Stay onboard on Lookout Cay day?

[DCL58]

This is just crazy talk to me. I love Lookout Cay- can’t imagine wanting to skip it to ride a water slide…. But to each there own I suppose.

Same. We actively book cruises that go to Lookout. We enjoy our days there much more than our days on castaway. But if others choose to stay on the ship, it will make LC less crowded for those of us who love it.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

No no no you see, people secretly hate Lookout Cay and they only go there because Disney forces them to get off the ship by closing things.

Well honestly, most of the reviews I read when it first opened were pretty negative. No shade on the long walk on the pier, flies and inadequate seating in the dining areas, erosion making the beach areas in front of many of the expensive cabanas unusable, etc. It's great that you love it! Happy for you. But some folks do sail for the ships (just look at the Adventure's current cruise to nowhere out of Singapore) and it would be great and very reasonable, in my opinion, if the major advertised amenities on these very-expensive-relative-to-their-peer class ships were running from 9am onwards. Especially since they close the kids clubs until 3 on island days.

It's wild to me that anyone would want to argue against that given the prices we pay, but some people will cape for Disney no matter what like any criticism is a personal affront. DCL could absolutely afford to keep the waterslide open in the mornings. They're not Dickensian orphans begging for change on a street corner.

In any case, I've gotten good feedback from other people on this thread about why they've chosen to go to Lookout Cay or stay onboard, so thanks to those folks!

 

[holula]

Because its so dead, the vast majority of the ship gets off. Even in the early afternoon when they do open it there are so few people, like less than 5 min wait. We usually do Castaway Cay day as a half day and then get back on for Lunch and its so quiet. Done that probably 5-6 different times. As you get closer to all aboard it gets busier but still nothing like a sea day or even a day in a regular port.

This is what I do too. Get off at 8.30-9, have three hours on the beach, head back to the ship for lunch, ride the Aquamouse. Both recent times I did this there was no line, which is great as they just let you stay in the raft.

On the Wish class ships they seem to have even less going on during port days than other ships. The poolside bar doesn’t open until 11am and Cove Bar doesn’t open until 1pm. I think the Aquamouse opened at noon.

I’d at least get off the ship for a couple of hours.

 

[Elangen]

I was wondering if that was still an issue! Cookies is even a bit tricky for us because one member of our party is vegetarian, so we have to preorder one lunch the day before if we go there. But it really seems like Mickey’s Festival of Foods would be much better for our family. Kids loved it on the Wish.

Ooh, didnt think of that but one of our party is also veg. When/where did you preorder? What was the option? Thanks!

 

[jwalk03]

Well honestly, most of the reviews I read when it first opened were pretty negative. No shade on the long walk on the pier, flies and inadequate seating in the dining areas, erosion making the beach areas in front of many of the expensive cabanas unusable, etc. It's great that you love it! Happy for you. But some folks do sail for the ships (just look at the Adventure's current cruise to nowhere out of Singapore) and it would be great and very reasonable, in my opinion, if the major advertised amenities on these very-expensive-relative-to-their-peer class ships were running from 9am onwards. Especially since they close the kids clubs until 3 on island days.

It's wild to me that anyone would want to argue against that given the prices we pay, but some people will cape for Disney no matter what like any criticism is a personal affront. DCL could absolutely afford to keep the waterslide open in the mornings. They're not Dickensian orphans begging for change on a street corner.

In any case, I've gotten good feedback from other people on this thread about why they've chosen to go to Lookout Cay or stay onboard, so thanks to those folks!

There is only so much staff to go around. The kids club staff work on the islands when the ship is in port. The vast majority of people do get off the ship on the private islands. So they use the staff where it makes sense for the majority of their guests.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Everyone has different reasons to choose DCL over other lines. For some it’s the experience of lying on a beach chair by the ocean all day, for others, like our family, it’s the Disney at sea experience, which includes the shows, kids clubs, the themed dining, the Aquamouse, etc. Both are valid.

If their guest to staff ratio is so high, they can spare 6 people to staff the Aquamouse during non-peak times. End of. Closing amenities is just their way of discouraging people from staying onboard.

