Mbrthelegend

Your question is being taken way too literal.

There is no casino on board. For whatever reason it was not included. However, there is Bingo. That leads me to believe the absence had nothing to do with disapproval of gambling and probably more to do with adding that much more adult only space.

Characters are all around the ship. However, they are usually planned ahead and listed in the Navigator. There are lines of families waiting to see them. There is a disney presence everywhere but it's often subtle and quite classy. Much of the fun is noticing the "hidden Mickey's" imbedded in railings, tapestries and general design. One does not feel like they have landed in a Disney Channel world. I find it more like Disneys Moderate to more high end resorts as opposed to the "in your face" theming of the value resorts.

We found there was plenty for adults to do and never felt overwhelmed by kids. Although there are TONS of kids onboard my experience was they were entertained enough not to be disruptive to others. I also felt like families on board were relaxed and enjoying their families in contrast to many families appearing overwhelmed and exhausted in the parks.

Sea sickness for our DS despite the fact he was wearing the patch. Guest services provided a pill and great advice of ginger ale and green apples. It helped him tremendously.

What dish did you most enjoy in the MDRs? Anxious to hear everyone's favorites. Also, what dish fell flat or was your least favorite. Did something sound amazing and end up disappointing?

I agree. Who else will he have his own age to complain it is so lame with unless he meets other's that think the same and who will sit on the stairs with him?

 

Mbrthelegend, do you really want a sulky bored 13 year old stinking up the Stateroom all day?!

 

Attendance on the first night's meet and great should be mandatory like the emergency drill! lol!

 

ex techie

Indeed I will make him go the first night. I can assure you I have no plans on dealing with a sulky teen...they won't let him in the spa ;-)

To be perfectly honest, I don't think he is all that different from most 13-14 year old boys. I suspect that many won't enjoy the clubs. They spend their time playing particular video games online with their peers. They steer away from overt organized "group activities" like scavenger hunts. Making their own video, dancing, and Disney theme computer games don't appeal to a lot of boys this age.

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We have a PAT of 10:30. So I assume we will be on the ship by 11:30? We don't need tickets for meet and greets, dinner reservations or any other things from guest services. We board and have lunch....then what? Would we expect the pools to be filled to capacity early in the day? What about the line for the slide? Our teen won't want anything to do with the clubs. Will the theater be showing movies? Tours of the ship? Other activities? I have a 13 year old boy who thinks it's going to be lame and boring.

His main concern is his love of Disney chicken fingers!! How do the ships chicken fingers compare? Please tell me they are the sAme frozen prepared child friendly ones and not hand breaded chicken breasts. Are they readily available in the MDRs? And what is the French Fry situation? #thirdworldworries #cruisingwitha13yearold

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I concur there is certainly an opportunity to make the trip quite educational for your children. I also highly value family time. I would expect the school administration to excuse my child with a clear outline of the educational activities they would have and clear expectations on journaling and completing makeup work. I would expect an EXCUSED absence. What I would not expect is awarding my child for perfect attendance when he was not in fact at school everyday.

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Perfect attendance is difficult to achieve. Hence the reason it is rewarded. It requires self-sacrifice. not every child achieves this. Taking a cruise is absolutely nothing like attending a day of school. there is certainly no sacrifice involved. It sounds like you should give your child a choice, achieve perfect attendance or go on a cruise. trying to navigate the system in order to get him an award for something he did not achieve does little in teaching him life lessons.

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I too have received cards on a ship before. Sure we could pack them from home but it is one of those "secret pixie dust" things disney cruisers rave about...like signing pillowcases and the like. I don't know if disney does this but I sure hope so.

I would send a note saying you have scheduled a private family obligation that cannot be changed. I would mention that while you find education a huge priority in your home that your need for family time trumps the extra day of school this time. I would be clear you intend to have all assignments gathered before you leave and will be turned in on either your last day or immediately upon your return. Be open to discussions of taking tests or quizzes ahead of time. I think they appreciate family time as much as you and I. Reassurance that you will oversee the makeup work situation will help smooth things over assuming you have a student that generally has good attendance and good grades.

Absolutely! A ship that CATERS, markets, and embraces families should provide appropriate healthcare providers onboard.

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Like all facilities providing medical care there are good providers and bad providers. With that said I am happy your mom received great care.

There seems to be a heavy allegiance assuming the family was looking for a handout. I don't see evidence of that. I see a family facing an unexpected situation in a foreign country surprised to be essentially booted off without feeling secure. I can't say I blame them for being upset.

There are lots of complaints that this is a one sided story. And Disney could very easily come out with a statement without discussing the child's private medical situation. Privacy is only an issue if they provide details. They could deny it was because of age. Their lack of denial makes me think there is truth to the families statement. Perhaps the doctor wasn't clear and mentioned age AND illness as reasons and a stressed family focused on the "age rule". None of us were there and it seems unfair to automatically assume Disney went above and beyond. There have been MANY situations where families have had better experiences with emergencies and even had CM left to help them navigate the crisis.

