Disney Wonder - Alaska, Examiner.com Review

[need2cruisesoon]

Doesn't sound like it was a good cruise from her point of view.

$14,000 is a lot of coin for at best a mediocre vacation.

http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-cruise-to-alaska-lasting-impressions

Edited August 9, 2015 by need2cruisesoon

[Superdottie]

Besides the "hit or miss" food, the writer's issues were with the other passengers. How is that Disney's fault?

[ljandgb]

Sour grapes, anyone? How on earth is it Disney's fault that people did not cover their mouths when they sneezed or coughed?? Or that Alaska seemed like a lot of scenery and not much to do?

 

The author instead praises the crew and cleanliness of DCL, but feels the passengers made the cruise no good. She admits food is subjective, which it is. I felt like the food on our Baltic cruise was very good. Not excellent, but I have pretty high standards. But very good, and fresh seafood every night was a delight. I'd think Alaska would have similar circumstances.

 

Does she honestly think that the people will be different on any other line?

 

I think she's just peeved at the cost. Buyer's remorse. She could have been sneezed on for less on a different ship.

[Shmoo here]

Yeah, I saw that "review" and I just thought "wow".

 

I don't understand how you can spend $14,000 on a one week cruise and not be in a suite, unless you bought all available excursions in each port, as well as photos and drinks for the whole cruise.

 

Yes, Disney isn't perfect, but the failings she talked about - Disney has no control over. I agree that any cruise may not have worked for her.

[moki'smommy]

I'm with Shmoo on the price. While I can't look at 2015 prices as they are sold out, the HIGHEST non-suite price I can get for 2016 is under $12K and that is for 5 people in a cat 4. I don't know what she is including in her $14,000 but it wasn't the cruise costs alone. And I don't recall her saying how many people her $14K covered. If she is looking at air fare, excursions, tips, photos, and whatever shopping she did as part of the cost, yes...she could have dropped 14K on the entire vacation. But a chunk of that was HER choice.

 

We found the Alaska excursions to be quite varied and some were excellent. But then, I didn't go to a lumberjack show or buy trinkets. I went whale watching, went to a glacier, etc. The only thing that wasn't amazing was Totem Bight State Park. It wasn't bad, but the stuff was all reproductions (the originals are long gone) and I would rate it as "just OK." On the other hand, it cost us $2 per person, so you can't gripe too much!

 

I think it is sour grapes. I don't know what her real problem is. If you are not "into" Disney, you can do the same cruise on another line for a lesser cruise fare cost. But not knowing what is included in her $14K, I can't estimate how much she could have saved.

 

Essentially she said the ship is clean, the crew is good, the food is ok, and the other guests stink. And Alaska is boring. I don't see where there is anything in that review that DCL can change or improve other than maybe the food.

[southerngirl528]

I saw this article just a few minutes ago as well and thought it was ludicrous. Agree with everyone else on his/her quote on price for a "non-suite" accommodation. Perhaps she had more than one stateroom?? The entire timbre of the article made me think that the AUTHOR was the pain-in-the-neck passenger. What an outlandish statement that she would rather be on any other ship.

 

I've cruised with DCL on an Inside Passage cruise. 2 staterooms as my DD and DSIL along with our 2 tiny grands went along. We all had a fabulous time. And it was NOT a common occurrence that we saw rude passengers. Sure, we saw a few, but far, far from enough to impact our experience in the least. I deem that article pure drivel and sensationalism.

[Ex techie]

I wonder if the journalist is full time salaried for the Examiner, or freelance.

If freelance, a controversial article may sell more than another DCL is WDW at sea article? That or she really doesn't like being around other people.

I do agree the food could be a lot better and more consistent, and society (as a whole) has degenerated over the past couple of decades. We all have seen posts by helicopter parents who's snowflake can do no wrong because they are just a child, and they should be able to experience everything on the cruise because they paid $14,000 for this cruise and how dare anyone tell them the rules do not apply to them.

Oh. Maybe she is one of those parents, and she got corrected by another Guest? ;)

 

ex techie

[moki'smommy]

We've seen rude obnoxious guests. If they are at your table, ask to be moved. If they are not at your table, are they really bothering you?

 

We had one incident with a table of 16 being totally obnoxious to the server (who was excellent and one we requested). The guys wore what I consider undershirts (skinny strap rib knit things that my daughter calls "wife beaters") to dinner, sent food back repeatedly, would change seats in the middle of the meal and then complain when the server gave the wrong plate to the wrong person, etc. And it may be coincidental, but there was a lot of alcohol being ordered--way too much IMHO. Manners? What are they? It was so bad that the head server basically took over our table. When I thanked her, she replied that she couldn't let another table impact our experience and our server was VERY busy with that other table. Not a word against the other guests, just that the server was busy.

 

OK...so I can complain about the brutes that cruise on DCL or I can enjoy my cruise. What about the MANY lovely friends we've made on cruises? There are really nice people on DCL too...and we don't have to pass a "niceness" test to book.

 

This author has issues. Not sure what her problem is, but I see a lot of half truths in her article starting with the $14K. She makes it sound like this was her DCL cost and it obviously was NOT.

