marybarbara60102
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2001
TRIP REPORT
11/24/01 7 day cruise Cat 11 Costco Travel DH 36, DH 35, DD 6 & 9 from Chicago
I loved reading the cruise trip reports before my cruise, so I feel obligated to write one! Please remember that these are only my opinions. From reading the boards I have seen so many conflicting opinions on food, clubs, shows, etc.
1) We booked our cruise through Disney, transferred it to Costco and saved $$$, then saved $$$ when the Fall Fantasy rates came out, then saved more $$$ a couple weeks prior to sailing I called Disney and asked for a rate for my cruise and it was $300 less, so I had Costco call them and I received a credit on my credit card! I, also, got the $50 postcard credit. We flew in on Thanksgiving the airport was empty yeah!. We stayed at the Radisson Friday night. We didnt really care for the Raddisson. It wasnt bad for what I paid around $69.
2) Over the door storage hanger a MUST. There is very limited counter space in the bathrooms.
3) Food. Ok, I read many threads with different opinions. My husband, my friends who traveled with us, and a few people that I talked to all agreed that the food was average. Palos food was awesome (although the chocolate soufflé was just ok to me and I have read that other people LOVE it). The fast food burgers, chicken tenders, hotdogs, and pizza were actually pretty good. You must order the cheese & crackers from room service it was a great snack. The cheesecake & crème brulee for dessert were very good. I am a Diet Coke addict and did fine without buying a mug. It looked like a hassle to carry the thing around. Definitely, bring pop & bottled water on board and make sure to pack some for Castaway Cay. It was expensive to purchase pop there. Dont forget that they already add gratuity to mixed drinks. Even though Cornelius from South Africa was always tracking us down to buy drinks & my husband still tipped him on top of the gratuity already added. Cornelius was a lot of fun. In fact, he asked us where we were from and then told us he met another couple from the same town. Well, it turned out that the guy & my husband were on the same softball team and we had mutual friends! Small world. Make sure to tip Cornelius he was a lot of fun. I didnt gain a single pound and my husband gained 4 pounds.
4) Shows. I read mixed review about Hercules. My kids loved it. Yes, it was corny, but it was funny. Variety Show the ventriloquist & the guy who played the guitar were hysterical. We did not get a chance to see them in the bar, so make sure you do because I laughed sooooo hard. Who Wants To Be a Musketeer sit in the back near empty seats. If the seat they pick is empty, they will go to the seat to the right until they pick a person. Bingo must do it on the last night, the pot was big - $2,000 or close to that. It was cool that they offered so many movies in the theatre, but it was weird not to have popcorn & to feel the boat move! Match Your Mate very funny.
5) Cabin. Darwin from India, our cabin person, was outstanding. Made towel animals & just had a cheerful mood. It was fun meeting so many people from different countries. Yet, it was kind of sad to know that the ones we met were on the ship for 6 months and then only went home for 2 months. Darwin hadnt even seen his 1 ½ month old baby yet. I know our server at Palos had 3 or 4 kids. I just dont know how they do it. I hope Disney pays them really well. Everyone we met was VERY nice. We had a Cat 11. Several people told us to get an inside room because you are never in yr room except to sleep & change clothes. Well, we were in our room A LOT. My daughter got sent home sick from school the day before we were to leave! She had the stomach flu. She was better the next day, but my other daughter got it cruise day 2, 3, & 4. Then my other daughter got is back on day 5. Thank goodness we were able to get a stroller from guest services & push my daughter through St. Thomas. I am sure my 6 yr old looked ridiculous in the stroller, but she was too weak to walk, to sick to go to the club, and we paid too much $$ to miss St. Thomas! If we had a verandah, at least we could have sat outside and watched the waves & got fresh air. We only dinner once as a whole family. My husband and I took turns eating with the healthy daughter and then bringing food back for each other.
6) Pools. Very crowded! I could not believe that the pools were so small. My husband was actually bold enough to move some towels from a chair that was unoccupied for a while, so I could have a seat. There are a lot of lounge chairs just left with towels. At Castaway Cay I did see people holding hammocks with clothes. It didnt matter to me because there was so much to do that I didnt want to lay in one.
7) Ports. St. Martin I only saw the shopping area and did not like it. We were constantly asked about braiding, taxis, tour a hotel, and my husband was offered ganja which we think was something not good. St. Thomas loved it! Loved the shopping, flea market, and Megans Bay was beautiful. If you go there, take an open-air taxi. The trip up the mountain was fabulous. We actually walked back from town to the boat, so if you want to save a few $$ you can hoof it like us personally, we did it to burn calories.
