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Note -this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Gerard F Ventolo
Email: ventolo_gerard_f_bns.att.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Sales Director
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Magic
SailingDate: 09/21/98
Itinerary: 4 Night - Bahamas
FoodDiningRoom: 40
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 30
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 20
CabinSteward: 30
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 30
DeckService: 50
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 70
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 40
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 0
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 70
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 30
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Oct 1998
Time: 18:04:55
Remote Name: 192.128.133.43
Remote User:
Comments
The Disney Magic is a good family value if you want to experience a Disney style property
that floats. The ship's lines and structure are beautiful,
however, the public space, lounges and restaurants are very inferior to those found on the
new mega liners of other leading cruise lines. The
cabins are large and comfortable and the veranda cabins are equal to those on the newer
ships. The ship has no library or casino.
The major disappointment if the food. Both the quality and presentation are poor. The
dining rooms are too noisy and lack the formal atmosphere
of a luxury cruise ship. The food is not much better than the food served in Disney's
bufferteria style hotel food courts. Don't plan on any fancy
midnight buffets. Disney has chosen to have a midnight buffet on only one evening. The
other evenings wait staff move around the lounge areas
with trays of snacks.
Disney does succeed in delivering a fantastic private island experience. Castaway Cay is
everything one expects of Disney. Ship docks at the
island; you can easily move between the beach and the ship; and there is more than enough
beach space and shade for everyone. No need to
race to the beach to stake out a good spot. In fact, Castaway Cay would probably be a
great spot to spend a couple of nights in lieu of Disney
World.
The children programs are excellent and areas are well equipped with computers and toys.
Staff is very good and parents receive beepers when
they drop children off. Kids can stay all day and have their own dinner experience. And
most amazingly,its all free!
Adult entertainment is styled after Pleasure Island with a couple of different clubs and
lounges. No minors allowed. The clubs are not crowded. The
rest of the entertainment is focused on kids and all productions are Disney themed.
Embark and disembark were very smooth and fast. Shipboard staff are mostly young adults
from multiple countries. Very friendly but not cruise line
professionals. Epcot staff personalities.
All in all a fair value given we only paid introductory rates. Kids were $99 each and
veranda cabin rate was less than $900 per adult. However, for
similar rates you can cruise for a week on Celebrity's Mercury or a Carnival ship and
experience a much more luxurious ship, great meals and Las
Vegas entertainment.
Name: Laura Cleaves
Email: LCLEAVE@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
Age: 43
Occupation: Law Enforcement
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Magic
SailingDate: 09/28/98
Itinerary: Nassua/Castaway Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 50
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 50
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 60
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 65
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 60
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Nov 1998
Time: 16:08:57
Remote Name: 161.213.162.59
Remote User:
Comments
This trip was planned around our 20th anniversary and we brought close friends from
Australia with us to help celebrate, so we were a party of 4
adults. We booked our trip over 1 1/2 yrs. in advance, almost when the first brochures
came out. I expected a few glitches along the way since Disney
is new to cruises, but we had more than our share! We went all out for this cruise and
booked a two bedroom stateroom. I urge anyone doing the
same to check their bookings carefully. Mid-way through our booking when we added an
additional two night 'pre-package', we found an unexpected
$1,000 added to our original package. We discovered that this charge was to give us a
second room at our hotel. It seems Disney expected all 4
adults to share a hotel room at the Grand Floridian as a 'family share'. We carefully
explained the point of paying for a 2 bedroom stateroom with 2
couples (privacy, own bathrooms, etc.), and stated that the land portion should match the
sea accomodation-either a 2 room suite or at least 2
standard rooms. It took months of arguing and a letter to Disney Cruise's CEO to be
resolved. We also found that since Disney had raised it's prices 3
times before the ship was even in the water, there were several errors in the amounts
charged for the 3rd/4th passengers, airfare credits, etc. Finally
all was resolved and we were on our way!
Since most Disney cruises are sold as a package with a Disney World portion I would like
to just make a couple quick comments about our stay there.
The Grand Floridian was spectacular, however I would stay away from rooms that face the
pool at any of the Disney Resorts as there always seem to
be those incredibly rude/drunk guests who party loudly at 3 am by the pool, and Disney
staff are not into confrontation and removing unruly guests.
We found the food at every restaurant we tried to be excellent and a fairly decent value.
(We had however, done some advance research to avoid
disappointment!)The theme parks were great and given the time of year we had minimal
lines. The Disney transportation system was very effective. All
members of our party throughly enjoyed themselves.
Now to the cruise itself-The Disney Magic is beautiful. We found her to be well laid out
and nicely appointed. I heard several complaints from other
guests that some areas were too 'cutesy'. My comment to them is the same as those who
complain that there were lots of children around- why did
you book on a Disney cruise? We came expecting a first-rate, nicely done, Disney
experience and for the most part the Disney Magic delivers. The spa
and exercise areas were better than any I have seen on a cruise ship and better than many
facilities on land. Typically though treatments are pricey
and get booked up right away so you have to plan ahead. Those in the one and two bedroom
suites have concierge service which was fabulous! The
concierge staff made all of our appointments and reservations, cashed traveler's cheques,
handled a very special request my husband made for our
anniversary, and took care of everything! The two room suite was incredible-very large for
ship accomodations, nicely decorated (not a Mickey Mouse
in sight), and had every amenity you could want. We were somewhat disappointed that the
two rooms were not equal in size and detail. Obviously one
is intended as a master bedroom and the other for children. This was not reflected in any
of the brochures. Our guests insisted that we have the nicer
room as we were the anniversary couple, but given the overall expense to both couples I
wished the rooms had been the same.
Disney definitely gears their package towards families, and every kid I spoke to was
having a great time. But there is a lack of activities for
adults-especially during the day. You can only spend just so much time (and Money) at the
spa or lying on the deck. There was a lack of the fun games
and activities I have experienced on other cruises and also no casino. So the one day at
sea can become a bore. Nassau is O.K. if you want to shop in
a crowded, less than clean, environment. Disney should strike up an alliance with the
Atlantis resort so you could spend your day in Nassau at a clean
beach, renting a wave runner, or gambling in a beautiful casino. We knew from previous
trips to Nassua where to head, but I don't think most guests
had any idea what was available. By contrast, Disney's own island, Castaway Cay, is fun,
clean, offers a few activities. (No wave runners, parasailing,
or the like.)Having the ship pull up to the island was wonderful-no tenders needed.
The evening shows were great, very g-rated, and with some wonderful props and special
effects.
Now to a major complaint-food. Disney has a wonderful idea, having you dine in a variety
of imaginative dining rooms. But they fail to consistently
deliver quality food and service. Palo's (adults only, reservations required, additional
service charge) was the one bright spot. The food was excellent,
nicely presented, with quick and attentive service. The meals in the other dining rooms
varied from satisfactory to terrible. The same wait staff rotates
with you through the dining rooms (except at Palo's) our waitor and assistant could never
get their act together and twice we had to leave before
dessert to make the shows. I realize that food must be prepared in advance and held, but
my appetizer plate at the Animator's Palate was partially
frozen. Parrot Cay sits at the very back of the ship, and besides having poor choice and
quality of food, a little rough seas can cause many guests to
lose their appetite completely. There was one midnight buffet (offered after the
complaining of many quests on the first few cruises which had no
midnight buffets). It looked and tasted like the afterthought that it obviously is. The
trays of snacks passed around at midnight on other nights were
very tasty, but limited in number and the waiters had to be flagged down. Service was also
a problem with some of the clubs/bars. Since the ship
operates on a cash-less system, it can take forever to swipe your magnetic card (which can
go bad, my husband went throught 3), print the receipt
and then still require you to print your name, cabin number, and sign your name. One of
our party frequently left the comedy club at show time to go to
a less crowded bar to bring back drinks. Waiters were few in number or seemed to only be
able to deal with one customer/one trip to the bar at a time.
The Sessions piano lounge was quiet, uncrowded, had the largest portholes I've ever seen
for watching the ocean, and was the only place on the ship
to get caviar if one was so inclined.
By the way the cash-less system is also a very easy way to lose track of how much money
you are adding to your tab. Which brings me to my other
complaint, money. As I said at the start we new going in this was a special trip, and
planned on expending quite a few greenbacks knowing that
nothing associated with Disney is ever inexpensive. But guests should beware-although
Disney may not have the sable coat and diamond reputation
of some luxury cruise lines, your wallet will feel just as light when you get your bill.
For starters, our bill had over $200 of inaccurate charges on it.
Beware of the gift shop as we were hard pressed to find moderately priced souveniors for
the kids at home unless you plan on getting your 12 yr old
the $1200 diamond Tinkerbelle pin. The cash-less system automatically assigns a 15%
service charge to every bar tab, spa service, or other fee you
incur, so check carefully before you add a tip to anything. Just when you are relaxing
from your facial at the spa the attendant trots in with your
'prescription' for $400 worth of creams and gels that you really should buy if you want to
see a difference. If you want a nice mat to float on at
Castaway Cay that will be $5 each please. Bring a suitable limit available credit card to
get you off the ship.
Despite some problems and complaints along the way, overall we had a wonderful time as did
our guests. If we were to cruise with our children I would
bring them to the Disney Magic. However, next time for my husband and I, the choice will
be a different cruise line.
Name: Sherry Spinelli
Email: asstspins@aol.com
Age: 41
Occupation: home childcare
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Magic
SailingDate: November 23, 1998
Itinerary: pleasure
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Nov 1998
Time: 21:12:46
Remote Name: 205.188.192.27
Remote User:
Comments
My husband and I went on the Disney Magic for our 20th anniversary. Our travel agent
informed them of this occasion. Before going onto the ship, I
realized I lost my pocketbook at the Polynesian hotel. Guest services called the hotel,
but it had not been found. We had to use pay phones to contact
the bank and the credit card. We also had to change the credit card on our account. This
was done very easily. Going onto the ship was very easy, our
key to the world worked very well. We entered our room with no trouble and met our room
steward immediately. We went up to the buffet which was
very nice. We went for the emergency drill with no trouble and when we returned our bags
were in the room. We had the late seating for dinner, so we
usually got a snack up on deck. They had hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, and fries available.
We took a tour of the spa and my husband decided he
wanted a facial massage. He waited in line and signed up for it. The first night we had
dinner at Animator's Palate. It was very nice. We liked the way
the room gained color throughout the meal. I was impressed with how fast they served the
children at all of our meals. The children usually had their
dessert when the parents were having their meal. Dessert was brought out in a flourish
with the waiters' vests turned around to reveal lots of colors.
We then went to the improv comedy show, which was excellent. As we passed the Rockin Bar
D, the band that was there caught our ears. They were
very good playing many songs that we were very familiar with.
We stayed for a while and danced. The next day we were at sea. It rained all day, but
we kept ourselves busy. I played Bingo and read a book on deck. There was enough coverage
that you could stay out. I took some time to check out
the shops and some of the other areas of the ship. This was the night we were celebrating
our anniversary. We had reservations for Palo at 10 pm.
We had a wonderful meal with a very nice waiter, but even though we mentioned our
anniversay, nothing special was done. When we returned to our
room, we had towels arranged on the bottom of our bed with candies. We were not sure if it
had some meaning but it was very pretty. When we left
the room on our anniversary morning, our steward was very quick to say happy anniversary.
That was the only time anyone mentioned our
anniversary. We arrived at Nassau around 7 am and we went on deck to watch the ship turn
around and back into the slip. We took the small boat
over to Paradise and the Atlantis hotel. We won 60 dollars in quarters and decided to take
them home to save for our next trip. We went to see the
aquarium and the beach. Both were beautiful. We went back to the ship for lunch. We had
breakfast and lunch at Lumieres and enjoyed them both.
Our waiter showed us some table tricks. My husband took a nap on deck and later I took a
nap in our room. I woke up with very little time to get ready.
We had dinner at Parrot Cay--it was Junkanoo night.
Our meals were good, but we noticed that our servers did not seem to get along. We
asked our
assistant waiter to take our picture because it was our anniversary. He expressed dismay
that we didn't have a cake and he will make sure we have
one tomorrow. Tonights entertainment was Bahamian dancers and Junkanoo celebration. A very
enjoyable show. We danced the rest of the night and
had fruit and cakes. The next day was our day at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. It
is very beautiful, well maintained and staffed. I rented a float
and spent half the day floating near older children playing. We found the adult beach too
quiet and boring. We really enjoyed the barbecue and fruits.
