Clarkson U
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2019
Hello All!
We sailed on the 9 Night Fantasy Southern Caribbean trip from 7/21 to 7/30, 2022 and thought I would write a detailed summary of our trip in the event it helps anyone.
We did our pre-embarkation testing via OnPoint and that went smoothly and we had our clear to sail more than one day before arrival at Port Canaveral. We decided to use Park Port Canaveral for our parking and it did save me about $5/day compared to parking at the port. The challenge with this parking was that we arrived around 10:00 AM and waited almost an hour for a shuttle to come and pick us up. The parking team of course blamed DCL but it seemed to be more of an issue of them not having enough drivers. When we got to DCL it was easy and quick to do a drop off so I don't think that was the delay at all. Once we arrived at the port, we identified our luggage, handed it to a porter (with a tip) and of course then went to check in. We waited in the Silver/Gold CC line for check in which ended up being longer than the regular line (which to me seems wrong but it is what it is).
Once through security and in the terminal we waited. When we arrived into the terminal it was about 11:45 AM and they did not yet start boarding. Soon thereafter they started boarding and the first few groups (1-4) were called about once every 6-8 minutes or so. Then 5-6 went faster (we were 6). We later were told by our friends that things started speeding up after 10 and within an hour they were already to group 16.
We did the usual announcement to walk into the lobby and immediately went to our muster station for virtual check in which was quick and easy (literally took us more time to walk to our station than to do the actual check-in). Then off to lunch. After lunch we rode the Aquaduck a number of times before 2:30 pm when our staterooms became available (they had told us 3 pm at check in but it was 2:30 once on the ship). When we went to our stateroom, to our surprise, all pieces of our checked luggage were already waiting outside our door (first time that has happened to us in 8 sailings).
We were able to unpack and then just relax before our main dining seating. Main dining was 5:45 PM and late dining was 8:15 PM for this sailing. Showtimes were usually 6 to 6:30 for early show time for those with late dining and 8:30 for those with main (early) dining. We sat at Table 70 which was a 10 top (as we were sitting with another family we travelled with) and we started with Animator Palate as our first dining. We did the AER rotation on repeat 3 times on this 9-night sailing.
Our first dinner menu was not the typical AP dinner menu but rather a Let the Magic Begin menu which was the same in all MDRs.
The next 2 days were days at sea - and they were typical days at sea with Deck 11 being packed by mid-morning and all chairs basically having stuff/towels on them from others holding chairs or using them. There were plenty of activities on board the ship from movies, to entertainment, to bingo etc the first 2 days at sea. We did the chocolate and liquor tasting on the second day at sea and that was excellent and great. We did not do any spa activities ourselves but others in our travelling party did and they enjoyed those as well. The fitness center was fully up and running and you could use the locker rooms and showers without any restrictions.
Formal night was day 2 of sailing or the first sea day. They did the captain's reception at this time, serving drinks and wine to all folks in the lobby. There were plenty of folks serving drinks and it was easy to get drinks if you wanted one or more drinks. There were very long lines for photos that day.
We did see Aladdin early on in our cruise and then we did have our Gold/Platinum CC reception at 11 am on the second sea day. They showed us some behind the scenes work of Aladdin and how that show gets put on for the audience. They did not have any food but did have some drinks (unlimited) for anyone wanting a lot of alcohol at 11 am. What they showed us was really cool and neat to see. It was our first reception and we enjoyed it.
First port of call - was St. Maarten. We did an Aerial Explorer 360 DCL Port Adventure. It was nice. Short bus ride to our location. They also offered zip line and other combo adventures at this same location. We rode gondola's up for about 20-25 minutes to the top of the mountain. From there, we could see multiple other islands in a 360 degree view. It was foggy when we went to seeing other islands was tough but overall we still had fun. There was some music playing at the top and so that was a nice to listen to live music as well. Total excursion time for us was about 2 hours, but one could spend more or less time there depending on interest and if you eat at the restaurant at the bottom of the mountain or not (we did not). We had lunch on the ship and then took part in onboard activities that afternoon. The ship was empty until after 2 pm so plenty of time to do things.
After this, we went to Dominica. Apparently, first time DCL went to this port. Dominica to me seemed like a very poor country and a lot of what we saw driving was run down in appearance. We did a river tubing excursion with a visit to Jako Falls - again booked through DCL port adventures. The ride in a small bus was very long. The port adventure info said 30 minute ride but in reality it was almost 75 minutes to get to the final destination and the drive was very winding in nature and could be problematic for those who can get car sickness very quickly as it was a rough ride. The river tubing was a lot of fun and we enjoyed fresh starfruit picked off a tree while on the excursion. The river tubing was mostly slow with occasional faster water but fast water was very short lived so this is a very mild adventure. Jako Falls was good but the stairs to get there and back are steep and slippery so it is a caution for those with any walking difficulties. Overall, we had a good excursion and would recommend.
