I have never been to Disney; it's just one of those places that I could never see myself connecting with. I have spoken too many and am confident that it is an amazing experience that sticks in a Childs mind for a lifetime. What makes it not appealing to me is the whole pretence of pretend, trying to be so many things at once, copying other places in the world, recreated with a look and feel of the original.
I find myself drawing parallels as I sit aboard Independence of the Seas writing this review.
Check-in at Southampton was less than smooth. I queued in the car to get into the port, queued to get my case unloaded, queued to get into the waiting area before security, queued to check in. Over an hour and a half to get from arrival at the dock gates to finally embarking. Not that the delays ended there, my case did not arrive until after dinner (8pm) and if you wanted to try and speak to guest relations; join the long, long line. Now Oasis of the Seas, with it's 6,000 passengers and based in Florida, manages to get kerbside to cabin in 15 mins. Why must we pay 3 or 4 times the price of a cruise in the USA to experience this poor service departing Southampton? This needs to change.