What would you like to see on the new ships?

[MunFam]

Ya know...if the CM simply asks the person next to the empty seat? Have you seen this person? The person can simply say, yes, she is in the restroom or no, its been abandoned for 2 hours. Then the CM can remove the stuff. I really think that the majority of "seat savers" will just use lockers instead of using a chair if the lockers were available. Then the all day sun worshiper that needs to step away for a moment can do so without needing to remove their stuff. Or perhaps a CM can place a card on the abandoned chair with a time written on it. If in 10 minutes when they pass by the card is still sitting there untouched, remove the items and free up the chair.

I am guilty of using a chair to store all of our belongings while we are in the pool. There are no hooks to hang bags or lockers, so where else am I going to put our coverups, flip flops, etc. I would PREFER a locker because then I do not have to worry about our stuff disappearing.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

...the entire premise of the Disney Cruise Line is to let families and their children experience what is like to travel on the sea and see new and exciting places through the ports of call.

Except that this clearly isn't true. Disney wouldn't go out of their way to create all those existing adult only spaces, nor would they offer adult-only excursions and restaurants like Palo and Remy, if their cruises weren't also designed for adults in mind. Where do you get the impression that DCL was made for families and kids only? Disney knows darn well who pays the bills, and it's the adults.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I have heard of one cruise line - I'm forgetting which right now - that was using a sticker system where crew members were essentially assigned to patrol the pool and/or sun decks and act kind of like meter maids. If stuff was left unattended in a chair, a sticker would be put on that chair I believe with the time on it. If 30 minutes passed and no one had made an appearance to claim the stuff and use the chair, it would be removed to a Lost and Found area and the chair(s) freed up for others to use. At least a system like that gives a CM a leg to stand on in a situation where the one who had things removed went to complain.

Not that this is a seat saving thread, but it is in the context of things we'd like to see on the new ships. If they had lockers key'd to your room where you could keep your stuff, not only could you secure things like cell phones better, but it could help with the seat saving problem.

Granted, some people are just going in the pool for a while or grabbing a drink, or a restroom, but MOST of the saved seats are by people who weoop in at 8:00, just so they can have private seat whenever they might want it.

There are MANY ways this could be fixed, without having to make CMs be the "heavies". Especially if there are free lockers available for people who are currently only saving seats because they need a place to put stuff. Beth mentions one above. Another would be as simple as cards available by the chairs, and when you get up, you just write the current time on it. That way, it would be obvious how long a chair has been empty. I doubt the chair savers would want to come back once an hour to keep updating the time, plus it would soon become obvious that they aren't using the chair. An electronic solution would be even easier, and probably not expensive, with some sort of button built into the chairs. Just tap the button when you get up if you plan to come back soon. A simple display will then show when you left.

Also, I love some of the other ideas mentioned for future ships on this line. Lots of likes handed out by me on this thread!

 

[Terapin]

I would like to see rock climbing and a surfing pool. My kids would really dig that.

 

[amberwc]

Recliner style seats in movie theater... or just more comfortable ones!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Recliner style seats in movie theater... or just more comfortable ones!

The seats in the Buena Vista Theater on the Dream class ships rock and are much more padded than the ones on the Magic class. But that's due to the difference in the themeing between the two.

On the Magic class ships BVT is themed like the classic movie theaters in the 30's. While the Dream class is more modern.

 

[Dug720]

Recliner style seats in movie theater... or just more comfortable ones!

Maybe they're different on the Classic ships, but I find the ones on the Dream Class quite comfy.

The biggest problem with the reclining seats is it drastically reduces the amount of seats available in the theatre. The places here that have gone to them have lost about half of their original seating capacity.

eta: Thanks @PrincessShmoo ! You answered while I was typing.

 

[truck1]

I know mine is not the majority, but I would like to see more upscale dress codes and a little less casual beach side hotel dress codes for the evening meals in the MDR.

.

