6/5/08 3 Night Wonder Trip Report- with Navigators, 20 tips, and 100+ photos!!!

[Fidler]

Awesome TR!
You have a beautiful family! We cant wait for our cruise in November - it is our first one and your report has certainly helped me plan!
Thanks again!

 

[jjnshane]

Loved your trip report! My family and I are taking a 3 night in December and your tips have really helped in my planning -- I am all about the planning!

Although I shouldn't be, I am amazed at the number of Floridian DISers out there -- for somereason I thought my family was the only one in Florida who spend all of their spare time at Disney!!! We really should plan a Florida DISer cruise! That would be a HOOT!

 

[ibouncetoo]

Bumping up this trip report for all the first time cruisers who are booking the 'kids free' cruises for 2009!

 

[mickeywho?]

Bumping up this trip report for all the first time cruisers who are booking the 'kids free' cruises for 2009!

That's us! Just loved this TR. We are first-timers and last-minute bookers so a detailed report like this is AWESOME!

Quick question about the bike rentals - do they have helmets? As much as I don't like sharing hats I like broken skulls a lot less. Anyone know?

 

[jenseib]

I was considering that 3 nighter for the free child benifit. But I REALLY want to do a 4 night one, so I think I'm gonna pass on it. If we did 3 niths I would then want to do a day at Disney too ,and the savings would be completely gone. LOL!

 

[jd99]

What a fantastic trip report. Your descriptions encompass exactly how I want us to do our first 3 night cruise. We have taken 5 Disney Cruises but they have all been 7 nighters. I've never had interest in booking anything shorter until the kids sail free promotion and after seeing the price, I switched our all-land Spring Break vacation to 3 night cruise, 3 nights SSR. It enabled us to upgrade to a 2 bedroom at SSR which we've never done before. When justifying it to myself, I thought...this will be a cruise where we are NEVER in the cabin, where we do all our favorite things and where we attack the cruise like we are attacking one of the parks. THen I read your TR and realized that it can be done. Now I am psyched!!!!!!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Bumping up this trip report for all the first time cruisers who are booking the 'kids free' cruises for 2009!

Thanks for the bump. Although my knowledge is now a little dated, I would still be happy to answer any questions that anyone might have. We are thinking about another 3 or 4 night cruise in June, 2009.

That's us! Just loved this TR. We are first-timers and last-minute bookers so a detailed report like this is AWESOME!

Quick question about the bike rentals - do they have helmets? As much as I don't like sharing hats I like broken skulls a lot less. Anyone know?

I am almost certain that they do offer bike helmets. I am a bad parent, and did not require my teens to wear them on this trip.

What a fantastic trip report. Your descriptions encompass exactly how I want us to do our first 3 night cruise. We have taken 5 Disney Cruises but they have all been 7 nighters. I've never had interest in booking anything shorter until the kids sail free promotion and after seeing the price, I switched our all-land Spring Break vacation to 3 night cruise, 3 nights SSR. It enabled us to upgrade to a 2 bedroom at SSR which we've never done before. When justifying it to myself, I thought...this will be a cruise where we are NEVER in the cabin, where we do all our favorite things and where we attack the cruise like we are attacking one of the parks. THen I read your TR and realized that it can be done. Now I am psyched!!!!!!

Sounds like a great trip to me! The SSR resort is great, and if you approach the 3 night cruise with the right attitude, you will have a great time. I agree with your philosophy- look at the three night cruise as an opportunity to do all of the funnest things that you get to do on a 7 night cruise, just in a condensed time frame. Unfortunately, my family cannot take advantage of the kids sail free deal, but we are still considering another Wonder cruise for June, 2009.

TCD

 

[Juliet25]

Bumping up this trip report for all the first time cruisers who are booking the 'kids free' cruises for 2009!

Thanks!!! This TR is perfect for us first timers looking forward to the 3 day.

 

[PippyLatte]

What a great TR - thanks so much!

 

[wink13]

I just booked the Feb, 12 2009- 3 day cruise which will be our first. It will be myself, DS 15 & DS 9. After reading your TR and tips I feel much better about what to expect. I kind of booked on a whim and knew nothing about the cruise or cruising in general so you help a lot. I hope I have as much fun on the cruise as I did reading your TR.

Thanks for you help.

 

[anna08]

Wow! What a great TR! I was feeling a little sad that we could only manage a 3 day but this TR makes me feel so excited to go! Thanks for bumping this up!

 

[Ware Bears]

Wow!!! What a great TR. You are a lovely family and I have so enjoyed reading about your cruise. We are going on our first 3 night cruise next December and I can't wait!

 

[pycees312]

thanks for bumping this thread! enjoyed reading it and im so excited to be taking our very first cruise ever in April on the Wonder.

 

[scootch]

Thanks so much for whomever bumped this trip report. Being able to print out the brochures from the cruise is helping me immensely. We are just downgrading from a 7 night to a 3 night as my girls areally want to go to WDW for a couple days and Discovery Cove/Sea World. Your trip report made me realize we will still get to experience what cruising is and then maybe next time if we decide, we will move up to the 7 day(plus see who gets seasick and who doesn't!!). Thanks so much for the pictures and all the brochures from the various days. You have been so helpful to me!!! great pics

 

[First Rocks]

Thanks for the great TR! We go on our first cruise in a little over a month and this was a great read!! Thanks for all the details and pics. I have two DDs (8 & 5) so we may have to sleep a little more, but I will definitely be up roaming around the ship early!!
Also, thanks for bumping this thread up-just in time for my upcoming 3-day on the Wonder (2-5-09)

 

[ibouncetoo]

Thanks for the thanks! I just knew when DCL came out with the kids for free deal, that there would be new cruisers looking for info, and I remembered what a GREAT trip report this is.

Thanks to Tri-circle-D for helping lots of DCL 'newbies' with this wonderful report.

 

[alldiz]

ibouncetoo was kind enough to link this report to my current thread asking about my 1st DCL cruise Dec 09.

I'm really enjoying your trip report....I will have to read these reports every day to get through this waiting period.

Off to read the rest .....thanks for posting
Kerri

 

[alldiz]

Sorry- before going on to our adventures in Nassau, there is a tip that I forgot to mention.

Tip #13- Spend some time exploring the ship!

One of the great things about the DCL ships is that they have some remarkable public spaces. Early in the morning and late at night, you can wander around and literally feel like you have the ship to yourself.

You also might see some interesting behind the scenes things, like how those Nescafe coffee makers work.

These coffee machines are at all the WDW resorts. This stuff has a taste and look that strongly resembles coffee, but there is something not quite right about it. Well, here is a shot of what those machines use to make your coffee. It is a box of something. What is in that box, I couldn't tell you. In this scene, the castmember is replacing the box. See the extra box on the counter on the left of the machine? I tried to grab it so I could send it to the lab for analysis, but there were too many witnesses around.

At least we know it isn't coffee that comes out of those machines.

But if it isn't coffee, what is in that box?

TCD

Just had to post that

Is there any good coffee on board
Didn't even think about that.....No coffee maker in room right?
Off to finish your TR....I'll try not to post again till I'm done
Kerri

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

Absolutely loved your TR. I saved your tips for my own 3 night cruise in Dec.

 

[alldiz]

Tri Circle D....

Your trip report really made my day You are such a great writer and have alleviated all of my fears regarding the 3 day cruise.

I'm gonna do a cartwheel in a public space
Thanks so much for all of your AWESOME tips....

I will have to look for your TR on the camping board.
Kerri