Magic to The Med Report VERY LONG

[gismo1554]

Oh Laura,
We had a great stateroom host, but like you (and others now have said) we had to ASK for tolietries to be repalced. This was annoying, but I get the impression it is some new (and hopefully shortlived) DCL policy. The ctruise was 14 nights. We had 4 in our cabin. Both my daughter and I have LONG, THICK hair. If we washed our hair daily we would have easily gone through a bottle of shampoo and conditioner every day or so. We do not hoard and bring home extras. We used only frou bottles of each, but had to ask for every single replacemnet (even bars of soap). I agree this is a yucky policy and needs to stop. I will be mentioning it in my mostly very complimentary letter to DCL. But, for us, it was a minor glitch given how lovely our host kept everything, how quickly our room was turned around, etc.

I think because of the fact that the toiletries are larger they only leave them on the first day but I asked for them the second day to be left every day and my stateroom host actually left me two sets a day which was nice. I think as long as you say can we have them every day they give them but if you just say can we have some more they just give you one. My mothers host only gave her a couple. As I was on my own 2 lots a day was a little excessive but it made great gifts for when I got home!

 

[Basketchaser]

I can't imagine asking every time you needed shampoo, etc! That stinks! As huge as Disney is, there should never be a question of leaving soap, etc EVERY day! Come to think about it...we did not get a new bar of soap each day or even every other! I noticed that the soap was down to nothing before they gave us a new bar! We brought our own shampoo so that's why we didn't notice anything but the bar soap. Hopefully they correct this issue soon!

 

[Lizdisdog]

Some of you guys really amaze me - all you can do is MOAN

I was on the crossing - well I thought I was, but having read your report, I can't believe we were both in the same place. Agreed, weather wasn't brilliant but DCL really can't do a lot about that and I understand that even Florida had an unusually cooler couple of weeks than normal then, this is always the risk you take. As for some of your other moans, all the crew members we met, which over the course of two weeks was quite a few, were as charming and helpful as ever as well as great fun. The food was different, you went to The Med and that was the idea behind a lot of the menus - if you don't like something different - why do it

Everyone I travelled with had a great time and would like to offer DCL a big THANK YOU for giving us such a great opportunity to do something different, and to all the CM's you looked after us so well and made it such a memorable and enjoyable trip.

 

[Scoobypop]

Hadley

Thanks for the good report. And Thanks for nice about Michael. He is my daughters boyfriend and I have never met him but they met on the ship. She is still on the Magic but flying home on the 6th. Glad to hear he did such a great job

Ditto Hadley for us. We LOVED Michael, and called him the "Keyon of the Transatlantic" since we thought he was equally as good!!

Also, had the most incredible, amazing experience of my life. It was our third Disney cruise. I don't believe we've just been lucky every time, but we have NEVER had a single unpleasant moment on any cruise we've taken. Having cruised one other line before Disney, we wouldn't even consider another cruise line (unless it was The Queen Mary or something on an around the world 180 cruise!) It was depressing to leave the ship. Hadley said on the main Med thread she wished we could have just turned the ship around and done another 14 nights back home. Same here.

Honestly, we didn't really even notice "bad" weather. The pool (The Adult pool anyway) was always a blast no matter what the weather was. Then again, Rob and I are always the type no matter what the weather or circumstances are, we make our own fun so perhaps I didn't notice unfortunate weather or bad sea conditions.

I just wanted to throw my two cents in because as DizzneyDAnn said, just didn't want the cruise to get that reputation and it seemed like there were comments from many people basing opinions and considerations on the report. THAT being said, I completely agree that trip reports are people's own individual experiences and can be valuable resources, and Laura clearly stated the YVMM (I don't know if I got that right, I don't know what that means ) several times, so I hope she doesn't take much more heat for her criticism. Before our first cruise, we became familiar with Cruisecritic.com and made it a point to read as many bad things as we could. That way we could go in with some expectations of, "Well, if this is the worst thing they have to say, and it DOES happen, then we can live with that", etc.

Honestly, we had an awesome awesome trip. Service for us was, as always, far outmatched by most other companies I can think of. This coming from someone who works at Bellagio in Las Vegas, a hotel with a reputation for having impeccable guest service standards. Disney always impresses me. Things couldn't have been better for us, the food, the weather, the ship, the ports of call, the staff.

Great sailings to all!
Chris

 

[NHdisneylover]

Ditto Hadley for us. We LOVED Michael, and called him the "Keyon of the Transatlantic" since we thought he was equally as good!!

