Why EVERYONE should book a DCL!

[jlawall]

We just returned from a nice experience in a tropical island during this spring (Easter) break week from school. Overall, it was a great experience but as the week ended several events occurred which convinced me to go DCL next year.....

reason 1: The crowds were building to enormous proportions at the resort we stayed at.

reason 2: By Wednesday, YOU HAD TO RESERVE A LOUNGE CHAIR BY 9AM!! Once the chairs ran out by about 9:15am, the staff simply said there weren't any chairs left!!!

reason 3: When overcharged at one of our meals.....we had to wait over 20 minutes to have the charge adjusted.

biggest reason to book a DCL cruise.......WE WAITED AT THE AIRPORT FOR TWO HOURS IN DIFFERENT LINES to check-in, go through customs and several security checks....when we asked for info about the delays WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT!!!! We arrived on our flight with minutes to spare and then sat for an hour because the runway was so jammed up!

Sorry, but on DCL none of those situations would occur and even if it came close to some of these problems, the CMs would never just strug their shoulders and say there is nothing to be done about it!!

are you kidding me?????

 

[disneybride96]

It is so nice to have all those little things take care of for you!

What Island did you visit?

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I feel your pain.

DH and I went to an all-inclusive resort last August. It was so awful in so many ways that it made us realize we had to buy Disney Vacation Club. For the most part, Disney is a sure thing.

 

[CheapMom]

Disney is a sure thing.

That is exactly how I feel- I have not done DCL yet- but I have yet to regret any $ spent on WDW vacations. Disney does not dissapoint.
We don't have a lot of money and only take a real vacation every 4 -5 years and I do not want to scrimp and save and then be unhappy with the service or accomadations. People think I am crazy that I always go back to Disney but while the kids are young that is my vacation of choice.
I hope I feel the same way about DCL after my cruise

 

[DrCavin]

biggest reason to book a DCL cruise.......WE WAITED AT THE AIRPORT FOR TWO HOURS IN DIFFERENT LINES to check-in, go through customs and several security checks....when we asked for info about the delays WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT!!!! We arrived on our flight with minutes to spare and then sat for an hour because the runway was so jammed up!

How would booking thru DCL avoided this?

 

[CheapMom]

Sorry, but on DCL none of those situations would occur and even if it came close to some of these problems, the CMs would never just strug their shoulders and say there is nothing to be done about it!!

I think she is comparing the check-in process/service at the airport with check-in/service at DCL

 

[BuzzBoyMom]

Don't worry DrCavin I was confused too!

"reason 1: The crowds were building to enormous proportions at the resort we stayed at. "

...yes but while the ship may not seem crowded during the day, you can tell when a ship is full!!!


"reason 2: By Wednesday, YOU HAD TO RESERVE A LOUNGE CHAIR BY 9AM!! Once the chairs ran out by about 9:15am, the staff simply said there weren't any chairs left!!! "

...and what about those deck chair hogs? We got to the Mickey pool some mornings at 8:30 and they were all already
"reserved"....but thanks to these boards, we knew what to do.


"reason 3: When overcharged at one of our meals.....we had to wait over 20 minutes to have the charge adjusted. "

...we were overcharged/incorrectly charged on our cruise and had to wait days to have someone call us back after they looked into it and 3 weeks for them to finally realize it was a mistake and the credit didnt' show up for 2 months.....persistence and a watchful eye pays off


"biggest reason to book a DCL cruise.......WE WAITED AT THE AIRPORT FOR TWO HOURS IN DIFFERENT LINES to check-in, go through customs and several security checks....when we asked for info about the delays WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT!!!! We arrived on our flight with minutes to spare and then sat for an hour because the runway was so jammed up!"

...I agree with DrCavin on this one....you do still wait in lots of lines...checking in...waiting to board...waiting for pixs....waiting to see characters....waiting for immigration..etc. And also many of us have to fly to get to DCL so we still have those nasty airline lines to deal with.


"Sorry, but on DCL none of those situations would occur and even if it came close to some of these problems, the CMs would never just strug their shoulders and say there is nothing to be done about it!!"

