First time cruiser's thoughts on the Disney Wonder
Written: Dec 07 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful ship, family-oriented entertainment, excellent service
Cons: They made me leave at the end of the trip!
The Bottom Line: If you have children and enjoy family-oriented activities, this is the cruise line for you. While it's not a cheap vacation, it's a good value for the money.
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| TLBP's Full Review: Disney Wonder |
My family just returned from a four-day cruise on the Disney Wonder. It was absolutely WONDERFUL!
Port Canaveral: Since we live fairly close to Florida, we were able to drive to the port. It costs $10/day to park your car in their lot. Hint: The porters warned us not to leave ANY food (opened or unopened) in the car. They promised us we'd find an army of ants waiting for us if we did!
Check-in: The check-in process was quick and easy. We were given our room keys, which also gave us our dining rotation. Make sure you have your tickets, IDs, passports or birth certificates, credit cards, and cash in your purse/fanny pack -- you'll need all these things at the check in desk. Hint: Don't burden yourself with much else. You'll have to carry these things around for a while if your room isn't ready yet.
The ship: Oh, my! Walking into the grand lobby for the first time was an experience. It's three stories high, and just beautiful. The staircases, the elevators, the chandalier, the colors . . . you can see pictures on the internet, but it's so much more impressive in person.
Cast members quickly directed us upstairs to Deck 9 (the main "outdoor" deck, which was equally impressive. Never having been on a ship before, we were imagining a skimpy little railing between us and the big blue. Not even close. All of Deck 9 is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling plexiglass, which allows you to look out at the ocean without any fear for children or hats falling overboard. Deck 9 is home to THREE pools for different age brackets(all of them fairly small, but beautiful and scrupulously clean). Hint: the two pools that allow children are impossibly crowded from mid-morning until evening. Consider wearing swimsuits under your clothes so you can jump right in during the first few hours at sea -- you'll have the place to yourself. Also consider swimming late at night; we were literally the only ones in the Mickey Pool several nights around 10:00.
Stateroom: We were very pleased to receive a FREE upgrade from a category 11 (inside, no window) room to a category 9 (deluxe outside stateroom)! Our room was quite small by typical hotel standards, but we really didn't feel cramped. The queen sized bed was comfortable for my husband and I. The sofa "folded out" into a single bed for one child, and the cabin steward pulled a "hidden bunk" from the ceiling for the other child. We didn't use all the drawer and closet space, but I will admit that we are light packers. We had a built-in beverage cooler (not as cold as a fridge) and a safe. The bathroom -- the low point of the whole stateroom -- was tiny but had shelves for storage.
Stateroom hints: Bring along an over-the-door shoe holder ($5 at Walmart) to hold all the little things that usually clutter up your hotel room: Bottles of suntan lotion, make-up, children's crayons . . . organization is what'll make the small room livable! Bring along a light-up alarm clock; the room included only a small clock which was far from our bed and didn't glow at night. Bring an extension cord; the room has only one outlet (by the desk/mirror) and it's difficult to access.
Breakfast, lunch, and snacks: The large buffet (Beach Blanket Buffet) on Deck 9 is open each day for breakfast and lunch. The food is always plentiful and delicious, and you can choose to sit indoors or outdoors. One or two of the sit-down restaurants will be open for breakfast and lunch (you'll receive a daily Navigator in your cabin, which will let you know where and when a sit-down lunch can be found). You can also order room service. Room service is quick and free, though you should tip your server when your food is delivered. Between meals you can pick up hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, nachos, wrap sandwiches, chicken nuggets, fresh fruit, cookies, and ice cream from the three fast-food places on Deck 9. They're scattered between the pools. Again, there is no charge for these food items.
Dinners (worthy of its own topic): The Disney Wonder assigns each family a dinner time (6:30 or 8:30 -- you may request the one you'd prefer) and a restaraunt rotation. Thus, you'll get a chance to eat in each of the three uniquely themed restaurants. You'll be assigned a table with other guests, which most people seem to enjoy. You'll also be assigned a wait-staff team who will "follow you" to the three restaurants. Expect excellent food and service! Our head waiter knew we were first-time cruisers, so he gave us hints on things to do in Nassau, tips about shows not to miss, etc. He was a wealth of information beyond the dinner table! You tip your wait staff on the last night of the cruise -- guest services will give you an envelope. Tips are their main source of income, so don't neglect these hard-working people.
Finally, Disney has one adult-only restaurant: Palo. If you want reservations, you must stand in line IMMEDIATELY after you board the ship ($5 per person surcharge and you should tip your waiter). The exact time and place changes, but it'll be noted on your check-in information. I thought the entrees were equal to those in the main dining rooms, but the deserts . . . well, you have to taste them for yourself! My husband and I enjoyed the adult atmosphere.
Drinks: While food is all free, drinks are not. You can find lemonaide, fruit punch, milk, tea, hot chocolate, coffe, and water free all day. The restaurants and the buffet have them all, and there's a self-serve drink station near the pools. Sodas are free in the sit-down restaurants but not at the buffet or the drink station. Most people shell out $5/day for an all-you-can-drink soda program -- what a waste! That would have been $80 for our family on a four-day cruise! We cannot drink $80 of soda in four weeks, much less four days! Unlike most cruises, Disney does not prohibit bringing your own sodas or alcohol on board. Finally, beer and mixed drinks are widely available -- but, of course, are not free. Beer runs about $3/can and mixed drinks are around $5.50.
Kids' Clubs: If you're considering cruising Disney, you probably have kids. They will LOVE the kids' clubs -- so will you! My youngest child was in the "Oceaneer's Club". It looks like a pirate ship -- what a delightful place for a small child to play! I cannot say enough about her wonderful counselors. She did simple crafts, had her face painted, heard stories . . . she loved every minute of it. One evening they took the kids to a night club that was closed for the evening so they could dance. She was thrilled. My older daughter was in the "Oceaneer's Lab". They have computer games, science equipment, etc. Her favorite activity was playing dodge ball at night on the sports deck with glow-in-the-dark balls. You must register your child for the clubs on the first day of your cruise. You'll be given a pager, and the child will be given a plastic wristband which must be worn for the whole cruise. Hint: They'll give you a Kid's Navigator that'll tell you what they've planned each day. All of them are great, but some are bound to interest your child more than others!
Castaway Cay: Oh, what a perfect day! Castaway Cay is Disney's private island, and it is probably the world's most perfect beach. The water is calm, there are ample chairs . . . and, of course, it's beautiful. Disney has marked out three sections of beach: one for families, one for teens, and one for adults only. The family beach is pretty crowded (unless you go to the faaaar end), but the others are almost empty. Consider renting a tube or float for your child -- it's money well spent. A buffet lunch is served on the island. The children can spend part of the day in the kids' clubs (which move to the island for the day) if you like. You'll love the day at Castaway Cay. Hint: If you want to take part in water sports such as banana boat riding or parasailing, call Disney 60 days before your trip to make your reservations. The best time slots will be available, and you won't have to stand in line on the ship!
In closing, I know I've used the words like wonderful and beautiful quite a bit in this review. Believe me, they have not been over-used. This is a wonderful choice for a family vacation!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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Epinions.com ID:
TLBP
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Reviews written: 109
Trusted by: 10 members
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