Once we figured out to add salt & pepper to just about everything, it wasn't as bad. But still seriously lacking.
Yes, there was an ice show. It was very good! The ice show and Aqua show were impressive. We are just a Disney family, and prefer to feel some magic every now and again.
This is good to know--thank you!
I didn't mean to spoil anybody's anticipation! While onboard my parents booked another Royal cruise for October, so they clearly like it. It just didn't fit our style.
Glad it helped!
Agreed! We were able to find some cover from the wind back at this pool. We really did like this! There was a lot to do at Coco Cay that we just didn't get to .... however, we were there long enough to get a feel/vibe for the place. And like you, we still prefer Castaway.
That's all I've heard for years: "it's worth a try." Well, I tried it, and didn't care for it that much. So I'm reporting my findings.
Sure, we're biased towards Disney. We are DVC owners after all. But as we've tried other vacations, we always seem to come back to Disney. As this is a
Disney Cruise Line board, I gather most people here are biased towards Disney. So, I figured they'd be interested in my report.
Regarding all the "things to do" .... for us, they were one and done.
- The zipline is 8 seconds (I just checked the video on my phone. 8 seconds). And a considerable wait.
- The Flowrider had huge lines, followed by short times on it, the entire time. We watched, but didn't try. Largely because we didn't want to be on display for dozens of other people.
- Ice skating was fun, but seriously, you're on a cruise ship. And we only ended up with 14 minutes on the ice.
- Abyss slide was cool ... but again, long wait, short ride, then what?
- Carousel ... sure, my 6-year old loved it. It's a carousel.
- Water slides ... daughter was too short, and my son rode each one once and was finished.
On the kids waterpark, I said "not 100% operational". Those giant buckets are kind of a big deal. And once they were fixed, they abruptly closed at 5PM so we couldn't use them. So I think this is a legitimate disappointment.
The widespread assumption that "as kids get older, they don't need the Disney stuff" is an interesting one. For some this is true, for others, not so much. My wife and I are Disney adults, after all.
I'm glad you've had a good experience on Royal. Different strokes for different folks. Like I said, my parents prefer Royal to Disney. But I disagree that the larger, newer ships are "definitely" worth a try for families, especially if they are happy with Disney and hesitant to branch out. I'd encourage them to do their homework.
I hope you enjoy your cruise on the Dream.