First let me say that there are so many variables with a WDW vacation (i.e. weather, personal preferences, the individual CMs you make contact w/, if the chef is having an on or off day) that our experiences cannot be counted on to provide an accurate prediction of the experience that others may have.
THE TRIP: 7 day land/sea package w/ 1 add-on night.
5 nights at the Poly, 3 nights on the Wonder. (See the WDW Trip Report board for the Land report.)
DATES: May 19, 2001 - May 27th 2001.
OUR GANG: Me, DH, DD(12), DS(3), DS(Turned 1 first night of the cruise!)
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. The sheer beauty of the ship, the restaurants, the rooms. WOW!
2. Celebrating DS's 1st birthday at the Animator's Palate the first night of the cruise!
3. The clubs. The kids loved them. Gave me and DH some wonderful time alone together in the evenings.
4. The Castaway Party. Was very festive. As first time cruisers, it was very exciting!
LOWLIGHTS:
1. I felt a bit seasick a couple of hours after getting on board. I took a couple of Bonine and got right over it. Didn't bother me again and never bothered the rest of the family.
2. Lifeboat drill. I appreciate the importance, but it was miserable in the hot crowds in those uncomfortable lifejackets holding a struggling, angry baby and trying to keep our crying 3 year old from taking his off.
3. THE SPA. What should have been a relaxing treatment was ruined due to the pushy sales pitch that went on relentlessly the entire time. When I very politely said "no, thank you" to the $800 product package that the attendant was trying to push on me, she huffed out of the room, and then came back and was sulky and cold the rest of the time. I don't intend to spend $120 again to be treated in that manner.
MINI REVIEWS (Grade Scale: A = Excellent; B = Good; C = Fair; D = Poor; F = Failure.)
Stateroom = A-. Was Cat 4 room 8528. Loved the verandah. Was noisy hearing loud music from somewhere late at night one night, which is why the -.
CMs = A+. Excellent service.
Servers = A+. Again, excellent service. Louis and Balaze were our waiters.
SPA = D due to poor service. It's a shame. It has A potential in my mind.
Flounder's = A. Took DS(1) each evenings. The workers were great.
Oceaneer's Club and Lab = A+. Outstanding environment and programs. Kids loved it.
Guest Services = C. They forgot to inform the waiters that it was DSs birthday. I had to tell them myself after the meal and desert was over and it was time to leave, so we got the cake really late. They also forgot to give me my wake up call the last day, so we missed breakfast and were dashing around like mad finishing our packing and getting ready to leave.
Pools = C. Cute design, but small and too crowded during the days. Would recommend swimming at night.'
Castaway Cay = A. Would have been perfect if the rain hadn't ended all the fun early! Absolute paradise!!!
Nassau Day = B+. We took a cab to Comfort Suites where we got a room and spent the day at Atlantis. Would have been an A except the hotel check in/out was a hassle and getting a cab over was a hassle. Next time I'll pay the extra $ and get the room at Atlantis for the day. The return trip was fine.
Shows = A. Just went to Disney Dreams. A bit corney, but very entertaining. DS(3) and DD loved it. They premiered Pearl Harbor on the ship, but we didn't get to make it due to Palos ressies.
Disney's system and efficiency = A. Extremely well organized.
Crowd manageability = B. No real complaints about crowds. Wait for an elevator was long at times.
Weather = B. Very smooth sailing, but overcast and rainy on the Nassau and Castaway Cay days. Lovely evenings.
Restaurants:
Parrot's Cay: Embarkation buffet = A. Excellent food for lunch that day. Breakfast = D. Not even the baby would eat the breakfast food. The eggs were disgusting. Didn't have dinner there.
Animators Palate = A for dinner. Had a great time. Beautiful restaurant.
Tritons = A for dinner. Excellent food. Kids got a little restless.
Pinnochio's Pizza = C-. Pretty bad pizza.
Beach Blanket Buffet = C- for breakfast. Pretty bad food.
Palos = A. Beautiful, delicious, great service.
Cookie's BBQ = A. LOVED it!
Clubs = A. We loved the Cadillac Lounge. Most of the clubs had great horderves.
OVERALL CRUISE EXPERIENCE = A.
OVERALL WDW LAND EXPERIENCE = A.
Next year it's Hawaii for me and DH, then a Mediterranian cruise in 2003, then back to WDW for the same trip in 2004! Would seriously consider a 7 day cruise, but want to wait until youngest DS is old enough for the Oceneer's club. Would probably go for the Cat 3 with a 7 day cruise.
