Just returned from the Fantasy!

[Lovedisneycruise]

They really need to get this line cutting crap under control. Happens all the time' date=' and it isn't right. This sounds like a more obvious example than many, but bottom line is you shouldn't be able to cut into a line. Period. I don't care if your wife is in line--she's welcome to move to the end with you.

 

I know, I'm dreaming. Just like the "no saving seats" in the WD theatre that is not enforced at all. But I'm a nasty on that one. I'll give you one seat, but when they send someone to save a whole row....I'm happy to sit there and remind them that there is no saving seats. I've even gone so far as to suggest that if they have a problem, they might want to get a CM to discuss it.[/quote']

 

Wow - we haven't had to deal with either of these yet partly because I haven't had the nerve to get in line alone for a character (my daughter would never :rolleyes:) and because we sit in the back of the theatre for the stage shows since all the seats seem to be good, and I don't need to see directly into the eyes of the performers lol.

 

This does remind me of an incident we witnessed on this cruise tho--the first night before dinner, we were walking past the bar at the adult pool and saw a young mother with a toddler in a stroller screaming at the bartender at the top of her lungs (it startled us) because apparently someone told her she couldn't bring a child into the adult area...and "she paid $11,000 for this cruise, blah, blah, blah". We were shocked and moved quickly through so as not to stare.

What made this even more strange was later that night at dinner we were sitting near the side door of the MDR and saw and heard this SAME women with the SAME baby/stroller screaming at our head server about the same thing! He turned around afterwards and was so red that we felt bad. We called him over later and told him about the bartender incident and made him smile. We were shocked because we couldn't believe anyone could be that angry the first night of a cruise!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Wow - we haven't had to deal with either of these yet partly because I haven't had the nerve to get in line alone for a character (my daughter would never :rolleyes:) and because we sit in the back of the theatre for the stage shows since all the seats seem to be good, and I don't need to see directly into the eyes of the performers lol.

 

This does remind me of an incident we witnessed on this cruise tho--the first night before dinner, we were walking past the bar at the adult pool and saw a young mother with a toddler in a stroller screaming at the bartender at the top of her lungs (it startled us) because apparently someone told her she couldn't bring a child into the adult area...and "she paid $11,000 for this cruise, blah, blah, blah". We were shocked and moved quickly through so as not to stare.

What made this even more strange was later that night at dinner we were sitting near the side door of the MDR and saw and heard this SAME women with the SAME baby/stroller screaming at our head server about the same thing! He turned around afterwards and was so red that we felt bad. We called him over later and told him about the bartender incident and made him smile. We were shocked because we couldn't believe anyone could be that angry the first night of a cruise!

 

I actually prefer to be further back so you can take in the whole stage - even when I see Broadway shows. UNLESS it is a small, intimate play or musical where facial expressions are super important - but that is NOT the shows on DCL! :)

 

And I hear you. The entitlement issue sadly does raise its ugly head more times than it SHOULD on a vacation - but so many people are all "This is MY vacation and I'll do what I want!" forgetting that it is the vacation for pretty much everyone else around them (not the CMs obviously, which is why I said pretty much), and we ALL paid a lot to be there. I wouldn't ever pay $11,000 for it, but if I WERE to pay $11,000 for a vacation, you can bet I'd do my research and know that there were some adult only areas and where I could go for family time.

[NancyIL]

Hey I still buy all kinds of unnecessary Disney crap without little ones around!:o:D

 

(My daughter laughs because I "collect" Disney coffee mugs--hey I drink a lot of tea!--and this past cruise started collecting Disney tervis mugs. At this rate, I can soon donate all my Pfaltzgraff.)

 

I also have quite a collection of Disney mugs - both ceramic ones and the plastic souvenir kind! At least they are still useful after the trip has ended. I was referring to the cheap (quality - not price) souvenirs that light up or make noise - then usually die after a few days.

 

I wish I had never started buying PINS! I have way too many that are still in their plastic WDW bags! :eek:

[Lovedisneycruise]

I actually prefer to be further back so you can take in the whole stage - even when I see Broadway shows. UNLESS it is a small, intimate play or musical where facial expressions are super important - but that is NOT the shows on DCL! :)

 

And I hear you. The entitlement issue sadly does raise its ugly head more times than it SHOULD on a vacation - but so many people are all "This is MY vacation and I'll do what I want!" forgetting that it is the vacation for pretty much everyone else around them (not the CMs obviously, which is why I said pretty much), and we ALL paid a lot to be there. I wouldn't ever pay $11,000 for it, but if I WERE to pay $11,000 for a vacation, you can bet I'd do my research and know that there were some adult only areas and where I could go for family time.

 

Agreed on both counts!:) The back of the theatre has a few 3-seat rows and we really like those because (1) you can see the entire stage well, and (2) no one climbs over you before or during the show.

 

Also, I have never sailed concierge but if she paid that much, I assume she may have been in that area. To be fair, it looks like some of those rooms are located forward on Deck 11 right near the adult pool/area which seems a little strange; because if you wanted to walk straight out and across the deck to swim/get a drink/go to Cabana's with your child, it appears you couldn't. So that may have been the case, but not sure. But I'm sure the concierge staff keeps those guests well informed as to any perks, rules, etc.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Lovedisneycruise

[Lovedisneycruise]

I also have quite a collection of Disney mugs - both ceramic ones and the plastic souvenir kind! At least they are still useful after the trip has ended. I was referring to the cheap (quality - not price) souvenirs that light up or make noise - then usually die after a few days.

 

I wish I had never started buying PINS! I have way too many that are still in their plastic WDW bags! :eek:

 

Me too!:p Mostly the ceramic ones. I have managed to thankfully avoid the pin craze--those have never interested me. Though for some reason, the past few years I've started buying more Disney tees and wearing them at WDW and the cruises. I'd never done this in the past, but lately I feel it's part of the overall magical experience!:)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your report.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Agreed on both counts!:) The back of the theatre has a few 3-seat rows and we really like those because (1) you can see the entire stage well, and (2) no one climbs over you before or during the show.

 

Also, I have never sailed concierge but if she paid that much, I assume she may have been in that area. To be fair, it looks like some of those rooms are located forward on Deck 11 right near the adult pool/area which seems a little strange; because if you wanted to walk straight out and across the deck to swim/get a drink/go to Cabana's with your child, it appears you couldn't. So that may have been the case, but not sure. But I'm sure the concierge staff keeps those guests well informed as to any perks, rules, etc.

 

You're allowed to walk through, but you're not allowed to stop and hang out.

[moki'smommy]

You're allowed to walk through, but you're not allowed to stop and hang out.

 

This is what happens in practice. The signage says "This area reserved for guests age 18 and over." It doesn't say children can walk, run, skate, skip, or otherwise proceed thru the area. It doesn't say it's OK to come in and just talk to mom for a few minutes. And the only thing I've seen them be removed from the area for is if they actually get in a pool or hot tub. I have seen them brought into the Cove Cafe (which clearly says 18 and older) and the CM not say a word; I suspect this is because he wants his tips. Note--the same goodies are available at the Vista Cafe for families/children.

 

The new ships are very poorly designed in that they actually make it inconvenient for concierge guests to get to family areas without passing thru adult only areas. But there is little enforcement of kicking kids out of the quiet cove area on any of the ships.

[Irene7]

It's very common to see a lot of views and not leaving a comment. You will see that on most threads. I thinks a lot of people like to come here and read but not engage. Anyway, thank you for your review. I enjoyed reading it and am so happy you had such a great time. :)

[Lovedisneycruise]

You're allowed to walk through, but you're not allowed to stop and hang out.

 

Ohhhhhh I don't really hang out near the adult pool - we like the upper adult decks on the Fantasy near Satellite Falls best (for adult-only experience.) So I hadn't even really noticed this before, since I don't stay concierge.

 

This is the main reason we like the Fantasy better (so far). You DO seem to be able to escape to adult-only areas on the very forward upper decks.

[Lovedisneycruise]

This is what happens in practice. The signage says "This area reserved for guests age 18 and over." It doesn't say children can walk' date=' run, skate, skip, or otherwise proceed thru the area. It doesn't say it's OK to come in and just talk to mom for a few minutes. And the only thing I've seen them be removed from the area for is if they actually get in a pool or hot tub. I have seen them brought into the Cove Cafe (which clearly says 18 and older) and the CM not say a word; I suspect this is because he wants his tips. Note--the same goodies are available at the Vista Cafe for families/children.

 

[b']The new ships are very poorly designed in that they actually make it inconvenient for concierge guests to get to family areas without passing thru adult only areas. But there is little enforcement of kicking kids out of the quiet cove area on any of the ship[/b]s.

