3 Night Bahama cruise on Wonder March 20

[Susiecruise]

Just returned from our cruise and this board was helpful to me, so I thought I would post. We were a group of 6: Mom, Dad, teen age 18, teen age 15, Grandma and Grandpa. First of all, we had a great time. Secondly, Disney is the best at organizing -- period. We have all cruised before on other lines and Disney is no match for embarking, disembarking, and moving thousands of people around in an enjoyable, organized way. If you hate standing in lines, you won't have to on the Wonder cruise. Secondly, I would really recommend this cruise to families with small children who want to spend some serious face time with the characters. We have been to the resorts numerous times and these characters are mobbed, but on the cruise, your child can really take their time approaching the character and interacting as much or as little as they want.

We arrived Thursday at MCO and were nervous about having checked our bags through the cruise (they send you luggage tags through the mail) and how to find the bus. No worries as there is a retiree waiting for the cruisers at the end of your jetway and they are directing you to the buses. SO nice. The bags were not in our room when we arrived on the ship, but we mentioned it to our assigned cabin boy (Lito, who is awesome) and he found them ASAP. 45 minute ride to the dock, no wait for the bus, entertained on the way over and you MUST fill out all the on-line documentation and you practically walk on board. FILL IT OUT.

The room was good, but not the best. We were last minute and we booked forward on 5. No windows for one thing, but roomy for the 4 of us and we didn't spend much time in there anyway. Clean. However, the Toy Story show on the last night rehearsed every morning at 8:30 AM and we could hear it as we were above the theater. Not good. The other annoying thing was the cruise director announcement at the same time -- does she really have to come on the ship loudspeaker and talk at this time? It wasn't too bad, but annoying. The captain also speaks early on the loudspeaker, but he had actual information to tell us about being docked,etc. Grandma and Grandpa upgraded to get on deck 7, but still have no window. We didn't think it was worth it.

Seasickness. We all took Bonine and were fine, even in our forward cabin. We also brought the ginger candy and ate some just in case (found some at Trader Joe's that was chocolate covered and good) You could feel the ship move, but it wasn't bad. Was it the Bonine or was it calm? We'll never know for sure, but no one was sick.

The food. It was all okay, but plentiful and easy to get to. There were also lots of choices which made it better. AND, the three dinners in the restaurants were made HUGELY better by the wait staff, who were awesome. We had Tatyana (from Russia) and Joel (from the Phillippines) You didn't mind the lack of greatness in the food because they were so happy, and accomodating and took great pains to entertain us. Think of the food as banquet food. Water and sodas and iced teas kept coming. Grandma ordered her Manhattan and said it was delicious.

The shows. Our favorite was the Princess show on the second night. Some of us liked Toy Story, but I thought it was boring in parts. I actually sat next to the creative staff putting the show together and you could tell they weren't 100% satisfied yet. Our guess is they are running this show for a future try at Broadway. Just a guess. Go to the shows though, because it is part of the experience.

The pools. Just okay. This is where you can tell the ships are older. Great for smaller kids to paddle around in. The deck chairs are plentiful and even nicer deck chairs to be had in the Cove area (adults only) if you can get there. The hot tubs were always busy and we never made it in.

We played Bingo two nights and the announcer, an Australian, was a little annoying as were the punch cards, but we liked it. Loved the sports bar Diversions where we continually popped in to watch the NCAA basketball games. Really nice in there with a little buffet. Did not go to the movies, but it looked good. Lots of good shows on the television as it is all Disney. My son and husband played basketball and had a blast with two Australian guys on deck at about 11 PM one night. Used the work out room at the front of the ship --really, really nice. Overlooks the front of the ship. The elevators are small, but there are lots of them. The ones in the forward part of the ship were less crowded.

Guest Services. You have to go to Guest Services to straighten out all your tips for the last night. Go early as there were lines. We didn't wait and returned at 10 PM to get it altogether and that was fine, but had to pay the wait staff in cash, which they probably appreciated anyway. Had to rush to get our luggage out in the hall the last night by 11 PM, but we did it, worried again that it wouldn't make it to our final destination, but it did. They deliver a yellow envelope on the last day with your luggage tags. A bit confusing, but I have to admit we didn't watch the in-room video about disembarking. My bad.

