Just Back from July 24 Wonder-Questions?

[Deluce]

Just got back from the July 24-28 Wonder. Anyone have any questions. This was our first but not our last Disney Cruise.

 

[ericamanda01]

I was gonna ask if you had a good time but I think you made it clear that you did!

 

[Mickey&Co]

Just got back from the July 24-28 Wonder...This was our first but not our last Disney Cruise.

My family sailed on the same cruise and it was also our first of many Disney Cruises! We fell in love... and now know why people keep going back. Even though it was only four nights...it was one of the best vacations we have taken.

We were lucky to have great weather and a smooth sailing.

Too bad we didn't meet onboard...maybe next time!

M&Co

 

[Hollyster2]

We are taking our first trip on the Wonder next summer. I was wondering if the cruise felt rushed or too short. I have taken a 7 day on the Magic, and the 4 day fits PERFECTLY into our vacation plans next year, but am wondering if we will be disappointed.
Did you stay on board or go onshore to Nassau? Did you do Palo Brunch? Do the kids put on a goodbye show? Tell me all you want to...I am all ears!

 

[Barbmouse63]

We also have our first cruise booked for next summer...........4 days on the Wonder! I want to know everything!!! I am also curious about what you did in Nassua. I want to know all about Castaway Cay and Pirate night. I know I'll have lots more questions! Thanks!

 

[bchen]

We just got back from the same cruise. It was our first time & we loved it. Already planning next year's cruise. The service was great. Loved our wait staff & we were sad saying good bye. CC was like paradise.

Carolyn

 

[Lyndz]

What did you do in Nassau..? What time did the ship leave Nassau.? We are going 8/21...took a room in the atlantis...just wondering if it's worth it..

 

[mott]

Perhaps you could answer the tea with wendy thread question. I found it listed in two places for the May 05 that is posted on someone's website. Is it part of the kids (age 3-4) AND on sea day for everyone else.

Is Pirates Night on CC day?

What was your dinner rotation?

What and when were the shows?

Did you have brunch at Palo - if so, how was it?

Do you remember if they still offer the beverage package with 6 20 oz bottles of Dasani water for $7.50?

Thanks!!

 

[jan&theboys]

We happenned to be on the same cruise as well. It was absolutely out of this world. I am sure most of this was repeated already on the board and I'll try to get into more detail by posting a report, but here's what we experienced.

First of all, we discovered that getting your documents in order ahead of time makes a difference. When we arrived at the port there were about 40-50 people ahead of us on line waiting for the gate to open. However, once we cleared security we saw that most people did not have their Bahamas immigration forms filled out, so basically there was only two people on line at check-in. Since we filled out our forms the night before, we were able to get right in line and we were the second family checked in. This also allowed us to be the second family in the general boarding line to walk onboard, which in turn allowed our DS to be the first one in the pool and on the water slide and we had our choice of prime seats by the pool. So long story short, a little preparation can go a long way.

Second, as many others have said, be prepared for a little uneasiness the first night. Once the ship leaves the Gulf Stream you should be fine, but we noticed a lot of people not ready for the slight rocking of Florida waters. Take a look for either Bonine, the Less Drowsy Formula of Dramamine, or the prescription patches. There have been some good threads on this as well. The rest of the days were smooth sailing.

Next, Nassau is a hit or miss type of excursion. If you have never been there, there are some great things to do, such as the dolphin encounter, the straw market, the pirate museum as well as Atlantis. We booked a room at the Comfort Suites next door to the Atlantis for the day so we could have access to all of the facilities at the Atlantis as well as having a place to change and shower. However, since we had already visited Nassau before and we actually started to miss being on the ship, we wound up returning to the boat at about 1:30 PM, which worked out well since our DS joined up with the Oceaneer Lab just in time for a tour of the bridge. I think next time we'll just stay on the boat and take advantage of the low crowds and activities on board.

Castaway Cay was a different story altogether. From the moment we stepped off the boat we felt a world away from Nassau. Even with the tram the main section of the island is very walkable, especially in the morning when the temperatures are still reasonable. We followed the suggestions here and got up early to be one of the first ones off the boat and had our choice of seats with both an umbrella and hammock next to us, and no lines for snorkeling and float rentals.

The Pirates in the Caribbean party was a blast, literally! It starts out in the dining room and ends on deck 9 with a late night buffet and fireworks shot right over the ship while we were at sea! We were later told by the cruise director that Disney is the only cruise company that has permission to shoot fireworks at sea from the ship. All in all the evening was great and a wonderful photo opportunity. Many of the characters even join in the fun and dress up in pirate gear.

We did both the Palo dinner and brunch, and loved them both. You almost never want the experience to end. The dinner is incredibly intimate and romantic (there was even a marriage proposal at the table next to us!), and the brunch was to die for. Not only did they have all the Alaskan king crab legs you could eat, but they were also already pre-split for you, so all you have to do is enjoy them. If only I could take the restaurant home with me...

