BryceRun

Thanks for the review! I'm enjoying your perspective that this cruise was just a filler and your expectations were set accordingly.

In 2007 my wife and I went on our Honeymoon aboard the Liberty, 8 nights, though the ship held a higher standing in the fleet back then it was most likely to be our last Carnival cruise. Fast forward and in two weeks i'm going on a Bachelor party on the Liberty, same itinerary as your cruise with 8 guys 9 years younger then me in very different places in life too.

Planning on doing Junkanoo as well and now looking forward to a possibly new Hut.

Thanks for the motivation.

If your friend has a real issue, probably should be addressed differently. Plus if you put a $ limit on his card i'm sure that won't go over very well.

Now with that said, to settle a similar argument i just got off the phone with customer service. Technically all passengers are limited to 15 alcohol beverages in a 24 hour period regardless of cheers package or not. I still find this sketchy though, buckets aren't going to count as 5, plus just seems ridiculous. I guess I will try to find out.

Saint Greg , Indygirl

Thanks, clears it up and also sets expectations of service accordingly. I'm going on a 3 night Bahama cruise with 8 guys 10 years younger then me (bachelor party) who I think will be more representative of the crowd of that particular cruise.

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It's not on every order. You pay it on the total package up front. The package is 49.99/day...after gratuity it's like 57.50/day. So if you had 12 beers and left no additional tip, you really tipped 10%.

My point is the individual bartender gets a tip for each drink, 15% of that particular drink, not that you pay additional each drink. My experience on NCL was the bartenders seemed to like the auto 15%, I bet normally bartenders get less then that on cruise ships either due to amount of Europeans (not use to tipping), people having that mentality of "this is costing me so much already" or on these short party cruises budget cruises.

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Cursing with cheers in 2 weeks and I assume like NCL that 15% tip is added / visible on every drink order. So it isn't like yiu're not tipping on every order and just giving a fixed amount based on the total cost of the package. The tips carnival ends up paying out can far exceed the cost of your package *15%. However I found an extra $1 goes a long way for the next round. If I'm going to hang at one place / bar for a awhile or a couple times on the cruise being Thankful (with cash) comes back around in aces.

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The lounge near the main dining rooms had crew set up selling the beer and water packages including the mugs. I do believe the cost was less then was listed on line as well.

FYI: one of the dinning rooms are open for lunch on the 1st day, so you don't have to eat at the buffet.

The dining room is still a buffet, in fact the same food as up on deck 9. That's where we ate and although we would have preferred traditional dining it was still nice to have table service for drinks.

Fuinseog – You are 100% they are great with the photos letting you use your own camera and even taking photos for you. I have to say that even at Disney World the photo people are good about that too. If it isn’t super busy they will take a photo with your camera as well. We are already planning dates for our next family Disney Cruise.

iLovewdw – We didn’t book onboard, they honestly didn’t seem to be offering any great perks. Now, if you purchased additional DVC points they were offering pretty large OBCs.

My wife reminded me how the girls absolutely went nuts when Mickey and Minnie “called them” while we were driving to the port Thursday morning!

Thank you all for reading my review it was a fun way to re-live my cruise.

I have posted this in the review sections as well, a little long I realize.

Please find my review of the Disney Magic March 17 – 20, 2016

Cruising background:

RCL Monarch of the Seas – 2000, 6 nights, 18yrs old, Parents & Grandparents

Carnival Fascination – 2005, 4 nights, girlfriend (now wife)

Carnival Liberty – 2007, 8 nights, wife (honeymoon)

NCL Sky – 2014, 4 nights, wife

DCL Magic – 2016, 3 nights, wife, daughters (6.5 & 4.5yrs), parents

I would like to state I have a love / hate attitude towards cruising. I love the disconnectivity with real life, the service, the fine table dining (expectation of), and entertainment options. I dislike large selfish crowds, feeling nickeled and dimed, and the decline in the quality of non-upcharge dining to name a few things. (I understand I have not sailed on the newest or highest end ships.) My opinion after my honeymoon which was 7 ports in 8 nights was for me Caribbean cruises are relaxation and getting a little flavor of a location but understanding due to capacity of large ships and time constraints very difficult to have a non-commercial experience. I now enjoy sea days / ship activities, private island days, and staying on board at ports like Nassau. See my review of the NCL Sky, http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=249747

We are a DVC Disney Family who lives in Florida so both with kids and without kids visit Disney multiple times per year.