NOTE: The bus service in the morning back to MCO was very quick. We were off the ship by 8 AM and to MCO by 9 AM. We booked a 12:30 PM flight and realized we could have easily made the 10:30 AM. Continental said we could even go on the 10:30 AM but because we had checked our bags through Disney (left them in the hall) the bags were going on the 12:30 PM flight and due to security, you can no longer fly on a flight without your bags. We were stuck and could have been home sooner if we had not checked them through. Yes, we would have then had to cart them ourselves from immigration to the bus to the terminal, but it would have been worth it.

Nassau. We took this board's advice and didn't rush out there and instead enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, work out, etc. For New Yorkers, Nassau is like Canal Street with fake designer bags and people hawking jewelry. We actually thought all the locals were very polite, but they do speak to you. They are not rude, just selling. We spent about an hour in town. Decided against going to The Atlantis, which you can see off in the distance, because it would be $$ to go there and heck, that is just a different vacation. You can pay the lower amounts to go to their aquarium or beach, but face it, when you got there you would want to do the pools and that was $155 each.

Castaway Cay. I think everyone on the board will agree this is why you book the Disney cruise. great, great, great. I took the board's advice and kept walking toward the teen beach where it was less crowded and more chairs to choose from. Tons of umbrellas and chairs so no need to rush. And it is just as close to the restrooms, rentals and lunch as the rest of the beach. Too bad the tram lets you off all in one place and you have to walk to get away from the crowd, but walk. (And we took the tram. 7 minute walk if you walk from ship to the first part of the beach.)

Son and husband did the jet skiis. I know they say they are a "tour" and it sounds kinda tame, but they had a great time racing along the waves and they did go fast. They shared a ski because our son is under 18, although they let him drive. (Can't believe my husband let him drive, but he did.) They learned a little about the island, but it was more like a typical stint on a jetski.

We played a the sports hut and watched the stingray stuff. Really liked the rope playset out in the ocean, but when the tide was too low, they closed it. You can swim out pretty far and there are lifeguards way out there to watch your kids.

NOTE: There is only one towel distribution and it is right when you get off the ship. A small line, but wait in it because it is your only chance to get towels. Well, you can buy some of course.

NOTE: Getting back on look for signs for forward entrance as there can be a line to get back on mid-ship. Faster way to get on the ship, but you do have to walk down to the forward door.

Never made it to Serenity Bay for adults, but I am sure it was nice. The bikes looked good too. Lots of people rent the inner tubes and soon left them behind and then we pirated them and used them ourselves, free.

Speaking of pirates, the pirate night is a lot of fun with people dressing up and they give you a pirate bandana at dinner in case you don't bring something. The parties on deck seemed fun, but filled up quickly in front of the stage, so if you didn't get there early, you were on the fringe and it wasn't as great. This is ditto for the cast-off. Still, it is nice to see the parties and feel like there is stuff going on even if you aren't in the mind to stand in the crowd and watch the performers.

Our private joke was to keep saying to each other "Are you having a good time?" because at least three people each day will ask each one of your party that question. It becomes a self-filling prophecy -- if you are agreeing that you are having a good time, you are having fun. It is a great Disney trick to keep the masses happy -- it works. We had fun. And I do think they were sincere about making sure our trip was going well.

For us, three nights at sea was more than ample. We grew tired of the food and the shows -- just the right amount of time for you to get the experience and move on. However, we could have done a few days at Castaway Cay. If you go, we wish you have great weather!

 

[Deweysgirl]

We'll be on The Wonder next week! Thanks for sharing your trip report. We are really looking forward to it, sounds like you did have fun, I know we will!

 

[matt&jakesmom]

What great information. Thanks for taking the time to post. I am in the midst of planning for August 2009 and information like yours, I find invaluable. If you have any other information for a cruise newbie, I'll take it.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Thanks for the report. We're doing the 3-night next week and are really looking forward to it.

We've been to CC once before but I don't remember the roped playset... I bet my guys would enjoy it -- where was it near? And do you have a picture of it you could post?