In here, we had a Pirates Night as well. Dinner was the typical Pirates Night menu. Fireworks went off Port side at 10:30 and then the pirates buffet was there at night. They did have tacos, corn bread, fresh fruit and crepes. Only one side of Cabanas open and it was the typical disaster and mad house that one would expect at this hour. We got a few crepes only and then left.
Then we went to Antigua the next day. We wanted to do the Segway port adventure but DCL had it sold out. So I reached out directly to the Segway company and got a private segway tour for Noon that day. It was about 3 hours in total time so we had time in the morning to walk around locally at the port and then do this adventure and be back on the ship with plenty of time to spare. Again, Antigua looked like a poorer country overall, but the Segway excursion was great and our team of Tyler/Christian did a great job showing us the island and teaching us how to use the segway (we were all rookies on it but it was no problem at all).
Finally, we went to St. Thomas. Here we just walked around ourselves and looked around. It was nice and we did our walk before it got to hot. This day was an early day to get off the ship but also all aboard was 3:45 that day (very early) and we left promptly towards Castaway Cay. Despite leaving on time and a full day at sea, we did not arrive at Castaway Cay until after 9 am and we didn't get off the ship until a few minutes after 10 am. They did kick back all aboard time until 5:30 pm that day. On the day at sea, was the semi-formal night. At Castaway Cay we did the Nature Walk/Kayak adventure which was not a good adventure for us and I would not recommend at $73/person. Nature walk consisted of walking on a paved path and getting a few trees pointed out to us. The kayak version was kayak as fast as possible to get out there and then spent some time look at fish and star fish etc. But overall, they were rushing the whole time. I heard the tour operator say multiple times they wanted to get back in time for lunch at serenity bay (which closed at 2 pm). When we got back to the beach from kayaking, they took off on their bikes and left us all to walk back ourselves which also is different than what was advertised. I did file a complaint with Port Adventures since it was booked through them. I would honestly skip this one and just rent a kayak yourself if you want to do that. This excursion for us was a waste of money.
Disembarkation for us had breakfast at 7 am and off the ship a little after 8 am. We had a line at customs but it moved very quickly. We heard from those that left later that customs became a mess later in the morning and they held up people getting off the ship for about 15-20 minutes to clear customs. We also heard that at one point they stopped folks from getting off the ship so they could take someone off in a stretcher (we don't know the circumstances). Hopefully, that person is okay.
Breakfast/Lunch - at Cabanas is about what you would expect. Generally the same stuff each day with minimal variety. They did have sushi one day for lunch in cabanas which was nice. They did not have dining in cabanas for guests but we did hear crew saying they were going to serve dinner in cabanas for the crew one evening which the crew was generally excited about. They did have plant based options at Flo's V8 Cafe which was nice since we are all vegetarians.
We did the Remy Dessert Tasting which was one of the highlights of our trip. This was 6 desserts which was awesome. The service was impeccable and excellent and they explained each dessert. It was definitely a treat and something everyone one in our family including my children (20 and 18) loved it and would want to do again. They do enforce the Remy dress code - so need at least jeans in good order no sneakers allowed and must have collared shirt of some sort.
As mentioned on other threads, there were rowdy tweens/teens roaming around and that was a damper on things but overall we had a good time. We would do this sailing again from a length/itinerary standpoint but would agree to avoid the heart of the summer and try to go with less overall number of children.
We did have problems with internet during this sailing with it being offline at times so the app didn't work and messaging on the app was still hit or miss and iMessage was also hit or miss for us. We did not buy any internet packages for this sailing. Laundry was also down when the internet went down which was also a challenge. Room service which we used a bunch of times for morning coffee, wine glasses and food was always great and prompt for us. We never had any issues with our room service orders as they were always correct and temperature appropriate.
Shows were Aladdin, Believe and Frozen. There was an acapella group, a few comedians/magicians and Thor movie shown as the main entertainment. Frozen show was packed and Believe show was half empty. Aladdin was also generally packed.
Some days for Aquaduck they required 2 riders for safety and we did overhear some people getting upset that this requirement was in place and also we heard some folks upset that basketball was closed due to wind etc. My personal opinion is safety first so DCL will do what they feel they need to do. I understand the challenge for single riders. Kids pools we didn't use but looked fairly packed most times we walked by. The adult cove pool area was also generally busy most times we used it or walked by. We did not venture into Cove Cafe or Sweet on You so no comments to add there.
I am sure others like @Calantha @Cruising Engineer and others on this sailing can add some more details or share their own experiences and I am happy to help answer any questions.