We did a little shopping and went back to the boat around 2. You had to be back by 4
because we sailed at 5 pm. I played Bingo and won 95 dollars (
it cost me 90 dollars through the days to play). Oh well at least I came out ahead. Our
dinner tonight was at Lumieres. The dining room is beautiful and
very elegant. Dinner was good, but problems still seem to be between our waiters. There
was no mention of our anniversary and we didn't push it. We
had to have our luggage out by midnight, so I stayed and packed while my husband saw the
last comedy show. We had the early theater time. The
shows were probably great for children, but a little boring for adults. We did not go to
the movie theater. We saw a little of the game shows, but there
were conflictions with other activities. We really enjoyed the cruise, we did not find
that the children on board bothered us. There were a lot of families
there probably because it was Thanksgiving week. It was really nice to see so many
families. We found our stateroom very comfortable and clean. We
would do it again.
Name: Jill McGaughey
Email: augustgroup@fuse.net
Age: 37
Occupation: Computer Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Magic
SailingDate: November 27, 1998
Itinerary: Port Canaveral, Nassau to Castaway Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 60
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 65
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 70
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Dec 1998
Time: 17:29:08
Remote Name: 216.68.34.20
Remote User:
Comments
The atmosphere in Palo's was very enchanting and surprisingly quiet. The food in Palo's
was fantastic and tastefully presented. The service
was excellent. Our waiter explained the menu in detail and answered every question we had.
We ate at Palo's two nights and wish we ate
there the third night also.
The one night we did not eat at Palo's was the one night we ate at Lumiere's. That was a
mistake. In the Disney tradition, the crew is not
going to be confrontational with the passengers. As a result, the late seating did not
begin until 8:50pm instead of the announced 8:30.
Surprisingly there were a significant number of children at the late seating and some of
them were asleep after the main course.
The food was inadequate and cold, the service was poor and the noise level was atrocious.
If you wanted anything cooked well done or
medium well you were out of luck. Lumiere's only cooks medium, which is more like medium
rare. However, their hamburgers at lunch are only
medium well. Go figure.
There was a midnight table service in the adult only area that entailed many of the
waiters and waitresses from the restaurants carrying trays
of a variety of foods around for everyone to taste. The foods included fruit, shrimp,
cheese and crackers, egg rolls among others.
Our cabin was clean and neatly kept every day. The turndown service was a very nice touch.
Our cabin steward was very efficient and kept
everything in order. The first night on the ship one of our lights burnt out and there was
a new lightbulb within a few hours.
The adult entertainment was very nice. Since we do not have children and really wanted to
spend time with other adults, the ship had a variety
of adult entertainment. We saw 2 improv comedy shows that were very funny. We also went to
the Rocking D Bar and listened to the music
group Triple Threat and they were very good. The only problem we had was that numerous
adults brought their children to the bar and the
comedy show. During one comedy show, a small child approximately 6 months started crying
in the middle of the performance and continued
to cry for the next 30 minutes. Needless to say it was very hard to listen to the
performance and to listen to a child crying that was in an all
adult area. When questioned by a few of the passengers, Disney would not enforce the adult
only area.
The cruise activities planned were very nice if you could attend them. Most of the
activities were during castoff or during preparations for early
seating.
One final note that came as a surprise to all the smokers that booked smoking rooms as
Disney World: the ship is non-smoking in most all
areas including the staterooms. The only areas you can smoke are outside on the 4th, 9th
and 10th decks, Rocking D Bar and ESPN Zone.
Name: Kate Bradley
Email: KateDen@aol.com
Age: 51
Occupation: Systems Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Magic
SailingDate: November 23, 1998
Itinerary: Nassau-Castaway Cay (4 days)
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 99
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 70
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Dec 1998
Time: 21:24:40
Remote Name: 152.163.213.62
Remote User:
Comments
Our group included me (Kate), my husband (Dennis), Robyn - age 14 and my mom - in her late
70's. Dennis and I are, well, over
40. My manager at work and her family went on the cruise just before oursand they agree
pretty much with my general
observations. They have a son, age 13 and a 2 year old daughter.