Day 1 – First sailing out of Canaveral and living in Tampa it was an easy direct drive. I credit combination of the Port and Disney but embarkation was very easy and quick, we were on board within 20-25 mins of parking. Prepay parking is great, one less thing to worry about going home.

First impressions were amazing at the classiness and up keep of the ship; the family announcement as you entered was a big hit and a nice touch. Straight to Carioca's for lunch which was disappointing to learn it was a buffet but it was nice to have table service for first drinks of the vacation. As a family who does not care for buffets we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.

After lunch got tickets for Princess Gathering and Frozen meet and greet (10:15 & 11:45 next day), glad we did as the next day we noticed disappointed families who didn’t get tickets. Checked out Oceaneer kid’s area and was amazed at the size, activities, and staff. Had trouble puling kids off the Toy Story slide but the promise of the pool moved them along. Rest of day before dinner was, pool, muster, pool / sail away views and a few drinks.

First night we ate in Lumiere’s and right off the bat our servers were great, very friendly and amazing with the kids. More details of food below but dinner was excellent. As my wife and father ran off to bingo my mother and I decided to let the kids try Oceaneer while we grabbed a drink before the evening show. Unfortunately it was not “free play” and the girls didn’t like the activity which caused reluctance to return to Oceaneer.

The show “Tangled” was crowded so if you’re a large group get there early, we were held up by Bingo and my father and I were not able to join the rest of the family. Following the show, which my girls loved, we found live music singing great dance songs where the girls exerted the rest of their energy dancing with my wife and asked to go back the next two nights. My wife and I said good night to the girls (who were staying in my parent’s stateroom) and went to O’Gills which being St. Paddy’s day had a nice little Irish themed snack buffet. I really wanted to attend the Snuggly Duckling take over but didn’t make it, oh well. After 11pm we found the ship and club areas very quiet, we checked out some other bar areas, the upper deck and called it a night.

Staterooms – We were all very impressed with the staterooms. My parents with the kids were in an Oceanview (Cat. 9) and my wife and I were across the hall in a category 10 (our first inside room experience). The staterooms felt large, the split bath is great, the soft close cabinets and draws are amazing as well as the amount of storage, they felt clean and well cared for. Our room steward was super friendly (almost too chatty haha) and he did a great job. On my previous cruises I think at most I exchanged a “good morning/evening” with my steward. The conversion of the bunk beds each day was really cool and he even made the bunks with princess sheets for the girls.

Day 2 – We all headed to Lumiere’s for breakfast and unfortunately this was our most unenjoyable experience of the cruise. The service was slow and inattentive, it took well over an hour and with kids excited about the day, a wife anxious to get to the gym, and my father who just wanted the cinnamon rolls to keep coming it was unpleasant. This was not reflective of our overall cruise service and the waiter did apologize at the end unprovoked, the restaurant did get busy but still.

Grabbed the autograph books and my 6 year old made sure she was wearing “proper clothes for meeting princess” which consisted of a pretty day dress, her matching cardigan, and sequenced mickey ears with a veil from our last Disney World trip. The Princess Gathering was very organized and the cast members were again fantastic with the children. My daughter takes this very “seriously” and the actresses were prefect. We had about an hour and half before Frozen and it worked out Minnie and Mickey were one floor up who my 4 year old wanted to see. We saw Mickey and Minnie with about 35 mins until Frozen. Perfect, get kids to the restroom, wife had joined us from gym at this point, got my father up from his little nap, I grabbed a beer, and we all headed off to meet Elsa, Anna, and Olaf. Elsa and crew were in Animator’s Palate and it was a pretty setting and again organized. My 4 year old lost her mind when she saw Olaf, my parents had to get a picture with Elsa and Anna too, and my wife joined our daughters for a picture with Olaf.

