May 2, 2014 - A WONDERous trip through the Locks WBPC

[Jeff Spencer]

Thanks!! Not sure I want to be woken up at 5am by someone on a loudspeaker though!!! Not planning on trying for one of the spots on the bow early morning. My parents who have done lots of canal cruises here in Europe say that you do want to be at the end of the ship where you can be looking down in the lock, i.e. aft when rising, forward when going down as that will give you a view of more than just a steel door. Makes sense to me and I hope that the aft viewing possibilities will be better in the morning than the forward ones!

When we went through in 2012 on the Wonder EBPC there were tons of people up on deck for the first set of locks (Miraflores). After the "new" had worn off, there were plenty of prime viewing spots up front or in back by the time we reached the Pedro Miguel Locks. By the time we got to Gatun Locks it looked like normal up on deck. People were more interested in swimming in the pool.

 

[jrp]

"Quate" Thanks!! Not sure I want to be woken up at 5am by someone on a loudspeaker though!!! Not planning on trying for one of the spots on the bow early morning. My parents who have done lots of canal cruises here in Europe say that you do want to be at the end of the ship where you can be looking down in the lock, i.e. aft when rising, forward when going down as that will give you a view of more than just a steel door. Makes sense to me and I hope that the aft viewing possibilities will be better in the morning than the forward ones!


Hi All Since we are in 7136 aft port almost dead aft (the same cabin we had on the Alaskan Cruise) we have a pretty large balcony (yes it has a blocked lower partition below the rail-child friendly) . We are willing to share to anyone who wishes to come on up or down, and we are right at the deck 7 hidden (yeah right) aft deck., so either way it is great for pictures in the locks.. Have a great day everyone

 

[Muushka]

Does anyone know if this is going to be an option, are the rooms already taken? And, assuming we were able to upgrade at the port, can the rooms fit a family of 5 comfortably? I do not know that we will even try, or if the rooms are taken, but assuming best case scenario and we were able to, those who have stayed in these types of rooms are they suitable for 2 adults, 3 kids? The kids are young so I am not sure of what the sleeping situation would be, any information would be great to make this one less thing to think about.

thanks!

I check them everyday! There are anywhere from 3 to 4 every time I check the inventory.

We are dreaming of upgrading at the port if they come down in price.

Yes, they do hold families of 5. Here is the pricing:

Pricing:
(2) Cruise Fare$13,710.00
(3) Cruise Fare$4,770.00 (children)
(5) Government Fees$1,079.00
*EST. TOTAL$19,559.00

 

[Muushka]

"Quate" Thanks!! Not sure I want to be woken up at 5am by someone on a loudspeaker though!!! Not planning on trying for one of the spots on the bow early morning. My parents who have done lots of canal cruises here in Europe say that you do want to be at the end of the ship where you can be looking down in the lock, i.e. aft when rising, forward when going down as that will give you a view of more than just a steel door. Makes sense to me and I hope that the aft viewing possibilities will be better in the morning than the forward ones!


Hi All Since we are in 7136 aft port almost dead aft (the same cabin we had on the Alaskan Cruise) we have a pretty large balcony (yes it has a blocked lower partition below the rail-child friendly) . We are willing to share to anyone who wishes to come on up or down, and we are right at the deck 7 hidden (yeah right) aft deck., so either way it is great for pictures in the locks.. Have a great day everyone

Thank you for the viewing tip and the viewing invite!

When we went through in 2012 on the Wonder EBPC there were tons of people up on deck for the first set of locks (Miraflores). After the "new" had worn off, there were plenty of prime viewing spots up front or in back by the time we reached the Pedro Miguel Locks. By the time we got to Gatun Locks it looked like normal up on deck. People were more interested in swimming in the pool.

That's what we were hoping for.

Form DCL's FAQ:



Yes, you can bring on as much alcohol (or other drinks) as you want, but it has to be in your carry-on luggage and it must not be in a cooler.

On Celebrity you can bring wine on board, but only at the embarkation port.
I'll trust you guys that I can bring some back in Key West. Thanks!

