Greg K.
Happy DVC Member, DIS Vet, and Catholic Deacon
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
Just a quick report, following a SPECTACULAR TWO WEEK CRUISE on the Magic (9/22 and 9/29).
Dramatis Personae: Me (age 42), my wife (age 41).
No kids (a fact that just STUNS people at work .)
Anyway... the fact is, the Disney Cruise Line is for anyone and everyone. We've cruised on Norway, Princess and Celebrity, and Disney wins, hands-down, no contest. The ship, food, and legendary Disney hospitality all combined for a vacation buoyed by joy and high spirits. Never before have I encountered so many smiling faces on the staff -- people who seemed to be trying harder not because they wanted a big tip, but because they REALLY wanted you to have a nice time.
High points (were there any low ones?):
* The delightful Disney spirit. Loved watching the kids line up for big furry Mickey hugs after dinner. It was a show unto itself!
* The ship is a pleasure -- artfully designed, easy to learn, fun to just walk around.
* The gentle, not-too-obnoxious playing of familiar Disney tunes throughout the ship.
* The whimsical towel animals we found perched on our bed every night.
* The friendly thank you notes from our servers at Palo, and good wishes from guest services for my wife's birthday
* The jaw-droppingly-good champagne brunch at Palo!
* The joy of seeing so many families having so much fun.
* The casual-but-nice atmosphere that allowed children to dress up as Belle or Snow White on formal night, and didn't mind if you used the wrong fork, or ate with your fingers or ordered something fun off the children's menu (which my wife did almost every night -- those Mickey Ice Cream Bars are irresistable.) There was nothing stuffy or pretentious about this cruise, and I loved that. (I was relieved to see no women with big hair, big jewelry and big attitudes, accompanied by men with furry backs, bulbous stomachs, and wearing teensy Speedos.)
* The way Disney crew members would do anything (within reason) to make an occasion special. When my wife wondered if she could have a candle on her birthday cake, the Palo servers looked around, waited until the staff captain had left the restaurant for the evening, and found a long strand of uncooked pasta that they could burn. (They aren't allowed to have candles for some reason). They then sereptitiously lit the pasta and gathered around to sing 'Happy Birthday' while my wife made a wish
* The incredibly smooth embarkation and debarkation -- the best of any ship we've sailed. Period. You finish breakfast, and you're out the door and through customs, whoosh. Amazing.
For our back-to-back experience, we had to disembark the ship with everyone else on the 29th, but we could leave our luggage on board. Then, we hung around the terminal for a couple hours -- we were the only souls there! -- and go through the documentation process and get in line again. (We were first in line that Saturday!).
Helpful tip:
* We arrived the night before sailing, and stayed overnight at the Orlando airport Hyatt. Then, bright and early Saturday morning, we hightailed it to Avis, got a car and drove to Port Canaveral. Then took the Avis shuttle to the ship. What a time saver! We arrived at the terminal a little after 10 the first morning -- well ahead of the Disney buses. Result: we got all the reservations we wanted at Palo and the spa. When we finally got on board, around 12:20, I raced to Palo and found it was already open and taking reservations. (DO NOT follow the guidelines in the Navigator, which tells you they don't take ressies until 1. They usually open early, and the lines form quickly.)
Bonus helpful tip:
* Before you disembark Saturday, a little after 8 am, run upstairs and see if the door to the Walt Disney Suite is open. If it is, and the occupants have left, go in and take a look. It's a stunning suite, big as a house. A real eyeful.
Those are the high points. Any questions? I'm - ahem - all ears. Or, in this case, eyes.
Dramatis Personae: Me (age 42), my wife (age 41).
No kids (a fact that just STUNS people at work .)
Anyway... the fact is, the Disney Cruise Line is for anyone and everyone. We've cruised on Norway, Princess and Celebrity, and Disney wins, hands-down, no contest. The ship, food, and legendary Disney hospitality all combined for a vacation buoyed by joy and high spirits. Never before have I encountered so many smiling faces on the staff -- people who seemed to be trying harder not because they wanted a big tip, but because they REALLY wanted you to have a nice time.
High points (were there any low ones?):
* The delightful Disney spirit. Loved watching the kids line up for big furry Mickey hugs after dinner. It was a show unto itself!
* The ship is a pleasure -- artfully designed, easy to learn, fun to just walk around.
* The gentle, not-too-obnoxious playing of familiar Disney tunes throughout the ship.
* The whimsical towel animals we found perched on our bed every night.
* The friendly thank you notes from our servers at Palo, and good wishes from guest services for my wife's birthday
* The jaw-droppingly-good champagne brunch at Palo!
* The joy of seeing so many families having so much fun.
* The casual-but-nice atmosphere that allowed children to dress up as Belle or Snow White on formal night, and didn't mind if you used the wrong fork, or ate with your fingers or ordered something fun off the children's menu (which my wife did almost every night -- those Mickey Ice Cream Bars are irresistable.) There was nothing stuffy or pretentious about this cruise, and I loved that. (I was relieved to see no women with big hair, big jewelry and big attitudes, accompanied by men with furry backs, bulbous stomachs, and wearing teensy Speedos.)
* The way Disney crew members would do anything (within reason) to make an occasion special. When my wife wondered if she could have a candle on her birthday cake, the Palo servers looked around, waited until the staff captain had left the restaurant for the evening, and found a long strand of uncooked pasta that they could burn. (They aren't allowed to have candles for some reason). They then sereptitiously lit the pasta and gathered around to sing 'Happy Birthday' while my wife made a wish
* The incredibly smooth embarkation and debarkation -- the best of any ship we've sailed. Period. You finish breakfast, and you're out the door and through customs, whoosh. Amazing.
For our back-to-back experience, we had to disembark the ship with everyone else on the 29th, but we could leave our luggage on board. Then, we hung around the terminal for a couple hours -- we were the only souls there! -- and go through the documentation process and get in line again. (We were first in line that Saturday!).
Helpful tip:
* We arrived the night before sailing, and stayed overnight at the Orlando airport Hyatt. Then, bright and early Saturday morning, we hightailed it to Avis, got a car and drove to Port Canaveral. Then took the Avis shuttle to the ship. What a time saver! We arrived at the terminal a little after 10 the first morning -- well ahead of the Disney buses. Result: we got all the reservations we wanted at Palo and the spa. When we finally got on board, around 12:20, I raced to Palo and found it was already open and taking reservations. (DO NOT follow the guidelines in the Navigator, which tells you they don't take ressies until 1. They usually open early, and the lines form quickly.)
Bonus helpful tip:
* Before you disembark Saturday, a little after 8 am, run upstairs and see if the door to the Walt Disney Suite is open. If it is, and the occupants have left, go in and take a look. It's a stunning suite, big as a house. A real eyeful.
Those are the high points. Any questions? I'm - ahem - all ears. Or, in this case, eyes.