I'm with you. Its really not hard to actually put on nice pants and shirt for a few hours each night. I know there are some exceptions, but they should be just that. An exception and not the rule.

 

[Quellman]

Why isn't it going to happen? Has there already been an indication of what to expect?

Initial 'mock ups' show a similar ship profile, but generally taller ship. Link to original phototis here. Granted this is just showing that it fits in with the design of the other ships and shouldn't be construed one way or the other what it may or may not have. In the photo, the Fantasy doesn't have a sun shade by Satellite falls.

1. Maintain the DCL style- don't succumb to pressure to turn these beautiful ships into floating malls like those on the other lines.
2. Maintain DCL's commitment to adult cruisers by:

• Not making adult areas bigger, but placing them in a way that allows them to be truly exclusive to adults- no kid walkthroughs needed or allowed.
• Having newly released R-rated movies available in one of the theaters each night.
• Host some historical or cultural talks about the ports- one per cruise at least
• Host adult-only behind-the-scenes tours of the ships
• Host a good improv group to perform on each cruise

3. Maintain the DCL fun by making more activities available:

Agree that there should be some more cultural talks on board, though while there can be some adult only ones, there are plenty of kids who may want to attend family sessions as well, especially home school families, or those kids who have to do a 'report' for school on their trip.

 

[Quellman]

As for design elements that the new ships should have.

1. Something Thrilling. I really think they have missed out on some of the thrilling things that other lines offer. Racing slides would be a good addition to the expanded splash pad. A wave rider or something similar could also create interest for those pre-teen/teen groups, as would a rock wall or ropes course. Personally, I think a ropes course would be an eyesore to the profile of the ship.

2. More outside vistas. I would appreciate more interior places to sit and view the sea or the ports. Not sure if it should be some sort of solarium, game room, multi-purpose location, but large expansive windows to let in natural light into the ship would be welcomed. The portholes are nice and all but not able to accommodate lots of people viewing them.

3. Spa enhancements. Larger Rainforest rock lounger area, and ones that are more comfortable.

4. Adult space. That cannot be walked through by families.

5. Open interior spaces. Most of the ship is a series of small rooms. It can be difficult to 'stumble in' on events and things going on because they are hidden away somewhere, especially for some of the 'adult clubs' on the Dream and Fantasy. You don't stumble in on trivia in the pub, you seek it out. The magic did a much better job of having open spaces for gathering before and after diner or during the day.

6. Staterooms. The bathrooms need to be updated a bit to more modern times and need to include more shelving or places to store stuff. I also think there needs to be a little bit more space between murphy beds and the dressers so you can still get stuff out when the beds are down. Having dedicated USB outlets would be a real plus as well.

 

[mrsp1030]

Some of the changes I would like to see:

1. Staterooms: More options that sleep 5 that are not the huge jump to a 1 bedroom concierge suite. How about something similar to Royal Caribbean Family Suites! Also, a larger verandah area on some categories.

2. Laundry: Facilities on more decks.

3. Dining options: Would be nice to have something during the day that was not pizza, fried food, or sandwiches without having to go to the buffett or sit down; Plus a nicer family friendly restaurants for ages 10 and up would be nice.

4. Pool: A nicer family pool area that affords some other features.

 

[RedSox68]

Not that this is a seat saving thread, but it is in the context of things we'd like to see on the new ships. If they had lockers key'd to your room where you could keep your stuff, not only could you secure things like cell phones better, but it could help with the seat saving problem.

Granted, some people are just going in the pool for a while or grabbing a drink, or a restroom, but MOST of the saved seats are by people who weoop in at 8:00, just so they can have private seat whenever they might want it.

There are MANY ways this could be fixed, without having to make CMs be the "heavies". Especially if there are free lockers available for people who are currently only saving seats because they need a place to put stuff. Beth mentions one above. Another would be as simple as cards available by the chairs, and when you get up, you just write the current time on it. That way, it would be obvious how long a chair has been empty. I doubt the chair savers would want to come back once an hour to keep updating the time, plus it would soon become obvious that they aren't using the chair. An electronic solution would be even easier, and probably not expensive, with some sort of button built into the chairs. Just tap the button when you get up if you plan to come back soon. A simple display will then show when you left.

