looking for advice-Disney Wish versus RCL Wonder?

[Charlies_Mommy]

Hello-
I was looking into booking a 4-day Wish cruise for myself and 9-yr old daughter. We have sailed on the Magic and Fantasy before. We enjoyed Magic, but not the Fantasy. Was intrigued by the new ship, but couple things are putting me off. The cost and not being 100% guaranteed a table for 2. Anyway, pre-children myself and hubby sailed RCL and did not enjoy it (tried 2 different sailings). I am hesitant to try again. But, the new RCL Wonder clicks all the boxes (leaves out of PC, tons of stuff for us, 7 days versus 4, tons of specialty restaurants). Looking for advice whether to take the plunge!

Little background, we aren't fond of massive crowds and constant up-selling. We found Magic to be a sweet-spot for us. Our pre-children cruising line of choice was Celebrity and Crystal. Now, of course we are cruising with a child so our needs/wants are a bit different. Really interested to hear any and all advice from this group! We are looking to cruise this November and will be our first one post-COVID.

THANK YOU!
Hope T. (Charlies_mommy)

 

[tidefan]

To add to your list... I wouldn't completely write off the Carnival Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral. I know what you are probably thinking, but we found Mardi Gras to be a huge departure from Carnival's prior ships. We loved it, much more so than Oasis OTS, especially where food is concerned.

 

[Sunshine2U]

If cost is not a huge factor, I suggest the Wonder. I like the smaller Disney ships. It sounds like y'all will spend most of your time together - not looking for nightlife, huge kids club, etc. We loved the smaller size of Wonder and people seem to like her better than Magic (which we have not sailed). We're sailing Odyssey after our Wish sailing. We'll have two boys 9 & 13. We plan to let them camp in the room with movies while we enjoy the nightlife, and have some autonomy while we are close at hand other times. I don't think I would do larger RCL ships as a mother-child trip - unless you're incredibly active and y'all would spend your days doing all the activities together.

 

[lilsonicfan]

If cost is not a huge factor, I suggest the Wonder. I like the smaller Disney ships.

I believe she is asking about the RCCL Wonder of the Seas, currently the largest cruise ship in the world! Lol!

OP, We are currently considering a cruise on one of Royal’s Oasis class ships. I’m excited about the activities it offers my kids (now 9-13 years old) and I love that it offers so much specialty dining. I would always pick 7 days over 4, but I recognize that it will be quite different from DCL. And I’m kinda looking forward to it. I do love how DCL organizes dining, the themed dining is so unique. But it’s not enough for me to justify the pricing, plus I think my kids (and DH) just want more to do. On our last DCL trip, they were tired of trivia and even the kids’ clubs got a little boring; though it was a 14 night so anything could get boring. They are also not huge disney fans (sob!)

The Oasis class ships are so massive, but have so much to do that it appeals to us. I dont know whether it would be the best for a mom-daughter trip, but then, admittedly, I could find something I love about any cruise.

 

[SnappySerape]

I've sailed on both ships so let me know if you have any specific questions (except for kids since I don't have any). I'm just gonna spout off my opinions on various things.

The Wonder of the Seas is the best of the Oasis class ships in my opinion. I love the covered adult area, the southern restaurant was really good in my opinion. The Windjammer (the buffet) is the best laid out of all Oasis class in my opinion. I love the ice and aqua shows. Plenty of pool areas to enjoy. With all of that being said, there is a bit of upselling on the first day so expect that for sure. I don't remember there being a ton the rest of the trip except someone from the art area who stands in the Promenade and asks you to guess the weight/price of a statue/painting.

Disney does have the better service imo but RC still has good service. It's a huge ship but if the ship is sailing at full capacity, expect some areas to feel full. Specifically the pool deck on pool days, lounges, and shows. I couldn't even get in to bingo and karaoke some nights because they held it in the smaller Spotlight Karaoke venue (like Triton Lounge size on the Wish).

I also prefer the rotational dining on the Wish rather than the Wonder OTS. Wonder MDR still feels like a nice room to eat in. The Wish has superior pool deck food. I LOVED the Festival of Foods. So much choice and all of it pretty good! I'd say food quality was about the same with a slight edge to the Wish but of course food is so subjective.

I prefer the beds on DCL to RC. Unless you're staying in a Grand Suite, the beds are way too firm for me. I'm 6'3'' and 250 pounds for reference and solely a side sleeper. My shoulders and hips would be sore most mornings. I asked the room steward to stuff blankets and such in the bed to make it a bit better and it did help a bit. I prefer the split bathrooms on the Wish. The TV is in front of the bed on both ships but the Wonder OTS will come away from the wall a bit. A cool fact about that is that I actually plugged my iPad into the Wonder's tv via HDMI and streamed D+ or Netflix.

The cruise staff is superior on DCL. Much more interaction and they're always around. The shows on the Wonder are going to be revue type shoes. Maybe a very loose story with recognizable music. No dialogue. I actually don't like this very much. I wish there would be a bit more dialogue and cohesiveness. So the shows go to the Wish. Disney will also ALWAYS have movies playing somewhere either in the theaters or up on the pool deck. RC will have maybe 3 or 4 movies on the pool deck a day?

I actually don't like the Oasis class ships because they're a bit TOO big in my opinion. I preferred the Odyssey. If you aren't married to Disney, it could be worth it to take the RC for a longer time on the ocean! If your family are big fans of Disney and the Disney IPs, definitely do the Wish.

Edited to Add: Debark on RC has been so much better than DCL if you have a passport and use the facial recognition machines. Literally stop for 2 seconds with your stuff and you're on your way.

 

[Cheburashka]

We have sailed on the Magic and Fantasy before. We enjoyed Magic, but not the Fantasy. Was intrigued by the new ship, but couple things are putting me off. The cost and not being 100% guaranteed a table for 2. Anyway, pre-children myself and hubby sailed RCL and did not enjoy it (tried 2 different sailings). I am hesitant to try again...we aren't fond of massive crowds and constant up-selling. We found Magic to be a sweet-spot for us.

If you liked the Magic, but not the Fantasy, and not RCCL, then neither RCCL nor the Wish seem like a good match for you. I recommend you find a 7 night on the Magic or Wonder. The Wish in particular would be a complete waste of money for you imo because you haven't enjoyed that kind of ship in the past (it's the most RCCL-like ship of DCL's fleet), it's overpriced due to being new, and has a lot of very mixed reviews as it comes out of the gate.