lasttimeondisney
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2008
- Messages
- 1
grandma (63), mom (39), son (15), daughter (9)
we had one of the hidden porthole rooms (5022) - no obstruction! great views! no outside light - no workers walking by. The room was wonderful as well as the extra half bath which was a lifesaver. I did ask the cabin attendant to put the pillows at he opposite end of the bed (head towards window) to the sunlight wouldn't wake the kids in the mornings - he forgot on the 2nd night - but did it on the 3rd. And my daughter had an "accident" which also wet her brother's bed below - and housekeeping was quick to arrive at 2:30am - however it was the last night and our luggage was already "locked up in cages" - no "knickers" available - but they did offer a dry t-shirt. We had spare clothes to disembark - just not extra undies. My daughter just went commando for the next 6 hours until we reclaimed our luggage.
We had the late dinner seating - or so we thought. When we booked a few months ago the early seating was sold out - which was just as well with older kids. But when we got to our room our tickets said 5:45pm. I immediately went to Wavebands before muster to change it. The dining room manager assured us that it wouldn't be a problem. He said to request the early seating would be difficult since no one wants the late seating (except us). He said that he would call our room and leave a message with the table number for the late seating. No problem. We went to the sail away party and then for a swim - since we didn't have to be showered by 5:45pm - or so we thought. My 15 year old was in the Aloft and would meet us at 7:30pm to change for dinner - which didn't matter because people wore shorts a nd t-shirts to dinner anyway. So we went back to the room to get something when we got the message at 5:15pm (not 4pm) that there was no way to change the seating at the show up at 5:45pm. So 3 of us were dripping wet without ironed clothes - covered in suntan lotion - all having to shower in 30 minutes - not to mention the teen roaming the ship. I called guest services telling them we were assured the late seating - just the table number is all we needed - and that 30 minutes notice was not enough - we were fortunate enough to stop by the room also to get the message (that didn't come at 4pm). Guest Services said nothing could be done. No apology. Nothing. No explanation about us booking the late seating - just too bad. There was a mention of the ship being full - and this was a first - no one wanting to swap to the late seating.
We called Aloft and left a message for our son to meet us in his t-shirt at Parrot Cay for his birthday dinner. Dinner was very slow. We had to drop several hints about it being my son's birthday. Everyone around us had finished and left - they were setting up for the next seating when they finally brought his cake to him. It said "Congratulations". I noticed other cakes said Happy Birthday. My son didn't catch it luckily. I didn't think dinner would end. It was close to 7:45pm. We did send my daughter's steak back the first night - the kid's menu never mention the steak being smothered in gravy. The 2nd night we were given the wrong entrees and the 3rd the wrong desserts - and no coffee offered. The 3rd night my daughter ordered the filet mignon from the adult menu and they brought has a sirloin from the lighter fare menu. Of course - she didn't notice. We had better service from the breakfast crew.
My daughter overheard one of her counselors at Oceaneer Lab telling another girl, "It's okay to be rude in life, but your parents need to spend more time with you." And we signed her into the theater one night and a different counselor grabbed her by the arm and asked, "Just where do you think you're going, Princess?" She was afraid of him the remainder of the cruise. She did love the Ratatouille Cooking Class! I like to mix it, mix it!
We canceled our trip to (Comfort Suites) Atlantis because of our early dinner at 5:45pm. The ship left at 7pm. Plus it was a little chilly. We just walked around Nassau. We were getting dressed for dinner when the phone rang after 5pm telling us they switched us to the later seating sharing a table with another party. We had already showered and stopped swimming at this point. We told them we wanted our original seating - once again - 30 minutes - too short of notice. We already gave up a few hours in port.
We did go to the Toy Stoy Musical - but it was the movie...acted out...but with different, unheard of songs. I don't know why they couldn't sing the familiar ones from the movie. We used the excuse of our pager going off to leave early.
The disembarkation day you are supposed to go to the last restaurant that you ate dinner at 6:30am (if you have early seating) or 8am for late seating. Luckily we had heard that you could go to the Beach Blanket buffet until 9 or 10am. No need to wake extra early. But that was not on the navigator at all. It didn't mention any other dining options.
I even stopped by the future booking desk to inquire about dinner reservations. She said 90% of the time you get the seating you request. But once again - no apology offered or reason given. The last night we were able to get many autographs of characters. Many times they were available for photos only - no autographs. Much of the cruise our book that we purchased only had one signature.
On Castaway Cay - my 15 year old spent the day at the teen beach. A rope he climbed on had splintered in his hand. He also had "sea lice" on the backs of his legs - or so he was told by the first aid station. The nurse also picked out as much of the rope from his hands as possible. I was never notified about either. My son only told me when he asked for tweezers to get the splinters out. I would have thought that there would have been a written report made to the parents. My son said the water from the shower made the sea lice worse. I looked up online sea lice when we got home and freash water soon after is the worse thing you can do. We were never given - nor sold any treatment once back onboard.
I've only been on one other cruise - Royal Carribean - a sold out ship during Christmas. The food and server was fabulous. This was the first time with the kids. So they have nothing to compare.
I hope my experience was an unfortunate, isolated one. I had high expectations because of the Disney name and quality - not to mention the price we paid compared to any other cruise.
we had one of the hidden porthole rooms (5022) - no obstruction! great views! no outside light - no workers walking by. The room was wonderful as well as the extra half bath which was a lifesaver. I did ask the cabin attendant to put the pillows at he opposite end of the bed (head towards window) to the sunlight wouldn't wake the kids in the mornings - he forgot on the 2nd night - but did it on the 3rd. And my daughter had an "accident" which also wet her brother's bed below - and housekeeping was quick to arrive at 2:30am - however it was the last night and our luggage was already "locked up in cages" - no "knickers" available - but they did offer a dry t-shirt. We had spare clothes to disembark - just not extra undies. My daughter just went commando for the next 6 hours until we reclaimed our luggage.
We had the late dinner seating - or so we thought. When we booked a few months ago the early seating was sold out - which was just as well with older kids. But when we got to our room our tickets said 5:45pm. I immediately went to Wavebands before muster to change it. The dining room manager assured us that it wouldn't be a problem. He said to request the early seating would be difficult since no one wants the late seating (except us). He said that he would call our room and leave a message with the table number for the late seating. No problem. We went to the sail away party and then for a swim - since we didn't have to be showered by 5:45pm - or so we thought. My 15 year old was in the Aloft and would meet us at 7:30pm to change for dinner - which didn't matter because people wore shorts a nd t-shirts to dinner anyway. So we went back to the room to get something when we got the message at 5:15pm (not 4pm) that there was no way to change the seating at the show up at 5:45pm. So 3 of us were dripping wet without ironed clothes - covered in suntan lotion - all having to shower in 30 minutes - not to mention the teen roaming the ship. I called guest services telling them we were assured the late seating - just the table number is all we needed - and that 30 minutes notice was not enough - we were fortunate enough to stop by the room also to get the message (that didn't come at 4pm). Guest Services said nothing could be done. No apology. Nothing. No explanation about us booking the late seating - just too bad. There was a mention of the ship being full - and this was a first - no one wanting to swap to the late seating.
We called Aloft and left a message for our son to meet us in his t-shirt at Parrot Cay for his birthday dinner. Dinner was very slow. We had to drop several hints about it being my son's birthday. Everyone around us had finished and left - they were setting up for the next seating when they finally brought his cake to him. It said "Congratulations". I noticed other cakes said Happy Birthday. My son didn't catch it luckily. I didn't think dinner would end. It was close to 7:45pm. We did send my daughter's steak back the first night - the kid's menu never mention the steak being smothered in gravy. The 2nd night we were given the wrong entrees and the 3rd the wrong desserts - and no coffee offered. The 3rd night my daughter ordered the filet mignon from the adult menu and they brought has a sirloin from the lighter fare menu. Of course - she didn't notice. We had better service from the breakfast crew.
My daughter overheard one of her counselors at Oceaneer Lab telling another girl, "It's okay to be rude in life, but your parents need to spend more time with you." And we signed her into the theater one night and a different counselor grabbed her by the arm and asked, "Just where do you think you're going, Princess?" She was afraid of him the remainder of the cruise. She did love the Ratatouille Cooking Class! I like to mix it, mix it!
We canceled our trip to (Comfort Suites) Atlantis because of our early dinner at 5:45pm. The ship left at 7pm. Plus it was a little chilly. We just walked around Nassau. We were getting dressed for dinner when the phone rang after 5pm telling us they switched us to the later seating sharing a table with another party. We had already showered and stopped swimming at this point. We told them we wanted our original seating - once again - 30 minutes - too short of notice. We already gave up a few hours in port.
We did go to the Toy Stoy Musical - but it was the movie...acted out...but with different, unheard of songs. I don't know why they couldn't sing the familiar ones from the movie. We used the excuse of our pager going off to leave early.
The disembarkation day you are supposed to go to the last restaurant that you ate dinner at 6:30am (if you have early seating) or 8am for late seating. Luckily we had heard that you could go to the Beach Blanket buffet until 9 or 10am. No need to wake extra early. But that was not on the navigator at all. It didn't mention any other dining options.
I even stopped by the future booking desk to inquire about dinner reservations. She said 90% of the time you get the seating you request. But once again - no apology offered or reason given. The last night we were able to get many autographs of characters. Many times they were available for photos only - no autographs. Much of the cruise our book that we purchased only had one signature.
On Castaway Cay - my 15 year old spent the day at the teen beach. A rope he climbed on had splintered in his hand. He also had "sea lice" on the backs of his legs - or so he was told by the first aid station. The nurse also picked out as much of the rope from his hands as possible. I was never notified about either. My son only told me when he asked for tweezers to get the splinters out. I would have thought that there would have been a written report made to the parents. My son said the water from the shower made the sea lice worse. I looked up online sea lice when we got home and freash water soon after is the worse thing you can do. We were never given - nor sold any treatment once back onboard.
I've only been on one other cruise - Royal Carribean - a sold out ship during Christmas. The food and server was fabulous. This was the first time with the kids. So they have nothing to compare.
I hope my experience was an unfortunate, isolated one. I had high expectations because of the Disney name and quality - not to mention the price we paid compared to any other cruise.