Sobering videos of fantasy cruise

[Jennifer124]

We loved, and I mean LOVED, the ship sailing at low capacity last week. I've heard 1,300 people were on the Dream with us. It was glorious. We rode the AquaDuck countless times. I booked a placeholder and my only wish is that I could afford to take another cruise before capacity is back to normal, but I'm gonna need another tax refund or two!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Silly question perhaps, but I'm an adult who's sailing solo for the first time and doesn't drink. Do they serve sodas at the adult clubs, as well as alcoholic beverages? Do they have any snacks, or is it just drinks?

Soft drinks are certainly available. DW doesn’t drink, but still enjoys a visit to the adult venues. As with room service, there is a charge for these beverages. I suppose that you could also carry a drink from the free drink station, but we just order both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from the servers.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

Soft drinks are certainly available. DW doesn’t drink, but still enjoys a visit to the adult venues. As with room service, there is a charge for these beverages. I suppose that you could also carry a drink from the free drink station, but we just order both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from the servers.

If you order Soft Drinks as mentioned, you have to pay for them in the bars since they are in cans. Its a strange rule but I guess it helps to prevent people from just ordering soft drinks.

Most of the bars will set down a little sampler dish with bar snacks (Pretzel thins, peanuts, etc) its not a real serious setup of food though.

 

[MomOTwins]

Silly question perhaps, but I'm an adult who's sailing solo for the first time and doesn't drink. Do they serve sodas at the adult clubs, as well as alcoholic beverages? Do they have any snacks, or is it just drinks?

If you order Soft Drinks as mentioned, you have to pay for them in the bars since they are in cans. Its a strange rule but I guess it helps to prevent people from just ordering soft drinks.

This is all correct but I just want to mention to the poster who asked the question that DCL, unlike many major cruise lines, has free sodas in the buffet and main dining rooms, as well as on the pool deck. I think it would be fine to get a free soda up on the pool deck and carry it down to a club for a show/activity.

 

[HuskyGal]

Just got off the 10/1/21 Wonder HOTHS Baja cruise. We loved every minute. The theme park equivalent would be shutting Disneyland down for a personal visit or a ghost town attendance day. It was our 2nd cruise, the first being in 2019. We were much more worried about Covid so we were very happy with the mask and social distancing requirements. We don’t mind that missing out on a pirate party or the pirate buffet. They still had fireworks and a mousquerade party but it wasn’t crazy packed.

 

[JWelch62]

Just got off the 10/1/21 Wonder HOTHS Baja cruise. We loved every minute. The theme park equivalent would be shutting Disneyland down for a personal visit or a ghost town attendance day. It was our 2nd cruise, the first being in 2019. We were much more worried about Covid so we were very happy with the mask and social distancing requirements. We don’t mind that missing out on a pirate party or the pirate buffet. They still had fireworks and a mousquerade party but it wasn’t crazy packed.

I was on that sailing, and the following 3N. Really lightly attended. The 3N only had 400 passengers!

 

[HuskyGal]

Completely empty (only you and the crew) would be creepy imo. But a very lightly attended cruise sounds great to me, and I hope my cruise later this month falls into that category. I don't need a crowd to have a good time.

You both bring up a good point that nobody wants to be on a cruise equivalent of The Shining.

 

[HuskyGal]

I was on that sailing, and the following 3N. Really lightly attended. The 3N only had 400 passengers!

That’s what they’re saying on the Facebook group! So crazy. We should’ve stayed on for the 3 night. Hubby and kids would’ve loved the kids being in the kids club more. But my hubby and kids would’ve had to roll me off the ship. So much delicious food.

 

[bayri]

Even with lower activities, I'm looking forward to my first cruise experience being at low capacity!

 

[3XYmomma]

And there’s the difference between extroverts and introverts. We are SUPER excited about the reduced capacity! I get that it may not be everyone’s jam, but it is certainly ours.

 

[evedein]

For those with young kids (grandson is 9 y/o), what was the Kid's Club experience like? That was his favorite part of our last cruise. Limited to time slots could be a real disappointment for him.

 

[HuskyGal]

Our kids are 7 and 10 and they loved the kids club. My kids don’t like chaos or crowds so they liked in there being less kids and in a safe, controlled setting. They put kids into groups with one group leader. They do whatever is on their schedule that the CM has set up which is unpublished. Our kids loved all of it.

If there is availability, the kids club cm or officer will allow you to make reservations for other times also. So potentially two reservations in one day.

 

[elittleton]

We are booked for June and July cruises. I'm very much hoping things are closer to normal at that time. I've seen those videos, too, and it's just not for me for the price DCL wants. If I didn't have a teen daughter to entertain, maybe, but as it is...no. Not yet. That being said, I'm glad so many people are getting to experience the quiet ships and enjoying that for now. Definitely a good opportunity if that suits you!