Our DS loved being the the Oceaneer lab, but also enjoyed time with us as well, so it was a good balance. He wasn't keen on the goodbye show, so we didn't push it. Plus it gave him more time to be in the pool, so he was happy about that.

One thing to keep in mind that we spent a week at WDW before the cruise, so the cruise itself did not seem rushed. I think if we would have traveled to Florida just for the cruise, it would have seemed too short and perhaps been a little more sad when it was over. But with us doing a week in the parks ahead of time, we were ready to go home once we were back at port.

Once more thing to remember...without a doubt, you WILL spend more that you think you will. With all the souveniers, the drink specials, the photo shoots, and the dreaded bingo, your bill will be noticably different than what you imagined. Trust me, I never thought I would be spending any additional money there, but believe me you will. Just a warning.

Hope this helps. If there's anything else I can remember I'll be sure to add them in.

 

[professorandmom]

I know they are repeating a restaurant differently than they used to...could you clarify - is the repeat in the middle of the cruise? Also which night is pirate night?
Barbara
Thanks for your help and I am so glad you had a great time

 

[bchen]

Answer to some questions:

1. We did the Blue lagoon Island excursion in Nassau. It was very beautiful and a wonderful day.

2. Our dinner rotation (2nd seating) was Animator's Palate, Parrot Cay, Parrot Cay, Tritons.

3. Pirates night was at CC, the second dinner at Parrot Cay. This was a fun filled night.

4. We had brunch at Palo's during the day at sea. We can still taste the desserts. mmmmmmmm

 

[LoveMickey]

Thanks for the Info Jan&TheBoys

I do have a couple of questions about Pirates night.

You state: The Pirates in the Caribbean party was a blast, literally! It starts out in the dining room and ends on deck 9 with a late night buffet and fireworks shot right over the ship while we were at sea! We were later told by the cruise director that Disney is the only cruise company that has permission to shoot fireworks at sea from the ship. All in all the evening was great and a wonderful photo opportunity. Many of the characters even join in the fun and dress up in pirate gear.

What night was that on? I've heard it is on Nassau night and CC night? We want to book Palo and still want to experience Pirates IN the Caribbean.

Also do you know what time the fireworks went off. We have late dinner seating and don't want to miss it.

Thanks,

 

[PrincessLuvers]

We'll be on the Wonder in just a few short weeks. Just curious about the evening weather on deck... did you need sweaters or was it still warm enough for sleeveless?

 

[markey]

Well, finally saw someone else on the 8/21 cruise, lets hope we have great weather and no hurricanes. We are 5 for 5 at CC, sure want to keep our record in tact.

 

[pixiefaery]

It sounds like a great time! Thanks for the info. Does anyone know if there is any way to find out which night is Pirate Night? I want to reserve the Palo, but dont want to miss Pirate Night.

 

[jan&theboys]

To answer some of the above:

The Pirates in the Caribbean night is only done one night during the cruise. It was held on our third night, the same day as Castaway Cay. We had our repeat restaurants on the second and third nights, so doing Palo on our second night was our best bet. This way we could experience all the restaurants, Palo and the Pirates night dinner. In fact, the cast member at Guest Services agreed we would not miss much if we didn't partake in the main dining menu on our second night. BTW, the fireworks were held at 10:30 PM, so you will have plenty of time to make it up to deck 9 or 10 and watch them. In fact, after dinner we went back to our stateroom, showered, changed clothes and still had plenty of time to watch the fireworks.

As far as the evenings go, sweaters were not needed at all whatsoever. You may want have something if you get chills from air conditioning easily, but not for any other reason. Hope this helps.

 

[devotedchristian]

jan&theboys, if you don't mind my asking, did you take a taxi to Atlantis?

If so, how much was your fare and did they take you to the door or drop you off at the bottom of the hill?

Oh and how did you get back?

 

[AspiringCindy]

What show was seen on the 2nd night(Mon)? I have always read that the variety show is on Monday...so we were hoping to book Palo for Monday. But now it seems that Golden Mickey's is shown on Monday...and it is the only show that I didn't see?

 

[jan&theboys]

jan&theboys, if you don't mind my asking, did you take a taxi to Atlantis?

If so, how much was your fare and did they take you to the door or drop you off at the bottom of the hill?

Oh and how did you get back?

No problem!

We took a taxi right from the taxi stand at the port, and it wound up costing us $4. per person. The driver took us right to the front door of the hotel.

On our return we took a taxi right from the taxi stand at Atlantis. There were plenty available, and the price was the same on the return trip.

 

[jan&theboys]

What show was seen on the 2nd night(Mon)? I have always read that the variety show is on Monday...so we were hoping to book Palo for Monday. But now it seems that Golden Mickey's is shown on Monday...and it is the only show that I didn't see?

On our trip the Golden Mickeys show was on the second night. However, I did see on other posts that the show was performed on a different night. Don't forget you can always make changes to the reservation once you board. We had a reservation for Palo on the last evening until we found out the dining rotation. We simply went to Wavebands when it opened and made our changes then without a problem at all. Hope this helps.