Also, I love some of the other ideas mentioned for future ships on this line. Lots of likes handed out by me on this thread!

Maybe a system that requires you slide your room card -- and are held to a certain time limit unless you slide the card again at the end of that limit. If you don't, your seats are forfeited to the next person. We have that on our computers now at the circulation desk -- you are allowed 60 minutes once you sign in. If you aren't done in 60 minutes you are logged out.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Maybe a system that requires you slide your room card -- and are held to a certain time limit unless you slide the card again at the end of that limit. If you don't, your seats are forfeited to the next person. We have that on our computers now at the circulation desk -- you are allowed 60 minutes once you sign in. If you aren't done in 60 minutes you are logged out.

Love this idea! People have to carry their room keys anyway, and the keys are waterproof, so no swimming concerns. Something easy to do if you are honestly just getting up for a little bit, but hard to maintain if you are trying to keep the chair empty all day. It's a new ship, and they have like 4 years to develop the tech. Maybe we are dreaming, but hey!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Key cards with holes punched in them ... no one wants to have to keep fishing a card out of a lanyard holder, when it could be attached more like a work id badge.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Key cards with holes punched in them ... no one wants to have to keep fishing a card out of a lanyard holder, when it could be attached more like a work id badge.

With the chip technology, you don't have fish the card out of the plastic pouch any longer. You just tap it on the reader, leaving it in the pouch.

 

[hamm1207]

I'd love to see:

-Library (kids and adults can enjoy this)
-Solarium or more open air lounging areas (there are plenty of inside lounges)
-Midship detective agency or something similar
-More thrilling activities for everyone to enjoy: racing slides, aquadunk, rock wall, ropes course, etc
-playground or a toddler designated play area (there's one on the magic and it's pretty nice, but it'd be even nicer if it had more options similar to a playground and not just 'cheap' play tents). You could put a height limit or age limit to keep it under a little more control.
-mini golf
-dole whip
-more ethnic food options

 

[tcufrog]

The Dream has mini golf. I'd like more activities besides bingo, alcohol tastings, and trivia that are appealing to adults. We went to a cooking demonstration with my older son and we loved it. Perhaps they could occasionally offer to Imagineers a free family cruise if during the cruise they had Q&A sessions and talks about different topics related to their jobs. Animators, costume designers, casting directors and special effects staff from Lucas Film would be awesome too. This is something that none of the other cruise lines can offer so it would really set them apart.

 

[squirk]

I'm coming in late to this party and am probably just seconding what's already been said, but:

1.) More physical activities for older kids (rock wall, obstacle course, etc.);
2.) Do not add a casino;
3.) Freestyle Coke machines;
4.) Solve the Dream-class "aft elevator making you walk through Cabanas to get to the pool deck" issue;
5.) Make the Donald pool bigger. It's ridiculously small for the number of kids who use it on a full sailing;
6.) Please do not add more "premium" features like Vanellope's. I don't want DCL to become a "nickel and dime" setup like RCCL is frequently criticized for;
7.) Heat the AquaLab water (assuming there's going to be an AquaLab). It's always too cold on the existing ships;
8.) More and varied MSDA missions;
9.) Engineer a way for kids to get to forward elevators on Deck 11 without walking through adult area;
10.) Having a hard time coming up with a #10......

 

[truck1]

Why isn't it going to happen? Has there already been an indication of what to expect?

The new class dimensions were released already. They are carbon copies of the Dream class with the exception of weight. The new class is 10000 tons heavier if Imy not.mistaken. just reading the new dimensions it seems like they are moving the balcony cabins out to clean up the lines like the classics are shaped.

 

[rcchello]

Lounge chairs that work like parking meters and put up an expired flag if a room key has not been in its vicinity in 30/45 minutes.