alaskawdw12

Still not working for me either, I get the same "we're unable to complete your request"message I've been getting since Saturday. I am able to access the cruise planner, but nothing else.

We usually sail ocean view balcony and tried the boardwalk balcony on the Allure. We absolutely loved it!! We used our balcony a lot more than we usually do, because sitting on the balcony we still felt like we were part of the ship. We could see the ocean, the aqua theater show + rehearsals (which was awesome) or just people watch. Closing the drapes to get dressed isn’t an issue as far as I’m concerned since you have to do that anyways with an ocean view while in port.

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I also haven’t been able to log in for the past few days. I talked to them on the phone since our payment was due on Saturday, and the rep said they were having technical difficulties and working hard to fix it. I can log into the cruise planner, but not into my account.

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When we traveled with my grandma (who’s going blind) on the Radiance we were provided with large print compasses and also someone showed us around the ship on the first day. Plus, every night they reserved seats for us in the front row of the theater, so that she could enjoy the shows. They even offered to read the MDR menu to her every night! While my mom had that covered, it was amazing to see the level of service and care. The special needs department does a great job.

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Cruise ships like to avoid rough seas where possible, but with the Oasis class ships, due to their size and modern tech, you won't feel a thing. On Oasis, there were times when I didn't know if the ship was at sea or still docked.

I read this comment a lot about theses ships and disagree. I’m prone to motion sickness and felt the ship rocking when I was on the Allure. It really depends on your sensitivity level and on the winds the ship encounters. But it is incorrect to say that you don’t feel anything onboard, because you personally might feel it and so you should bring whatever you use against sea sickness.

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Disney doesn't go to Glacier Bay. That's a big downside.

 

 

 

I'd never consider the Magic the "destination". Not a lot going on - at least on the Caribbean cruises - on port days. Guess it all depends on what you like to do.

DH and I were just on the Magic in the Med in September and have never been as busy on a cruise as we were. We stayed onboard during 2 of the 4 ports and only got off for lunch at the 4th port.

We're not sit-by-the-pool-people, there was just so much going on all the time! And I'm comparing it to Allure of the Seas...a much bigger ship. This cruise was my return to DCL as an adult and DH's first Disney cruise. We'd been on 3 RCCL cruises before this cruise and were worried we'd be bored or that it wouldn't be worth the money. We chose this cruise because it's close to home and really wanted to see Tangled. The first night DH was already sold on DCL, saying how much better it is than RCCL (which we love and thoroughly enjoyed each cruise with them!). We spent the rest of the week trying to figure out why exactly we find DCL to be so superior. We felt like we were in a floating Disney park...it was the first time we felt like we were at a destination as appose to a fun floating hotel that takes you from place to place. The shows are magical with the most talented actors and singers on sea. The dinners are so special.

One thing that stood out, just as an example, was the way waiters at lunch treated guests. On Royal at TS lunch the waiters were just meh...definitely felt like since we're not tipping them - no need to smile. On DCL we were blown away by our waiters at lunch. Both the server and assistant were so nice, friendly and lovely! Our waiter was doing magic tricks for the little girl at the table next to ours, drawing a dolphin with the ketchup, it was so sweet, they were having a great time. DH and I were so impressed by the level of service, it felt special.

One night they decorate the ship as if it's freezing, another night O'Gil's is takin over by the Snugly Duckling and actors come into the bar acting like thugs...it's just those little touches all over the place.

In short, totally agree with the OP :). We have also been converted by The Mouse.

Regarding Glacier Bay in Alaska - RCCL also doesn't go there. But they (and Disney) go to Icy Strait Point, which is our favorite port, and glacier viewing is Hubbard, which is enough for us.

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Thanks for the detailed review! DH and I also don't have children and we just took our first Disney cruise this past September on the Magic in the Med. we've been on three RCL cruises before this cruise. Our experience was the exact opposite of yours! This was the first cruise where there was so much going on that we actually didn't have time to do everything (and we've been on the Allure of the Seas and didn't feel like that...). We were actually really blown away by all of the activities Disney offered every day, so much so that we canceled two of our tour days in ports because we preferred to stay onboard and enjoy the ship and the activities onboard.

