Disappointing Adult Cruise On The Dream

[Paul Stupin]

We are doing our first Celebrity cruise in July on the Beyond and really excited about it. We had originally booked a 10 day Southern Caribbean on the Fantasy in July
but switched to an 8 day to the ABC islands on the Beyond. Our verandah on the Beyond including premium WiFi, premium drink package for 2 adults, and 2 specialty dinners was over 5k less than our ocean view on the Fantasy without any drinks or WiFi. DD11 also voted Celebrity because “there’s too many kids on a Disney cruise” and she isn’t into characters anymore. We have also done NCL Haven with a kid and Princess and RC before kid.

You will love it. Across the board, it’s better than Disney.

 

[Travel60]

I think there's"better than" and"different from". Disney is an entertainment company that runs a cruise line. We've never found another line that can touch their entertainment (although we were very disappointed in the "non-show" entertainment on the Fantasy last January/February). They also do great children's programming for the younger set.

We sailed HA on one of the "inaugural sails" of the Rotterdam. 14 days. The buffet specifically was much better set up - took up the entire middle section of the ship on an upper deck, sort of like the Fantasy but much better organized. Open BLD. Food ok to good for a buffet. One main dining room but sort of "anytime dining" so you never had the same team. And if you didn't make reservations in advance you showed up to a long wait line. Again food ok to good. [Side note, MDR required long pants and collared shirt. Even at the buffet, we never saw people dressed like we see on DCL - more upscale vibe.] One specialty restaurant was excellent, the others just ok. The entertainment was abysmal. We went out every night to different venues and with one or two exceptions, sat through one song and left. (Note to entertainers - volume does not make up for lack of talent) They did have some nice lectures on the ports and culture of the area. Their "shows" were high-school drama club level.

We've also sailed small ships (100-125 cabins). That's where the service is - fewer passengers, often no children, different clientele. Upscale food, often all-inclusive. But entertainment is often a pianists or guitarist in a lounge. Excellent but not Disney

Different does not equal better or worse. We sail mostly based on itinerary. I would sail HA again, I will sail DCL again, especially the classics. Already have a small ship booked for later this year.

 

[Free Agebt]

DCL treats their crew much better than most any other cruise line. Read that: Most any other.

A crew members family all has health insurance.
Crew member get full transportation cost covered.
At the employee bar only 2 beers or one cocktail allowed. No hungover crewmembers the next day.
We've cruised enough to see this is a big deal. It makes a big difference.
DCL pays relatively good and has employee benefits packages.

Theirs more but I'll move on.

We've had some horrendous food experiences on the DCL and some of the best ever.
Not just some of the fare not good, everything was awful and other passengers agreed. So it's not just us that had a bad experience.
In the dining rooms you can feel it in the air. Guests don't like the food and the waiters are jumping through fiery hoops trying to make it right,,, and it ain't getting right.

But then we've cruised DCL and the food was amazing, colossal.

We have had some sorry waiters/ Maître d's,,, but have has some that are the best ever.
The bars are fantastic. Anyone can come in and get what ever sports event put on a TV. The drinks prices are reasonable and all booze is premium,,, even the well.

One of the kids is 6, she lost a leg to Diabetes' and her dog and her are treated om DCL like no other cruise lines can even comprehend.

DCL limits the amount of families with kids they book. We've tried to book with kids and got the sold out response, a minute later book with no kids and cabins are suddenly available.
Adult zones work for us with or without kids on the cruise.

We love the vibes and comfort of the DCL ships. Everything else is just a bonus.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I think there's"better than" and"different from". Disney is an entertainment company that runs a cruise line. We've never found another line that can touch their entertainment (although we were very disappointed in the "non-show" entertainment on the Fantasy last January/February). They also do great children's programming for the younger set.

We sailed HA on one of the "inaugural sails" of the Rotterdam. 14 days. The buffet specifically was much better set up - took up the entire middle section of the ship on an upper deck, sort of like the Fantasy but much better organized. Open BLD. Food ok to good for a buffet. One main dining room but sort of "anytime dining" so you never had the same team. And if you didn't make reservations in advance you showed up to a long wait line. Again food ok to good. [Side note, MDR required long pants and collared shirt. Even at the buffet, we never saw people dressed like we see on DCL - more upscale vibe.] One specialty restaurant was excellent, the others just ok. The entertainment was abysmal. We went out every night to different venues and with one or two exceptions, sat through one song and left. (Note to entertainers - volume does not make up for lack of talent) They did have some nice lectures on the ports and culture of the area. Their "shows" were high-school drama club level.

