On June 27 we took the very comfortable Disney transfer bus from Port Orleans Riverside Resort (because the Disney bus doesn?t load at the Hilton, sigh?). Had to show ID to get on the bus. We had checked our luggage at the Port Orleans (had to show ID) and it reappeared in our stateroom. The scooter rode in the luggage compartment of the same bus. We tipped the bus driver a few dollars (he had a sign which indicated that gratuities would be appreciated, or something like that). The driver entertained us with his jokes, gags, and music, until it was time to turn on the Disney cruise video.
As we arrived at the terminal in Port Canaveral, a Cast Member said that the terminal was having a power outage but the power was expected back any minute. This meant that people would have to walk up a flight of steps instead of riding the escalators. I worried because I needed to use the elevator to get me and my scooter up. Fortunately, just as we entered the building the power came on and I rode to the upper floor. Then the power went off again (I was very lucky!). But check-in didn?t require electric power. Since all our documents were filled out completely, check-in was very fast. Had to show ID again at check-in, and we were each given a keycard to the stateroom. Meanwhile, we were thoroughly sniffed by the bomb/drug-sniffing dogs! We were warned not pet the dogs; there was a heavy fine for doing so. To get onto the ship, each of us had to insert his/her keycard into a slot in a card-reader. This was true every time we got onto or off the ship.
We boarded the Disney Wonder in hot, sunny weather, which continued for the entire cruise. I actually don't like hot weather, but the air-conditioned ship was perfect. Beautiful ship, immaculately clean, cleverly designed to be both Disney and elegant in a grown-up way, too.
The first afternoon was chaos. The ship was completely booked at 2700 passengers, 1000 of them children plus 650 teens. No one knew the layout of the ship, or where their staterooms were. Luggage and strollers everywhere! All of us were hot and hungry, and the 1000 children were tired and either cranky or hyper.
My family of 4 are all fans of pop (soda, ?soft drinks?), so I bought the refillable Disney mugs for each of us ($15 per person for the 3 days, plus about 15% gratuity, plus $2 for the lanyard for each--total $69 for 4 people for 3 days). I wasn?t aware I was paying extra for the lanyards, and none of us used them--would have preferred not spending the extra money, but it was no big deal. However, the refillable mugs were well worth the cost for us; we could get free pop at any bar at any time. Since it was so sunny and hot, we drank lots, with lots of ice! Even though pop was free at dinner, it was still a good purchase for us.
The big, exuberant, and very, very loud sailaway party was at 5 p.m. The sounding of the ship?s horn added a playful touch, to the notes of ?When you wish upon a star.? We thoroughly enjoyed watching the ship leave the harbor, right after the Carnival Fantasy and just before the RCI Sovereign of the Seas. We watched as Cape Canaveral faded into the distance.
By the end of second-seating dinner, everything was mellow. The little ones were asleep or at least settled in their cabins. The adults were well fed and enjoying the various musical entertainments
As we arrived at the terminal in Port Canaveral, a Cast Member said that the terminal was having a power outage but the power was expected back any minute. This meant that people would have to walk up a flight of steps instead of riding the escalators. I worried because I needed to use the elevator to get me and my scooter up. Fortunately, just as we entered the building the power came on and I rode to the upper floor. Then the power went off again (I was very lucky!). But check-in didn?t require electric power. Since all our documents were filled out completely, check-in was very fast. Had to show ID again at check-in, and we were each given a keycard to the stateroom. Meanwhile, we were thoroughly sniffed by the bomb/drug-sniffing dogs! We were warned not pet the dogs; there was a heavy fine for doing so. To get onto the ship, each of us had to insert his/her keycard into a slot in a card-reader. This was true every time we got onto or off the ship.
We boarded the Disney Wonder in hot, sunny weather, which continued for the entire cruise. I actually don't like hot weather, but the air-conditioned ship was perfect. Beautiful ship, immaculately clean, cleverly designed to be both Disney and elegant in a grown-up way, too.
The first afternoon was chaos. The ship was completely booked at 2700 passengers, 1000 of them children plus 650 teens. No one knew the layout of the ship, or where their staterooms were. Luggage and strollers everywhere! All of us were hot and hungry, and the 1000 children were tired and either cranky or hyper.
My family of 4 are all fans of pop (soda, ?soft drinks?), so I bought the refillable Disney mugs for each of us ($15 per person for the 3 days, plus about 15% gratuity, plus $2 for the lanyard for each--total $69 for 4 people for 3 days). I wasn?t aware I was paying extra for the lanyards, and none of us used them--would have preferred not spending the extra money, but it was no big deal. However, the refillable mugs were well worth the cost for us; we could get free pop at any bar at any time. Since it was so sunny and hot, we drank lots, with lots of ice! Even though pop was free at dinner, it was still a good purchase for us.
The big, exuberant, and very, very loud sailaway party was at 5 p.m. The sounding of the ship?s horn added a playful touch, to the notes of ?When you wish upon a star.? We thoroughly enjoyed watching the ship leave the harbor, right after the Carnival Fantasy and just before the RCI Sovereign of the Seas. We watched as Cape Canaveral faded into the distance.
By the end of second-seating dinner, everything was mellow. The little ones were asleep or at least settled in their cabins. The adults were well fed and enjoying the various musical entertainments
