Dream trip on the Wonder - Merrytime Dec. 17-21

[BlueBayou]

Pre-Trip

Hi - I'm getting excited about our holiday cruise. It's our first DCL cruise. There isn't any real planning I can do - so I figured I would start a pre-trip report.

Cast of Characters
Me - 50s, wife, mom, Disney lover
DH - 50s (three weeks older than me), fun guy, great dad, indulges my Disney side, DC comics and black and white TV
DD - 21 - raised on Disney, into the Marvel canon, loves Disney too
DD 18 - fashionista (but with an eco-conscious, not into fast fashion), for years she had picked her DL and WDW clothing with Minnie Ears to match, loves Disney at Christmas time.
Maybe coming too:
DMIL - 80s - Went to the 1964s World's Fair - I think that is the closest she has been to Disney

Accomodations and Background
Right now we have a Ocean View on Deck 2 and an Inside GTY TBA booked. If my DMIL comes, she will be in the inside stateroom and the other 4 of us will be in the outside one. If she doesn't I think we will still keep the room and put the girls in it. I have my doubts that she will come. If she comes, the trip will be more work. But I really do want her to experience the vacation with us. I like that you can do different things on a cruise and not feel like you're leaving someone behind. If you want to nap with the rest of the gang goes to a movie - that is fine.

We have a late dinner seating. We are not morning people, so this is fine for us.

The itinerary is not something that really interests us. We have been to Cozumel recently on the Liberty of the Seas - 7 nights and the Enchantment of the Seas - 5 nights (as COVID19 was happening, returned on March 2). The kids were on the 7 day cruise and thought it was just okay.

When I saw the price of this cruise, while grossly overpriced from a 4 day cruise out of Galveston, it was Disney and with both kids in different colleges in different states, we really don't have that many options. My DD18 was particularly excited about the news and even watched Disney Wonder youtube videos with me.

The general agreement in the family is they have really missed Disney at Christmas.

We use to live a little over and hour from the port. Now we are three hours away. So I have booked the Hampton Inn for our pre-cruise night. Like I mentioned, we are not morning people. If we drive to drive down day of departure, it would just be TOO stressful. Think herding cats. Speaking of pets, I already have the boarding scheduled for the animals and my DD18's "adult" passport ordered.

So as you can see, I've planned what I can. All that is left is to dream Disney... and start a pre-trip report.

Trip Report
Day One - To the Wonder we go

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Hi! We are keeping our fingers crossed for December 27th Wonder. We have a family group that has been going on a 6-nightGalveston cruise in January each year, but this time the kids would miss too much school, so we booked the 4-night even though it was holiday-priced. I haven't done any planning yet, but like you, I think we will stay on the ship in Cozumel.

 

[BlueBayou]

Planning continues - MIL is out

We are still moving forward with this cruise. We LOVE Disney at Christmas.

My MIL has decided with COVID not to join us :-( So that left us with two options - save $$$ and cancel one of the rooms or keep both and have our two college age daughters in their own room. Right now we are keeping two rooms. It should be interesting. Who gets the big bed? Maybe it will be like "Lord of the Flies." They are "adults" and I'm not going to get involved.

And when looking at their inside GTY 11a - I saw that there were two "secret porthole" rooms opened on 5. I switched to one of those rooms for about $200 difference. Also - with COVID - I kept thinking a veranda would be nice.... So our ocean view on deck 2 is now a GTY 6a. More $$$.

As my family would say "That's how they get you..." But seriously, it more $$$ than I wanted to spend on a 4 night cruise, but we are so excited about the getaway.

Our family is fully vaccinated, and with the CDC booster guidance, I think my DH and I should have boosters prior to sail.

One of my daughters is interested in a dolphin excursion. The other, a gal that leans vegan and vegetarian, is having some philosophical issues with that choice.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We are considering a November 2022 cruise on the Fantasy. I just can't make a decision. Is DCL evendoing 7 day cruises at that time? If so, what will it be like? I'm searching for people's experiences who have recently been on the Dream (2021)....what is like? A lot of things closed? Is the self serve drink and ice cream stations closed? What about buffets?

 

[msanderlin]

Hello, We are on the 13-17 Dec. Merrytime Christmas. My husband and I went in 2019 and had a wonderful time. We are taking our two sons, 30 and 25, and our daughter and her family, husband, and two grandkids this time. I am so looking forward to this and hope we get to go.
We are on Deck 7 with adjoining Veranda rooms and an inside stateroom for the boys. Our daughter is worried about being seasick, so we don't mind the extra cost for the Veranda.
With COVID, we are not planning on going into Cozumel but have left the decision up to the rest if they want to go.

