Just Relaxin’ on the Wonder – Nowhere, Nothing, Nada. - Complete! and Final Thoughts

[dolphingirl47]

It is so nice to see photos of the Wonder especially as it increasingly looks like I won't get to see her again before she get re-imagined. That DVC meet does sound rather strange and silly. I have never experienced anything like this and would have made a quick exit. I love the sunset photos. The pirate costumes are really great.

Corinna

 

[ACDSNY]

I love your pirate costumes and your room and verandah are awesome.

 

[dhorner233]

Wow! The ship is stunning! So clean and bright. Nice job of setting up your closet for the week!

Really great pirate outfits! Down to the petticoat and the boots!! Just perfect. I bet Fran had on some great boots too!

 

[jedijill]

Love your pirate outfits! Fran never disappoints me on shopping!

Jill in CO

 

[PrincessInOz]

What a great update! Love the shopping that Fran got done, even when she was sleeping through most of this trip.

Love the window decals and you look amazing in that costume. Fran looks great too!
I like to unpack too; especially when we are staying for more than 2 nights.

And I think there is still space in that elf room for me.

 

[Flossbolna]

Finally stealing some time to get caught up in your trip report! Otherwise you might be back from the first cruise before I finally get around to do so!

We were pulling. into the port around 10:45, perfect timing! What we did NOT count on was that the knuckleheads directing traffic were only letting folks picking up passengers drive up to meet the porters and drop off luggage.

Did you read my Panama Canal trip report??? We absolutely hated getting off the ship in San Diego. There were masses of people wanting to get on the ship and they were not being let into the port area at all while we were still leaving. It was crazy. I don't understand why Disney keeps using that crappy port. The city might be beautiful, but their port is really horrible. I guess they burned their bridges when they deserted Los Angeles early before the end of their contract, so now they are stuck with San Diego.

Thank goodness she has been buying new luggage for us, you know the kind with the wheels that roll in 360 degrees?

I have recently upgraded my luggage to 360 degree wheels and love them! So much easier!!

At the desk here, they were checking your little booklet. Actually they weren’t checking them, you just had to have one. They didn’t even look inside the book to check the date or anything.

That is once again crazy. Some people might not have gotten that booklet. You really don't need it at all...

That is a great picture of the two of you!! I am just amused by the artwork at the bottom. Why is there the Golden Gate Bridge??? I guess they are just recycling some old artwork - as far as I know no Disney cruise visited San Francisco this year...

We like being seated at a table, have a server bring us drinks and be able to hit the buffet as often as we like when we like. So for us Parrot Cay is the obvious choice on embarkation day. I believe on the Dream we will be heading to Enchanted Garden.

As others have confirmed, Enchanted Garden is the one to go for to get the Parrot Cay experience. However, one thing that might be important for you is that Enchanted Garden has a more traditional buffet line - similar to Beach Blanket Buffet. It is two lines that start at the edges of the dining room and then meet in the middle. I remember them being a bit closed in, just like the one at BBB is. And I think it might be difficult to navigate with a scooter. On the other hand, I noticed a lot of CMs helping people (with mobility issues or many little kids) at Cabanas with trays etc. There the different pods are far more easily accessible, but it is also very spread out.

I made a resolution at the beginning of this cruise that I would not stuff myself to the point of bloating and overeating. I actually accomplished this for most of the cruise.

Well done! I am impressed! I always try, but by the second half of the cruise, all my good intentions have vanished.

Let me tell you, this is my new favorite room on the Wonder!

I can see that! What a great room!!

Oh yeah, but then there is the rest of it.

WOW!!! If you are thinking of doing a Panama Canal cruise, I think this would be the perfect spot to spend the canal day!!

Boy they need to change THAT flower arrangement, I don’t know who picked that one out, maybe it was some guy named Jack.