Counting the days till we return!!
THE TRIP: 7 day land/sea package w/ 1 add-on night.
5 nights at the Poly, 3 nights on the Wonder. (See the WDW Trip Report board for the Land report.)
DATES: May 19, 2001 - May 27th 2001.
OUR GANG: Me, DH, DD(12), DS(3), DS(Turned 1 first night of the cruise!)
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. The sheer beauty of the ship, the restaurants, the rooms. WOW!
2. Celebrating DS's 1st birthday at the Animator's Palate the first night of the cruise!
3. The clubs. The kids loved them. Gave me and DH some wonderful time alone together in the evenings.
4. The Castaway Party. Was very festive. As first time cruisers, it was very exciting!
LOWLIGHTS:
1. I felt a bit seasick a couple of hours after getting on board. I took a couple of Bonine and got right over it. Didn't bother me again and never bothered the rest of the family.
2. Lifeboat drill. I appreciate the importance, but it was miserable in the hot crowds in those uncomfortable lifejackets holding a struggling, angry baby and trying to keep our crying 3 year old from taking his off.
3. THE SPA. What should have been a relaxing treatment was ruined due to the pushy sales pitch that went on relentlessly the entire time. When I very politely said "no, thank you" to the $800 product package that the attendant was trying to push on me, she huffed out of the room, and then came back and was sulky and cold the rest of the time. I don't intend to spend $120 again to be treated in that manner.
MINI REVIEWS (Grade Scale: A = Excellent; B = Good; C = Fair; D = Poor; F = Failure.)
Stateroom = A-. Was Cat 4 room 8528. Loved the verandah. Was noisy hearing loud music from somewhere late at night one night, which is why the -.
CMs = A+. Excellent service.
Servers = A+. Again, excellent service. Louis and Balaze were our waiters.
SPA = D due to poor service. It's a shame. It has A potential in my mind.
Flounder's = A. Took DS(1) each evenings. The workers were great.
Oceaneer's Club and Lab = A+. Outstanding environment and programs. Kids loved it.
Guest Services = C. They forgot to inform the waiters that it was DSs birthday. I had to tell them myself after the meal and desert was over and it was time to leave, so we got the cake really late. They also forgot to give me my wake up call the last day, so we missed breakfast and were dashing around like mad finishing our packing and getting ready to leave.
Pools = C. Cute design, but small and too crowded during the days. Would recommend swimming at night.'
Castaway Cay = A. Would have been perfect if the rain hadn't ended all the fun early! Absolute paradise!!!
Nassau Day = B+. We took a cab to Comfort Suites where we got a room and spent the day at Atlantis. Would have been an A except the hotel check in/out was a hassle and getting a cab over was a hassle. Next time I'll pay the extra $ and get the room at Atlantis for the day. The return trip was fine.
Shows = A. Just went to Disney Dreams. A bit corney, but very entertaining. DS(3) and DD loved it. They premiered Pearl Harbor on the ship, but we didn't get to make it due to Palos ressies.
Disney's system and efficiency = A. Extremely well organized.
Crowd manageability = B. No real complaints about crowds. Wait for an elevator was long at times.
Weather = B. Very smooth sailing, but overcast and rainy on the Nassau and Castaway Cay days. Lovely evenings.
Restaurants:
Parrot's Cay: Embarkation buffet = A. Excellent food for lunch that day. Breakfast = D. Not even the baby would eat the breakfast food. The eggs were disgusting. Didn't have dinner there.
Animators Palate = A for dinner. Had a great time. Beautiful restaurant.
Tritons = A for dinner. Excellent food. Kids got a little restless.
Pinnochio's Pizza = C-. Pretty bad pizza.
Beach Blanket Buffet = C- for breakfast. Pretty bad food.
Palos = A. Beautiful, delicious, great service.
Cookie's BBQ = A. LOVED it!
Clubs = A. We loved the Cadillac Lounge. Most of the clubs had great horderves.
OVERALL CRUISE EXPERIENCE = A.
OVERALL WDW LAND EXPERIENCE = A.
Next year it's Hawaii for me and DH, then a Mediterranian cruise in 2003, then back to WDW for the same trip in 2004! Would seriously consider a 7 day cruise, but want to wait until youngest DS is old enough for the Oceneer's club. Would probably go for the Cat 3 with a 7 day cruise.
Counting the days till we return!!