A Magical voyage across the pond TRIP REPORT UPDATED 12/31 - Page 10 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Sunday 9 September – part four: the worst service team ever!
We waited for Mari and Raleigh to join us, having been told by four separate Disney cast that they couldn’t board with us, as they weren’t platinum. Oh for goodness sake! In the end, no-one would have known or cared, so goodness knows why they kept saying that, but we weren’t to know that. We set off to board and as they were boarding group 11 by now (it was midday and the Disney Cruise Line website had said boarding in Dover wouldn’t start until 1:00pm – yeah, right…) and they were in boarding group 13, we figured they wouldn’t be too far behind.
As we walked through the seating area, we were blown away by the facilities here – nice comfortable seating, much better than quite a few ports that we’ve embarked at. Vancouver, Venice and San Juan could all learn from Dover. I never thought I’d say that. I wish I’d grabbed a photo, but it was a bit of a mob scene boarding, as they’d just called another two groups forward, so sadly I didn’t.
I did get a couple of shots as we moved forward to board….
… and for the first time in the now 12 cruises we’ve done, I got a photo of the scene when you actually board and get welcomed by the Crew Members.
Everyone else was going for first names, so we did as well and I thought that was nice.
We were in the atrium and avoided the long snaking lines for both photos and guest services (that line was insane! ) and headed towards the entrance for Lumiere’s, which is where we’d be meeting Mari and Raleigh for lunch. On the way, Mark pointed out the view out of the portholes and across to Dover.
We got in line for Lumieres and it turned out that we were behind a couple from Essex, the next county (state) up from Kent, where we live. We’d got talking to them on the way on to the boat, as they were behind us. They asked if we wanted to dine together and we all agreed, providing there were two spaces on the table for Mari and Raleigh and we were near the podium, so we could see them when they arrived. They were good as their word and we found them a few minutes after we sat down.
I have to say we had the worst service team ever! They were so painfully slow, it wasn’t funny. I tell you it’s just as well we weren’t in a hurry for something, as we’d never have made it with them. I remember there was Lazar from Serbia, who reminded both of us of tennis player Novak Djovokic and the assistant server was from Italy and that was about it. I hope that’s the last we see of the pair of them on this cruise. Our food took forever to arrive and I had to grab someone else and ask them for a refill of water. Really???
We got on great with the couple from Essex, Claire and Graham, who were on their fourth cruise, having previously done some of the ports on this cruise in Nova Scotia. They really wanted to cruise Alaska and we did everything we could to encourage them to do so.
Now you probably know it how it is on a cruise if you’ve done one – you quite often see the same people again and again. This was the case with these guys. We honestly ran into them nearly every day of the Transatlantic cruise!
Mark and I both had the sliced smoked salmon for appetiser…
We also went for the same thing for entrée – the grilled salmon salad on toasted iceberg, citrus marinated couscous, spinach, artichoke, tomatoes and cucumbers. It was very nice, although neither of us are fans of artichoke, so we left that.
Mark opted out of dessert and I wasn’t enthused by anything on the menu, but I know what is always available on a Disney cruise for dessert…. A Mickey bar!
Next: well that’s a first for us on all our cruises!
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Yeah! First Mickey bar of the trip!
I’m sure you had your fingers crossed that you wouldn’t see this service team again on the cruise. Imagine if you turned up to find them at dinner!
You've really never photographed the entrance as you board the ship?! Hmmm, I'll take your word for it. (because I can't remember!) That really is the fun part about boarding on Disney.
Very fun that you've met another great couple! And from close to home too.
Good looking lunch, I hope the food remains delicious. But the service had better improve!
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You've really never photographed the entrance as you board the ship?! Hmmm, I'll take your word for it. (because I can't remember!) That really is the fun part about boarding on Disney.
No seriously I haven't - honest! I think it's because usually it's quite overwhelming, if that makes sense? You're all being bustled on board at a rate and I just never seem to have the time to photograph it. However, at least I got it this time!
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Very fun that you've met another great couple! And from close to home too.
Good looking lunch, I hope the food remains delicious. But the service had better improve!
Oh so happy to hear it was only for lunch that you had such an awful service team!!! I was fearing they were your team for the long part of your cruising!
That Salmon salad looked amazing, I think now, I have to stop here and fix something for my dinner...and it's not going to be nearly as tasty as that looked!
Kind of crazy with the boarding process and you being told time and again that Mari and Raleigh couldn't board with you! They should make exceptions as they were with you.
You're lunch at Lumiere's looked very good. Lumiere's was definitely my favorite on my Magic cruise. I'm surprised the two of you went for salmon with both courses! You didn't feel a salmon overload with this? I love salmon and may have done this as both variations are quite different! I can't believe your servers here as kind of inept! They better not be your service team for the rotation!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
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Not really. Mari and Raleigh booked through a travel agent and I don't think they were aware their passports would be taken off them at check-in....
I can tell you as a travel agent that Disney is famous for NOT telling us this kind of stuff and they should. It drives me CRAZY!!!
I am so excited to read about your cruise! (I have friends on the Magic right now and I am stalking their pictures on facebook and then I feel sad I am not with them).
My goal is to do a trans atlantic some day! It probably won't be till Claire is either out of highschool...if she comes with me...or if I go without her, she will have to be driving so she can get her self to where she needs to be while I am gone. My friend does the East bound one almost every year and it always looks like so much fun! Plus I love sea days!!!
I know what you mean about seeing the same people over and over. You can never see a person you know(like from a cruise group) who may be on the same cruise, but see the same stranger over and over every single day!
Oh so happy to hear it was only for lunch that you had such an awful service team!!! I was fearing they were your team for the long part of your cruising!
Thankfully and my goodness, I would have said something, rather than suffered in silence for that long!
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That Salmon salad looked amazing, I think now, I have to stop here and fix something for my dinner...and it's not going to be nearly as tasty as that looked!
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they couldn’t board with us, as they weren’t platinum. Oh for goodness sake! In the end, no-one would have known or cared, so goodness knows why they kept saying that, but we weren’t to know that. We set off to board and as they were boarding group 11 by now (it was midday and the Disney Cruise Line website had said boarding in Dover wouldn’t start until 1:00pm – yeah, right…) and they were in boarding group 13, we figured they wouldn’t be too far behind. 
) and headed towards the entrance for Lumiere’s, which is where we’d be meeting Mari and Raleigh for lunch. On the way, Mark pointed out the view out of the portholes and across to Dover. 
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Pixie Dust
Mickey Bars are always a good back up!! 
Thankfully we were much luckier with our service team at dinner. 
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They should make exceptions as they were with you.
You didn't feel a salmon overload with this? I love salmon and may have done this as both variations are quite different! 
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