Mar 10/02 4 Day Wonder Report Part 1

[lydia]

Well we're back and let me tell you after months of asking questions and wondering how our first ever cruise will go, I can honestly say ...Fantastic! I'd be happy to give additional details on our impressions of the cruise if anyone wants specifics. But basically here's what we thought: (not in any partic. order)

Stateroom with verandah: plenty spacious. You will not feel cramped.

Entertainment and theatres: first class. For young and old. One night we had a Vegas comedian who was absolutely hilarious. The theatres are opulent. Wish badly, since they allow snacks and drinks to be purchased right outside the entrance, that popcorn would be available.

Palos: I would have liked to eat there every night. For anyone with an appreciation for fine food and service, you must book this restaurant. I did on our first day on, right after a quick bite at the beach blanket buffet and before the mandatory safety drill (3:30) and we had a choice of only the thurs. or fri. with a couple of avail. times. Sat and Sun were gone.

Spa: Like any first class spa. The reception area staff could have been a little more attentive and professional. Most of the staff here was between 20-25 yrs old. The range of services offered are pretty good. There is also a hair salon.

Gym: Well equipped. Could use less of their loud, tacky music. One morning took in a kick boxing class (8:00 am) Great instructor, lots of energy.

Gift shops: Well stocked. Even found much needed eye brow tweezers.

Space for peace and quiet: Although there were 2800 guests on board and an additional close to a thousand staff, you will not feel overwhelmed. This is due to the first and second seatings for dinner, the first and second show times, the sheer size of the theatres, dining rooms and common areas. Peak times (like the pre dinner hours) you will see lots of children with their parents. Not a problem at all. Parents did a nice job of minding their children. You can't blame them for their energy and excitement. Many areas with comfy chairs inside to read a magazine. Many outside either by the adult pools and on the level directly above.

Pools: kept at a pleasant temp. Kiddie pool very busy. They didn't seem to mind though.

Opportunity for character photos: plenty. Evening line ups were a little on the long side but well worth it for great memories.

Internet cafe: $ 39.99 unlimited 24 hr usage. Well worth it for 4 nights. Right next door a nice piano bar and lounge.

Lobbies: Beautifully appointed. Like a 4 or 5 star hotel. Grand piano played nightly. Ship designed and built by an Italian company. It shows in it's classic touches through out.

Concierge/front desk: Very helpful. No request or question was handled poorly. They certainly know customer service.

Info for first timers: Daily Navigators delivered to your room with oodles of info. Turn on your tv for info stations. Morning announcements over the PA system (yes right in your stateroom) re: weather, reminders and other pertinent info. Always knew what was going on. Good feeling for first timers.

Security: Safety drill showed organization. If a stateroom should have a fire, the detectors are hooked up to the main control area and they will call you to ask the status in your room. We were awakened one morning by a phone call because our room showed a problem of some sort. It was a false alarm. They apologized for interrupting our sleep. Getting on and off you must show photo I.D. and your key to the world card. They enter it into the computer as you leave and when you return. Great way of keeping track of who's coming anf going. Late at night when my teen was out and about, security patrolled the ship. Felt good to know this.

Weather: March 10 /02 Warm in the day 72-78 F, cool in the evenings. Some light rain which cleared. Sunny most days. Could get into your swim suit and shorts. Windy on upper deck.

Seas: calm to moderate. Only for the first night did we feel the motion might get to us, but you soon get accustomed to it. Took gravol just to be safe.

Staff/personnel: the majority are friendly and courteous. Some looked like college kids others looked seasoned. In the dining rooms many went out of their way to see that you were pleased.

FOOD, DINING, PROGRAMS AND CASTAWAY CAY WILL BE ON MY PART 2 REVIEW COMING SHORTLY.

 

[chmb1]

Thanks for the info. Glad you had a magical time!

 

[cgajdzisz]

We're going April 21. Glad to hear that you had a good time. I can't wait!

 

[wilmywood]

We were on the ship with you and had thetime of our lives. Can'twait to read your next report!

 

[lydia]

Hi, I'm back. Thanks for your postings. As promised, impressions of FOOD/DINING, PROGRAMS, CASTAWAY CAY

FOOD/DINING: I read much about unhappy and happy food stories prior to our trip. In all honesty, there really is something for everyone. Personally, the "pool" food was truly geared for kids and I didn't much enjoy it. The chicken tenders, chicken burger sandwich and pizza are nice. The burger looks good but is made with I don't know what. No meat taste. I would have liked to have seen a salad bar of some kind up there. You can get fresh cut fruit though and soft icecream.