“Yes girls it’s pool time,” went to pool and to my mom said, “keep an eye on them the two of us want to go do tile coaster at O’Gills.” Returned to the pool where we found them having fun and ready for lunch. The grill food (Boiler Bites) by “Goofy’s” pool was surprisingly good and to the quality of quick service food at Disney World without a long line. Soon after there was a vomit situation in Goofy’s pool (not my kids) which closed the pool for 3 hours!!! Annoying but this is why there is confidence in Disney to keep things clean, healthy, and safe.

I brought the girls to towel making, I’m not sure what they made but it didn’t look like a monkey. After that went up to cookie making in Oceaneer (not drop off but a family activity) the cast members were entertaining. We went back to the staterooms to meet up with mommy and grandparents and get in non-pool clothes. My wife and father ran off to bingo and I brought the kids to “Pirate Arts and Crafts” while my mom enjoyed walking the ship. Fun little Pirate Mickey cut outs folded into finger puppets (my favorite souvenir) and it was in a bar!

Dinner at Animator’s Palate was fantastic, both the service and the food, and by this point we are really impressed for Disney’s oldest ship and not doing up charge dining, see food review below. Attended Pirate party which was a lot of fun, I didn’t think it would be a big deal but fireworks at sea were very cool. Watched Twice Charmed (as a family) which everyone enjoyed and I was truly impressed by the quality of cast members. A little lounge dancing with mommy, kisses good night, and off to eventually finding our way into Keys, the piano bar specializing in craft cocktails. This night there was a violinist and she was super talented. We sat and drink there longer then intended but a true highlight.

Activities – I was impressed by the number of quality activities for children, families, and adults. Didn’t attend nearly as many as I wanted, maybe next time the kids will want to live in Oceaneer. Found myself buried in the navigator app selecting favorites.

Day 3- Got up (a little hung over, oops) to meet my Dad and run the Castaway Cay 5k, I’m an avid runner and was looking forward to this, it was a pretty course, a great way to see any island, and since only 150 or so people ran finish second which was fun. It was my Dad’s first “race” and he had both knees replaced less than three years ago, I went back and encouraged him to the finish. This was a major highlight for him and the picture of his smile when being handed his medal proves it!

The island exceeded my expectations, between the infrastructure and typical Disney thoughtfulness. We are all from Florida so the water was chilly, I swam out to Pelican’s Plunge with the girls, super fun and they liked it but after once were done. I was a little disappointed as there was no line, but hey I was cold too. They enjoyed the splash pad area, lunch was good and the food was FAR better than NCL’s island food and RCL’s island (where my parents had been 2xs in the last 5 years), girls spent rest of day playing in the sand at water edge and adults took turns watching / playing with them.

Back on the ship got the girls hair washed settled to relax with a movie (great TV selections) while my parents got ready for dinner, my wife went to the rain forest room to enjoy and start getting ready. I wanted a dip in the pool and went up to the adult only area. I purposely walked through the rest of the (very noisy) pool deck and walking into the adult only area was like a whole new ship. I brought a couple of my pre-purchased beers (see drinking comments below) and recharged for the evening!

Of course the girls fell asleep and because of having to be woken up my 4 year old had a meltdown at dinner. Our servers were great and got her to settle down and everyone just rolled with it, it’s Disney. Wife and Dad ran off to play final bingo, we finished dessert, my mom joined bingo, and I brought the girls (now calm and lovely again) to pick out their “prize” from our trip. My 6yr old got the plush Captain Mickey (very cute) and my 4yr got this Olaf pillow thing (I encouraged the Captain Mickey pillow but it’s her prize).