We sailed on the 9 Night Fantasy Southern Caribbean trip from 7/21 to 7/30, 2022 and thought I would write a detailed summary of our trip in the event it helps anyone.
We did our pre-embarkation testing via OnPoint and that went smoothly and we had our clear to sail more than one day before arrival at Port Canaveral. We decided to use Park Port Canaveral for our parking and it did save me about $5/day compared to parking at the port. The challenge with this parking was that we arrived around 10:00 AM and waited almost an hour for a shuttle to come and pick us up. The parking team of course blamed DCL but it seemed to be more of an issue of them not having enough drivers. When we got to DCL it was easy and quick to do a drop off so I don't think that was the delay at all. Once we arrived at the port, we identified our luggage, handed it to a porter (with a tip) and of course then went to check in. We waited in the Silver/Gold CC line for check in which ended up being longer than the regular line (which to me seems wrong but it is what it is).
Once through security and in the terminal we waited. When we arrived into the terminal it was about 11:45 AM and they did not yet start boarding. Soon thereafter they started boarding and the first few groups (1-4) were called about once every 6-8 minutes or so. Then 5-6 went faster (we were 6). We later were told by our friends that things started speeding up after 10 and within an hour they were already to group 16.
We did the usual announcement to walk into the lobby and immediately went to our muster station for virtual check in which was quick and easy (literally took us more time to walk to our station than to do the actual check-in). Then off to lunch. After lunch we rode the Aquaduck a number of times before 2:30 pm when our staterooms became available (they had told us 3 pm at check in but it was 2:30 once on the ship). When we went to our stateroom, to our surprise, all pieces of our checked luggage were already waiting outside our door (first time that has happened to us in 8 sailings).
We were able to unpack and then just relax before our main dining seating. Main dining was 5:45 PM and late dining was 8:15 PM for this sailing. Showtimes were usually 6 to 6:30 for early show time for those with late dining and 8:30 for those with main (early) dining. We sat at Table 70 which was a 10 top (as we were sitting with another family we travelled with) and we started with Animator Palate as our first dining. We did the AER rotation on repeat 3 times on this 9-night sailing.
Our first dinner menu was not the typical AP dinner menu but rather a Let the Magic Begin menu which was the same in all MDRs.
The next 2 days were days at sea - and they were typical days at sea with Deck 11 being packed by mid-morning and all chairs basically having stuff/towels on them from others holding chairs or using them. There were plenty of activities on board the ship from movies, to entertainment, to bingo etc the first 2 days at sea. We did the chocolate and liquor tasting on the second day at sea and that was excellent and great. We did not do any spa activities ourselves but others in our travelling party did and they enjoyed those as well. The fitness center was fully up and running and you could use the locker rooms and showers without any restrictions.
Formal night was day 2 of sailing or the first sea day. They did the captain's reception at this time, serving drinks and wine to all folks in the lobby. There were plenty of folks serving drinks and it was easy to get drinks if you wanted one or more drinks. There were very long lines for photos that day.
We did see Aladdin early on in our cruise and then we did have our Gold/Platinum CC reception at 11 am on the second sea day. They showed us some behind the scenes work of Aladdin and how that show gets put on for the audience. They did not have any food but did have some drinks (unlimited) for anyone wanting a lot of alcohol at 11 am. What they showed us was really cool and neat to see. It was our first reception and we enjoyed it.
First port of call - was St. Maarten. We did an Aerial Explorer 360 DCL Port Adventure. It was nice. Short bus ride to our location. They also offered zip line and other combo adventures at this same location. We rode gondola's up for about 20-25 minutes to the top of the mountain. From there, we could see multiple other islands in a 360 degree view. It was foggy when we went to seeing other islands was tough but overall we still had fun. There was some music playing at the top and so that was a nice to listen to live music as well. Total excursion time for us was about 2 hours, but one could spend more or less time there depending on interest and if you eat at the restaurant at the bottom of the mountain or not (we did not). We had lunch on the ship and then took part in onboard activities that afternoon. The ship was empty until after 2 pm so plenty of time to do things.
After this, we went to Dominica. Apparently, first time DCL went to this port. Dominica to me seemed like a very poor country and a lot of what we saw driving was run down in appearance. We did a river tubing excursion with a visit to Jako Falls - again booked through DCL port adventures. The ride in a small bus was very long. The port adventure info said 30 minute ride but in reality it was almost 75 minutes to get to the final destination and the drive was very winding in nature and could be problematic for those who can get car sickness very quickly as it was a rough ride. The river tubing was a lot of fun and we enjoyed fresh starfruit picked off a tree while on the excursion. The river tubing was mostly slow with occasional faster water but fast water was very short lived so this is a very mild adventure. Jako Falls was good but the stairs to get there and back are steep and slippery so it is a caution for those with any walking difficulties. Overall, we had a good excursion and would recommend.
