Empress Room
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 15, 2007
- Messages
- 426
Just got off the inaugural Hawaiin cruise on the Wonder yesterday. Here are some initial observations and interesting rumors about DCL. As background, I traveled with DW (this was our 17th DCL cruise) and a friend and his wife (it was their 11th DCL cruise). No children (in fact, most of the passengers were adults given the length of the cruise and time of the year).
Observations:
1. The Pacific is not the Caribbean. For those looking forward to nine sea days around the pool, the Pacific Ocean will likely not cooperate. It is a much rougher and colder ocean and we had overcast skies, 12-15 foot seas and "rollers" and very breezy conditions on the open decks. According to Captain Fabian (who, by the way, is the most approachable, friendly and personable captain on any Disney ship), the trade winds in the Pacific cause these conditions no matter what time of year and what weather pattern is out there. As he described it, the Caribbean is protected by land and the depth of the sea there is relatively shallow compared to the harsh conditions of crossing the Pacific Ocean on the way to Hawaii. For those traveling in October to Hawaii, dress accordingly (highs in the low 60s, with high winds that made the temperature appear much colder) and do not expect balmy and calm sea conditions.
2. For the first time in our cruise career, we noticed several glaring maintenance issues on the Wonder. There is a lot of visible rust on the white railings and decks which we have never seen before. There was a large pane of glass that was shattered in the Cove Cafe/Outlook Bar stairwell that was present from the time of embarkation throughout the cruise. It was taped up with clear duct tape. Perhaps it is a special order window, but for a premium cruise line on an inaugural itinerary, we were a bit disappointed that it was not addressed. Similarly, there is a broken rail at the adult pool (either rotted or someone sat on it) that was also present from the day of embarkation that was never fixed. Small things in our cabin showed similar neglect: the iPod clock radio was missing and our cabin steward said that it did not work and could not be fixed. Some drawers on the vanity were loose and broken. Minor things, sure, but noticeable for the first time in our memory (and we have been on DCL and the Wonder since 1999).
3. On the positive side, all of the glass is being replaced on Deck 4, and the metal railings that were on the top and bottom of that glass is being discarded in favor of a much more contemporary and sleek single bracket in the middle. This should cut down on the amount of painting and rusting of these railings.
4. When we cruised on the Wonder for the Panama Canal crossing in January of 2011, the food in the rotational dining rooms was very, very good. When we cruised on the Dream last September, we agreed that the food in the three dining rooms was the absolute best we have ever experienced. Unfortunately, the Wonder took a step back. Perhaps it was the infusion of several Hawaiin-themed menus and the hiring of many new chefs for the Wonder (we understood from several sources that almost all of the previous chefs went to the Dream and, most recently, the Fantasy), but the food just missed the mark. Not bad by any means, but noticeably inferior to all of our previous cruises (even those early ones where DCL was just getting its "sea legs").
5. Conversely, Palo was outstanding. Sure, the portions have been trimmed a bit, but that is hardly a criticism as our server was more than willing to bring entrees for the table "to share" or seconds on absolutely everything.
6. Service was great all around the ship. Friendly and attentive as always. It was clear that our assistant server was new to DCL, but his friendliness and enthusiasm more than made up for it.
7. Entertainment was very good as well. Shows were professional and bringing John Charles on board halfway through the cruise was a true hit with everyone.
8. Hawaii is beautiful and the excursions we chose (feel free to ask) were well worth the money. Our only disappointment was that we could not spend more time on each island as one day simply do not do these beautiful ports of call justice. But it's a great taste of each island and a great road map for a return visit.
9. Ensenada, Mexico, which I thought was a "throw away" port just to make the mandatory foreign port of call, was gorgeous. We traveled to wine country and it was the best $35 excursion we have ever been on. Nice and clean, and very interesting port.
