Qc-007
<font color=blue>Bonjour, Chantale, bienvenu au DI
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2003
We are just returning from our first 4 night cruise. Our previous 8 Disney cruises were all 7 nights (Magic 3x, Fantasy 4x, Wonder 1x). We hesitated a long time before deciding on a four night cruise. What tip the scale was the new ship and the opportunity for new menu items. The menus don’t change as often as we would like…but that’s a minor problem.
Again, the boarding was swift. Even if we never received our luggage tags at home, it wasn’t a problem. We arrived by car and we were greeted by a porter who took care of our luggage by putting a tag and writing our cabin number on it. After parking our car, we entered the terminal right away and waited a few minutes for our group to be called. We didn’t wait long since we were in group 8. They were calling 1 to 4 when we got in.
The first thing we did when we boarded the ship was go to Luna to ask if it was possible for a table for two. We arrived at 12:05 and there were a few people. The group was divided in two. One group was for dinner rotation changes and the other group was for Palo/Enchanté. The order of priority was on the « honor system » of first come first served. That’s when we can see who is more « honorable »
. At precisely 12h30, they began to examine each requests. Our request was studied but we were quickly informed that it may not be possible because the ship was pretty full. We were informed through the app that our request could not be met. We were not disappointed. We never asked that before and we almost always had fine table mates. Again, we were initially six, but a couple decided to leave and do something else…(?). We were left with another couple from Georgia and we had a good time.
We found the ship to be very different than the others, but we found nothing disconcerting. We adapted to the « differences ».
The Grand Hall is beautiful and the details are quite interesting.
Our stateroom was on deck 7, forward. We had a full balcony and we used it for a few minutes each day. The area of our stateroom was very calm, day and night.
Restaurants and food: We did the rotation for the three main restaurants. We did Palo on Pirate night (3rd night - Castaway Cay). The food was as good as the other ships. Very recognizable, even identical on some aspects.
When the dining rooms are full, the service staff is stretched pretty thin. There were some light errors on the part of our server and the timing is not always great. I know it must be difficult for them. Two services are quite demanding on the staff. I also know that some people like a quick service as others would like a smoother pace. A difficult balance. But, the service has been a bit better in the past.
We tried the food stations (Mickey and friends Festival of foods) on deck 11. The barbecue station was good. It was served warm to hot. A nice surprise. Had the brisket, the sausage, a piece of chicken and some sweet potato fries (nice touch). A cart contains some BBQ sauces that you can add it to your liking. Good lunch. At the mexican station, The wife had a bowl of food that was interesting. Shredded pork with rice, cheese, and other stuff… It was also pretty good. At the grill station, I could not resist getting a burger, since they were made to order…so not heated for a long period. Great. Even the buns were (lightly) toasted. Not the greatest by any means, but I was still happy.
What can we say about Palo ? The food is always good, but it’s the service that makes the difference. Again, a very good dinner experience. Our server was Corrine from France. We don’t expect to speak french on the ship but this was very enjoyable. She is very gentle, kind and efficient. We ate the antipasto, some pasta, pizza and…of course the soufflés. Too much food. Chantal asked for a dessert wine and was offered a Ben Ryé Donnafugata. A very nice discovery. We wish we could find a bottle or two before we get back home, but I already checked the ABC liquor store web site and they don’t seem to have it…
Marceline: Yes, it feels a bit smaller than the other ships, but it’s fine. You can still eat outside. If you’re an early riser, you won’t get any problems getting a table inside or outside. The food is good, the portions are smaller and we liked to be served at the stations. You can still grab some food, but most of it is served. It’s fine…and cleaner. The choices are multiple and everything tasted good to very good.
We stayed on board on the first day (Nassau). We spent some time at the quiet infinity pool. Since we got there pretty early after breakfast, we didn’t have any problem getting a chair and use the pool. It never felt too crowded…if the timing is right. Of course it’s on the smaller side…but I expected smaller ! It’s fine. The « wet benches » with the 3 inches of water are not a big hit (not too many people used them). Personally, I prefer the bench in the Fantasy quiet pool. Maybe there could be a constant mist like in the area close to the bar on the Fantasy. I think it would add to the « bench » area.
The second day was Castaway Cay. We went to Serenity Bay. Nice and quiet morning. We had lunch at the barbecue. Nothing much to say here. Castaway cay is constantly good. You can have the day YOU want. Active, slow, somewhere in between… Anything goes.
The third day was at sea. Again, we went to the Quiet Cove area. This time, we stayed in the shade, close to the bar. Too much sun in the first two days
. Used the infinity pool again. Nice and…windy. In the afternoon, I got my third win (different cruises) in the sports trivia. We participated in two other trivias…didn’t fare as well 
Our room hostess did a very good job, even if we don’t ask for much. She told us that our house must be very clean !
The shows: The first show (Disney seas the adventure) was pretty good. The ladies stole the show. In fact, the ladies mostly upstaged the men in all shows…
The Little Mermaid was fine, but I felt like it was the least successful I’ve seen on a Disney ship. Aladdin is always funny and a all-around good time. It always centers on Genie. Disney always find a quality performer and this one was also up to the challenge. Unfortunately, it showed a big gap with other performances, especially Aladdin.
The disembarkation process is quicker every time we cruise. The new way to go through custom can’t be easier. You look into a camera ( more like a tablet), it takes a picture…and that’s it !
So, was four nights enough ? It didn’t go as quick as I thought. But I wouldn’t do 3 nights. We just began to know our way around the ship and it took the full four days to enjoy most of the areas. But, seven nights is still the best.
