On the Good Ship Swanky

[Disneyphile]

Sorry, couldn't resist the thread title. ;)

Disney Cruise Line announced its European itinerary today, including two trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises.

Who's with me???? :D

We're considering the eastbound 14-night repo, since the repo cruises are surprisingly the cheapest. Besides a stop at Castaway Cay, the repo cruise includes special ports - Canary Islands, Gibraltar, and Spain. :snap:

[Kevy Baby]

I've $124.19 saved up: will that cover it?

[€uroMeinke]

This one is actually tempting me

[innerSpaceman]

Um, not my cup of tea. If I spend 14 days crossing to Europe, where's my time to spend in Europe?


When I spend a ton of money to vacation, I want to see things. Ocean gets tired after a day. If I want to just hotel / restaurant / pool / relax, I can do that far less expensively ... and without the awful tease of going right up to Europe and then sailing back away.








.

[€uroMeinke]

But we could dress as pirates - or icebergs!

[Ghoulish Delight]

If I want to just hotel / restaurant / pool / relax, I can do that far less expensively ... Find me somewhere where you can spend under $1500 for 7 days of lodging, entertainment, transportation and 3+ meals...

It's all about the kind of vacation you want, and certainly a cruise is the ideal candidate for a honeymoon. Nothing at all to think about other than where to get your next meal and how to get back to the room, with the ocassional stop to sit on a beach or go snorkling. No, it's not ideal if you're looking for sight-seeing, but if you're looking for pure relaxation, ain't nothing like it.

[Not Afraid]

While Cruises don't interest me very much, crossing the Atlantic by ship sound so exciting to me. I think it is just the fascination of being so far away from everything that makes me want to hop on board. Of course, I'd end up in Barcelona and spend an extra week in Spain or thereabouts to end the experience, so I would get Europe time in.

Here's the web site with all of the info.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/cruises/overview?name=MediterraneanCruisesLandingPage

[Isaac]

Find me somewhere where you can spend under $1500 for 7 days of lodging, entertainment, transportation and 3+ meals...
Right here. :)

I'm getting a Disney Cruise for free in the coming months.

I love having a WDW CM in the family ! :D

[Prudence]

I love at sea days. I would totally do a repositioning cruise if I could. I love the motion of the waves, falling asleep to the sound of waves, and waking up to sun reflected on water. Plus, when you're at sea there's a better chance you can leave your drapes open without being seen by others.

[mistyisjafo]

I'd love to be able to just afford to go on a cruise to Mexico. Sounds awesome. I dream of one day taking a Disney cruise.

[innerSpaceman]

The only place I've ever wanted to cruise to is Alaskan or Norweigian fjords. Primarily because you can only see what I want to see from the ocean. Cold, but gorgeous. Of course, I would require a guarantee that glaciers would be calving into the sea for my pleasure and enjoyment.


My idea of the perfect tropical relaxation vacation happens on South Pacific island beaches, not cruise ships.

[Gemini Cricket]

Can't do boats of any kind. Even the Queen Mary made me queasy. I still want to eat at the Animators Pallet though...
:)

[katiesue]

I would love to do something like this - someday hopefully.

[mousepod]

ooh. I have a new goal. Raise $10000 by next year. Anyone have some spare cash?

[Kevy Baby]

In case you didn't see the $:


Stateroom Type
Category
Rates: http://adisneycruise.disney.go.com/media/dcl_v0204/en_US/media/_global/other/TableCornerTopRight.gif
Royal Suite with Verandah (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=RoyalSuiteDetailPage)
1
$5,999 - $6,699

Two-Bedroom Suite with Verandah (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=TwoBedroomSuiteWithVerandahDetailPage)
2
$5,699 - $6,399

One-Bedroom Suite with Verandah (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=OneBedroomSuiteWithVerandahDetailPage)
3
$4,799 - $5,699

Deluxe Family Stateroom with Verandah (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=DeluxeFamilyStateroomWithVerandahDetai lPage)
4
$4,099 - $5,099

Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=DeluxeStateroomWithVerandahDetailPage)
5
$3,799 - $4,699

6
$3,699 - $4,599

Deluxe Stateroom with Navigator's Verandah (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=DeluxeStateroomWithNavigatorsVerandahD etailPage)
7
$3,599 - $4,499

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=DeluxeOceanviewStateroomDetailPage)
8
$2,999 - $3,999

9
$2,699 - $3,899

Deluxe Inside Stateroom (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=DeluxeInsideStateroomDetailPage)
10
$2,299 - $3,599

Standard Inside Stateroom (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/staterooms/detail?name=StandardInsideStateroomDetailPage)
11
$1,999 - $3,499

12
$1,999 - $3,399

[Not Afraid]

Yeah, I saw the prices. I have Stateroom tastes and an inside cabin budget. :(

[innerSpaceman]

Pfft, I've got stateroom tastes, and a stowaway budget.

[Disneyphile]

Well, we're officially booked into Cabin 6083 for the westbound trans-Atlantic.

I can't believe we're doing this. We really can't afford it, but we're going to make sure we do. (Read: lots and lots of ramen lunches for the next year.....)

So, is anyone gonna come with us???? Think of it - Barcelona, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands.... with 6 consecutive days at sea with probably a 50% passenger ratio of Europeans...... it's got swank all over.

[Alex]

I didn't think I'd like cruising but a week on the Disney Magic year before last showed me I was wrong.

We were interested in the transatlantic repositioning cruises but the iterinary they put together looks so very boring to me. We've put a deposit down on one of the 11-day Mediterranean itineraries to keep our options open but unless Disney discounts the prices significantly we won't do it. There are much better Mediterranean itineraries available form classier lines than Disney (in the cruising world DCL is only a mid-level line) for much less (and frequently include airfare).

[Disneyphile]

I didn't think I'd like cruising but a week on the Disney Magic year before last showed me I was wrong.That's what happened to me - last year we did the west coast, and boom!! I'm a cruise-a-holic now. :rolleyes:

We chose the repo with this one, because we're weird enough to love the thought of 6 consecutive days at sea. :blush: But, I totally agree that the ports are not that exciting.

[tracilicious]

Crossing the atlantic on a ship sounds so romantic. I wish we could afford it! If it included airfare, maybe, but alas, it doesn't.

[Prudence]

I *love* at sea days. Some day I hope to cross the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 or something similar. But I need enough money to really do it right, and right now I couldn't leave my Boris kitty alone that long. (Sasha really doesn't care.)

[Alex]

The problem is that, as one travel agent said, the Disney Magic is designed for short trips and is not an ocean liner. The Queen Mary 2 is designed for longer stints without a port of call. The Magic, not so much. Also, it is smaller so if rough sees are experienced it will feel it more.

[Disneyphile]

That's why this is going to be an adventure!! It will be interesting to see how it all works out. Supposedly, they're going to add some regional stuff to the dining menus, and also have some new "surprises" to keep people entertained on the repo cruises.

Last year, we hit some rough water during our last sea day coming back into Los Angeles. The storm was horrible. The speaker/light posts on deck 10 were literally bending almost 30 degrees from the winds, and we got seriously blown around even on deck 9. For kicks, we attempted to play foosball, and the wind took the ball right out of the box, sending it flying across to the other side of the deck. It was quite impressive. ;) Everything rattled something fierce for hours, and the waves were definitely felt while trying to sleep that night. Although, it rocked me to sleep pretty quick. But, still, it was like laying on a rollercoaster for a bit. :D Definitely not a trip for people who get seasick.

[Alex]

Well, if you're doing it keep an eye out for future discounting. Disney will match the lowest offered price for people who have already booked but you have to ask, they don't do it automatically.