8) Characters. They were everywhere! I had read that some people had a hard time seeing them. It is listed on the navigator when & where you can find them. I only mention this because I heard a lady yell at a CM because he stopped the line for one of the characters. Her child was fine with missing the character, but the lady was complaining about not seeing very many of the characters at all. Well, lady, even Mickey Mouse has to sleep sometime read your navigator.
9) Shutters. We had a ton of pictures taken. Why are they so expensive - $20 & $10. I would have loved to buy more, but it adds up so fast.
10) Sea Sick. I did okay on the boat, but was soooo surprised that it took my husband and I 4 days to recover afterwards. My equilibrium was off. I was dizzy and felt like the ground was rocking. I spoke to other people who had this too after a cruise.
11) Cruise Chat Line. Ok, why am I still surfing it?? It is soooo addicting.
Overall, it was a nice trip. The September 11 crisis, the kids being sick, and us being on a budget affected our trip. I thought for sure that I would re-book while on the cruise, but I think that maybe cruising isnt for us. Our cabin was too small for 4 people in there for 7 days and being sick, we felt like we were on a tight schedule trying to do everything, we didnt like dressing for dinner every night & trying to get the kids presentable too, and then we spent a lot of time waiting in line for characters for pictures & autographs, we felt dizzy for several days after, and the food was not that great. Please, please, do not blast me. This is only our opinion. I know that there are a lot of people who LOVE the Disney Cruise. We are just more land people, but still LOVE Disney. I have never been on another cruise, so cannot really compare it to any other. Was surprised at how much our bill was the last day. I thought I pre-paid for our cruise, but I felt like I was constantly paying for something; which I realize was totally my choice smoothies, drinks, autograph book, shirts, hats, food before the shows, spa, Shutters, hair braiders, and I was constantly tipping someone the Cabin guy for changing our bedding after my DD got sick, room service, spa people, luggage people, taxi drivers, plus all the servers. Again, you can limit your spending, but it is difficult.
Final words - It was well maintained people were constantly cleaning, painting, etc, the atmosphere was great very family oriented, there was a lot to do, and every CM was very nice. I do highly recommend the Disney Cruise, but once is enough for us!
11/24/01 7 day cruise Cat 11 Costco Travel DH 36, DH 35, DD 6 & 9 from Chicago
I loved reading the cruise trip reports before my cruise, so I feel obligated to write one! Please remember that these are only my opinions. From reading the boards I have seen so many conflicting opinions on food, clubs, shows, etc.
1) We booked our cruise through Disney, transferred it to Costco and saved $$$, then saved $$$ when the Fall Fantasy rates came out, then saved more $$$ a couple weeks prior to sailing I called Disney and asked for a rate for my cruise and it was $300 less, so I had Costco call them and I received a credit on my credit card! I, also, got the $50 postcard credit. We flew in on Thanksgiving the airport was empty yeah!. We stayed at the Radisson Friday night. We didnt really care for the Raddisson. It wasnt bad for what I paid around $69.
2) Over the door storage hanger a MUST. There is very limited counter space in the bathrooms.
3) Food. Ok, I read many threads with different opinions. My husband, my friends who traveled with us, and a few people that I talked to all agreed that the food was average. Palos food was awesome (although the chocolate soufflé was just ok to me and I have read that other people LOVE it). The fast food burgers, chicken tenders, hotdogs, and pizza were actually pretty good. You must order the cheese & crackers from room service it was a great snack. The cheesecake & crème brulee for dessert were very good. I am a Diet Coke addict and did fine without buying a mug. It looked like a hassle to carry the thing around. Definitely, bring pop & bottled water on board and make sure to pack some for Castaway Cay. It was expensive to purchase pop there. Dont forget that they already add gratuity to mixed drinks. Even though Cornelius from South Africa was always tracking us down to buy drinks & my husband still tipped him on top of the gratuity already added. Cornelius was a lot of fun. In fact, he asked us where we were from and then told us he met another couple from the same town. Well, it turned out that the guy & my husband were on the same softball team and we had mutual friends! Small world. Make sure to tip Cornelius he was a lot of fun. I didnt gain a single pound and my husband gained 4 pounds.
4) Shows. I read mixed review about Hercules. My kids loved it. Yes, it was corny, but it was funny. Variety Show the ventriloquist & the guy who played the guitar were hysterical. We did not get a chance to see them in the bar, so make sure you do because I laughed sooooo hard. Who Wants To Be a Musketeer sit in the back near empty seats. If the seat they pick is empty, they will go to the seat to the right until they pick a person. Bingo must do it on the last night, the pot was big - $2,000 or close to that. It was cool that they offered so many movies in the theatre, but it was weird not to have popcorn & to feel the boat move! Match Your Mate very funny.