Arrival After reading the boards, we decided to take our Avis rental to Port Canaveral. We
arrived around 11:30, dropped Robyn,
my mom and the luggage off, then drove less than two miles to the Radisson hotel to return
the car. They drove us back to the
ship (along with a father and son who were jealous because they were on the BRB).
Check in was very easy and were boarded right at noon. We stopped at guest services to ask
about priority Palo reservations
and the bridge tour since we had paid with Amex. They gave us blank stares. Finally one
said that they don't do reservations and
that we would receive an invitation for the bridge tour (we never did). They did give us a
$100 credit for annual passes (which we
may not have deserved since we did the cruise only portion). It would be nice if they
standardized the perks so you know what to
expect.
We found our cabin, rested and unpacked, then I went up to make reservations around 1:30.
First went to Palo where I was
around tenth in line. Got the time and day I wanted with no problem.
The life boat drill was a pain, but it was good to know what to do.
Cabin We had a category 11 cabin and it was fine for the two of us. However we decided
that we would definitely have a window
or, preferably, a veranda if we cruise again. We would have enjoyed watching the world go
by from our room. My manager had a
category 10 (also inside) and agreed that she would want to splurge. The inside cabins are
very nice and surprisingly spacious,
but I would love to sit on a veranda and read or relax. By the way, we didn ,t get any
towel animals, but everything was clean.
Maybe only kids get the special stuff.
Food! This seems to be a hot topic, so here ,s my opinion. Keep in mind we live in the
Northern California wine country, halfway
between Lark Creek Inn and John Ash (both featured at the Epcot wine and cheese festival),
so we are used to good food. With
one exception, we thought the dinners were excellent, well executed, well presented and
just plain delicious. Every evening was
a new venue and a new opportunity for great food and wine. With the exception of Lumiere,
most of the wine came from our area
and complemented the dishes well (and didn't seem way out of line cost-wise). The only
disappointment was selecting turkey on
Thanksgiving at Parrot Cay. It was dry and not too tasty. I wish I had selected the jerk
steak.
Our servers, Sam from London and Kryzstian from Budapest, were wonderful. They really
added to our trip and we did mention
them in our final comments.
Breakfasts and lunches were good, not spectacular, but well prepared. My husband was
excited about having lox and bagels
every day. The omelets were very good and the fresh fruit was, well, fresh. We had our
lunches and dinners in Parrot Cay or
Lumiere. I did not get to Topsiders, but the rest of my party raved about the welcome
buffet (especially the huge shrimp). Robyn
was not so enthused about the buffet breakfasts there. We tried Pinocchio's for pizza the
first day (we were busy making
reservations and the buffet line was too long) and though it was just okay.
We were fortunate enough to get reservations at Palo. The food was California cuisine
meets Northern Italian. We each had
appetizers, salads and soup. We all ordered the rack of lamb in a reduced wine sauce and
it was fantastic. The chocolate souffle
with chocolate and vanilla sauce was to-die-for! However, I must admit that I enjoyed the
food in the other restaurants just as
much, so I wouldn't be upset if I couldn't get reservations. If you like plain food, I
would stick with the regular restaurants. It would
be nice if Palo served desserts late in the evening with coffee or liqueur.
Entertainment We were prepared to be underwhelmed by the entertainment and each brought
several books, but we were quite
happy with the offerings and only read our books late at night. However, we thoroughly
enjoyed the two musical productions we
saw. We thought that they were very professionally done and quite entertaining. We watched
Simon Birch and The Parent Trap
(missed Mulan). We attended a couple bingo sessions (spent $40, won $38) and went to a
Disney Trivia contest.
We passed on the wine tasting, the how to do your genealogy sessions and the shopping in
the Bahamas talk simply because
we had other things to do. We also missed Beat Street. We planned to go there Junkanoo
night, but they were closed up. The
last night it looked like they were singing/playing to an empty house. Junkanoo was fun
and we enjoyed sitting on the deck
drinking our very large pina coladas.
Robyn was involved in the teen program at Common Grounds and enjoyed it after the first
day or so. She didn't see kids her age
and didn't know how to break into the older groups. But by the end of the cruise she had
made friends and we only saw her at
meals. It might be good to have mixers early on (I don't think they started until late the
first evening).