We've also sailed small ships (100-125 cabins). That's where the service is - fewer passengers, often no children, different clientele. Upscale food, often all-inclusive. But entertainment is often a pianists or guitarist in a lounge. Excellent but not Disney

Different does not equal better or worse. We sail mostly based on itinerary. I would sail HA again, I will sail DCL again, especially the classics. Already have a small ship booked for later this year.

Good points. We’ve sailed the Rotterdam as well, and really loved the ship. Food pretty good too. Lots of space, fun nooks and crannies to discover, enjoyed the specialty restaurants.

My issue with DCL is that, for the price, we expected a high end cruising experience with a Disney overlay that would make it even more fun. We don’t stand in line for character meet and greets, but it’s just fun seeing the characters, as we do all the time at Aulani. We did enjoy pirate night, and the fireworks, which were part of that Disney overlay. But underneath the overlay I expected Disney to either match or exceed all the more traditional metrics by which we judge a cruise.

That’s where I think our cruise on the Dream really failed. Dining: below average to bad. Buffet: below average to bad. A further downgrade by the fact that it was relatively small and we found it monumentally crowded at peak times. Also, absolutely nothing unique or special to be found. Specialty Dining: I’d give Palo a B. It was fine but I hardly remember it now. Am assuming Remy is really good but it doesn’t matter because of the ridiculous upcharge, which after paying the same fee in Epcot for Monsieur Paul will never do again. No other specialty restaurants, so you’re forced to eat what they literally throw at you in the main dining rooms. For me, the “rotational dining” was kinda meaningless and gimmicky, and it certainly didn’t make the food any better. Also, was it just us or did the theming in all the dining rooms seem kind of old, musty and tired?

Adding to all my complaints were what felt to me was a nightmarish disembarkation, having to deal with a snappish crew member (a first for us in 20 cruises), and hearing my server’s pleading almost desperate lecture on why he needed all 10s on the survey. That was an all time low to my wife’s and my entire cruising history. Am I overreacting? Probably, but that’s the moment I’m going to never forget.

All this stuff added to my impression that Disney was basically disguising a lower end Margaritaville kinda product by slapping on Disney bells and whistles, and taking advantage of our love of Disney by cutting corners everywhere else.

 

[ThinkTink91]

I am afraid we will see more of that in this post-covid world--at least for a while.

Lisa

Absolutely, the training that happened post covid was very different than pre-covid.

I was in a unique position where I got trained twice. I was originally hired in 2017, quit because of covid, and then was rehired in 2022.

The first time they send you to Disney World 3 days before. You check in to Pop Century and get a good night's sleep. Day 1 of Disney University you meet all the other new hires, learn about the company in general, they take you to Magic Kingdom where they have you observe interactions, it was truly a magical training experience. The second day is a half day on training and then we had the rest of the day to enjoy the parks. You join the ship absolutely pumped to be apart of it.

The second time, Disney Traditions was done on the ship and it was like an hour segment. When I joined there was still a lot of covid restrictions, but much looser than when some of my friends returned. So I got to do mine in a group setting but there is about 6-8 months of new hires who had almost all their training done alone, in a room, watching videos on their TVs.

Disney University is finally back (thank goodness) but I'm sure for a bit you'll notice a difference, I certainly did.

 

[tink1970]

I think we’re “one and done” with Disney. Actually, we’re at the Riviera now and it’s fanatastic! There are a lot of kids, but because of the space and layout, it’s no issue for us at all. And, of course, it is Disney. But I never want to see that many families packed into such a relatively small pool area again. It’s really not a pleasant sight.

I would try either the Magic or The Wonder, but cruises are expensive and the substandard food and dining room service make booking a second Disney cruise too risky.

And, for us, Celebrity or Oceania are just so clearly superior that there’s really no question we’ll just move on. Even Holland America. Celebrity in particular is lively, with a lot more going on.

For those people who enjoy cruising, but without any experience on other lines, I’d suggest opening your horizons a bit. There really is a bigger, better cruising world out there.

I'm sorry about your experience, but DH and I have been trying to "jump ship" to another line and as much as we love Viking, its pay up front pricing can be onerous...so we tried Celebrity (our 4th cruise line) in January...and I hated it so very much that we booked not one but 2 DCL cruises ...in suites no less as a result. So...to each his/her own!

Also, it seems we both had such negative experiences it isn't worth it to waste vacation time/money on giving the respective cruise line a second chance and I respect that-there really is only one opportunity to make a first impression!

I guess while I disagree with your statement that Celebrity is "just so clearly superior"...everyone has their experience and since it's a subjective matter then I think we can agree that yes, there are options and yes, trying other options is a good idea but one person's ideal situation might not be another's. It's a fortunate problem to have, trying to find just the right cruise line for a vacation, though, isn't it?

 

[Geomom]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise. It's great that you have other cruise lines you like.

