CleoV

We did it with Uniworld and it was a highlight. Well worth doing if you enjoy Mozart. The venue is lovely, and the music was exceptional.

We just returned from a wonderful Uniworld cruise, and guests were indeed asked not to wear jeans to dinner. No one would have been kicked out or denied entry I don't think, but certainly a nice pair of slacks and a polo shirt were preferred--and requested.

We boarded as you exited! Amsterdam to Basel on the splendid SS Antoinette. Lovely to see your pictures, and I suspect if we compared, we'd have 90% of the same ones. :)

We did discover it sometimes helped not to take the number for a guide the next day, and just look for a smaller group with an interesting-looking guide. We also discovered if you take #6, you generally get the smallest group. A good tip for slower walkers.

We have just returned from our second river cruise with Uniworld and can recommend them with highest compliments. Excellent food, thoughtful and informative shore excursions, and staff that anticipate every need.

I suspect nearly any river cruise is a good one, but for us, Uniworld has been the best. We love their style, we enjoy the blend of ages and travel experience of their guests, and for us, the excursions tend to be more along the lines of getting under the skin of the place rather than just walking around 'seeing stuff'. The Danube onboard the River Duchess is an excellent example, with excursions such as a 'home lunch' hosted by a local family. Wonderful experience, and one we will never forget.

much less expensive ways to add ballast to a ship

 

I throw the BS flag at this one

 

but what do I know, I only depended on my knowledge for the safety of my crew and ship . . .

I don't know anything at all about cruise ship design. But she does, and she's got intimate knowledge of what's been done and why when it comes to the Magic, so..... :D

I won't comment on your last sentence (though I could; I probably know all the same bloggers you say you know), but I will say that I'm afraid your friend was...shall we say...mistaken. It is possible she is not able to identify media, but I can assure you there were plenty of us on board.

She is correct that bloggers were not invited as hosted guests to this particular event, though Disney is extremely generous in inviting them to other events. This particular event required a paying commission in a major news outlet, which is common practice for many, many events, not only with Disney.

But she is sadly mistaken or perhaps just not observant if she said major media was not on board. Perhaps the items she identifies as 'debris' were in fact their gear? There were camera crews all over the ship and frankly, they're not hard to recognize. I don't know where your friend/s spent their time, but if they were on Deck 10, in Keys during the day yesterday, or in any of dozens of impromptu locations, it would have been impossible to avoid seeing major media with their huge cameras, their huge microphones, and their entourages lugging around big bags full of gear.

I'm sure as a long-time "coverer of all things Disney" you're aware there is a period of time between leaving an event and writing up a good story, and international media gets to add a bit more time on to that, as they generally fly back to their home country at the end of an event (hence, they're still in the air with an overnight flight even as we discuss this).

I don't know anything about your friend/s, and will stop short of saying they're lying, but I will go so far as to say if they think the ship was in terrible shape, there was construction debris everywhere, and there was no major media on board your friend/s are...and again I'm sorry to say it...simply not telling the truth.

I'm going to duck out now, since I'm absolutely certain of what I say and (sorry) you're getting your info second-hand, which sometimes, with the best will in the world, becomes distorted. I'm sure your friends are lovely, delightful people with the very best of intentions, but for those getting ready to board the Magic, I will state categorically that it's a beautiful ship, it's not a construction site, and you're going to have a wonderful vacation. :)

We were on the Magic this weekend and interviewed Lysa Migliorati, the Disney Imagineer who was fielding technical questions during a media session, and she addressed the issue of the "duck tail".

It was a necessary addition not for experimental purposes but (among other things) because the weight on the upper deck has changed due to the expansion of Cabana's buffet restaurant and the addition of the Aqua Dunk. These changes created stability issues that were corrected with added weight at the bottom of the ship. So it wasn't 'experimental', it was a necessary counterbalance for the changes made to the top of the ship.

IF that's true, so be it. However, it makes very little sense since there was a huge amount of coverage from print media, from news stations, from bloggers, and from guests. There is no way on god's green earth the media would go along with hiding a disaster area, especially international media. Some of them absolutely love that sort of story. So unless the travel agents were bound by something your friend didn't mention, there certainly was nothing Disney was relying on them to hide. That's just laughable!

You state your friend said something along the lines of:

TAs were told they could not post any of their own photos on social media during the weekend cruise (Oct 25-27). That's because many parts of the ship looked terrible. Lots of work is still undone and there is construction debris everywhere.

I'm sorry, but this simply isn't true. We spent the entire 2 days walking every foot of the ship that's accessible to guests and the ship is beautiful. As I said before, there was some ongoing work, all of it minor. It is absolutely untrue there was construction debris everywhere.

I'm sure Disney would have loved another few days to finish every last detail, but that would have involved cancelling 2 MORE cruises for what amounts to very minor work. It would be silly, and frankly, irresponsible to the guests booked on the cruise, to cancel. They had no choice with the first cancelled cruise, but they certainly did with the 2-Day cruise, and they made the right decision. It was a fantastic trip, and guest response was overwhelmingly positive.

We were on the Magic this weekend and at no time were we told not to post pics or comments on social media. In fact, we were encouraged to do so (my husband and I are both with the media). Wifi signals were not great, which is an issue on most ships, but it is not true at all that we were forbidden to post pictures or comments. We were told exactly where to go onboard for the best possible signal so that we COULD do just that. If you weren't seeing a lot of posts/tweets/etc, it's because the wifi signal was spotty. But there were camera crews all over the place. Disney was absolutely not trying to hide anything.