...while most CMs are fabulous...we did have a few who shrugged their shoulders at us during several unfortunate incidents. For example, people came into immigration process WELL AFTER many of us had been sitting waiting for our turn and they were letting them get checked before us. And no these people weren't trying to get to an excursion...we asked.


My point is not that DCL is bad. I think it is wonderful. But don't go in with rose colored glasses. Everyone everywhere makes mistakes. We all need to have a little patience and understanding. DCL is by far one of the best cruise lines I've been on, but there are areas that need improvement.

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

Amen, BuzzBoyMom. We thought the Disney Magic was absolutely the most crowded ship we'd ever been on. Lines for dinner, lines for buffets, lines for shows and photos, and the lines to board the ship were about a block long! I had to laugh at the Chair Hogs! My husband and I are early risers and we were usually in the pool by 7 am. The people who come and lay one flip-flop on a chair and expect their "dozen in the front row" to stay there for the entire day absolutely made me crack up. It was nuts. The worst part was when the Rockin D bar had a ventriloquist and was so packed that they sent everyone and their children and their childrens children and their neighbors (etc) into Diversions to watch the show on a big screen.........So much for our nice Adult time alone in the Sports Bar! YIKES. I had kids sitting on my feet! It was like RomperRoom!
Our servers at dinner were nothing shy of Blah, didn't even want to go to the dining rooms after the first few days. (Glad we did though, as the meals got better as the week went on - Service - NO, Food, Yes)

We enjoyed ourselves very much, but the "Disney" factor had nothing to do with it. The ship itself was beautiful, but the rest can be had elsewhere, much better, much less crowded, in our opinion.

No, we did not rebook while onboard.
Mrsfuzzmo

 

[BuzzBoyMom]

And here I was holding my breath on that post...waiting to get flamed.

To each their own. Go and enjoy. But there is no such thing as perfection ..

 

[jlawall]

The island was the Bahamas and the weather was really gorgeous!

On the three cruises we've sailed on, even with "chair hogs" we were always able to get a lounge chair.

The DCL CMs have spoiled us in several ways and no they are not perfect but enough of them have made our vacations special.

As far as the check-ins at airports go.....usually you don't have to stand in line twice for over an hour each, I think that's a bit much. Also, we were given no assurance that the flight would be held due to customer delays checking in. (The airline did wait for us but airline employees would not give any assurances.) When you sail DCL, you are flying domestic and I believe airline personal would generally give some reassurance in this situation. In addition, if you get DCL transfers, your trip is even more easy. You can send your luggage directly to the airport in the morning of disembarkation and not see it again until you get off the plane at home. (Did I mention that we had to carry our luggage for the two hours that we waited in line?)

My point is.....that for a similiar amount of money, a DCL cruise would have been less stressful and more enjoyable and that if I had a problem, someone would have acted like they cared. Disney tends to be receptive when problems arise.

No travel is ever perfect but I think most of us would agree that DCL does it better!!!

Thx to all for the opposing views, I don't have rose-colored glasses but I think our flight home was ridiculous and unnecessary!!

 

[makaylee]

Originally posted by DrCavin
How would booking thru DCL avoided this?

You don't have to go thru customs to fly to Orlando.

 

[DrCavin]

I read it as booking using DCL vs someone else, is it Friday

 

[kajohn]

As far as the airport goes, it is definetly easier arriving on a cruise ship in the US. We took an Alaskan cruise and embarkation and debarkation were in Vancouver. What a nightmare. First it was over an hour to go through US customs to board the ship (leaving canada to board a US ship going to US ports).

Then at debarkation, we had to go through Canadian customs to get off the ship (actually wasn't too bad). Then we went to the airport, and waited in almost 4 hours worth of lines to check in and go through US customs again. We made it to the plane 20 minutes before boarding.

Although that was a royal pain, I wouldn't avoid traveling from a non us city, just expect the lines.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Mrsfuzzmo, I remember your posts before your DCL trip. I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

Both Disney cruises we've traveled have had all the lines you've mentioned and then some. And I gave up on getting a pool chair before the second day at sea. Each time we cruised it was a full ship. Lines, lines, and more lines. And you know what? It's the two best vacations we've ever taken! But...I think it's because we've never done another cruise, and we don't know any different. (Maybe we shouldn't cruise on another line, then the DCL lines will get to me? ) I'm one who avoids crowds like the plague, but DCL crowds I can handle, Magic Kingdom crowds I can't.

