New Ships - What could you do WITHOUT?

[SetSail16]

This is definitely a tough question in a way, because some of the things we really love are high on other cruisers' "get rid of" lists, it appears. So it likely stands to reason that the things I could do without are near and dear to others.

For us, we love Pirate Night - it's a fun departure and we had a great time - our kids especially loved it. The BBB is high on our "keep" lists too, because I have two young girls who thinks this pampering experience is the most glamorous, magical experience and I'm so glad it's available on the ships, rather than having to waste time at MK waiting for an appointment.

I'm indifferent to Pink, and think maybe one or two fewer nightclubs would be just fine. I've never seen any of them at more than half-capacity. Just my experience, though.

I'm definitely in agreement about Shutters - unnecessary and seems like it would be way more efficient to run it like PhotoPass. I also don't really see the point with Vanellope's... There are so many free desserts/treats available, it seems stupid to pay for any treats. I just don't think the novelty of Vanellope's is enough to make me shell out more money when I'd rather put that toward a souvenir or activity or heck a bottle of
wine at dinner!

 

[vvv]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet and I'm sure I will get lambasted by the faithfull, but I would say Palo!

My wife and I have been on 10 cruises on 4 different cruise lines and we have never paid extra for a meal and never will. We've never had a bad meal in a MDR and as long as the server brings us what we ordered and doesn't drop it in our laps we are happy.

Also I could probably add the Kid's Clubs. Our now 12 and 10 year old daughters have been on 5 cruises and I'd be surprised if they have spent more than 5 hours total each in any of the clubs. They just don't have any interest in them and seem to be just as happy hanging out with us on the ship. We always cruise during the school year so I think they kind of equate going to the clubs like they are going to school and would rather have the week off from all of that.

 

[DisneyManFamily4]

What about the nursery? How many babies are actually in there in the span of a day. Let the 18-21 year olds have that space and turn the nursery into a personalized experience. The baby sitter can come to your stateroom to watch your baby. Another option would be to let them have a stateroom or two, like the DVC timeshare rooms.

 

[DisneyManFamily4]

I'm torn with the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. I hate that they cap the age limit. Why can't a 13 year old get the princess treatment? or an adult? Maybe not the costumes obviously. But some of us grown up would love our hair done and pixie dusted!

 

[Quellman]

What about the nursery? How many babies are actually in there in the span of a day. Let the 18-21 year olds have that space and turn the nursery into a personalized experience. The baby sitter can come to your stateroom to watch your baby. Another option would be to let them have a stateroom or two, like the DVC timeshare rooms.

I've certainly seen and used it. Sure it is a niche area, but it provides baby sitting services to families who have kids across a wide age spectrum. It would allow them to enjoy a sting ray or snorkeling as a family (minus the under 3 year). It is tough to travel with a tiny tot and it is the only place for them on the ship. Yes there are toddler times and events and they can be part of family events and open houses, but an hour playing with blocks in a calm environment is sweet solace.

 

[TigerTown]

Shutters was useless for us so that would be the first to go for me. They printed everything in 8X10 which is way to big for us. I like the digital kiosk they have on the Fantasy so I can see the photos and print them on my own when I get home.

 

[MHTorringjan]

Just read through a great 10 page thread on all the things that people wanted to see on the new ships. Lots of great and exciting ideas. But the reality is that at only another 5000GT bigger than the Dream class ships, there won't be room to add things unless you take away something else? So thinking of the Dream/Fantasy ships...what would you take away to add all these new exciting things?

For me? I'd eliminate some of the adult only spaces. Combine satellite falls and the quiet cove, and get rid of some of the nightclub spaces. These just are of little use to me when I'm cruising with my family.

Oh, I like this thread, too! Fun speculation is always fun.

I agree with Shmoo, think they've actually got the right mix of kid and adult spaces on the Magic class ships. I could see taking out some of those of the Dream class (there's a couple more bars than I think anybody could comfortably use unless they were actively trying to Drink Around the Ship). My wife and I really like Pink, so I'm all for keeping that one, but the bar space outside of it seems like it's not well-attended (so much so that I don't even know what it's called). Maybe drop Skyline? I've never been in there for a drink, but it seems superfluous with the dance club, Pink, and the other bar just outside of it.

One space that I could see them losing would be the Promenade Lounge, especially from the Dream class. It was already pretty small on the Magic class, and then they cut it back even further so that it's just a bar on the side of the lobby.

White Caps on the Magic class, I'm not sure if they've really figured out what to do with it after redesigning the shopping area on Deck 4, so that can probably go.

I'm actually okay with the Pirate Night menu at this point, a couple of years ago, it was really abysmal, but they made some changes in recent years that makes it a bit more interesting.

I may get a bit of flack for this one, but I'd cut the internet lounge. You're on vacation, unplug for a couple of days. There, I said it. Actually, in retrospect, I don't even remember seeing one of these on the Dream, maybe they're ahead of me on that one?

Also, the company will never do this, but lose some of the cabins. The ships could use more things to do and fewer people on board to make the fireworks show, sail away party, holiday themed activities, etc, feel less like a mob, more like a crowd.

 

[MHTorringjan]

Goofy's simulator and the ping pong tables out in the wind are good candidates.
I'd also like to see the ability for underage guests to walk through the area by Cove Cafe on the new ships be gone too.

This. In addition to what I said in my other posts.

 

[MHTorringjan]

Yes looks better on the Dream Class, The wooden backed chairs are a tough ride for a whole movie... This is a pic of the AMC newest with full service wait staff. View attachment 155674

Oh, I wonder if full service theater would be in the offering for the new ships. Kind of out there and might take too much space, but it's a thought.

 

[MHTorringjan]

I agree on Vanellopes, even though we love it! Shutters is an absolute waste, but that is because I only buy 2 pictures a cruise, IF that. We LOVE Pink, but I think I love it because we are usually there with only another couple if that! LOL

See, we come from the other perspective, but reach the same conclusion. My wife insists on buying many, many pictures on all our cruises (heaven help me, I can't figure out why). I'd still do away with Shutters, if only because they can use the Photopass system idea that somebody proposed earlier and save on wasted paper and space for other cool things.

 

[MHTorringjan]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet and I'm sure I will get lambasted by the faithfull, but I would say Palo!

Yup, it's on now. ;-) My wife would say get rid of Remy, though, she'll side with you on that. But no way would I get rid of either dining experience. The quiet ambiance and even higher quality food is tops for me, best thing I've had on land or sea (aside from this small French restaurant in the middle of Hawaii about ten years ago that's been closed for some time). If I could not have the chocolate soufflé on my cruise, I would cry. Real tears. Do you want to make a grown man cry?

 

[darnheather]

I'm torn with the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. I hate that they cap the age limit. Why can't a 13 year old get the princess treatment? or an adult? Maybe not the costumes obviously. But some of us grown up would love our hair done and pixie dusted!

Because you can go to the spa or hairdresser on board to be pampered. I'm so glad my daughter got to do BBB without women in there acting ridiculous.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

Yup, it's on now. ;-) My wife would say get rid of Remy, though, she'll side with you on that. But no way would I get rid of either dining experience. The quiet ambiance and even higher quality food is tops for me, best thing I've had on land or sea (aside from this small French restaurant in the middle of Hawaii about ten years ago that's been closed for some time). If I could not have the chocolate soufflé on my cruise, I would cry. Real tears. Do you want to make a grown man cry?

I'd get rid of one only to offer something different. Asian cuisine? Mexican? Something other than French and Italian.

 

[Hundredacre]

There is too much on the ships that is girl focused.

 

[Skiton]

There is too much on the ships that is girl focused.

Hmmm. As a mom of two boys I'm not sure I agree with this. We've never been overwhelmed with girliness. However, I would very much love for them to do something with the Royal Tea that would make it more inclusive to boys. I really, really wanted to take them to that on our last cruise because I love exposing them to any dining experience that isn't hamburgers and pizza, but when they found out it was all princesses, they refused to have any part of it.

 

[squirk]

Even better idea would be some kind of system that allowed you to view your pictures on the TV in your stateroom.

Can't you already do this? I was pretty sure you could.

I like swinging by Shutters and checking out what new pictures are in our book throughout the cruise, but I can understand that there could probably be a better use of the space. Still, you wouldn't want anything that would block out the natural light coming in from Shutters' windows and thus darken the atriums.

 

[squirk]

What about the nursery? How many babies are actually in there in the span of a day. Let the 18-21 year olds have that space and turn the nursery into a personalized experience. The baby sitter can come to your stateroom to watch your baby. Another option would be to let them have a stateroom or two, like the DVC timeshare rooms.

I don't know if Small World is really large enough to house an appealing space for 18-21. Maybe.

The two cruises where we've used Small World, it was pretty full. Two staterooms would be ridiculously small (like, out-of-the-question, fire-hazard small) to house the number and different types of children the nursery serves. I think that could be properly classified as "squalor". I'm not even sure four family OV rooms would pass muster.

Infants need quiet places to sleep and be fed. Toddlers and slightly bigger kids need space to run around, be loud and play with toys. A few staterooms are nowhere near big enough to accommodate that in terms of size and noise levels.

If anything, I find Small World to be slightly too small.

 

[Skiton]

I love how we all want to do away with the things that we, personally don't use. Do away with Cove Cafe! I don't drink coffee, anyway! Get rid of the nightclubs and lounges! I don't drink alcohol and I go to bed at 8:30 every night! Smaller kids clubs! I don't have kids! No nursery! I don't have a baby! No more spa! I never spend my money on that, anyway!

So along those lines, I say we get rid of O' Gill's pub, because it's the one bar we don't go to because we don't like trivia or sports and their beer isn't very good. Also I would love for the sports deck to be repurposed. It's impossible to play mini-golf up there, far too windy, I never see anyone playing basketball and the sports simulator (according to my nephew) is dated and kind of stupid. Not to mention you have to pay for it. I think RCCL did a better job with the rock climbing wall and flow rider.

It seems that everyone is in favor of dumping Shutters and the art gallery, and I whole-heartedly agree with that.

 

[Flossbolna]

I love how we all want to do away with the things that we, personally don't use.

Yes, I am quite amused by this, too. The only thing that has not been suggested to be removed are the staterooms!

It seems that everyone is in favor of dumping Shutters and the art gallery, and I whole-heartedly agree with that.

See, I really like the art gallery! I love looking at the art work there and on two of our cruises the CM working there has been really nice and we had plenty of nice chats in the art gallery.

All in all I think the Disney ships are actually pretty well designed. No single person is going to use everything on a ship, but it seems that they manage to have so many different spaces that appeal to a lot of varied interests, so they can attract a far variety of cruisers.

 

[phinz]

One thing I *would* change is I would *not* put the premium restaurants directly underneath the Goofy Sports Deck. There are very few things more annoying than a bouncing basketball. One of the things that is more annoying *is* a bouncing basketball on your head when you're trying to enjoy a fancy meal.