10. Don "Ducky" Williams. What a genuine and truly nice man. He is gracious to a fault, interesting and fun.
"Juicy" Rumors:
Okay, as with all rumors, we tend to take these with a grain of salt. The information came from multiple and from independent sources, so they struck a cord of genuineness with us. Suffice it to say that these were not communicated by the equivalent of a WDW "bus driver"
:
1. The Magic and the Wonder are going in for extensive (six or more weeks) dry docks in 2013 and 2014 respectively. All of the restaurants and lounges on each ship will be gutted and rethemed. All public areas are being replaced. Although it will be impossible to duplicate all of what exists on the Dream and Fantasy, there will be a theme of consistency among all of the ships. Animator's Palate on both the Magic and Wonder will be reworked into the new version of the Dream and Fantasy.
2. Engineers are working very hard to add the Outlook Bar to the Magic, but because of the way it was built (apparently structurally different than the Wonder) it has so far been impossible to design and implement. If it can be done (a big if), it will be added in the next dry dock.
3. A new, permanent female manager is being hired for Palo on the Wonder. A new hire from another cruise line, she will replace the temporary, rotational manager system currently being used. (As an aside, Roy was our Palo manager and, even though he was temporary, he did a great job. Very professional.)
4. DCL has already signed the options to build two new ships with the same German shipyard, even though there are denials to the contrary. DCL liked the efficiency and timeliness of the building of the Dream and the Fantasy. No public announcement will be made for some time, but the new ships will be smaller than the Dream and Fantasy, closer to the Wonder and Magic-sized ships (in the 90,000 to 95,000 ton range).
Overall, I would call this itinerary an "adventure" that we are glad we experienced. I wouldn't jump at the chance of going again, but the journey was unique. As to the criticisms regarding maintenance, we are hopeful that DCL is just biding time until overhauling both of the classic ships in their respective dry docks. Captain Fabian, during his talk, mentioned that the life of the Magic and Wonder will likely be between 30 and 35 years, which is actually about ten years longer than most ships. He attributes this longevity to the amount of constant maintenance that is ongoing. Although we experienced some hiccups, let's hope it was the exception and not the rule.
DCL cruise #18 was booked on board for the Fantasy in 2013. So they clearly are still doing most things very well. Feel free to pose any questions.
Observations:
1. The Pacific is not the Caribbean. For those looking forward to nine sea days around the pool, the Pacific Ocean will likely not cooperate. It is a much rougher and colder ocean and we had overcast skies, 12-15 foot seas and "rollers" and very breezy conditions on the open decks. According to Captain Fabian (who, by the way, is the most approachable, friendly and personable captain on any Disney ship), the trade winds in the Pacific cause these conditions no matter what time of year and what weather pattern is out there. As he described it, the Caribbean is protected by land and the depth of the sea there is relatively shallow compared to the harsh conditions of crossing the Pacific Ocean on the way to Hawaii. For those traveling in October to Hawaii, dress accordingly (highs in the low 60s, with high winds that made the temperature appear much colder) and do not expect balmy and calm sea conditions.
2. For the first time in our cruise career, we noticed several glaring maintenance issues on the Wonder. There is a lot of visible rust on the white railings and decks which we have never seen before. There was a large pane of glass that was shattered in the Cove Cafe/Outlook Bar stairwell that was present from the time of embarkation throughout the cruise. It was taped up with clear duct tape. Perhaps it is a special order window, but for a premium cruise line on an inaugural itinerary, we were a bit disappointed that it was not addressed. Similarly, there is a broken rail at the adult pool (either rotted or someone sat on it) that was also present from the day of embarkation that was never fixed. Small things in our cabin showed similar neglect: the iPod clock radio was missing and our cabin steward said that it did not work and could not be fixed. Some drawers on the vanity were loose and broken. Minor things, sure, but noticeable for the first time in our memory (and we have been on DCL and the Wonder since 1999).
3. On the positive side, all of the glass is being replaced on Deck 4, and the metal railings that were on the top and bottom of that glass is being discarded in favor of a much more contemporary and sleek single bracket in the middle. This should cut down on the amount of painting and rusting of these railings.