I ended up bailing on the meeting early because it was really silly. They were playing a game where you had to identify a Disney song within about 3-5 seconds of hearing a snippet. We were divided into teams, half the room were Pirates, who were encouraged to say, “Aaaaaargh!” every time their team was mentioned. Our half of the room were the Incredibles, and we were supposed to put our fist in the air and yell, “I’m Incredible!” every time our team was mentioned. What made it even more silly was that after ever song was identified, the host told us to stand up and do strange things like, “act like Jungle animals (ie Jungle book)” or “I want to see puppets! (ie Pinnochio), now, you got no strings!”

I have the suspicion that this is the new format for the meeting going forward. I had that format twice now, last December on the Fantasy and this summer on the Magic. Both times the adult club host was doing the "show" part of the program and it depends a lot on the host doing it. On the Magic we had Jo from the UK and she was absolutely fabulous. Katharina and I had a great time - I think also because the free drink at the meet was already our second drink that afternoon... I hope they will change it at some point again. But my guess is that you will have the same format on the Dream this December as well. So if you are not keen on it, skip it!

I am spotting a Halloween costume!!

Arrr!!

Great picture and great costumes! I am always far too lazy to put a lot of effort into dressing up for Pirate's Night. I am far more into buying pretty dresses for formal night. I love how cruising gives me the excuse to buy formal wear that I would otherwise never have an occassion to wear!

 

[afwdwfan]

For those who are not aware, power strip extension cords are now on the “do not take” list for Disney cruises.

Really? Is it a safety reason or did they do it so that they can charge you $24.99 per day to rent one?

So I clicked around on the channels and found Ghostbusters on the TV. That sounded good, a movie I know inside and out and could not pay attention to, but still entertain me. Except after about 10 seconds I realized that they were speaking in Spanish!

Who needs the English version? you said yourself that you know the movie inside and out. This would be a great way to learn a new language!

Pretty soon it was close to 2:30PM and they were having a DVC Members meet. I had never been to one before and heard there are free drinks so I decided why not? The drink that they were serving was the Drink of the Day, Sunken Treasure.

Cool! Got to try something new and get a quick start on your Drink of the Day. And it was free!!!!

I just wasn’t feeling it, and it was getting close to 3PM when we had our Meet and Greet for the FB and DISboards groups. So I grabbed a bottle of water on my way out and I went down to the Promenade Lounge for the meet.

I don't blame you. Seems a little cheesy to me.

Now these things are usually pretty uncomfortable for me. I am not really a social butterfly. Especially when I don’t know people, I’m not really good at making small talk.

I totally would not have guessed this about you!

We headed straight for Deck 9 because it had been sooooooo long since we had eaten and our assigned dinner time wasn’t until 8:15. So what did we get? Ice Cream!

Because... well, ice cream.

Once I was all unpacked, I was so pleased with myself for being all settled in for the next week!

Cool! I wasn't sure how that worked with a back to back, but I assume this means you can just leave everything there when you return to port and have to leave and return to the ship?

These small boats were driving around the harbor and I kept looking at them wondering, “are those guns on the front of that boat?” Yup. Those are definitely guns.

If the bad guys are going to have guns, I'm glad the good guys have bigger guns.

What I forgot to mention is that when we were coming back from the muster drill the scooter barely made it back to the room. In fact I had to put it in neutral and push it from the elevator. You can have free 50MB of internet for each cruise, so I signed us up as soon as we got back from the muster drill and I downloaded what I thought was the manual for Fran’s scooter and it said that the beeps she was experiencing was a “throttle issue”. We found over the course of the cruise that her scooter would do OK for a while when it had a full charge, but died really quickly. We kept it plugged in at every possible opportunity.

Wow... this could be a lot of fun to deal with for the rest of the trip.

Her loot, back in the room.

Quite a haul!

 

[Flossbolna]

Really? Is it a safety reason or did they do it so that they can charge you $24.99 per day to rent one?

It is a safety issue. Not the power strip in itself, but many come with surge protection. And that is the dangerous part. Something to do with the electric current on the ship not being grounded (is that the correct word? meaning that electric systems are usually connected to the ground and the ship obviously has no ground to be connected to). It seems that if there is a surge proctector installed, the electricity has nowhere to go and can then cause a brilliant electric fire in a stateroom. Does not sound like a good situation on a ship. So, it is easier to ban all power strips instead of having the ship electrician check every one that a guest wants to bring on board. You can get them for free from guest services, just a deposit is required.

