Magic first cruise cancelled

[free101girl]

I have seen at least three TAs post their own photos, on social media, all were positive photos, I have seen maybe a hundred or so.

 

That's interesting, because Disney flatly told them they were forbidden to do so, during a meeting for TAs that was held before embarkation on Friday. Disney wanted TAs to use only Disney's official photos of the "new" ship, which were not ready yet.

 

Of course, it really doesn't make sense for a TA to post negative/bad photos or comments, since they sell this product.

 

I don't think the Magic is hopeless. In fact, I plan to sail on her in about 6 months, on a free cruise Disney is giving me to make up for the cancelled October 20 sailing. But I would not have been happy to have no working toilet in my stateroom, and I know that happened to more than one person this weekend!

 

Fortunately I don't think there were a huge number of paying passengers on the 2-night sailing. Hopefully things will be a lot better by the time the ship sails today, because most passengers on today's sailing are paying guests, and they deserve working infrastructure on the ship.

[NameThatFunnel]

I also just got back from the 2 night Magic cruise and I was generally impressed with all of the new spaces. The redone Animator's Palate was very nice. The new technology was great and my kids and I enjoyed guessing the character sketches that appeared on the walls.

 

The AquaDunk is awesome. I actually like it more than the AquDuck (which is tame compared to the AquaDunk) I managed to ride it 7 or 8 times, even more than my 11 year old son. :-)

 

The new Twist n' Spout slide is equally great. On this cruise, they were allowing all guests over 38" to ride the slide. Originally, they were planning to have a maximum height of 64", but there was tape over the maximum hight restriction notice on the sign. I asked one of the lifeguards, and was told that they may possibly revise the maximum height permanently. Great news for the taller guests that might not be ready for the AquaDunk.

 

I don't want to give too much away for those about to sail on the Magic, but if you or your kids are into IronMan, spend some time in the brand new Oceaneer Club. All I can say is WOW, to the new Marvel experience.

 

We booked VGT category room and received a 5C Deluxe Verandah (room #6114) on Deck 6. The room was perfect for my family of 4. Conveniently located, great unobstructed balcony view and quiet.

 

As others have pointed out, while the room refurb was amazing, up to Dream & Fantasy standards, the balcony, bathroom, closets were not touched. We did have some rust on our balcony and it was quite dirty. The bathroom was also dirty and the toilet seat looked like it had been sandblasted.

 

Around the other areas of the ship I did notice some worn carpet, dirt and even some shattered windows right below the sports deck.

 

All in all, I think Disney did a great job with the refurb and those areas of concern will be dealt with over the next couple of sailings. I also applaud Disney for giving us the real cruise experience not a watered down one since it was such a short cruise. I was not expecting the fireworks part of the pirate deck party, having 2 production shows, all dining options available and generally full access to the entire ship and services.

[Scrappygrrl]

 

We booked VGT category room and received a 5C Deluxe Verandah (room #6114) on Deck 6. The room was perfect for my family of 4. Conveniently located, great unobstructed balcony view and quiet.

 

As others have pointed out, while the room refurb was amazing, up to Dream & Fantasy standards, the balcony, bathroom, closets were not touched. We did have some rust on our balcony and it was quite dirty. The bathroom was also dirty and the toilet seat looked like it had been sandblasted.

 

Thanks - good to know about the rooms - we are in 6110 in 10 days - fingers crossed they give the rooms and good scrub and work out the kinks.

[free101girl]

I also just got back from the 2 night Magic cruise and I was generally impressed with all of the new spaces. ...

All in all, I think Disney did a great job with the refurb and those areas of concern will be dealt with over the next couple of sailings. I also applaud Disney for giving us the real cruise experience not a watered down one since it was such a short cruise. I was not expecting the fireworks part of the pirate deck party, having 2 production shows, all dining options available and generally full access to the entire ship and services.

 

Glad to hear it! I'm hopeful only a small number of staterooms are having major plumbing and electrical problems. Everything else (dirty/incomplete items) while not optimal, can be dealt with.

 

I certainly hope Disney will be doing something for paying passengers who are affected by the more major issues, though. One person I spoke with was given a $100 onboard credit after putting up with no working toilet for 2 days. She was not paying for her 2-night cruise, so she said nothing, but she told me if she had been paying she'd have been extremely unhappy.

