miksicnarf
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 5, 2000
We enjoyed the cruise very much. In some ways it didnt live up to our expectations, and in some ways it surpassed them. We werent thrilled with the food in general, and our server, Aleksander, and head server, Sandra, in particular. We liked Antonia and feel she has potential, if paired with someone else. I wish the kids had enjoyed Common Grounds and the Oceaneers Lab more, but they didnt complain and seemed to enjoy themselves on their own, and sometimes in the clubs. Seasickness was never a problem; Michael took ginger and Bonine every day, and the boys took some the first day or two. I dont know if the effects were actually physical or more psychological, but in any case it worked 
The ports of call were OK. Personally, I took the cruise for the onboard experience, not as a way to really see or experience anything on the islands. Michael and I have both traveled quite a bit in the Caribbean, and we believe you need to spend more than a few hours or even a day to see anything. We liked Castaway Cay but think Disney needs to develop more of the island to help alleviate the extreme crowding.
By far, the highlight of the cruise for us was our suite. Because of our familys laid-back style, I think we would have been very unhappy with anything less since we tend to spend more time in the room than most. Having three bathrooms, three TVs, the dining room, huge verandah, etc. all greatly enhanced our experience. The concierge service was the icing on the cake.
Would I cruise again on DCL? Sure! What would I do differently? I think Id try to book one of the category 1 suitesthe additional space and even finer amenities would be awesome! I wouldnt worry about packing and dressing for dinner. It really seemed kind of silly to get decked out in formal attire for such a short time. I think wed eat out less and enjoy dining in our suite even more. Having room service come in and set up our table, complete with tablecloth, china and all the accoutrements, and the same fare as the restaurants, was in many ways more enjoyable and certainly more comfortable, in our shorts and t-shirts, than the dining rooms. Depending on the itinerary, Id probably spend less time on shore and more time enjoying the empty shipI bet I could even get a spa appointment when the ships in port If I could design my ideal cruise itinerary, it would be two weeks long, with only one port per week
doesnt really matter which ports.
Now, if youve read through all this and youre planning to cruise in the future and you have kids whore arcade fanatics I have a small reward for you Ill send a pile of arcade cards to the first person who emails me (kfrancis@mediaone.net) with their address. For some reason we seem to have accumulated a bunch of emwe never bought any, they were all given to us by the concierge, bartenders, various and sundry other CMs--and my kids werent excited by the arcade. I assume theyll still work.
Thanks to all the past cruisers who posted info and reports here which I found so helpful; I hope I can help future cruisers in the same way. Smooth sailing to all!
The ports of call were OK. Personally, I took the cruise for the onboard experience, not as a way to really see or experience anything on the islands. Michael and I have both traveled quite a bit in the Caribbean, and we believe you need to spend more than a few hours or even a day to see anything. We liked Castaway Cay but think Disney needs to develop more of the island to help alleviate the extreme crowding.
By far, the highlight of the cruise for us was our suite. Because of our familys laid-back style, I think we would have been very unhappy with anything less since we tend to spend more time in the room than most. Having three bathrooms, three TVs, the dining room, huge verandah, etc. all greatly enhanced our experience. The concierge service was the icing on the cake.
Would I cruise again on DCL? Sure! What would I do differently? I think Id try to book one of the category 1 suitesthe additional space and even finer amenities would be awesome! I wouldnt worry about packing and dressing for dinner. It really seemed kind of silly to get decked out in formal attire for such a short time. I think wed eat out less and enjoy dining in our suite even more. Having room service come in and set up our table, complete with tablecloth, china and all the accoutrements, and the same fare as the restaurants, was in many ways more enjoyable and certainly more comfortable, in our shorts and t-shirts, than the dining rooms. Depending on the itinerary, Id probably spend less time on shore and more time enjoying the empty shipI bet I could even get a spa appointment when the ships in port
If I could design my ideal cruise itinerary, it would be two weeks long, with only one port per week
doesnt really matter which ports.Now, if youve read through all this and youre planning to cruise in the future and you have kids whore arcade fanatics I have a small reward for you
Ill send a pile of arcade cards to the first person who emails me (kfrancis@mediaone.net) with their address. For some reason we seem to have accumulated a bunch of emwe never bought any, they were all given to us by the concierge, bartenders, various and sundry other CMs--and my kids werent excited by the arcade. I assume theyll still work. Thanks to all the past cruisers who posted info and reports here which I found so helpful; I hope I can help future cruisers in the same way. Smooth sailing to all!
I hope the rest of your vacation in Florida was wonderful.
Jan