The travel agent I spoke with is expecting that Disney will have to do quite a bit of discounting on the repos at least. Almost everybody who had expressed interest to hiim in the repo cruises dropped out when they saw the combination of price and itinerary. Most aren't even willing to do the Mediterranean cruises at the prices offered.

[Disneyphile]

Thanks, Alex!! That's a good thing to know. We're also going to ask about during-cruise booking discounts when we're on our honeymoon cruise this October. I know they offer like $300 in stateroom credit if you book while on another cruise, so I want to see if they'll apply that as well. It'd definitely cover the gratuities for us.

[tracilicious]

I know they offer like $300 in stateroom credit if you book while on another cruise, so I want to see if they'll apply that as well. It'd definitely cover the gratuities for us.

I hated having to pay extra for gratuities on board. I felt like we were paying so much for the cruise itself that the employees should have already been compensated for their actual value. Come to think of it, I hate tipping in general. By all means charge me more to cover employees wages, but I hate having to tip for so many things.

[Disneyphile]

I hated having to pay extra for gratuities on board. I felt like we were paying so much for the cruise itself that the employees should have already been compensated for their actual value. Come to think of it, I hate tipping in general. By all means charge me more to cover employees wages, but I hate having to tip for so many things.I know what you mean. A lot of other countries actually pay a good wage to their staff, including waiters, because good service is expected with the job. Sadly, I know for a fact that DCL only pays their crew like $50 a week, plus their room and board. And, counting how many people the wait staff serves, and doing the math, they only get about $400 a week if they receive the suggested tips from all their people, and they work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. But, that money translates to a lot more in their home countries, so that's why they do it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

And, counting how many people the wait staff serves, and doing the math, they only get about $400 a week if they receive the suggested tips from all their people,On the cruise we took, I calculated that if eveyone the our head waiter served tipped what was recommended, it came out to well over $1000 for the one week. As service-inudstry jobs go, especially considering that they have room and board covered while they're on the ship, and considering the alternate choices in the home countries of most of the crew, that's a pretty hefty sum of money (even considering that it's seasonal).

[Disneyphile]

On the cruise we took, I calculated that if eveyone the our head waiter served tipped what was recommended, it came out to well over $1000 for the one week. As service-inudstry jobs go, especially considering that they have room and board covered while they're on the ship, and considering the alternate choices in the home countries of most of the crew, that's a pretty hefty sum of money (even considering that it's seasonal).Wow!!

On DCL, the servers and assistant servers are kept down to about 8-12 guests at most. And the server's suggested tip is only like $35 per person for the entire week. Although, the crew room and board on DCL is supposed to be much nicer than other lines.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Wow!!

On DCL, the servers and assistant servers are kept down to about 8-12 guests at most. And the server's suggested tip is only like $35 per person for the entire week. Although, the crew room and board on DCL is supposed to be much nicer than other lines.There were 3 couples at our table alone, he had 2, maybe 3 tables, and the 6 person tables were the smallest. So figure at least 16 people. The tip recommendations were something on the order of $8-10/person/day.

[BarTopDancer]

DCL, as well as almost every other cruise line sails under a foriegn flag. By doing so they don't have to abide by wage standards of the US. From what I've heard DCL treats its employees far better than any other line. Yes, they receive minimal pay, and work for their tips. Is it right or wrong? That's up to each person/party to decide.

Could they charge more and eliminate tips? Sure. Would quality of service go down? Probably. It has been tried on other cruise lines, and the service went down the tubes because the employees knew they were no longer working for tips.

Yes, they make a lot of money by any standard with no expenses. However, many cruise staff members are supporting families in third world countries. And many will be able to retire by the time they are 35 or 40.

I think staff memebers who live in the US probably have to pay taxes and don't fare as well as foriegn staff members, and that is why you don't see as many staff members from the states. But I could be wrong.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I think staff memebers who live in the US probably have to pay taxes and don't fare as well as foriegn staff members, and that is why you don't see as many staff members from the states. But I could be wrong.By American standards, even with my larger tip estimate, wages are low. Even at a generous $1000+ per week, since it's only seasonal work, they likely make well under $20,000 in a cruise season.

[BarTopDancer]

By American standards, even with my larger tip estimate, wages are low. Even at a generous $1000+ per week, since it's only seasonal work, they likely make well under $20,000 in a cruise season.

I was under the impression DCL staff signed on for 6 month contracts and the ships sailed 12 months a year. :confused:

[Alex]

DCL is year round but many cruise lines operate specific routes only seasonally (most Mediterranean lines take five months off for winter).

Cruise lines pay decent wages if you're young and have no attachments. As you get older though, even if the pay is ok it does mean long absences from home. One article I just read said that the industry average pay was around $2,000/month with about 60 hours per week working.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I was under the impression DCL staff signed on for 6 month contracts and the ships sailed 12 months a year. :confused:Oh yeah, forgot about that. That might explain why the recommended tips are lower on a DCL.

[Prudence]

US flagged ships are notorious for the lack of service provided by the US crew, who are not nearly so thrilled to work for the wages provided.

[€uroMeinke]

This thread is making me feel ickier about crusing

[Alex]

Why? It doesn't seem much different from the staff at the location of wherever you take your vacation.

[€uroMeinke]

Why? It doesn't seem much different from the staff at the location of wherever you take your vacation.

Perhaps - but even the students of Paris take time off for a good strike/riot every now and then. When's the last time we had a good cruise ship mutiney?

[Alex]

Yeah, but the student of Paris that are protesting are part of the 25% unemployment rate for the youth of France. So it isn't like they're the employees of your resort anyway.

[€uroMeinke]

Come come, you know it's not just the unemployeed who riot - those metro trains aren't running becasue they're out of fuel.

[Alex]

Actually, I don't know. I haven't paid any attention to that story. All I know is that NPR describes them as mostly youths and students (as you did) and I would assume that there aren't many of them driving the trains. Don't know though.

But then I'm guessing you wouldn't really find it more likely to get you on a cruise if you thought there was a legitimate chance of a crew mutiny. So I'd guess we're both being flippant.

[innerSpaceman]

When you're out on a normal vacation, a bad service experience does not have to be repeated night after night (unless it's endemic to every area of your hotel).

But if you have a bad experience at a restaurant or a tourism location, you most likely will not even have to bother to avoid it in future, as you would not be going there again.

On a ship, you are trapped. Trapped at sea, trapped with whatever level of customer service is provided aboard ship.

[Ghoulish Delight]

On a ship, you are trapped. Trapped at sea, trapped with whatever level of customer service is provided aboard ship.Which is exactly why you find the best service on a cruise ship. They know they can't afford to disappoint in the slightest, so they go above and beyond to make sure it's the best.

[BarTopDancer]

Which is exactly why you find the best service on a cruise ship. They know they can't afford to disappoint in the slightest, so they go above and beyond to make sure it's the best.

Which is why most cruise lines are set up so the service employees work for tips.

[Not Afraid]

Which is exactly why you find the best service on a cruise ship. They know they can't afford to disappoint in the slightest, so they go above and beyond to make sure it's the best.

Well. what are you going to do? Walk out?

[innerSpaceman]

Which is exactly why you find the best service on a cruise ship. They know they can't afford to disappoint in the slightest, so they go above and beyond to make sure it's the best.
Excuse me, but how does customers having no alternative provide any incentive to provide good service?



edited to admit: NA put it better, and she beat me to it as well.

[BarTopDancer]

Excuse me, but how does customers having no alternative provide any incentive to provide good service?

Their wages.. or lack there of do. Working for $50 a month + tips is good incentive. If they don't provie above and beyond service they make no money.

[Gemini Cricket]

Well. what are you going to do? Walk out?
You could always wish for pirates.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Excuse me, but how does customers having no alternative provide any incentive to provide good service?



edited to admit: NA put it better, and she beat me to it as well.
The crusie industry is very competative and relies heavily on word of mouth. They are driven by, well, conversations like this one where people go on a cruise and come back gushing about how fantastic their experience was. As you said, the smallest inconvenience or slightest poor service is magnified by the situation, so to maintain that high level of positive review, they must be stellar at all times.

