Disappointing Adult Cruise On The Dream

[BruinEd03]

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!

1. Ouch, I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with an officer. That definitely should not be the case as they are supposed to be ones with better training. The manager of guest services will be a senior ranking officer. I'm hoping who you spoke with was only a junior officer. You can also contact DCL guest services after the cruise to make sure they know.

3. I agree on the food quality. There are times in Cabanas where the food just taste "bleh." It doesn't help that i have a shellfish allergy so I can't enjoy the shrimp/crab buffet. Same with main dining. Of course there's also been excellent meals. That's also why I've just been offering them non-5 star reviews. Looks like my non-5 stars have been outweighed by the other 5 stars.

4. Which brings me to your next point on overlooking issues. I think there are some that get great service - my theory (and only a theory) is that a lot of times, I think those are parents with kids who get a little bit of extra service. I mean what parent wouldn't be happy with servers cutting up their kids steak, or remembering what the kids drinks are? They can overlook a lot for that. Then there are those who empathize with the servers and have heard from others that people's livelihoods depend on the 5 stars and that we must therefore NOT give any 5 stars. E.g., are guilt tripped to overlook issues because frankly as bad as any issue is, it's better than a day in the office. And hey, no one wants to be that jerk that gets someone fired or be accused of nitpicking. However, I've already told you my method to mitigate impact for negative scores (naming servers by name or cast members by name who had a positive impact).

I would also say that as DCL has become more expensive, I've also been more honest in my reviews (for bad and good). I feel Disney can get two things from me, but not three: 1. More money 2. Lowered Expectations. 3. High/Inflated Reviews.

5. At some point we may venture into other cruise lines, but we generally know that Disney is good for allergies (but even there they've screwed up), and have heard horror stories about other cruise lines when it comes to allergies. This would be for trips where the location rather than the ship is the main show. Otherwise, we also love Disney in general.

I'm glad you guys booked another cruise. I hope it's with Disney, but even if it isn't, I hope you guys have a great time!

 

[Cfabar1]

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.

I get that this cruise may not have been for you. Not trying to be a cheerleader here, but I can't think of one facet of a DCL cruise that compares to Margaritaville at Sea based on what I have seen. (I have not sailed Margaritaville, but have watched a few bloggers cover it). Starting with the condition of the vessels, continuing with the condition of the furniture, quality of food, entertainment options, etc. Margaritaville is literally an ancient run-down ship where moldy staterooms that smell are common. To compare that to disney is quite bizarre to me.

Our other cruising experience besides disney has been RCL. Right now with infants, these two lines, from what I can tell are really the best option for us in terms of nursery care. Here is what we noticed on DCL:
- Friendly staff
- strong entertainment options
- better food than RCL
- a more relaxed atmosphere
- Less "up-charges" permeating the experience than RCL
- The few times we booked DCL, we could have sailed RCL the same weekend for +/-$300 of Disney. Granted, we didn't book super early, but nevertheless that was our reality.

Going back to the vlogs, we think when our family is a little bit older, we are likely to want to cruise with Celebrity, and perhaps many years from now a line like Viking which is adults only. Right now though, we are the target DCL family.

DCL is overpriced, especially if you don't need the kids clubs, don't care about meet and greets, Disney entertainment, a family atmosphere, etc. And DCL is getting more and more expensive, almost to the point of absurdity - especially during key breaks for families like the summer or Christmas vacations... It appears to me this just wasn't the cruise line for you.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

I get that this cruise may not have been for you. Not trying to be a cheerleader here, but I can't think of one facet of a DCL cruise that compares to Margaritaville at Sea based on what I have seen. (I have not sailed Margaritaville, but have watched a few bloggers cover it). Starting with the condition of the vessels, continuing with the condition of the furniture, quality of food, entertainment options, etc. Margaritaville is literally an ancient run-down ship where moldy staterooms that smell are common. To compare that to disney is quite bizarre to me.