[CleoV]

We were on the Magic this weekend and at no time were we told not to post pics or comments on social media. In fact, we were encouraged to do so (my husband and I are both with the media). Wifi signals were not great, which is an issue on most ships, but it is not true at all that we were forbidden to post pictures or comments. We were told exactly where to go onboard for the best possible signal so that we COULD do just that. If you weren't seeing a lot of posts/tweets/etc, it's because the wifi signal was spotty. But there were camera crews all over the place. Disney was absolutely not trying to hide anything.

 

Our impression of the re-imagine was almost entirely positive. There were a few small matters that weren't quite show-ready, but given the circumstances, I hardly think that's a surprise. And we're talking about small things (a few unfinished edges, minor things not working). It is absolutely untrue that the ship is a disaster; it most certainly is not. Work was ongoing, but only in the smallest of ways, and not in a way that impacted the majority of guests. We saw a few details being attended to, but the vast majority of the ship was absolutely show-ready.

 

I'd be the first to shout about serious problems, but there simply weren't any issues to get bent out of shape over. Any ongoing work was minor. The comment about there being construction debris all over is simply...(sorry to say it, since you were talking to a friend) wrong. It's just plain not true.

Edited October 27, 2013 by CleoV

[free101girl]

We were on the Magic this weekend and at no time were we told not to post pics or comments on social media. In fact, we were encouraged to do so (my husband and I are both with the media).

 

To be clear, TRAVEL AGENTS were told not to post their own photos to social media. Disney can't tell members of the press/media what to do (and that's why I can post what I'm posting). But Disney can tell TAs what to do -- and it did. Trust me, any TAs who didn't follow Disney's posting guidelines will be hearing from their District Sales Managers. Worst case scenario is that their relationship with Disney could be revoked, though frankly I think it's highly unlikely.

[CleoV]

IF that's true, so be it. However, it makes very little sense since there was a huge amount of coverage from print media, from news stations, from bloggers, and from guests. There is no way on god's green earth the media would go along with hiding a disaster area, especially international media. Some of them absolutely love that sort of story. So unless the travel agents were bound by something your friend didn't mention, there certainly was nothing Disney was relying on them to hide. That's just laughable!

 

You state your friend said something along the lines of:

 

TAs were told they could not post any of their own photos on social media during the weekend cruise (Oct 25-27). That's because many parts of the ship looked terrible. Lots of work is still undone and there is construction debris everywhere.

 

I'm sorry, but this simply isn't true. We spent the entire 2 days walking every foot of the ship that's accessible to guests and the ship is beautiful. As I said before, there was some ongoing work, all of it minor. It is absolutely untrue there was construction debris everywhere.

 

I'm sure Disney would have loved another few days to finish every last detail, but that would have involved cancelling 2 MORE cruises for what amounts to very minor work. It would be silly, and frankly, irresponsible to the guests booked on the cruise, to cancel. They had no choice with the first cancelled cruise, but they certainly did with the 2-Day cruise, and they made the right decision. It was a fantastic trip, and guest response was overwhelmingly positive.

[free101girl]

It is absolutely untrue there was construction debris everywhere.

 

If it was all completely fabulous as you say, great. I won't debate this with you, since you were on the ship and I was not. I am merely relating what multiple travel agents and two paying guests who were on the same sailing told me. They had no reason to lie.

 

I am not aware that there were many journalists on the ship this weekend, and I've certainly seen very little coverage in major media outlets. I have been covering Disney for a long, long time and I know most of the people who are Disney bloggers, webmasters of fan sites, etc. Many of them were not on the weekend sailing. Most were on the Oct 20 sailing and switched to the 5-day starting today.

 

Disney mostly invited TAs for this weekend's sailing. My friends on the ship said they saw no one from major media and only a few Disney bloggers, etc. One of the better-known DCL bloggers, who was on the ship this weekend paying his own way, just posted a scathing review.

[CleoV]

I won't comment on your last sentence (though I could; I probably know all the same bloggers you say you know), but I will say that I'm afraid your friend was...shall we say...mistaken. It is possible she is not able to identify media, but I can assure you there were plenty of us on board.