The final show “Wishes” was remarkable; the talent in some of those actors and actresses is amazing. My girls were jaws dropped the whole time, I did laugh out loud not at the show but the fact the Olaf scene got the loudest applause and whoops. All these talented cast members singing and dancing and the puppet gets the loudest reaction, kids. Dancing at the lounge with mommy, kisses goodnight, luggage out, and off to Keys. The piano singer was very talented and this time the waiter really pushed their craft cocktails. At table side he made my wife this chilled champagne drink with orange rind and mint leaf and myself the smoothest Manhattan ever.

Day 4- Disney doesn’t mess around we were off the ship by 8:30 since our breakfast time was at 7am. Yes, it’s a ploy to get you out of your stateroom but it was very nice to have a formal breakfast with your dinner servers. Customs was much much nicer and easier than my past experiences at Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. My three ladies slept in the car and we were back home by 11:30am.

Dining – We walked away very impressed with the dining experience. My wife and I enjoy fine dining and when at Disney the two of us (no kids) dine at the likes of California Grille and the Yachtsman. On NCL (I know it was the older Sky) we found Main Dining unappealing and, after purchasing the unlimited package, ate at the specialty restaurants every evening which were adequate for the expectation at best. Not even worth it to compare our Carnival Dinning experience, including the two specialty restaurants. I can honestly say if I would have been charged “signature dinning” prices for dinner upon the Magic I would have left dinner satisfied.

I can’t say enough about our servers!! They learned the kids and the fact my Dad was the pickiest eater of us all, haha. The dining room rotation was neat and Animator’s Palate was the highlight. We found the dinner times awkward, 5:45 seemed early and we were 10-20mins late every evening (rude I know) but 8:30 would have been too late with the kids. Furthermore, even if dinner was at 8:30 we still would have to be ready for the show at 5:45 which you can’t be late for if you want a seat.

Drink prices – First I was disappointed DCL does not have a drink package, my wife and I would have really liked that and we really felt value in the Ultimate Beverage Package on NCL. We are drinkers on vacation but by no means sloppy drunks and it’s easy to get your value (on NCL needed 7-9 drinks/day) when having a mimosa at breakfast, occasional drink throughout the day, and then ending day late night in the piano lounge.

I found drinking on DCL to be reasonable (cruise / vacation prices reasonable) more so than individual drinks on NCL or Carnival (going back 8 years). We purchased the 4 bottle wine package for dinner it works out to be ~$30 per bottle, you can’t get a bottle of wine at any restaurant for $30. I also prepurchased (upon embarking) two buckets of beer, one with the cooler and one without, at a discount and even including the price of the cooler it worked out to about $5 per 16oz bottle, again not bad for a cruise or resort bar plus I have the fun cooler as a souvenir! I also purchased the beer mugs but in the end we didn’t utilize them enough to get our value since we had the bottles and wanting to drink cocktails. They are nice glass mugs we brought home though and the “token” system is very convenient.

My wife and I are not soda drinkers and would never pay for a soda package but it was very nice to be able to order the kids Shirley Temples and my Dad a diet coke without being charged $3.00 per.

Overall – I see the value in the greater cost of DCL for sure!! We never once felt like we were on “the old” or “the small” ship which was kept up very beautifully with great detail. The kids’ programs are really astounding and after seeing them it’s incredible there is no additional charge to use them. The amount of quality activities for all ages is significant and the character meet and greets were incredible. The quality of the entertainment was top notch from the musical performers, singers, and musicians. Missing was adult themed comedy and piano sing-a-longs, but it’s Disney. As stated in greater detail, found dining to be fantastic and the staterooms to be very pleasant and superior to past experiences with other lines. Castaway Cay was incredible and my Dad and I had a pretty indebt discussion comparing Castaway Cay to NCL and RCL’s Stirup Cays.

When cruising with kids DCL is now my only choice until they are much older teenagers. For my wife and I cruising alone, we would probably first consider DCL but would also consider NCL for the value with the ultimate beverage and ultimate dining packages.