We are DVC, AP, etc. We're more Disney people than cruise people, so our first cruise was Disney Wonder to Alaska. Kids were 12/16. Enjoyed it enough to buy a placeholder and do Disney Magic Baltic Sea when the kids were 14/18. Then Fantasy Western Caribbean in 2022 as all adults, and Dream Norway in 2023 all adults. We've enjoyed all the cruises. Good to excellent servers each time, never had too fast service (too slow, yes)... always in MDR at least 1 hr 15 min. Had a couple cruises where they knew our drink orders and brought them out immediately. Some magic tricks, origami, or riddles ...but my adult kids look young, so not sure if it was just DH and I that we'd get any of that kind of extra thing. We LOVED our team from the Dream last year. The server saw us order all desserts the first 2 nights for the 4 of us to try and then wouldn't give us dessert menus after that and just brought out everything, joking that he makes them. Our server picked up on us replying excellent when asked how everything was and tried to stop the assistant server from reluctantly giving the 'excellent' speech saying we understood. (We knew about the 'excellent' speech from the boards before our first cruise, so we don't let it bother us.) We actually enjoy the MDR food that we've ordered. I know sometimes the quality depends on the port, etc, so maybe the Port Everglades port doesn't provide the best supplies, or the kitchens were 'off' for some reason.

We generally avoid the buffet. DH and I enjoy doing the MDR for a relaxed sit down breakfast or lunch (lunch menu changes daily) at least once each (I'm not counting debarkation breakfast which is hectic). Then we'll do pool deck food other days --fruit, salad, sandwiches, etc.

I prefer the adult areas on the Wonder/Magic, especially the relaxing piano bar. I know pool areas will be busy on a sea day and tend to go to the adult pool/hot tub either early morning or after dinner if they're showing a movie as the evening entertainment.

For sea day activities, we go to the anyone can cook sessions, art of the theme show tour, napkin folding, drawing classes, trivia, crafts, character meets if the line is short, Bingo, maybe a drink tasting for me, watch a movie, on Dream/Fantasy do mini golf and Midship Detective agency, just go for a walk on the promenade, sit on a lounger on the promenade or past Satellite falls behind the windbreak partitions.

We love the Disney Broadway style shows, and some of the entertainers are good...we've seen good and bad ones.

There is nothing wrong with saying DCL is not for you and that you prefer other cruise lines. I do think that you did not get the norm for service though and should have had better service all around, especially on the last day.

 

[John VN]

I'm sorry about your experience, but DH and I have been trying to "jump ship" to another line and as much as we love Viking, its pay up front pricing can be onerous...so we tried Celebrity (our 4th cruise line) in January...and I hated it so very much that we booked not one but 2 DCL cruises ...in suites no less as a result. So...to each his/her own!

Also, it seems we both had such negative experiences it isn't worth it to waste vacation time/money on giving the respective cruise line a second chance and I respect that-there really is only one opportunity to make a first impression!

I guess while I disagree with your statement that Celebrity is "just so clearly superior"...everyone has their experience and since it's a subjective matter then I think we can agree that yes, there are options and yes, trying other options is a good idea but one person's ideal situation might not be another's. It's a fortunate problem to have, trying to find just the right cruise line for a vacation, though, isn't it?

r.e. 1st bold -- We have friends who love Viking River Cruises and will not *jump ship* no matter, even if they were required to *walk the plank*

r.e. 2nd bold -- Just curious as to the DCL 2 cruises you've chosen and the Suites you will be in (if question is inappropriate, I apologize)

TIA

 

[Paul Stupin]

I'm sorry about your experience, but DH and I have been trying to "jump ship" to another line and as much as we love Viking, its pay up front pricing can be onerous...so we tried Celebrity (our 4th cruise line) in January...and I hated it so very much that we booked not one but 2 DCL cruises ...in suites no less as a result. So...to each his/her own!

Also, it seems we both had such negative experiences it isn't worth it to waste vacation time/money on giving the respective cruise line a second chance and I respect that-there really is only one opportunity to make a first impression!

I guess while I disagree with your statement that Celebrity is "just so clearly superior"...everyone has their experience and since it's a subjective matter then I think we can agree that yes, there are options and yes, trying other options is a good idea but one person's ideal situation might not be another's. It's a fortunate problem to have, trying to find just the right cruise line for a vacation, though, isn't it?

Agree that Viking’s pay up front policy is totally annoying! We’ve sailed with them and quite enjoyed it. For what it’s worth, they’ll back off that policy if you push back, and provide a final payment date a few months before sailing, like every other line. And they’ll do it without any resistance.

So sorry you hated Celebrity! We always pay a small premium for Aqua class, which gives us access to the dining room Blu, which, for us, is vastly superior to the DCL’s dining room offerings. We love they’re new Edge class ships.

