Maiden Voyage

[scottofsdea]

We were very apprehensive about the maiden voyage due to the reports we have read on this forum from the Dream. Disney learned lessons very well! It was the smoothest cruise we have had (this was number 13 with Disney). It did not hurt to have Disney's number 1,2 and 3 man on the ship. it was so cool to walk around the corner and see Bob Iger out by the pool or John Lasseter (sp?) walking around the ship.

The service was awesome, the food spectacular and overall incredible experience. The champaign flutes were in the room instead of handed out on deck (the collectible ones). I know others have reported, but honestly, Disney needs another "atta boy" on this maiden cruise. The ONLY problem was using the electronic kiosk for photos, but they were working on solutions even while we were still on board.

Brent will be your cruise director (even though we are partial to CLAYTON) and the entertainment was outstanding. Don't know what is going on with the Dream since both the main characters of Believe are now on the Fantasy.

You can have the stops in Mexico. WOW! That was a disappointment, but again, where else can you go on a Western Caribbean cruise? Grand Cayman - good stop. Costa Maya did have a cool dolphin swim at the edge of the pier.

Wish the Dream had the Aqua Lab for those hot days! and LOVE Satellite Falls.

 

[jlwhitney]

We were very apprehensive about the maiden voyage due to the reports we have read on this forum from the Dream. Disney learned lessons very well! It was the smoothest cruise we have had (this was number 13 with Disney). It did not hurt to have Disney's number 1,2 and 3 man on the ship. it was so cool to walk around the corner and see Bob Iger out by the pool or John Lasseter (sp?) walking around the ship.

The service was awesome, the food spectacular and overall incredible experience. The champaign flutes were in the room instead of handed out on deck (the collectible ones). I know others have reported, but honestly, Disney needs another "atta boy" on this maiden cruise. The ONLY problem was using the electronic kiosk for photos, but they were working on solutions even while we were still on board.

Brent will be your cruise director (even though we are partial to CLAYTON) and the entertainment was outstanding. Don't know what is going on with the Dream since both the main characters of Believe are now on the Fantasy.

You can have the stops in Mexico. WOW! That was a disappointment, but again, where else can you go on a Western Caribbean cruise? Grand Cayman - good stop. Costa Maya did have a cool dolphin swim at the edge of the pier.

Wish the Dream had the Aqua Lab for those hot days! and LOVE Satellite Falls.

We like Clayton the best too.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

So glad you had a great Maiden voyage on the Fantasy!
Sound's like you had a amazing time on her, despite the ports, still sounds like you had a blast!

Sad to hear they have a dolphin excursion in Costa Maya now though!

The Believe CM's are hopefully as good or better now as they will have had time to swap notes during the cast crossover on the Dream and find out what work's and what doesn't.

Sound's like DCL worked out the kinks and stepped it up for the Fantasy and so cool you had a great MV!

Ex Techie

 

[princessemily21]

FIFTY THUMBS UP for this Maiden Voyage. I agree with absolutely everything you said. Spectacular cruise.

Iger, Holz, Wolber, Staggs, and Lasseter should be permanant fixtures on all cruises always. In fact, they should clone them so there can be one for each ship.

 

[super mike b]

This really was a great cruise!

 

[Namsupak]

The new shows were great as well. Wishes was fantastic.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Thank you for the quick review! Your opinion seems to be shared by others on the MV. I have to admit that I have wondering if the first reviews were going to be as negative as last year. It looks like they learned from the Dream.

Since we are sailing in just 8 weeks, I hope that this positive trend continues on the "regular" sailings for the next few weeks!

 

[Tigger&Bubba]

I second all the great things said about the MV. In 14 cruises this was our favorite. Smooth sailing in all areas!

We did enjoy our excursion in Costa Maya. We toured the ruins and found it informative and minus the stops at shopping places that we have encountered on other excursions. (I would not recommend this tour during the summer months however, because of the heat.)

Satellite Falls: I agree totally with the OP. LOVE

 

[LKFan]

I may have missed it in someone else's thread but what were your MV gifts? Any pictures?