I don't know if the schedule on the Fantasy is different than the Magic, but you mention you never went to trivia, which there are a bunch of every day, for instance. We also found the adult entertainment at night to be great and only got back to our room at around 11:30-11:45 PM every night. BTW, we both do not drink and don't like sitting by the pool, we love going from activity to activity and felt this was the most active ship we've ever been on.

In terms of the meals, I get your point about not having a buffet at night, I think that would be a nice option. However, we didn't at all feel like we were limited or in a rigid place, because there are so many other options. For instance, we chose to skip the MDR one night because we wanted to see Tangled twice. So instead we had hamburgers (one real one veggie, which I love at Disney) for dinner up on deck and ordered room service later (which is free and we thought it was great quality).

This of course was just our experience :) I do wonder if there's a difference in activities between the two ships.

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They currently have tours available for all ages and some available with a minimum age. You see more on the "grown up" tours.

 

 

 

Did you get to see the Kingdom Hearts mural in the tunnel?

No! Kingdom Hearts came out a couple of years after we were on the tours. That sounds so cool!! The thing I remember most is the room under Alien Encounter (RIP). It was part of the magic of how burnt Skippy suddenly appeared, but although we got a good look our guide didn't explain it, he just mysteriously said "try to figure it out" with a grin, so it just added to the wonder of it.

On our cruise on the Magic two weeks ago we saved $1,300 booking an ocean view instead of a room with a veranda.

I'll put it to you this way: on formal night the cruise director asked during her nightly appearance on stage before the show in the WD theater "who here is dressed in the beautiful formal wear?" -> people cheer. "Who here is dressed like they're on vacation?" -> people cheer. :) So you can really wear whatever makes you happy.

 

Disney doesn't allow minors to do their backstage tours at WDW...but they certainly do allow adults to see something of how they make the magic' date=' provided the adults are willing to pay for it.[/quote']

 

 

I don't know about nowadays, but when I was a teen (so about 15 years ago) my younger brother and I went on two behind the scenes tours for teens in WDW. They were half day tours in small groups and were a lot of fun. On one of them we even got to walk around in the Magic Kingdom under ground tunnel system!

Thanks so much!! This is really helpful :)

Thanks for the information! Do adults get to use the space - slides, screens etc - also during open house? Or is open house more for parents to play with their kids and other adults to just look around?

Thanks!! I guess we'll know for sure once the Med cruises start next month. The level of our excitement at the prospect of meeting Cap and Thor is embarrassing...lol

We've pre booked our character breakfast, Frozen and princess meets for our upcoming 7 day Magic cruise. Is there a Marvel characters meet and greet onboard the Magic that is also a ticketed event and that we would have to get tickets for once onboard? Thanks a lot!!

I would consider a luxury resort anywhere away from my home a foreign environment.

 

How could a luxury resort in California be the same and have the same hazards as a luxury resort in Florida, New York, Alaska, Nebraska......

 

 

 

Just because they are all in country, does not mean they are not foreign environments to you.

 

Foreign does not mean fear. It can also mean different.

 

 

 

Signs.

 

Could they have helped? Probably yes.

 

 

 

Could they have prevented this tragedy? Maybe. Possibly.

 

 

 

But 3KDZ, how big should these signs be?

 

 

 

Should they be lighted at night?

 

 

 

Where should they be placed? On the back of your door in your room, in reception, outside the doors leading to the beach?

 

The beach only, or or pathways as well.

 

 

 

How far from the waters edge?

 

 

 

How frequently should these signs be posted?

 

Every 10 feet, every 30 feet, every 100 feet?

 

 

 

At 47, surely you have enough life experience to consider your own self reliance and protect your family?

 

 

 

ex techie

I feel like you're working really hard to somehow find fault with the necessity of a simple sign warning of danger guests might not be aware of. On other properties in Orlando signs warning of gators exist. With a drawing of a gator because many of the people traveling to Orlando don't speak English. I've been to a hotel in Alaska where there were signs warning not to go near moose. Another hotel had signs warning that bears sometimes roam the property. If other resorts can do it, including resorts in Orlando, Disney can do it too. It's simple.