 

[BlueBayou]

Hello, We are on the 13-17 Dec. Merrytime Christmas. My husband and I went in 2019 and had a wonderful time. We are taking our two sons, 30 and 25, and our daughter and her family, husband, and two grandkids this time. I am so looking forward to this and hope we get to go.
We are on Deck 7 with adjoining Veranda rooms and an inside stateroom for the boys. Our daughter is worried about being seasick, so we don't mind the extra cost for the Veranda.
With COVID, we are not planning on going into Cozumel but have left the decision up to the rest if they want to go.

I'll be interested to hear how your trip goes, since it is the one right before us!

 

[BlueBayou]

COVID planning

Well, DCL has come out with guidance for the Wonder in regards to COVID testing and vaccination requirements when she goes back in service in California. Also for the Panama canal cruise when she heads east to the gulf.

So we know all requirements leading up to her repositioning out of Galveston. I am expecting vaccines to be required for all eligible passengers. And rapid testing for everyone at the pier before embarkation is likely.

I will have our family do at home tests the day before we drive to Galveston. Hopefully, that will reduce the chance of a surprise positive at the pier. Our two daughters will be coming from two different universities about a week before the cruise, and one will be flying home. At least the one flying home is going to a college out west with a vaccine mandate and 94% of students and 96% of faculty/staff are vaccinated. But she will be packed into a dorm - so high transmission risk.

Since this is our first Disney cruise - I'm trying to figure out what we want to schedule when our booking window opens next month. I'm considering the rainforest room. Any feedback on that experience would be appreciated.

 

[BlueBayou]

We are considering a November 2022 cruise on the Fantasy. I just can't make a decision. Is DCL evendoing 7 day cruises at that time? If so, what will it be like? I'm searching for people's experiences who have recently been on the Dream (2021)....what is like? A lot of things closed? Is the self serve drink and ice cream stations closed? What about buffets?

From everything I've seen about the Magic in the UK and the Dream in Florida - Crew is serving at the soda machines and ice cream stations. So not closed, but not self serve. Also Cabanas is more cafeteria style - buffet, but staff serves you. Options appear to be reduced, but still plentiful.

 

[Julia M]

I am excited to read about your trip planning. My dh and I are also on a 4 night cruise out of Galveston, leaving December 3. We had two DCL cruises cancelled with our kids and my mom (April of 2020 and 2021). I just had to give up the idea of the kids going with us (at least for right now). I am hoping I can schedule a Halloween on the High Seas with the kids next October out of San Diego.

Anyway, I look forward to following what you are planning.

 

[BlueBayou]

Planning continues -COVID test at port

It looks like ages 12 and up will be fully vaccinated and have to have a negative COVID test at the port. Under 12 - will have to have a negative PCR lab test or PCR rapid test 3 to 24 hours prior to sailing and a negative COVID test at port. We will see if things change regarding kids 5-11 now that vaccines are going to be made available.

We have booked a dolphin encounter/beach/lunch on Cozumel. From looking at photos - we will probably need beach shoes since it looks kind of rocky.

I have the stem to stern wine tasting booked on Saturday. Still thinking about booking a message.

Side note:
This vacation is really needed. It's something I am looking forward to. Planning for it has been been a little bright spot in this challenging time. My mom, who had advanced Fronto Temportal Dementia was placed on hospice in June. She lived across the street from us starting in 2008 and moved into our home in 2014. A couple years ago she had to go into an AL facility. But as an only child (my dad died at in his early 50s back in 1992) it's just been me and my husband handling everything.

While dealing with her death last week and sorting through photos, the good memories of when we lived in Arizona and included my mom in our annual Disneyland/DCA trips were highlighted in photos. She had major mobility issues - but we used scooters to get her around. She loved people and even if we were going on a ride she was not able to (Splash, Space Mountain, BTMRR, etc) she wasn't bored. She would socialize with CMs and other guests.

There is just a certain magic associated with Disney and I'm looking forward to experiencing it on our first Disney Cruise

 

[BlueBayou]

I am excited to read about your trip planning. My dh and I are also on a 4 night cruise out of Galveston, leaving December 3. We had two DCL cruises cancelled with our kids and my mom (April of 2020 and 2021). I just had to give up the idea of the kids going with us (at least for right now). I am hoping I can schedule a Halloween on the High Seas with the kids next October out of San Diego.

