The February 2012 Condé
Nast Traveler announced the 100 Best Cruise Ships in the World and Disney
ships take the 3 of the top 4 slots in the Large Cruise Ship category. And with only 3 ships in the fleet as of
right now, every Disney ship made the list!
Large
Cruise Ships
|
Overall
Score
|
Itineraries/
Schedules
|
Shore
Excursions
|
Disney
Magic
|
90.7
|
92.3
|
84.9
|
Celebrity
Eclipse
|
88.8
|
83.2
|
68.3
|
Disney
Dream
|
88.8
|
81.1
|
79.1
|
Disney
Wonder
|
88.8
|
86.3
|
79.4
|
The Disney Magic had the highest Overall Score and the top
score for Shore Excursions based on votes from cruisers. A summer in Europe
most likely helped to boost ratings in this category as well as Itineraries and
Schedules.
The Disney Dream did not fare so well in the Itineraries and
Schedules category, most likely due to the limitations of the Bahamian 3, 4,
and 5 night cruises with stops in Nassau
and Castaway Cay.
Large
Cruise Ships
|
Crew/Service
|
Cabins
|
Food/Dining
|
Disney
Magic
|
96.0
|
90.4
|
84.7
|
Celebrity
Eclipse
|
93.7
|
96.9
|
90.6
|
Disney
Dream
|
90.7
|
92.6
|
88.9
|
Disney
Wonder
|
95.6
|
90.4
|
84.1
|
The Magic topped out the charts for Crew and Service,
especially compared to the Disney Dream.
A new and inexperienced crew on their first 6 month tour is most likely
the reason. We experienced this while
sailing on the Dream in July.
Interestingly, most of the crew members we spoke with, from
Entertainment to Wait Staff to Housekeeping, said that they were planning to
jump ship to the Fantasy. Most stated
reasons such as more tips due to the longer itinerary and the Entertainment
staff would have more time off; instead
of a show 4 out of 5 nights, it would be a show 4 out of 7 nights. So, will the Dream eventually get a seasoned
and experienced crew?
The Dream did come out ahead in the Cabins category. Those inside virtual portholes are a guest
favorite. Demand for inside staterooms on
the Dream has outweighed demand for outside staterooms, which is unusual in the
cruise industry. The newness of the
staterooms most likely adds value to this category.
Disney had ho-hum scores for dining with the Dream edging
out the other Disney ships. The newly
themed Animator’s Palate is most likely a contributor, but was not our favorite
while on board—click here to read more.
The addition of Remy to the adults only restaurant selection of Palo on
the Dream gives the Dream an edge in the dining category.
Large
Cruise Ships
|
Activities/
Facilities
|
Design/ Layout
|
Number of
Passengers
|
Disney
Magic
|
92.7
|
94.0
|
2,700
|
Celebrity
Eclipse
|
89.7
|
95.3
|
2,850
|
Disney
Dream
|
96.3
|
90.7
|
4,000
|
Disney
Wonder
|
91.8
|
93.4
|
2,700
|
The Disney Dream sailed past the competition in Activities
and Facilities. The Aqua Duck, Goofy’s
Sports Deck, Interactive play floors in the children’s areas, and an expanded
character meet and greet list are most likely the reasons behind the Dream’s
competitive edge. The Disney Fantasy
with even more water features will give the Dream a run for its money by next
year in this category.
Where the Dream fell short was in Design and Layout. I’m sensing the Dream’s awkward deck layout
with the inability to traverse the ship fore to aft on any deck lowers the
score in this category. Our stateroom
was on Deck 5 and we had great access to elevators and the ability to traverse
the ship on our side. Guests on the
other side of the ship would have had to use our side or the stairs to get to
the rest of Deck 5 or Deck 4. With the
addition of a main dining restaurant, Enchanted Garden ,
on Deck 2, guests had to use the midship elevators or staircase to get to the
restaurant. Only Decks 3 and 4, along
with the top decks 6 through 11 provided guests adequate access to the entire
ship without using the stairs. Also, the
aft elevators being located in the middle of Cabanas, a restaurant, may feel a
bit strange. Let’s see how the Disney
Fantasy fares in this category.
As a Disney Cruise Line fan, it is no surprise to see the
fleet make it to the top of the list for Best Large Cruise Ships. Disney Cruise Line has a way of exceeding
expectations and has one of the biggest return cruiser rates of any cruise
line.
When the cruise industry is being looked at with a more
critical eye due to the recent Costa Concordia tragedy, it is great to hear and
read some good news about cruising.
Reports are that booking rates for the industry are down about 10% and
cancelations are running about the same.
With 19 million cruisers sailing the high seas this past year, our
family looks to be part of those numbers in 2012.
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