THE BEACH BLANKET BUFFET: Has a good selection to choose from. The kid's club eats here most of the time. This is good for those who want to be near the pool or who's kids won't sit in a more formal restaurant at lunch. The cold shrimp is great.

TRITONS: Both lunch and dinner selection and quality is very nice. Aside from Palo's, this is where I found the best food. One day at lunch, I had a fabulous spaghetti dish. At dinner, the beef tenderloin is just that, tender. I also had lamb chops. Also cooked very nice. When my husband was done his main course one night, our waiter automatically brought him another. Great service.

ANIMATOR'S: Missed this night since we were at Palo's, but our kids ate with our " designated family" for the week and they said both the food and show were very good. Sorry, no details here.

PARROT CAY: Very lively atmosphere and colourful. There were some good selections on this menu ( rice with seafood) but in general, the dinner menu needs a major overhall. I don't know that a caribbean themed restaurant is all that necessary or desirable. Many people on the boards have said that this is their least favorite restaurant. A more multi-cultural theme would work better because then they could introduce one caribbean dish, one oriental dish, a hawaiian etc. We met the chef. He was pleasant. Breakfast here on the other hand is super. It is buffet style. Fresh fruit, eggs, pancakes, cereal, bacon, bagels, smoked salmon, yogourt, home fries etc. etc.

ROOM SERVICE: limited menu. Friends of ours ordered milk shakes and cookies. Said it was good. We did not eat in at any time.

COFFEE/BEVS: Now I'm a coffee fan so a very accurate score of only 4 goes to the ship's coffee. Although nice and hot, very instant tasting. Someone did mention on the boards that it is instant. Even the cappucino at Parrot Cay ( which is extra) was the type you get out of a dispensing machine. Palo's coffee is suppose to be better, but I can't comment. We had wine that evening. Please, please if anyone important is reading this, bring fresh groud coffee to the ship. It's a little thing but it's a biggy for many of us. Also, many people commented that the extra charge for pop at any time other than sit down meals is annoying. I say, add an extra $ 20.00 to the cost of the cruise for pop per person and be done with it. I can understand charging for alcohol, wine and specialty alcoholic drinks.

COOKIES (CASTAWAY CAY): I saw many people's abandoned trays on the picnic tables with food half eaten on them. I can't really say the b-b-q lunch was more than just average. Edible, just not memorable. Creamy slaw, creamy potato salad, corn on cob, ribs, hotdogs. Very cafeteria/cantine quality. I would like to have seen fresh fruit salad, a salad bar with variety, grilled boneless chicken breasts, shish-kebob skewers etc.

CASTAWAY CAY: The water is beautiful. Very picturesque. The sun came out later that afternoon. My daughter did the braids. (one hour wait) There were enough beach chairs for everyone. The kids were kept busy with activities for their age group if they so chose. There's an out door bar and gift shop. I thought the washrooms could be looked after better. Snorkeling is not serious and not really worth it if you've snorkelled elsewhere before. If I don't sound overly thrilled about the whole CC experience I guess it's because we've seen the British Virgin Islands. But CC is nice for families with small kids or for those whom this is their first caribbean experience.

PROGRAMS: We used the 10-12 club and the 13 and up. The first two days both kids were excited to be with their group. After that they pretty much knew what the game plan was for them and they started to customize it as they felt comfortable. I took in one game show geared for the 10-12 group where it was a type of Hollywood squares. The counsellor looked like as if she was in training and her spanish accent threw many of the kids off. Not her fault, but this wasn't a hit. Most of the counsellors were professional yet fun. My children enjoyed that they could just go and be with others their age and have the freedom to make decisions about how their days and evenings would go. We played this aspect of the trip up prior to getting there because they are both somewhat independant in nature and we wanted this trip to be just as much theirs as ous. My 10-12 daughter liked that I carried the beeper that the club provides for us "just in case". The teens seemed to be having alot of fun. Pizza, movies, basketball, challenges, no parents. This cruise is perfect for those families whose kids are in the 10 and over age group. Someone we know of back home who has little children said the cruise was tiring. NOT!