Also, had the most incredible, amazing experience of my life. It was our third Disney cruise. I don't believe we've just been lucky every time, but we have NEVER had a single unpleasant moment on any cruise we've taken. Having cruised one other line before Disney, we wouldn't even consider another cruise line (unless it was The Queen Mary or something on an around the world 180 cruise!) It was depressing to leave the ship. Hadley said on the main Med thread she wished we could have just turned the ship around and done another 14 nights back home. Same here.

Honestly, we didn't really even notice "bad" weather. The pool (The Adult pool anyway) was always a blast no matter what the weather was. Then again, Rob and I are always the type no matter what the weather or circumstances are, we make our own fun so perhaps I didn't notice unfortunate weather or bad sea conditions.

I just wanted to throw my two cents in because as DizzneyDAnn said, just didn't want the cruise to get that reputation and it seemed like there were comments from many people basing opinions and considerations on the report. THAT being said, I completely agree that trip reports are people's own individual experiences and can be valuable resources, and Laura clearly stated the YVMM (I don't know if I got that right, I don't know what that means ) several times, so I hope she doesn't take much more heat for her criticism. Before our first cruise, we became familiar with Cruisecritic.com and made it a point to read as many bad things as we could. That way we could go in with some expectations of, "Well, if this is the worst thing they have to say, and it DOES happen, then we can live with that", etc.

Honestly, we had an awesome awesome trip. Service for us was, as always, far outmatched by most other companies I can think of. This coming from someone who works at Bellagio in Las Vegas, a hotel with a reputation for having impeccable guest service standards. Disney always impresses me. Things couldn't have been better for us, the food, the weather, the ship, the ports of call, the staff.

Great sailings to all!
Chris

We think so much alike Rio has been saying "Michael is eqaul to Keyon" which as you KNOW is high praise indeed! Hmm, I wonder if we cold luck into them BOTH on the Double Dip!

 

[LindaBabe]

Laura clearly stated the YVMM (I don't know if I got that right, I don't know what that means ) several times, so I hope she doesn't take much more heat for her criticism. Chris

It's YMMV and it means "your mileage may vary" meaning other people may (and clearly DID, in this case) have different experiences.

I thought the original report was very well balanced and excellent. Good show, Laura, for being brave enough to post it!

 

[NHdisneylover]

It's YMMV and it means "your mileage may vary" meaning other people may (and clearly DID, in this case) have different experiences.

I thought the original report was very well balanced and excellent. Good show, Laura, for being brave enough to post it!

I agree it was fair and totally represented what Laura felt and experienced. I hope I did not imply otherwise.

 

[disneymom7851]

Well I am feeling really good about Michael. Guess my daughter has good taste after all. We mothers never know when they are grown if they listened along the way.

I will certainly share with him all the good wishes and appreciation for his efforts. My daughter comes home from Barcelona today and we are excited to see her. She is going to Florida at the end of the month to see Michael on the Wonder. I will keep everyone posted if he is doing double dips.

 

[NHdisneylover]

How exciting for you to have your little girl home today (they are always our little girls right?). Enjoy your time together.

The Double Dip we are talking about isn't until September 2008. But we are hoping it works out and we see Michael on that one.

 

[been2marceline]

I think open minded is the key word. Try to remember that Cast Members had just as rough a waters as everyone else, but I to keep doing their jobs in spite of that. They had to clean, cook, serve and performers had to perform. My daughter is a performing cast member on this cruise and she felt pretty rocky most days also. I just think trip reports should give positive and negative, not just be a place to gripe because things don't go your way completely.

Perhaps you have money to throw away on being "open minded" when it comes to poor service but we, and most likely Auntie Brat and others, don't.

I can't think of any circumstance where I would feel that poor service of any kind is acceptable, regardless of the weather.

In addition, the price for a stateroom is "per person" not "per family" and should be kept in mind when people are traveling together spending the same amount for their trip. An extra gift is a very small price to pay for DCL to continue the good relationship that they have with their cruisers.

None of her comments had anything to do with the "peformers", you obviously are a bit prejudiced in your relationship with this particular cruise. We were in rough weather for the EB Panama Repo cruise and the entertainers were amazing. Never missed a beat, even with the tale end of a hurricane tossing the ship!! You have every right to be proud of your DD, but don't be blind to other issues and other peoples personal experiences.

You might want to read her trip report again, slowly, carefully and then respond, or not...

 

[been2marceline]

I think the other issue is inexperienced European travelers. Research should be done by everyone and realize that things aren't the same as US travel. The reason the world hates us is we thing OUR way is the only way and everything else we complain about

I wasn't aware that the world Hates us, perhaps it is only your experience.

 

[gismo1554]

Perhaps you have money to throw away on being "open minded" when it comes to poor service but we, and most likely Auntie Brat and others, don't.

I can't think of any circumstance where I would feel that poor service of any kind is acceptable, regardless of the weather.

In addition, the price for a stateroom is "per person" not "per family" and should be kept in mind when people are traveling together spending the same amount for their trip. An extra gift is a very small price to pay for DCL to continue the good relationship that they have with their cruisers.

None of her comments had anything to do with the "peformers", you obviously are a bit prejudiced in your relationship with this particular cruise. We were in rough weather for the EB Panama Repo cruise and the entertainers were amazing. Never missed a beat, even with the tale end of a hurricane tossing the ship!! You have every right to be proud of your DD, but don't be blind to other issues and other peoples personal experiences.

You might want to read her trip report again, slowly, carefully and then respond, or not...

Sorry but I just wanted to add something here! I don't think that the person was saying bad service should be accepted I think they were saying you had to accept that the staff experienced what we experienced! The rocking of the boat upset everybody on there and I think they were just saying you had to give some leyway. I don't think they were excusing bad manners I think they were just giving a reason as to why the service had been a lower standard than it would have been in calm waters. I agree that we are spending money on it but I also think that blaming people because they had difficulties because of the bad weather is unfair!

As for the gift just to point out DCL policy does state one per stateroom and it is not the CM's fault if they follow the rules. Yes fair enough as a gesture DCL should allow 2 gifts for those rooms that have 2 families but then that isn't down to the CM either its DCL's policy! Castaway gifts are a bonus not a right and as far as I'm concerned you should appreciate free gifts and not moan about not getting two but this is my honest opinion and not a critism on anyone who feels differently.

All in all I think AuntyBrats review is accurate for what she felt but I feel that other people have different opinions to this and therefore posted them on this thread to give a balanced view as I think everyone had a different cruise. Personally I loved everything on the cruise except Palos which I found very disapointing. Again this differs to AuntyBrats experience but then I guess we had an off day too. Alex our server (I think) was rude and took plates off us before we had even finished eating but that was my only complaint about the entire cruise. The kitchen was slow I admit but our servers kept us informed and I accepted that it wasn't their fault that there were problems elsewhere.

 

[Jeff Spencer]

...Alex our server (I think) was rude and took plates off us before we had even finished eating but that was my only complaint about the entire cruise.

Why would people allow their plates to be taken away before they are finished eating? An "Excuse me, I'm not finished." would have taken care of it nicely.

Also, no, it is not up to the guest to give the staff "leeway", regardless of the sea states. Cruises encounter rough seas frequently and it is reasonable for the guest to expect the cruise line staff to perform their duties as they should.

Regarding the Castaway Club gift, so what. Too much effort on Disney's part not to give one and too much consternation on the guest's part to get another. Life's too short to expend energy on trivial things like that.

 

[gismo1554]

Why would people allow their plates to be taken away before they are finished eating? An "Excuse me, I'm not finished." would have taken care of it nicely.

Also, no, it is not up to the guest to give the staff "leeway", regardless of the sea states. Cruises encounter rough seas frequently and it is reasonable for the guest to expect the cruise line staff to perform their duties as they should.

Regarding the Castaway Club gift, so what. Too much effort on Disney's part not to give one and too much consternation on the guest's part to get another. Life's too short to expend energy on trivial things like that.

We didn't let him take the one plate. My sister was so stunned that hers was gone before she had a chance. My mother held on to hers. My sister had the last of her scone in her hand at the time so there was no point getting the plate back it was just rude to take it.

I still think you do have to give them some leeway in my opinion. The seas were alot rougher than they had expected and they aren't robots they are humans just like anyone else. I'm not saying that they should be able to get away with being rude I'm just saying I would give leeway. I agree that cruises do experience rough seas a lot but that doesn't mean staff dont get affected by them and in mho I think that you should give leeway but as said before this is my opinion that's all!

 

[YenSid1222]

Perhaps you have money to throw away on being "open minded" when it comes to poor service but we, and most likely Auntie Brat and others, don't.

I can't think of any circumstance where I would feel that poor service of any kind is acceptable, regardless of the weather.

In addition, the price for a stateroom is "per person" not "per family" and should be kept in mind when people are traveling together spending the same amount for their trip. An extra gift is a very small price to pay for DCL to continue the good relationship that they have with their cruisers.

