Disappointing Adult Cruise On The Dream

[sponica]

The 45 min wait was all on the ship! And that’s not including the perilous journey through an absolute mass of unmoving people with our bags up from the Enchanted Garden, via an elevator at least 30-40 people were waiting for, and then to the express walk off line that stretched all the way around the shops and then back to the Atrium. There were at least another two or three hundred or so people just standing in the atrium waiting for their debark group to be called, I guess. What a crappy last impression for Disney to leave with their guests!

I wonder if the crew just changed over on the Dream before they head to Europe. It would explain some of the issues with timing and everything.

I don't remember disembarkation on my first cruise, which was on the Dream. Getting off the Wish was a breeze, but we were one of the earlier groups off the ship. The worst part was trying to find our luggage at the port.

 

[Akck]

My only suggestion is that if you want to give it another shot, try taking a DVC cruise. On the last DVC cruise, there were something like 250 kids on it. It was noticeable from the moment we checked in at the port and all through the cruise. Of course the food won’t be anything different. While I think the food is fine for what it is, I think DCL needs to rotate new offerings into the menus.

As for the uncomfortable ratings request, we acknowledge how the system works and how we need to do the survey. That usually ends the spiel.

 

[o&smom]

The 45 min wait was all on the ship! And that’s not including the perilous journey through an absolute mass of unmoving people with our bags up from the Enchanted Garden, via an elevator at least 30-40 people were waiting for, and then to the express walk off line that stretched all the way around the shops and then back to the Atrium. There were at least another two or three hundred or so people just standing in the atrium waiting for their debark group to be called, I guess. What a crappy last impression for Disney to leave with their guests!

With the new facial recognition software, there was basically zero wait at customs. Just a machine you stared into for less than a second, then a flashing approval to proceed. With Disney’s love for technology, you’d think they might have adopted this to make life a little easier for all of us getting off the ship.

Am so disappointed about our experience on the Dream! I had assumed we’d love it, and had already booked a quick cruise in September, once again just prior to a WDW stay, on the Wonder that stopped at Lighthouse Point. Cancelled it today. Ugh!

My thought in reading about your experience was that you would probably like the Magic or the Wonder better, and that you should definitely cruise when kids are in school. I would watch some more ship tour videos about the Wonder and see if there is anything that appeals to you. The adult area has a completely different layout. There are some videos that are just tours, not influencers trying to influence. The Wonder is a smaller ship, so less people overalll, and September would mean way less kids. Just a thought.

 

[tvguy]

1. Every meal in the dining rooms was incredibly rushed. Food was delivered almost instantaneously and replaced with the next dish almost immediately after it was finished, so the experience was never particularly pleasant or relaxing. I guess that’s better than waiting forever, as we occasionally have on other lines, but still not optimum.



3. Debarkation. A mad, chaotic, crowded, disorganized nightmare and the worst we’ve ever experienced. The atrium and lower levels were packed with what felt like thousands of people and their luggage, milling about, not knowing what to do, pressing against each other, jostling about. The buffet, Cabanas, was inexplicably closed, unlike any other cruise ship that we’ve ever sailed on, so guests were forced to lug their bags down to breakfast in the dining rooms, leave them indiscriminately piled up outside, then lug them (at least for us) up a deck to wait in an endless, snaking line to disembark. It felt almost apocalyptic. Why would Disney ever allow this to happen??

These two, I am afraid, are because Disney cruisers seem to prefer things this way. As others have mentioned, Disney seems to get flamed if the MDR experience takes more than 45 minutes to an hour. We had a great experience, but we had late seating and dinner took 2 hours, what I consider a normal cruise MDR experience. And since Disney does the show BEFORE late seating dinner, we had no time where we had to be somewhere afterwards, so no hurry.
Oh lord the Disney disembarkation MESS. Again, the majority of Disney cruisers just love standing in line. Not me, I prefer the systems other lines use where you go to a public room like the theater, they have coffee and juice and pastries (and often, an entertainer like a juggler or singer) for you to enjoy while you wait to walk right off the ship.

 

[sponica]

Disney seems to get flamed if the MDR experience takes more than 45 minutes to an hour. We had a great experience, but we had late seating and dinner took 2 hours, what I consider a normal cruise MDR experience. And since Disney does the show BEFORE late seating dinner, we had no time where we had to be somewhere afterwards, so no hurry.

I don't mind longer service if it's just adults but with little people, the quicker the service, the better.

 

[RedHead0186]

Then we did the Fantasy and had many of the same observations as you. School was in session so not SO many kids but adult pool was a mess - same set of partiers took up chairs and pool sides most days. I did enjoy Satellite Falls and I bought the rain forest pass for the entire cruise so that was nice.

But, I totally agree on speed of MDR service - I sometimes felt like they were just frisbee-throwing the food at me. We used to always do late dining but DH has some health issues that require early dining so that may have been the difference. Our servers were not particularly personable.

I also hated the adult entertainment areas - dark lumpy hallways, really lacking entertainment variety compared to previous sailings.

Lol that dark lumpy hallway was designed to mimic the architecture of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona.