6yr old’s highlights, “pool, shows, characters/princesses, and her Captain Mickey.”

As mentioned above they need an all inclusive beverage package. The lack there of is much more frustrating then no longer being able to sneak booze like a middle schooler in my soda bottle.

Thanks for posting your review. We are also Floridians and am glad to hear parking at the port is worth the $20 per day.

 

We are sailing next Friday, any other tips you can share?

 

Thanks!

Have fun! Only thing i would suggest for parking at Miami is make sure you notice the luggage handlers are at the taxi drop up which is kind of in the middle of the road. (I figured there would be handlers at the building entrance.) We walked right past them, got to the building, and had to walk back accross the street to hand off the bags.

Please check out my Sky review, I do realize it’s a little lengthy.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=249747

“Due to the no shortage of negative reviews I feel obligated to submit my mostly positive experience on the Sky.

My wife and I were on the Sky January 20, 2014 through the 24th, celebrating her 35th birthday. Some back ground for relevance, my wife is 35 (previously mentioned) I am 32, we are both working professionals and we have two kids ages 4 & 2 who did not accompany us on the Sky. I have sailed Royal Caribbean once at 18 and Carnival twice 23 & 25. My wife has sailed Royal Caribbean twice and Carnival four times. This was both our first cruise with Norwegian.

First off, driving and parking at Miami couldn’t have been easier. I spent hours researching offsite parking and never got the warm and fuzzy. Furthermore, I thought parking was $20 per day fixed but it’s actually $20 per 24hour period. My 4 night cruise cost $80 in parking totally worth the convenience and peace of mind.

Embarkation was a breeze with one exception; although Crossings (MDR) was open the staff tried very hard to get you not to eat there. To the point of arguing with me and when we finally got inside there were at least 10 other tables of people confirming that I was not being a jerk. I immediately thought of all the negative reviews and said “crap” to myself. Muster was painless but they check all names and it’s almost annoying when the entire drill lasts all of 45 seconds for 15 minutes of standing around.

The ship shows its age but is in relative good shape with the main common areas receiving the love and care from the maintenance and cleaning staff. The bars and lounges have nice teak and wood décor but are relatively small. The main lounge stage, Sparkles, was the dance club and stage for game shows, comedy, and audience participation shows. This lounge is a main walk way and seemed crowded at times but it still did the job. The cabin hallways were clean but rough, in dire need of refurbishment. Our ocean view room on Deck 8 was clean, seemed roomy, but again was in need of refurbishment in terms of walls, trim, and furniture. We did have the flat screen TV which meant nothing more than extra shelf space. My wife enjoyed the SPA, the gym was small but never crowded, and the casino was also pretty small but not crowded.

We purchased the Ultimate Dining Plan for $55 per person and it was worth every cent. We even went to two specialty restaurants in one evening thanks to the UDP, appetizers at II Adagio and a later meal at Le Bistro. My wife and I enjoy to dine and will spend two hours sitting at the table drinking wine and enjoying each other’s company. We were not rushed and once the staff picked up on our style they spread out the courses giving us time to enjoy and not feel stuffed. The Ship’s head Maître D even recognized this and made a point to speak to us on nights 2, 3&4. The food in II Adagio and Cagney’s was good, lived up to expectations but unfortunately we were not as pleased with Le Bistro and only dined there once. We dined in the MDR for breakfast which was acceptable for both food and service but nothing to praise. However, the very pleasant hostess remembered us every morning; she was also the hostess at II Adagio.

We also purchased the UBP which again was worth every penny. For the simple fact that you need not worry about what you are ordering or how much you’re spending. The staff seemed to like it as well, which I believe is due to the 15% automatic tip, because I noticed a lot of Europeans and South Americans who might not be as accustomed to tipping. I gave extra tips for good service which was received very thankfully and returned with diligent service, especially by the poolside cocktail waiters. I specifically brought $1bills for tips. Considering a beer (with the auto 15%) rang up over $6 there is no doubt my wife and I saved money with the UBP.