In Conclusion: I could post for days but really, what I wanted to relate to all who are contemplating this 4 day cruise is simple, you will enjoy it tremendously. Everyone will like or dislike some aspect of the cruise but on the whole, we are so glad we went. We had our own concerns but in hind sight, it was all for nothing. Disney will take care of you. I'm convinced, and I'm not easily convinced. There were several guests on board in wheel chairs. They seemed happy and accomodated. My daughter can't stop talking about it and she wants to go back ASAP. Maybe in a couple of years.

 

[wdwobsessed]

Thank you so much for the GREAT report.

We leave in 20 days and I can't wait.

I was wondering if you would reccomend the sit down breakfasts and lunches .. or the buffets?

Thanks.
wdwo

 

[Chattyaholic]

Thanks for sharing it with us, and I'm glad you had a good cruise. We loved ours (January '01) so much that we're going back (Western this time) again in January, already counting down the days! You said you didn't feel that a Caribbean themed restaurant (Parrot Cay) was needed, I have to disagree. Parrot Cay is my favorite restaurant, and I've read on these boards that others feel the same way so I would really miss it if they did away with it. I love the "colorfulness" and the more casual feel it has. We had the LAPLAPL rotation last time and I really hope we get the PLAPLAP rotation this next time (I will request it in advance). You mentioned going to Palo's one night, and that your kids went to dinner with your "designated family", by that you mean your tablemates? Was that OK with your tablemates? I don't think I would have liked our tablemates doing that, they had three children (I was really surprised we were assigned a table with children, as we were a couple celebrating our 25th anniversary so we expected to dine with other adults) and if they would have gone to Palo's and had their children go to the dining room alone to eat with us I wouldn't have been happy with that (the youngest was 6, middle one was 10 or 12 I think, and the oldest was 13 or 14). I guess if it were me, I'd order "room service" for the kids or take them to Topsiders for dinner and then have them go to the clubs while we went to Palo's. Oh, and you said you felt the BBQ lunch on Castaway Cay was just average. You should have come over to the adult side! We had BBQ'd chicken, several salads, and fresh fruit being cut-up at the end of the food line (the mango was wonderful!!). We ate until we could eat no more and then we ate some more!!

 

[lydia]

wdwobsessed: Our kids are the perfect age for taking advantage of the sit down restaurants. ( 11 and 13) Both have been in family and fancier resaurants from young and are well behaved. So we prefer this style of eating because it is less rushed, you get served nicely and the menu can be nicer. For example in Tritons for breakfast I had eggs benedict. At the Parrot Cay buffet, eggs were scrambled or omelette. I did not see them offering sunny side up etc. But in my report I did say the PC buffet was outstanding. We ate there once.

No one minds if you take a quick look at what the buffets are offering before you decide to sit and the sit down menus are posted outside the restaurants for lunch and dinner so you can have a look at those too. We did a little of everything to get a feel for what's offered and for maybe, next time.

 

[lydia]

Chattyaholic: Here's my response. I did not ask to eat with a family of four with pre-teens to begin with, but since thats what turned out, we figured this is as much my pricey trip as it is their's. Our children too are pre-teens so after our first night together at Tritons they saw the kind of "children" we have. Not to mention we all totally hit it off. They were a wonderful family from the south and had an absolutely beautiful southern attitude. Curteous, laid back and friendly. Dave, in fact is a Doctor. The only night Palo's was available at a reasonable time was on our second night ( Animator's Palette). Should our teens miss this and eat, where'd you say? ( never ate there) NO , sorry. So they enjoyed the Animator's experience, had wonderful dining companions and we enjoyed Palo's. Oh and by the way, we did ask our "designated Family" if they'd mind terribly being without us but with our children only from the first night and they said " it would be our pleasure". So what can I say?

As far as CC goes, if there is a nicer buffet for adults, Disney certainly doesn't advertise this in any way, shape or form. Lucky you that you're in the know. My original assessment of where we ate still stands, "average".

As for PC, you are right, it does have "colour". I still wouldn't miss it. My son is watching me post this thread as of this moment and all he can say about PC is "Ewww!" The tribe has spoken.

 

[wdwobsessed]

Disney ... caters to different strokes for different folks.

One may love PC ... one may hate PC.

But .. out of all the places .. I think everyone will find something for them.

Isn't Disney grand??

wdwo