Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming!
Written: Dec 23 '00 (Updated Jul 22 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Paradise Island excursion (Nassau)
Cons: inside cabins are TINY!
The Bottom Line: Excellent cruise for families, especially for first-time cruisers.
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| dawnphillips's Full Review: Disney Wonder |
Booking a Disney Cruise is so painless you almost think you're going to get it free until they quote you the price. OUCH! But all things considered, it's worth every penny and more. We went the first week of November.
I booked a 7-day land/sea package with 2 inside staterooms and a moderate resort. We spent 3 days at WDW Dixie Landings and 4 glorious days aboard the Disney Wonder. My toughest decision was whether or not to book 2 inside staterooms or to get one inside/one outside with balcony.
Everyone kept telling me to book early/book the lowest category possible in order to get a category upgrade at the time of our sailing. I did book early and I went against everything my common sense side was telling me and booked the cheapest category available. (And it still ain't cheap).
On this cruise (it was our first) was myself, husband, son 14, daughter 10 and mother-in-law, 60. We decided on 2 staterooms rather than one suite figuring we'd all have more privacy. I didn't know what to expect really. All the brochures tell you that the cabins on Disney Cruise Lines are 25 percent larger than the rest of the competition. Wow. I'd hate to see the cabins in the other ships.
That was my only regret, by the way, that our inside cabins were cramped and claustrophobic. Three of us had to change clothes one at a time just to have privacy and enough space. Our son slept for four nights with his legs hanging over the end of what Disney called the "other bed" in our cabin category. Our dog has a larger bed. It is not a sofa bed. It is not a pull-down berth. If you have more than one child or if your one child is taller than 4', get a room with a pull-down berth or go for a suite with the daybed option. This was awful!
I tried to get moved to an outside cabin for the sake of having some daylight (I was told by nearly everyone that you spent very little time inside the cabin) but the cruise was sold out and every cabin was taken! I believed this but it did little to accomodate my phobia of dark, closed spaces.
We decided that we would have, indeed, spent quite alot of time on a balcony had we received one. But since our room was "standing room only" we tried to spend all our time on the decks of the ship instead. This wasn't unpleasant, but what a lovely thing that balcony would have been.
One more thing about outside cabins: DON'T RELY ON UPGRADES. GET AN OUTSIDE CABIN WHEN YOU BOOK THE CRUISE!!! Enough about that.
The food on this cruise was wonderful every meal. Our servers, Robert and Dalibor from Croatia were just awesome! We are used to having fine service and these two guys were a dream come true. Great personalities! I wanted to recruit them to work at my club!!! Tritons was our favorite, although we were crossing the gulf stream that first evening and the water in the glasses was making waves - it was pretty rough seas! My poor husband wanted to drink (in moderation of course) so he didn't take any bonine that night. I chewed the things like candy and I still felt like heck. And they knocked me out! Every night we were in bed sound asleep by 11:00! What novices! Our kids stayed up later than we did!
The shows offered on DCL are top-notch Disney productions not to be missed. I liked Pirates of the Ghost Ship for some reason, better than the famed Disney Dreams. (I just knew Disney Dreams would make me cry and it did).
Kids programs on DCL are the best idea! Our daughter (10) couldn't decide whether to hang out with her friends in the Oceaneer Lab or spend time with her parents! We let her have her freedom. She made new friends and exchanged email addresses with all of them.
Our 14 year old absolutely LOVED Common Grounds - the teen club. He spent 99 percent of his cruise there. They did all kinds of exciting things, he especially liked the scavenger hunts and basketball games. The only rule we made him follow was to meet us for dinner each night. The rest of the time was his to do with as he chose. It was very nice to know we didn't have to worry about him one bit.
Grandma enjoyed her time aboard as well. She got to do her own thing and found plenty of shopping opportunities. She had so much fun she'd do it all over again, she said, only next time she wants to do the seven day cruise! If you're thinking about taking grandparents on the cruise do it!
The Vista Spa is an experience not to be missed. It was an afterthought for us, but oh, how glad we were to have done it. On our Freeport day, my husband and I did the Surial Bath first thing in the morning. It was so nice and relaxing. We didn't get a massage, appointments go so fast, but I did get my hair cut. The girl was from S. Africa and she did the best job cutting my hair I'd ever had! She was wonderful! I wished I'd have gotten it colored there too! I recommend the Vista Spa and Beauty Salon to everyone. The haircut was less than I expected so I tipped her alot since she took so much time explaining each time she cut some off the ends. I truly appreciated her expertise!
The weather was absolutely perfect every day we sailed! Our Nassau excursion was to Blue Lagoon Island (DO THIS) for which we paid $36 for adults (over age 9). Grandma and daughter also participated in the dolphin encounter coupled with the Blue Lagoon Beach Day for $111 each.
The Dolphin Encounter is truly a memorable experience. We took so many pictures of this entire excursion! The water is just so incredible here. Hammocks and palm trees and the sound of the ocean crashing onto the shore - heaven on earth! Every time I close my eyes I can relive this. There are miles of paths that run from one end of this enchanted isle to the other! Romantic walks are just made for this place. Our kids found a starfish in the ocean here! Who cares if mixed drinks are $6 when it's "Kendall's Love Potion" you're drinking?!!
Anyone who thinks Nassau is bad ought to visit Blue Lagoon Island!
Castaway Cay was just alright after the Blue Lagoon excursion. This place seems like it's just too manmade! Everyone raves about it but we thought Blue Lagoon was tons better! Castaway Cay is VERY crowded since everyone is there at the same time! Very little shade! The ocean floor at the adult-only beach is deadly to your feet - wear water shoes!!!
We were ready to get back on the ship two hours after we got on the island. It just wasn't our thing. I think if Disney built a resort here and allowed people to spend the night or make this part of the land/sea package it would be much nicer.
Disembarkation is a breeze. We checked everything in at the port terminal and boarded the cruise line busses back to the airport. Didn't see our luggage until we got back to stormy Louisville. (Our flight from Charlotte to Louisville was scarier than any rollercoaster!)
I can't tell you how many times I heard grouchy parents yelling "you'd BETTER be having a good time, Junior, do you know how much we SPENT for this cruise?" like the tired 5 year old has a clue. Parents: if you don't think your kids are old enough to enjoy a cruise or if you have to complain every breath about how much you spent then maybe wait until you really can afford to go. It gets old to the other passengers hearing you b*tch all the time.
Overall we were impressed with DCL and plan on taking the 7 day cruise next year. You learn what to do and what not to do. Next time I will pack "dressier" clothes and get our pictures made on board the ship. I will DEFINITELY book an outside cabin with a veranda that is large enough for a family of 4 (I think the 7 dwarfs designed the inside cabins). My advice for a first-timer is to research on the web (Epinions, etc.) but don't expect that upgrade.
We went in value season (November 1-9)and had a category 11/moderate resort and for five of us we spent a total of $9,000 including our own airfare, all our food and souvinirs, shore excursions and gratuities for everyone. Remember it's your money and your vacation -- get what you want!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dawnphillips
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Location: Evansville Indiana
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 11 members
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