Great Stirrup Cay was very nice and I’m sure even better in the summer months, we are Floridians so we found the weather a little chilly in January. I would look forward to a day there again. We didn’t find Nassau very pleasant (we have both been there a couple times) and unless you have set plans exploring gets old quick as it’s crowded and the people try hard to push their tours, items for sale etc. We did find a little bar with nice staff to grab a beer before heading back to the ship. Another point, I found beer prices (noticed many places while walking around) to be inflated since my last visit $4-6+ a beer (still cheaper then back home I realize.) This is another plus to the UBP, no need to seek out cheaper drinks. Freeport was surprisingly nice with very PLEASANT locals right inside the port selling drinks and cracked conch/fritters/fried fish etc. We felt no need to head out to Port Lucya. I went for a 5 mile run from the port along the ocean thinking it would be fun to get the Bahamas on my GPS watch. I ran out past Bennett Point light house and the cemetery (checked both out kind of neat) and back, I do not recommend this, especially for women. The neighborhood feels far from safe (even to island standards) and the locals were not happy to see me! Not to mention the unfriendly dogs roaming around. Enjoying the lounge chairs, sun, drinks, and friendly cocktail waiters poolside was fantastic at both ports!

We found the crew very friendly and attentive throughout the cruise, except for embarkation where they attempted to push us away from the MDR. They would remember us from a previous visit and what we were drinking. A bartender from Sparkles recognized us the next day by the pool and before we even looked up from our books said, “Captain and ginger and crown and ginger.” Our bartender from the Outrigger Lounge sail out of Miami recognized us on the 4th night and even where we were from, and that was without seeing her in between those two times. Wait staff at the specialty restaurants were everything you want if you were at a fine dining establishment.

In summary it was a great four night get away for the value!! NCL has become our #1 choice, we would sail the Sky again for a quick getaway, the UBP & UDP are musts, and for us a Bahamas itinerary is perfect for enjoying the pool lounges while everyone else is doing excursions. “

Excuse me Mr Hotel Director - what happened to the roll of $100 bills I left on top of my clothes?

The cruise line is not the TSA, you may and should lock your luggage!! Hell even the TSA allows to use TSA issue locks! If you don't lock luggage don't be surprised if something goes missing. However if they catch the booze you will have to go remove it yourself.

After much research, we just bit the bullet and parked in the Port parking garage. It's no hassle, secure, and easy access to the cruise terminals and then back to your car after the cruise. I believe it's $20 a day.

I’m with you! I embark Monday; starting a year ago I spent hours researching and never got a warm and fuzzy. Between what I researched and my knowledge of Miami area (I’m from South Florida) I’ll bite the bullet for $20/ day.

Reason why to just use terminal parking

1 – Secured garage not being used for other purposes while you’re gone and in area with high security

2 – No shuttles!! Which means no waiting, no confusion, no additional tipping

3 – Parking offsite saves what, $40 a week? I’m spending $0,000s on vacation I’m going to risk additional headaches on $40??

Hey great review! It’s almost too positive but the sincerity nails it home!! I embark Monday (1/20) on Sky for my wife’s birthday (KIDS stay with grandparents!!!) and your post just got me all ready to go now!! Just one more day in the cubicle!! I think I will refrain from reading any other Sky related posts until the cruise, thank you!

You need to be cautious everywhere! The residents’ primary source of income is tourism legal or illegal. They may like your money but they rarely enjoy the company of tourists.

To other’s comments if ships stopped going to Nassau you might as well cut out all of the Bahamas, there are better true Caribbean islands and the cruise ships can’t get to the best areas of the Bahamas anyway. To my point winter weather in the Bahamas is not very different then south Florida. Going on a cruise next week and the weather is disappointing (68-72) so my wife and I are from / live in Florida. We knew booking that was possible though. Furthermore, if you cut out the Bahamas then Cruise Lines would need to consider repositioning home ports. For instance Port Canaveral would basically be useless.