4. When we cruised on the Wonder for the Panama Canal crossing in January of 2011, the food in the rotational dining rooms was very, very good. When we cruised on the Dream last September, we agreed that the food in the three dining rooms was the absolute best we have ever experienced. Unfortunately, the Wonder took a step back. Perhaps it was the infusion of several Hawaiin-themed menus and the hiring of many new chefs for the Wonder (we understood from several sources that almost all of the previous chefs went to the Dream and, most recently, the Fantasy), but the food just missed the mark. Not bad by any means, but noticeably inferior to all of our previous cruises (even those early ones where DCL was just getting its "sea legs").
5. Conversely, Palo was outstanding. Sure, the portions have been trimmed a bit, but that is hardly a criticism as our server was more than willing to bring entrees for the table "to share" or seconds on absolutely everything.
6. Service was great all around the ship. Friendly and attentive as always. It was clear that our assistant server was new to DCL, but his friendliness and enthusiasm more than made up for it.
7. Entertainment was very good as well. Shows were professional and bringing John Charles on board halfway through the cruise was a true hit with everyone.
8. Hawaii is beautiful and the excursions we chose (feel free to ask) were well worth the money. Our only disappointment was that we could not spend more time on each island as one day simply do not do these beautiful ports of call justice. But it's a great taste of each island and a great road map for a return visit.
9. Ensenada, Mexico, which I thought was a "throw away" port just to make the mandatory foreign port of call, was gorgeous. We traveled to wine country and it was the best $35 excursion we have ever been on. Nice and clean, and very interesting port.
10. Don "Ducky" Williams. What a genuine and truly nice man. He is gracious to a fault, interesting and fun.
"Juicy" Rumors:
Okay, as with all rumors, we tend to take these with a grain of salt. The information came from multiple and from independent sources, so they struck a cord of genuineness with us. Suffice it to say that these were not communicated by the equivalent of a WDW "bus driver"
:1. The Magic and the Wonder are going in for extensive (six or more weeks) dry docks in 2013 and 2014 respectively. All of the restaurants and lounges on each ship will be gutted and rethemed. All public areas are being replaced. Although it will be impossible to duplicate all of what exists on the Dream and Fantasy, there will be a theme of consistency among all of the ships. Animator's Palate on both the Magic and Wonder will be reworked into the new version of the Dream and Fantasy.
2. Engineers are working very hard to add the Outlook Bar to the Magic, but because of the way it was built (apparently structurally different than the Wonder) it has so far been impossible to design and implement. If it can be done (a big if), it will be added in the next dry dock.
3. A new, permanent female manager is being hired for Palo on the Wonder. A new hire from another cruise line, she will replace the temporary, rotational manager system currently being used. (As an aside, Roy was our Palo manager and, even though he was temporary, he did a great job. Very professional.)
4. DCL has already signed the options to build two new ships with the same German shipyard, even though there are denials to the contrary. DCL liked the efficiency and timeliness of the building of the Dream and the Fantasy. No public announcement will be made for some time, but the new ships will be smaller than the Dream and Fantasy, closer to the Wonder and Magic-sized ships (in the 90,000 to 95,000 ton range).
Overall, I would call this itinerary an "adventure" that we are glad we experienced. I wouldn't jump at the chance of going again, but the journey was unique. As to the criticisms regarding maintenance, we are hopeful that DCL is just biding time until overhauling both of the classic ships in their respective dry docks. Captain Fabian, during his talk, mentioned that the life of the Magic and Wonder will likely be between 30 and 35 years, which is actually about ten years longer than most ships. He attributes this longevity to the amount of constant maintenance that is ongoing. Although we experienced some hiccups, let's hope it was the exception and not the rule.
DCL cruise #18 was booked on board for the Fantasy in 2013. So they clearly are still doing most things very well. Feel free to pose any questions.
I think it would be great to cruise to Hawaii but agree that may not have enough time on the islands to do everything you want.
I would LOVE to hear about the excursions you did. 
