Going for Gold - Our Spring Break Cruise to Cabo and Ensenada on the Wonder Plus Disneyland March 2023 (Updated 6/13)

[greensombrero]

Welcome

Hello again, we just got back from another fantastic Disney Cruise! As I have to wallow in the sadness that is returning to real life, cooking our own meals and making my own bed, I thought I'd start a TR for this trip. Writing up the memories and what I learned always helps me remember the fun we had and makes it last just a bit longer. This trip is a bit unique because in addition to the cruise we made a short visit to the Disneyland Resort. We used to be die hard Disneyland fans and that was our big family vacation destination on years we did big trips. We haven't been back since pre pandemic and since we started cruising. So this was a chance to reflect on our switch to cruising and what all has changed at Disneyland since our last trip 4 years ago. Incidentally we realized it was almost exactly 4 years ago as our last trip was also the end of March in 2019.

This was also a big milestone for us on the cruising front. This was cruise number 5 so we are now officially Gold Castaway Club members! It was also our first cruise repeating a ship we've already been on. It was fun to come full circle back to one of the classic ships. So lots of thoughts, pros and cons to share in this report. So let's get to it.

Cast of Characters

Quick introduction for those who haven't read one of my prior reports. I'm a Disney Dad, father of 4 kids 2 girls (15 & 11) and 2 boys (13 & 7) with an awesome wife who shares my love of Disney and is supportive of prioritizing travel with our kids. I've always loved travel. When I was young and single I adventured all over South America but then I got married, started a family and for a while travel meant family road trips with epic Disneyland vacations when circumstances would allow.

For many, many years I swore I'd never set foot on a cruise ship. Then I read a few blogs about Disney Cruising and wondered if maybe I should rethink my opinions. We were looking to do something different with the kids, something more adventurous, see the world but we love Disney and how our Disney trips really offered an escape from reality and made it easy to entertain the kids. Long and short my wife and I decided to bite the bullet and try a Disney Cruise. To be fair she was always more interested in cruising but I had some anxiety about cruising I had to decide to get past. We took our first cruise in January of 2020 and wow was it incredible! It of course was perfect timing to discover we loved cruising and then have the world shutdown. We had been bitten with the cruising bug, especially me, so as soon as we could we headed back to the sea. We've been very blessed to have had the opportunity to sail on 4 of the 5 ships in the DCL fleet now, only missing the Wish.

Now on to this cruise.

Chapters

Day 00 - Planning
Day 01 3/22 - Travel
Day 02 3/23 - San Diego
Day 03 3/24 - Embarkation Day
Day 04 3/25 - Day at Sea
Day 05 3/26 - Cabo San Lucas
Day 06 3/27 - Day at Sea
Day 07 3/28 - Ensenada
Day 08 3/29 - Debarkation Day and Downtown Disney
Day 09 3/30 - California Adventure
Day 10 3/31 - Disneyland
Day 11 4/01 - Travel home and Final Thoughts

Planning

On our "bonus" cruise in April of 2022 we got a placeholder which immediately started to burn a hole in my pocket. We had our Fantasy cruise already booked for Fall Break but had no plans for Spring Break 2023. We like giving our kids experiences for Christmas and I liked the idea of maybe making a Spring Break cruise part of Christmas that year. However gas prices were rising and so was airfare so I didn't see a way to do a cruise if we had to fly somewhere. We've done many a road trip to So Cal so a cruise on the Wonder out of San Diego would likely be the only option. As it worked out there was a 5 night to Cabo and Ensenada that almost aligned to our school break. We'd have to take the kids out a couple days early but it would be doable. I really didn't want to do less than a 5 night cruise if possible. We've done a 3 and 4 night and they are just too short. While they aren't particularly exotic ports we were excited to visit Cabo again and were interested to see what Ensenada was about. Just a bit of a preview we loved the excursions we ended up with in each port, probably our favorite we've done so far on any cruise.

Looking at prices we were fortunate this sailing didn't seem to have completely crazy inflated spring break prices. However a verandah would likely be out. We've been spoiled with them recently but going back to adjoining ocean view cabins on deck 2 didn't really bug us (and sneak peek it really was fine). I looked and the same stateroom numbers we had on our first cruise on the Magic were available. We knew we liked that location and the Magic and Wonder are similar enough. I took it as a sign we should book them, as if I really needed any more motivation to book another cruise.

I was really excited to sail out of San Diego again, it has such a cool sail away and a fun waterfront area. I love military history and aviation so sailing past the navy bases and the USS Midway is fun for me. I really wanted to get back there after our last sailing especially since we had sailed last time during all the Covid restrictions. My hope was to spend an extra day or two to further explore the city.

As things got closer and I did more detailed planning though I realized I wouldn't get my extra time in San Diego. We really couldn't come in earlier and as I looked at hotels I realized San Diego was going to be an expensive place to stay if I wanted to stick to the waterfront. I knew we wanted to stay across the street from the port and have the cool views and easy walk again. Since I'm a loyal Marriott Bonvoy member that meant the SpringHill Suites Downtown/Bayfront. We stayed there before our last Wonder cruise and really liked it. I could easily get a room on points but it would get expensive fast to do more than a night, especially since we really needed multiple rooms for our family. Sometimes the SpringHill Suites will accommodate 6 per room but this hotel did not officially and even when they do it is a tight fit. We've done it at other locations when the kids were younger but now with teenagers it is tougher and I prefer to obey the max occupancy rules.

What really killed the extra days in San Diego though was the fact my kids keep begging to go back to Disneyland. We haven't been since 2019 and my older two especially have gotten really into Marvel and wanted to see Avengers Campus. I got an email in October offering me a chance to buy Disneyland tickets from one of the travel/ticket companies we've used in the past at the pre price increase rate if I acted fast. I think they buy in bulk and can sell the tickets at the earlier price until they run out. Disneyland tickets are already crazy compared to when we used to go and I thought if I'm going to do it I'd rather do it before they go up again. It was also bonus time at work.

I looked and saw I could get a surprisingly decent rate at the SpringHill Suites by Disneyland on a family suite that would accommodate us all for a much lower rate than more hotel nights in San Diego. So talking it over with my DW we decided to add two days at Disneyland after the cruise. We wouldn't do park hoppers this time as that premium has gotten even higher. We figured we could do a day at California Adventure and a day at Disneyland and hit the key highlights at least. We've done Disneyland many times and while things have changed a lot we figured we could make it work with just a day in each park. As it turned out we were more successful than I expected and did get to see everything we really wanted, but more on that later.

Two other items from a planning perspective. The first is parking at the San Diego Port is a bit different. There is no parking garage at the port. Several of the hotels across the street offer cruise parking in their parking garages. However they can fill up so reservations in advance are highly recommended. We booked ours several months out just to be safe as I have heard of them filling up.

Secondly not all rooms get the view of the port. As is usually the case the rooms with the view cost more. In our case I just booked the lower rate room and relied on my status with Marriott to get a free upgrade. One of the things Marriott offers on their higher status tiers is an annual choice award. One thing you can chose from are "suite nights" which are basically a chance to get an enhanced upgrade. You can ask to apply them to a reservation and then the hotel will either confirm your upgrade or deny it, in which case you get your "suite nights" back to try again another time. You find out within a few days of arrival, so you know before you get there. This is separate from the more generic upgrades you may get when checking in just for having status. We've had good luck with both using suite nights and getting other upgrades in the past. Doesn't happen all the time but I got a notification a day or two before we left that my request was approved and we'd get the view I wanted which made me happy!