That said, yes, we can definitely agree on this being a very very subjective discussion, and deciding on a cruise line is a very high class problem!

 

[Paul Stupin]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise. It's great that you have other cruise lines you like.

We are DVC, AP, etc. We're more Disney people than cruise people, so our first cruise was Disney Wonder to Alaska. Kids were 12/16. Enjoyed it enough to buy a placeholder and do Disney Magic Baltic Sea when the kids were 14/18. Then Fantasy Western Caribbean in 2022 as all adults, and Dream Norway in 2023 all adults. We've enjoyed all the cruises. Good to excellent servers each time, never had too fast service (too slow, yes)... always in MDR at least 1 hr 15 min. Had a couple cruises where they knew our drink orders and brought them out immediately. Some magic tricks, origami, or riddles ...but my adult kids look young, so not sure if it was just DH and I that we'd get any of that kind of extra thing. We LOVED our team from the Dream last year. The server saw us order all desserts the first 2 nights for the 4 of us to try and then wouldn't give us dessert menus after that and just brought out everything, joking that he makes them. Our server picked up on us replying excellent when asked how everything was and tried to stop the assistant server from reluctantly giving the 'excellent' speech saying we understood. (We knew about the 'excellent' speech from the boards before our first cruise, so we don't let it bother us.) We actually enjoy the MDR food that we've ordered. I know sometimes the quality depends on the port, etc, so maybe the Port Everglades port doesn't provide the best supplies, or the kitchens were 'off' for some reason.

We generally avoid the buffet. DH and I enjoy doing the MDR for a relaxed sit down breakfast or lunch (lunch menu changes daily) at least once each (I'm not counting debarkation breakfast which is hectic). Then we'll do pool deck food other days --fruit, salad, sandwiches, etc.

I prefer the adult areas on the Wonder/Magic, especially the relaxing piano bar. I know pool areas will be busy on a sea day and tend to go to the adult pool/hot tub either early morning or after dinner if they're showing a movie as the evening entertainment.

For sea day activities, we go to the anyone can cook sessions, art of the theme show tour, napkin folding, drawing classes, trivia, crafts, character meets if the line is short, Bingo, maybe a drink tasting for me, watch a movie, on Dream/Fantasy do mini golf and Midship Detective agency, just go for a walk on the promenade, sit on a lounger on the promenade or past Satellite falls behind the windbreak partitions.

We love the Disney Broadway style shows, and some of the entertainers are good...we've seen good and bad ones.

There is nothing wrong with saying DCL is not for you and that you prefer other cruise lines. I do think that you did not get the norm for service though and should have had better service all around, especially on the last day.

Thank you for you thoughts!

 

[John VN]

Good points. We’ve sailed the Rotterdam as well, and really loved the ship. Food pretty good too. Lots of space, fun nooks and crannies to discover, enjoyed the specialty restaurants.

My issue with DCL is that, for the price, we expected a high end cruising experience with a Disney overlay that would make it even more fun. We don’t stand in line for character meet and greets, but it’s just fun seeing the characters, as we do all the time at Aulani. We did enjoy pirate night, and the fireworks, which were part of that Disney overlay. But underneath the overlay I expected Disney to either match or exceed all the more traditional metrics by which we judge a cruise.

That’s where I think our cruise on the Dream really failed. Dining: below average to bad. Buffet: below average to bad. A further downgrade by the fact that it was relatively small and we found it monumentally crowded at peak times. Also, absolutely nothing unique or special to be found. Specialty Dining: I’d give Palo a B. It was fine but I hardly remember it now. Am assuming Remy is really good but it doesn’t matter because of the ridiculous upcharge, which after paying the same fee in Epcot for Monsieur Paul will never do again. No other specialty restaurants, so you’re forced to eat what they literally throw at you in the main dining rooms. For me, the “rotational dining” was kinda meaningless and gimmicky, and it certainly didn’t make the food any better. Also, was it just us or did the theming in all the dining rooms seem kind of old, musty and tired?

Adding to all my complaints were what felt to me was a nightmarish disembarkation, having to deal with a snappish crew member (a first for us in 20 cruises), and hearing my server’s pleading almost desperate lecture on why he needed all 10s on the survey. That was an all time low to my wife’s and my entire cruising history. Am I overreacting? Probably, but that’s the moment I’m going to never forget.

All this stuff added to my impression that Disney was basically disguising a lower end Margaritaville kinda product by slapping on Disney bells and whistles, and taking advantage of our love of Disney by cutting corners everywhere else.

r.e. bold -- I agree with the disappointment when factoring in the *dollars paid for experience received* BUT when dealing with DISNEY I've always felt the the Disney Magic - comes at a premium cost.

