Will the Wonder disappoint after being on the other three ships?

[Big Pro]

So we've sailed the Dream, Fantasy, and Magic (after the reimagineering) and are booked for the Southern Caribbean on the Wonder in January. Our kids just love the other ships, but especially the 'rides' and updated pools. Will the Wonder disappoint them since it hasn't been reimagineered yet? And is the Wonder showing a fair amount of wear and tear or does it seem as nice as the other ships?
I really appreciate any advice y'all can give me.

 

[OKW Lover]

The Wonder is carefully maintained and fully up to Disney standards. Its not a run-down ship at all.

The only real difference you'll notice on board is that there isn't an AquaDunk like the Magic has.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Agree done 3 of 4 ships and the Wonder was very nice, and a great ship we enjoyed it and i would go back to it if the ports of call were good.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The Wonder is in better condition than ships her age owned by other cruise lines. Enjoy the chance to cruise on a classic before she gets re-imagineered.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So we've sailed the Dream, Fantasy, and Magic (after the reimagineering) and are booked for the Southern Caribbean on the Wonder in January. Our kids just love the other ships, but especially the 'rides' and updated pools. Will the Wonder disappoint them since it hasn't been reimagineered yet? And is the Wonder showing a fair amount of wear and tear or does it seem as nice as the other ships?
I really appreciate any advice y'all can give me.

I've been on all 4 ships and I think the Wonder can certainly hold her own in the fleet. I like the more classic look she has. And fewer people onboard (compared to the Dream & Fantasy) makes it more intimate and friendly.

 

[southerngirl528]

Exactly what PrincessShmoo said!! I LOVE, LOVE the classic ships and actually prefer them over what I call the "big girls". Granted I've only been on the Dream and do very much look forward to the Fantasy in the near future I hope, but as grand and ginormous as the big girls are, I found the ship a tad overwhelming at times in comparison. That exact thousand or 2 people onboard can be noticed at certain times. The biggest difference I noticed as silly as it seems, is that the bathrooms near the main dining rooms were not designed NEARLY big enough for the ladies. I could not believe how long the line was near Animators Palate when my 3 y.o. princess had to "go" during dinner. We tried hiking to what someone said was the next closest bathroom and it was a bit of a haul. Not enough of an issue to prevent us all from loving our cruise, but for my jaded eyes from the classic ship, it was noticeable.

Just prepare your kids ahead of time so that they know there will not be an Aqua Duck or Dunk. I'll bet they have a grand time!!

 

[sy2902]

My parents just got off the Wonder - weren't disappointed at all!

 

[twopeasonepod]

I've only been on the classics (we will never go exclusively to the Bahamas or Caribbean -- we live in Hawaii!), and the Wonder is my fave, actually. Forget the imagineering -- the CMs are what make the difference. There is just something about them that is way above and beyond any experience I've ever had. They are even more engaging, especially the entertainment staff. My understanding is also that the pools on the Fantasy and Dream are the same size as the classics. Yikes! 4,000 people instead of 2,700. My friend told me when she went on the Dream, she could basically only stick her leg in the pool. Getting in was too much.

 

[Four Swampers]

I've only been on the classics (we will never go exclusively to the Bahamas or Caribbean -- we live in Hawaii!), and the Wonder is my fave, actually. Forget the imagineering -- the CMs are what make the difference. There is just something about them that is way above and beyond any experience I've ever had. They are even more engaging, especially the entertainment staff. My understanding is also that the pools on the Fantasy and Dream are the same size as the classics. Yikes! 4,000 people instead of 2,700. My friend told me when she went on the Dream, she could basically only stick her leg in the pool. Getting in was too much.

Agree with this 100%!!!!

 

[tlynk]

I'm another Wonder fan! I've sailed her 5 times! DH and I sailed on the Fantasy recently. I love both experiences! We are booked to sail on the Wonder in May 2016 and I'm so excited! The only thing I will miss is the AquaDuck, but I think I only went on it twice during our last cruise.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

I've only been on the classics (we will never go exclusively to the Bahamas or Caribbean -- we live in Hawaii!), and the Wonder is my fave, actually. Forget the imagineering -- the CMs are what make the difference. There is just something about them that is way above and beyond any experience I've ever had. They are even more engaging, especially the entertainment staff. My understanding is also that the pools on the Fantasy and Dream are the same size as the classics. Yikes! 4,000 people instead of 2,700. My friend told me when she went on the Dream, she could basically only stick her leg in the pool. Getting in was too much.

I agree with this 100%, and I love the Wonder. But, if what your kids love about the other three ships, are things like aquadunk, aqua duck, or mid ship detective agency, they will not have that on the wonder. If that will make or break the cruise for them you should consider it. If they just love the great cast members, the great shows, and all the fun things to do around the ship and as a family, they will be fine. The kids clubs still have the same great cast members and activities, but they don't have things like Avengers Academy ion the Magic, or the Star Wars Millennium Falcon stuff coming to the Dream in a few months.

 

[Coach]

My DW and I have sailed on all four ships. The Wonder is our favorite, (we've done six sailings with her). The Disney Wonder, Captain John and her crew will always hold a special place in our hearts.