Oh one other thing I should add. This trip was part of Christmas for our kids so we kept it a secret until Christmas morning. I actually devised a rather elaborate treasure hunt to reveal it to them. I had some custom photo puzzles made with pictures from our prior Wonder cruise and last Disneyland trip as part of it. My big mistake though was being so excited I tried to get them to do it before opening any of their other presents. Then they were kind of anxious to just get to the end. I should have saved it until they had fewer distractions. It all worked out though and they were excited especially to see they'd finally get a chance to see Disneyland again too.

Of course Dad knew about this trip for a long time and even once the kids knew we had to wait from Christmas to March to go. I do find a lot of the planning and prepping for a trip to be fun. However I couldn't wait for the day we would leave to arrive.

Up next Travel Day finally arrives!

 

[greensombrero]

Day 01 3/22 & 3/23 - Travel

I think people read trip reports for two reasons:

1. To be entertained and travel vicariously when they can't be on their own trip.
2. To gain tips and tricks to help with their own trips.

I'm open to hearing some other reasons so I can tailor my TRs appropriately. With those two reasons in mind though I thought I'd share a couple fun stories and hopefully some worthwhile tips from our travel days.

First is a family tradition we've developed on road trips. We love listening to kid/young adult audio books. My wife is an avid reader and has found some really cool books we've not heard of before to listen to on our trips. We've done some more well known ones like Harry Potter or the Indian in the Cupboard but for me it is some of the newly discovered books I've loved the most. While my kids also like to watch movies in the car and we do have a in car video system, I much prefer the audio books because then I'm not missing out by not seeing the picture.

This trip we listened to The Smartest Kid in the Universe. I really enjoyed it as did the kids. I'd classify it as lightweight kids sci fi. The premise is a kid becomes super smart by accidentally eating specially engineered jellybeans. It was better for our youngest than some of the more tween/teen books we've done in the past. I was pleasantly surprised though when even my 13 year old couldn't wait to get back to it after breaks. It was a bit shorter than some of our prior road trip books but that turned out okay. There are multiple books in the series and we planned to get the second if we needed more to listen to.

To minimize school disruption we had to leave mid day and so planned to stop for the night in Las Vegas. I'm not a big fan of Vegas but there are a lot of hotels so it tends to be a place I can easily use points and get free nights. Normally I try and stay off the strip but this time there was a low point option at the the SpringHill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center.

This trip was a trip of SpringHill Suites. We've stayed at most of the Marriott sub brands and certainly have done SpringHill Suites before but don't normally stick to one brand for a whole trip. The only reason we ended up here was I could use a limited free night certificate I had for a room and get a second for a really low amount of points.

I actually think it would be a great location if you were in Vegas for a convention or trade show. It is right by the convention center basically across the street from what I remember as the Hilton where the Star Trek experience was all those years ago. Now it is called the West Gate. One of the problems though with hotels in a good location is they tend to charge for parking. I was super thrilled when checking in the gentleman at the front desk told me he'd waive my parking fee since I'm a loyal Marriott Bonvoy member. That isn't a perk I've ever gotten before. He was super friendly and helpful, made me feel very welcome even though I was just there for a night. The service at this location for me was top notch.

The hotel itself wasn't anything to write home about. It was a bit older though it didn't look run down. They actually got us adjoining rooms which often aren't available at SpringHill Suites. That made me happy since it meant we didn't have to do a boys room and a girls room, I actually got to stay in the room with my wife. We just opened the connecting door to keep an eye on the kids in the other room. We were on a high floor which the kids loved with kind of a cool view.



and by day



I didn't remember to take any pictures of the room itself. It was a fairly standard layout we've had at other SpringHill Suites. It has a split bathroom like on the cruise ship which I really like. There is a toilet and sink with its own door and then another sink and shower with another door. This is really helpful with lots of people trying to get ready. It also had a pretty decent included breakfast. A couple hot items: eggs, sausage, a pre-made breakfast burrito along with make them yourself waffles. Then of course the normal bread, bagels, pastries, yogurt, cereal type offerings. Not Cabanas but better than some places. In summary I'd stay there again.

One quick comedy of errors story though from our arrival. When our original dinner plans didn't work out we planned to just grab something on our way to the hotel. I really don't like to eat though someplace we eat at home. So my wife was looking on her phone and noticed a Shake Shack. Now they technically have locations not too far from where we live but my family has never eaten there. I've had it once or twice when traveling for work. So it technically checked the box of something we don't eat at home. We thought there would be a drive thru based on the picture she saw but my wife didn't realize she picked a location at a shopping mall. So we pulled up with a van full of hungry people who wanted to just grab take out and realized we'd have to park in a parking garage and I'd have to run to do the pick up. I suggested we just go in and eat there but no one wanted to do that when we were so close to our stop for the night and everyone was tired.

It would have been ok except I didn't see the sign that I'd have to take the parking ticket with me. I realized that while coming back to the car. So then I dropped the food off, took the ticket and had to run back to where the machine was to pay so we could leave. I actually think maybe they would have taken a credit card at the exit but didn't want to risk it once I saw all the big signs saying be sure to pay here before you try to exit. It all worked out in the end and my family finally tried Shake Shack but it was not the quick drive thru before the hotel we planned.

We all got a decent night sleep and as I mentioned the included breakfast wasn't bad. The next day of our trip I learned another valuable lesson. I really should have taken a picture of how I packed the car because it took me a fair amount of time and switching things around the next morning to get it all back in.

I also think we were out of practice on taking road trips to So Cal because we stopped for gas and bathrooms at some of the wrong exits. If you are my age then you probably recognize the line "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K". My wife and I love that movie and since we don't have Circle K where we live I thought oh fun we will stop there for gas when I didn't see anything better. Unfortunately "Strange things were afoot" in the form of bathrooms no one wanted to use. It happened on two different occasions so I was banned by the girls from stopping at Circle K for the rest of the trip.

I did violate my don't eat where you can at home rule for our second day. I decided we wouldn't get in early enough to San Diego to just wait to do lunch there. We had snacks in the car but I didn't want the kids to get too hangry. I also didn't want a repeat of our first night's drive thru fiasco and saw an In and Out off the freeway. Many years ago In and Out was a must do when visiting So Cal but now that we have a location close to home it isn't a big thrill. They are consistently fast at their drive thru though and to be honest we don't eat there very often so we stopped. It was quick and easy so I was definitely getting back into the road trip groove.

In the end the drive was less stressful than airline travel on a bad day and definitely less expensive than airline tickets for the 6 of us. We arrived in San Diego mid afternoon safe and sound with a new book read, well listened to.

Up next San Diego, not a lot of time but we had some fun

 

[iloveeeyore]

So excited to find this report!! Peter and I are thinking...well...I mean, I am trying to convince Peter...that we should combine DL with a Wonder cruise. It might be the only way we get a chance to experience either. Can't wait to read all about your experience.

Also, we say "strange things are afoot" all the time, lol. Keep being excellent!

 

[greensombrero]

So excited to find this report!! Peter and I are thinking...well...I mean, I am trying to convince Peter...that we should combine DL with a Wonder cruise. It might be the only way we get a chance to experience either. Can't wait to read all about your experience.

Also, we say "strange things are afoot" all the time, lol. Keep being excellent!

Glad to have you follow along! I know we've enjoyed each other's TRs in the past. Hopefully I can share some useful tips and help you make a decision. If you are coming from a far I think a Wonder cruise and DL together make a lot of sense.

If I recall correctly something you said in a prior TR you are from the NY area, have you ever cruised out of NYC? We are doing a Bermuda cruise out of NYC in October and I'm wondering if you might have any tips somewhere on a thread here I should go find?

 

[greensombrero]

Day 02 3/23 - San Diego

We arrived in San Diego in the early afternoon and I was pleased our rooms were ready for us right away. We were a bit earlier than check in time so I wasn't counting on them being ready. I already talked in the planning section about how we stayed at the San Diego SpringHill Suites Downtown/Bayfront.