In here, we had a Pirates Night as well. Dinner was the typical Pirates Night menu. Fireworks went off Port side at 10:30 and then the pirates buffet was there at night. They did have tacos, corn bread, fresh fruit and crepes. Only one side of Cabanas open and it was the typical disaster and mad house that one would expect at this hour. We got a few crepes only and then left.
Then we went to Antigua the next day. We wanted to do the Segway port adventure but DCL had it sold out. So I reached out directly to the Segway company and got a private segway tour for Noon that day. It was about 3 hours in total time so we had time in the morning to walk around locally at the port and then do this adventure and be back on the ship with plenty of time to spare. Again, Antigua looked like a poorer country overall, but the Segway excursion was great and our team of Tyler/Christian did a great job showing us the island and teaching us how to use the segway (we were all rookies on it but it was no problem at all).
Finally, we went to St. Thomas. Here we just walked around ourselves and looked around. It was nice and we did our walk before it got to hot. This day was an early day to get off the ship but also all aboard was 3:45 that day (very early) and we left promptly towards Castaway Cay. Despite leaving on time and a full day at sea, we did not arrive at Castaway Cay until after 9 am and we didn't get off the ship until a few minutes after 10 am. They did kick back all aboard time until 5:30 pm that day. On the day at sea, was the semi-formal night. At Castaway Cay we did the Nature Walk/Kayak adventure which was not a good adventure for us and I would not recommend at $73/person. Nature walk consisted of walking on a paved path and getting a few trees pointed out to us. The kayak version was kayak as fast as possible to get out there and then spent some time look at fish and star fish etc. But overall, they were rushing the whole time. I heard the tour operator say multiple times they wanted to get back in time for lunch at serenity bay (which closed at 2 pm). When we got back to the beach from kayaking, they took off on their bikes and left us all to walk back ourselves which also is different than what was advertised. I did file a complaint with Port Adventures since it was booked through them. I would honestly skip this one and just rent a kayak yourself if you want to do that. This excursion for us was a waste of money.
Disembarkation for us had breakfast at 7 am and off the ship a little after 8 am. We had a line at customs but it moved very quickly. We heard from those that left later that customs became a mess later in the morning and they held up people getting off the ship for about 15-20 minutes to clear customs. We also heard that at one point they stopped folks from getting off the ship so they could take someone off in a stretcher (we don't know the circumstances). Hopefully, that person is okay.
Breakfast/Lunch - at Cabanas is about what you would expect. Generally the same stuff each day with minimal variety. They did have sushi one day for lunch in cabanas which was nice. They did not have dining in cabanas for guests but we did hear crew saying they were going to serve dinner in cabanas for the crew one evening which the crew was generally excited about. They did have plant based options at Flo's V8 Cafe which was nice since we are all vegetarians.
We did the Remy Dessert Tasting which was one of the highlights of our trip. This was 6 desserts which was awesome. The service was impeccable and excellent and they explained each dessert. It was definitely a treat and something everyone one in our family including my children (20 and 18) loved it and would want to do again. They do enforce the Remy dress code - so need at least jeans in good order no sneakers allowed and must have collared shirt of some sort.
As mentioned on other threads, there were rowdy tweens/teens roaming around and that was a damper on things but overall we had a good time. We would do this sailing again from a length/itinerary standpoint but would agree to avoid the heart of the summer and try to go with less overall number of children.
We did have problems with internet during this sailing with it being offline at times so the app didn't work and messaging on the app was still hit or miss and iMessage was also hit or miss for us. We did not buy any internet packages for this sailing. Laundry was also down when the internet went down which was also a challenge. Room service which we used a bunch of times for morning coffee, wine glasses and food was always great and prompt for us. We never had any issues with our room service orders as they were always correct and temperature appropriate.
Shows were Aladdin, Believe and Frozen. There was an acapella group, a few comedians/magicians and Thor movie shown as the main entertainment. Frozen show was packed and Believe show was half empty. Aladdin was also generally packed.
Some days for Aquaduck they required 2 riders for safety and we did overhear some people getting upset that this requirement was in place and also we heard some folks upset that basketball was closed due to wind etc. My personal opinion is safety first so DCL will do what they feel they need to do. I understand the challenge for single riders. Kids pools we didn't use but looked fairly packed most times we walked by. The adult cove pool area was also generally busy most times we used it or walked by. We did not venture into Cove Cafe or Sweet on You so no comments to add there.
I am sure others like @Calantha @Cruising Engineer and others on this sailing can add some more details or share their own experiences and I am happy to help answer any questions.