I too, without a doubt would have expected more from Disney. As a business owner I would have wanted every passenger on that ship to have left the ship feeling they had the best experience possible. If I were in charge I would certainly have had Pixie Dust by the gallon to entice the family to return for a second cruise and provide them the memories they feel were taken from them. I would have expected gratuities to be removed from my bill and perhaps even a credit if age was the reason they were removed from the trip.

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1) On a 3 night cruise when is Pirate night?

2) is the pirate night menu the same no matter which dining room you are in the rotation

3) what and why...your 3 night dining rotation preferences.

Late dining two adults and 13 year old son...two of three are first time cruisers, none have cruised Disney.

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Loving this review! Can't wait to see the details about the cruise too!

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Which ship--it makes a difference.

The Dream

Is there a place to watch the fireworks and avoid the crowd? Can you see it from the aft decks? Is there a restaurant with a good view? Our "tween" kid could care less about the show but I would enjoy the fireworks.

I am a hair stylist. I work on commission. I am often paid well under minimum wage for my work. Without the assistance of tips I would not earn a living wage. I work at a very nice spa and almost always get 20% gratuity.

I know nothing about what the spa staff are paid on the ship. I do have reliable information concerning servers' date=' assistants, and stateroom hosts.

 

I concur that in the US, food servers can be paid almost nothing by their employer (often not even enough to cover the taxes that will be withheld on their estimated tips)...but that doesn't cover spa workers, beauticians, etc.

 

I would be curious to learn whether the person who does your service keeps all of the tip...or whether tips are pooled and split. And does that split include the person who comes in to clean up the room? In at least some areas of the spa, that is a person in a different uniform than the spa person doing the service.

 

Now, some will argue that the above information is irrelevant or not my business. Perhaps, but I feel that I have a right to know where my money goes.

 

Finally, all workers on the ship are provided with room and board as part of their contract. This automatically places them in a different situation than similar workers in the US. Beyond that, ALL of the non-officer level salaries on the ship are low. I was shocked when I saw a pay stub from one individual--on the ship the pay was barely above minimum wage while on land the position would likely have been unionized the the pay at least 3 times as much as she was getting. Right or wrong? That's for the worker to decide. But I don't see why a spa worker is worth the $20+ in tips that they would get IF they get to keep the 18% as opposed to the non-tipped worker getting $7 per hour from DCL!

 

Again--because I have an issue with the spa prices and tipping policy, I choose not to use the spa. So, I guess it doesn't matter to me.[/quote']

These little gems from Disney are what I am looking for. And they aren't all Mickey shaped in the parks.

Any chance anyone remembers seeing macaroons on board? They are one of my favorite treats.

Target is offering 10% off target cards on either Black Friday or on Thanksgiving. So, I am wondering if I pay with my redcard will I get an additional 5% off? Then in turn use my newly purchased target gift cards to purchase Disney cards? 15% off is quite tempting

I suppose I am having a hard time figuring out why anyone would let other people's behavior or actions negatively affect their trip. If someone, heaven for bid, save seats for their family and the theater just sit behind them. Why is this upsetting to you? While it is not something I would do, I wouldn't hold a grudge that someone else did. It seems like a very petty argument. If you want better seats go earlier. Focus on your self and your family and others seat saving won't be on your radar. If an exhausted mother walks through an adult area with her child perhaps you could admire the sweetness of the child and remember a time you were an exhausted parent. Take that moment to remember a precious memory of your own family. When an adult or a child takes time to select their entrée and a buffet line take that extra moment and consider your own choices. It is a buffet, set up for every passenger on the ship. Instead of expecting them to go to a sitdown restaurant so they can ask their questions, if YOU require such personalized attention and quickness through a line perhaps YOU should consider ordering room service. I don't understand your need to give everyone else rules so you can enjoy your vacation better. You and you alone are responsible for your choices. This is a ship full of children parents and grandparents. This type of cruise more than any other should include patience, flexibility and empathy for fellow passengers.

They can come and go as they please. However, when they are in there, they can't just play video games all they want.

Do they always have organized activities they have to participate in? I guess I have the wrong idea of what this kids club is all about. Could you explain what a typical day your son had in there? What did he like? What did he dislike? I don't think our son will enjoy participating in their group activities. That is not his style at all.

Just so know, he will not be able to go to the Edge and just play video games whenever he wants. Our DS, 12, would have been quite happy if that was the case. However, he really wan't able to play any video games in the Edge at all.

They can't come and go?

I have searched high and low for an answer but keep coming up empty. We have a 13 year old that lives and breathes video games. i know, I lnow.....but it's his vacation too and should get some time to do his favorite thing. I understand there are games in both Edge and Vibe but I see no reference to specifically what kinds of games. I have found a reference that they have both PS and X-box but I am trying to find out what games are available. At 13 will he only have access to kiddie games? Is there any chance he will be admitted to Vibe for a better game selection or is there even a better selection there?