 

Thanks for your input as always. I had never noticed this before and I'm not quite sure why Disney is reluctant to enforce these areas, other than to risk the ire of those parents. I'll remember to add this comment to any surveys I complete.

[Lovedisneycruise]

It's very common to see a lot of views and not leaving a comment. You will see that on most threads. I thinks a lot of people like to come here and read but not engage. Anyway, thank you for your review. I enjoyed reading it and am so happy you had such a great time. :)

 

Thanks Irene; I guess I jumped the gun a bit at the beginning.:o:o

 

Everytime I go, I miss the ship more quickly. It's hard for me to imagine now that I could wait a YEAR between cruises. The one lady at our dinner was leaving the Fantasy to do a B2B 5-day on the Wonder in Miami--I was soooo envious!!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Thanks Irene; I guess I jumped the gun a bit at the beginning.:o:o

 

Everytime I go, I miss the ship more quickly. It's hard for me to imagine now that I could wait a YEAR between cruises. The one lady at our dinner was leaving the Fantasy to do a B2B 5-day on the Wonder in Miami--I was soooo envious!!

 

Awww!!!

 

One week from now I will be trying to sleep at the Hampton Inn & Suites Gateway Village (MCO) and leaving on the Fantasy the next day!!

[Host Mick]

Thanks! Again, interesting about the "normal" number of children onboard. For whatever reason, it appeared to both of us that there were many elementary school children, which surprised us. We kept asking each other--"why are they not in school?" :p

 

And somewhat off topic.....I really wish that Disney would offer a few "adult only" cruises. These would also attract an entire new group who refuses to sail with them for that reason. This is not meant to offend anyone with small children (I had two at one time!;)), but I think it would be great if they offered that opportunity periodically throughout the year. We could then experience the center area in front of the funnel vision on the Fantasy (the kids' area), the hot tubs in peace (these are ALWAYS filled with children when I cruise) and even the character interactions without feeling silly. And personally, I would love to see what the kid's clubs are all about too! (it's the kid in me ;))

We had 2 other mother/young adult daughter combos at our dining table, and they expressed the same desire. One experience cruiser who said she was platinum on four lines (I asked her if she was mokismommy on this forum lol--she wasn't) also thought they should offer "adult only" time with the characters! She said she's been in line for a picture and had other parents comment that she was taking time/space away from the little children.

 

Renaissance used to be adults only and look how that worked out for them.

Disney knows their demographics and what their customers want. If there was enough demand for an adults only cruise, they would do it. In the mean time, most voyages are sailing nearly full of mostly families so why bother?

[Lovedisneycruise]

Awww!!!

 

One week from now I will be trying to sleep at the Hampton Inn & Suites Gateway Village (MCO) and leaving on the Fantasy the next day!!

 

OMG lucky you!!!:eek::D I hope you have a wonderful time.:) I seriously LOVE the Fantasy-everything about it. I even played the midship detective agency game (finally!) this last cruise, and it was fun! I stayed onboard during a port day and had lots of room to leisurely walk around and view the various clues/paintings.

 

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit I'm already pricing spring (2015) cruises and thinking of going alone for the first time if I can find a "good" rate.:p I have 2 others which I booked onboard, but the earliest isn't until the end of this year and I don't think I can hold out until then!:cool:

[moki'smommy]

 

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit I'm already pricing spring (2015) cruises and thinking of going alone for the first time if I can find a "good" rate.:p I have 2 others which I booked onboard, but the earliest isn't until the end of this year and I don't think I can hold out until then!:cool:

 

April 11 has some *GT rates. Best to find a friend and split the cost though as DCL's single supplement is so high (100% of cruise fare!)

[NancyIL]

Renaissance used to be adults only and look how that worked out for them.

Disney knows their demographics and what their customers want. If there was enough demand for an adults only cruise, they would do it. In the mean time, most voyages are sailing nearly full of mostly families so why bother?

 

Most cruises I take on other lines are during the school year, and pretty much adults only in practice. I prefer it that way.

[moki'smommy]

Personal observation on DCL cruises--the longer the cruise, the fewer kids. Unfortunately some parents are catching on about TA cruises and the kids on those are increasing...but they remain well below a "typical" Magic cruise.

