Disney Wonder review 3-23-03

[Bonnie Voyager]

I am still getting unpacked and caught up but thought I'd give a quick comparison of Disney verses the other cruises I've been on. I really hate posting anything negative on the boards as it upsets so many people and they take it to heart without realizing that one person's opinion really doesn't represent what they may experience and therefore should be taken with a grain of salt. Please don’t think that the few negative comments that I have are anything more than simple observations that I noticed when comparing this cruise to other cruises I’ve been on. This cruise included me, my Husband (both mid-40’s), Son (8) and my Parents (70’s). In general, I loved Disney Wonder. As with anything Disney, they know how to do things right! Embarkation/debarkation were the best of any cruise we’ve been on (this was cruise #10 for me). I found the ship to be lovely but prefer a more open layout. I tend to feel shut in when I am on a ship that is compartmentalized like the Disney ships are (Norwegian Dawn and Carnival's newest ships; Pride, Legend, and Spirit are like this too but are very popular among most people). As time went on I became more comfortable with the layout though. I just like to have more wide open spaces (which I found on RCCL’s Explorer of the Seas). Disney's food is much better than RCCL's and about the same as Carnival and Norwegian (who’s food I loved!) Disney's desserts were top-notch!!! Better than any I've ever had! The cabins (category 9 on deck 2…#’s 2622 and 2624) were nicely appointed but felt smaller than others I've been in even though it was supposed to be larger. I liked the split bath, but you sacrifice some standing room in each area in order to have the extra sink. I got use to the tight squeeze though and thought it was a fair trade to have an extra sink ;-) I usually have a balcony but traded that in for the two connecting ocean-view cabins on this cruise. I think that probably the cabin just felt smaller due to the missing balcony! I do think that if we had only one ocean-view cabin with the three of us, I would have felt crowded (this goes back to that need for open space….my quirk, no reflection on Disney). The location (deck 2 aft) was terrific! Very convenient to dining and easy to get on and off the ship. We had no real noise issues although there were occasional noises, they were not anything that would keep me from recommending these cabins or booking them again myself. I enjoyed the rotation dining, but prefer traditional dining in one “grand” Dining Room. I found each of the three main Dining Rooms to be nicely decorated and comfortable (but again, too closed in…I like open spaces and lots of windows). We didn’t go to Palo, so I have no comment on that. I enjoyed all the menus. Our Servers, Beata and Rea, were top notch! My main complaint with Dining on Disney was with the “casual” dining venues. I didn’t like Beach Blanket Buffet at all. The food was very good, but the area itself was tight, small, congested, and very hard to navigate, in my opinion. I was very surprised since Disney is King when it comes to crowd control and spatial engineering! We opted to visit the buffet at Parrot Cay from then on and were much more comfortable (back to that open-space issue I have). I also noticed that there were times when it was hard to find food on the ship. Now, I certainly never was in danger of starving, but on all other cruise lines, food is always easy to come by (perhaps too easy!) We loved all the shows, games, family events, and deck parties! I think Disney wins in this department, hands down! My Son loved the kid’s club too. We did the 4-day itinerary with Nassau, Freeport, and Castaway Cay. We spent our Nassau day at Atlantis (we booked a room at Comfort Suites for full privileges at Atlantis…total cost with taxes was $163). We had a wonderful day at Atlantis swimming in the pools and touring the aquariums. In Freeport we stayed on the ship and explored. Hubby and I did get off the ship briefly and visited the little “straw market” that was set up at the pier. It was nice and the people were very friendly and laid back. Castaway Cay is as nice as everyone says. We had a lovely beach day with a nice BBQ lunch. We did some snorkeling at the Family Beach but didn’t see too many fish. The water was nice, but a bit on the chilly side. Castaway Cay compared favorably to Labadee (RCCL’s private stop). I think Labadee is about the most beautiful place I’ve seen (however, the water is not as clear), but I thoroughly enjoyed my day at Castaway Cay too. Well, I don’t know if I’ve covered everything or not. If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to ask. Again, I reiterate, do not take my negative comments as any bad reflection on Disney. I think Disney has an amazing product here! I would cruise on Disney again in a heartbeat and probably will return to the 7-day in the future. My Son and my Parents can’t wait to go back on Disney! I will honestly say though, that Explorer of the Seas still beats out Disney for my number one slot. Disney is a very close second though and only for those issues that I addressed previously that are my own personal issues with spatial relationships. Next time I will just book the balcony and I will have the open space I need and I will be fine! Till then……may all your dreams be “Disney Dreams”.

 

[justcruisin]

I recognized your name from cruisecritic and was please to see it was you. Thanks for your review!
We've done Explorer and Wonder, spent a lot of time on the Explorer comparing the two ..... going back to Disney next summer, but looking forward to a southern caribbean rccl cruise someday.

 

[minniecarousel]

Great trip report!

I have a question about the Comfort Suites in Nassau - how did you book this (what a great rate!). Do you let them know that you just want it for the day? It would be nice to check in at 10 AM, and leave by 5 PM or so. What did you do (activity & time)? (since we won't have time for a water park while in WDW, doing a water park on Nassau day makes sense) Thanks for any info.

 

[Bonnie Voyager]

We made reservations on line with Comfort Suites (about a year prior to our vacation date). We got a Military/Government rate which is why ours was so low, in addition to booking so far in advance. When we arrived we just took a cab to Comfort Suites. We did tell them we would not be using the room, nor would we be returning to check out. This was no problem. They gave us room keys (those disposable card-type keys that don't have to be returned) and passes that we traded at Atlantis for wristbands. You can check in as early as you need to. Since you won't be using the room, they don't really care when you check in. They sent us our final check-out paperwork in the mail since we didn't return to pick it up ourselves. It all went very smoothly.

 

[mambrose]

I was plannign on doign the comfort suites thing when i nnassau- have been to nassua a few time s before with different cruises but never atlantis- i was wondering if you felt that the atlantis thing woudl be suitable for a 2 year old? I plan on doing the comfort suites thing like you did- but i might need to use the room isnce i have a two year old. But i was wondering would you say atlantis is suitable for a 2 year old- i don ot want to go all the way there and not be able to stya with him. In that case i would just styo n the ship and send my husband and daughter to atlantis. Please help!

 

[Bonnie Voyager]

I was plannign on doign the comfort suites thing when i nnassau- have been to nassua a few time s before with different cruises but never atlantis- i was wondering if you felt that the atlantis thing woudl be suitable for a 2 year old? I plan on doing the comfort suites thing like you did- but i might need to use the room isnce i have a two year old. But i was wondering would you say atlantis is suitable for a 2 year old- i don ot want to go all the way there and not be able to stya with him. In that case i would just styo n the ship and send my husband and daughter to atlantis. Please help!

I don't think I would go to Atlantis specifically for the 2-year-old, but since you have an older child too I don't think having the 2-year-old there would be a hindrance. Atlantis is a huge resort and there are plenty of different spots to hang out and I'm sure there would be somewhere fun for your 2-year-old. Keep in mind that it is quite a hike from Comfort Suites to Atlantis though and you are not going to want to head back to Comfort Suites to use the room! It is not convenient at all, especially with a young child in tow! We checked in and out of Comfort Suites at the same time so we didn't have to return at all and just spent all our time at Atlantis. I think you will enjoy the day and be happy you went as a family.