Thank you for all of your detailed write-ups about this trip. I, too, think we are one-and-done with DCL, only we did it in the opposite order. We did a 4-night cruise on the Magic almost 21 years ago, as our very first cruise. Our sons were just-turned 19 and almost 15. We all loved it! Since then, we’ve done more than 20 on RCL, mostly as adults-only.
Recently, we’ve talked about ever cruising on DCL again. I’ve been tempted by photos/articles about some of the themed main dining rooms and lounges. But after our recent cruise on Star of the Seas, that urge is gone. We found a new ship class that we just love!! And your TR has reinforced my decision to not do DCL for us.
Thank you @ryan1 for this summary. I had similar experiences with dining and CMs when I did a Disney cruise. I was done with DCL after one cruise, but son and daughter in law would love to return. We loved the adults only sections of the Dream.
I decided to be “loyal to Royal” after my DCL experience.
I am definitely also loyal to Royal but it’s so ironic that this was the section that disappointed DH and I the most! The bars were completely dead lol and the damn Skyline felt like it had so much potential to be Disney but we could have literally been anywhere.
Our recollections of the capacity as mentioned by crew are very different. Our dining team on the Fantasy (when we went in February) was telling us that our cruise was at 3200 (of a 4000 total). They were mentioning the last night how nice it was that they had some good breathing room because the cruise after ours was going to be at 3600 or 3800 and they were already bracing for a busy, harder stretch ahead. The first two DCL ships that are smaller, Magic & Wonder do have a smaller capacity of 2400 but the Fantasy and Dream are definitely 4000 (or somewhere very close to it).
That said, I could see your final summary going the way it did based on how you felt about the spaces as you experienced them and it honestly does make me more intrigued to try a Royal cruise. And when you go as a couple you really are dependent on your dining team and tablemates helping keep that dinner experience as great as possible.
So I definitely agree with you that for a family (who can fill a table without needing tablemates) and will have kids/kids at heart who fully appreciate the Disney entertainment, DCL is a win! And for us, until our family are much older, I can’t imagine doing Not-DCL.
And thank you for taking the time to share and write up your summary and for your photos of the very lovely Fantasy!
Aw dang it! I know he’s done some and thought I had missed the start of a report somewhere. But now that I am typing this, I do remember about the time I was leaving for Florida (or right after I got back?), he was also going on WDW trip. I’m sure I’m behind whatever he has posted though.
Hehe, well I can’t speak because I have started and not finished: our Wish Feb 2024 back to back to back sailing, our last DLR trip before we let the MK’s go from Sep 2024, our Feb 2025 Fantasy sailing, and our June 2025 Treasure sailing. I never did throw up a report for the Wonder in April in between those last 2.
And right now I am making sure I get through as much of the Destiny as I possibly can. Because if I wait longer and have to scroll any more for photos to get them loaded. I won’t do it. I just know me.
Okay. Interesting. I went and checked, and you’re right…the max for Fantasy is 4000 not 2500. 2500 is more like for Magic. So, when I overheard the CMs talking, I assumed they were talking about THIS cruise on the Fantasy, but maybe if I had heard the full context, they were actually talking about a cruise on one of those smaller ships.
This will be interesting, then, on the Independence of the Seas. It is still bigger than the Fantasy, but not nearly as big as the Allure. The Independence is a max capacity around 4500 people, but with more decks, etc. So I’ll be curious how crowded it feels by comparison.
Yes. Next October, 9 night New England/Canada cruise.
ETA: The itinerary for that one is leaving from Newark, first day is Boston, then Portland, Maine, then Halifax and two days in Saint John’s Bay. We are looking forward to actual ports, and not a “private island” experience.
I think the DCL is targeted at my family. I’m not really interested in doing other cruise lines right now. We enjoyed the food, service, cabins, entertainment, spa, and kids clubs on DCL and other cruise lines just look drearier and more chaotic to me. I’m sure I would enjoy it if I tried them, and eventually I will try another cruise line. But not any time soon.
Regarding CM service, I think we are in the middle of some turmoil with shifting crew between old and new ships. That isn’t just bad for the old ships. It means all the crew is unfamiliar with their current assignment. I predict service will improve within 6 months across the fleet.
From your lips. I expect & am hopeful of the same. We have had continued great service at dinner, but around the ship you can see they are stretched thin. We first noticed in June on the Treasure and then even more pronounced on the maiden Destiny trip. But we went in expecting the maiden voyage to have everyone learning.