[ma23peas]

What cruise did you take? Eastern/Western? What did you do in the ports? Thanks!! And just a comment on no adult only cruises...1/3 the ship would be unused (kids clubs/kids pools/slides etc.) so highly unlikely...but stick to traveling in off season and you'll see less! Thanks for the reminder on the teens and door slamming, well have 3 teens and YES they do forget that after 10pm there should be minimal noise! Hard to do when they schedule teen events for around 11pm and kids running back to the room to grab something...we'll make sure to keep our kids aware of door drops! :) Thanks!!

[moki'smommy]

What cruise did you take? Eastern/Western? What did you do in the ports? Thanks!! And just a comment on no adult only cruises...1/3 the ship would be unused (kids clubs/kids pools/slides etc.) so highly unlikely...but stick to traveling in off season and you'll see less! Thanks for the reminder on the teens and door slamming, well have 3 teens and YES they do forget that after 10pm there should be minimal noise! Hard to do when they schedule teen events for around 11pm and kids running back to the room to grab something...we'll make sure to keep our kids aware of door drops! :) Thanks!!

 

While the slides would likely go unused to do weight limits, there would be no reason for the other kid areas to be unused on an adult only cruise. As I said before, on the Trans-Atlantics we had "adult time in the Club" and "Adult time in the Lab" even though there were 600 kids on the ship. The area that had adult time was closed to those under 18 at those times and they DID card. We were encouraged to use the slide as well as all other areas and there was a line for Marvel Academy.There is no reason that adults can't use the kiddie pool as a splash area if it were available to them. Basically the nursery and small kid slide would be the only things that would have to go unused.

 

But, I don't think DCL is likely to do an adult only cruise any time soon.....even though the logistics would not be a big deal.

 

Thanks for reminding your kids about "quiet hours" in the halls! Every involved parent makes a difference.

[Lovedisneycruise]

What cruise did you take? Eastern/Western? What did you do in the ports? Thanks!! And just a comment on no adult only cruises...1/3 the ship would be unused (kids clubs/kids pools/slides etc.) so highly unlikely...but stick to traveling in off season and you'll see less! Thanks for the reminder on the teens and door slamming, well have 3 teens and YES they do forget that after 10pm there should be minimal noise! Hard to do when they schedule teen events for around 11pm and kids running back to the room to grab something...we'll make sure to keep our kids aware of door drops! :) Thanks!!

 

Hi mapeas, it was the eastern cruise with St. Thomas and San Juan as ports. We went to Magen's Bay Beach in St. Thomas, which we enjoyed on an earlier cruise. This time, they reserved small space of beach for three large cruiseships in port and it was jammed to say the least. The lounge chairs were pretty much touching and they didn't offer umbrellas which is a must-have for me. I had to carry my chair to an overhang of the food area, so there wasn't much relaxation. We did take a stroll to the quieter area and took some pictures, but I probably won't do this tour again.

 

The next day was San Juan and I sent my daughter to the beach alone, as I can't tolerate 2 days in a row and I was now worried about umbrellas. (of course, this beach had ample space with an umbrella at each chair--go figure.) I was going to explore the port area, but ended up enjoying the emptier ship.

 

I realize that teens can be late and loud (I had two), but those doors are really loud and they kept banging over and over until after 1 a.m. Someone must have complained because on the second day I saw a manager in the hallway asking a woman (possibly the mom) if there was an adult in each room with the children, (I think they had 3 rooms) but I couldn't hear what else was said. It was pretty quiet late after that. So I was glad to see that Disney apparently takes that seriously.

 

I still think Disney should offer even just a couple adult-only cruises each year. I really think they would be popular!

[Lovedisneycruise]

April 11 has some *GT rates. Best to find a friend and split the cost though as DCL's single supplement is so high (100% of cruise fare!)

 

Thanks - I have been eyeing that one!;) Unfortunately, I've yet to find a friend who enjoys cruising or even Disney!:( The high single cost is one of the reasons I've yet to take the solo cruising plunge!

[Lovedisneycruise]

While the slides would likely go unused to do weight limits' date=' there would be no reason for the other kid areas to be unused on an adult only cruise. As I said before, on the Trans-Atlantics we had "adult time in the Club" and "Adult time in the Lab" even though there were 600 kids on the ship. The area that had adult time was closed to those under 18 at those times and they DID card. We were encouraged to use the slide as well as all other areas and there was a line for Marvel Academy.There is no reason that adults can't use the kiddie pool as a splash area if it were available to them. Basically the nursery and small kid slide would be the only things that would have to go unused.