 

[crafty91]

We got a signed lithograph from Don Williams with Maiden Voyage on it, a keel coin, Maiden Voyage luggage tags, collectable champagne glasses, were the room gifts though I'm sure I'm missing one. The "neatest" thing on board beside the shirts and hats and such you could buy, they gave out buttons at the Wishes premier that had "world premier" and "maiden voyage" on them so only those that attended that show got them. Really cool keep sake!

 

[simbasmom2]

Thanks for the info! We are on the first eastern and can't wait! Saying the sailing went smoothly sets my mind at ease with worrying about the newness of everything! Thanks again

 

[Never to old]

I second all the great things said about the MV. In 14 cruises this was our favorite. Smooth sailing in all areas!

We did enjoy our excursion in Costa Maya. We toured the ruins and found it informative and minus the stops at shopping places that we have encountered on other excursions. (I would not recommend this tour during the summer months however, because of the heat.)

Satellite Falls: I agree totally with the OP. LOVE

We are going in August. I had wanted to do the ruins. Is there a lot of climbing? Is there any shade?

 

[AquaDame]

Glad you had a great cruise! Can't wait for ours even though it is still 7 months away!

 

[Tigger&Bubba]

We are going in August. I had wanted to do the ruins. Is there a lot of climbing? Is there any shade?

There is a tiny bit of shade under the trees in and around the ruins. Bring plenty of water. I would bring a collapsable umbrella. The deluxe motor coaches (buses) are well air conditioned and they furnish a bottle of water or cup of soda as you reboard the coach. The ride is approximately 50 minutes from the port to the site. Not too much to see but it is a comfortable ride and the roads are excellent.

It is a walking tour and you may climb on the ruins. There is an area that you would need to climb some rather steep steps to appreciate. But if I could not have climbed them, I still would have enjoyed the tour.

 

[lbgraves]

We also had a folder with all of the menus in the room the last night and a play bill with pictures and autographs of the performers. I spoke with the entertainment manager and he said that they are working on a welcome aboard show and a farewell show, but it will be a while before they are ready. We loved the Wishes show!!!

The only complaint we have is that we never had a horn war other than two short toots leaving GC and Cozumel. That was the one disappointment of the cruise. The Magic had one on Friday when they were sailing away but no one on the MV got to enjoy that experience, and it would have been so easy to make it happen since we were in port with the Magic on two seperate occassions. The Dream wasn't able to make it to CC due to the weather. DCL seemed to de-stress so much on this cruise. They overlooked what that would have meant to many.

 

[scottofsdea]

The BEST gift we got (besides the Lithograph) was the last night when we received a copy of ALL the menus from the cruise. I am trying to figure out how to get these online so you can see the menus for the cruise you will be on shortly. Man, hard to believe this time last week we were on Grand Cayman...

 

[pilk]

We got a signed lithograph from Don Williams with Maiden Voyage on it, a keel coin, Maiden Voyage luggage tags, collectable champagne glasses, were the room gifts though I'm sure I'm missing one. The "neatest" thing on board beside the shirts and hats and such you could buy, they gave out buttons at the Wishes premier that had "world premier" and "maiden voyage" on them so only those that attended that show got them. Really cool keep sake!

We got everything you mentioned but not the champagne glasses. Were they in your stateroom or the ones at the sailaway party. We are non-alcoholics so we took the non-alcoholic drink on deck and the glasses were cheap plastic "glasses" with nothing engraved on them.

Jon

 

[wickesy]

We got everything you mentioned but not the champagne glasses. Were they in your stateroom or the ones at the sailaway party. We are non-alcoholics so we took the non-alcoholic drink on deck and the glasses were cheap plastic "glasses" with nothing engraved on them.

Jon

The champagne glasses should hav been in your stateroom when you boarded - one for each person. Sounds like somebody messed up and left you out.

 

[zoomwsu]

I'm a little annoyed we didn't get the menus in our final day package! I also agree I'd have liked to have more than the one horn war with the Magic...the horn is incredible and it's a shame they didn't use it more. I wasn't a huge fan of the stop in Costa Maya...it's quite a rustic place and not much to do if you don't do the port adventures.

Other than that it was an amazing experience and truly a wonderful ship. It was awesome to be a part of the maiden voyage!

 

[pilk]

The champagne glasses should hav been in your stateroom when you boarded - one for each person. Sounds like somebody messed up and left you out.

No glasses for us. They were not in our stateroom when we got there.

Jon