 

[mrslaney]

I've been on all 4 ships and I think the Wonder can certainly hold her own in the fleet. I like the more classic look she has. And fewer people onboard (compared to the Dream & Fantasy) makes it more intimate and friendly.

Exactly! The Wonder is actually my favorite in the line. The service is outstanding. And she has a charm of her own that you just have to experience.

 

[spicycrab]

How old are your kids? Its possible they might not love it as much as the others because of the things that you mentioned (no waterslide, splash area)....does the Wonder have a 3D theater? I can't remember. I thought the kids activities catered very well to our then 4 year old. I LOVED the Dream and comparing it to the our room on the Wonder I thought the Wonder was noticeably loud because of the creaking (we had a veranda) - but it could have been because of the itinerary and not the boat showing signs of age. I think YOU will love the beauty of the ship and because it is smaller - not having to share your Southern Caribbean vacation with 4,000 people

 

[stitchlovestink]

Personally, there is NO WAY I would cruise the Caribbean on a DCL classic especially the Wonder and especially after having cruised the Dream and Fantasy. You are not comparing an apple to an apple.
The only way I am going back on the Wonder is for an itinerary like Alaska, Hawaii or the Panama Canal.
The Dream and Fantasy are FAR SUPERIOR IMO (and I have cruised the Wonder). There are way more things available on the newer ships...mini golf, Bippity Boppity Boutique, the new Sweets shop coming to the Dream!, the water play area on Fantasy & the new water play area coming to the Dream, Satellite falls (currently on the Fantasy/coming to the Dream this fall). It doesn't appear that the kids club on the Wonder has the cool new features of the Dream/Fantasy like the interactive dance floor or the cool computer game where you could steer the ship.
My kids said that the Vibe on the Wonder would be a dud after going to Vibe on the new ships. I must agree!!! We went during open house times. And it is like comparing Golden Corral to Ruth's Chris!!
We also had MUCH BETTER SERVICE on the newer ships...apparently we are in the minority on this. But both times on the Wonder our service was not nearly as good as it was on the newer ships...once it was borderline of poor in the MDR. We have always had AMAZING service on the newer ships! To each his or her own, but I would feel like it was step backwards. I would only do it if it was for a westcoast itinerary.

 

[MelSpees]

Personally, there is NO WAY I would cruise the Caribbean on a DCL classic especially the Wonder and especially after having cruised the Dream and Fantasy. You are not comparing an apple to an apple.
The only way I am going back on the Wonder is for an itinerary like Alaska, Hawaii or the Panama Canal.
The Dream and Fantasy are FAR SUPERIOR IMO (and I have cruised the Wonder). There are way more things available on the newer ships...mini golf, Bippity Boppity Boutique, the new Sweets shop coming to the Dream!, the water play area on Fantasy & the new water play area coming to the Dream, Satellite falls (currently on the Fantasy/coming to the Dream this fall). It doesn't appear that the kids club on the Wonder has the cool new features of the Dream/Fantasy like the interactive dance floor or the cool computer game where you could steer the ship.
My kids said that the Vibe on the Wonder would be a dud after going to Vibe on the new ships. I must agree!!! We went during open house times. And it is like comparing Golden Corral to Ruth's Chris!!
We also had MUCH BETTER SERVICE on the newer ships...apparently we are in the minority on this. But both times on the Wonder our service was not nearly as good as it was on the newer ships...once it was borderline of poor in the MDR. We have always had AMAZING service on the newer ships! To each his or her own, but I would feel like it was step backwards. I would only do it if it was for a westcoast itinerary.

Whoa! No Strong feelings huh!

How old are your kids? Its possible they might not love it as much as the others because of the things that you mentioned (no waterslide, splash area)....does the Wonder have a 3D theater? I can't remember. I thought the kids activities catered very well to our then 4 year old. I LOVED the Dream and comparing it to the our room on the Wonder I thought the Wonder was noticeably loud because of the creaking (we had a veranda) - but it could have been because of the itinerary and not the boat showing signs of age. I think YOU will love the beauty of the ship and because it is smaller - not having to share your Southern Caribbean vacation with 4,000 people

There is a small splash area on the Wonder. Yes, there are 3D movies also.

I think it all depends on what you like. Yes the bells and whistles are nice, but there's something to be said for the smaller ships and the feel of them.

 

[xlxo]

Hmm... perhaps the Pacific ports will make up for Wonder's age...

 

[jdb in AZ]

Hmm... perhaps the Pacific ports will make up for Wonder's age...

And the Panama Canal and the ports in Hawaii. The Wonder's non-Caribbean ports are soooo much better than the Fantasy and Dream ports.

 

[MunFam]

I was just on the Wonder and there was no way you could tell how old she was. I want her plastic surgeons number because she did not look a year over three! The carpets were fresh, beds and furniture the newest in the fleet. I LOVED the classic look.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Just got off the Wonder a couple weeks ago. It's my lease favorite of the four, but not by much, and the differences are subtle. I do love the Outlook Cafe though, so don't miss that (adults only area). I book the classic ships for the itineraries.