 

She is correct that bloggers were not invited as hosted guests to this particular event, though Disney is extremely generous in inviting them to other events. This particular event required a paying commission in a major news outlet, which is common practice for many, many events, not only with Disney.

 

But she is sadly mistaken or perhaps just not observant if she said major media was not on board. Perhaps the items she identifies as 'debris' were in fact their gear? There were camera crews all over the ship and frankly, they're not hard to recognize. I don't know where your friend/s spent their time, but if they were on Deck 10, in Keys during the day yesterday, or in any of dozens of impromptu locations, it would have been impossible to avoid seeing major media with their huge cameras, their huge microphones, and their entourages lugging around big bags full of gear.

 

I'm sure as a long-time "coverer of all things Disney" you're aware there is a period of time between leaving an event and writing up a good story, and international media gets to add a bit more time on to that, as they generally fly back to their home country at the end of an event (hence, they're still in the air with an overnight flight even as we discuss this).

 

I don't know anything about your friend/s, and will stop short of saying they're lying, but I will go so far as to say if they think the ship was in terrible shape, there was construction debris everywhere, and there was no major media on board your friend/s are...and again I'm sorry to say it...simply not telling the truth.

 

I'm going to duck out now, since I'm absolutely certain of what I say and (sorry) you're getting your info second-hand, which sometimes, with the best will in the world, becomes distorted. I'm sure your friends are lovely, delightful people with the very best of intentions, but for those getting ready to board the Magic, I will state categorically that it's a beautiful ship, it's not a construction site, and you're going to have a wonderful vacation. :)

[Ex techie]

I won't comment on your last sentence (though I could; I probably know all the same bloggers you say you know), but I will say that I'm afraid your friend was...shall we say...mistaken. It is possible she is not able to identify media, but I can assure you there were plenty of us on board.

 

She is correct that bloggers were not invited as hosted guests to this particular event, though Disney is extremely generous in inviting them to other events. This particular event required a paying commission in a major news outlet, which is common practice for many, many events, not only with Disney.

 

But she is sadly mistaken or perhaps just not observant if she said major media was not on board. Perhaps the items she identifies as 'debris' were in fact their gear? There were camera crews all over the ship and frankly, they're not hard to recognize. I don't know where your friend/s spent their time, but if they were on Deck 10, in Keys during the day yesterday, or in any of dozens of impromptu locations, it would have been impossible to avoid seeing major media with their huge cameras, their huge microphones, and their entourages lugging around big bags full of gear.

 

I'm sure as a long-time "coverer of all things Disney" you're aware there is a period of time between leaving an event and writing up a good story, and international media gets to add a bit more time on to that, as they generally fly back to their home country at the end of an event (hence, they're still in the air with an overnight flight even as we discuss this).

 

I don't know anything about your friend/s, and will stop short of saying they're lying, but I will go so far as to say if they think the ship was in terrible shape, there was construction debris everywhere, and there was no major media on board your friend/s are...and again I'm sorry to say it...simply not telling the truth.

 

I'm going to duck out now, since I'm absolutely certain of what I say and (sorry) you're getting your info second-hand, which sometimes, with the best will in the world, becomes distorted. I'm sure your friends are lovely, delightful people with the very best of intentions, but for those getting ready to board the Magic, I will state categorically that it's a beautiful ship, it's not a construction site, and you're going to have a wonderful vacation. :)

 

Well said!

 

 

Some areas need attention and will not have been prioritized as immediate.

They can be taken care of during sailings.

The mammoth task of a dry dock, let a lone a dry dock like this can easily be underestimated by some.

I do think DCL could have sourced local cleaners in the PC area to clean, scrub and generally shine things up in the staterooms/verandahs more though given the cancelled sailing and the extra time.

 

ex techie

[Irene7]

I won't comment on your last sentence (though I could; I probably know all the same bloggers you say you know), but I will say that I'm afraid your friend was...shall we say...mistaken. It is possible she is not able to identify media, but I can assure you there were plenty of us on board.

 

She is correct that bloggers were not invited as hosted guests to this particular event, though Disney is extremely generous in inviting them to other events. This particular event required a paying commission in a major news outlet, which is common practice for many, many events, not only with Disney.

 

But she is sadly mistaken or perhaps just not observant if she said major media was not on board. Perhaps the items she identifies as 'debris' were in fact their gear? There were camera crews all over the ship and frankly, they're not hard to recognize. I don't know where your friend/s spent their time, but if they were on Deck 10, in Keys during the day yesterday, or in any of dozens of impromptu locations, it would have been impossible to avoid seeing major media with their huge cameras, their huge microphones, and their entourages lugging around big bags full of gear.

 

I'm sure as a long-time "coverer of all things Disney" you're aware there is a period of time between leaving an event and writing up a good story, and international media gets to add a bit more time on to that, as they generally fly back to their home country at the end of an event (hence, they're still in the air with an overnight flight even as we discuss this).

 

I don't know anything about your friend/s, and will stop short of saying they're lying, but I will go so far as to say if they think the ship was in terrible shape, there was construction debris everywhere, and there was no major media on board your friend/s are...and again I'm sorry to say it...simply not telling the truth.

 

I'm going to duck out now, since I'm absolutely certain of what I say and (sorry) you're getting your info second-hand, which sometimes, with the best will in the world, becomes distorted. I'm sure your friends are lovely, delightful people with the very best of intentions, but for those getting ready to board the Magic, I will state categorically that it's a beautiful ship, it's not a construction site, and you're going to have a wonderful vacation. :)

 

I will second that. Very well said!

[CC Help Jenn]

I also just got back from the 2 night Magic cruise and I was generally impressed with all of the new spaces. The redone Animator's Palate was very nice. The new technology was great and my kids and I enjoyed guessing the character sketches that appeared on the walls.

 

The AquaDunk is awesome. I actually like it more than the AquDuck (which is tame compared to the AquaDunk) I managed to ride it 7 or 8 times, even more than my 11 year old son. :-)

 

The new Twist n' Spout slide is equally great. On this cruise, they were allowing all guests over 38" to ride the slide. Originally, they were planning to have a maximum height of 64", but there was tape over the maximum hight restriction notice on the sign. I asked one of the lifeguards, and was told that they may possibly revise the maximum height permanently. Great news for the taller guests that might not be ready for the AquaDunk.

 

I don't want to give too much away for those about to sail on the Magic, but if you or your kids are into IronMan, spend some time in the brand new Oceaneer Club. All I can say is WOW, to the new Marvel experience.

 

We booked VGT category room and received a 5C Deluxe Verandah (room #6114) on Deck 6. The room was perfect for my family of 4. Conveniently located, great unobstructed balcony view and quiet.

 

As others have pointed out, while the room refurb was amazing, up to Dream & Fantasy standards, the balcony, bathroom, closets were not touched. We did have some rust on our balcony and it was quite dirty. The bathroom was also dirty and the toilet seat looked like it had been sandblasted.

 

Around the other areas of the ship I did notice some worn carpet, dirt and even some shattered windows right below the sports deck.

 

All in all, I think Disney did a great job with the refurb and those areas of concern will be dealt with over the next couple of sailings. I also applaud Disney for giving us the real cruise experience not a watered down one since it was such a short cruise. I was not expecting the fireworks part of the pirate deck party, having 2 production shows, all dining options available and generally full access to the entire ship and services.

 

I am so glad to read a positive report. I can deal with rust on my balcony ... other reports I read made it seem like a lot of deck6 aft rooms were having toilet/water/ac issues etc AND guess who has a deck6 aft cabin ... in 5 days .... THIS GIRL!

[Ex techie]

TAs were told they could not post any of their own photos on social media during the weekend cruise (Oct 25-27). That's because many parts of the ship looked terrible. Lots of work is still undone and there is construction debris everywhere.

 

So weird! One of DCL's biggest promoter TA's that sponsors a board (we all know which one ;) ) was posting live twitter photo's on the 25th?

 

I doubt they would risk a serious infraction from DCL for doing so if specifically told not to?

Or would they get a special dispensation for being media because of they're video blog?