Our other cruising experience besides disney has been RCL. Right now with infants, these two lines, from what I can tell are really the best option for us in terms of nursery care. Here is what we noticed on DCL:
- Friendly staff
- strong entertainment options
- better food than RCL
- a more relaxed atmosphere
- Less "up-charges" permeating the experience than RCL
- The few times we booked DCL, we could have sailed RCL the same weekend for +/-$300 of Disney. Granted, we didn't book super early, but nevertheless that was our reality.

Going back to the vlogs, we think when our family is a little bit older, we are likely to want to cruise with Celebrity, and perhaps many years from now a line like Viking which is adults only. Right now though, we are the target DCL family.

DCL is overpriced, especially if you don't need the kids clubs, don't care about meet and greets, Disney entertainment, a family atmosphere, etc. And DCL is getting more and more expensive, almost to the point of absurdity - especially during key breaks for families like the summer or Christmas vacations... It appears to me this just wasn't the cruise line for you.

Well said.

 

[tink1970]

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

LOL-I've found loyalty to cruise lines runs deep and wide, regardless of the line. It's an interesting phenomenon and I try to not fall into the trap too much (*try).


Both 1 BRs...one on the Treasure next Jan and another, short 4 night on the Magic in August (both in 2025 so it was penciled in until that booking date opened). We were in a suite on Celebrity as well so it wasn't like we were "roughing it" either, lol. Some lines just don't click...which is okay.

But those will probably be our last DCL cruises (until the 7th ship debuts and then that will be our last, likely) since DH is fairly adamant about Viking (*unless now being a publicly traded company significantly changes the way they do business) only going forward.

 

[Lisa F]

I get that this cruise may not have been for you. Not trying to be a cheerleader here, but I can't think of one facet of a DCL cruise that compares to Margaritaville at Sea based on what I have seen. (I have not sailed Margaritaville, but have watched a few bloggers cover it). Starting with the condition of the vessels, continuing with the condition of the furniture, quality of food, entertainment options, etc. Margaritaville is literally an ancient run-down ship where moldy staterooms that smell are common. To compare that to disney is quite bizarre to me.

Our other cruising experience besides disney has been RCL. Right now with infants, these two lines, from what I can tell are really the best option for us in terms of nursery care. Here is what we noticed on DCL:
- Friendly staff
- strong entertainment options
- better food than RCL
- a more relaxed atmosphere
- Less "up-charges" permeating the experience than RCL
- The few times we booked DCL, we could have sailed RCL the same weekend for +/-$300 of Disney. Granted, we didn't book super early, but nevertheless that was our reality.

Going back to the vlogs, we think when our family is a little bit older, we are likely to want to cruise with Celebrity, and perhaps many years from now a line like Viking which is adults only. Right now though, we are the target DCL family.

DCL is overpriced, especially if you don't need the kids clubs, don't care about meet and greets, Disney entertainment, a family atmosphere, etc. And DCL is getting more and more expensive, almost to the point of absurdity - especially during key breaks for families like the summer or Christmas vacations... It appears to me this just wasn't the cruise line for you.

I am cruising adults only on my 7th cruise in 25 years - first few were adults only, then last two with my kiddo, now adults only.

I found the same as you did for the week I was cruising, there wasn't a huge difference comparing the Magic itinerary (which is running concurrently with the first official Fantasy stop at Lighthouse point - at twice the price of the Magic for the same week, although 7 vs 5 night) to other comparable experiences. That's not to say I couldn't get an older NCL ship or something for much less, but friends of mine who cruise much more frequently did a cheapie NCL cruise and while they had a good time because that's how they roll, they definitely noticed the differences between an older NCL ship and newer RCL ships they had been on and would not likely do NCL again.

So I decided to just go ahead and book the Disney. Part of it is a comfort level - I pretty much know what I'm going to get and I cruise so infrequently it's not like I feel like giving something new a try for my 4th cruise of the year because I am getting tired of the same old things. I don't care that the menu is the same as it was in 2020 when I last cruised.

Part of it is atmosphere - I much prefer the classic sea liner theming over more of a "vegas" type theming I see in newer ships.

Part of it is ship size - I'm not sure (though I may be wrong) that anyone else sails older/smaller ships with as high quality as Disney (until you get to much higher end with much smaller but luxury ships) - to get the really good stuff you have to sail newer ships which also tend to be very large, which wasn't really the vibe I wanted - though if I did want that vibe of a floating city I'm sure I'd have a great time on the Icon of the seas.

Part of it is also that although I don't have kids and won't take advantage directly of kid activities, in my pre-kid days one thing I liked about Disney is the fact that they have great activities makes the overall experience more pleasant for all the adults, even the adults who don't have kids, by keeping the kids happy. Also the adult areas and enforcement of adult only areas are a huge draw for me too tending to be rather quiet on a more family oriented cruise.

And while I don't directly engage in a lot of character meet and greets (I'm not standing in line without kids to meet them - not a grump, just not important to me to spend my time that way!), I enjoy having them around and the atmosphere they create. I enjoy running into Dr. Strange in the atrium or whatever and having a couple minutes interaction. I enjoy the Disney shows being a fan of Disney in general. I enjoy the theming. And I do think while I am not surprised in the least by individual exceptions, in GENERAL the standard of customer service at Disney is a notch above other places.

 

[LionKingCPA]

I completely agree with UGLY #2. I already feel bad that I got lucky and was born in America when many of the DCL cast members were born in countries where it may be a tougher uphill financial battle. But this speech drives home the guilt on an unbelievable level. And I’ve never had bad service on any of our 5 DCL cruises. It’s always been good to exceptional. They don’t need to guilt me. But I loathe this speech every time to the point where I might ask ahead jot to have them say it. Ironically, it oftentimes ends up being the only negative comment I add.

 

[bsmcneil]

It felt almost apocalyptic.

Are we overreacting?

Sounds like it.

 

[ShaneDJ]

...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.

That's not a fair analogy to DCL and that feels like criticism gone too far.

 

[DCLMP]

That's not a fair analogy to DCL and that feels like criticism gone too far.

Agree!!! I've cruised DCL 31 times, but I'm not a Disney apologist. I'm pretty open minded about cruise lines and I have enjoyed our cruises on other cruise lines just as much as I've enjoyed Disney. I also don't knit pick every little thing on a cruise. I totally get how the price didn't live up to what was expected, but that doesn't mean it's a bad product.

 

[Donalddidwhat…?!]

Woof.
Our one and only DCL cruise, so far, was with our 3 grown children, SonIL and two young granddaughters in Dec. of ‘22 on the Disney Magic.
It was also a 5-day cruise, but to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico out of the Port of Galveston.
Palo was definitely a highlight for our 34th wedding anniversary…!!!!!
I know I’m gettin’ old , but I don’t remember any of the negatives you talked about, or being approached by our servers about a survey. In fact, those guys were awesome the whole time, the food was great, and we never felt rushed.
Sorry your cruise didn’t meet your expectations, and I mean that sincerely.

And, just for grins, a fun pic of youngest DD and DWifey with our dining crew at Lumiere’s on the Magic below…!!!!!

 

[Cheburashka]

Servers take their cues from the customers / diners. On DCL family / Disney is the big focus. Therefore the servers are trained to go that extra bit with children, which is why so many servers do things like games, magic tricks, tell funny stories etc with family tables.

If there are no children at the table, then they will take a different approach. Servers are always watching and observing their customers. If you are an adult couple, not dressed in any Disney themed clothes and are obviously not familiar with the Disney characters or theming of the restaurant, they they will take a more stand back approach. They are expert at reading body language, so if music comes on and you just sit there not interreacting, or dont sing along or just look confused, they wont be as interactive with you.

Ive done 2 solo cruises and been at a table on my own on both and Ive had amazing interactions with servers and on both cruises the serving team most defiantly did go out of their way to make the dining experience special. I make the effort to be engaging, I dress up in themed clothes to match the theme of the restaurant, I sing along and cheer, or clap etc with music , I talk to people at nearby tables and so much more.

Basically as an adult without children on a Disney cruise, in the MDR you need to make the effort to engage the serving team.

Again a bit of preparation on your part would have helped. Its been discussed for years and years that this happens on Disney cruises. If you had made the effort to follow recommendations by people here on Dis and other online resources, everyone says to stop the servers before they start or to say it to them early on in the cruise that you are aware of the questionnaire / survey and there is no need to explain the process.

I haven't found this to be true. We sailed as a middle aged adult couple on the Dream a few months ago. We're fairly reserved people, and we still got the full MDR server engagement with chatting and tricks. We didn't need to engage them first- never would have even thought of that.

Serving teams differ in quality, is all. I've had good ones and not so good ones over a dozen DCL cruises.

 

[Cheburashka]

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.

OP, you need to move on and just cruise somewhere else. You don't have to like DCL. It's a great cruiseline that isn't right for you.

The bottom line is that you got offended when a crew member made a comment you didn't like. That is coloring all of your other opinions and comments. While some of your comments are just opinions and totally fair (DCL isn't the right fit for everyone), others, such as saying the MDRs are "musty" and the cruise line is like a low-end Caribbean resort, are just inaccurate cheap shots from someone who is disgruntled about a negative cast member interaction.

It's like when someone leaves an outraged one star review for a reputable company because they had one minor negative experience. You have the right to be displeased, but to transpose that displeasure into an assertion that the entire business is bad is irrational. It's the kind of review that most people dismiss, because they know the poster wrote it while angry.

 

[Dug720]

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?

Because it's a REQUEST. There is never a guarantee that requests will be fulfilled. Otherwise it would be a reservation.

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.

I've heard that first seating tends to be rushed so that they can turn the room over for the second seating. I always go for second seating on Disney. Much more relaxed.

 

[ilovebassets]

We love Disney (look at my signature) averaging at least 2-3 trips per year between the parks/resorts, Hilton Head, and DCL (where we are gold castaway cay). But I would never sail Disney as two adults. There are masses of kids on the ships. The We have three of them, but when they're older and it's just the two of us again, we will be sailing suite life on another line for the same price as two of us on Disney.

DCL debarkation is terrible, seriously awful. I have never understood how every other cruise line manages this just fine. Yet Disney, which is a master of crowd management at the parks, cannot seem to handle cruise debarkation. I've never understood it.

 

[Paul Stupin]

1. Ouch, I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with an officer. That definitely should not be the case as they are supposed to be ones with better training. The manager of guest services will be a senior ranking officer. I'm hoping who you spoke with was only a junior officer. You can also contact DCL guest services after the cruise to make sure they know.

3. I agree on the food quality. There are times in Cabanas where the food just taste "bleh." It doesn't help that i have a shellfish allergy so I can't enjoy the shrimp/crab buffet. Same with main dining. Of course there's also been excellent meals. That's also why I've just been offering them non-5 star reviews. Looks like my non-5 stars have been outweighed by the other 5 stars.

4. Which brings me to your next point on overlooking issues. I think there are some that get great service - my theory (and only a theory) is that a lot of times, I think those are parents with kids who get a little bit of extra service. I mean what parent wouldn't be happy with servers cutting up their kids steak, or remembering what the kids drinks are? They can overlook a lot for that. Then there are those who empathize with the servers and have heard from others that people's livelihoods depend on the 5 stars and that we must therefore NOT give any 5 stars. E.g., are guilt tripped to overlook issues because frankly as bad as any issue is, it's better than a day in the office. And hey, no one wants to be that jerk that gets someone fired or be accused of nitpicking. However, I've already told you my method to mitigate impact for negative scores (naming servers by name or cast members by name who had a positive impact).

I would also say that as DCL has become more expensive, I've also been more honest in my reviews (for bad and good). I feel Disney can get two things from me, but not three: 1. More money 2. Lowered Expectations. 3. High/Inflated Reviews.

5. At some point we may venture into other cruise lines, but we generally know that Disney is good for allergies (but even there they've screwed up), and have heard horror stories about other cruise lines when it comes to allergies. This would be for trips where the location rather than the ship is the main show. Otherwise, we also love Disney in general.

I'm glad you guys booked another cruise. I hope it's with Disney, but even if it isn't, I hope you guys have a great time!

No, our upcoming cruise in October is not with Disney. It’s with Royal Caribbean. It looks totally fun, and there are a ton of specialty restaurants.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Sounds like it.

You know, since I put up the first post, I’ve had a lot of time to crystalize my thoughts, and unfortunately they're still very negative. But everyone’s comments have for the most part been so well thought out and constructive, and I totally appreciate it. Alot of them have confirmed what I’ve come to believe, that Disney just didn’t deliver, for my wife and I, a quality cruising experience, on that particular sailing. For us.

But throwing seven of my words back at me, from a very long series of posts, to make a silly point seems a bit much.

 

[Paul Stupin]

That's not a fair analogy to DCL and that feels like criticism gone too far.

Agreed, it’s not a fair analogy.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Agree!!! I've cruised DCL 31 times, but I'm not a Disney apologist. I'm pretty open minded about cruise lines and I have enjoyed our cruises on other cruise lines just as much as I've enjoyed Disney. I also don't knit pick every little thing on a cruise. I totally get how the price didn't live up to what was expected, but that doesn't mean it's a bad product.

I don’t knit pick every little thing on a cruise either, especially on this one. I think my issues were larger and justified.

 

[bsmcneil]

You know, since I put up the first post, I’ve had a lot of time to crystalize my thoughts, and unfortunately they're still very negative. But everyone’s comments have for the most part been so well thought out and constructive, and I totally appreciate it. Alot of them have confirmed what I’ve come to believe, that Disney just didn’t deliver, for my wife and I, a quality cruising experience, on that particular sailing. For us.

But throwing seven of my words back at me, from a very long series of posts, to make a silly point seems a bit much.

You said it sounded apocalyptic but my reply was a bit much? Like - I'm just saying.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I’d been on about 30 cruises before sailing DCL (everything from Carnival to Cunard to Regent) and I agree with OP that Disney disembarkation is unusually unpleasant (5/6 times) and the high pressure pitch to give perfect scores is really off putting and uncomfortable (I think it’s actually worse with our kids around because they clearly recognize the stress too).

Even though I disagree with most of OPs other complaints, I found the review helpful because I do think both of those issues can and should be flagged when I promote the cruise to my friends (Plus the fewer people who like DCL, the less Disney can keep squeezing us for staterooms!).

For those who have sailed other mass and mass-premium lines, I would say the reasons we probably like DCL more are:
1) We have kids. Disney entertains them, keeps them safe, delivers magical family magic. Just the family photos and memories of our kids faces meeting their favorite Disney stars justifies the (substantial) upcharge for us. Subtopic here: on our last European cruise on a sea day we were on the main pool deck mid-afternoon and they were playing a PG-13 or R rated war movie— it was intense and gory and my kids were distressed by it. On Disney, they can catch family movies/tv by the pool or in the theaters most of the day and they love it!
2) We like adult time away from our kids— Disney has more dedicated adult space than most of the other mass lines (at least, as of the last time we sailed them 3~5 years ago), and Disney kid club hours are longer. This means we can have a relaxed dinner, play a game of trivia or read on our balcony, and pick up the kids around 11:15 (we keep them on West Coast time).
3) We love Remy and Enchanté (we also love Monsieur Paul, V&A, and many (but not all) Michelin restaurants in major cities around the globe. We like Palo fine on Dream/Fantasy, but honestly have found it hit and miss on Magic/Wonder. When we cruise we often have dinner in the adult dining rooms 3x. Is it expensive? I guess, though it sure feels cheap compared to Per Se or even V&As. I can see that there might be a gap if you’re looking for “elegant and romantic” but not “the chef will surprise you with his whimsical masterpiece” dining.
4) Castaway Cay— I love it so much. We spend the AM with family and then drop kids at club for 2-3 hours while we enjoy Serenity Bay (or cabana to ourselves if we can snag it). Our kids may be close to outgrowing Disney kids club but I don’t think I will ever outgrow Serenity Bay.

I can see why some adults enjoy cruising Disney without kids (and I will be one during the school year when it’s cheaper) but I think if what you like most is calm reading books and pools and aren’t attached to Remy/Enchante/Castaway Cay, you may well be happier on Celebrity, HAL, Cunard, or the luxury lines (avoiding school breaks as much as possible).