 

[dgbg100106]

 

[Pinkocto]

I'm going to comment now before I forget anything. Firstly, thanks so much for taking time out before your trip to spend time with me.

You didn't do bad at all getting some sleep and then out of the house early.

Ugh on the port, I am not looking forward to that next year for the PC.

Did you like that raspberry mousse thing at lunch? I've been dreaming of that since last year on the Wonder!

AWESOME room!!!!!! Did you put one of the scooters in the closet to charge or was there enough room in the actual room?

 

[Leshaface]

Thanks! <--not a thumb

For those who are not aware, power strip extension cords are now on the “do not take” list for Disney cruises.

No way for reals?! Ugh, I hate having all my electronics all over the place instead of in one designated area.

Love this!

I ended up bailing on the meeting early because it was really silly. They were playing a game where you had to identify a Disney song within about 3-5 seconds of hearing a snippet. We were divided into teams, half the room were Pirates, who were encouraged to say, “Aaaaaargh!” every time their team was mentioned. Our half of the room were the Incredibles, and we were supposed to put our fist in the air and yell, “I’m Incredible!” every time our team was mentioned. What made it even more silly was that after ever song was identified, the host told us to stand up and do strange things like, “act like Jungle animals (ie Jungle book)” or “I want to see puppets! (ie Pinnochio), now, you got no strings!”

Well at least you got a free drink out of it! Actually, you probably would have been really good at that game.

Once I was all unpacked, I was so pleased with myself for being all settled in for the next week!

I love that feeling of unpacking and being 'home'!

Very pretty.

You look great!

Haha these are awesome.

 

[pkondz]

The first thing Fran did was lay down on the bed and take a nap.

That's the most sensible thing I've heard on a TR yet.

The first thing that I noticed was the distilled water and extension cord that I had ordered (for my CPAP machine) were not in the room.

Poop. I hate when you just get somewhere and there's a problem right off the bat.

For those who are not aware, power strip extension cords are now on the “do not take” list for Disney cruises.

Not aware. Why not? Fire hazard?

Many of you know that Disney ships have an art gallery on board.

Nope. But I do now.

The stateroom hostess had put one of the annoying channels on the TV, you know the ones that tell you all the information for first time cruisers when they board the ship.

So.... that's the program that I would have on, then.

So I clicked around on the channels and found Ghostbusters on the TV.

Very good alternate!

Except after about 10 seconds I realized that they were speaking in Spanish!

I ended up bailing on the meeting early because it was really silly. They were playing a game where you had to identify a Disney song within about 3-5 seconds of hearing a snippet. We were divided into teams, half the room were Pirates, who were encouraged to say, “Aaaaaargh!” every time their team was mentioned. Our half of the room were the Incredibles, and we were supposed to put our fist in the air and yell, “I’m Incredible!” every time our team was mentioned. What made it even more silly was that after ever song was identified, the host told us to stand up and do strange things like, “act like Jungle animals (ie Jungle book)” or “I want to see puppets! (ie Pinnochio), now, you got no strings!”

Ugh. Nope.
Definitely not for me.

It was also getting on time for the muster drill. I’ve had some comments about folks who have never been on a cruise, so I’ll explain what goes on here.

Oddly enough. This is the one thing I know about cruising!
Another DISer explained it to me on his TR.

I knew it!!!

Since we had finally left the port, the shops would be opening as soon as we hit international waters.

Why? For tax purposes?

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[dgbg100106]

I am all caught up.

Loving the TR great information.

Your pictures are so cute and love the pirate outfits.

 

[Pinkocto]

You both look great in your pirate outfits!

Love all the pictures around the ship and the Halloween decorations are too cute.