 

ex techie

[Ex techie]

I am so glad to read a positive report. I can deal with rust on my balcony ... other reports I read made it seem like a lot of deck6 aft rooms were having toilet/water/ac issues etc AND guess who has a deck6 aft cabin ... in 5 days .... THIS GIRL!

 

Hope the crew work around the clock to resolve any issues like that Help@!

 

Smooth and happy sailing!

 

ex techie

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I am so glad to read a positive report. I can deal with rust on my balcony ... other reports I read made it seem like a lot of deck6 aft rooms were having toilet/water/ac issues etc AND guess who has a deck6 aft cabin ... in 5 days .... THIS GIRL!

 

Yes agree most of what I have read is positive and no issues, it's either limited to one area, or some peoples perceptions are negative overall.

 

 

Saw this when dream and fantasy came out, overall favourable but a couple of inconsistent reports of a negative nature from a couple of people who got dissproporual coverage.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

A friend who was onboard the Magic at the weekend has said to me with re guards to recent posts from the magic and negative posts elsewhere.

 

 

I think that it's an overstatement of a general truth.

 

There were definitely some things not finished and some rooms that were not right.

 

The spa had some real issues, and I heard about the water coming down and the dust.

 

Our verandah was perfect so I think that's wrong.

 

I actually thought the ship was at around 90% -- much fresher and better than on our Canadian cruise in the summer of 2012 but not 100%, and I figured that was to be expected for the first cruise after such a major overhaul.

 

I suspect by our Med cruise it will be perfect.

 

Keep in mind that it is still very much the Magic and not the Dream or the Fantasy.

 

But it is a more modern, spiffier and prettier Magic.

 

 

Do take the negative reports on other forums with a pinch of salt, some people do like to get attention by posting negative things.

Edited October 28, 2013 by DISNEY FANTASY

[justKirbo]

I'm new here, so I guess I'm not understanding how you folks work over here. It seems to be that if something isn't a glowing review, you just discount it and say that the it's the guest's fault. I had not idea that we could only be believed if we were only happy with everything.

 

I have a few friends that were paying guests on the 2-night cruise. These are people with whom I sailed on the EBTA this year. They all said they had a wonderful time. In spite of the conditions that some of them encountered. One of my friends, someone whom I personally know, had water pouring out of her wall in the middle of the night. She was unable to call guest services as her phone didn't work. So she ran down to them in her jammies. She still had a great time, but that seems unacceptable to me. They were not offered any compensation and she didn't ask for any.

 

We spent 21 nights on the Magic in May/June of this year. We had some issues in our room (toilet overflowed, door not closing correctly, the tub drain backed up), but it was still a very enjoyable time. But we assumed those things would be fixed in the dry-dock and it seems as if they weren't. That is hugely disappointing and seems quite un-Disney-like.

 

I am positive that most of the rooms were in fine shape. But I don't see why folks feel the need to discount what is said about rooms that were not in good shape.

 

We plan on sailing on the EBTA in '14 and I look forward to it. But I sincerely hope the problems that are being mentioned are looked into.

[hencoll]

JustKirbo, I have to agree. It seems only the glowing reviews are considered valid to a few folks on this thread. You and I have both read the personal accounts from the same friends on FB. They are not negative people or the type to exaggerate. As a matter of fact, they are big Disney fans. So I don't take their statements of their experiences "with a pinch of salt".

Edited October 28, 2013 by hencoll

[CC Help Jenn]

JustKirbo, I have to agree. It seems only the glowing reviews are considered valid to a few folks on this thread. You and I have both read the personal accounts from the same friends on FB. They are not negative people or the type to exaggerate. As a matter of fact, they are big Disney fans. So I don't take their statements of their experiences "with a pinch of salt".

 

No one said their reviews aren't valid - just that they only represent a small percentage of the rooms. What they went through IS unacceptable and should not have happened. The taking of reviews with a pinch of salt ... maybe just because there are equal amounts of good and bad reviews right now - and since my cruise is only 4 days away I don't want to focus so hard on the bad!