Quick review of the hotel, it feels new and bright and I quite like it. They don't offer adjoining rooms but we had rooms right next door to each other. This is convenient but did mean the kids wanted to go back and forth between the rooms a lot. When we have rooms further apart the boys and girls tend to stick in their rooms. This location doesn't have the split bathroom but the bathrooms are nice and big. They only feature a shower, no tub which is fine for the kids given their ages but could be an issue if you had younger ones. They also offer a free breakfast. They have a nice big room for it but this is also a larger hotel. There is a Residence Inn within the same building. I'm not sure if it just takes up different floors or how it is divided up but they seem to share the same lobby. I think they share the same breakfast room. While large it also gets crowded, kind of feels Cabanas ish. The selection was pretty standard. We didn't try and get a seat and just took food back. While we only stayed for a night I'd happily return and stay at this hotel longer. My only complaint is the elevators get busy and we did have to wait for one sometimes.

Here is the view from my room, the Wonder would dock on the far right in the morning.

I don't mind driving to my destination but I love going somewhere that is walkable or has good transportation options so I don't have to drive once I'm there. This area of San Diego is very walkable. Once we got our stuff settled in our rooms we headed out to explore. Just walking along the waterfront there is a lot to see.

There is a lot of history in the area, this is a monument about the USS San Diego which played a key role during WWII

There is another monument about how the Tuna Fishing Fleet supported WWII. I love hearing about how our country came together to support the war effort. We certainly could use a little more unity nowadays.



The USS Midway is also right there. I would have loved to tour it again, I didn't get to see everything last time. Unfortunately not enough time this trip.



We also had a good time watching some of the local wildlife fishing in the water.



I should mention our initial destination was Seaport Village. We didn't visit it before our last cruise and it sounded like an interesting shopping center to see not far from the hotel. It is a somewhat typical touristy place with a number of different shops and a few restaurants. What I liked was that it had some different sorts of shops beyond the typical t-shirt gift shop. For example this pirate fortune teller.



There was also fun sock shop, Christmas shop and a few other unique places I'm not remembering. My DS found a t shirt he really wanted and we got a couple other small things. I'm glad we walked over to explore it. There were some restaurants but no one was quite ready for dinner or interested in what was there. If you are in town I think Seaport Village is worth a visit if you have some time but not a must see.

We realized we forgot a couple items from home and needed to stop by a drug store. There was a Rite Aid a few blocks from the hotel so we headed there next. I realized once we got there we were only a couple blocks from the Little Italy neighborhood and one of my favorite places to visit, Salt & Straw.

If you've not heard of them Salt & Straw offers really good ice cream with very unique and fun flavors. I first discovered them in Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort a few years ago. I've now visited 6 of their locations across 4 states. Yes they are that good. I was also gifted their cookbook by a former coworker who shared a love for ice cream. We've made some of their ice cream at home and it has turned out just as good but is a lot of work. I do recommend their cookbook. Our Dream cruise last spring happened to coincide with their grand opening in Disney Springs in Orlando. I was super excited to visit that location on their first day open I believe. So yeah I'm kind of a mega fan. I've even DoorDashed them on work trips when I couldn't get to a location but was close enough to get delivery. They do ship nationwide but historically it was just a limited flavor set. I just looked which maybe was a bad idea because they offer a lot more options now.

Anyhow back to the story the Rite Aid was only a 5 minute walk from great ice cream. Sure we hadn't had dinner yet but I figured no one wanted to walk back to the hotel, go to dinner and then walk all the way back. True there are lots of good restaurants in Little Italy but my kids wanted to go to the Mexican place we ate at before. Last time in San Diego we actually had ice cream for dinner so I suggested why not just have some ice cream first and do dinner later? Surprisingly I had one child complain about this idea but in general everyone was onboard so Dad got to go spoil his dinner at his happy place.



One fun thing is they do monthly special flavors in addition to their classics. March was cereal inspired flavors. They brought back one of my all time favorite flavors I've had there, Cornflake Cookies w/ Marionberry Jam. If you like boring flavors, they may not be the spot for you. You can pay a small up charge to have a split scoop so you can try two flavors with a "single scoop" size. I love ice cream but their single scoop is all I need but I love mixing flavors. I also tried a new one, Peanut Butter Brownie Cereal Puffs. It was super good and a favorite of most of the family. They do let you try flavors so if you go feel free to ask. When I know what I want I often try another flavor I know I won't get just to get one more flavor in. The Rum Custard w/ Raisin Shortbread & Bran Butter was interesting but not worth a scoop for me.

We enjoyed our cones while walking back to the hotel. After dropping our drug store purchases off we walked across the street to Miguel's Cocina. It is in a little restaurant complex just down from the port. We tried it on our last visit and enjoyed it. They have quite good Mexican food with a nice water view. Last time we were there for lunch with no wait but this time they were busy for dinner. We had the option of an hour wait or eating outside. It is worth nothing it wasn't particularly warm in San Diego, probably upper 50s/lower 60s. However we've had a long cold, snow filled winter so it was warmer for us than at home. We opted for waterfront patio dinning.



It did get colder as the sun went down and my kids opted to get to go boxes and finish their dinner back in the room. So eating outside didn't go quite as well as I hoped but it was better than waiting. The food was as good as I remembered. All in all we had a great afternoon and evening.



I love the port and ship lights at night. You can just make out the 41 and red white and blue on the Midway above. What you can't see well is two active carriers were similarly lite up across the way at the Navy base. Both the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 and USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 were in port and I could see there numbers lighted up from my room.

Good night San Diego, but unfortunately I didn't sleep well. I had the boys in my room and our youngest was up in the night. Plus I tend to wake every couple hours the night before a cruise anyway. Plus my older kids wanted to get up early and see the Wonder sail in. All in all there was little sleep for me but that seems to be par for the course the night before all my cruises thus far.

I'm about at my photo limit so to be continued....

 

[greensombrero]

Morning of 03/24 - San Diego

As I mentioned I didn't exactly sleep well and was tired but it was Embarkation morning!



It was actually darker when we watched her pull in but those pictures didn't turn out so well.

I really wanted to go for a run along the waterfront. Since really getting into running I've learned that even when I'm tired a morning run will often wake me up. I ran to get some food for the kids and then my wife was awesome and kept an eye on the younger ones so I could go for a run.

I named my run the airport to airport because I ran down until I was right across the street from the San Diego airport. It is that close to the port. Then I ran back to the USS Midway, another sort of airport. Ended up being about 3 miles so a nice little run. I got lots of cool photos of the Wonder and the waterfront in general.



Run selfie



The run felt super good. I hadn't run outside in a bit due to the weather at home. I don't mind cold but ice, snow and wet aren't cool so I've been stuck on the treadmill. The temperature was perfect for running, cool but not cold and of course no ice or snow here.

After the run, which I really needed, I grabbed some breakfast and we had a few things to do adjusting luggage, putting on luggage tags all those sorts of things. One other thing I had to do was move the car. We got a parking reservation at the same garage the hotel uses but you can't use the long term parking while staying at the hotel. So to keep it all legit I parked while at the hotel in their section and used my room key and paid their rate. Then once we were going to check out I had to re-enter the garage and get a ticket and park in the long term cruise area listed on my parking reservation. I believe I mentioned it in the planning section but I highly recommend getting a reservation in advance if sailing out of San Diego.

The nice thing about sailing out of San Diego is you can literally walk across the street to the port. However it does make you get a bit antsy in the morning. We had the earliest PAT at 11 am, but you don't want to get there too early, but yet early enough. It takes a bit though to get down the elevator and across the street with all your luggage. The cross walk isn't directly in front of the hotel so it takes a little to navigate it all pulling multiple suitcases like our family has.

