What Changes Would You Like DCL to Make?

[Sykes]

#1 - Don't incentivize being online at exactly midnight EST (or any other time) for anything. Ever. Take an interest list in advance, order it by Concierge/Castaway Club status (but give people within the same priority an equal chance), and then clear it when the booking window opens. (This is my biggest pet peeve about how Disney allocates scarce resources in general. It shows tremendous disrespect for their guests' time.)

#2 - More varied itineraries. I know the Caribbean is their bread and butter, but I really won't be sad if I never visit the Caribbean again.

#3 - Better off-hours (especially late night) dining options that aren't room service, and more frequent MDR menu updates.

#4 - Virtual muster. (This has been discussed here ad nauseam so I won't dedicate too much space to it.)

That's far from an exhaustive list, and admittedly, some of those things are a matter of preference (I know some people are happy to just visit Castaway Cay over and over again), but some others are addressing customer-unfriendly decision that were primarily made to manage costs.

 

[msu2002]

I have an exhaustive list but many have been touched on already, but here's a simple one, provide complimentary dole whip like the soft serve machine on the cruise ships. Oh and more than one soft serve area and a closer ( but not in) soft drink station to the adult area. How about upgrading to Coca Cola Freestyle machines.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

1. Rotating Servers Each Night:
Guests should have the option to experience different servers each evening, ensuring a variety of interactions and avoiding being “stuck” with a team that might not click. This could enhance the dining experience, allowing for a mix of personalities and service styles, creating more dynamic and memorable interactions.


2. Extended Access to Photos:
Photos from the cruise should be available for purchase for at least 30 days after the sailing, not just during the cruise. It’s a missed opportunity to capture additional revenue and ensure guests have enough time to select photos without pressure. This could be integrated into the app or website for easy access post-cruise.


3. Adult Pool Hours Extended to Midnight:
Keeping the adult pools open until midnight is a simple way to enhance the evening experience for adults. After dinner or evening shows, many adults would appreciate a quiet, relaxing swim under the stars.


4. Silent Funnel Vision in the Adult Area:
Adding a silenced version of Funnel Vision in the adult area is a great way to bring Disney magic to the space without disrupting the peaceful ambiance. Guests could watch classic Disney films or new releases while enjoying a more serene environment without feeling awkward sitting by the main pool screen without kids.


5. Character Attire Preview on the App:
The app should indicate what attire characters will be wearing during meet-and-greets (e.g., Minnie in her Halloween outfit or Captain attire). This would allow guests to plan their photos and experiences better without wasting time in lines only to find they missed a specific costume.


6. Merchandise Available at the Cruise Terminal:
Offering exclusive cruise merchandise at the terminal after disembarkation would allow guests to pick up any items they missed onboard. This small addition ensures guests leave with their magical souvenirs, even if they didn’t get a chance to shop during the cruise.


7. Order Drinks via the App on the Pool Deck:
A feature on the app that allows guests to order drinks from the pool deck, assigning them a number to show the bar waiter, would streamline service. This would reduce wait times, minimize crowding at the bar, and enhance convenience for guests.

 

[imbelle]

Not swapping papers is the same on other cruise lines. Really, if someone needs to cheat to win some cheesy prize (and I have no doubt they do), I just go for the fun of it.

We had cheaters on our cruise (three women and their young daughters). When the host asked "Who had 18 right?" Their hands and our hands were up. When he said "Who had 19 right?" both of our hands went down. Then lo and behold, miraculously they suddenly had 19 correct answers to win. It so happened that their seating was next to us in the dining rooms and we heard one of the moms bragging about how they had won the trivia game and one of the daughters piped up "Yeah, because you cheated!". One of those eye-rolling moments.

 

[nephykupo]

5. Character Attire Preview on the App:
The app should indicate what attire characters will be wearing during meet-and-greets (e.g., Minnie in her Halloween outfit or Captain attire). This would allow guests to plan their photos and experiences better without wasting time in lines only to find they missed a specific costume.

