Sep14-21 Fantasy WB Carribean

Memepoppy

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 11, 2017
Just returned from this cruise and wanted to share some observations. This is our 3rd Disney cruise, first on the Fantasy, previous 2 on the Dream. Just an fyi - this cruise was just dw and I and we are ship people, we don't do excursions, etc. We have been fortunate enough that we have been able to visit most of the islands on own and don't see the need for a 4-6 hour excursion.

Took Disney transportation to/from MCO. First, Disney transportation was very disorganized the morning of our arrival. Appeared to have computer problems, staff doing the check-in for the buses were having issues, etc. We were on the first bus and didn't arrive at the Port until approximately 11:10-11:15. Luckily we had an early boarding number so were on the ship quickly.

Chose to avoid Cabanas and had lunch in Animators. Good food, good service, and had a minimal wait till room was ready.

Obviously, the Fantasy has switched to the dispenser bottles in the bathrooms. We didn't have any issues with them. Only comment is I wish the the body wash dispenser had a longer stroke and/or bigger nozzle. Wore the arm getting enough product.

Great serving team of Ronald, head sever, Elvin, serve, and Sheldon, assistant server. All very attentive without hovering. I must say that Ron spent more time interacting with us on the first day than our previous head servers did on the entire cruise combined. We had the RAERAAE which was fine for us. As has been mentioned in previous posts, something just seemed off in the dining rooms. The flow was just not as crisp as on the Dream.

We received an email that our departure maybe delayed due to Umberto, but he turned northeast and we departed on time. Captain said Sunday that we had some rough seas during the night but we didn't notice.

Weather was great for our sea day, Cozumel was hot even by the locals standards. We stayed on the ship but definitely noticed the heat and humidity. We used the time for Aquaduck and reading on Deck 4. We stayed on the ship again in the Caymans as we had spent full weeks there in the past. Falmouth was warm as well but we did get off and walk around the Port area. We were delayed leaving by over an hour due to what we think was a medical emergency. An ambulance pulled up to the gangway while we were on our verandah just before we left for the show.

The next day was a sea day but the weather changed and we had some rougher seas and high winds. They closed Satellite falls pool as the rocking of the ship was creating body surfing waves in the pool! The also closed the walkway around the front of deck 13 due to high winds. Aquaduck continued to operate but with 2 rider requirement.

Next day was Castaway Cay day and while the seas calmed still very high winds. Captain Marco made 3 docking attempts over 3 hours but winds against the beam of the ship and the currents were just too much, so another sea day. I'm sure this was disappointing to many who were looking forward to their first visit, etc. Lesley the cruise director, and her team did an outstanding job of filling the day with additional activities, etc. One plug for the App is that those added activities loaded right in so you always had an up-to-date view of the day, and they were adding/changing frequently as the day went on.

The seas remained rough for the day and into the night, calming only as we got close to the coast.

The rest of the cruise was uneventful, however on disembarktion morning we experienced lines that we'd never seen on the Dream. We ate the late breakfast seating and when we came upstairs the line to disembark wound from the atrium, back through the shops and back bbn out toward the atrium on the other side. The ship had been cleared by customs around 7:15, so I'm guessing just back ups from slow processing. It took us an hour from getting in line till we were on the bus which isn't bad - once the line started moving it moved quickly.

Even though the Fantasy just doesn't seem as dialed as the Dream, and even though we missed Castaway, it was a great cruise overall. We were blessed by a good dining staff and an excellent stateroom host. Good people can change everything.

Now back to reality and to work to pay for the next (2nd family cruise - 11 total, us, kids, spouses, and grandkids) - placeholders booked on board for 2021 cruise. Next year the heard goes to DW, but maybe dw and I can sneak in another cruise!
 
Great review! Sorry to hear you missed CC, but it sounds like you had the right attitude and made the most of it. :thumbsup2

We disembarked our 22nd Disney Cruise 4 weeks ago and we saw a line like nothing we had ever seen before. CMs sent us 1 way to the end of it, but that wasn't the end, it looped around back down to the other end of the ship. We just waited near the stores until the end came around to us (along with some other guests we met doing the same thing) and that wait had to have been over an hour. I know time wise, we stepped off the ship, onto the gangway at 10:05, didn't get down to the bottom of the escalators until 10:45, and got in the car rental line at 11:11. The blame seemed to be on lack of customs workers that backed everything up, but I don't know if that's true. I wonder if this is the new normal?
 
Great review! We were on the cruise just before yours, 9/7-14. It was our 19th cruise out of PC and a much longer debarkation line than we'd ever experienced, as well. Saw only 4 officers working in customs that day but I don't know if that caused the back up. We didn't get to the parking deck until 10:45AM and heard that we were in the last 300 ppl to leave, although it wasn't intentional. I thought the line was eventually going to shrink but it never did. The rest of our cruise was wonderful and the cast members were amazing, as usual, though. Thank you for your review!
 
So glad you enjoyed your cruise. We love the Fantasy (never been on the Dream) and the Western is our favorite itinerary.

We have run into the Debarkation issue more than once. First time was just slow, but last year we sat in Royal Court for 30 minutes after we were done because the line was so long. We finally got up to stand in line so they could finish turning the dining room our serving team and head server begged us to stay but we felt like we were in their way. We didn't get to our car until 10:45 and normally we are almost home by then. There were 3 customs agents that day and it caused quite a delay.
 


Can you explain what you mean by this? I have read it over and over and am baffled. Thanks!
Everything seems to work in harmony on the Dream, like a fine orchestra. Something just seems to be missing on the Fantasy. Take the dining rooms, in our experiences the server and assistant each knew what the other was going to do, like someone who can finish another's sentences. On the Fantasy, had to ask for ground pepper, sometimes butter was served, sometimes it wasn't. Little things like that.
 



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