I'm so looking forward to our cruise now! We are a family of 3, only child, but she is hoping that the cruise will be nearly empty and that we will leave her alone so she can read and hang out on the balcony and eat ice cream/popcorn/Snickers. She likes Edge and kind of finds one person to hang out with. Hoping she actually wants to hang out with us on this cruise lolol. We feel like empty nesters some times.

We are book for early June. It will be myself and my teen daughter. I’m hoping for at least some still lower crowds. She doesn’t care for the clubs and I’m not big on the party scene. Sometimes we do the activities but more often than not they are not something we enjoy. We always find plenty to do to stay busy and enjoy ourselves.

Right now after being home for almost 1.5 years, even after being back at school for 9 weeks, she doesn’t want to leave the house.

She wears a mask at school all day and I wear one when I have to go to the store. I’ll have to wear one when they open my office again. We wore one at WDW at the end of May and first of June. We are from the south so they didn’t bother us.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

For those with young kids (grandson is 9 y/o), what was the Kid's Club experience like? That was his favorite part of our last cruise. Limited to time slots could be a real disappointment for him.

I had friends who sailed a few weeks back on the dream and said that they were able to book additional slots based on availability at the club. Their daughter would stay all day at the clubs if she could and most of the time they let her since there was so few kids on their sailing. They would just ask at the podium/entry for the clubs.

 

[Strawberry's mom&dad]

Definitely seems to be two different groups here. Those that accentuate how relaxing the cruises as a result of being so empty and those that miss the activities and energy. And whether or not you travel with kids seems to be a huge factor.

We are booked on the Wonder over Thanksgiving and the revised itinerary just released today. No CC or Keywest, replaced with Cozumel and Costa Maya. With two teenaged children, it's very likely we are taking a pass.

Basic things (as I understand it) like not being able to play basketball, ping pong or shuffle board) and such limited entertainment options really are factors for us. We are not yet at the stage of life where eating and laying around poolside are how we want to spend our vacation.

I do wonder how full a holiday cruise like that will be? My guess is the ship will be more full which for the sake of those going, is hopefully reflected in more activities.

We were on the first Wonder sailing Oct 1. The basket ball court is now sun loungers. Ping Pong and Foos ball were available as was shuffle board. You have to go to guest services to get equipment.
There was a Magician on board. Trivia, Sarge says, Bingo, karaoke, animation classes, crafts were some of the activities I remember.
We were just 2 adults. We had a awesome time. Enjoyed the less crowed ship.

 

[ladybrgndy]

Just got off 7 nights on the fantasy and it was the best cruise ever! We really enjoyed the lower occupancy and didn't feel like we missed out on anything.

 

[AinW]

Just booked for a 4 nt on the Dream post T'giving. First solo cruise and first cruise on this class of ship (a couple of prior sailings on the Magic). I think the only thing I'll miss is being able to dine with other people - that's one of my favorite things about cruising, but it's a small price to pay for a reduced capacity ship.

I was on the very last DCL pre-pandemic sailing in March 2020 (Marvel DaS) - it had somewhat reduced capacity (due to cancellations) which made it so much easier to see characters and we really enjoyed how quiet CC was. It was a bit surreal, however. Procedures changed daily and they announced the shutdown at 2nd seating dinner 2 nights before cruise end - staff found out the same time as guests and it took their utmost professionalism to continue service that night. We were in the Tangle-themed restaurant and the Ugly Duckling crew improvised a special show after the announcement - the entire restaurant joined in. We provided far-more than usual tips, but none of us (guests or crew) expected the shutdown would last that long. I'm so happy to be sailing again!

Any tips for special things to do on the Dream would be appreciated! I've read as much as I can online but may have missed some unique tips. Is the Midship Detective Agency still working?

 

[godde8ss]

Does anyone know where these mentioned videos are? I’m curious to see how it is.

 

[g_ppetto]

Just got off 7 nights on the fantasy and it was the best cruise ever! We really enjoyed the lower occupancy and didn't feel like we missed out on anything.

We got on after you got off. It was a fantastic cruise. 1049 passengers. More crew than passengers. No trying to get through huge lines in the main corridors or at Cabanas. I didn't miss the sail away party where it seems loud equals excitement. Disembarkation was great without a huge line, even when I had to go back to Guest Services because they lost the credit card numbers I had entered, and verified it was on file the previous night. It was almost like our own private cruise.

We arrived at WDW well before our room was ready and went to Epcot for lunch. We never go to a park before check in.

We did cancel our February cruise on the Wonder from N.O. as the ports were changed to the same ports we just visited. I / we don not need to go back to them again.

 

[Karin1984]

Legglife made a video focused on all the Covid changes.

They do address the lack of energy. It is noticeable, but not a reason to not sail again during Covid.