My mother had hoped for more opportunities to meet other seniors (her friends have gone on
other cruises and raved about the
activities). It would have been nice to have more quiet activities geared for the older
cruises, such as cards and board games.
They did have card time scheduled, but they were one hour once a day and were scheduled at
times we couldn't be there.
Nassau My mom and I took the Historic Harbor Cruise and enjoyed it immensely. There were
only 12 of us on a very large boat,
so we had plenty of room to stretch out. We toured the entire harbor area and went by
Paradise Island out to the natural
preserve. It was a nice relaxing time. As we disembarked we saw a crowd going on the glass
bottom boat and were pleased we
had selected the other cruise. It appeared that you had to stand up to look down into the
water.
After the cruise we went into town and shopped for an hour or so. I agree that there's not
a lot there to do. However, we did enjoy
the interaction with the vendors and bought a few things. I know some people were
intimidated by the town, but we had several
nice conversations and just said 'no thank you' if we weren't interested. I've traveled a
lot in Mexico, so I knew what to expect. I
work with computers and the vendors work with tourists - we all have a job to do.
Dennis and Robyn went on the snorkeling cruise and really enjoyed it. It was held out in
the preserve area. They actually
snorkeled for around an hour, which was just about right for them. They saw a lot of
marine life.
Castaway Cay Wow! What a paradise! I have to admit that I'm not a beach person and really
didn't think I wanted to go there, but
was I ever wrong!
After breakfast I went off for my appointment for a cabana massage. After a short tranquil
wait, I was called into one of the huts.
All I can say is that it's wonderful ( do it if you possibly can). One side of the hut is
open to the ocean (though you are face down
most of the time and can't really look at it). There's a fan going that blows a gentle
breeze over you as your feet, back, neck and
scalp are massaged. I thought that it just doesn't get much better than this! It was $60
for 25 minutes and worth every penny.
Just when I thought things couldn't get better, I joined Dennis and my mom on the beach at
Serenity Bay. They managed to snag
chairs and umbrellas close to the entrance and the bar. We enjoyed tropical drinks in
'conch shells' as we gazed over the
gorgeous turquoise water. Behind us were palm trees and there was soft calypso music
playing. Now, I haven't been in the ocean
for many years (though we live 15 miles from the Pacific, but it's cold and dangerous),
but I couldn't resist. I rented two blue foam
mats and Dennis and I went out. He was so shocked to see me out there and said it made his
vacation. We paddled and drifted
for about and hour until I realized that my very fair skin wasn't going to be happy.
After that we went over to the outdoor barbecue and had lunch. It was good, nothing
special, but there was a lot of food. The
buffet included barbeque chicken, ribs, beans, rice, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad,
pasta salad, corn and dessert. After that
we watched at the family beach and returned to the ship relaxed and at peace. It was a
wonderful day.
Spa I booked a second massage at the spa. I was supposed to have the combo (back, neck and
face) and Dennis was going to
have a full body. Since we had scheduled them at nearly the same time, they got us mixed
up. He got the facial! Oh well, I still
enjoyed it. I took the spa tour at the beginning and there are a lot of options. Spoil
yourself and try at least one treatment.
Shopping Two small shops on board with a few souvenirs (one had perfume too). I think
there was a liquor shop too, but I didn't
find it. This was not a shop til you drop kind of cruise.
Recommendations 1. Standardize the perks- if you have Amex, or annual passes or whatever,
you should know (and they should
know) what you'll get.
2. Have a better system for reserving cabana massages and Palo. We were lucky to get both,
but I would have been unhappy if I
didn't get the massage at least! A lot of people are unhappy when they are too late for
either and that's not right.
3. Have the personal navigator sorted by time. You had to read through three different
lists to find out what was happening. There
could be a code for the appropriate age group.
4. Plan more daytime activities for adults. Dennis and I were fine, but my mother would
have loved to spend time with other
people.
5. Have mixers for the teens earlier on the first afternoon. It's hard walking into a
group of strangers alone.
6. Spend two days at Castaway Cay on the four day cruises rather than just a day at sea.
7. Have more real family activities. We went to the Disney Trivia event and were
disappointed that only four couples really got to
play and the rest of us were the audience. There are ways to allow everyone to play on
teams. It's a chance for families to have
fun together.