Those SW shirts are great with the cruise touches

 

[Malia78]

Glad to hear that there is someone else out there who is also very particular about not food not touching on the plate

 

[Steppesister]

Lovely chapter! Don't know much about cruising, but someday, maybe I'll take the plunge and enjoy all they have to offer. But I love that you're having a great time getting settled in and getting into the party mode. After getting all relaxed of course; I imagine a cruise is a lot more of that than going to the parks!

 

[franandaj]

How awesome are those portholes!

I remembered them from last year's cruise, but I didn't take many pictures, so I made sure to capture them right off the bat this time!

We usually go to the DVC meets (yip, free drinks and a hat ), but the meet you described is one that we leave VERY early as well. But they are not always like this. They can be pretty informative (showing layouts of new resorts and things) too. But again, I do NOT blame you for leaving early.

Another item I learned from reading about yours and Tom's cruises. However, your meets sounded a little more sane and not so silly. The free drink was good though, and we got the hats later on in the trip!

Now, that looks yummy!

I just discovered the fruit plates from Goofy's on our cruise a year ago. They really hit the spot!

Doesn't it just feel so good, when you have "moved in" and everything is out of the suitcase?

Totally! That's one of my favorite things about longer trips, is being able to spread out, move in and not worry for your whole vacation.

They were in Port Canaveral as well! We had not seen them on previous cruises, but we were stunned about the "armed" boats as well.

This was the first time I noticed them and it was rather unnerving!

Ah, how beautiful! I have always loved the skyline of SD and we cannot wait to go back.

They have really built the city (downtown area) up over the past few years, we were astonished with all the construction going on. Normally we stay out at the Hotel Circle area and Old Town.

Now, that is what I call a costume! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! This is only our second Pirate night, I'm not sure how many we will keep doing as the costumes (mine at least) is rather bulky to pack.

I really like the portholes with the pumpkin shape faces. DCL does really well even during the Halloween season.

As I said above, I didn't take enough pictures last year, so I took some right away on this trip.

Great pictures from outside of the sunset and SD.

Thanks!

A nice selection of treasures that Fran bought.

Very nice pirates costumes that night.

We did pretty good that night!

Fantastic update! Love the pics of the ship. Your costumes are fantastic!

Thanks! We had fun with them!

I am a total unpacker too. I hate living out of a suitcase.

I know what you mean! It feels so good to have that all behind you! We got to my mom's late last night, and I still have to unpack our stuff, but I had to get online and make 180 day out reservations!

 

[Flossbolna]

make 180 reservations

That is a lot of meals you have planned!!

 

[franandaj]

It is so nice to see photos of the Wonder especially as it increasingly looks like I won't get to see her again before she get re-imagined. That DVC meet does sound rather strange and silly. I have never experienced anything like this and would have made a quick exit. I love the sunset photos. The pirate costumes are really great.

Corinna

I'm sad that she will be reimagined. There isn't anything that has been "redone" that came out better, but what can you do? The DVC meet was rather silly and I hope this isn't a trend.

I love your pirate costumes and your room and verandah are awesome.

Thank you very much, I will miss it for the next Wonder Cruise. Our Verandah will only be half that size.

Wow! The ship is stunning! So clean and bright. Nice job of setting up your closet for the week!

Really great pirate outfits! Down to the petticoat and the boots!! Just perfect. I bet Fran had on some great boots too!

The ship really is stunning, just wait until you see pictures of the other areas. I love to be settled in. I'm glad you liked the pirate outfits! We had fun with that.

Love your pirate outfits! Fran never disappoints me on shopping!

Jill in CO

Thanks! She always excels at shopping!

What a great update! Love the shopping that Fran got done, even when she was sleeping through most of this trip.

She definitely wakes up for shopping!

Love the window decals and you look amazing in that costume. Fran looks great too!
I like to unpack too; especially when we are staying for more than 2 nights.

The window decals really make for a festive Halloween atmosphere.

And I think there is still space in that elf room for me.

It might have been sorta cramped.

Finally stealing some time to get caught up in your trip report! Otherwise you might be back from the first cruise before I finally get around to do so!

I'm moving pretty slowly, and have lots of pictures so no worries on that one.