 

[Susiecruise]

Thanks for the report. We're doing the 3-night next week and are really looking forward to it.

We've been to CC once before but I don't remember the roped playset... I bet my guys would enjoy it -- where was it near? And do you have a picture of it you could post?

The playset with the ropes is located right in the middle, more or less,of the family beach -- about 20 yards off the shore. Think of a dock/backyard playset with ropes to climb up on and swing off, etc. There is a lifeguard standing on the structure the whole time. Laughed as a lot of dads joined in, but like I said, mid-afternoon it was closed for low tide. If you can find out about the tides and you know it is going to be low, get out there early to enjoy it. I would ask a lifeguard in one of the many chairs dotted through the crescent of the family beach. And again, way, way out there -- 100 yards or more, there are two life guard stations manned to watch the snorklers. Makes you feel better when your kid's head is a mere dot but there is someone close by watching.

Also, I really recommend walking to the far side of the family beach for less noise and more chairs -- also, you are even closer to the rope playset, the sports hut and the barbeque plus bathroom. (The stingray beach is near this too and a bar on the jetty if any adults want to go out there but drink servers walk by every 5 minutes) You may give up on getting to this part of the beach if you walked from the ship as that takes 7 - 10 minutes and then you have to walk yet another 7 - 10 minutes. By the time you get to this spot, you will have been walking for 20 minutes and the kids will be tugging at you because they just want to get on the sand. Relax, grab your towels when you get off the ship, sit in the tram waiting area and there will more than enough seats waiting for you over there.

 

[Susiecruise]

What great information. Thanks for taking the time to post. I am in the midst of planning for August 2009 and information like yours, I find invaluable. If you have any other information for a cruise newbie, I'll take it.

Like I said before, we became so relaxed that we ignored the disembark channel on the television and didn't even think of looking at the yellow envelope that arrived in our cabin on the last day -- until we got to dinner and we saw everyone handing out their tip envelopes. My husband ran to the room, got the tip envelopes and had enough cash (about $100) to give to the head waiter and the two servers. (We forgave ourselves for the oversight thinking the wait staff would prefer American dollars to the "chit" they would receive and have to claim somewhere for the money.) We should have gone to Guest Services early in the day to settle all our tips (cabin boy, two servers, the head waiter) and deal with the luggage tags. We were so rushed in the end tipping everyone and packing, we should have thought it out how the luggage would be gone and scheduled to go on our 12:30 PM flight. We just didn't know how long it was going to take us to get off the ship because in the past on other ships, it can take a long time in lines to get through customs, on a bus and to the airport. Of course with Disney, there were no lines. We even had breakfast on deck 9 and were off the ship by 8 AM, in Orlando by 9 AM. Disney hires TONS of retirees to stand at stations throughout the disembark building that just wave you on to the passport guys and to the buses. So even clueless people like us get to their destination efficiently. There are also MANY guys with luggage carriers waiting as soon as you get off the ship so if your bags aren't checked through to an airline, but simply stacked in immigration, they will find them for you and wheel them to wherever you want to go once you get passed the passport stampers. Had I known it would have been so easy, I would have not checked the bags all the way through, but just put them in the hall as instructed so they could go to immigration that early morning, be inspected and picked up by us later in immigration, hauled on the bus and we would have been with our bags at Orlando Intl.

The stop in Nassau is disappointing and our guess is that the ship is registered there and it must be contigent that every ship registered in the Bahamas makes a stop in Nassau. If you are sure you are going to have nice weather, I would schedule one of those snorkeling trips off the boat. However, I was happy that morning to have my time to myself when I saw the long, albeit organized, lines of groups heading out to their excursions. Our family group ate a nice breakfast in one of the restaurants, some of us then went to work out and do other things. We then had lunch. When we felt a little restless, we walked into Nassau. We had all been there before, so no one wanted to take a tour of any type -- not that interesting to us. The only temptation would have been to go to The Atlantis but we were a party of 6 and at $155 a pop, we weren't go to pay for the priviledge.