[mousepod]

I have to say that I only have 2 experience on cruise ships: the Princess Line (the Alaska Inner Passage) and Disney.

The Alaska cruise was ok. The food was just adequate but plentiful. The on-board entertainment reminded me of the "small room" stuff in casinos. In short, there was nothing that I hated - but nothing that would ever make me want to cruise again.

The Disney cruise was fantastic. We'd take our morning walks on deck and we'd always see crew members touching up the paint. The food was terrific. The entertainment was, well, Disney. We saw a fun stage show that wouldn't be out of place in the parks and Toy Story 2 (this was 2000). In fact, the ports of call were the least interesting part of the cruise - in comparison to the Alaska cruise where we couldn't wait to get off the boat.

I have no idea how much money the crew made, but I can tell you that to me, they all felt like CMs. Our waiter was from England and had served on the QE2. The food service folks at the bars and snack areas were fun. The things that keep me "on property" on my WDW trips were the same things on the boat. I'm not exactly sure how they do it - but they do it right.

(I still want to do one of the Euro Disney cruises - I haven't found $9K yet, but if I do...)

[Ghoulish Delight]

I've taken 2 cruises, one on Royal Caribbean and one on Carnival. I was a teen on the RC one, so my perspective was a bit skewed, but as I recall that one was relatively subdued, nothing particularly interesting going on (though they did a great job keeping us teens entertained).

The Carnival cruise was a blast, helped by the fact that we quickly made friends with the other couples at our dining table (one of whom happened to have snuck a couple bottles of rum on board). But we found a bunch of entertainment that we enjoyed (comedians, a magician, nifty piano bar) and there always seemed to be something happening. Often stupid (visa vis a "harriest guy contest"...and no I didn't participate), but always something interesting to laugh at. I thought they did a great job at keeping us entertained. We enjoyed the ports of call, but only because we chose the more off-the-beaten path excursions (Tequilla factory tour, open sea kayaking, as opposed to shopping and, umm, shopping), and once we were done with those, we couldn't wait to get back on the ship.

[€uroMeinke]

Well. what are you going to do? Walk out?

Mutiney!
:argghh:

[innerSpaceman]

Well, I don't think the cruise industry relies any more or less heavily on word of mouth than do the hotel or restaurant industries - where service levels are uneven across the board.



And how GD could have skipped competing in the Hairyest Guy competition just confounds the senses.

[Disneyphile]

(I still want to do one of the Euro Disney cruises - I haven't found $9K yet, but if I do...)You can do it for much less!! ;)

Ours is $6,200 for both of us, including flights and transfers. And, it may even be cheaper once our agent checks on non-Disney priced flights when they open up in September. That's not bad - it's just over $1,500 per person per week, for an all-inclusive trip across the Atlantic. :D (But, then again, we're also in the cheapest stateroom.)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Well, I don't think the cruise industry relies any more or less heavily on word of mouth than do the hotel or restaurant industries - where service levels are uneven across the board.I do, for the very reasons you've pointed out. Without the highest level of service, too many people would stop at, "Well, it's got nothing that any other resort hotel doesn't offer, AND I'm trapped at sea." It's precisely the elevated level and quality of service that keeps them going, they simply can't afford to let their service levels be uneven because that's their product.

[Not Afraid]

I don't know much about cruising or do I see the broad appeal, but I find that price is usually the selling point for a cruise for the majority of casual cruisers. For the higher-end cruisers - QE2, QM2, etc - service quality is an issue, I'm sure. But, for the Carnival and Princess and their ilk, the draw seems to be price rather than service.

I think there's still a mind set that a cruise is a "luxury vacation" to many.