We put down a deposit for another cruise while on the ship. So, I guess we will be back for #10 next year. On the Treasure ? We’ll see…
I hope it can help at least one of you. If you have any question, feel free to ask.
Again, the boarding was swift. Even if we never received our luggage tags at home, it wasn’t a problem. We arrived by car and we were greeted by a porter who took care of our luggage by putting a tag and writing our cabin number on it. After parking our car, we entered the terminal right away and waited a few minutes for our group to be called. We didn’t wait long since we were in group 8. They were calling 1 to 4 when we got in.
The first thing we did when we boarded the ship was go to Luna to ask if it was possible for a table for two. We arrived at 12:05 and there were a few people. The group was divided in two. One group was for dinner rotation changes and the other group was for Palo/Enchanté. The order of priority was on the « honor system » of first come first served. That’s when we can see who is more « honorable »
. At precisely 12h30, they began to examine each requests. Our request was studied but we were quickly informed that it may not be possible because the ship was pretty full. We were informed through the app that our request could not be met. We were not disappointed. We never asked that before and we almost always had fine table mates. Again, we were initially six, but a couple decided to leave and do something else…(?). We were left with another couple from Georgia and we had a good time.We found the ship to be very different than the others, but we found nothing disconcerting. We adapted to the « differences ».
The Grand Hall is beautiful and the details are quite interesting.
Our stateroom was on deck 7, forward. We had a full balcony and we used it for a few minutes each day. The area of our stateroom was very calm, day and night.
Restaurants and food: We did the rotation for the three main restaurants. We did Palo on Pirate night (3rd night - Castaway Cay). The food was as good as the other ships. Very recognizable, even identical on some aspects.
When the dining rooms are full, the service staff is stretched pretty thin. There were some light errors on the part of our server and the timing is not always great. I know it must be difficult for them. Two services are quite demanding on the staff. I also know that some people like a quick service as others would like a smoother pace. A difficult balance. But, the service has been a bit better in the past.
We tried the food stations (Mickey and friends Festival of foods) on deck 11. The barbecue station was good. It was served warm to hot. A nice surprise. Had the brisket, the sausage, a piece of chicken and some sweet potato fries (nice touch). A cart contains some BBQ sauces that you can add it to your liking. Good lunch. At the mexican station, The wife had a bowl of food that was interesting. Shredded pork with rice, cheese, and other stuff… It was also pretty good. At the grill station, I could not resist getting a burger, since they were made to order…so not heated for a long period. Great. Even the buns were (lightly) toasted. Not the greatest by any means, but I was still happy.
What can we say about Palo ? The food is always good, but it’s the service that makes the difference. Again, a very good dinner experience. Our server was Corrine from France. We don’t expect to speak french on the ship but this was very enjoyable. She is very gentle, kind and efficient. We ate the antipasto, some pasta, pizza and…of course the soufflés. Too much food. Chantal asked for a dessert wine and was offered a Ben Ryé Donnafugata. A very nice discovery. We wish we could find a bottle or two before we get back home, but I already checked the ABC liquor store web site and they don’t seem to have it…
Marceline: Yes, it feels a bit smaller than the other ships, but it’s fine. You can still eat outside. If you’re an early riser, you won’t get any problems getting a table inside or outside. The food is good, the portions are smaller and we liked to be served at the stations. You can still grab some food, but most of it is served. It’s fine…and cleaner. The choices are multiple and everything tasted good to very good.
We stayed on board on the first day (Nassau). We spent some time at the quiet infinity pool. Since we got there pretty early after breakfast, we didn’t have any problem getting a chair and use the pool. It never felt too crowded…if the timing is right. Of course it’s on the smaller side…but I expected smaller ! It’s fine. The « wet benches » with the 3 inches of water are not a big hit (not too many people used them). Personally, I prefer the bench in the Fantasy quiet pool. Maybe there could be a constant mist like in the area close to the bar on the Fantasy. I think it would add to the « bench » area.
The second day was Castaway Cay. We went to Serenity Bay. Nice and quiet morning. We had lunch at the barbecue. Nothing much to say here. Castaway cay is constantly good. You can have the day YOU want. Active, slow, somewhere in between… Anything goes.
The third day was at sea. Again, we went to the Quiet Cove area. This time, we stayed in the shade, close to the bar. Too much sun in the first two days
. Used the infinity pool again. Nice and…windy. In the afternoon, I got my third win (different cruises) in the sports trivia. We participated in two other trivias…didn’t fare as well Our room hostess did a very good job, even if we don’t ask for much. She told us that our house must be very clean !
The shows: The first show (Disney seas the adventure) was pretty good. The ladies stole the show. In fact, the ladies mostly upstaged the men in all shows…
The Little Mermaid was fine, but I felt like it was the least successful I’ve seen on a Disney ship. Aladdin is always funny and a all-around good time. It always centers on Genie. Disney always find a quality performer and this one was also up to the challenge. Unfortunately, it showed a big gap with other performances, especially Aladdin.
The disembarkation process is quicker every time we cruise. The new way to go through custom can’t be easier. You look into a camera ( more like a tablet), it takes a picture…and that’s it !
So, was four nights enough ? It didn’t go as quick as I thought. But I wouldn’t do 3 nights. We just began to know our way around the ship and it took the full four days to enjoy most of the areas. But, seven nights is still the best.
We put down a deposit for another cruise while on the ship. So, I guess we will be back for #10 next year. On the Treasure ? We’ll see…
I hope it can help at least one of you. If you have any question, feel free to ask.
Last edited:
