Unpopular Opinions

[cbonebt]

Not many have commented on sea days. We always wondered if we would like them and will find out in 25 days. My main goal for my vacation is to sit on our varandah and drink my coffee. Can't wait! I think a mix of relaxing days with port days might be nice. I sure hope I am right and my family isn't bored. We did a 3 night Dream instead of the 4 last May because my family didn't understand the point of a sea day. We will have 3 on our upcoming cruise.

My kids prefer the sea days!

 

[KBinCO]

I liked sea days because part of being on vacation for us was being able to go work out every day and I liked having more time at the gym on sea days.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Sea days! I find them boring and do not really like them. A perfect cruise would be a port every day for me. I like to cruise to take me to different place and experience different things. I enjoy the ship on embarkation day and for the evenings. Diaper races and bingo are not my idea of fun. Not that I don't enjoy silly entertainment here and there but multiple days of it? No thanks.

I felt the same on my very first cruise (Bermuda on a small ship with not that much to do.) But on bigger ships I like them, especially if I am able to spend time in the spa.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

[*]On Dream/Fantasy, the Royal Palace/Court is my least favortite of the 3 rotational restaurants...by far
[*]Why is it that everyone must eat lunch immediately upon boarding a cruise ship (DCL or any other)? Worried you're not going to get any more food the rest of the cruise?

I agree about Royal Palace. It just felt boring to me compared to the others.

As far as lunch goes, for us, we typically eat at that time anyway, and it helps to pass the time until the room is ready so we don't have to lug luggage around.

 

[Bree]

I love sea days. I'm on the ship to sail on the water. Stopping at ports is just an added bonus. I keep booking RCCL Allure/Oasis and canceling. Those mega ships are intimidating and I keep reading that you have no idea that you are at sea. I have an unpopular opinion in that I WANT to feel like I'm on a ship. I WANT the rocking and swaying of the boat.

 

[Dug720]

I love sea days. I'm on the ship to sail on the water. Stopping at ports is just an added bonus. I keep booking RCCL Allure/Oasis and canceling. Those mega ships are intimidating and I keep reading that you have no idea that you are at sea. I have an unpopular opinion in that I WANT to feel like I'm on a ship. I WANT the rocking and swaying of the boat.

I'm with you. When I'm on a ship, I want to know I'm on a ship. I escaped malls when I moved to NYC. And I have the REAL Central Park just a subway ride away.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I have another one--I don't think a three day cruise "isn't worth it."

(Of course I may be a bit biased because we had free airfare for our first DCL cruise (just went down for the cruise, no additional Florida time) and are also doing three WDW days this next time, so it is not like I spent a ton to fly down for just three days either time.)

 

[mevelandry]

The clutching of the pearls vibe that i get from the Is Nassau Safe posts lead me to believe otherwise. I'm not trying to get into a race debate but from personal experience people are definitely wary of a group of minorities, black people especially. Most times for no good reason but their own preconceived notions. Nassau is a small island that you have to treat like a big city. Common sense isn't too common these days.

If some people are really scared of Nassau because of ethnicity, it is sad beyond words.

 

[ptcbass]

I have another one--I don't think a three day cruise "isn't worth it."

(Of course I may be a bit biased because we had free airfare for our first DCL cruise (just went down for the cruise, no additional Florida time) and are also doing three WDW days this next time, so it is not like I spent a ton to fly down for just three days either time.)

Good one!

Our first (and only cruise) was a 3 night and we loved it - So much so that we still talk about it almost a year later and have a 7 night cruise booked. I can't image not going at all because "it wasn't worth it". A 3 night is always better than no cruise at all!

We also love the option of a 3 night cruise and then 3 or 4 nights at WDW. Great vacation!!

Now is saying that we live close to the ports so we don't have to fly in.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Our first (and only cruise) was a 3 night and we loved it - So much so that we still talk about it almost a year later and have a 7 night cruise booked. I can't image not going at all because "it wasn't worth it". A 3 night is always better than no cruise at all!

We are considering a seven-night for next year, but also some other options. Not sure yet! I definitely want to do one in 2017 if not 2016.

 

[sager1969]

I am not a fan of pirate night. The deck gets too crazy and we do not care for the food.

We don't love castaway cay. We are getting a cabana this time to see if that helps. I cannot be in direct sun for long hours but love the beach. I think the food is pretty terrible and cold if you go too late. I love the sting rays and snorkeling.

I love concierge because we are a little lazy. We like the lounge on the dream class ships. We have not done it one the other class due to no lounge.

My DS loves to watch movies and such while eating cookies from room service. He does attend excursions and dinner, but this makes him happy. He does not like the clubs. He is old enough for vibe now so we hope this is better for him. His only choice had been the Edge and he was bored.

We do not hang around the pool areas. It is too crowded and I can't handle watching that many children. I affectionately refer to this as kid soup. I become too busy watching for safety and get too tense. However, the pools on the Alaskan pool were great if you can handle the air when you get out.

I have not repeated that many shows. We go to the pool then if it is empty.

I love Bingo. Yes, it is mostly a waste of $$$, but I think it is fun and with the right group of people a great time.

Too each its own.....it is your vacation and you are allowed to have it your way.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I have a strong opinion that I do not ever need to book a verandah stateroom. On any ship, on any itinerary. But as noted there are plenty who would never cruise without a verandah. If you asked me "should I get a verandah" I'd say you didn't need one.

I think the frozen deck party is too much Frozen. I don't need that much Frozen.

Most of the time I want nothing at all to do with the pools.

People are scared of Nassau because of the crime reports. The US Embassy in the Bahamas issued 4 security alerts in 2014 due to the crime rate. There are travel/cruising websites out there warning cruise passengers to be cautious in the Bahamas, particularly Nassau. Many folks don't like even a hint of risk so they stay onboard or just go elsewhere.

 

[NYIceQueen]

I love sea days. I'm on the ship to sail on the water. Stopping at ports is just an added bonus. I keep booking RCCL Allure/Oasis and canceling. Those mega ships are intimidating and I keep reading that you have no idea that you are at sea. I have an unpopular opinion in that I WANT to feel like I'm on a ship. I WANT the rocking and swaying of the boat.

Haven't been on a cruise yet, but this actually is one of the things that worry me about doing a RCCL cruise. I want to see the ocean, see the waves, etc. Sometimes, big is simply too big. If I wanted to stay overlooking a park or something, I'd save money and get a land hotel and go to the parks LOL But to each their own, right?

 

[NYIceQueen]

If some people are really scared of Nassau because of ethnicity, it is sad beyond words.

I wouldn't get off at Nassau with those travel warnings, but it's because of the travel warnings. I'd feel that way with travel warnings anywhere else. Governments issue warnings based on safety issues, incidents, etc, and not based on percentages of blacks/minorities in the vicinity.

For example, I'm worried about Mexico. Plenty of travel warnings. I'm also Hispanic. Does that mean I'm racist, or just a concerned traveler?

Frankly, the world stinks. My kidnapping attempts when I was younger? White males each time. What does that mean? Zero. I have my head on a swivel looking for behavior, not color.

But to shrug off people's concerns just as racism because Nassau happens to have a large black population...that's a disservice to everyone. (and I say this to others in the thread mostly who keep bringing this up...I'm not singling you out by any means)

 

[mevelandry]

I wouldn't get off at Nassau with those travel warnings, but it's because of the travel warnings. I'd feel that way with travel warnings anywhere else. Governments issue warnings based on safety issues, incidents, etc, and not based on percentages of blacks/minorities in the vicinity.

For example, I'm worried about Mexico. Plenty of travel warnings. I'm also Hispanic. Does that mean I'm racist, or just a concerned traveler?

Frankly, the world stinks. My kidnapping attempts when I was younger? White males each time. What does that mean? Zero. I have my head on a swivel looking for behavior, not color.

But to shrug off people's concerns just as racism because Nassau happens to have a large black population...that's a disservice to everyone. (and I say this to others in the thread mostly who keep bringing this up...I'm not singling you out by any means)

I was just responding to someone else's comment and... to be honest, english is not my first language, so I don't fully understand your comment. I feel like you are thinking that I have done something wrong but I am not sure what exactly.

p.s.: Mexico is also out, for me. Same reasons as Nassau.

 

[JavaHound]

Okay...I'll play
My unpopular opinion is that you have to try really hard to not enjoy yourself on a Disney Cruise. I mean, it is a vacation ... where it is hard for the outside world to get in touch with you ... and you have many options on how to spend your time if a particular choice doesn't appeal to you. How hard could this be?!
It seems unpopular because of all the effort that people seem to put into trying to find something to complain about.

