The Disney Magic Ten Years Later-A Trip Report (Aug 15-22 Non-Tortola)w/pics COMPLETE

[JFHeeren]

I would agree that the bread and selection of it was real good this trip, except for the olive spread, with olive oil - and the olive bread. That was not a good combination for me.

Nice piece of Wellington you had there, mine did not look nearly as good as yours.

 

[Andrea_loves_Disney]

Subscribing!! Great trip report!! Waiting for the next installment....

 

[inmyis]

Love the Report! DW and our will be celebrating our 10th Anniversary with a Magic cruise in a little more than three weeks. It is our 4th Disney Cruise. I could not agree with you more about CC and Palo's Brunch...Fantastic! We are always one of the first off the ship at CC and one of the stragglers trying to stay longer. Also, like to relax and enjoy the cruise at a leisurely pace at Quiet Cove and ALL the beverage tastings!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Empress Room]

Day Four – Rum Point, Even More Palo And Pirates!

Another early breakfast, this time at Topsiders, as the fearless travelers pulled into Grand Cayman. We hastily decided upon the Rum Point Beach excursion when the itinerary changed (we had been there previously and really liked it, but decided to opt out of the Stingray City portion this time around since everyone had already done that on the last Grand Cayman stop and we realized that the prime beach areas of Rum Point are taken by those who opt out – hence our reasoning.

Our excursion met in Diversions at 8:15 a.m., and the Grand Cayman port requires tendering, so the process is always a bit slower and preference is given to those with DCL-booked excursions, earliest given even the greatest preference. We wandered down a little after 8:00 and the room was full; obviously, whatever excursion before ours (a butterfly encounter of some sort) hadn’t been cleared to the tender boats yet and was running a few minutes behind; DCL, like all cruise lines visiting, are at the mercy of local officials as to when their ship “will be cleared” (no one is really sure what that means, although I am pretty sure it involves setting up a group of official “welcomers” who in turn make sure that all the local merchant shops are open and ready to sell you just about anything under the sun...and of course, Tortoga Rum Cakes). Complicating the process on this cruise is that there were not one, not two, not three, but four different Carnival ships in port on this day, all vying for the same tenders:

I have also stated earlier in this trip report how impressed we all were that DCL scrambled and put together this itinerary on a moment’s notice, obviously contacting all of these new ports of call, arranging for our docking, arranging for shore excursions and generally making us feel welcomed. And they did an amazing job of doing so. I also mentioned earlier that there were the vocal minority back at the port who were complaining about the itinerary change and generally acting foolish; those folks were fellow Americans. Well, it is nice to see that this kind of behavior knows no borders. In Diversions that morning, a family of four from “across the pond” was already complaining about their subjective belief that things were unorganized and running late. They were vocal and sitting right in front of the ever-friendly DCL crew member trying to keep things in order and get those on the butterfly excursion out the door so that he could then deal with the Rum Point group. Somehow I knew that these folks from the U.K. would be on our excursion, on our bus to the ferry over to Rum Point and sitting right next to us on that whole trip...still complaining. I was right. Folks, you are on vacation, go with the flow a bit. Thankfully, we did not let it hinder our enjoyment at all:

We encountered the only rain of our entire week, and it was perfectly timed, not hitting until we had gotten off the bus (and away from the complainers) and onto the ferry for the 45-minute trip to Rum Point Beach. The water at Grand Cayman is beautiful, turquoise, and the trip over there (slow, due to the shallow depths across the bay) was really half the fun, even with the Ana and Bill-induced storm hitting us. By the time that we got to Rum Point, the skies had cleared, the temperature had risen, and we got to experience this secluded gem:

This excursion is really nice and relaxing. The waters at Rum Point are perfect for snorkeling and the food (included in the excursion price) is tasty and feels like you are “in the islands:"

After taking in Rum Point for the better part of the day, we experienced the return trip to the buses on the ferry, but this time the sun was out and the trip even more spectacular. The buses were waiting and right on time, we were back at the ship in no time and ready to prepare for Palo, Part 2, our much anticipated dinner, as well as the Pirates In The Caribbean Party.