I would further suggest that if the Bahamas were not a reasonable place for the Lines to acquire private islands in than Nassau wouldn’t be the popular Port of Call it is.

Should be able to have a nice family vacation without any problems but keep in mind:

- 3 night cruise that is Friday, Saturday, Sunday

- NCL, calls the 3 night Sky “The biggest happy hour in Miami”

- Spring break time

- Young professional / working party crowd (Mid 20s-early 30s) can leave work Friday, and be back at work on Monday

My point, just be prepared

, ...I don't see a lot of people purchasing it. Platinum cruisers already get two free dinners, so the vast majority of them would never purchase it. I don't see general passengers having much interest,.......

I can only hope you're right!! ;)

Nothing worse then paying extra for something then it becomes overcrowded and hard to enjoy!

Tacked it on today, for a 4 day on Jan. 20th it was $59/person. So for wife and I it was $120.

$59 / 4nights = $14.75 per night per person

We will probably eat Cagney’s twice and Le Bistro twice

Considering Cagney’s is $30 & Le Bistro is $20

Cagney’s 2x$30 = $60

Le Bistro 2x$20 =$40

Total Value = $100

Savings = $40 per person

Regardless of how you look at it, if you use it, you save money.

OP is stating a common theme noted on Sky 3 day reviews! Which is sad, I hope the crew on the 4 day in January is at least a little friendlier!

Side note, my folks do a RCCL 4 day every summer and really enjoy their crew specifically their waiter. Every year the crew they become “friendly” with all joke and ask them to stay because they are dreading the 3 day cruise that comes right after it. I assume same for all cruise lines.

In my opinion a server making a comment such as “I’m not rich like you” to a customer should be lucky not to get fired! Her job is “hospitality” and she clearly was not providing it! Should you be respectful of others and their standard of living, of course, but that person is earning an income to provide friendly service to a ship full of “rich people.” No difference then the 30 year old at McDonalds with an attitude. If you don’t like making $8.50/hr work a little harder and do something about it!

Same with my cruise in January in the “gifts and more” no drink packages (specifically UBP but none noticed) appear when searching. I can find them in a general search but not within the planning section of my cruise. I was thinking it might not be available until closer to the sail date.

Regardless, I’m just going to call.

Thanks for the quick replies!!

More of a general Freestyle question but fits in with large group issues.

Are you able to sit in the MDR (and eat) multiple times, or do they keep track (i.e one sitting a night like in traditional cruising)? This isn’t an “I’m being a pig and want to order three entrees at 5:30 then again at 9:30” question, but a legitimate question.

A reasonable scenario to prevent board members from flaming:

I’m hungry around 6ish but group won’t be ready until 8. I would like to go to MDR get an appetizer or maybe a lighter entrée at 6 solo but join my entire group at 8 and plan on ordering full meal.

I realize the buffet would work, but I prefer the MDR so that’s my question.

Thank you all for your response

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I’m going to say something that many of you will think is crazy!

I actually think with the drink package my wife and I will maybe / probably drink less!!!

How can that be you ask?

1 – I don’t like waiting in long lines for my drinks at crowded bars, so i’ll order two rounds. With UBP only one at a time and maybe longer duration between drinks.

2 – Same thought in casinos / shows waitress are very busy so I’ll order 2 rounds. Now in a comedy show I might only get one service by waitress.

3 – Instead of splitting a bucket poolside will have to get up for each beer.

4 – Instead of automatically ordering a bottle ( ~ 2.5 glasses) of wine at dinner will probably just order 2 glasses.

5 – Can’t order double drinks, will have ask for less soda for taste.

6 – Not worrying about “damn i have to go (or its super late) and I just paid for this drink, hold on a minute while i chug it.” Nope, just leave a drink on the bar that I only took one sip from it doesn’t matter I have the package.

I know crazy