I would love that. You can guess the obvious ones like Pirate theme during Pirates Night but during a long Very Merrytime cruise, it was difficult to tell.

 

[Lorana]

even keep them from prior cruises if you’ve sailed within 12 months.

Oh, yes, THIS. My airlines allow me to save documents. I wish Disney and other cruise lines did. Just make me review them or flag them when they expire.

 

[Lorana]

A dedicated space for 18-20 year olds. Because they cannot hang out in Vibe, but they’re not old enough to drink, and it would be nice if they had their own lounge with mocktails and video games and such to hang out in without taking space from Vibe.

The Wish touted that they had a club for 18-20 year olds, but it turned out it was only set gathering times where Vibe was split in half to allow the 18-20 year olds to gather.

 

[holula]

5. Character Attire Preview on the App:
The app should indicate what attire characters will be wearing during meet-and-greets (e.g., Minnie in her Halloween outfit or Captain attire). This would allow guests to plan their photos and experiences better without wasting time in lines only to find they missed a specific costume.

Definitely agree on this. It might also reduce line length if you know you have X opportunities to see Mickey in a certain costume.

I also wish they’d have their Halloween costumes on for longer than one day. Merrytime is the whole cruise!

 

[Dug720]

1. Rotating Servers Each Night:
Guests should have the option to experience different servers each evening, ensuring a variety of interactions and avoiding being “stuck” with a team that might not click. This could enhance the dining experience, allowing for a mix of personalities and service styles, creating more dynamic and memorable interactions.

Much easier for you to speak with the dining room manager and see if a change is possible if you don't "click" with your dining team.

The whole point of keeping you with your team IS to enhance the dining experience so that your team gets to know you and things like how there's always a diet Coke waiting on the table for me can happen. If you're having different people every night you have to explain everything each time which takes so much longer.

Having been on cruises where you don't have the same team each night, it's not the joy you think it is because you cannot develop those memorable interactions because there's no investment to get to know you on either side.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

Asks in the category of "I think they could do this if they wanted/enough people complained about it"

I wish they would go to the safety drill like all other cruise lines now which is done remotely instead of in person. Especially on a 3 night cruise, a meaningful amount of time is spent waiting for the drills, waiting for everyone to come to the drill, having to stand around for the drill, and waiting to get back to the ship to your room/deck party, etc.

Another change I would like is offer more varied nighttime adult entertainment - on our recent cruises the only nighttime dancing was the "silent parties"

I wish they would go back to having small world nursery open until midnight

I wish the pools (especially adult pools) were open later at night - other cruise lines keep them open later, but everything closes early on the pool deck on DCL.

I also wish they would hold a "midnight buffet" (if not at midnight) on the night of Pirate Night

----

In the "not going to happen" category:
- Cheaper prices at peak times
- Go back to cabanas dinner service
- A better value proposition around concierge (either cheaper prices or better benefits)
- Cabanas not being a "OMG I actually got one" sort of thing
- Character dining as one night or breakfast for everyone while on board
- More varied gifts for DVC members - if you sail at least once a year all the gifts should be refreshed
- Bath Robes in all the rooms, not just on the Wish
- Bigger pools - especially for adults

As much as I agree with the virtual muster drill, I accidentally found a way to make it more bearable for me. I booked a mixology class for 1400 on embarkation day. It didn’t speed things up, but it bothered me a lot less!

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

A dedicated space for 18-20 year olds. Because they cannot hang out in Vibe, but they’re not old enough to drink, and it would be nice if they had their own lounge with mocktails and video games and such to hang out in without taking space from Vibe.

The Wish touted that they had a club for 18-20 year olds, but it turned out it was only set gathering times where Vibe was split in half to allow the 18-20 year olds to gather.

The 1820 Society on our last cruise was very active. There were a couple of planned activities, but the twenty or so young adults in the group set up their own chat and went everywhere together. I only saw my son at dinner.