Although we were second dining during the week, our Palo reservation was 6:30, which was perfect for getting out in more than plenty of time to change out of Palo gear and into Pirate gear:

It’s equally difficult to describe just how amazing Palo dinner is as it is Palo brunch – I have read opinions on which is better, which is a “can’t miss” and which you could pass up. From my perspective, as well as DW and the group, each is unique and each should be experienced at least once. P.J. greeted us and escorted us to Sasha’s section. Sasha, in his ever-present professionalism, described each and every morsel of food that awaited us. I simply cannot put into words what an outstanding meal and experience we had at this dinner (nor how incredibly stuffed and full each of us were after consuming what appeared to be a week’s worth of the ship’s entire rations in a single sitting). I will let the pictures do the talking. First up, the various appetizers, including calamari to die for, a tomato-basil salad and a spectacular grilled eggplant:

And entrees. How about beef tenderloin:

Some of the best rack of lamb I have ever had:

Sasha likes to bring an “entrée for the table,” tonight it was actually two additional entrees, pasta dishes:

By the time dessert rolled in, the crew practically needed to roll us out. The chocolate soufflé that Carm, a true connoisseur of soufflés, claims is the “best in the world” (a strong statement indeed):

I am partial to the panacatta, which I believe is absolutely memorable:

How about banana crème brulee:

At the conclusion of our gorge fest, we started talking to Sasha and P.J., telling them what wonderful meals we had consumed there – both brunch and dinner – and what a letdown it will be as we walk out of the friendly confines of Palo that evening. I even (somewhat) jokingly told P.J. that the four of us would gladly “volunteer” to place sit for any last minute cancellation he may receive in the next few days – we could get dressed up in seconds if need be!. Heck, it would be a crime to leave a table empty at Palo. P.J. and Sasha laughed, we scribbled our kudos on the book at the host stand, said our goodbyes and waddled out into the hallway.

Although soundly in a food-induced coma, we exited Palo and headed back to our respective cabins for Pirate Night festivities. Now back in 1999 on our first Magic cruise, there was no such thing as the Pirate Night party, because those were the days B.J.S. (Before Jack Sparrow) and before the fireworks were shot off the ship. For the life of me, I do not remember what we did on those nights, but my best recollection is that what is now the Pirate Party was simply a very lively, character-driven deck party, sans any fireworks blowing up in the sky.

We spent the time prior to the party revving up, taking in the solitude and quiet of the Quiet Cove pool area, which illustrates how, no matter how many folks are on this ship, if you want some solitude and privacy, you can find it:

We decided on the “understated” pirate garb for this cruise, mostly in part that we were dangerously close to Northwest’s 50 lb. baggage limit, and paying an additional $50 on top of the $25 or $30 per bag we had already paid just didn’t seem all that attractive, particularly since experience has taught us that our onboard $200 credit, which always sounds like a lot, is usually burned through by the time they call our name as we walk onto the Magic from the port terminal:

Which brings up a good point. The Pirate Party is truly “not to be missed” and a plus that has occurred in the last decade of DCL cruises that we sincerely hope sticks around in some capacity (and with the rumored Pirates 4 movie in production, very likely). Watching it from start to finish from the comfy confines of Deck 10, we noticed that the dances, music and banter has been rearranged and updated; although the “Mickey Saves The Day” theme and fireworks in the sky have remained constant. The fireworks are, of course, the highlight, and when you realize that DCL is the only cruise line able to circumvent maritime laws about flammable rockets and the appearance of signal flares in the skies, you feel pretty lucky and pretty darned excited about the whole event.

The Pirates pooped out soon after the last report decorated the Caribbean night sky, we knew that an early Spinning class and Cozumel were waiting the following day, so we called it a night a little after 11:00.