[tinmanp7]

This is the first review that I have ever written on here so bear with me, but I have to chime in and give you the truth about our cruise on October 25th. The bottom line is that the ship was not ready to sail. Our inside room had no air for a day and a half, the phone did not work, the tv had no remote and the cabin attendant let me know that they were on backorder and our room would not be getting one. The toilet paper had no roller and was just sitting on the tub. I am not one to complain however the first night we did not get any sleep because the air in our room and the room next door was out of commission. There was much construction debris around and many parts of the ship were closed while they were trying to finish up work. We were expecting the Disney standard and sadly the ship was a mess. However, there were some positives. The shows were excellent and the new slides were fantastic. The kids club was a highlight and yes the air worked in there. The bottom line is Disney should not have taken us on a cruise for full price when it wasn't ready.

[CC Help Jenn]

This is the first review that I have ever written on here so bear with me, but I have to chime in and give you the truth about our cruise on October 25th. The bottom line is that the ship was not ready to sail. Our inside room had no air for a day and a half, the phone did not work, the tv had no remote and the cabin attendant let me know that they were on backorder and our room would not be getting one. The toilet paper had no roller and was just sitting on the tub. I am not one to complain however the first night we did not get any sleep because the air in our room and the room next door was out of commission. There was much construction debris around and many parts of the ship were closed while they were trying to finish up work. We were expecting the Disney standard and sadly the ship was a mess. However, there were some positives. The shows were excellent and the new slides were fantastic. The kids club was a highlight and yes the air worked in there. The bottom line is Disney should not have taken us on a cruise for full price when it wasn't ready.

 

 

I am sorry that your room was not in proper working order. What happened when you complained to GS? Did they offer to move you ?

[tinmanp7]

No, the ship was full.

[hencoll]

No one said their reviews aren't valid - just that they only represent a small percentage of the rooms. What they went through IS unacceptable and should not have happened. The taking of reviews with a pinch of salt ... maybe just because there are equal amounts of good and bad reviews right now - and since my cruise is only 4 days away I don't want to focus so hard on the bad!

 

No, I understand that and the importance of focusing on the positive. My "pinch of salt" reference was towards DF's quote below where he is clearly claiming that the posters with negative reports (on another forum) are doing it for attention. I'm sure some people do that, but I don't believe this is the case in this situation. We are getting these reports from some of DCL's biggest fans, and they are not just focusing on the negative. They have all made the point to mention a ton of positives as well. Scott's review on the Disney Cruise line blog is a perfect example.

 

Do take the negative reports on other forums with a pinch of salt, some people do like to get attention by posting negative things.

 

The bottom line is Disney really hyped up this drydock and reimagined Magic. Most DCL cruisers have certain expectations of Disney standards and it just seems that this is not up to the usual Disney standards.

 

It will be interesting to hear reports from those on the current 5 night cruise.

[CC Help Jenn]

No, I understand that and the importance of focusing on the positive. My "pinch of salt" reference was towards DF's quote below where he is clearly claiming that the posters with negative reports (on another forum) are doing it for attention. I'm sure some people do that, but I don't believe this is the case in this situation. We are getting these reports from some of DCL's biggest fans, and they are not just focusing on the negative. They have all made the point to mention a ton of positives as well. Scott's review on the Disney Cruise line blog is a perfect example.

 

 

 

The bottom line is Disney really hyped up this drydock and reimagined Magic. Most DCL cruisers have certain expectations of Disney standards and it just seems that this is not up to the usual Disney standards.

 

It will be interesting to hear reports from those on the current 5 night cruise.

 

I highlighted one of your sentences and completely agree! That is me. I expect near perfection - I know that perhaps that is unfair - however I have had some fantastic experiences on Disney cruises. I think that is why, although my Fantasy cruise would have been fabulous to some, it was just okay to me.... So I totally get that - and I am trying to tame my expectations a bit so I can just relax and enjoy

[hencoll]

I highlighted one of your sentences and completely agree! That is me. I expect near perfection - I know that perhaps that is unfair - however I have had some fantastic experiences on Disney cruises. I think that is why, although my Fantasy cruise would have been fabulous to some, it was just okay to me.... So I totally get that - and I am trying to tame my expectations a bit so I can just relax and enjoy

 

Yep, I'm the same. We have had fabulous DCL cruises. My 3 girls have practically grew up on Disney cruises.:) The Magic is my favorite ship and I'm so looking forward to sailing her again in May.