Did you read my Panama Canal trip report??? We absolutely hated getting off the ship in San Diego. There were masses of people wanting to get on the ship and they were not being let into the port area at all while we were still leaving. It was crazy. I don't understand why Disney keeps using that crappy port. The city might be beautiful, but their port is really horrible. I guess they burned their bridges when they deserted Los Angeles early before the end of their contract, so now they are stuck with San Diego.

Yes, I did read that report. I knew you had a long time to wait for taxis, but I missed the part about the passengers waiting to board being in such a long line. Everyone seems to have bad things to say about the port of San Diego. I checked San Pedro's website and they still list Disney Cruise Line as one of the ships that is "welcome" at their port. Do you have inside information about them "burning their bridges?" I really hope they didn't because I would love for them to return there.

I have recently upgraded my luggage to 360 degree wheels and love them! So much easier!!

We purchased a few more suitcases after they came in so handy and plan to either donate the ones we have that don't have the 360 wheels, either that or sell them on Craigslist.

That is once again crazy. Some people might not have gotten that booklet. You really don't need it at all...

They didn't necessarily require the booklet, but that was the easiest way to get in. I suppose they would scrutinize your paperwork a little bit more if you didn't have the booklet to wave at them.

That is a great picture of the two of you!! I am just amused by the artwork at the bottom. Why is there the Golden Gate Bridge??? I guess they are just recycling some old artwork - as far as I know no Disney cruise visited San Francisco this year...

Thanks! I didn't even notice the Golden Gate on there until you pointed it out. Definitely recycling artwork from the past year.

As others have confirmed, Enchanted Garden is the one to go for to get the Parrot Cay experience. However, one thing that might be important for you is that Enchanted Garden has a more traditional buffet line - similar to Beach Blanket Buffet. It is two lines that start at the edges of the dining room and then meet in the middle. I remember them being a bit closed in, just like the one at BBB is. And I think it might be difficult to navigate with a scooter. On the other hand, I noticed a lot of CMs helping people (with mobility issues or many little kids) at Cabanas with trays etc. There the different pods are far more easily accessible, but it is also very spread out.

With Parrot Cay or Enchanted Garden she would part the scooter at the entrance of the restaurant and walk in. That would be a bit more problematic to do at BBB or Cabanas because we would not have an assigned table to leave the hand luggage while we were at the buffet. And yes the CMs do carry her plate to the table once she has filled it.

Well done! I am impressed! I always try, but by the second half of the cruise, all my good intentions have vanished.

Well our last two meals at Palo we didn't do quite as good a job as the rest of the cruise.

I can see that! What a great room!!

I'm going to miss it in Alaska. I was just showing my parents the two Verandas, and the one we have in Alaska is only half that size. First world problems.

WOW!!! If you are thinking of doing a Panama Canal cruise, I think this would be the perfect spot to spend the canal day!!

I'm thinking so as well, but Fran doesn't like the white wall verandah as you can't see over it when you are sitting down.

I have the suspicion that this is the new format for the meeting going forward. I had that format twice now, last December on the Fantasy and this summer on the Magic. Both times the adult club host was doing the "show" part of the program and it depends a lot on the host doing it. On the Magic we had Jo from the UK and she was absolutely fabulous. Katharina and I had a great time - I think also because the free drink at the meet was already our second drink that afternoon... I hope they will change it at some point again. But my guess is that you will have the same format on the Dream this December as well. So if you are not keen on it, skip it!

This is disappointing to hear.

I am spotting a Halloween costume!!

You are good! I didn't even realize I was giving a spoiler!

Arrr!!

Great picture and great costumes! I am always far too lazy to put a lot of effort into dressing up for Pirate's Night. I am far more into buying pretty dresses for formal night. I love how cruising gives me the excuse to buy formal wear that I would otherwise never have an occassion to wear!

We didn't go all out on the formal wear this time, and were a little more casual. We may bring some more formal clothes for the Dream. I haven't quite figured it out yet. Gasp, and there are only 31 days left until we leave!

 

[rentayenta]

What reservations did you make?