 

[The Boys Mommy]

Hi All Since we are in 7136 aft port almost dead aft (the same cabin we had on the Alaskan Cruise) we have a pretty large balcony (yes it has a blocked lower partition below the rail-child friendly) . We are willing to share to anyone who wishes to come on up or down, and we are right at the deck 7 hidden (yeah right) aft deck., so either way it is great for pictures in the locks.. Have a great day everyone

Just might have to take you up on that offer. Thanks!

 

[I❤MICKEY]

Seems like my pre-cruise shopping list for when I get to the US is getting longer and longer: champagne, jewellery... at least I don't have to buy any snacks for the cruise. Don't expect to have much time to be hungry...

When will you arrive in Miami? Are doing any additional travel in the states before/after the cruise?

Hi All
Very cool diaper cover for the 750 ml glass beverage of choice travel utensil. Just remember that there are several liqueur stores within walking distance of the ship in Key West, and we will bring back on board our wine and spirits for the adventure . I just called Disney Cruise Line and confirmed that you can bring alcohol on board for your enjoyment ( You of course you are not allowed to leave at the end of the cruise with any opened containers ). so my question is why carry anything in your luggage if you can purchase it in Miami or Key West?

I'm thinking about purchasing the bags in order to bring liquor home with us. Perhaps some tequila from our tour of the factory. Or a nice scotch. Purchasing alcohol is ridiculous in Utah. Lots of taxes and rules for how high the alcohol content can be. So if we can bring some nice bottles home with us it will be worth the cost of the bags.

Hi All Since we are in 7136 aft port almost dead aft (the same cabin we had on the Alaskan Cruise) we have a pretty large balcony (yes it has a blocked lower partition below the rail-child friendly) . We are willing to share to anyone who wishes to come on up or down, and we are right at the deck 7 hidden (yeah right) aft deck., so either way it is great for pictures in the locks.. Have a great day everyone

Thank you so much for your generous offer. We may have to take you up on this.

 

[Flossbolna]

When we went through in 2012 on the Wonder EBPC there were tons of people up on deck for the first set of locks (Miraflores). After the "new" had worn off, there were plenty of prime viewing spots up front or in back by the time we reached the Pedro Miguel Locks. By the time we got to Gatun Locks it looked like normal up on deck. People were more interested in swimming in the pool.

Thanks for the report! This sounds great and what I was hoping for since I am not keen on being up early during vacation. I am actually more looking forward to the trip through Lake Gatun, from the pictures I have seen, that looks lovely. I have seen plenty of locks already in my life, most of them smaller though.

Hi All Since we are in 7136 aft port almost dead aft (the same cabin we had on the Alaskan Cruise) we have a pretty large balcony (yes it has a blocked lower partition below the rail-child friendly) . We are willing to share to anyone who wishes to come on up or down, and we are right at the deck 7 hidden (yeah right) aft deck., so either way it is great for pictures in the locks.. Have a great day everyone

That is a very nice offer! Thank you!

When will you arrive in Miami? Are doing any additional travel in the states before/after the cruise?

I will be spending 4 nights at the beach in the Fort Lauderdale area before the cruise. I wanted to arrive at least 2 days early to make sure that any flight problems won't make me miss the cruise. And then it seemed to make sense to not only take a half week off, but the full week. At the end we are also adding a week at DL to the trip. So all in all this is going to be a (nearly) four week vacation for me. Never had a trip that long since before I started university!!

 

[aan1701]

Just wanted to say one month from today we get to board the Wonder for a half month long voyage.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using DISBoards

 

[granmaz]

What time do you suggest arranging a pick up time in San Diego? I just did a dummy booking with Go Airport shuttles from the port to the airport and they gave us 10.40am. Our flight is 12.20 so that is fine but I can see us sitting around at the port maybe. Can you book taxi's? I worry about there being a huge queue for them if I don't book but not sure of the time to ask for.

 

[Flossbolna]

Have you all gotten your cruise documents already? They take longer to come to Germany, but I am hoping for them to arrive soon. I think last time I got them about 5 weeks before the cruise?