There is a lot of stuff on the ship to do and heck, you just boarded less than 24 hours ago. I would especially recommend not racing off if I had younger children. Unless they were enrolled in a children's activity, nothing would be worse than taking them away from their pools and free drinks and snacks to drag around the dilapated shops of Nassau to buy stuff you can buy on e-Bay any day. I did see several groups of children being ushered around the ship by the group activity leaders and it looked like fun. They were "singing instructions" to the kids as they walked and they really seemed to be watching and monitoring. I would be afraid to leave my little ones on a ship, but I think Disney has this one down pat and I do think the kids looked like they were having fun.

Other tips would be to dress pretty casual. The last night is "dressy night" and we were in Triton's which is the more formal of the restaurants. Boys in nice khakis and collared shirts were fine. My husband did have a jacket. We girls were in dresses, but WARNING the air conditioning was really pumping the WHOLE time -- had wraps and sweaters with us. Disney likes to keep it cool and in the theaters, we were very chilly with sandals.

Our kids loved room service and I have to admit, it was fun having it delivered -- very decadent.

You are eating so much (and none of it too healthy) that a trip to the workout room overlooking the front of the ship is very nice. The lifefit and treadmills were good and equipped with televisions. Bring your own earphones. Also served great water with citrus.

My daughter had a broken arm and we thought we would have to have her long hair shampooed in the spa -- at the tune of $30 without tip -- but the showers in the cabins have detachable showerheads for handheld showers. Good to know.

Because the NCAA basketball tournament was going on, our group loved Diversions as there are many screens and really, really comfy chairs in there. Plus a nice bar and free buffet. They were able to get channels we could not get in our rooms. There is a manager that walks around and will ask you what you want to watch.

If you have active kids, send them over to the sports hut on Castaway Cay as there are lots of games. My husband won the free throw contest. It also gives you a chance to see some more of the island. If the kids take off on their own, they will be fine as there are tons of Disney employees walking around etc. Periodically, the lifeguards would yell through their megaphones for a certain person to report to the lifeguard stand. If your child becomes lost, they will be found and unless they wondered to an uncharted part of the isle, they will not be in the water as that is really monitored and there are no waves to disguise what or who is in the water.

Castaway Cay is really, really a treat. The sand is really good and there is something nice about having a lounge chair and a sand chair and an umbrella at your disposal. We formed a little camp as did everyone else and you really were able to just relax. At family beach, although large (15 acres) you can SEE everything and keep track of your kids if you want! Someone said to bring a wind sock to mark your umbrella for your kids. We just did the ol' NJ shore trick and sat near a lifeguard -- everyone could find the camp after that. They also have unlimited supply of chocolate cookie dough soft icecream. We will all be working that off for long while.

Fill out all the on-line forms -- it takes awhile -- but then your check-in goes a lot smoother. They are all ready for you and you just give them the ol' credit card one more time, show your passports and on you go. Love the family announcement too. Ha. We went right up to Deck 9 for food and a look around. We also booked on line and our $25 credit for doing so was deducted from our bill, which was slipped under the door on the last morning.

The shows are not really built around adults, but we thought they were entertaining and you should go -- because it is part of it. The Golden Mickeys was a little lame, but the next night was good. And as far as Toy Story went -- a little mixed. I did sit next to the creative team for Toy Store and one of guys told me to sit as far center as possible for the show even if it is far back. Evidently, the side views are not as good. So, we sat in the last row with the creative team. One night, we sat in the first row of the second section -- that is a good spot because the performers run around that area. If I had smaller children with me, I would try to get up front. You can sit near the aisles, but the performers don't really stop to chat, but they do run by.

I can't think of anything else for the moment. Oh, I didn't like the Coquilles St. Jacques at Triton's -- too buttery and drowned in potatoes. My son had the escargot and said it was fine -- lots of butter and breadcrumbs. At Animator's Palette, I had the steak and that was good. My daughter had the plain herb chicken a few nights and liked it -- can't go wrong there. Cherries jubilee was a big hit at Triton's. I had "nothing" and that was funny.

Bon voyage!

PS My husband was appalled by the price of the pictures -- $20 each. We did get one of us they took as we were getting on. Wished we took more snaps. And sorry, I don't have a photo of the rope playset at Castaway Cay. Google it on images and I bet someone has posted.