It is by no means "common sense" that a fake man made body of water in a luxury hotel - which has a fake beach with real beach chairs at the water's edge - is dangerous. Especially when Disney offers water skiing on that same body of water, in which you spend more time in the water than out of the water. This sends a message to the guests that the water is safe. And why shouldn't it be? It's fake! For all I know Disney is in complete control of that fake body of water, otherwise why would they let me be in it? Why would they let me stand at the edge of the water fishing? That same gator that grabbed the child from the water would have grabbed him had he been standing next to his dad at the very edge, that's how they work! And there was no sign saying that there is a dangerous wild animal present. Had there been a sign and the parents decide to disregard it or parents allowed their two year old to run around unsupervised then it would be the responsibility of the parent. The old sign on the beach was even worse, it didn't just say "no swimming", it gave a reason: steep drop (or something on those lines). Meaning, the sign warned that the reason you aren't allowed to swim is because the water becomes very deep extremely suddenly. So that means one can ostensibly stand at the edge of the water or dab one's feet in the water, because that is not where the danger lies.

The comparison to the fire on the Magic is ridiculous...fires happen, terror attacks happen, flash floods happen, car accidents happen. If anything, that fire actually gave DCL an opportunity to showcase how great their emergency protocol is, as all guests report things were handled smoothly and professionally. If you want to make an analogy to something that happened on a ship it should be to Liberty of the Seas which had legionnaires disease onboard and knowingly chose to only inform guests of it as they left the ship...this was a condition the company was well aware of and could have easily addressed by making all guests aware of the issue, that way allowing them to choose how they behave. Instead, they were greedy and played fast and loose with their guests' health. If the company running the show knows of a danger it's their responsibility to inform their guests. If the guest then chooses to put himself at risk - that's his problem.

To say a sign is to big a price to pay for the life of a two year old and the destruction of a family...I just don't get it.

Disney didn't put the alligators' date=' snakes, or bacteria in the water. I don't know what they do to try to "manage" the wildlife in the resort. But a natural predator choosing to live in a lagoon is different that Disney failing to protect a guest from something that the company CAN control--failure to mark or clean up a spill that results in someone else falling, failure to fence off construction equipment resulting in an injury when a child decides to check out the "big truck" faster than a parent restrained him, or an injury from one of the animals they intentionally brought to the property who may escape from an enclosure. These are clearly something that Disney control and should be expected to do so. If it were possible to remove every alligator from the resort today, there would be more in the area next week.[/quote']

 

 

Ah, but Disney created the bodies of water! The "lagoon" is man made. The "beach" is man made to be inviting. There's no reason for a guest to not assume that a fake lagoon built by Disney isn't controlled and maintained free of alligators, especially when there are water sports in the water!! WDW is visited by millions of people from all over the world who know absolutely nothing about Florida. I actually happen to know about the alligators in Florida (and about brain eating bacteria), but still assumed that if I'm allowed to go into that "lagoon" to water ski (including falling into the water and just bobbing there) and allowed to rent tiny paddle boats and stick my hands in the water - that water is treated and safe. "No swimming" means no swimming, it doesn't mean "stay the heck away from the water there are alligators!". I love Disney, they made a mistake and they are fixing it quickly. Since many stories of alligator encounters and pictures of other little kids at the water's edge or with their feet in the water are emerging there's no doubt in my mind the new signs and barriers will save lives.

 

On the entrance sign to every national park where we live it is stated clearly that you should not turn over rocks because snakes and scorpions live under them. This is something we all can tell you in our sleep, as it is ingrained in our brains from a very very young age. But people visiting from around the world, including cold snake-less countries, have to be warned, and they're not idiots for not knowing.

 

As for the money, no it will not bring him back, but it will allow the family to get all the help they need in the future and allow them to do something in his memory if they so choose.

You can wear your regular day clothes if that's what you want to wear. I wore jeans and a t-shirt :) as long as you're wearing clothes you're fine. And don't even think twice about your son.

