Florida flowers and Caribbean cruising THIS SECTION COMPLETED 5/7 - Page 43 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
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We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Sorry Cheryl, but I have to laugh at that milk carton for your tea!
Oh don't worry, we laughed too... well, it was either that or cry, quite frankly!
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Such a sad last dinner, what a shame, and at such a fun restaurant too! Did you ever get your wine??
We did and that was pretty much the point at which we left, which gives you an idea of how long we waited for it...
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I am so impressed that you guys were done with packing by 8:30. I hate packing up, it is so sad and I am always afraid I am going to forget to leave out clothes for the next day for someone. Our tradition is to get packed up and then the kids get one last evening in the kids clubs while we go to Pink for one last cocktail.
I need to finally buy a drink in Pink the next time we're on one of the ships that has Pink, that is. I always think of it just being champagne, but I guess it's got a wider range, if it has cocktails...
Maybe this was the servers last cruise and their contract is up. Let's hope so anyway because that's terrible service. Not the best way to end the cruise.
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The service you had was really dreadful and would be enough to make me not book with DCL again. The ships are beautiful, and the food is good (not great, IMO), but in my experience it's been the service that has made the difference. FANTASTIC servers and crew in all departments. People so good at their jobs that it just makes you smile and feel lucky to be there. If that's missing, I don't know what the extra cost of DCL is for.
I hear you, as I must admit this cruise I felt like the food was good, not great, as you say - with the definite exception of Palo. To me, the customer service is part of what you pay extra for, but you also pay for the superb shows, the characters and the Disney magic. You pay for the bigger rooms and the theming of the ships as well - which I have to say I love and I don't mind paying more for (only a reasonable amount though, not the amount we're talking for the extortionately round Britain cruise next year!
You also you get a lot more for your money - silly things like soft drinks included. I know that's not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when you cruise with other companies, you realise why you paid less money, as you pay more when you're on board.
I'm sorry the poor service spoiled your last dinner on board I find it especially weird that you were served your meal so slowly - after all, you were in main dining, meaning they were on the clock as the second dining people would be coming in...
I know - that's what I found bizarre as well. On the later seating, it's not unusual for people to sit really late. I know we did on the inaugural Med cruise back in 2007. I think one night we were still there at 11:30pm!
The service you had was really dreadful and would be enough to make me not book with DCL again. The ships are beautiful, and the food is good (not great, IMO), but in my experience it's been the service that has made the difference. FANTASTIC servers and crew in all departments. People so good at their jobs that it just makes you smile and feel lucky to be there. If that's missing, I don't know what the extra cost of DCL is for.
My thoughts exactly, Laurie! If you aren't getting exemplary "Disney service", then why pay so much more for DCL than another cruiseline?
The only time we had mediocre servers, we were doing a back to back cruise. The first cruise they just were not as personable as we'd come to expect. So when we saw we'd have them again for the second cruise, we groaned. But guess what? They were GREAT! It was a 4 night followed by a 5 night, so I guess it just took them a bit longer to warm up?
The milk in a carton is RIDICULOUS! I think I would send that picture to the head of DCL as an example of a server "don't". And you're right, asking for cream in coffee doesn't seem like a strange request....
All around, a very bad experience. Glad you were honest in your review on the survey. The way they talked up the survey, though, makes me think they were clueless that they really weren't going a good job. Here's hoping they don't transfer to the Wonder - our next sailing!
Wow, that is unbelievable! If this were my first cruise, they would have totally blown it as far as having me come back for another cruise.
I know, that's what I thought was the worst thing, as we did have newbies on our cruise. We just kept apologising on behalf of Disney and saying that what they had experienced really was not typical!
My thoughts exactly, Laurie! If you aren't getting exemplary "Disney service", then why pay so much more for DCL than another cruiseline?
The only time we had mediocre servers, we were doing a back to back cruise. The first cruise they just were not as personable as we'd come to expect. So when we saw we'd have them again for the second cruise, we groaned. But guess what? They were GREAT! It was a 4 night followed by a 5 night, so I guess it just took them a bit longer to warm up?
Seriously?!!! How long does it take a server to warm up? I can understand being a bit off on night one, but that's about it...
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The milk in a carton is RIDICULOUS! I think I would send that picture to the head of DCL as an example of a server "don't". And you're right, asking for cream in coffee doesn't seem like a strange request....
All around, a very bad experience. Glad you were honest in your review on the survey. The way they talked up the survey, though, makes me think they were clueless that they really weren't going a good job. Here's hoping they don't transfer to the Wonder - our next sailing!
Oh don't go there... we're on the Wonder too in August and if I was greeted by them as our servers again, I would definitely ask to be reassigned... either that or I'd hide out in Palo every night!
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I can't believe the lack of service at AP. And then to bring out the milk in a carton like that, wow! At least you were able to get some great pictures of the show.
Niagara has a wine region? Now there's proof you really do learn something every day - I had no idea it was a wine region....
Yes, there are quite a few wineries in the Niagara region. There is a quaint little town in southern Ontario called Niagara on the Lake which has dozens of wineries. And then, right across the Niagara River, in the U.S., quite a few more. An interesting fact is that Niagara is located between 41 degrees and 44 degrees north latitude, which is the same band as the wine growing regions in France, Italy and Spain. The climate is idea because we are situated right on the Niagara Escarpment and the Great Lakes. Sorry to hijack! Back to the TR!
i can not believe the horrible service you had at dinner! First, I can't imagine that for the past few nights you have not been offered coffee or tea after dinner! Unheard of! Then, to serve it without offering cream or milk! And the icing on the cake, so to speak, was the milk carton! Unbelievable!
So sorry about the bad service. I remember one lunch at Blue Bayou in Disneyland when our server quit in the middle of our meal. Was it something we did? [emoji12]
Gorgeous pics of AP - love the blue water! Can't wait for our cruise!!
Yes, there are quite a few wineries in the Niagara region. There is a quaint little town in southern Ontario called Niagara on the Lake which has dozens of wineries. And then, right across the Niagara River, in the U.S., quite a few more. An interesting fact is that Niagara is located between 41 degrees and 44 degrees north latitude, which is the same band as the wine growing regions in France, Italy and Spain. The climate is idea because we are situated right on the Niagara Escarpment and the Great Lakes. Sorry to hijack! Back to the TR!
Wow, that amazes me - I would never have thought that. Somehow, I always think of this region as having really cold weather in the winter, which is why I never thought it could support wine growing.
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i can not believe the horrible service you had at dinner! First, I can't imagine that for the past few nights you have not been offered coffee or tea after dinner! Unheard of! Then, to serve it without offering cream or milk! And the icing on the cake, so to speak, was the milk carton! Unbelievable!
Do you know what? Not being coffee drinkers and not really drinking tea in the evening, it never crossed my mind that we should have been offered tea or coffee. It was only that last night that I realised we probably should have been.....
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and that was pretty much the point at which we left, which gives you an idea of how long we waited for it... 
I hate packing up, it is so sad and I am always afraid I am going to forget to leave out clothes for the next day for someone. Our tradition is to get packed up and then the kids get one last evening in the kids clubs while we go to Pink for one last cocktail. 
I always think of it just being champagne, but I guess it's got a wider range, if it has cocktails...
Not the best way to end the cruise.
On the later seating, it's not unusual for people to sit really late. I know we did on the inaugural Med cruise back in 2007. I think one night we were still there at 11:30pm! 
Unbelievable!
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