Carioca's will be closed on our cruise : (

[PrincessShmoo]

Carioca’s didn’t last very long compared to the other MDRs. What prompted the change?

I think it had to do with the apparently majority opinion that Carioca's was just a painted over version of Parrot Cay and the menu left a lot to be desired.

 

[anricat]

Different perspectives, then. Cabanas has always had a cafeteria feel to me, whereas Carioca's feels like an elegant dining room. The fact that the dinner at Cabanas will be open-seating, as indicated in DCL's written communication to passengers, also indicates that it will not be the typical MDR experience at all.

We definitely have different perspectives. I've never considered a room full of people with napkins on their head to be "elegant."

 

[mmmears]

We definitely have different perspectives. I've never considered a room full of people with napkins on their head to be "elegant."

You make a good point there...

 

[vakamalua]

I think it had to do with the apparently majority opinion that Carioca's was just a painted over version of Parrot Cay and the menu left a lot to be desired.

Wish it had been MORE like Parrot Cay which we really loved; we hated Carioca's menu! Glad it's going...

 

[dittybop]

I copied and pasted from the email I received.

To better assist you in planning your cruise vacation, we want to make you aware that Carioca's will be unavailable during your sailing as the area is being refurbished. During this time, Cabanas, our casual dining restaurant located on Deck 9, aft, will come to life with enhanced entertainment nightly as one of your evening dining experiences. There will be two open seating periods in Cabanas that coincide with main and second dinner seating times for our guests to enjoy.

Guess we'll see how it is...I'm not going to let it get me down. We have 2nd seating, so no view, but we have requested for just 1 rotation there and not 2 since it's a 4 night cruise.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I copied and pasted from the email I received.

To better assist you in planning your cruise vacation, we want to make you aware that Carioca's will be unavailable during your sailing as the area is being refurbished. During this time, Cabanas, our casual dining restaurant located on Deck 9, aft, will come to life with enhanced entertainment nightly as one of your evening dining experiences. There will be two open seating periods in Cabanas that coincide with main and second dinner seating times for our guests to enjoy.

Guess we'll see how it is...I'm not going to let it get me down. We have 2nd seating, so no view, but we have requested for just 1 rotation there and not 2 since it's a 4 night cruise.

So, 1/3 of the ship is being dumped into the walk in pool for Cabanas twice on a 4 night cruise. That's pretty bad.

 

[ahain]

That would only work for passengers with early dining. Passengers with late dining (about half of all passengers) would get no view.

I respectfully disagree. We love to look out over the water after dark - sometimes you can see distant cities/land sparkling in the distance; sometimes you can see other ships....if you were at late seating in Cabanas - depending upon where you were seated - you might be able to see the neat way that the ships lights dance off the water in the ship's wake.

I still think it would be a neat, unique experience.

 

[AquaDame]

During this time, Cabanas, our casual dining restaurant located on Deck 9, aft, will come to life with enhanced entertainment nightly as one of your evening dining experiences. There will be two open seating periods in Cabanas that coincide with main and second dinner seating times for our guests to enjoy.

At least they are saying they will try to "plus" it with enhanced entertainment... And they are doing seatings... maybe it won't be so bad, but I agree people should be able to switch dates if they choose. Disney does push their dining... so it kind of is a big deal IMO.

 

[kaseyC]

So, 1/3 of the ship is being dumped into the walk in pool for Cabanas twice on a 4 night cruise. That's pretty bad.

Maybe DCL is testing out a modified "freestyle" option for when the new ships set sail. Just kidding, don't get all twisted.

 

[amykrell419]

hello!!! i am on this cruise too!!!!

 

[Dug720]

So, 1/3 of the ship is being dumped into the walk in pool for Cabanas twice on a 4 night cruise. That's pretty bad.

I would guess that Cabanas will cease to be available as an "any night but first or last" option while it's being used as one of the 3 MDRs.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

This also takes away the one other dining option for people who do not want to go to their assigned dining rotation. The lack of dining options on dcl when compared with other lines is already a problem. This is a pretty poor showing for DCL if you ask me. I personally find Cabanas unpleasant, and while I have to admit I do prefer it set for dinner, it does not compare with the main dining room at all. It has the feel of a Piccadilly or even a Denny's type restaurant. Why is it they were able to finish Tiana's over a dry dock and not the new restaurant on the magic?

 

[Keterrill]

Which cruise? We are on the Magic 9 Feb. Saw the post on Facebook but we didn't get an email.

ETA: Must be the 14 Feb Cruise as ours is 86 days out.

We are also in the Feb 9 th magic!

 

[MUN]

So, 1/3 of the ship is being dumped into the walk in pool for Cabanas twice on a 4 night cruise. That's pretty bad.

What??? Was your account hijacked?

 

[disneyfan888]

At first I was a bit disappointed with the news because my family and I absolutely loved the menu when we ate at Cariocas. Not sure if it has remained the same since it opened, but we enjoyed it. However, when I heard that a Rapunzel themed restaurant was replacing it, I was overjoyed. Goes perfectly with the featured show, not to mention I love Rapunzel.

As for the switch to Cabanas, we have eaten there in the past for dinner when the menu of the rational dining was not to our liking and absolutely loved it. It is set up beautiful and the view was spectacular! I understand everyone's preferences are different, but you won't know until you try. Give it a chance. Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Dug720]

At first I was a bit disappointed with the news because my family and I absolutely loved the menu when we ate at Cariocas. Not sure if it has remained the same since it opened, but we enjoyed it. However, when I heard that a Rapunzel themed restaurant was replacing it, I was overjoyed. Goes perfectly with the featured show, not to mention I love Rapunzel.

As for the switch to Cabanas, we have eaten there in the past for dinner when the menu of the rational dining was not to our liking and absolutely loved it. It is set up beautiful and the view was spectacular! I understand everyone's preferences are different, but you won't know until you try. Give it a chance. Enjoy your cruise!

My guess is that it would be the rotational menu being served there and not the mishmash of MDR menus they usually have. The way I understand it, it IS the third rotational dining during this period.

 

[dcassetta]

This also takes away the one other dining option for people who do not want to go to their assigned dining rotation. The lack of dining options on dcl when compared with other lines is already a problem. This is a pretty poor showing for DCL if you ask me. I personally find Cabanas unpleasant, and while I have to admit I do prefer it set for dinner, it does not compare with the main dining room at all. It has the feel of a Piccadilly or even a Denny's type restaurant. Why is it they were able to finish Tiana's over a dry dock and not the new restaurant on the magic?

The Wonder dry dock was much longer, 5 weeks plus transfer time to and from Cadiz. I think the Magic is only out of service for 2 weeks.

 

[Prock]

Thanks.

Hmmmm...seems like what they're doing is, basically, dumping the Carioca's seatings into the pool of people who do the walk in dining in Cabanas.

I wouldn't care for that, either. I like the traditional, set dining time/table.

To me it seems like they are essentially “reserving” Cabanas for Guests during the early seating and then again during the late seating. And during those 2 reservations it is open seating.

I’m sure there is a reason for the open seating, starting operations in a new restaurant isn’t as cut and dry as people think. My guess is The layout probably doesn’t allow for dividing the seating sections up in a way that would let every Guest keep their normal server. And Being that it is only for one cruise, they probably don’t want to put too much effort into training the waitstaff into learning a new seating arrangement for a restaurant they would serve at three times at the most. Especially since they will have to learn the operations for the Rapunzel restaurant once the cruise is over. (Most new restaurants have at least 2 weeks of training before they open)

 

[sptfr97]

As for the switch to Cabanas, we have eaten there in the past for dinner when the menu of the rational dining was not to our liking and absolutely loved it. It is set up beautiful and the view was spectacular! I understand everyone's preferences are different, but you won't know until you try. Give it a chance. Enjoy your cruise!

Same! Last year on the Magic’s Norwegian Fjord cruise, my mother and I decided to just run to Cabana’s for something a little more relaxed, and found it was set up just as nicely as one of the main dining rooms, complete with two servers for our table and the same menu that was featured in Animator’s Palate that night. The service was just as wonderful as what we’d had every other night. I’m sorry about Carioca’s, but it’s Disney... I’m sure they’ll work their magic.

 

[dittybop]

We just got off the Magic today. Cabanas was our 2nd rotation and it was BUFFET! Didn't have our regular servers, didn't have table numbers, no table cloths, had a waitress bring us a drink but that was it. My husband was not happy. No discount on tips or anything. We were crammed in there for our family of 7. Seemed to be the same chicken fingers, mac and cheese etc they had for lunch that day....