We're also HUGE Disney fans. I'm 31 and I've been to WDW 27 times (and I live nowhere near Orlando lol), I've been to every Disney park in the world and on two Disney cruises, so naturally when we were planning our honeymoon in Alaska we wanted to go with DCL. But when we started looking into it we saw that the price was double RCCL's and just too expensive for us. So we searched these boards for anything that would calm our nerves about cheating on The Mouse. We were really worried about the cruise experience, about the service and the other passengers, but we totally fell in love with Royal! We think the service is on par with Disney - the whole staff is just so friendly! I also think RCCL offers a lot more activities for adults throughout the day than DCL. Really the one thing Disney does better are the shows (live music or not). The original shows on RCCL are a joke in comparison with DCL (I'm talking about the stage shows, not the ice shows or acrobatic shows), both in terms of quality and in terms of the talent on stage. I think no one can beat Disney when it comes to that. But there's so much going on around the Royal ships that it doesn't matter, and we also really enjoyed the guest acts - like the comedians and magicians. The passengers onboard are nice and friendly, really no difference there between Royal and Disney (which was a major concern for us).

We're now loyal to Royal when it comes to cruises, because we love their product and can't offered DCL...we've been on the Radiance twice and on the Allure once and loved both ships!

I'm so happy you had a great cruise :)

Can anyone tell me about the dolphin swim excursions?

We did the dolphin swim at the Blue Lagoon in Nassau as a ship excursion and LOVED it! I can't recommend it enough.

From what I can see from your cruise history, you have cruised more than once or twice and all cruise lines have conditions in the 'terms and conditions section' under which their promotions can or cannot be combined together. I have never in all the cruises I have taken, not had a clear understanding from the agent representing Royal of what I was booking.

 

 

 

As a consumer, it is easy to 'hear what you want to hear' even if that is not what the agent is saying. I work in customer relations. Often a customer questions a policy and is dismayed to find that what they think they will be getting is not in fact what the policy is, and we reiterate it and re-explain it. They still are disturbed that I can't give them what they want....but I can't.

 

 

 

There are many more of us on cruise critic that are crystal clear in the understanding of the policy and would say it is not 'a misleading policy' as you suggest. Even though many feel it isn't misleading, I will add for myself, that I do wish the two offers were combinable. However, unless Royal changes their policy, the two items cannot be combined.

 

 

 

I am sure people will bring up that there was a time, when offers could be combined, but that changed quite a few years ago. It isn't that way now, and that simply is the truth.....it isn't bait and switch.

It seems like you're responding without reading what she's telling you...

She talked to a Royal rep on the phone to purchase a cruise with OBC. During the purchase that rep asked her for her Crown and Anchor number without stating that entering that number would cancel the OBC. It is in no way the customer's responsibility to question every single move made by the Royal rep. Then, after getting an email confirmation without the OBC she again called Royal and was told not to worry, it happens that the OBC doesn't show up in writing, but not to worry it will be listed in her account onboard. Why shouldn't the customer believe the Royal rep who is presumably looking at her reservation? The rep didn't say anything about C&A canceling out the OBC. She actually said the customer was worried for no reason and that the OBC would be there! So why should the costumer know better than the official reps she was talking to? I would be fuming!!

I get seasick easily. Mid ship and low seem to be best for me. All the way forward is the worst for me.

I agree. I also suffer from seasickness and have found that middle and aft are fine for me. Forward is where I really feel the motion and so I would never book a forward cabin.

Which non alcoholic frozen cocktails would you recommend?

(and non frozen!)

We really liked the Mudslide, which is like a chocolate and vanilla milkshake.

We also got a lot of coffee, frozen coffee drinks and Tazo tea.

We really enjoyed this package!

What they said...

That's a whole lot of people who have just shown the world that they:

 

1. don't wash their hands properly and

2. put their unwashed hands into their mouths.

 

 

I don't blame the ship. I blame the people who don't wash and put hands into their mouths.

People can be sitting watching a show and then rub their eye without thinking about it. Its not a scarlet letter...just a highly contagious bug.