Was it worth it? YES! We all had a wonderful time.
Would I go again? Yes, if they add 7 day cruises with different ports. I love to travel
and there are too many different places I want to see.
Name: Linda Casey
Email: LoveLuRay@aol.com
Age: 45
Occupation: Credit Union Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Magic
SailingDate: 8/3/98 - 8/7/98
Itinerary: Nassau/Castaway Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 50
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 50
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 25
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff: 70
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 25
MedicalFacilities: 80
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Dec 1998
Time: 13:53:18
Remote Name: 152.163.205.48
Remote User:
Comments
I traveled with my teen son, 14. This was our first cruise. I chose this cruise as a
special trip with my son before he grew up and
didn't want to be seen with 'mom'! We were originally supposed to sail earlier but because
of construction delays our cruise was
bumped to the 1st sailing after the maiden voyage. I had misgivings about this because of
concerns about those notorious
glitches on early sailings. I needn't have worried. Yes, there were glitches but nothing
that ruined our experience. The problems
we encountered were management caused and had NOTHING to do with the ship itself or the
majority of their staff whom we
found to be a delight!
The ship itself is absolutely beautiful. I love art deco and it was apparent everywhere.
The public lavatories were even elegant! I
was afraid I was going to be Mickey'd to death on this ship but the Disney characters were
cleverly used and nothing was
overwhelming. It was all stunning and I spent hours just roaming around looking and
breathing it all in!
Our cabin was fantastic! Because it was our first cruise I wanted a verandah. We had a
Navigator's Verandah which we loved.
Rather than a large open deck ours was enclosed with a huge porthole. (Disney called this
an obstructed view and it was
cheaper. I'd request this again!)The porthole kept the wind down to a gentle breeze and
offered some privacy also. It had
instruments built into the wall that were great, like a clock, thermometer, etc. I was
delighted in the layout and amenities. Having
the privacy curtain between the bedroom and sitting room areas was a wonderful touch! The
beds were so comfy we slept like
babies in cradles with the ships gentle rocking motion. My son loved the fact that the
back of the sofa bed was his bed. Rather
than open up like a traditional sofa sleeper you pulled the back of the sofa down onto the
seat and a made-up bed complete with
pillow was there! We had company come after turn down one night and we just flipped the
bed up and the sofa instantly became
the sofa again! How innoventive! Having the split bathroom was wonderful and they were so
pretty. Tons of closet and drawer
space and everything convenient. Very spacious. Perfect!
The rotating restaurant concept is wonderful, also. It was great to enjoy a different
theme each evening. I was able to also try
Palo's and as I had a 4 day cruise I didn't have to miss any of the restaurants. If I was
on the 3 day cruise I would pass on Palo's
and just enjoy the regular restaurants. I enjoyed the food but then I enjoy trying new
things. The first day for lunch I chose
Lumieres and had the best lasagna that I just went there each day. :) The only thing
negative about the food was the lack thereof.
I was shocked that after midnight there was no where you could get anything whatsoever and
I had always been lead to believe
one NEVER went hungry on a cruise ship. I didn't know they served snacks in the lounges at
midnight that first night. The
snacks ran the gamut from pastries to stuffed mushrooms. Disney dropped the ball big time
here. The teens complained of being
hungry in the evening because nothing was offered them at all in their areas of the ship.
I loved Animator's Pallet, both the room
itself and the food. Dessert was a delight.
My son lived in Common Grounds and the arcade. He ate dinner with me one night but
thereafter begged off to be with his new
friends and eat at Topsiders or Pinnochio's. He said the food there was GREAT! I enjoyed
the shows and I would see at least one
or two of the peformances at Off Beat, the improv comedy club. What talent! Rockin Bar D
was pretty quiet the few times I
wandered by but perhaps that was because there were also shows going on at Studio Seas,
etc. Studio Seas seemed to be the
top pick for families with its audience participation game shows, Karoke, etc. The place
was always packed and everyone
seemed happy! I spent many happy hours in the Promenade Lounge. What a great place to both
people watch and see the
ocean. Great drinks and snacks and wonderful staff and entertainers.