Our impression of the re-imagine was almost entirely positive. There were a few small matters that weren't quite show-ready, but given the circumstances, I hardly think that's a surprise. And we're talking about small things (a few unfinished edges, minor things not working). It is absolutely untrue that the ship is a disaster; it most certainly is not. Work was ongoing, but only in the smallest of ways, and not in a way that impacted the majority of guests. We saw a few details being attended to, but the vast majority of the ship was absolutely show-ready.

I'd be the first to shout about serious problems, but there simply weren't any issues to get bent out of shape over. Any ongoing work was minor. The comment about there being construction debris all over is simply...(sorry to say it, since you were talking to a friend) wrong. It's just plain not true.

We took one containing Deet but found we never needed it. DH is a mosquito magnet, and breaks out in massive welts when he gets bitten, but even he had no problem without it.

Not saying you shouldn't use it, but you may find you don't actaully need it.

We're on S.S. Legacy in August and absolutely cannot wait. Have been to Alaska before and it really stole our hearts. Thrilled to see it in a new way, with all coastal cruising and a fantastic itinerary: http://www.un-***********/alaska-gold-rush-legacy?tab=ships

I don't usually get all that excited about trips, but this one has me over the moon. :)

Just returned from Uniworld Danube cruise and can't believe this is still going. :D

Another thing to consider is the weather. While our trip was during a time of year when it's generally very nice out, we had rain for much of the time and those with a French Balcony didn't get a lot of use out of it.

That said, I'd take one any day in case it might be nice enough to keep the doors open, but I wouldn't fuss about it if it didn't fit the budget well. We had a large window and found that to be more than adequate.

Again---Why do people feel the need to put down other people's opinions?

Therein (for me, at least) lies the problem. What IS the opinion? That the term French Balcony is annoying?

When I read:

The term French balcony is advertised as a positive, but I'll take a real balcony any time., but I will take a French balcony over windows that don't open or a port hole. The one advantage that I see to a French balcony is that it does not take space away from the cabin, as a real balcony often does. Sorry for venting, but the term grates on me.

I am strangely drawn to this thread because for the life of me, I can't figure out why someone would post about not liking two words strung together to describe a feature on a river cruise ship.

That, and the fact the title says French Balconies are a con. In what way are they a con? What were you conned into, and by whom?

I can resepect an opinion about an experience, but I'm struggling to understand how a person can be annoyed by a term that describs a feature on a river cruise ship that they (really) could have understood before they booked.

Not slamming their opinion (which I can't actaully decipher), but would be curious to hear WHY it's a con, as that was supposed to be the subject of the thread.

I'm not sure I understand the point of your post. Is it just to let the world know you're annoyed by the term French Balcony?

If so, duly noted. But...I dunno. Is there a point beyond that?

If one member of a couple wants to sit and read, take a nap, or whatever in the comfort of the A/C or heat and the other want to enjoy the fresh air and tranquility of a private balcony, it can't be done.

While I can appreciate the concept behind this, it really is a "first world" problem, isn't it? You're on a luxury river boat, eating gourmet food, seeing places most people can only dream about visiting, and the problem is you can't have fresh air and A/C at the same time.

I'm honestly not trying to pick on you. I can see how it's an inconvenience. But when put into perspective, this really did give me a rather wry laugh. :D

Were you expecting something different? If so, I can see why that would be a surprise and an annoying one at that. If not (and hopefully you did know before you booked!), well...I guess, what did you expect?I'm not sure how they're a 'con' since it's pretty clear what you're getting before you go.

Lake Michigan can bring seasoned sailors to their knees. Take Dramamine. :eek:

Try Aqua Expeditions. Exquisite.

IMO it's safe for two woment to walk along Junkanoo Beach. I wouldn't walk there by myself, but I wouldn't be likely to walk in any strange city alone.

The atmosphere seemed very friendly, even with a fair number of drinks being served. There were families everywhere. I'd be confident in walking there with a friend.

We just did the Frommer's walking tour 2 days ago and really enjoyed it. Be aware, some of it is out of date (you cannot go into the Government House grounds as there is construction going on). There is a lot of construction going on surrounding that area as well, so use caution when walking.

A real highlight is the Public Library, which used to be a prison. Fascinating place with a great view from the top, but also a bit sobering in terms of amenities for the locals. We wished we had brough some books to donate.

If you do the tour, be SURE to stop in at Graycliff and enjoy a local brew. You can walk the grounds there, which are simply stunning. And the bathrooms are clean. :D

How slow is the service at the Fish Fry? If we left the Sheraton at 3 and went there- would an hour be long enough? How long is the usual wait for food?

We had lunch at Twin Brothers in Fish Fry just 2 days ago and the service was painful. Took 2 hours for what should have been a 45-60 minute lunch (baked chicken and conch salad). It's a pleasant place and the food was terrific, but wow...unbelievably slow service, and the place wasn't slammed.

Spent some time along Junkanoo beach, too. Never felt unsafe in any way, it was pleasantly busy, but not great if you like to stroll. The waterline area is broken up by several short piers.