 

[b']But, I don't think DCL is likely to do an adult only cruise any time soon.....even though the logistics would not be a big deal.[/b]

Thanks for reminding your kids about "quiet hours" in the halls! Every involved parent makes a difference.

 

Since you are always so knowledgeable about everything DCL, why do you think this is the case? I really think if they marketed it well, some adult regulars would be thrilled and others that refuse to cruise Disney because of little ones would give it a try. I'm not saying one a month, but even offer just 2 or 3 a YEAR.

[moki'smommy]

This is just a guess and my opinion, not anything based on real information. OK, a DCL exec commented that there are a relatively small number of guests who have done more than 25 cruises, but that we all book the same sailings. We've certainly noticed this--this crowd likes long cruises and tends to book things more than 10 days or things with new ports.

 

From that basis, an "adult only" cruise would need to be a one week cruise. I would choose the Magic for the "trial run," but others would want the Fantasy. The typical cabin on this cruise would be right at 2 people; DCL normally runs at 3.? per cabin (I've seen different figures quoted), so on a 1 week cruise they are losing $800+ from a "missing" guest in each cabin. Yes, there will be a few cabins with solo cruisers paying the single supplement (so no loss there to DCL), and there will be a few cabins with more than 2 people (adult kid in room?). But if they used the Magic, the ship would sail with about 1600-1700 guests. That's a hit in the server tips! They would undoubtedly choose an off season date which will turn off some cruisers. If they increase the price to compensate for the lack of kids, that will send some potential guests running (What is no kids worth?) They can decrease the number of YAC (does this become a good week for training?) It would require a bunch of marketing (maybe). Then there is the issue of some "strange" guests. I get the idea of cosplay (dressing up like a character from a favorite movie/book/whatever) and don't see that as a big issue, even though it has caused some interesting situations in the past (guest being mistaken for character!). But I'm aware of at least 2 instances where an adult guest was accused of stalking or otherwise being inappropriate with a character. Would an "adult only" cruise bring out the nut jobs? Would it attract a mix that would undermine DCL's family friendly image? IF such a thing were tried, I don't think DCL's goals would include increasing alcohol sales, security issues, or the amount of skin/PDA seen in any venue. And then you go back to one of Walt's oft quoted lines about how it started because he wanted a place where a dad could go to have some fun with his daughters....

 

I can see a big concern being that no matter what week they choose, it will not suit some of the people who SAY they should try an adult only cruise and the cabins will not all sell. Other ships have tried it on a long term basis, but I'm not aware of another line doing it for a cruise or 3 per year. DCL is known for innovation in their ship design/building but in terms of cruises/ports/etc. they are basically a "me too" line. The current president does not seem to have a "let's try it" mentality, but rather a "let the ships take a back seat to my pet projects" orientation. Sorry, but I think there could be a much stronger tie in to his background of ABD, and even this has been weak!

 

Do I think it could work--absolutely, IF done right. Do I think they will try it? not likely.

 

Before the flames start--this was written as a response to a request for my thoughts and is ONLY my thoughts. I claim no "insider info" or other reason for this reply.

 

One other very odd thought--could it be done unofficially by a group from whatever social media site? Maybe. Someone could decide that the September whatever cruise was going to be a cruise of as few kids as possible, do the talking it up before dates were released, and encourage as many as possible to book it on the first day of bookings. It would never be 100% adults, but the numbers could probably be skewed in that direction. However, this would not result in DCL making "kid spaces" available to adults on that cruise. Other unofficial groups have done similar things and largely taken over Magic Kingdom for a day or more....but that required much less in terms of logistics than a cruise would.

Edited February 8, 2015 by moki'smommy

[clemsonlori98]

I was on this same cruise. It was my families 1st Disney cruise. Wonderful cruise!!!! When hearing 800 kids were sailing, I was "shocked". Now that I hear that number is LOW for the Fantasy, I think it would have been very overwhelming with 1500-1800 kids. We have a 5 year old ourselves. The pools and hot tub were jam packed with kids on sea days. It would have been much more crowded with double the kids.

 

 

Mariner of the Seas 3/7/2004

Carnival Glory 12/2006

Carnival Liberty 11/24/2007

Island Princess 4/2009

Disney Fantasy 1/24/2015