It is definitely driven by the group onboard for any particular sailing.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

Bring back Palo brunch buffet style

Yes, PLEASE!

 

[dreamer17555]

We had cheaters on our cruise (three women and their young daughters). When the host asked "Who had 18 right?" Their hands and our hands were up. When he said "Who had 19 right?" both of our hands went down. Then lo and behold, miraculously they suddenly had 19 correct answers to win. It so happened that their seating was next to us in the dining rooms and we heard one of the moms bragging about how they had won the trivia game and one of the daughters piped up "Yeah, because you cheated!". One of those eye-rolling moments.

Obviously you overheard the cheating comment so no justifying that but often DCL will say things like "Papers up if you have 15, 16, 18, etc and you are supposed to keep it raised until they call a number higher than what you have. I wouldn't have assumed alone by seeing them with hands up at 18 that they didn't have 19... DCL normally calls them with keep papers or hands up.

Now the cheating comment- no excuse.

It really is worthless if you have to cheat.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

1. Rotating Servers Each Night:
Guests should have the option to experience different servers each evening, ensuring a variety of interactions and avoiding being “stuck” with a team that might not click. This could enhance the dining experience, allowing for a mix of personalities and service styles, creating more dynamic and memorable interactions.


2. Extended Access to Photos:
Photos from the cruise should be available for purchase for at least 30 days after the sailing, not just during the cruise. It’s a missed opportunity to capture additional revenue and ensure guests have enough time to select photos without pressure. This could be integrated into the app or website for easy access post-cruise.


3. Adult Pool Hours Extended to Midnight:
Keeping the adult pools open until midnight is a simple way to enhance the evening experience for adults. After dinner or evening shows, many adults would appreciate a quiet, relaxing swim under the stars.


4. Silent Funnel Vision in the Adult Area:
Adding a silenced version of Funnel Vision in the adult area is a great way to bring Disney magic to the space without disrupting the peaceful ambiance. Guests could watch classic Disney films or new releases while enjoying a more serene environment without feeling awkward sitting by the main pool screen without kids.


5. Character Attire Preview on the App:
The app should indicate what attire characters will be wearing during meet-and-greets (e.g., Minnie in her Halloween outfit or Captain attire). This would allow guests to plan their photos and experiences better without wasting time in lines only to find they missed a specific costume.


6. Merchandise Available at the Cruise Terminal:
Offering exclusive cruise merchandise at the terminal after disembarkation would allow guests to pick up any items they missed onboard. This small addition ensures guests leave with their magical souvenirs, even if they didn’t get a chance to shop during the cruise.


7. Order Drinks via the App on the Pool Deck:
A feature on the app that allows guests to order drinks from the pool deck, assigning them a number to show the bar waiter, would streamline service. This would reduce wait times, minimize crowding at the bar, and enhance convenience for guests.

Mostly agree, but I really enjoy having our servers rotate with us. I guess if I had a group that was just so-so I might feel differently. But, if we started with a team like Samet (Turkey) and Odi (Indonesia) this past week then switched to a less engaging team, I might have been disappointed.

 

[Anna131517]

Sail out of NYC again. I’m tired of having to fly to take a cruise and I’d prefer to explore NYC before a cruise. I would go more often if they sailed out of Baltimore, Philly, Newark, Boston, or NYC.

More itineraries, like New England or Iceland from NYC. Some of the itineraries I’d like to do aren’t offered when I can take off work (Norwegian Fjords).

 

[holula]

As much as I agree with the virtual muster drill, I accidentally found a way to make it more bearable for me. I booked a mixology class for 1400 on embarkation day. It didn’t speed things up, but it bothered me a lot less!

I have found that doing it in an indoor setting helps (but the virtual was way better) as I have bad anxiety/panic attacks in heavy crowds. The muster drill on deck 4 is my worst nightmare and I’ll only suffer it for a great priced *GT rate.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Much easier for you to speak with the dining room manager and see if a change is possible if you don't "click" with your dining team.