Anyway, I look forward to following what you are planning.

I can't wait to hear how your trip goes!

 

[greensombrero]

I hope you have a great trip! The Wonder is looking great and she has a great crew! I look forward to hearing how your cruise goes.

 

[BlueBayou]

We have a room assignment!

At last check we were GTY 6a (white wall balcony) and a “secret porthole” room on 5.

37 days before sailing we were assigned a 5c for the GTY 6a. The girls' secret porthole room is on 5 port side. Our room is one deck up and starboard.

My DH voiced a little concern about being that far away from the kids. Mind you, the "kids" are technically adults who go to school 250 and 1700 miles away. The way I look at it, the distance is like when we lived in a two story house, right? The upgraded room is actually way closer than it would have been if we had been assigned any 6A room.

 

[BlueBayou]

Okay - so I am "extra"

I'm still the only one in the family getting excited about this trip. Don't get me wrong, they are all looking forward to it, but I am what they term as "extra."

In preparation for this trip:
1 - I joined the FB group
2- Ordered matching tee shirts (There will be resistance from the girls, my DH is totally down with them. I ordered red. When the girls were small and we went to DL/DCA annually, I always found my hubby easy to spot in red. Oh except for the time in the early 2000s - when our trip occurred on 'Gay Days' and practically everyone in the park was wearing red)
3 - I've ordered door magnets for both rooms. They are super cute and include little tropical surf boards in each person's favorite color.
4 - The hotel has been booked for months
5 - Ditto on the parking


Is it like herding cats?
Is it just me or do you feel like getting your family where you want them is like herding cats through molasses? I am insisting that we get down to Galveston the day before the trip.

We are probably 3 1/2 hours away from the port now. About 5 years ago, when the girls were still in HS - we took a 7 day cruise on RCL. At the time we lived like 1 1/2 hours outside of Galveston. While we got there in plenty of time to make it on the ship, it was only about 2 hours before sailing. So by the time we got onto the ship and walked around a little - they were stopping food service for the muster drill. Like literally pulling up the pizzas as my daughters tried to get slices. We didn't eat breakfast before leaving home. Now it was around 2 and we could smell food but not get any. It was NOT a relaxing, pampered way to start a vacation.

It made you feel herded.
1 - Get in line for shuttle at parking
2- Get in long line for security
3- Get in long line for check in
4 - Get in line for food, only to be turned away
5 - Get in line, packed together on a sunny, very hot deck for a muster drill
Pretty much 4 hours of not fun, while really hungry

The majority of the issues could have been eliminated or significantly reduced if we had gotten to Galveston before noon. Once we were on the ship, my husband came around to my line of thinking. He had been thinking of embarkation day as a travel day. After our experience, he realized that the vacation begins once you are on the ship. Getting to the port late means getting a later start on your vacation.

Feb-Mar 2020 (disembarking as COVID shutdowns were occurring. I think our RCL ship did one more cruise after ours) - DH and I took a quick 5 day 20th anniversary trip. We planned to get to Galveston around 11am. I think we made it a little after noon. But part of that was because we opted to take the back roads to the island instead of driving through Houston. We also realized we had forgotten something like tooth brushes or eye drops - so we stopped at a CVS and a nearby Starbucks. This ship was about the size of the Wonder (so smaller than our previous RCL ship) and the lines when we got there were not bad. We were able to get on board and grab lunch. The weather was chilly so the muster drill was not nearly as bad. My DH agreed that the embarkation process was much better the trip without the kids.

So I have an 11am PTA for our Merrytime cruise. Who thinks we will make it to the pier at 11?

 

[BAIC03]

Getting to the port late means getting a later start on your vacation.

So I have an 11am PTA for our Merrytime cruise. Who thinks we will make it to the pier at 11?

I 100 percent agree with your first statement! You are paying for this day!!

You have to have a target to shoot for! I tell my family we have an arrival time for at least an hour earlier than we really do. That seems to work.

 

[BlueBayou]

T-0 days - It’s Embarkation Day

Drove to Galveston last night. Fog was starting to set in. I have read on DIS that fog delaying arrival is an issue at this port in the winter.

Woke up a little before 8 - and it was still pretty foggy. But checking the online cruise tracking - the Wonder was arriving or had just arrived. And someone staying closer to the port (we were at the Hampton Inn near the sea wall) posted a photo on FB of the Wonder safely docked.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[dcassetta]

Looking forward to hearing how great your cruise was when you get back!

 

[BlueBayou]

To the Wonder we go!

