Dream vs Wonder?

[CJinMD]

We are on the process of planning our third Disney cruise. The first two were on the Dream. Talk to me about being on the Wonder. Has it had any upgrades yet?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are on the process of planning our third Disney cruise. The first two were on the Dream. Talk to me about being on the Wonder. Has it had any upgrades yet?

The beds have been switched out (the queen bed no longer separates to two twins). But, they're waiting for the word that the new locks at the Panama Canal are open (and usable) before doing the major dry dock that the Magic already went through.

 

[xlxo]

Big upgrade will come post-Panama. Minor updates include RFID room keys last year.

With all the paint, I never thought it needs an upgrade.

 

[CJinMD]

If youve been on one of the newer ships and then went to the older ones (before dry docks like the Magic), were you (or your kids) dissapointed in any way with the amenities, kids clubs, etc?

 

[tinkmom2]

We just got off the Wonder for our third time in March. Our cruise previous to that was on the Dream. The Wonder is a beautiful ship that has it's own charm. It's not as big as the Dream but it has it's own pluses. Entertainment is pretty much the same. I like the pools better on the Wonder. It doesn't have the Aqua Duck but there is plenty to do on the ship. Our floor was being renovated the day we debarked. The service is the same and the food is pretty much the same as it has always been. My kids love both ships and didn't want to leave once again. My girls are 9 and 16. We went back to the Wonder partly because of the itinerary. We wanted to go to Mexico. We've been to Nassau 3 times previous. I don't think I would go out of Miami again though. We drove down and it was and experience to say the least. I was going to book another cruise but I think we are going to go to a Beaches resort next. My youngest we couldn't keep out of the clubs on both ships. My older daughter doesn't care for the clubs and hasn't been in them since she was 9.

 

[thumpie's mom]

The Wonder may be an older ship, but she is beautiful and there is plenty to do! On our last cruise, they had renovated Shutters (hugh improvement!) and the keys. We are going again in October and are looking forward to seeing the room renovations. When they do the major dry dock we are praying they do not change her the way they did the Magic.

 

[jburge12000]

Been on the Fantasy and the Dream 3 times before we went on the Wonder. My family loved it. It did not seem as crowded on the upper decks and everything looked great. It was not showing its age. If the itinerary worked out, we would not hesitate to be on the Wonder again. My kids did not miss any of the things that are only on the Dream/Fantasy like the Aqua Duck or the Mid ship detective agency. They actually liked that the ship and the activities were different from the Dream, it kept them very occupied with new things to do.

 

[Trera]

We keep talking about going on the Wonder but we live an hour from Port Canaveral and 3.5 hours to the port in Miami................so we havent gotten to the point where we are willing to drive the extra distance with our 2 year old DD when we are so close to the other 3 ships.

 

[bethy]

We just got off the Wonder for our third time in March. Our cruise previous to that was on the Dream. The Wonder is a beautiful ship that has it's own charm. It's not as big as the Dream but it has it's own pluses. Entertainment is pretty much the same. I like the pools better on the Wonder. It doesn't have the Aqua Duck but there is plenty to do on the ship. Our floor was being renovated the day we debarked. The service is the same and the food is pretty much the same as it has always been. My kids love both ships and didn't want to leave once again. My girls are 9 and 16. We went back to the Wonder partly because of the itinerary. We wanted to go to Mexico. We've been to Nassau 3 times previous. I don't think I would go out of Miami again though. We drove down and it was and experience to say the least. I was going to book another cruise but I think we are going to go to a Beaches resort next. My youngest we couldn't keep out of the clubs on both ships. My older daughter doesn't care for the clubs and hasn't been in them since she was 9.

We are taking our first cruise out of Miami in October. What were your issues with that port? I really like to be prepared - thanks!

 

[mevelandry]

We are taking our first cruise out of Miami in October. What were your issues with that port? I really like to be prepared - thanks!

Me too.

 

[hubbard53]

we didnt mind the wonder after cruising on the fantasy. Although my boy, 4 yrs old, does prefer the clubs on the fantasy.

 

[rrehman]

We are taking our first cruise on the Wonder out of Miami in March 2016. We have been on the Dream three previous times. We really enjoyed the Dream, but felt it was a bit too crowded. Looking forward to a smaller ship. We really wanted to go on one of the classic ships before the refurbishment, that is why we chose the Wonder over the Magic.

 

[tinkmom2]

Driving through Miami was a nightmare. We came in the night before and stayed at the Hampton Suites. Traffic goes at 80MPH and you are expected to exit on the left. POM, the terminal was very crowded. There were also a ton of cars. We didn't do any of the meet and greets with the characters in port because of the lines. The porters expect a tip when you drop off your luggage too so have some cash handy. We drove and tolls to Miami were more than we expected. We weren't able to rent a car at the Budget in town and had to go to he FLL air port. A taxi there cost us another $30.00.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Driving through Miami was a nightmare. We came in the night before and stayed at the Hampton Suites. Traffic goes at 80MPH and you are expected to exit on the left. POM, the terminal was very crowded. There were also a ton of cars. We didn't do any of the meet and greets with the characters in port because of the lines. The porters expect a tip when you drop off your luggage too so have some cash handy. We drove and tolls to Miami were more than we expected. We weren't able to rent a car at the Budget in town and had to go to he FLL air port. A taxi there cost us another $30.00.

Porters expect a tip at any cruise terminal. This is nothing new or different.

Did you have a reservation at the Budget rental agency? Years ago DH and I flew into a relatively small airport and didn't bother to reserve a car. (Most places we've been don't need an advance reservation.) None of the rental car places at the small airport had any available. We ended up with a rent-a-wreck and were relieved one was available. Since then we've been careful to reserve a car in advance, even at the larger airports.

 

[Saamh]

Castaway Cay is a lot less crowded on the Wonder than the Dream. We love the Wonder!

 

[tinkmom2]

We didn't reserve a rental car in Miami because the in person rate was much much lower by picking it up at the center which is usually the reverse. They did have some at FLL though. I learned my lesson. We were the only ship at Castaway too which was nice.