 

[RedHead0186]

I guess what I’m most disappointed in are all the fawning reviews from podcasters whose opinion I truly respect. For us, the cruise line just didn’t measure up.

I'm confused by this statement. You're disappointed that other people had opinions different than yours?

 

[tvguy]

I don't mind longer service if it's just adults but with little people, the quicker the service, the better.

Our kids were 12 and 16, so not so little. My son was into Magic tricks when we were on the Magic so we ended up with a crowd of servers and other guests around our table after dinner every night with the servers and my son trying to one up each other with magic tricks.

 

[sponica]

Our kids were 12 and 16, so not so little. My son was into Magic tricks when we were on the Magic so we ended up with a crowd of servers and other guests around our table after dinner every night with the servers and my son trying to one up each other with magic tricks.

Yeah mine are 3 and 7. The 7 year old we could have her meals expedited so that she could escape to the kids club, but my 3 year old (on a good day) has like a 45 minute, to maybe an hour max. One night I had to take all the desserts to go because she was just done.

 

[Mommb]

Lol that dark lumpy hallway was designed to mimic the architecture of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona.

This is true on the Fantasy, where the adult lounge area, Europa, is themed to European cities and the hallway and restrooms are indeed Gaudi-inspired.

On the Dream, the theming outside of the venues in the adult area, The District, is minimal verging on non-existent.

 

[Paul Stupin]

The OP brings up some valid points.

We love DCL, but our first DCL cruise we experienced some of the same surprises (shocks?).


This is how we solved the issues for us on subsequent DCL cruises:

1. Chaotic debarkation: book a concierge room (get priority walk-off)

2. Rushed dinner: get late dining (2nd seating)...never rushed

3. Tons of kids (and we love kids!): we now cruise in September (when most are in school)

4. Private table for dinner: see #1 (concierge gets prioritized for private table requests)


Other: we smile politely when they ask about the surveys (then ignore), and we like the DCL atriums.

Best wishes on your future cruises.

The thing is, I don’t feel like I should have to pay an exorbitant amount extra for Concierge to receive features which on any other cruise line I would never be expected to pay for, like a dinner where the food isn’t being thrown at me, or a debarkation where at least some form of effort is made to keep the inevitable chaos to a minimum. So for me that doesn’t work as a solution.

And I know the snapping crew member is a rare exception, but it’s very difficult to put that behind me.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I'm confused by this statement. You're disappointed that other people had opinions different than yours?

Totally understand your confusion. I would never be disappointed that other people would have opinions differs than mine, and I certainly didn’t mean to imply that.

Maybe a better way of phrasing it is that I’m frustrated that the expectations I had formed from my research were so monumentally counter to the actual experience. And the experience was negative enough to make me question the accuracy of what I researched.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Im a solo cruiser, have now done 2 DCL cruises in Europe with a 3rd booked for this summer.

Foe me, I did a lot of research before my cruises and went on the ships knowing it was like in the parks, that children / families are the main target and adults, solo or couples without children are welcome but not the main target.

I special requested a private table for the MDR, so that I could pace the meal. I would skip the soup, and order apps and ask for them to be brought at the same time.

I specifically choose activities and things which go against the main crowd patterns. I get up early to watch the sunrise, go to cove cafe. I never eat in Cabanas, I have breakfast and lunch in the MDR, far more chilled and relaxed meals.

For me its all about managing expectations and knowing that if you dont want to be around screaming kids, you have to make the effort to make the cruise work for you.

 

[Chemist]

Maybe a better way of phrasing it is that I’m frustrated that the expectations I had formed from my research were so monumentally counter to the actual experience. And the experience was negative enough to make me question the accuracy of what I researched.

Honestly, I've never trusted influencers, you-tubers, bloggers, etc. They always say, "The cruise/experience/product was complimentary but the opinions are all mine.

If they had negative opinions, they wouldn't be getting the complimentary cruise/experience/product.
They are literally just advertising. I take them about as seriously as the commercials on television.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I guess what I’m most disappointed in are all the fawning reviews from podcasters whose opinion I truly respect. For us, the cruise line just didn’t measure up.

The Podcaster or reviewers may have reasons for not fully revealing their criticisms. So you learned not to believe everything on the internet. Of course I don't know who you listen to so that may not be the case.

None of your comments are original. They've been discussed before. I agree with some and.disagree with some. Some go in the "duh" category like comments on kids. And for me some are in the no big deal category.

But i do think your evaluation is certainly reasonable and accurate.

Mostly I wish they would up the food level a bit. But as long passengers continue to give servers top evaluations Disney won't get the message . They will go into their staff meetings with execs showing the glowing reports from their divisions and get a pat on the back.

Overall I have found enough advantages to continue with DCL. Sorry you had such a negative experience.
[/QUOTE]

I appreciate your honesty and thoughts! I don’t think I ever meant to imply that the issues I brought up were uniquely original and only ever experienced by my wife and I. But we did experience them, so of course they were a part of our trip report.

Only thing from your review that was a little odd as there is an adults only section, and you were off put of the amount of kids on a Disney ship…? Disney is essentially for children, and for children at heart. I love seeing the kids having the time of their lives, but maybe that’s a perspective from a dad? Either way there was a retreat for adults.