I've heard some people complain that embarking in San Diego is a bit chaotic. They seem to have figured things out because I thought it all ran quite smoothly. We ended up across the street just before 10:30 AM. It didn't quite take as long as I thought to get over there. There was a porter waiting happy to take our luggage. They had 4 lines set up with staff ready to direct us. They had a concierge, 11 am, 11:15 and 11:30 line set up. We weren't the first in the 11 am line but were pretty close to the front. We had several port cast members come by and talk to us. They were all super friendly. Just before they opened the port they verified our PAT forms and gave us blue tickets to give so we could get in the gate. The whole thing ran quite smooth and they started letting us in after concierge just before 11 am. Honestly I felt like the port arrival was every bit as smooth as our Port Canaveral experiences. Once we entered the gate we had to go through security and then we were checking in. Everything was easy peasy for us at least. I don't know if it got more chaotic later or if the things I've heard in the past have just finally gotten figured out.

Now the San Diego terminal is not as nice as Port Canaveral by any means. It is just like a big warehouse with some chairs and the check in desks they set up. They do have restrooms and I saw a drink vending machine but no theming or anything. I didn't mind I was just happy there isn't covid testing anymore. That was always super stressful.

Well I'll leave you with us there in the terminal for now.

Up next is Embarkation and what we did day 1 aboard the beautiful Disney Wonder

 

[KJeff90]

I'm enthusiastically looking forward to your posts. I'm doing the same cruise itinerary you are in November, but aboard the Magic. Can't wait to see what your trip report has in store!

 

[princesserin1350]

I've really enjoyed your past trip reports and can't wait to read about your adventures on this cruise and at Disneyland!

 

[DnA2010]

Jumping on board, great start!!

 

[greensombrero]

Day 03 3/24 - Embarkation Day

So the last 36 hours or so have been crazy not fun at work. Now that things have calmed down I'm wanting to go to my happy place. So let's talk about embarking the Disney Wonder!

In my last post I left us waiting in the terminal to board. We had boarding group 2 so once things got going we didn't have to wait too long. As an aside online check in for this cruise was super smooth. I'm not sure if Disney is getting better or if it is just random how it goes. Our prior cruise in Oct was really rough on the IT front. However the two prior were alright, who knows.

There aren't the giant Mickey Ears or any theming in San Diego. They just had some dividers up to separate the waiting area from where the boarding photos were and the path to get on the gangway. Before we knew it it was photo time.



Yes my talented wife made us awesome matching "Going for Gold" t shirts. On the back it listed all our cruises which led to some fun conversations with cast members and fellow passengers, more on that later.
As we were walking on the gang way I spotted an interesting friend watching us. You may have to zoom in but Simba was in a port hole, apologize for the reflection.



I was trying to decide where that port hole was and who put Simba in, a back to back cruiser or crew? Those sorts of hidden surprises are always fun.

As we stepped aboard the ship I got hit with the "Disney Ship Smell" more strongly than I ever have before, we were onboard a Disney ship again! If you aren't familiar with it, there is a distinct smell aboard Disney ships. I don't even know how to describe it. I don't notice it usually much after boarding but it is a very familiar smell as you step onboard. I kind of wonder if Disney intentionally pumps it in using their smell machines they have in the parks.

Aside from the smell nothing about the boarding stood out to me. My family loves Cabanas so that is where we headed. I've always been curious about trying the sit down lunch but I'm always overruled. My wife and kids like getting their food right away. To be honest this may have been my favorite Cabanas boarding lunch yet. I rarely think to take food pictures but there were three standouts. I grabbed a chicken strip and was surprised how fresh and good it was. Though to be honest chicken strips are just a way to get access to the honey mustard they have. I love the honey mustard on DCL. I also enjoyed the lamb chops.

I've learned the hard way that the desserts in the Cabanas case in general look better than they taste in my experience. However there is almost always a "warm" dessert you can ask for to the side of the display case, usually served al a mode. Those are usually really good. I got a warm apple cobbler with hard pack ice cream and it was great! I highly recommend looking for the warm desserts.

After Cabanas we headed to open houses in the kids clubs. For any first timers kids ages 3-12 who go to the Oceaneer's Club/Lab get a magic band to help track them. It is free but if you don't return it they charge you. So one of our first things is to go to the club because they will give you a little plastic lock thing that will help ensure the band doesn't fall off and get lost. Also they confirm all the info you give in online check in the first time you drop your kids off. It is worth getting that out of the way. During open house anyone can come look at the clubs but you can't drop your kids off to play unattended.

Of course the real reason I always go to the open houses on boarding day is to use these hand washing machines.



If you've never used them you are missing out. They are like a car wash for your hands! They are so cool and I wish they had them outside Cabanas or at my house.

I wanted to investigate all the little details in the clubs that kids likely don't notice but are fun for adults. I wasn't disappointed. Reading this in the Marvel area was fun. Love seeing who teaches what.



Even the Oceaneer's Lab which is less IP themed has cool things to look at.



We also headed up to Edge and Vibe to see where the older kids would hang out. One problem with going to them right after you board is they want to put stickers on your tween/teen's key cards but you won't have them now until rooms are ready. For those unfamiliar with the post pandemic change you get your key cards now in your fish outside your door rather than during check in at the terminal. So you can't get them until the barriers are down allowing you access to your rooms. It doesn't look like I took any photos in those clubs. I don't think they have as many interesting details. Btw the kids can come back and get the stickers on their own, parents don't have to be present.

We were pretty anxious to check out our staterooms so we went down right at 1:30 to see if we could get into our rooms. They were ready pretty close to on time. This is probably a good time to review our staterooms 2578 and 2580 (connecting) on deck 2 midship not too far from the elevators. As I mentioned previously we've been cruising in verandah staterooms lately. On the Dream/Fantasy there seem to be fewer connecting ocean view options and the price difference is such we just went for verandahs. Our last trip on the Wonder we got upgraded because deck 2 at the time was the quarantine deck we think. So I wondered how we'd feel going back to ocean view since the last time was our first cruise.

Honestly we were perfectly happy with the staterooms. While I think my wife missed being able to go out on the verandah a bit we find the chairs on deck 4 to be more comfortable. It is really early in the morning when kids are sleeping the verandah is a nice option. With the weather being cooler being able to look out the port hole from inside was also nice. We did feel the rooms were a bit smaller and they seemed to have a bit less storage. I'm unclear if that is because of the classic vs Dream class ship or actually the cabin category. When we sail on the Dream in October my sister is joining us in an ocean view cabin while we will be in a verandah. I'll have to check what her room is like because I'm really not sure. The differences in storage though were fairly minor and we had plenty of space overall. It is interesting how much more we like our cruise staterooms than even larger hotel rooms that just aren't as functional as Disney's design. They really do a good job having a good space for families.

In terms of location I really like midship and deck 2. It is a bit of a climb up to the pool deck if you are like me and prefer to not wait for an elevator and leave them for those who need them. However I'll admit my legs got sore and I did use the elevators. The nice thing about deck 2 though is you are close to dinner, lounges, clubs, shows, and for the most part it is quicker to get home for the evening and you are going down instead of up. So I would totally recommend this stateroom location on one of the classic ships.

One final note for any larger families that need connecting staterooms. If you look on the website most cabins say sleeps 3-4 but they don't actually tell you which are which. They will only show availability for ones that accommodate your party though but it could accommodate more. You can call and find out though. With a family of 6 we've tried different combinations. In this case both our adjoining rooms just slept 3. We put the girls sharing the other big bed and each boy on the coach bed. While you are required to book an adult in each cabin you don't have to sleep that way. We open the adjoining door and my wife and I sleep in the same cabin. We have had 1 or both rooms accommodate 4. The advantage there is no one has to share. It just adds a pull down "bunk bed" above the coach bed. The problem with this arrangement is the fight over who gets the big bed. I'd like to pretend my kids don't ever fight but they do and this one has big a hard one in the past to resolve for some reason. So we are content and in some ways prefer just having two rooms for 3.

The one bad thing about the situation is my key is only coded to the room I'm booked in not where I actually sleep. Now we kept the interior connecting door open so it didn't really matter. I have on other cruises gone to guest services and they can give me a second key card for the other room after they verify the situation of course. However I didn't bother this time. I wish they could just code my card to work for both but that isn't an option.

Anyhow enough about the staterooms. If you do have questions about them or traveling with a larger family feel free to ask. There isn't as much info out there about having an immediate family that needs more than one stateroom. It worried me early on when we first looked at cruising when I didn't see any cabins that would accommodate 6. However honestly the connecting staterooms are an awesome setup and we have figured out the few oddities. My only complaint is the cost.

Your luggage isn't usually at your room when it is first available (that comes later) but we ended up with a few bags pretty quickly and got to do a little unpacking. One of the other moms organized an ice cream social for tween/teen girls in our FB group. My wife took my one daughter up to that. My kids can be a bit shy. I went up to see how it was going and realized my youngest son was with my wife too and took him to do something else.

We ended up on the sports deck playing foosball and ping pong. I actually really enjoy that little game area at the front of the ship. It can be difficult if you are at sea with the wind and rocking but it makes it fun. We were still in port of course but still fun. I don't remember seeing the ping pong and foosball on the Dream/Fantasy. However there are a lot of other things to do so maybe I missed it. I do like that those ships have mini golf though.

We went back to our room after and the rest of our luggage had arrived so I could finish unpacking. There is something very calming for me about getting all unpacked. Soon it was time for everyone's favorite, the muster drill. I was a big fan of the pandemic era virtual muster drill though I didn't feel it was so virtual. They still sounded the general alarm, they still had a safety video/recording that played. The big difference is we watched it on funnel vision and could have an ice cream cone in our hand.

I was really curious to see the advantages of going back to the old format. I didn't really mind having to go check in at a specific time. However then we just stood there. It didn't seem we had a lot of late comers but we stood there and there was the sounding of the alarm and a brief announcement, a little demo of the life jacket and a lot of standing. Much of the information I remember from the pandemic era muster video/announcement was missing. I felt I heard a lot less useful safety info. It's been a while but I think it was even less informative than our pre pandemic muster. So I'm at a loss as to what the change was meant to accomplish. Only thing I can figure is it reduces the effort to mark everyone went to their muster station. If people weren't doing it and if they had to track people down then that would have been a pain. I also suppose they had to have crew members available to help if people had trouble marking themselves in the app though it worked for us well enough. It seems they could have just had a few people by covering multiple locations but I digress. Since NCL went from virtual to in person and back to virtual hopefully DCL will figure it out and do the same.

After the drill we hit another advantage to deck 2. While everyone was crowding stair wells and elevators to go up from deck 4 we took the express stairs down to deck 2. We hung out in our room for a minute and let the crowd thin. We've done the sail away party enough we just wanted to watch it from deck 4. We ended up doing that and then it got a bit cold with the wind and we finished from our port hole. There really is a lot to see sailing away from San Diego.



My favorite part was sailing by the submarine base which I didn't photograph for obvious reasons. I'm sure they know lots of people sail by but no reason to risk catching something I shouldn't have. I'm super fascinated by submarines and have a ton of respect for those who serve aboard them.

To be continued ....

 

[greensombrero]

Before we knew it, it was dinner time. When we sail out of the east coast we do late dining but from the west coast we knew late dining wouldn't work. We are very much an early to bed early to rise family and we really don't sleep in at home. Going west would not help us with the time change as we'd be an hour earlier. However I will say I do prefer late dining in general. I like seeing the show first and I feel like 5:45 is too early on a cruise when you have plenty of food all day. However we couldn't wait until 8 either so we did early dining.

First though we took some photos. My kids pushed back more about family photos on this cruise. The crazy thing is they all like looking at our trip photo albums when we get home. We tried to take a balanced approach this time and didn't get all of them but got a few. My wife and I really like getting the photo package.



Our dining rotation this cruise was Animators, Tiana's, Tiana's, Tritons, Animators. We started with the "Let the Magic Begin" menu which was new to us. I'm almost certain we've never had it before. We also of course got to meet our servers, Pairoj from Thailand and Wilfred from South Africa. They were both great, we really enjoyed our serving team. We also had perhaps our best head server yet, Dussell from India. Most of the time our head servers haven't really interacted with us that much. We have some positive memories from our first cruise, don't recall his name but he was from Italy. However otherwise I really can't remember anything about them.

Dussell however visited every night to check on us and made sure we knew useful information. The most memorable experience though would come later when he brought us incredible Indian food. It was great to have a head server we built a relationship with too. All in all this serving team was top notch.

It was fun to try a new (to us) menu. I tried the Chicken Bastilla appetizer. It was fun! I went with the Pork Wellington at our server's recommendation. I also remembered to take a picture!



I have had some incredible Beef Wellington in the past so I have a really high bar. I maybe should have known better as this was fine but not anything incredible. Not that I didn't like my dinner, it just wasn't anything I'd rave about but I enjoyed dinner. We were all a little tired and honestly my kids were pretty antsy. Everyone really wanted to go check out the shops and no one was super hungry. The other thing is I feel the first night always moves a bit slower. So I was solo to eat dessert. I loved the warm sticky fig and pecan pudding with ice cream. Again the warm desserts with ice cream are the best! This is similar to the sticky date pudding in animators but not the same, I love them both though!

One other note I loved that even though this wasn't our "animators" night they still had art work cycling on the screens. While I'm not a huge fan of "screen based" attractions I think they offer a lot of cool flexibility in the dinning rooms. Pirate night in Animator's is super fun as a result. Though I liked being in Tiana's for it too. I'm getting ahead of myself though. The point is I love how they change the displays in Animators and have something each night.

After dessert I tracked down my family checking out the shops. I saw online someone who bought a cool Wonder mug so I wanted to check out the mug selection. I haven't normally bought them on trips but this has been a long cold winter and we've been using our mugs more. I thought it would be fun to get some fun ones. There was also a hoodie that I was interested in. Unfortunately the one labeled on the hanger as my size really wasn't. There weren't any the right size. This led to a really fun cast member interaction.

We went to check out and started talking with Oskana from the Ukraine. We got to talking and hearing her perspective on life and the obviously difficult things going on in her home country was super interesting. Conversations like the one we had are why I love traveling so much and sharing it with my kids. You gain such a different perspective when you talk to people from different parts of the world. Yet you also realize how much we are all a like.

Cruising is unique because not only do you get to visit different places but you are in a melting pot onboard with so many people from different places. This same night I also got to practice my Spanish with another cast member and I learned a little Thai from our server at dinner and of course we had our assistant server from South Africa and head server from India. Five countries in just a couple hours.

Anyhow Oskana heard that I couldn't find my size in the hoodie and offered to put in a request to look for one in the back. She said they hadn't unpacked all the merch they loaded in port yet. So I gave her what I was looking for and she said they'd send me a message in the app if they found one. This was the start of a cruise long friendship where I checked in every night to see how her and her team were doing in the shops at least to say hi.

One night was extra fun because I got her to tell me how to say hi in Ukrainian and then I got to say hi in Spanish and Japanese to other cast members. I speak Spanish and learned a few phrases in Japanese from exchange students we had as a kid. It was fun to use all three at once. Amazing how phrases I learned as a kid so many years ago and rarely use I still remember. Anyhow just another example of how fun all the nationalities on a cruise can be.

I ended the evening with my favorite evening stroll around the ship.



The lights at night are so fun. I also love pictures of the night sky on the ocean. I was still figuring out my new phone's camera so they got better as the cruise went on I think.



I did do a brief walk through of the adult spaces and decided I needed to spend some time in the Cadillac lounge another night. I was pretty tired from the poor night sleep and I really wanted to get up early and get in a good run at sea. So I called it a night.

Up Next Day at Sea with some DCL firsts for me

 

[greensombrero]

I'm enthusiastically looking forward to your posts. I'm doing the same cruise itinerary you are in November, but aboard the Magic. Can't wait to see what your trip report has in store!

That will be fun. I will admit I like the Magic better than the Wonder mainly because of the Aquadunk. We were going to sail on the Magic when she came to the west coast but ended up switching plans.

I've really enjoyed your past trip reports and can't wait to read about your adventures on this cruise and at Disneyland!

Thanks! I hope this report turns out as good then. Getting back to Disneyland was fun but also really different.

Jumping on board, great start!!

Thanks!

 

[greensombrero]

Day 04 3/25 - Day at Sea

I don't feel the cruise really starts until you wake up on day 1. Embarkation day is always a bit chaotic. I woke up earlier than I probably should on vacation, I think it was a bit before 6 am but it meant I could enjoy an empty ship as I went up to get some water before enjoying my favorite onboard activity.






I loved finding this little hidden detail I saw in the elevator heading up to deck 9. Lots of little theming details on DCL.



Back on deck 4 I enjoyed an "underway 10K", like 19 laps I think it was. I love running on deck 4. One thing I've found is the running community is a really supportive one and a lot of fun much like the Disney community. Doesn't matter how fast you run. There was another runner out who was a bit older and running slower but she stayed out running every bit as long as I did. We ran into each other in the elevator later and got to chat for a bit about our runs. I think it was her first time running aboard. For me it was the first time running outside in shorts in quite a while. We've had a long winter and while I've had a few clear day outdoor runs, they were cold. They also lacked this wonderful sunrise view.



I knew Cabanas didn't open until 7:30 so I had time for a longer run. When I got back though my family was all ready and wanting to go eat breakfast. I cleaned up real quick and ran up to join them. My breakfast favorite for this cruise was the french toast. It was consistently good and add a sliced banana and you have banana french toast a favorite of mine.

Being up so early meant we had some time before anything really got started. I went back to the room and we had received a bunch of fish extender gifts. I thought this one was really cool.



I decided to take my youngest and go do our FE deliveries. He wanted to go back early so I got to see if he could find the room on his own. I was following from a distance and he was fine. Fun to see how he has grown and gotten more comfortable on ships as we've cruised. My notes say I ended up on deck 10 for a bit drinking a hot chocolate while watching some of Frozen.

That would have likely been my first time having hot chocolate on a Disney cruise. While we were blessed with quite good weather all around it was definitely colder than our other cruises. I was just grateful we had no rain and got quite a bit of sunshine in the afternoons.

I headed up by Palo to where we were meeting for the Art of the Theme Show tour. I loved this vase thing in the display case outside of Palo.



It reminded me a lot of my favorite coral formation I saw when we went snorkeling along the reef in Cozumel. The coloring was different but very similar shape.

Back to the Art of the Theme Show tour I've done it on the Dream and the Fantasy and kind of debated if I really wanted to do it again. After my run I wasn't sure if I really wanted to walk all over the ship but I was curious to experience it on one of the smaller ships. I'm really glad I did. For those unfamiliar this is a walking tour for adults that a cast member gives around the ship pointing out all the little theming details and talking about the design decisions that were made. They share all sorts of behind the scenes details on how the ship looks and was constructed. You don't actually get to see anything behind the scenes. Every cast member puts their own spin on it and of course it is different on every ship. I had Kayleigh from Wales giving this one and she was hands down the best guide I've had. I really enjoyed this one more than any of the other times I've taken it.

My favorite story was about all the masks you see when you go into Palo. Turns out they were all made by the same small family business near the shipyard in Italy where the Wonder was built. We didn't actually get to go into Palo for this tour so I don't have photos but if you go in Palo on the Wonder you can't miss them in the cases as you enter. Apparently Disney bought them all from the family and even hosted them onboard to dine in Palo and see their work on display.

Did you know there are over 150 different carpet choices onboard the Wonder? They all have meaning too. The most interesting thing I learned is that yes the carpet in the After Hours space looks wet on purpose. It is supposed to help you feel "under the sea". I've wondered in the past if it had just been freshly shampooed and was still drying.

After the tour I met up with my wife who was saving me a seat at the Anyone Can Cook Lobster Ravioli demonstration. We've wanted to do one of these before but its not worked out. We both enjoyed it, the chef was entertaining and it was interesting to see how he made it. It did bug me a bit that both the ones we went to showed how to make things that weren't served on our cruise. They let you sample it there in the class but I kind of wish they did things that you'd actually find on the menu. The Lobster Ravioli is on the Enchanted Garden menu on the Dream/Fantasy but I don't think it is ever on the Wonder unless maybe one of the special menus for longer cruises. There is a Q&A at the end and someone asked him how you cook when the ship is moving. He did demonstration of how you learn to just sway with the ship, it was clever and made us all laugh. I highly recommend the Anyone Can Cook classes.

The morning activities so far had been great! I stopped by the room for a bit. I brought my percussion massager onboard this cruise. If you've never used one they are super nice if you are a runner or otherwise have sore muscles. Theragun I think is the well known brand and can be quite expensive. The really cheap ones aren't great but I got a nice middle of the road one at Costco that I've loved. My legs needed a little work after my run. Between running and all the stairs I'm really glad I found room in my luggage and brought it.

We got my youngest from the kids club to take him up for some ice cream when it opened. There was a bit of a line but it was worth it. They had strawberry chocolate swirl. I don't think I've seen them offer the strawberry with the chocolate before and I loved it.

My wife and I grabbed a photo but my youngest refused to join us. I like that they have started doing these photo ops up on deck.



It was warm enough for shorts but I opted for my long sleeve "Heroes on the High Seas" shirt I got from our first cruise which was a Marvel Day at Sea cruise. I honestly haven't worn it very often. At home it feels it is usually too warm or two cold for a thin long sleeve. It was perfect for this cruise though.

My next big plan for the day was to do another first and watch a movie in the Buena Vista theater onboard. My older two really wanted to see Antman and Wasp Quantumania. In the past I've always felt watching a movie on a cruise would be a waste of time. As we've cruised more though I feel like I've tried enough things that this time I was all for seeing a movie we hadn't yet seen in the theater.

I had a bit of time before it started though. So I hung out on the pool deck for a bit. It was starting at 12:30 so I figured I'd grab some shwarma for lunch before the movie. The kids were both in their clubs so we were just going to meet down there. Something kind of interesting happened. They announced they'd be playing the ships horn so no one was startled. Then they didn't play the horn for quite a while. When they finally did it didn't play right, like it was having issues. Eventually they got it to play the familiar "When you wish upon a star" refrain. I've never observed the horn have a problem like that before.

I headed down for the movie and was surprised how long the popcorn line was. My kids went and got seats. I missed the first couple minutes of the movie but otherwise really enjoyed the movie. It was fun to share something with my teenagers who don't always get along or want to hang out with Dad. I also really like Antman movies, they are always fun.

I need to leave it here for a bit but will be back with the rest of our first Sea Day next.

 

[greensombrero]

Sea Day 1 Continued

After enjoying the movie I caught up with my wife on the pool deck. She had some chairs in the sun and it felt good to just sit and enjoy the sun for a minute. Big Hero 6 was on funnel vision, what is this multiple movies in one day? It felt nice to relax though and enjoy the warmth. I don't recall if it was here or later in the week but with the lower temperatures we weren't as vigilant with sunscreen and got some abnormal burn patterns where some of our sun starved skin stayed in sunlight a bit too long.

I originally had planned to go with my oldest DD to karaoke. So often the family karaoke is late so I was excited to see an early time. However my oldest DS volunteered to go with her and film it and they kind of implied in their teenager way I shouldn't come along. Since they don't always get along I was excited for them to have some sibling bonding time and so I was okay with them being done with Dad for the moment. I mean they did just sit through a movie with me for a couple hours.

Maybe the real reason I was okay not going was it meant I had nothing to do. Despite just sitting through a movie I was quite tired from my lack of sleep the nights leading to the cruise and then a decent early morning run. So I just took a little nap. Not really like me to take a nap on vacation but I like the rocking of the ship and I'm starting to get better at just relaxing and not always feeling like I need to be doing something.

After my little rest I got cleaned up for dinner and headed down to the French Quarter Lounge. I was hoping to catch some live music but they were just getting started and I didn't get to listen too much before my family walked by for dinner. Tonight we were in Tiana's Place.



I was excited to give Tiana's another try. Being a big fan of Princess and the Frog and Cajun food I expected to really love it on our first Wonder cruise. I was a bit disappointed that time to be honest. Part of it was all the covid restrictions meaning the show wasn't the full show. Part of it was also the menu which I think could better incorporate the foods mentioned in the movie. Where is the gumbo, jambalaya, etc?

Well the menu wasn't any better this go around but I was blown away with my shrimp and grits appetizer. It was really really good! I also tried the tomato soup because my oldest DD has been raving about the tomato soup on DCL. It was quite good. It's really the entrees where I'm not as excited with Tiana's. I had the sea bass which always seems to be delicious on DCL. I'm not normally one for sea bass but I've tried it a few times now on DCL and it has consistently been a solid choice. It just doesn't feel like what I'd expect Tiana to make. The entree menu seems to be a slight variation of the Enchanted Garden menu from the Dream/Fantasy rather than what I'd envision from Tiana's restaurant.

The show though this time was a lot more fun. Tiana and Louis came around. I was having too much fun to get very good pictures.



When it came time for the parade it was much more energetic and they got everyone up and dancing even my wife who usually avoids things like that. Definitely a more fun experience than during the early post pandemic sailing. Overall I'd say I enjoyed Tiana's a lot more this cruise. However I still prefer Rapunzel's on the Magic both for the menu and I thought the show with the thugs was more fun. I think on a longer cruise you get live jazz music the second night in Tiana's and I would have liked that.

Going back to the menu though the dessert options are really good. Tonight was a double dessert night. I had to try the bread pudding and can you really skip beignets? The bread pudding was really really good, even my wife who doesn't normally like bread puddings tried some and enjoyed it. The beignets were better than the last time on the Wonder but still below Disneyland, Jazz Kitchen and my wife's homemade ones. So if you don't have a lot of beignet experience they are a lot of fun but if you do, well they go with the theme but are just okay. I suspect it is hard to do them really well at the scale needed while on a cruise ship

Despite my critiques it was really an enjoyable dinner and much better than cooking and cleaning at home! I really do enjoy dinner shows too and it is a fun one. So while maybe not everything I hoped for when I first heard about a Tiana's restaurant at sea, it is worth experiencing and very enjoyable.

After dinner we got in line to do one of the evening photos but the line for the one we wanted was long and going slow. We decided if we wanted to ensure we got a good seat for the show we better just go. I'm glad we did, the Walt Disney Theater sure got full. We were near the front of the line though and got good seats.

Tonight was the Golden Mickey's which admittedly is my least favorite of the DCL shows we've seen. I love live theater though and I feel it is one of the big advantages and value props of sailing with DCL. So I wasn't going to miss it. The only other time we've seen it was on the Dream and it was one of the very first performances after they brought back 3 shows to the ship as pandemic restrictions eased. I think the cast was still figuring it out when we saw it.

We enjoyed this performance a lot more. It may still rank at the bottom of my list but all the DCL shows are worth seeing in my opinion. They have great talent and I do like the message in this show even if some parts of it seem a bit dated. It would be nice to see them refresh it soon.

After the show I took my nightly walk around the ship but looking through my photos didn't take any good ones this night. I did catch a little piano music in the Cadillac Lounge. I could have sworn I took a bunch of pictures of all the cool theming in there but I can't find any on my phone now. I was really impressed with the level of detail and little creative touches to really drive the theme home. While I appreciate all the Disney IP related theming they do I think it is really fun to see imagineers pick a "non Disney" theme and really make you feel immersed in it. The Cadillac Lounge totally did that for me and made me feel I was in a classic all things Cadillac space.

As I close out sea day number 1 I'll say it was a great day. I'm really glad I tried some new DCL activities and took some time to relax. I didn't stay up too late because we had a fun excursion planned for the morning and I wanted to be sure to catch our sail in.

Up next a Whale of a Tale in Cabo or was it a Tale of Whales?

 

[iloveeeyore]

Glad to have you follow along! I know we've enjoyed each other's TRs in the past. Hopefully I can share some useful tips and help you make a decision. If you are coming from a far I think a Wonder cruise and DL together make a lot of sense.

If I recall correctly something you said in a prior TR you are from the NY area, have you ever cruised out of NYC? We are doing a Bermuda cruise out of NYC in October and I'm wondering if you might have any tips somewhere on a thread here I should go find?

Your family is ADORABLE!

Yes, we live about an hour north of the cruise port in NYC. Though Peter and I both grew up in the city and have lived around here all our lives, he has never sailed out of NYC, and I have only done it once (with my mom and daughter when she was an infant on a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda). We have done many sailings out of Bayonne to Bermuda, and have another planned for June! Bermuda is spectacular and truly one of our favorite ports.

I don't have a ton of advice that comes to mind, but please let me know if you have any specific questions.

I can offer the following. NY is gorgeous in October. How many nights prior are you coming in? There is a hop on hop off bus that can give you a taste of different neighborhoods and landmarks, the Empire State Building has a nice observation deck, the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are some of the best in the world. Central Park is great for a meander, especially on a nice-weather October day. There is also some green space along the hudson near the port, you can walk practically up and down the whole island over there, and the High Line is a relatively new park that was built on old railroad tracks and is pretty cool to see for free. Circle Line cruises offers a wonderful perspective of the city and points out landmarks, and the Intrepid Museum sounds similar to the museum near the port in San Diego...these are both right near the cruise port.

Most importantly! NYC offers a breathtaking sail away!! Allow your family time to enjoy it. Plan for an hour if your dinner schedule allows it. The views of the city, the Statue of Liberty and cruising under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at the mouth of NY Harbor cannot be matched.

Again, lmk if you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to help!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Peter and I also always have a discussion about Embarkation Day lunch. Here's how we intend to resolve the dilemma next week...

We intend to do BOTH Cabanas AND Animator's Palate! Cabanas of course, for the seafood and lamb chops, AP for the empenadas and Sailaway Sundae! I know, easier for us with a small party of two adults, a little less manageable with a large family of six. We got boarding group 7, so we think we should have time.

Read my next report to find out how it works out!

 

[greensombrero]

Your family is ADORABLE!

Yes, we live about an hour north of the cruise port in NYC. Though Peter and I both grew up in the city and have lived around here all our lives, he has never sailed out of NYC, and I have only done it once (with my mom and daughter when she was an infant on a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda). We have done many sailings out of Bayonne to Bermuda, and have another planned for June! Bermuda is spectacular and truly one of our favorite ports.

I don't have a ton of advice that comes to mind, but please let me know if you have any specific questions.

I can offer the following. NY is gorgeous in October. How many nights prior are you coming in? There is a hop on hop off bus that can give you a taste of different neighborhoods and landmarks, the Empire State Building has a nice observation deck, the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are some of the best in the world. Central Park is great for a meander, especially on a nice-weather October day. There is also some green space along the hudson near the port, you can walk practically up and down the whole island over there, and the High Line is a relatively new park that was built on old railroad tracks and is pretty cool to see for free. Circle Line cruises offers a wonderful perspective of the city and points out landmarks, and the Intrepid Museum sounds similar to the museum near the port in San Diego...these are both right near the cruise port.

Most importantly! NYC offers a breathtaking sail away!! Allow your family time to enjoy it. Plan for an hour if your dinner schedule allows it. The views of the city, the Statue of Liberty and cruising under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at the mouth of NY Harbor cannot be matched.

Again, lmk if you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to help!

Thanks for the info! We are doing second dining both because I prefer it when we have the time zone change to help but more importantly because we really wanted to enjoy the sail away! That is a big reason we booked the cruise.

The way school schedules work we don't get to fly in more than a day ahead but we have 3 days after to explore the city.

Glad to hear you like Bermuda, we are super excited to get to experience it. Our cruise gives us three days in Bermuda which sounded like a lot but as I've looked into it there is far more to do there than we will get to.

If I come up with any specific questions I may reach out, thanks!

Peter and I also always have a discussion about Embarkation Day lunch. Here's how we intend to resolve the dilemma next week...

We intend to do BOTH Cabanas AND Animator's Palate! Cabanas of course, for the seafood and lamb chops, AP for the empenadas and Sailaway Sundae! I know, easier for us with a small party of two adults, a little less manageable with a large family of six. We got boarding group 7, so we think we should have time.

Read my next report to find out how it works out!

Exciting you have another cruise on Disney! Your idea is an interesting one, we think a like, It is really the empanadas on the lunch menu I want to try! I'll watch for your next report.

 

[sadiecatie]

I’m enjoying your report so far! I love a detailed trip report my family is sailing on the Wonder to Alaska in June, so I’m looking forward to hearing your takes on the ship/dining/etc.

 

[greensombrero]

I’m enjoying your report so far! I love a detailed trip report my family is sailing on the Wonder to Alaska in June, so I’m looking forward to hearing your takes on the ship/dining/etc.

Thanks for following along! Alaska sounds really cool, on my some day list. I'll keep commenting on the ship and dining.

 

[greensombrero]

Day 05 3/26 - Cabo San Lucas

We will start this post off with a photo of the approach to Cabo.



I know Baja Mexico isn't a particularly exotic cruise destination but the Cabo sail in is really fun. More photos to follow. We weren't arriving until like 9 AM and our excursion wasn't until 10 am. So it was easy to get sail in photos without having to get up really early.

We had breakfast at Cabanas as usual. I was a little disappointed this cruise never featured my Cabanas breakfast favorite, Mickey Churro Waffles. There were plenty of Mickey Waffles, but I love when they make them in the churro style coated with cinnamon and sugar. After breakfast we went up on deck 10 forward for a bit to watch the sail in and get some photos.



I grabbed another photo of the arch later on our excursion that I'll post here. I think it is interesting to compare the two.



Both were taken with my same phone camera but when I was on the smaller boat later the water color looks quite a bit different than from deck 10 of the Wonder.

Last time we were in Cabo we did the Chileno Bay snorkeling tour which we really enjoyed. This time we wanted to try something different and I was intrigued about the possibility of whale watching so we signed up for Cabo Whale Photo Adventure (Seasonal) CL 57. I really wasn't sure what to expect whale watching in Mexico. All the stories I'd heard were from whale watching in Alaska. In reading up I learned the humpbacks and some other species come down to the warmer waters during parts of the year to breed and give birth. We were there towards the end of the season but spoiler it was awesome!

Like most excursions this one involved meeting at onboard. I can't recall which space we started in now, I think it may have been the D lounge for this one. Anyhow once we were all there they took us down to our tender boat. Cabo is a tender port so you have to ride a tender boat to shore. They have a number of boats and it seems to go pretty fast and on a Disney Port Adventure you get priority. Here is a picture I took as we pulled away.


I think tendering offers some fun views of the ship. I didn't take many photos this time though since I have in the past. I was more focused on just taking it all in. Sometimes you can see sea lions who will hop on the back platform of fishing boats. I didn't notice any though this time.

Once on shore we had to fill out some paperwork with the tour operator. I wish they would have taken care of that back on the ship but oh well. Organizing people on a bunch of excursions is a process so you just have to pack some patience as it all gets worked out. Eventually everyone filled out the required waiver then we got through a bit of a backlog at the security station exiting the port terminal.

We met our two guides and they informed us our first stop would be bathrooms before heading to our boats. This excursion involved smaller zodiak type boats so no restrooms onboard. There is a fairly nice tourist welcome center where they took us to use the restrooms and then they divided us into two groups. Each group was 12 - 14 people so this was not a very large excursion. From the building we stopped in we had a short walk over to the marina where we'd board our boat.


This is the best photo I have of what the boats were like. You can see our guide Kevin up front. He was awesome! There was also of course the boat captain in the back. Kevin told us just to call him "chicken". We also had a photographer Diego who took this photo. I ended up just buying the unlimited photos from them which included air dropping me all the digital images and a printed 8x10. It was $50-60, I don't recall exactly but worth every penny.

Back to the boat, as we boarded they told us the back was calmer and the front a wilder ride so of course that is where my kids wanted to go. I've never ridden in one of these zodiak type boats before. It was really fun, my kids enjoyed the excursion just from the boat ride perspective. To me it felt a lot like riding a giant wave runner/jet ski which I've done a number of times. I did dress in water friendly wear in case we got a bit wet but we really didn't. There were hand straps to hang on when they got going and I did sit behind my youngest just in case but I didn't ever really worry anyone was going to fly out.

The excursion started with a bit of a harbor tour. Our guide Kevin narrated and I found it quite interesting. They went along by the arch. I'll share this other picture because it shows something fun he talked about.



The second rock from the left is the "Scooby Doo" rock. You can kind of see his profile looking out and watching for Shaggy to come back as Kevin explained. There was also a Scrappy Doo rock though I didn't see it as well.
Kevin's narration was super interesting. He got into some of the history of Cabo and pointed out various sights. As we got more into the whale watching he switched to more of a nature guide and shared information about the whales.

Speaking of whales, we saw a lot more than I expected.



We ended up seeing multiple mother calf whale groups. Occasionally there was another female helping as well. We were told the males don't stick around with the calves but older female whales often help out the mother whales.

All of these pictures were the ones Diego took and I bought. I didn't really want to have my phone out and I didn't want to be focused on photos and miss the experience. My wife had our GoPro out videoing to hopefully capture things. I was counting though that we'd probably just buy some photos. I'm glad I went that way and got to really just experience it.

All of the boats communicate where the whales are spotted. One of the advantages of the type of boat we were in is they move fast. So we were able to quickly move around to see things. The first group we saw was quite active when we first arrived. We got to see one of the calves breach a couple times.



The tail waves were my favorite.



It is really hard to describe what an incredible experience this was. We ended up driving around multiple spots to see different whales. Unfortunately when a number of boats arrive sometimes it scares the whales off a bit. Our captain was very careful to stay back and follow the guidelines but there were other boats that weren't being so careful to stay back from the whales. Our crew was great though about realizing when it was time to move on and they always found another group to look at.



I love this photo with the Wonder in the background.

I'm at the photo limit so to be continued....