None of her comments had anything to do with the "peformers", you obviously are a bit prejudiced in your relationship with this particular cruise. We were in rough weather for the EB Panama Repo cruise and the entertainers were amazing. Never missed a beat, even with the tale end of a hurricane tossing the ship!! You have every right to be proud of your DD, but don't be blind to other issues and other peoples personal experiences.

You might want to read her trip report again, slowly, carefully and then respond, or not...

Umm.....wow...just read the report and you can see the closed mindedness (yes I read it slowly). I could tell right away that she was going to have a bad experience. The cast are PEOPLE...and if on the first moment of the cruise you treat them like junk...guess what? You will NOT (nor should you be) treated well for the cruise. I do not have "money to throw away" but I do know when you go in treating them good, you get treated good in return. This is a prime example of why DISboard people get a bad reputation among cast members.

Also, your definition of the price is flawed. It is not based solely per person. I usually travel alone, and so far I have never just been able to pay half of the room rate (listed at double occupancy).

Go in with unreal expectations and you are certain to be DISappointed.

 

[jeff fujimoto]

This is my first post on this site. After reading Auntie Brat's post, I thought I would share some of my feelings about this cruise since we were on board also. This represented the seventh DCL cruise for myself and family. We number four people (myself, wife and two daughters - age 19 and 16).We were in a catagory 3 stateroom.

First, I would say that this was an outstanding cruise overall - even comparing it to previous Disney cruises. The service was above expectations. In particular, concierge service was absolutely outstanding. The quality of the food was also outstanding, in my opinion, compared to previous cruises. As far as the little extras go, I think some of the expectations are too high. A reality check is in order. We should consider being grateful for one gift per stateroom - afterall, they are gifts and not something promised or expected. Even having paid for a suite during this trip, I was pleasantly surprised by the many gifts and was not left wanting for more.

Second, obviously Disney cannot control the weather or wave conditions on the Atlantic. I would say that the numerous activities (including deck parties, BBQS, and shows) were staged very successfully even though weather and sea conditions were limiting factors. I would congratulate them on a job well done. Again, the numerous BBQS went beyond expectation in terms of decorations and the food offered. I find it difficult to believe that we were on the same cruise and had such different experiences

Third, we went on one to two shore excursions at each port. We thoroughly enjoyed them. Yes, some of them were long and not suitable for small children. Most required considerable walking. However, the presence of Disney cast members and photographers for each group gave the excursions the added Disney touch. This is a grand way to gain some knowledge of the country with the assurance of Disney quality. The only shore excursion I would not repeat was the Beach Day on Tenerife Island. This was the best lunch (off ship) but sitting around on the beach was soso - being from California.

Proof is in the pudding, and we have booked a Panama Canal cruise for May next year. I think this argues loudest for our satisfaction as a family, with the Disney Cruise Line. Indeed, I don't think we would be cruising if not for the fact that this is a Disney ship. My only complaint is the limited number of Catagory 2 and 3 staterooms. Regards and happy cruising. Jeff

 

[YenSid1222]

I wasn't aware that the world Hates us, perhaps it is only your experience.

Wow again. You are something. Just read the news. Americans are notorious for being obnoxious traveling abroad. I lived in France for a year and a half and was embarrassed many times. Also, the fact of how much some of the world hates us should be noted on 9/11...maybe you forgot while complaining about not being treated like a queen?


And I happen to know that Disneymom has traveled extensively around the world and does not warrant your rant. So you get mine instead.

 

[gismo1554]

First, I would say that this was an outstanding cruise overall - even comparing it to previous Disney cruises. The service was above expectations. In particular, concierge service was absolutely outstanding. The quality of the food was also outstanding, in my opinion, compared to previous cruises. As far as the little extras go, I think some of the expectations are too high. A reality check is in order. We should consider being grateful for one gift per stateroom - afterall, they are gifts and not something promised or expected. Even having paid for a suite during this trip, I was pleasantly surprised by the many gifts and was not left wanting for more.

Thanks Jeff for saying this as I'm glad I'm not the only person that feels this way.

 

[woody73]

This is my first post on this site. After reading Auntie Brat's post, I thought I would share some of my feelings about this cruise since we were on board also.

. . . First, I would say that this was an outstanding cruise overall . . .

YMMV.

 

[Jeff Spencer]

Yensid I see you're one of those people that obviously can't accept people having a different opinion than you. YOU are something...perhaps if you behaved better while you were in France you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself.