New bar menu on Dream

[DISNEY FANTASY]

How can you saying it's nickel and diming on RCI but not on DCL. You can go on RCI and not spend anything over and above your cruise fare and gratuities - just like DCL. They offer lots of additional choices, but it doesn't mean you have to buy them to have a good cruise.

RCI

Orange is locked away post breakfast and you have to pay.
For better steaks in MDR you pay.
They sell you cook books at dinner when eating.
They have Johnny Rockets where you pay.
In room movies $10.
Soda package and you must present the soda bottles to get a drink.

 

[Princessjenny1225]

As long as I get what I was promised and paid for...I m ok. But the sell is an inclusive premium dining experience at flexible time periods in a variety of locations. When the up-sells increase, it gives the appearance that was is premium inclusive ain't that premium or inclusive anymore -that leaves a bad taste in my mouth (ha -pun). I tend to agree with both sides....I love choices and I am already paying a fortune for my upcoming vacation- which I can't wait to be on!

 

[holula]

RCI

Orange is locked away post breakfast and you have to pay.

- Don't drink orange juice so it doesn't affect me. They also have the amazing flavored water which I am basically in love with.

For better steaks in MDR you pay.

- Yes, but the steaks are AWESOME that you pay for. They are actually the steaks from Chops. Also, free steak is available in the MDR.

They sell you cook books at dinner when eating.

- Been on three Royal cruises, never had this happen.

They have Johnny Rockets where you pay.

- Breakfast is included, and you don't have to buy anything there if you don't want. That's like saying that you have to pay for Palo on Disney.

In room movies $10.

- They have plenty of free channels, including a Dreamworks only channel I found on Oasis. That was pretty nice.

Soda package and you must present the soda bottles to get a drink.

- You only need your room key to get the soda so you don't need to carry around the cup. However, you do have to pay for it. The amount I am saving by sailing Royal, I don't mind paying for it, AND they have the freestyle machines which I will actually use as they have sparkling water in there.

I have never spent more on other cruise lines than I have on Disney. My highest bill was on NCL, which I sailed alone one, but I purchased the future cruise voucher which was $150 of the bill. In fact, I think I spend MORE on Disney since I am likely to buy something in the shops. There is nothing that interests that much me on other lines in the shops.

 

[cmash95]

• ok every family line that i know of has a pay oferring for ice cream and nowhere I know of onboard is candy or theater snacks given away for free so adding that to the boat is not a big deal for me. the bar snacks are out late night and for only about an hour on the dream and fantasy. not sure how long they are out on the wonder and magic but they are in more than one spot on the wonder and magic, also they vary nightly so you don't have a static menu like the bar menu. also in the sports bar they offerend chips and salsa or other snacks during game time.

 

[jahber]

RCI

Orange is locked away post breakfast and you have to pay.
For better steaks in MDR you pay.
They sell you cook books at dinner when eating.
They have Johnny Rockets where you pay.
In room movies $10.
Soda package and you must present the soda bottles to get a drink.

I don't understand what you're saying here. None of these things are necessary to enjoy a cruise. In fact, we wouldn't buy any of them. But people who want to can--and my cruise fare doesn't subsidize their soda or orange juice. Win/win!

Edited to add: what will you say when DCL offers an upcharge steak in the MDR? It's a good thing because it's more options? Just curious. Because it's just as likely to happen as any of the other stuff that DCL has done lately.

 

[ImprovGal]

Or recent Wonder cruise the "free" buffet had hot dogs, chicken wings, chips, salsa, blue cheese, celery, carrots, olives, and some sort of small (spicy) chili peppers. This is pretty much what it always was on the Wonder cruises we've done.

The selection you describe on the Wonder gets put out in Diversions by around 5pm. The small chili peppers were sliced pickled jalapenos, and there's sour cream and IIRC guac as well. That selection is out until sometime after 2nd seating dinner begins. The Late Night Snacks (as stated in the Navigator) are a different selection (fruit & veg crudite, mini cold sandwiches, and varied hot (usually fried) mini things like mozz sticks, egg rolls, empanadas. (source: Wonder 9/17/15 cruise)

The Magic, with it's reimagineered O'Gills, had pretty much the same early evening selection as Wonder, but the hot food section is a bit bigger so melted cheese was available and they also had pub food like mini steak & ale pies. The Magic's Late Night Snacks were similar to the Wonder's. (source: Magic 6/29/15 cruise)

The 3 ships with Cabanas had scooped Edy's ice cream available there during the lunch buffet when I last sailed them (Dream 10/2011, Fantasy 9/2012). My questions with Vanellope's is does Cabanas still have scooped Edy's at lunch, and is the ice cream in Vanellope's a higher quality than Edy's?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The selection you describe on the Wonder gets put out in Diversions by around 5pm. The small chili peppers were sliced pickled jalapenos, and there's sour cream and IIRC guac as well. That selection is out until sometime after 2nd seating dinner begins. The Late Night Snacks (as stated in the Navigator) are a different selection (fruit & veg crudite, mini cold sandwiches, and varied hot (usually fried) mini things like mozz sticks, egg rolls, empanadas. (source: Wonder 9/17/15 cruise)

The Magic, with it's reimagineered O'Gills, had pretty much the same early evening selection as Wonder, but the hot food section is a bit bigger so melted cheese was available and they also had pub food like mini steak & ale pies. The Magic's Late Night Snacks were similar to the Wonder's. (source: Magic 6/29/15 cruise)

The 3 ships with Cabanas had scooped Edy's ice cream available there during the lunch buffet when I last sailed them (Dream 10/2011, Fantasy 9/2012). My questions with Vanellope's is does Cabanas still have scooped Edy's at lunch, and is the ice cream in Vanellope's a higher quality than Edy's?

Our recent trip on the Wonder, we were in Diversions typically around 6-7ish and what I said was on the buffet was all there was. We had no guacamole or sour cream the nights (times) we were there. In the Promenade Lounge they had only chips, salsa, and sour cream. Now maybe there were different offerings later, but we never saw them. Maybe, since you were on one of the "special" cruises there were different things. We were on a 5 night Baja cruise.

We were a little confused, as the Navigator said that the snack at Diversons/Promenade Lounge were "Late Night" options, not starting until 10. No mention of any other snack options were mentioned.

 

[lillygator]

Nothing has been taken away, it's an " additional service" if you want it, if you do not want it, do not order it, if you think it's expensive it's a non issue, no one is forcing you to buy it and you have lost nothing.

Some people will be interested, like expensive room service in a hotel, some will want it and pay for it, I do not look at a hotel room service menu and complain it, or the mini bar is expensive, as I do not use it.

Food is fail able 24/7 bar past midnight mass night, so if you want something and do not want to pay, it's there.

This is an extra additional service, if you did want to use it, the same as upgrades on candy, and boutique, you are not forced to buy them.

so if nothing is taken away, are they still offering the free bar buffet with wings, chips, salsa etc

 

[PrincessShmoo]

so if nothing is taken away, are they still offering the free bar buffet with wings, chips, salsa etc

According to Scott (his blog) the included "free" buffet was still available on the Dream along with the Pub Grub menu.

 

[tlynk]

I would agree, as long as this is just an enhanced service and not a replacement for something that was previously included in the cruise fare. In the past we have enjoyed the bar offerings similar to what are in PrincessShmoo's pictures above. If those were gone, and the only things available in the bars were the upcharge menu items, I would be disappointed.

 

[ImprovGal]

Our recent trip on the Wonder, we were in Diversions typically around 6-7ish and what I said was on the buffet was all there was. We had no guacamole or sour cream the nights (times) we were there. In the Promenade Lounge they had only chips, salsa, and sour cream. Now maybe there were different offerings later, but we never saw them. Maybe, since you were on one of the "special" cruises there were different things. We were on a 5 night Baja cruise.

We were a little confused, as the Navigator said that the snack at Diversons/Promenade Lounge were "Late Night" options, not starting until 10. No mention of any other snack options were mentioned.

I think it may be a matter of sailing out of California, but of course YMMV and we all certainly know that any activities/food/entertainment can differ between shorter cruises vs. longer ones. I haven't yet sailed out of San Diego, but the few times I've sailed out of Los Angeles, I specifically recall that there were stricter food handling measures when it came to cold items out in the buffet setups (like no chilled soup on the embarkation buffet in Parrot Cay).

The earlier snacks in Diversions aren't listed in the Navigator at all. They go out in the late afternoon and sometimes even earlier if there's a major game on in the afternoon and they're expecting a lot of sports fans.

I noticed Scott's blog mentioned that the late night snacks were still available in the District on the Dream at no charge, but he doesn't mention the earlier (unlisted) game snacks setup.

I'm back on the Wonder in January and I'll be sure to pay attention to the snack availability then.

 

[steves100]

O'Gills isn one of the *last* places I would call nice or quiet. I avoid it like the plague because of sportsball and loud sportsball acolytes. If it's not sportsball on the televisions and loud people shouting at people playing games, it's overly loud live cover music in the corner.

What is sportsball?

 

[phinz]

What is sportsball?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/danieldalton/hashtag-sportsball#.kx7WMNvOb

 

[GetGlowing]

NCL adding up-charge main dining room items on their new ship, the Escape, that just sailed out this week. And they just increased gratuities, too, and made it much more difficult to remove gratuities from your bill (a move I fully support). I don't mind it for other cruise lines because you can get on those ships for pennies vs. what you can board a DCL ship for. So to me it cheapens DCL. In that it makes DCL more expensive. YKWIM? It's not a high-class move. That's why it's a nickel-n-dime move.

 

[jahber]

NCL adding up-charge main dining room items on their new ship, the Escape, that just sailed out this week. And they just increased gratuities, too, and made it much more difficult to remove gratuities from your bill (a move I fully support). I don't mind it for other cruise lines because you can get on those ships for pennies vs. what you can board a DCL ship for. So to me it cheapens DCL. In that it makes DCL more expensive. YKWIM? It's not a high-class move. That's why it's a nickel-n-dime move.

I completely get what you're saying, but personally (for me) it doesn't cheapen DCL so much as make it even clearer how much of a better deal other cruise lines are becoming. It doesn't make DCL LESS of a deal for me if they add options for a fee, but when those same options are available for so much less on other lines it's hard to deny what a great deal they can be. I guess it's really splitting hairs, but in general I think more options are better. It's just more better on other lines . How's that for clear as mud?

 

[TheHippie524]

In case anyone cares.... The Bar food is COMPLETELY worth it.
Had it just last week. Got off the cruise on Friday. Loved it. Was PERFECT to order right before trivia.

 

[dcassetta]

The late night offerings in O'Gills on the Magic this weekend were hot dogs with toppings, chicken wings and tenders, small sandwiches, fruits and veggies with dips.
Promenade lounge has chips and salsa.

I looked for, but did not see, a new bar menu on the Magic.


Edited to read "late" night. Did not mean to leave that out. Did not visit O'Gills during happy hour times.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The night offerings in O'Gills on the Magic this weekend were hot dogs with toppings, chicken wings and tenders, small sandwiches, fruits and veggies with dips.
Promenade lounge has chips and salsa.

I looked for, but did not see, a new bar menu on the Magic.

Was that early (5-7ish) or late (10ish)?