In the future I'll know to avoid downtown Nassau and try one of the excursions to a beach
or Atlantis. I enjoyed the straw market
and found a neat cotton-lined tote bag complete with a zipper for only $7.00. We LOVED
Castaway Cay and can't wait to
experience that again. I never did get to see the adult beach as a quick moving storm sent
us all scurrying back to the ship early.
The Bar-b-que was okay but I'd much rather have had that great lasagne in Lumiere's!
Areas that received my low scores.
Food/Room Service: I was disappointed in the selections available. On my cruise even
though room service was advertised as 24
hrs. it was NOT. I understand this has since been corrected. I learned to order several
items before midnight (the cut-off time) so
as to have them avail. when my son or I was hungry. I ordered coffee also and it would
stay hot for when I would wake very, very
early before any was avail. on the ship. We were supposed to have a stocked minibar also.
As everyone knows they weren't and
no one ever told us. My 1st night at about 2 a.m. when I was unable to sleep I thought how
good a drink on the verandah
sounded. Not! :)
Cabin Steward: Ours was merely okay. From reading other cruisers postings I realize that
this is common; some are outstanding
others are less than adequate. Our bed was always made and turn-down service was nice. The
same dirty tables/desk, etc. we
encountered upon arrival were the same throughout our cruise. Bathroom sink was clean,
floor dirty. No toiletries restocked after
we used them the 1st day. I will look forward to those sweet little towel animals on our
next cruise. Being my first cruise I didn't
know I was supposed to be greeted by the steward and that they would bring you ice, etc.
Oh well...we live and learn. :)
Deck Service: What is this? I spent the majority of my cruise walking the decks. One
afternoon I brought my own cup of coffee
with me and sat and read for several hours. No one ever approached me. Were they supposed
to?
Air/Sea: Never again will I allow a cruiseline to book my air. This cruiseline uses
American 'guaranteed to get you there late'
Airlines and true to form we arrived at the PORT at 2:00 p.m. We had a 7 a.m. flight from
Chicago (up since 5 a.m.)! It was at
least an hour checking in before we boarded. No one greeted us as we boarded or took our
picture, no one told us about
Topsiders food, no welcome/intro video was played on the bus. We barely had time to find
our cabin before muster. Since we had
the early dinner seating I had a little time to unpack and my son to explore before
dinner. We hadn't eaten anything since
breakfast so the slow service for food in Parrots Cay was a little frustrating. It was
apparent to all of us at our table that our
waitstaff was inexperienced, although pleasant and they did try their hardest.
Shops: I would have been happier with more! :) I was extremely disappointed in the
non-existance of anything Disney MAGIC.
There was a great selection of Disney Cruise Line items (bring a fat wallet!)but I
couldn't find anything with the ships name on it! I
read posts to the cruise boards that they were avail. but were sold out quickly as people
were buying large quantities. Sad. I
bought a Little Mermaid Sericell that a sign on the wall said was only avail. for purchase
on the Disney Magic however when I got
it home none of the paperwork stated this. Glad I took a picture of the wall of the shop
with the sign.
Photos: There was no score for this area but this is a real sore spot for me! I never knew
I was supposed to go to Shutters each
day to look for our pictures. Disney advertised digital cameras would be used and your
pictures delivered to your stateroom. In
the comfort of your cabin you could look them over and keep just the ones you wanted and
return the others. What a great idea!!
However, on the last day when I called Guest Services to ask if they were going to be
delivered that day I was THEN informed the
camera system wasn't working and I would have to go to Shutters. Of course only that days
pictures were there. I spent over an
hour looking through boxes and boxes and never found one picture (my tablemates found one)
so I guess I should be happy I
only spent $6.95 on photographs. :) Still, why not tell us? A simple announcement over the
PA or a note in our cabins would
have sufficed. Half that ship was in that tiny little shop looking for their pictures, I
think (the only time I was truly overwhelmed at
how many people were onboard!)
All in all, our experience was a wonderful and 'magical' one for us. I intend to sail
Disney again but only after they offer a longer
cruise. 3 or 4 days is just not enough time especially since half your first and last days
are spent in an airport/plane. Oh how I
long to hear that horn again!
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