[xlxo]

Hmm...

• don't think she did much research on Alaskan cruises and the Wonder before booking her room.
  
• don't think she planned her excursions much.... sounds like she just wandered around each of the ports.
  
• was her food experience limited to the buffet and hot dogs? I enjoyed the MDR food. I wonder if she went to Palo.
  

[meatloafsfan]

There's a few related articles by the same author. It would appear that they booked last minute (maybe 1-2 months out) and booked a balcony cabin for 5 (which means they had to have a category 4). According to cruise fish, the last price for a 4A for 2 people was $4949 each - add in 3rd, 4th and 5th guests and I can see how it hit the $14,000 mark.

 

I think that the cost might have played a part in the overall view of the trip.

[moki'smommy]

There's a few related articles by the same author. It would appear that they booked last minute (maybe 1-2 months out) and booked a balcony cabin for 5 (which means they had to have a category 4). According to cruise fish, the last price for a 4A for 2 people was $4949 each - add in 3rd, 4th and 5th guests and I can see how it hit the $14,000 mark.

 

I think that the cost might have played a part in the overall view of the trip.

 

Possibly...because currently a 4A for 5 people in 2016 is $12,000. Last minute booking on full ship could have pushed it up close to $14,000. OK, last minute booking, nicest "non concierge" cabin on the ship...it could happen

 

Still.... while I admit to being a DCL fan, I didn't think this article was fair.

Edited August 10, 2015 by moki'smommy

[Ex techie]

There are two other articles written by the author. This one from April when they decided on the cruise:

http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-cruise-to-alaska-august-2015

 

And the authors first impressions:

http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-cruise-to-alaska-first-impressions

 

To my mind, it sounds like the author was unhappy with her kids choice of vacation, and was never going to be happy from the start.

The ship itself is actually very nice, and, as one would expect, the Disney theme is everywhere, even in some of the handrails. It's cute the first few hours, and, then it just starts grating on your nerves (at least in my opinion.) However, this was our children's pick for vacation, and, so I am grinning and bearing the Disney overload to the senses.

 

ex techie

[rockdoctor]

A Disney review and a Cunard picture. Credibility gone.

[moki'smommy]

So, she starts off negative--the cost, the kid choice, and the Frozen theme with comments about ear plugs and over kill on certain songs. This before she even sets foot on the ship.

 

Then, under first impressions, she liked check in, liked the cabin (better than other lines), and hated kids running wild around the ship. Disney theming everywhere--yes, but I find it very understated in most places. The "design" of stair railings or floor inlays bothers you? Would it be OK if it were a shamrock rather than a Mickey head?

 

I hate out of control children too. I think that parents should realize that "parent" is also a verb and that their responsibility does not end when they step onto the ship. BUT I didn't hear that she called Guest Services or Security about these kids. If it was happening during "quiet hours" I'd have been on the phone. During the day...I'd still have been on the phone if they were yelling in the halls or banging on MY door. Great that she knows where her kids are every minute--that was the way I handled mine as well. But how is that a Disney issue? Especially if she didn't report the problems to the authorities on board. Easy to yell and complain after the fact.

 

Long ago (1999, perhaps) there was a travel review article about "The Tragic and The Blunder." While perhaps a little harsh, it was generally an accurate reflection of our 1998 cruise. This 2015 series has value only in the pay check the author received.

Edited August 10, 2015 by moki'smommy

[Ex techie]

A Disney review and a Cunard picture. Credibility gone.

 

To be fair to the author, that picture at the top of the article is a still for the AOL video from WSJ embedded in that link and nothing to do with the article itself.

I think that it is just poor editorial choice of placement by whomever designs the page layout, but I agree it does detract from the credibility of the article.

 

ex techie

[Ex techie]

So' date=' she starts off negative--the cost, the kid choice, and the Frozen theme with comments about ear plugs and over kill on certain songs. This before she even sets foot on the ship.

 

Then, under first impressions, she liked check in, liked the cabin (better than other lines), and hated kids running wild around the ship. Disney theming everywhere--yes, but I find it very understated in most places. The "design" of stair railings or floor inlays bothers you? Would it be OK if it were a shamrock rather than a Mickey head?

 

I hate out of control children too. I think that parents should realize that "parent" is also a verb and that their responsibility does not end when they step onto the ship. BUT I didn't hear that she called Guest Services or Security about these kids. If it was happening during "quiet hours" I'd have been on the phone. During the day...I'd still have been on the phone if they were yelling in the halls or banging on MY door. Great that she knows where her kids are every minute--that was the way I handled mine as well. But how is that a Disney issue? Especially if she didn't report the problems to the authorities on board. Easy to yell and complain after the fact.

 

Long ago (1999, perhaps) there was a travel review article about "The Tragic and The Blunder." While perhaps a little harsh, it was generally an accurate reflection of our 1998 cruise. This 2015 series has value only in the pay check the author received.[/quote']

 

I think she was determined to be annoyed by this vacation no matter what. On the plus side as stated, she couldn't really find fault with the crew. Food OK.

Other Guests who let their children run riot without any supervision or control, I agree.

 

ex techie