 

[Paul Stupin]

r.e. bold -- I agree with the disappointment when factoring in the *dollars paid for experience received* BUT when dealing with DISNEY I've always felt the the Disney Magic - comes at a premium cost.

Honestly, I’d sacrifice some of the pixie dust for decent food and an expanded Cabanas with much better offerings. But the cruise line should not sacrifice one for the other, should they? There’s no magic in that.

It’s more corporate calculation.

 

[DCLMP]

I think we’re “one and done” with Disney. Actually, we’re at the Riviera now and it’s fanatastic! There are a lot of kids, but because of the space and layout, it’s no issue for us at all. And, of course, it is Disney. But I never want to see that many families packed into such a relatively small pool area again. It’s really not a pleasant sight.

I would try either the Magic or The Wonder, but cruises are expensive and the substandard food and dining room service make booking a second Disney cruise too risky.

And, for us, Celebrity or Oceania are just so clearly superior that there’s really no question we’ll just move on. Even Holland America. Celebrity in particular is lively, with a lot more going on.

For those people who enjoy cruising, but without any experience on other lines, I’d suggest opening your horizons a bit. There really is a bigger, better cruising world out there.

At least you can say you gave it a shot and it wasn't for you. I wouldn't say there's a bigger better cruising world out there. I think it depends on what you are looking for. If you had young kids your opinion might be different. I would have never taken my kids on Holland or Celebrity. If I didn't have kids or didn't like kids I would have never have tried Disney.

I think you expected a high end experience based on price. I know you are DVC owner, but think of paying cash at the Riviera. Riviera also doesn't live up to the price tag. Disney is just overpriced. You either find value in that or you don't.

 

[BruinEd03]

Hey everyone!

First of all, my wife and I are huge Disney fans, happy DVC owners, and don’t have kids. Over the last several years, I’ve read a bunch of enthusiastic reviews of Disney Cruise Line, listened to equally glowing podcasts from podcasters turned travel agents, and watched endless positive YouTube videos on the subject. Having done my homework, I thought it would be fun, prior to a DVC vacation at WDW, to take a five night cruise on the Dream in late April of this year. Alas, our experience failed to match, or even come close, to our expectations.

Having sailed on pretty much all the cruise lines, we’re pretty experienced cruisers. I thought it would be helpful to list some positive and negatives concerning our experience. I’m also genuinely curious if we’re being too critical, or perhaps making unfair judgements. There were, of course, tons of kids and families who were obviously having a great time.

THE GOOD

1. The design of our ship was beautiful. The central atrium is a wonder to behold. The woodwork and attention to detail throughout the ship, as well as all the fun paintings and artwork, made the environment feel really special. Our cabin, a balcony veranda, though small, was clean, well maintained, and nicely designed.

2. Service and friendliness were mostly superlative. Almost every crew member seemed happy to be there, and was always happy to answer questions and help out. Our stateroom attendants were great.

3. Our two ports, Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay, were beautiful and a blast to visit.

4. The shows were fun. Loved the fireworks!

5. Dinner at Palo was delicious. What a nice spot to have a meal!

6. The adult area at the front of the ship was quiet and nice. When it got windy, though, it would close and there was really nowhere else to go. The adult only pool wasn’t really for us because it was crowded and loud.


THE BAD

1. Of course we were prepared for lots of kids, but the main pool area on sea days was almost unbelievably crowded with a solid, monumentally packed together mass of kids and families. This being Disney, it’s probably not a fair criticism, but for us it was really off putting. We stayed away from it.

2. The food in the dining rooms and Cabanas, the buffet, was below average. As I’ve mentioned, we’ve been on almost every cruise line. I don’t think we were wrong to expect better from Disney.

3. My wife and I were lucky to get a table for two for the early seating. But it was made clear to us that this is normally almost impossible, so we shouldn’t ever expect it again. That alone would keep us away in the future. Why was it even listed as a request on the pre cruise app?

4. The atrium, though beautiful, is under utilized. On other cruise lines it’s the lively center of the ship, where something is always happening, and there is fun to be had. On the Dream it seemed like a big, weird dead space, mostly empty during the day except for character meet and greets.

5. The adult bar entertainment area, “The District,” was a series of windowless dark caverns. Weird.

THE UGLY

1. Every meal in the dining rooms was incredibly rushed. Food was delivered almost instantaneously and replaced with the next dish almost immediately after it was finished, so the experience was never particularly pleasant or relaxing. I guess that’s better than waiting forever, as we occasionally have on other lines, but still not optimum.

2. Our waiter and assistant waiter were friendly and competent, which was fine, but didn’t really go out of their way to make the dining experience special. Not great, but no big deal. But on the second to last night of the cruise, they both walked up to the table with stern, concerned expressions and stood there awkwardly. After a long uncomfortable pause, they launched into an long uncomfortable dissertation on the fact that we would be receiving a questionnaire in our state room, and, pretty much, their jobs, well being, and potential contract renewals depended on us giving them all 10s.