 

[bumbershoot]

My unpopular opinion: I truly believe that people don't feel safe in Nassau b/c of the majority bahamian/african descent people more so than the area. NYC is dirty, rat infested, and ppl are pushing ppl onto the tracks yet ppl still line up to go for a visit.

You're allowed to have your opinion, but I do not think that's the reason for the vast majority of it. And by the way I've never purposely been to NYC and don't plan to. I was driven in and out to use JFK to get to Ireland and that's all I ever plan. Zero interest in the place.

Nassau is an island nation that is hit by storms. It's hard to keep things looking nice. Therefore, to western eyes, it looks a bit worndown, rundown. It looks old and a bit sad. If I were in an area like that in my region, I would think that it wasn't the best area to be in. That's what western eyes see. Doesn't matter what sort of people are there, it's the surroundings.

The first time we were there we tried to do the walking tour. I put on my "walking in a big city" persona, hid the map and tried to lead my hubby and son, but once the street signs AND sidewalks disappeared (and the nice lady waiting for the streetlight to go couldn't tell me what street we were on), we gave up. No street sign and no sidewalk signifies things in terms of the area you're in. DS was NOT happy with the neighborhood (we were only on Elizabeth Street the best I can figure now), DH was NOT liking the lack of sidewalks, and it just made them happier to turn towards the ship. DH has traveled tons of places since childhood, but Nassau pushed his limits. He expected a resort island to look a certain way, and even though he gives a lot of leeway to places, Nassau pushed his buttons.

The second time we were there we did the chocolate factory tour. This allowed us to have a bit of a tour. Two things changed for me. One, the governor's mansion looks like a hovel inside walls. Two, Greycliff looks awful! But one is the governor's mansion, and the other is a terrific restaurant and hotel (I believe). Our tourguide told us that Beyonce and JayZ used to go to Greycliff before Blue Ivy was born. OK, so it's a really good place, despite what it looks like. That showed me that I just needed to change my expectations for small islands that are hit with weather ALL the time, and that don't spend their money constantly painting things. Or making street signs. Or sidewalks.

Absolutely none of it had to do with whatever color the skin of the people was. So you can think what you want, but I think it's the actual *place* that gets to people, not the people in the place.

People are scared of Nassau because of the crime reports. The US Embassy in the Bahamas issued 4 security alerts in 2014 due to the crime rate. There are travel/cruising websites out there warning cruise passengers to be cautious in the Bahamas, particularly Nassau. Many folks don't like even a hint of risk so they stay onboard or just go elsewhere.

Exactly. I mean, there are likely more crimes per month in my town than there were for a year in Nassau, but I'm generally in a car in my town, or in my double-secure condo, or with friends. I'm not walking around with a camera, with vacation money, with souvenirs, etc. And frankly there are still people afraid to come to my town due to its reputation in the 80s.

But there's no State Department warning for Tacoma WA, and there is for Nassau, so...people pay attention to that.

 

[perditax]

Yep, I have been harassed by people of every hue in NOLA.

Everybody gets to decide their own safety/comfort level. I don't see a reason to chide people for being fearful when Disney prints the warnings right there in the Navigator on Nassau day. My fear threshold is not personally high for Nassau, but I grew up in lots of sketchy places. More significant is that I haven't read anything *positive* that makes me want to get off the ship (I'm not a beach or dolphin person), unlike NOLA which has lots of incentives to draw me in.

On that note, maybe some of the Nassau cheerleaders could spin off a separate thread: "Why you SHOULD go to Nassau". I would be happy to read it.

 

[Amunet]

I don't like beaches or constant sun

Unfortunately, the only affordable DCL cruises are to sunny/beachy places and Disney (land and world) are in very sunny/hot/sweaty places.
Just goes to show you how much I enjoy Disney! Though, I'm thinking about bringing a parasol

 

[Flossbolna]

On Dream/Fantasy, the Royal Palace/Court is my least favortite of the 3 rotational restaurants...by far

Oh! I agree with this one! I was surprised as on the Wonder Triton's, which is kind of the "cousin" to Royal Palace, is my favourite.

And my unpopular opinion is that on the Fantasy I thought Enchanted Garden had the best of all the three rotational menus. It became my favourite dining room.