An absolutely fair point! Of course we expected a ton of kids. It’s Disney! And my wife and I are big kids too! But what we witnessed at the main pool area, for me, went beyond our expectations to an almost unimaginable level. You know when you see a beehive, the structure itself isn’t visible…instead, you just see an enormous amount of the little creatures crawling all over each other, going about their business, and it’s an amazing but pretty unusual sight. Thats the only comparison I can think of! The pool area was so monumentally packed with what appeared to be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kids / families that my only reaction was a sense of disbelief that so much humanity could occupy such a small space!

We did love the adult pool area, which was nice, when it was open. Sadly it was closed midday because of the wind on our second and last sea day. The adult pool by the cove bar was already packed, so that seating option wasn’t available. So we went inside looking for a cozy space that was quiet to read and watch the sea go by. There wasn’t any.

That said, it was totally our mistake to underestimate the amount of kids on a Disney cruise. Of course that’s on us.

 

[jimmymc]

They scattered them on the Wish, and oh boy, people complain about that.

Disney really can't win with their dedicated adult areas. They make big separate ones on the older ships, and the bars are empty after 9 pm. Then they spread them around the ship, allowing more people to visit and see them, and people don't like how they're spread out.

 

[nancipants]

We did love the adult pool area, which was nice, when it was open. Sadly it was closed midday because of the wind on our second and last sea day. The adult pool by the cove bar was already packed, so that seating option wasn’t available. So we went inside looking for a cozy space that was quiet to read and watch the sea go by. There wasn’t any.

It's not inside, but the promenade on Deck 4 is my favorite place to relax. Grab a lounge chair and watch the sea (and runners and walkers) go by.

 

[ThinkTink91]

Former DCL crew member here!

The bad
1. A low kid count on Dream Class is usually 1100 with the highest I've seen about 1600 (that is ONLY 3-12, does not include 13-17) it's a lot of kids and especially on short cruises we brace ourselves for sea day (I would have about 3 coffees on a sea day )

3. You can always request something but I think they just wanted to let you know that it's possible you wouldn't get it again, not that you can't, just making sure your expectations aren't skewed to think that it's a given.

4. The atrium is utilized more depending on your POC. If it's a sea day you're going to see more meet and greets, musicians, games like Jack Jacks diaper race. If a port is popular (as in most guests choose to get off) they aren't going to schedule us to run an activity that's going to have a low turnout, they'd rather utilize staff at a better time. Nassau we would call Sea Day 2.0 because a significant amount of people choose to stay onboard so they schedule accordingly.

5. Personally I love the district, took me a bit to get used to the Wish with all their scattered bars (I ended up liking it) but like anything it's a to each their own type of thing. Most clubs in my hometown are windowless so it never once occured to me that it might be weird

1. First seating is almost always rushed. My mom prefers it because she likes eating early, I prefer late seating because then I'm a) not stuffed to the brim in the theater and b) it's less rushed cause they don't have to prepare for anyone after me.

2. Some crew members are EXCELLENT at bringing up the survey in a light comedic way and others have yet to find a natural way to it. (On the survey it does ask if you felt pressured to give a high rating, rate it honestly that you did so that they know it's something they need to work on) I totally get it as I have known servers personally so I know what their work experience is like and that scores are more important to them, I know that I could never. (I'm a former YA) I have a lot of patience for housekeeping/servers when I am a guest because I know what their schedule is like and that their privileges are WAY less than what mine were (they can not go to guest areas in their down time, I could go to the shows, the movies, vanellopes, the pools and hot tubs, match your mate etc etc. they are not allowed to) I would not survive one contract in their shoes, I am weak, sorry for my rant I just have mad respect for them.

3. Debarkation. When I left DCL we were doing debarkation by bag tag, they would call out green Tinkerbell on the PA, and green tink was supposed to go. Unfortunately it's a bit like the airport where people go and line up before their turn and it's a mess even though we tried to keep it organized and going smoothly.

I'm shocked that the officer responded that way, that is very unusual and I'm sorry that was your last interaction.

Cabanas being closed is very weird, I wonder if they've been having a low turnout and it's no longer financially beneficial to have it open (they do keep track of things like turnout so maybe they spotted a trend of more
ppl choosing MDR)

If you were to give DCL another chance I would recommend the Magic or the Wonder. They are smaller ships which means less kids (their numbers are more 800-900) it is smaller so you might not see a difference but I certainly did (also med cruises have a lower kid count as well. Not sure about Alaska, I never did that one but I believe it's similar to the med where it's a smaller kid count) my med cruise was 150 but it was post covid on the Magic, hardly counts. I believe last year's med on the Dream had about 450 kids.

 

[Travel60]

Lol that dark lumpy hallway was designed to mimic the architecture of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona.

Yeah, I've been there, did the Gaudi tour, .... don't remember anything like that.

 

[auntlynne]

Lol that dark lumpy hallway was designed to mimic the architecture of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona.

All these years later and now I find out. That gives it a tie-in to the fabulous tile murals in the bath rooms there (the flamenco and bullfighter) - again, tile as Gaudi would use, along with curves.

Art and architecture lesson