5) Cabin. Darwin from India, our cabin person, was outstanding. Made towel animals & just had a cheerful mood. It was fun meeting so many people from different countries. Yet, it was kind of sad to know that the ones we met were on the ship for 6 months and then only went home for 2 months. Darwin hadnt even seen his 1 ½ month old baby yet. I know our server at Palos had 3 or 4 kids. I just dont know how they do it. I hope Disney pays them really well. Everyone we met was VERY nice. We had a Cat 11. Several people told us to get an inside room because you are never in yr room except to sleep & change clothes. Well, we were in our room A LOT. My daughter got sent home sick from school the day before we were to leave! She had the stomach flu. She was better the next day, but my other daughter got it cruise day 2, 3, & 4. Then my other daughter got is back on day 5. Thank goodness we were able to get a stroller from guest services & push my daughter through St. Thomas. I am sure my 6 yr old looked ridiculous in the stroller, but she was too weak to walk, to sick to go to the club, and we paid too much $$ to miss St. Thomas! If we had a verandah, at least we could have sat outside and watched the waves & got fresh air. We only dinner once as a whole family. My husband and I took turns eating with the healthy daughter and then bringing food back for each other.
6) Pools. Very crowded! I could not believe that the pools were so small. My husband was actually bold enough to move some towels from a chair that was unoccupied for a while, so I could have a seat. There are a lot of lounge chairs just left with towels. At Castaway Cay I did see people holding hammocks with clothes. It didnt matter to me because there was so much to do that I didnt want to lay in one.
7) Ports. St. Martin I only saw the shopping area and did not like it. We were constantly asked about braiding, taxis, tour a hotel, and my husband was offered ganja which we think was something not good. St. Thomas loved it! Loved the shopping, flea market, and Megans Bay was beautiful. If you go there, take an open-air taxi. The trip up the mountain was fabulous. We actually walked back from town to the boat, so if you want to save a few $$ you can hoof it like us personally, we did it to burn calories.
8) Characters. They were everywhere! I had read that some people had a hard time seeing them. It is listed on the navigator when & where you can find them. I only mention this because I heard a lady yell at a CM because he stopped the line for one of the characters. Her child was fine with missing the character, but the lady was complaining about not seeing very many of the characters at all. Well, lady, even Mickey Mouse has to sleep sometime read your navigator.
9) Shutters. We had a ton of pictures taken. Why are they so expensive - $20 & $10. I would have loved to buy more, but it adds up so fast.
10) Sea Sick. I did okay on the boat, but was soooo surprised that it took my husband and I 4 days to recover afterwards. My equilibrium was off. I was dizzy and felt like the ground was rocking. I spoke to other people who had this too after a cruise.
11) Cruise Chat Line. Ok, why am I still surfing it?? It is soooo addicting.
Overall, it was a nice trip. The September 11 crisis, the kids being sick, and us being on a budget affected our trip. I thought for sure that I would re-book while on the cruise, but I think that maybe cruising isnt for us. Our cabin was too small for 4 people in there for 7 days and being sick, we felt like we were on a tight schedule trying to do everything, we didnt like dressing for dinner every night & trying to get the kids presentable too, and then we spent a lot of time waiting in line for characters for pictures & autographs, we felt dizzy for several days after, and the food was not that great. Please, please, do not blast me. This is only our opinion. I know that there are a lot of people who LOVE the Disney Cruise. We are just more land people, but still LOVE Disney. I have never been on another cruise, so cannot really compare it to any other. Was surprised at how much our bill was the last day. I thought I pre-paid for our cruise, but I felt like I was constantly paying for something; which I realize was totally my choice smoothies, drinks, autograph book, shirts, hats, food before the shows, spa, Shutters, hair braiders, and I was constantly tipping someone the Cabin guy for changing our bedding after my DD got sick, room service, spa people, luggage people, taxi drivers, plus all the servers. Again, you can limit your spending, but it is difficult.
Final words - It was well maintained people were constantly cleaning, painting, etc, the atmosphere was great very family oriented, there was a lot to do, and every CM was very nice. I do highly recommend the Disney Cruise, but once is enough for us!
Yes, I think you would have definitely enjoyed a verandah room, especially with sick children. My hubby and I cruised on the Magic last January, to celebrate our 25th anniversary, and it was our first cruise so we wanted it to be very special so splurged on the verandah room and we were not sorry. We spent quite a bit of time in our stateroom, had breakfast on the verandah each morning, sat out there late-nights to "watch the stars" before going to bed, and kept the door open at night so we were lulled to sleep by the ocean sounds and warm, tropical breezes. Plus I'm the type of person that needs "alone time" every day, and I loved being able to sit on the verandah for an hour or so in the afternoon reading. And I'm not much of a "party person" so pulling away from port and watching that happen from the upper deck didn't appeal to me, but it was great to be able to watch from our own verandah. 