I'm really sorry to hear about your dining room servers. If I'd had indifferent servers, it would've put a damper on my cruise too. I wish you'd had the ones we had on our last cruise. (Roland from the Phillipines and Allen from Germany (I think). They were wonderful!

 

[tigger53]

we have been on five DCL cruises that were full and i honestly don't remember ever having to stand in any lines. we had first seating for dinner and pretty much just walked right in, the buffet's had only the line you proceed along to get your food, never had to wait or anything. formal pictures we were maybe 2nd or 3rd but it moved right along without any hassles. i know the night clubs were crowed but no problem finding somewhere to sit. i guess i was enjoying myself to much to notice any problems. we've had great servers every time, some better than others but i guess thats the way it goes.

 

[cathie]

We have been on two Disney Wonder Cruises that were both completely full ( during school vacation weeks) & did not have long lines or bad service even on the day @ sea. We went to the movie theater on the day @ sea & had great seats. You need to use common sense & get there are little early. We are going on our 1st 7 Day Magic Cruise this summer. Does the Magic have more of a crowded feeling? I think you need to have a positive attitude & realize that people are not perfect. If you have bad servers ask to have them changed. That's just my 2 cents for what it's worth, but we can't wait to go back!! Cathie & the Gang

 

[jlawall]

I don't have any problem with customs taking a long time if it insures the safety of the passengers and crew, I just think being in an especially long line checking in before customs made the whole experience doubly difficult......

Word to the wise, if traveling out of the country, allow alot more time than you think you need.

I agree with the comments about the ship being crowded. For the most part, even on a booked ship, crowd control was in effect and we had a great time.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Cathie, I don't really think the Magic has a crowded feeling. It was full each time we traveled, and even though there were lines, I didn't think anything about it. They moved at a steady pace.

Maybe those who had a bad 'Magic' sailing have sailed on 'Megaships' or traveled at a time that was off-peak.

I agree w/another post that read she's 'so busy having a good time,' that she doesn't notice the crowds.

I can't even get excited about sailing w/another line as I don't think it could top DCL!

 

[ksjayhawks]

We went on our first cruise in late Feb and it was a full ship. However, it didn't feel full at all. The only time you really noticed a lot of people was right before dinner when people were waiting for photos and enjoying the different receptions. I thought the lines moved quickly--much faster than I have spent in the grocery store or at WalMart many a time!

We also had Roland from the Phillipines as one of our servers. He was great! After our DS--11--went with us to a meal, he couldn't wait to go back with us. He and Roland really clicked. He always wanted to have lunch where Roland would be!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by jlawall
My point is.....that for a similiar amount of money, a DCL cruise would have been less stressful and more enjoyable and that if I had a problem, someone would have acted like they cared. Disney tends to be receptive when problems arise.

AMEN TO THAT!
++++++++++++
In fact, the all-inclusive we went to last summer was in the Bahamas and there was so much we found ourselves comparing to our Disney vacations. No, not all service onboard or in WDW is perfect, but it is at least 75% perfect to us. This place was just horrible in comparison.

Regarding crowds...I still don't totally understand the comments regarding crowds on the cruise. Hubby and I were on a 7-day Eastern for Christmas when it is full of kids and still never felt overwhelmed by the lines, kids, etc. And that cruise was definitely full of families with children. Just never felt it.

Regarding service...After three Disney cruises, I've only been 100% happy with the dining servers once. Our second cruise's service team was IMO on a scale of 1-10 (10 being excellent) was only a 3 or 4. Last cruise they were a 6. I think some people really luck out with their servers. I hope we get lucky next time. I'm just grateful that we enjoy the food. Otherwise, we'd be really disappointed.

One thing I love about Disney cruises is that everything is CLEAN. Yes, I know it sounds strange that this is one thing we really like. But having your stateroom and surrounding resort area immaculate and hygenic is one of the top priorities for us. I am really uncomfortable in less-than-clean surroundings.