We’ve all had this from sales people in other environments, but on a Disney ship, on vacation, in the middle of dinner? For us, this was beyond weird and we really didn’t like it. It made us as uncomfortable as they obviously were. And, of course, we were manipulated into promising them the scores they wanted. Of course this falls on Disney creating a ship board culture where crew members are forced to do this, but still. Guests should not be put in this situation. And it made us wonder how much darkness lies behind the magic.

3. Debarkation. A mad, chaotic, crowded, disorganized nightmare and the worst we’ve ever experienced. The atrium and lower levels were packed with what felt like thousands of people and their luggage, milling about, not knowing what to do, pressing against each other, jostling about. The buffet, Cabanas, was inexplicably closed, unlike any other cruise ship that we’ve ever sailed on, so guests were forced to lug their bags down to breakfast in the dining rooms, leave them indiscriminately piled up outside, then lug them (at least for us) up a deck to wait in an endless, snaking line to disembark. It felt almost apocalyptic. Why would Disney ever allow this to happen??

I actually asked a female crew member, who seemed to have some responsibility, if it was always like this. She snapped, “there are four thousand people on the ship, I think you’ll survive.”

Uh yeah, I guess I’ll survive, and that was the last magical memory my wife and I had interacting with a cast member.

Anyway, that’s my story! But both my wife and I are genuinely curious. Are we overreacting? Are we being too critical? We still have some positive memories from it, and frankly hate to carry away any negativity. And, for what’s it’s worth, we took the Brightline up to Orlando (great experience), and are now having a great time at WDW!

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. Our first time on the Dream, we actually hated it (we're 2 adults with no kids). However that was coming on the Dream after we had experienced the smaller Magic class.

A few thoughts:

1. Crowded Ship. If you had 4,000 guests on the ship, you were at capacity. That means actual capacity of the ship and not just all rooms sold out. There's a difference as there are 1250 state rooms and if all staterooms only had 2 people in them, there would only be 2500 passengers - usually they have 3,000 to 3,500 passengers when sold out. I've been on the Dream class ships when they've been sold out (over the holidays), and when they're at capacity (spring break with a Disney+ promotion of 3rd and 4th passengers sail free). I can tell you that there's a huge difference in service quality, busy-ness, and general congestion when its sold out v. at capacity. I know you said you're not inclined to try again, but I would try the ship again when it's not at capacity or with one of the Magic class ships (e.g., with your Wonder cruise). The smaller ships are just less packed. They still have 3 rotational dining rooms for less people.

2. Pools. As adults with no kids, we just go to the adult pool and bypass the main pool in general. I think if you went in there with expectations to use the main pool, you will be disappointed. It's just something we learn to accept going to WDW and DL - anything with children allowed will be full of children. If it's windy and areas close, unfortunately that's just a risk of any cruise.

3. Main Dining Rush. I've never had main dining, but I think you would enjoy second dining MUCH more than main dining. Main dining is going to be FULL of kids because many younger kids can't stay awake that long. Second, because there's second dining, they have to rush to ensure you are finished by a certain time period. With second dining, you will NOT be rushed if you don't want to, to the point you won't even have to leave your table as they're turning over the empty tables around you. We know this because we have allergies and usually we're one of the last people out. Also, if you feel rushed, I would suggest speaking to the server about the issue. We have had to do that for service that was way too "relaxed" for our pace. They can't fix what they don't know, but of course there are time constraints if you are int he main dining.

4. Food quality. If you're not sure if you will be happy with a dish, get 2 or 3 main courses. They do not care. In addition, sometimes they will even get you Indian food (real Indian food) that's off menu if they know you're an adventurous eater (you might have to pre-order the night before).

5. Pushy Ratings. On surveys, I've gotten the speech before. For the first few times, I was just hesitant to put anything less than the full marks. However, as I've encountered problematic services, I frankly just don't care. I give honest reviews because if they don't know something's broken, they won't fix it. If there's someone I particularly like in the service team, I will note their name in the written comments section or attach another piece of paper. I figure it would be hard to denote someone that's gotten a call out by name.

6. Quet spaces. Quite spaces for reading - near the adult areas (and in some hallways) there are actually windows with enough space to sit in and read. I've seen lots of people do that. In addition, deck 4 (outside with teh shuffle board and running path) almost always has space available and is generally pretty quiet aside from the soothing ocean sounds. I like to read there or listen to podcasts/music there. During the day, another space that can be quiet (surprisingly) are the adult only spaces or the D-Lounge (when there are no events in there).