[innerSpaceman]

You making zero sense to me. How could any hotel or restaurant "afford" to provide less than stellar service? After all, that's their product, too. And they live and die by word of mouth no less than do cruise lines.

And yet service at restaurants and hotels differs from place to place. Yet the staffs work for tips, and the establishments have every incentive to provide good service to do good business.


You are not communicating to me ANY differences between cruise lines and other host industries vis-a-vis incentives to provide high quality service.

[Ghoulish Delight]

It's a preception thing. Peoplpe are far more likely to overlook shoddy service now and again at a hotel because it's easy to get away from. Eat at a restaurant in town instead of your hotel's, go get your drinks and a show at a local pub, etc. I know that when I'm on a typical vacation, my inclination is to not look at the hotel as much more than four walls and a bed because what I've really come for is the destination. On a cruise, bed, transportation, destination are all one and the same. There's nowhere to escape, so there's no way to gloss over poor service.

[Alex]

I have never selected a hotel based on word of mouth (I just go online and find whatever is the best combination of cheapest and amenities I require). I would never choose a cruise line without testimonials from people I trust.

When I hear someone spent a week in Europe I never ask "oh wow, what hotel did you stay at?" But that is one of the first question I would ask of someone telling me about their cruise.

iSm, you yourself provided the difference between a cruise line and a hotel as an incentive to provide stellar customer service (in post #44). Once on the boat a person can't leave. Generally, once on a boat a person can't be moved to another room or given another server, or given better entaintment offerings.

A hotel or restaurant has quite a bit of leeway in terms of the things that they can do to make an unhappy customer feel better about things. This is why if anything goes remotely wrong with a cruise that you'll find a lot of money thrown back at the cruisers to keep them happy.

If something goes wrong at a restaurant or hotel I'm only risking $50 or $200 if I want to consider giving them a second chance. If I go on a cruise I am probably risking a couple thousand dollars and am much less likely to give a second chance.

No, a cruise line probably isn't going to provide any better service than a top notch all-inclusive resort like Club Med, but then a cruise doesn't provide the same type of vacation as a trip to Club Med. A cruise provides the same type of vacation as 12-day 10-city bus tour of Europe, for example. I think of the Disney Magic as a bus tour of the Caribbean and the Magic is much nicer than any whistle-stop tour accommodations will be.

But considering that most people who go on a cruise love it (even on the less posh lines like Princess) the service can't be all that bad.

[Disneyphile]

For an example of cruise service on DCL - a friend of ours who went last year asked the assistant server for a beer. They didn't serve the particular brand at the resturant, but he knew they had it at the bar at the other end of the ship. He told her he'd be back in "just a moment", and literally took off running to grab her the beer and come back. She never asked him to do that, but he wanted to go out of his way. I've yet to see that kind of service at a hotel.

[€uroMeinke]

I've yet to see that kind of service at a hotel.

Heh - I have, in Arequipa Peru - actually throughout Peru we got exceptional service. I guess the lesson here is service improves as labor approaches poverty. More third World Vacations!

[Alex]

Except in Japan where service at even a convenience store was excellent.

[Disneyphile]

Good point. Actually, during a recent jaunt to Tijuana, we had the best service at a restaurant than we've had in a very long time. Our glasses were always filled, and the servers were super friendly. And the margaritas were half the price they are here, and actually so good, that I can never drink another margarita here again. They're smart - good service and good drinks means I'll come back and spend more money.

[tracilicious]

For an example of cruise service on DCL - a friend of ours who went last year asked the assistant server for a beer. They didn't serve the particular brand at the resturant, but he knew they had it at the bar at the other end of the ship. He told her he'd be back in "just a moment", and literally took off running to grab her the beer and come back. She never asked him to do that, but he wanted to go out of his way. I've yet to see that kind of service at a hotel.


At dinner one night on the Wonder, Indi fell asleep and I was holding him. Our server noticed that I only had one hand and she came and cut my meat for me! Now that is service! Typical of the entire cruise, actually.