My impressions from Day Four:

• DCL is, in part, a victim of its own success. Guests know and expect a punctuality and precision from the Disney brand, and when things beyond its control (hurricanes and tender boats) cause changes to that precision, folks tend to overreact;

• Grand Cayman is a very nice port, but it is incredibly expensive. We didn’t shop on the island because of the crazy high taxes and ended up doing better shopping back on the ship after we left port (the rum cakes in the duty free Up Beat were much less expensive than in the Grand Cayman Tortoga store, which makes this port perfect for sun/beach activities, but not a lot else);

• Although the fireworks on board are not Illuminations or Wishes, watching them leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling with you as you bob in the vast, inky ocean and connects you back to everything you like about Disney;

• After feasting in Palo, I am looking forward to that Spinning class.

Next up: Day Five – Are We At Palo, Or Is This Groundhog Day II?

 

[chuff]

coming along for the ride.....

 

[caitlinsdad]

We too were on the Aug 15th cruise with you, I too heard the small group complaining about the change of cruise plans. While I too was disappointed in the change, Having done almost the same cruise in 2006 with two stops at CC, Being safe and avoiding the hurricane and TS was much more preferable than high winds and seas.

Disney did a great job considering the change in plans.


Great report and pictures

Thank you

 

[Empress Room]

Day Five – Are We At Palo, Or Is This Groundhog Day II?

Wednesday means Cozumel, a port that we have visited on previous Western itineraries and a port which almost demands that you embark on some sort of beach excursion or adventure. Truth be told, many passengers have reservations about Cozumel – it is Mexico, there is major culture shock, English is not spoken as a first language and, unlike the various Caribbean islands DCL tends to visit, when you arrive in Cozumel (or any Mexican port for that matter), you clearly know that you are in a foreign country (as an American) which can be a little disconcerting.

On our two previous visits to Cozumel, we booked 1) the Jeep adventure and beach break (an absolute hoot. Great, rugged drive through the wilderness, ending up at a pretty nice beach with some good wave action and a nice Mexican lunch) and 2) a beach day at a private resort (another fun DCL excursion. A private beach, with use of a resort and a full-blown buffet lunch). This time, however, we were inclined to just hang out in Cozumel, walk the streets and do some shopping before spending the majority of the day back on the Magic enjoying the solitude of the Quiet Cove pool, which is always less attended during port days. (A word on shopping. Many folks find the very aggressive nature of the merchants and business owners in Mexico uncomfortable. One really shouldn’t. It’s actually kind of a fun interaction as shop owners try to convince you to visit their little stores. It’s a cultural difference and completely harmless. Plus, you might just find a deal because they are always willing to bargain.)

After my aforementioned Spinning class and DW’s jog around Deck 4, we were ready to take on Cozumel. The port area has been plussed since our visit in May, 2008, and some of the views back into the port area and down the streets are quite remarkable:

Knowing that we weren’t going to spend all day walking the hot streets, we headed toward the Plaza, kind of an “upscale” straw market full of merchants, vendors and restaurants of local flavor:

I don’t know about you, but we like to catch at least some of the local flavor of these quaint port stops, and tiny restaurants and bars are a fun way to experience that. (It was getting to be close to lunch time [heck, it was after 10:00 a.m., and we thought that a couple of 50 cent Coronas and some chips and salsa sounded like a great idea]. As great as the food is on the ship, eating lunch at Lumiere’s or Topsiders, at least to us, would be way less adventurous and way less memorable than partaking in some of the local fare. And these folks need tourist dollars.) We found this little dive in the Plaza, were solicited by the waiter with a $1 off coupon and decided that it had just the right look:

After shopping some more, Bob, DW and I hooked back up with Carm, who had wandered off by herself, heading in the general direction of the ship as she shopped from store to store. We decided to have a real lunch at Carlos and Charlie’s (although much more vanilla in authenticity than the previous dive we visited, it was on DCL’s approved list of “safe” eateries and, although the little dive had a sign that its vegetables were washed with bottled water only, the consensus was that it was a risk no one was willing to take – there were still three days left in this cruise and the thought of food-borne illnesses did not sound attractive). But Carlos and Charlie’s did not disappoint: the food was decent, the waitstaff crazy and fun, the beers cold and...you got to wear silly balloon hats:

We were also heckled by Kiwi Copperfield (no, I am not making this up) who is a roving table magician there. He sat down with the four of us and performed about 15-20 minutes worth of the most amazing card and sleight of hand tricks. “Legerdemain” must be his middle name, but having the opportunity to run into a showman like this was really a highlight:

We meandered back to the Magic in early afternoon and (like clockwork) headed to the adult pool with our ESPN mugs. The day was gorgeous, hot, but with a breeze, blue skies and the sounds of Mexican music coming from the stores and restaurants in port. Again, we were in our happy place.

Carm decided that she wanted to go see “Up” in 3-D at 5:30 before heading to Sessions and our main dining seating. But those plans changed. DW and I got back to our cabin from the pool sometime right at 5:30 and our message light was blinking. (You will learn that this happens frequently on the Magic. Broadcast voicemails from the cruise director, Brent, about upcoming events, messages from the hotel manager making sure everything is in order, messages from DVC or Castaway Club about get togethers. After the first one, seeing the blinking light becomes routine). But not this time.

Still in our wet bathing suits, I reached for the phone to hear what I thought would be another broadcast message. But it was Palo. Specifically, it was P.J. P.J. said that there was a late cancellation and, if the four of us were interested, we could come in for a SECOND Palo dinner. If we were interested? Is the Pope Catholic? Is Captain Thord soft-spoken? Are our onboard charges well into the mid-three digits? Yes, yes, yes and of course. But there was one small problem. We needed to be at Palo at 5:45. And it was 5:30. And Carm was AWOL at a movie. We called Bob. He ran to the Buena Vista Theater to find Carm. “Up” wasn’t playing. They had substituted “G-Force.” Carm wasn’t there. Mad scramble. Must find Carm somewhere. We fanned out. Grid search. Decks 4, 9 and 10 would be covered. I had Deck 4. No luck. DW had Deck 10. Ditto. Bob had Deck 9. Success! She was waiting in line at Pinocchio’s for pizza. No way. Palo and all of this waited:

As much as I’d like to, and as amazing as that 5:45 reservation was (we cleaned up real nice), I won’t bore you with the details of another Palo dinner event. Suffice it to say that P.J. and Sasha were gracious and cordial and the food was delightful as always. We had a few different entrees, including the best homemade lasagna we have ever eaten (and this was simply a Sasha “entrée for the table” add-on):

Amazing ahi tuna:

Succulent salmon:

Again, wonderful desserts:

Notice the greatest souffle ever in the background, behind the tiramisu:

The coma hit hard again. Everything became a blissful blur. I remember thanking P.J. profusely and I remember him asking me when he’d see us again (although I know he meant on what future cruise, I wanted to say, “how about tomorrow?”), hugs were exchanged with Sasha (who promised that, although he may do a short contract on the Dream just for transition and quality assurance purposes, he would return to the Magic, which he considers “his ship.) We ended up at Sessions (this time post-meal) and unwound from a truly wonderful day.

My impressions from Day Five:

• It’s the little things that make a cruise, whether in port or on the Magic itself. Discovering that “local flavor” and unfamiliar culture of the port city, whether for salsa or a simple card trick, can really make your vacation;

• DCL also looks at the little things. Although P.J. could not possibly have promised another trip to Palo, the stars lined up and, somewhere, he remembered our party and knew how much it would mean to us to dine in Palo again. Although we are just four of thousands of passengers, DCL does an excellent job of making one feel special;

• I couldn’t help but think back to our first cruise on the Magic in 1999 and our first experience at Palo. Newbies, in a new restaurant, we were seated, taking in the room’s splendor. I remember the manager back then approaching the two of us and explaining that he would kindly move our table for two from the center of the room to a table by the window, so we could enjoy a magnificent sunset as we dined. A little thing then, a little thing now, but somehow it was a tie that bound.