7. Debarkation. Debarkation is usually crazy for those with main dining (the early one) because they have the earlier breakfast and are the first ones to debark. That also includes people with the second/late dining who don't want breakfast and are waiting for express walk off. To make things more crowded, they can't let people out until the ship clears customs. Usually the second one is less crazy because they will have cleared customs and are already letting people out.

8. Rude cast member. Guest services is still OPEN during debarkation and there is definitely a cast member in charge of customer service there. Ask to speak to an officer who are in white. If there were anythings that severely bothered you, or were screw ups during the cruise - talk to them during the cruise.

9. Other activities. We don't really do that many character meet and greets anymore. We still find lots of activities to entertain us. Trivia, ship tours, drink tasting, etc. Even after 10+ cruises, I still find something new to do. Heck, we keep saying we want to do mouseship detective again for the last two cruises and we haven't done it. You do have to like Disney though as many activities are centered around Disney.

10. Accumulation of "issues." I would speak to people early about those issues that can be rectified. I find that they usually try to make it right. It's worked better if I mention them early rather than let them bother me for the whole trip. Again, just my perspective, and not something you would've though to do given that it's your first Disney cruise.

Just my random thoughts. Totally understand if this is still your last Disney cruise, as it is still a premium for a product.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. Our first time on the Dream, we actually hated it (we're 2 adults with no kids). However that was coming on the Dream after we had experienced the smaller Magic class.

A few thoughts:

1. Crowded Ship. If you had 4,000 guests on the ship, you were at capacity. That means actual capacity of the ship and not just all rooms sold out. There's a difference as there are 1250 state rooms and if all staterooms only had 2 people in them, there would only be 2500 passengers - usually they have 3,000 to 3,500 passengers when sold out. I've been on the Dream class ships when they've been sold out (over the holidays), and when they're at capacity (spring break with a Disney+ promotion of 3rd and 4th passengers sail free). I can tell you that there's a huge difference in service quality, busy-ness, and general congestion when its sold out v. at capacity. I know you said you're not inclined to try again, but I would try the ship again when it's not at capacity or with one of the Magic class ships (e.g., with your Wonder cruise). The smaller ships are just less packed. They still have 3 rotational dining rooms for less people.

2. Pools. As adults with no kids, we just go to the adult pool and bypass the main pool in general. I think if you went in there with expectations to use the main pool, you will be disappointed. It's just something we learn to accept going to WDW and DL - anything with children allowed will be full of children. If it's windy and areas close, unfortunately that's just a risk of any cruise.

3. Main Dining Rush. I've never had main dining, but I think you would enjoy second dining MUCH more than main dining. Main dining is going to be FULL of kids because many younger kids can't stay awake that long. Second, because there's second dining, they have to rush to ensure you are finished by a certain time period. With second dining, you will NOT be rushed if you don't want to, to the point you won't even have to leave your table as they're turning over the empty tables around you. We know this because we have allergies and usually we're one of the last people out. Also, if you feel rushed, I would suggest speaking to the server about the issue. We have had to do that for service that was way too "relaxed" for our pace. They can't fix what they don't know, but of course there are time constraints if you are int he main dining.

4. Food quality. If you're not sure if you will be happy with a dish, get 2 or 3 main courses. They do not care. In addition, sometimes they will even get you Indian food (real Indian food) that's off menu if they know you're an adventurous eater (you might have to pre-order the night before).

5. Pushy Ratings. On surveys, I've gotten the speech before. For the first few times, I was just hesitant to put anything less than the full marks. However, as I've encountered problematic services, I frankly just don't care. I give honest reviews because if they don't know something's broken, they won't fix it. If there's someone I particularly like in the service team, I will note their name in the written comments section or attach another piece of paper. I figure it would be hard to denote someone that's gotten a call out by name.

6. Quet spaces. Quite spaces for reading - near the adult areas (and in some hallways) there are actually windows with enough space to sit in and read. I've seen lots of people do that. In addition, deck 4 (outside with teh shuffle board and running path) almost always has space available and is generally pretty quiet aside from the soothing ocean sounds. I like to read there or listen to podcasts/music there. During the day, another space that can be quiet (surprisingly) are the adult only spaces or the D-Lounge (when there are no events in there).

7. Debarkation. Debarkation is usually crazy for those with main dining (the early one) because they have the earlier breakfast and are the first ones to debark. That also includes people with the second/late dining who don't want breakfast and are waiting for express walk off. To make things more crowded, they can't let people out until the ship clears customs. Usually the second one is less crazy because they will have cleared customs and are already letting people out.

8. Rude cast member. Guest services is still OPEN during debarkation and there is definitely a cast member in charge of customer service there. Ask to speak to an officer who are in white. If there were anythings that severely bothered you, or were screw ups during the cruise - talk to them during the cruise.