The whole point of keeping you with your team IS to enhance the dining experience so that your team gets to know you and things like how there's always a diet Coke waiting on the table for me can happen. If you're having different people every night you have to explain everything each time which takes so much longer.

Having been on cruises where you don't have the same team each night, it's not the joy you think it is because you cannot develop those memorable interactions because there's no investment to get to know you on either side.

I guess I see my dining experience a little differently. We’ve had some incredible servers, but also some who were good but didn’t really engage much with my family. That’s why I don’t depend on the dining team for anything beyond bringing the food.

It’s actually nice to have different people with different approaches each time. We cruise several times a year on both Disney and Royal, and I’ve had great experiences with different servers on both.

 

[Dug720]

I guess I see my dining experience a little differently. We’ve had some incredible servers, but also some who were good but didn’t really engage much with my family. That’s why I don’t depend on the dining team for anything beyond bringing the food.

It’s actually nice to have different people with different approaches each time. We cruise several times a year on both Disney and Royal, and I’ve had great experiences with different servers on both.

It has been on Royal where I've had different ones and it was literally like being in a diner "What do you want?" then bring the food and slap it down and vanish. Oh, but make sure to come back to get the "10s only" speech in. They wanted to make no effort to connect or have "meaningful encounters". Probably didn't help that there was a table nearby a couple of times who had clearly bribed the maitre'd into giving them the same table every night and the waitstaff was fawning all over them. So it made their ignoring of tables that didn't play the bribe for the same table game all the more glaring.

Even the greenest team I've had on DCL made connections. I'll take that any day.

 

[tidefan]

For us, it's bring back Dinner service in Cabanas/MM, especially for longer cruises or cruises in Europe. You shouldn't be penalized for not wanting to eat in the main dining room (especially during Pirate night!)

 

[CamColt]

I wish they would allow you to upload all your check in documents well in advance from check in, or even keep them from prior cruises if you’ve sailed within 12 months.

I’m in the UK and really don’t enjoy trying to upload my passport and other details at 5am!

Then you could just get your PAT at midnight eastern which is way less brain usage at that time in the morning.

Keeping photos from previous cruises would be great! Even a passport photo is good for 10 years. Why not give adults 5 years or something? Although I'm up before 5:00 am anyway so I would much rather it be then, and not have to wake up at midnight

7-night cruises on the Dream and Fantasy out of Florida.

Bring back Pixar Day at Sea!

YES! Or even offer 3/4 nights on those ships so a B2B is possible to make 7 nights. This summer we are booked on a 5 night Magic but added 3 nights on Utopia of the Seas immediately following. 8 nights will be a bit long but if DCL offered a 7 night option on the Dream or Fantasy we would definitely be doing that instead.

Bring back Palo brunch buffet style

That would be nice...and the regular sticky buns without the apple in them.

Not swapping papers is the same on other cruise lines. Really, if someone needs to cheat to win some cheesy prize (and I have no doubt they do), I just go for the fun of it.

No lie, this summer I saw a grown woman, with other adult travel companions in the terminal waiting to board. I didn't hear the conversation so I can't say what she was doing, but she whipped out a big stack of old trivia sheets. Not sure if she was reviewing/studying, or planning to cheat somehow (probably not), but I could not believe people take it that serious.

Now for my biggest wish...a better adult pool/bar/sun deck (with lounge chairs) on the Wish and Treasure. Just make 14 forward adult only and I would be on board. Anyone who has seen my posts will know I am not a fan of the Wish. I recently had the opportunity to sail on the Treasure and I didn't go in with high hopes. I was blown away! I REALLY liked the ship a lot...but I just can't get past not having a place where I know I will be able to get a lounge chair, especially since I can usually only do a 7 night in the sumer so that is a requirement for me. If I could sail longer cruises in the winter, I wouldnt care so much as it probably wouldn't be warm enough anyway.