Next up: Day Six – There Is “Wining” on the Magic

 

[Mickey4me!]

Really enjoying your report. Our DCL experience parallels yours - Cruise #1 was Oct '97 shortly after the inaugural cruise (when they only had 3 and 4 day ones to Nassau), then #2 in '02 to celebrate dd's graduation (7 day Eastern) and we're getting ready for #3 in Oct - 7 day Western with DD and her fiance! Can't wait to experience the changes that have taken place over the past 7 years. Palo still remains one of the highlights for us...

Can't wait to read more.

 

[Empress Room]

Day Six - There Is "Wining" On The Magic

Ah, days at sea and Parrot Cay. There is something about days at sea that truly make a cruise feel relaxing. There is simply no pressure or tugs on your time since you need not tender, disembark, head off to an excursion or otherwise do anything “real world.” (Don’t misunderstand me, excursion days are great days, and DW and I have always enjoyed exploring new and different islands and locales; however, over the last ten years of DCL cruising, we have come to really appreciate sea days and, if I had one disappointment with the retooled non-Tortola itinerary, it’s that we were giving up one of our three sea days in exchange for another port). Ah, such worries.

Now earlier in the week, Monday I believe, Captain Thord had told the passengers (ever quietly) that Thursday could very well be an “iffy” overcast and possibly rainy day because, even though he traded the three or four very bad weather days had we kept that original itinerary, the hurricanes were likely to affect our weather later in the week...and Thursday was going to be the day. But it didn’t turn out that way. The sun rose gloriously in the east, hardly a cloud in the sky, the seas were placid and it looked like yet another picture perfect day. Clean living indeed.

So we didn’t have too many plans at all. In fact, in true sea day fashion, just about none. DW and I awoke early and headed to Cove Café for an early breakfast and a workout in the gym. We found Bob enjoying a cup of coffee by the near-deserted adult pool. We knew that we had a wine tasting at 1:00 p.m., that it was semi-formal night and that we were dining at Parrot Cay. We knew that we wanted to spend a lot of time at the pool (with mugs) both before and after the wine tasting and further knew that we wanted to grab some pizza and chicken strips for lunch. Yep, that was all we had on our calendars, and we were looking forward to it.

DW and I wandered over to the Vista Spa to see, perhaps, if there were any additional spa appointments available. (As described in Day Two, we usually begin the cruise with a well-being massage just to “set the tone;” we enjoyed them so much that we decided to splurge, DW opting for some kind of seaweed wrap and yours truly grabbing a hot stone massage. The Vista accommodated us with two open appointments within 15 minutes of our inquiry. It was a plan and well worth the splurge.)

After a dip in the pool and lunch on Deck 9, we headed over to Sessions for our wine tasting. Back in 1999 (and, in fact, over a number of years thereafter), the Magic’s (and Wonder’s) wine tastings were done in Palo, and we really miss them switching venues. I don’t know if it’s simply just another excuse to visit that wonderful gastronomic showplace or more of the special, upscale feeling associated with those early year wine-tastings, but the wine (and other tastings) now being held in Sessions and Diversions feel somehow a little less exclusive and a little less special. Perhaps it makes more sense to conduct tastings in actual bars and not restaurants, perhaps Palo needs the time for dinner preparations, perhaps even that more guests can now be accommodated in these wildly popular events, but it is a change that isn’t our favorite.