9. Other activities. We don't really do that many character meet and greets anymore. We still find lots of activities to entertain us. Trivia, ship tours, drink tasting, etc. Even after 10+ cruises, I still find something new to do. Heck, we keep saying we want to do mouseship detective again for the last two cruises and we haven't done it. You do have to like Disney though as many activities are centered around Disney.

10. Accumulation of "issues." I would speak to people early about those issues that can be rectified. I find that they usually try to make it right. It's worked better if I mention them early rather than let them bother me for the whole trip. Again, just my perspective, and not something you would've though to do given that it's your first Disney cruise.

Just my random thoughts. Totally understand if this is still your last Disney cruise, as it is still a premium for a product.

This is a great post, and thank you so much. As I know, it takes a while to bang out a long thoughtful post, and your suggestions are much appreciated. For the first time, I’m thinking maybe, sometime in the future, we’ll give the Magic or Wonder a try. A few random comments..

1. The rude cast member was a woman in her 40s wearing white. So it’s all the worse that she was probably an officer.

2. After dinner, my wife and I liked to walk around deck 4 a bunch of times, hang out in our cabin, and still get to bed relatively early so we can get up and enjoy the ship. Of course I have no idea if this is true or not, but we also think it’s healthier to eat dinner on the early side, so the late seating isn’t really an option for us. So if we try Disney again, at least we’ll be prepared for it.

3. I think food quality is major issue. We do know to order more main courses, and did on this cruise, but though we always found something to eat, it was all pretty bad. We expected so much more from Disney. As I’ve said, it made me think that DCL felt they could get away with cutting corners just because they offered the Disney overlay.

4. It seems that so many DCL regulars kind of agree with my concerns, but are willing to overlook them because they enjoy all the Disney elements. I understand, but it makes me believe that DCL is taking advantage of of the brand's biggest fans, and it still rubs me the wrong way. They can and should do better.

5. I do believe that for frequent DCL cruisers, who might be willing to forego all the Disney stuff for just one cruise, if you research the market well enough, you’ll find that there’s a whole wide world of really good options out there. Seeing that we’re in the middle of it all at WDW right now, in retrospect, my wife and I could have lived without Mickey and Friends for 5 days.

Anyway, our trip to Lighthouse Point on the Magic is not going to happen in September. But we did book another cruise and are really looking forward to it!

 

[Paul Stupin]

At least you can say you gave it a shot and it wasn't for you. I wouldn't say there's a bigger better cruising world out there. I think it depends on what you are looking for. If you had young kids your opinion might be different. I would have never taken my kids on Holland or Celebrity. If I didn't have kids or didn't like kids I would have never have tried Disney.

I think you expected a high end experience based on price. I know you are DVC owner, but think of paying cash at the Riviera. Riviera also doesn't live up to the price tag. Disney is just overpriced. You either find value in that or you don't.

I think you’re kind of right, but kind of wrong too. Yes, Disney is overpriced, and in this instance we found no value in it, though we probably would have if we had young kids. But we don’t hate kids, and we were really looking forward to giving DCL a shot.

But, having taken so many cruises on so many cruise lines, I firmly do believe that there is a bigger better cruise world out there, and on the most basic stuff the we have come to expect from a cruise, DCL just didn’t measure up.

 

[CaseyCruiser]

We just got back from an adult cruise on the Magic and everything was great. I'm sorry for your experience Paul but it wasn't like that for us.

 

[Lisa F]

Totally understand your confusion. I would never be disappointed that other people would have opinions differs than mine, and I certainly didn’t mean to imply that.

Maybe a better way of phrasing it is that I’m frustrated that the expectations I had formed from my research were so monumentally counter to the actual experience. And the experience was negative enough to make me question the accuracy of what I researched.

I would guess that the things that you found disappointing were not directly discussed in the podcasts you listened to. Meaning that I'm betting they did not say "the disney family pool is great, it's huge and plenty of room for everyone" but rather they took it as a given that people know it's going to be packed when the ship is full and didn't even bother to mention it. Things like that. So those things took you by surprise whereas people who have experience with DCL are like "yeah that's kind of a given."

It does suck when expectations exceed the experience, it's always much better the other way around!

 

[Lisa F]

We just got back from an adult cruise on the Magic and everything was great. I'm sorry for your experience Paul but it wasn't like that for us.

I am so glad to hear that. We are just over a month away from my 50th birthday adult only cruise on the magic. I haven't been on her since 2005, I'm guessing all of the post drydock issues have been worked out by now?

 

[Paul Stupin]

We just got back from an adult cruise on the Magic and everything was great. I'm sorry for your experience Paul but it wasn't like that for us.

I wish we had been on the Magic!