If not having 3 hours of Aquamouse is such an issue maybe the cruise isn't right for you. By the time it opens around noon they will get to do many rides on it in a short period of time.

Closing stuff is not about discouraging people to stay onboard. They really don't care if you stay on the ship or not, but they know on Castaway and Lookout day people are off the ship, if that ever started to change they would adapt in different ways but that isn't likely to happen. They can't just magically pull staff to run a slide for the very very very few still onboard (and many that stay on the ship in the morning don't have kids).

My kids love lookout cay. The splash pad is big and lots of fun, plus the cultural activities are alot of fun too. The walk is a pain, but the tram ride is relaxing and enjoyable. It really isn't that bad.

 

[jwalk03]

They staff based on the demand. At noon when it opens there is very very little demand, hence the short lines. Imagine what the demand would be at 9AM? Even lower. Doesn’t make sense to staff it for just a handful of people. There are plenty of hours available when it is open! I mean honestly how many times do you need to ride the same slide over and over again?

 

[Mle8308]

They have to prioritize staffing where the majority of guests are -- which is on the island. It doesn't make logical sense to leave larger number of staff onboard to service maybe a dozen guests.

Exactly! Many of the Cast on the ship get off and staff positions on the islands. A large number of the recreation CM's get off the ship to work on the island. Some Cast are local, but a lot come from the ship, too.

 

[Mle8308]

They staff based on the demand. At noon when it opens there is very very little demand, hence the short lines. Imagine what the demand would be at 9AM? Even lower. Doesn’t make sense to staff it for just a handful of people. There are plenty of hours available when it is open! I mean honestly how many times do you need to ride the same slide over and over again?

It's also because a lot of the lifeguards work on the islands, too, once the ship docks. They get off the ship to help staff the beaches, etc.

 

[jwalk03]

It's also because a lot of the lifeguards work on the islands, too, once the ship docks. They get off the ship to help staff the beaches, etc.

Yes exactly. I would guess ~95% of the guests get off on the private islands. Takes a lot of the ship staff to provide service on the islands. There is very very little staff on the islands themselves. (Mainly maintenance- not guest facing service staff.)

 

[Scalemaster34]

It's why I think Disney might copy the Adventure's Itinerary here at some point.. just sailing around in Mickey shapes.

 

[hardcorestitch]

It's why I think Disney might copy the Adventure's Itinerary here at some point.. just sailing around in Mickey shapes.

I think the Disney Adventure itinerary may have been unique to the location because… who really wants to get off in Batam or those Pulau islands? It’s not like Disney has its own private island in Asia - yet. Most of the guests who cruise on Disney LOVE Disney so much. There’s other cruise lines out there if the guests aren’t as hyped about Disney characters as we are

 

[jwalk03]

It's why I think Disney might copy the Adventure's Itinerary here at some point.. just sailing around in Mickey shapes.

Not in the US. Cruises to nowhere are not legal under the PVSA. Foreign flagged ships sailing from US ports have to visit a foreign port.

 

[WinterSolider]

I think the Disney Adventure itinerary may have been unique to the location because… who really wants to get off in Batam or those Pulau islands? It’s not like Disney has its own private island in Asia - yet. Most of the guests who cruise on Disney LOVE Disney so much. There’s other cruise lines out there if the guests aren’t as hyped about Disney characters as we are

"Good" itineraries in Asia are like 14 nights long and that's a tough sell with a 6,000 passenger, premium-priced ship.

 

[Mle8308]

Yes exactly. I would guess ~95% of the guests get off on the private islands. Takes a lot of the ship staff to provide service on the islands. There is very very little staff on the islands themselves. (Mainly maintenance- not guest facing service staff.)

Yep! My brother worked on Castaway Cay for a few months, he had a temporary assignment there. He was a lifeguard coordinator at Blizzard Beach and got the opportunity to work on CC. He loved it, he was there when there were only maybe 3 ships??? So it was not busy every day of the week. They worked a lot when no one was around, but they had a great time. He was busy with the lifeguards and guests when a ship was docked.