Not that it mattered. Sessions is still a great venue and DW even went out and bought the appropriately themed shirt for the occasion:

The pours are still plentiful and the instruction still thorough and educational:

In fact, the old standby of using the saber (in this case a butter knife) to slice open and pop the top end of the Champagne bottle off as a grand finale – a staple back in the Palo days – is still being used today:

Now here’s a hint. The wine tastings are about $10 per person (and that hasn’t really changed in the last decade) and folks usually sign up at guest services at the beginning of the cruise. Plans change, forgetfulness envelops some and it is not uncommon for three or four tables to be left empty (but complete with full pours of the wines of the afternoon). As Dean from Australia told us, they will just throw those unused tastings away so, if you hang out until the bitter end, the crew member conducting the tasting will be more than happy to let you help him “clean up” the perfectly good and otherwise perfectly unused samplings! And we did, probably getting three complete tastings each for our low investment of only $10 per person:

After the wine tasting(s), we headed back to the adult pool for an afternoon of lounging and relaxation in the perfectly themed and pleasantly appointed Quiet Cove Pool. This area, in particular, has been a consistent and constant reminder of the DCL experience from our first voyage on the Magic to the twelfth. Music plays softly in the background, the live duo plays a few sets throughout the later afternoon hours under the overhang of the Forward stairs and the DCL bar crew provides attentive but not intrusive service. Ahhh.

We always figure that, even though it’s not required on semi-formal night, since we dragged out tuxes and nice dresses all the way from back home, we might as well get our mileage out of them, so we wear them again. We headed over to Sessions for our pre-meal cocktails and piano music:

We were treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets:

And finally, this beauty:

We capped the day with another nice meal at Parrot Cay:

All of the “hard work” associated with massages, wine tastings and playing dress up obviously took their toll. We caught the 10:30 p.m. show of the comedian/hypnotist (whose name escapes me and whose show, although entertaining, is really pretty unbelievable) and headed back to our respective cabins at about midnight.

My impressions from Day Six:

• I love sea days;

• We love sea days;

• Even if you have very little planned for any given day aboard the Magic, you are still “busy” and the time flies by entirely too quickly.

Next up - Day Seven: Heads Up...For Another Day At Castaway Cay

 

[Empress Room]

Day Seven: Heads Up...For Another Day At Castaway Cay

As the sun rose on our last (sniff!) day of our cruise, we were once again greeted by bright sunshine, calm seas and overall perfect weather. Since we began our trip with a similar day at Castaway Cay six days prior, somehow it just seemed like a fitting conclusion.

We decided to head to the very end of the family beach for this go-around at Castaway Cay, close to the Heads Up Bar, hammocks and Cookies. (Serenity Bay is special, but we have learned that the family beach has its own charm. Cookies is larger with more seating, The Heads Up provides great views of the ship and the trip back to the ship at the end of the day is much shorter, which allows one to maximize his/her experience there.)

The day could not have been any more perfect. The bright sunshine played against the here and there clouds and the Magic provided a most perfect backdrop.

Unlike our first visit a decade ago, Castaway Cay has become familiar, but in an oh-so-good way. We never tire from bounding out of the ship as early as possible, walking past the post office and the island excursions headquarters and through that beautiful white sand beach. But unlike all of those visits between that first one in 1999 and this non-Tortola one, Castaway Cay is in the process of changing. There is a lot of construction going on, pilings being driven into the bay, cranes and construction barges hovering in the distance and the overall sense that this would be our last “familiar” visit – that the next time we visit Castaway Cay, it will be bigger, with more activities and changes galore. Here’s hoping that its true quiet theme and deserted island feel are not lost as it grows.

We visited Heads Up, played on the beach and in the bay and eventually each found our own “personal” palm tree. This was our view for much (if not all) of the morning and afternoon...and we loved it:

At the end of the day, we made the dreaded trek back to the ship, opting to walk along the shore and follow the water’s edge all the way back to the pedestrian bridge by the first tram stop. We noticed something, something that was not so evident a decade ago. Not to be preachy, but it sure seemed that guests took a lot better care of the beach back then. Folks used the garbage cans, took their chairs out of the water and generally cleaned up their areas. This time, we were all pretty shocked to see chairs and chaise loungers bobbing in the surf, plastic water bottles discarded on the beach and leftover toys, sand pails, plastic shovels and the like strewn about. No wonder those poor crew members have to start cleaning up and closing down hours before departure; the guests make their jobs so much more difficult and we only hope that this was an isolated incident instead of some kind of “entitlement” trend. Alas...

