent.)

Our stateroom was fabulous (6508). Plenty large for the four of us (DH, DS-8 and DS-6.)

If I had any complaint at all, it was probably the Oceaneer Lab for the 8-9 year olds. I talked to several moms from this age group who said the same thing... the kids didn't like it. I think the problem was that the kids didn't have enough opportunity to meet each other and develop friendships. If they had done more "get to know you" activities in the beginning and paired the kids up in teams of two, I think my son would have warmed up to it a little more. Friends are so important to them at that age, and if they feel like they're not connecting, they're not going to have fun.

My 6 year old son LOVED the Oceaneer Club, so it's definitely an age thing, not any reflection on the staff or the activities.

One more little piece of advice. We didn't bother waiting in line to see all the characters and get autographs. My sister-in-law bought plain lime-green t-shirts before we left and gave them to Guest Services for all the characters to sign. We got them back within a day and the kids wore them to school today for show and tell.

All in all, it was the vacation of a lifetime. Can't wait to go again someday!

 

[Gupsmom]

I'm glad you had a wonderful cruise. I cannot wait for ours.

How does the t-shirt thing work. Is that something they offer? I haven't heard of it. I don't think we'd skip waiting for characters all together, but my kids would love to have an autographed t-shirt.

Jess

 

[joy_to_the_fishies]

Yes, the t-shirt thing is a free service they offer. It seems to be a well-kept secret, and I'm not even sure where my sister-in-law heard about it. You can either bring a plain t-shirt from home or buy one in the gift store on board. They'll do it either way.

Also, my 8 year old son bought a ceramic model of the ship and had the captain sign it. Very cool. In fact, he brought it today for show and tell at school.