We were able to get a decent night's sleep at the Hampton Inn on the seawall. The place was practically empty. I've stayed there before for a cheer competition and the whole island was packed. So I was a little surprised. Eerie almost. Like I don't think there were more that 15 rooms occupied. And that is being generous. We had connecting rooms and attempted to roust the girls when we went down to grab breakfast. They never showed up so we took them waffles and oatmeal. Pick your battles, right? Making sure they had a little food in them would pay off in the long run.

Our port arrival time was 11am. I had pre-booked parking at the garage across the street through the port of Galveston. The elevator was not working so we had to walk our luggage down from the roof on three. That, and the fact trying to get our girls going is like herding cats, made our arrival more like 11:14. There was a long line of people waiting. When I asked "Is this the back of the line" one passenger said "We are 11:30 and that is 11:45" so I said '"Oh, we are 11am" and she pointed to a much shorter line that was being let through. It moved quickly and we were inside in no time. I think if we had gotten there at 11:10 - it would have been even quicker. It was evident that they had just let the 11:15 PAT go through.

But the bottom line is DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY unless you want to wait in a line outside (and it was a high humidity, sunny near 80 degree day). The waving Mickey gloves are cute - but they won't let you in before your time. At least for the first two hours. I'm not the kind of gal that thinks waiting in line that I don't have to is a fun way to start a vacay.

We were quickly placed in front of a row of blue COVID screening tents, number 15 I believe. We were a party of 4 and we were put in a a spot where a party of 5 just went in. I have the WORST luck/skill in picking out a checkout line at the grocery store. My mom was a master in our small town. She knew the quickest clerks and could judge the carts ahead of her. You would have though I picked the tent. All the tents around us changed occupants at least once and some twice and we were still waiting. We could see inside the tent, because a school aged kid, the oldest in the group kept popping his head out. The group in front of us appeared to be a mom with 3 or 4 young kids alone. So obviously testing pre-school kids was going to take more time. At this point my DD18 began to say she was not feeling well and was shaking. She would not believe/admit that it was anxiety. (I'm not using the term loosely - there is a diagnosis) She was blaming it on the Moderna booster she got 3 days prior. She sat on the ground. Eventually we were let in. Two adults and two college aged kids (who have all tested for school/work etc) went quickly. But there was no one behind us to benefit from our quickness. Our testing person was being closing down for her lunch break. And as soon as we were through the testing - DD18s anxiety went way.

We cleared security and went to our assigned waiting area. Each traveling party had a row of 5 seats. DH and DD18 raided the vending machine. Remember, we fed the kids just 2 1/2 hours ago. Why they needed it I do not know. My DD21 had headsets on and wasn't really listening to the rest of us, who were logging on to our safe passage account and checking emails. It was kind of strange to see some of the confirmation numbers on the TV monitors say "proceed to the inspire diagnostics consult area." It was a tent area set up on the edge of the waiting area. Sadly, one of the families in our FB group was one of the numbers that had their vacation canceled for a positive test.

DH spotted it first. At 12:34pm the change of status email came in. The three of us logged into our safe passage account and saw "clear to sail." I made the mistake of saying to the headsets DD21, "did you get an email." Let me explain. This kid is a rule follower. To the extent she would rat herself out as a child. She starts panicking saying she doesn't know how to log into her safe passage account. Mind you - an email from me went out to the entire family a week prior with everyone's safe passage passwords on it. She starts freaking out- trying figure out how to log on. I try to explain that it really does not matter. That her confirmation number would NOT be cleared to proceed to the terminal if she and DD18 had not tested clear. I walk her over to the monitor - show her the number and say "That is your cabin, let's go." Probably not my finest moment. But the rest of us had been talking about safe passage and the email - for the past 45 minutes. She was on her headsets not paying attention...

We walk up to actual check in. The line was not too long. You had to pull down your masks for a passport/identity check. I inquired about the availability of an upgrade. We were a balcony 6540 starboard and the DDs were in a 5020 port side "secret porthole" room - basically a very obstructed outside stateroom for the price of a deluxe inside. DH was worried about them being on a different deck. Mind you they go to college 1700 and 250 miles away from home. No upgrades were to be had.

Then on to boarding photos. Not a long line there either. Maybe had to wait for three families ahead of us. We were on the gangway a little while waiting to board. I think it was two groupings before us.

Finally - what I have been waiting years to hear - "Welcome BlueBayou Family." And we took a spot - front row, center and Captains Minnie and Mickey welcomed us.

Up next - Where to eat? Cabanas or Tianas.