A hidden detail:

We (again) headed back to the pool after our wonderful beach day. I won’t depress you by describing the depression and disappointment associated with leaving the pool to go pack for the return trip home; suffice it to say that it never gets any easier, even ten years later. But we have a system down. We pack before dinner so that we can make one more trip to Sessions.

On our second and unexpected Palo dinner, we missed the French dinner...and esgargots. DW, Bob and I love ‘em and happened to mention to Daniel and Kendell the following evening that it was our only regret for having the good fortune of eating at Palo twice. When we arrived at our table at Lumiere’s the final night (two days after mentioning this) here is what awaited the three of us:

And that really says everything you need to know about DCL service and the reason we’ve cruised a dozen times with DCL. Such little things do make your cruise experience, and DCL seems to do such an amazing job of adding up all of those little things to make the experience as a whole that much grander.

Daniel and Kendell were well represented at the final evening’s flag festival:

The traditional Baked Alaska made its return:

Disembarkation was flawless. We all opted for onboard flight check-in, but only Bob and Carm were able to utilize it (DW and I must be some kind of “security risks” because the airline would not approve us without an in-person check-in at an airport kiosk. Apparently, TSA randomly does this to unsuspecting travelers so the system is not without its glitches). Oddly, even though DW and I had to claim our luggage and walk it through customs, we actually beat Bob and Carm to our cruiseline bus by about 15 minutes (apparently, onboard check-in passengers still have to stand in line to pay all luggage fees in the port terminal and it delays things. So other than not having to find and carry your luggage for a few feet to the bus, I’m not sure the onboard check-in is all that much of a benefit).

I will not conclude with a discussion of airports or flights (uneventful but depressing) but rather with my impressions from Day Seven:

• DCL has spent the better part of the last decade refining and improving its guests’ experience. During those early days, as we now reflect back, it was the “new kid on the block” and learning its craft on the fly. Now, its level of service exceeds expectations consistently;

• This non-Tortola cruise falls in my top three of DCL cruises. Sure, the weather was great, the food memorable and the service impeccable. But we were most impressed with what DCL did on a moment’s notice to transform what could have been a very disappointing itinerary change into a seamless, special experience and cruise. This is something that DCL may not have been able to pull off back in 1999, something that really only comes from learning and listening to passengers, something that we all agree Disney has done and done well;

• Much like the parks, it’s always great to see the new changes to the Magic and Wonder with each drydock visit and each subsequent cruise. The Outlook Café scheduled for the Wonder – details which were shared with us onboard the Magic – should be exciting for the new itineraries; and

• Oh, yeah, one more. There WILL be a (lucky) 13th DCL cruise (we booked one onboard during my post-jogging hyperventilation). It’s a “dummy” date for now...it may be a European Capitals cruise next summer, perhaps a back-to-back 3 and 4 day just for something new or maybe even the Panama Canal. Whatever it is, we know that, after ten years and a dozen DCL cruises, we won’t be disappointed.

Until next time.......

 

[caitlinsdad]

Thank you for a great report. Having been on the Aug 15th cruise too, I agree totally with you the Disney did a fantastic job on short notice.

 

[Empress Room]

Thank you for a great report. Having been on the Aug 15th cruise too, I agree totally with you the Disney did a fantastic job on short notice.

I think that it could have been a complete disaster, but somehow DCL pulled it off without a hitch. There were 2500 passengers, all sharing various degrees of disappointment in not visiting Tortola, scrambling to reschedule shore excursions and Palo brunch ressies. Except for the few naysayers who wanted to nevertheless head into the teeth of the hurricanes, Disney's ability to change on a moment's notice calmed all but the most unreasonable passengers.

After a couple of hours of enjoying the fine service, food and drink on board, we really didn't think too much more about not going to Tortola.

Thanks for reading my report and glad you enjoyed the August 15 cruise.