 

[I❤MICKEY]

Have you all gotten your cruise documents already? They take longer to come to Germany, but I am hoping for them to arrive soon. I think last time I got them about 5 weeks before the cruise?

Ours haven't arrived yet.

 

[ImDMous]

Haven't gotten ours yet either, I'm anxiously waiting.

 

[Muushka]

What time do you suggest arranging a pick up time in San Diego? I just did a dummy booking with Go Airport shuttles from the port to the airport and they gave us 10.40am. Our flight is 12.20 so that is fine but I can see us sitting around at the port maybe. Can you book taxi's? I worry about there being a huge queue for them if I don't book but not sure of the time to ask for.

We have that same question. A change of plans has us leaving right after the cruise.
Our plane also leaves at 12:20, are you on SWA? Anywhoo, I thought it would be much easier to just take a cab. We detest waiting for shuttles after several problems over the years.

So, is it easy to grab a cab at the port to the airport?

 

[PirateBob]

We have that same question. A change of plans has us leaving right after the cruise. Our plane also leaves at 12:20, are you on SWA? Anywhoo, I thought it would be much easier to just take a cab. We detest waiting for shuttles after several problems over the years. So, is it easy to grab a cab at the port to the airport?

We need to know how easy it is to get a cab at the port also. Bano and I are staying at the La Quinta in Old Town one night, and not getting a car, so cab is our only option. Do I need to make a reservation?

 

[granmaz]

We have that same question. A change of plans has us leaving right after the cruise.
Our plane also leaves at 12:20, are you on SWA? Anywhoo, I thought it would be much easier to just take a cab. We detest waiting for shuttles after several problems over the years.

So, is it easy to grab a cab at the port to the airport?

Yes, we are on Southwest to Orlando. I can't imagine where the taxis are at the port. I remember walking down the road and the cruise port seemed small, just a jetty off the road from what I remember. I thought a car pick up might be easier. The Go Airport shuttle was $10 for both of us and gave 20 minutes transfer time.

 

[Muushka]

We are SWA with first stop in Denver. Hopefully someone will know about the cab situation.

 

[ImDMous]

I've never disembarked a cruise ship here (it was a port stop on the Pixar cruises), but I do live here so while I can't give you taxi specifics, I can tell you some logistical things that could help.

The Port is right in the middle of downtown so I imagine there will be plenty of cabs in the area and even if by some weirdness they are not already lined up, they should be very close by. The main train station is across the street, I'm sure they have a spot in the very near vicinity for staging.

The airport is 2.3 miles down the same road that the port is on (N Harbor Dr). I'm sure they will be making circles back and forth all morning in a very small amount of time. It's about a 5 minute drive.

There's a video on the Port's main page of the Wonder sailing in for the first time in 2012. Port of San Diego
We were on this cruise and the lighting the early morning and at night as we were leaving was beautiful. There's a little of it at the beginning and end of the video.

 

[Kimmy510]

There's a video on the Port's main page of the Wonder sailing in for the first time in 2012.
We were on this cruise and the lighting the early morning and at night as we were leaving was beautiful. There's a little of it at the beginning and end of the video.

I really liked the video. Loved the light and the ship is beautiful all lit up at night! This just gets me more excited to board that ship!

 

[AuntP]

....as I compulsively keep checking to see if my cabin has been assigned yet (and no, it hasn't).

Do any of you participate in the trivia challenges? I enjoy them if I can find a team to join and if it doesn't conflict with any events having a raffle.

 

[jrp]

Have you all gotten your cruise documents already? They take longer to come to Germany, but I am hoping for them to arrive soon. I think last time I got them about 5 weeks before the cruise?

Hi Flossbolna and All I think the documents don't arrive in the USA until about 2 weeks before the cruise, if I remember right. I can't really say for over seas delivery of Disney documents. You can always call the cruise line and I am sure they will be able to provide you some information in the right direction. I sure do miss the days I spent in Germany during my Air Force years-really great times.
Quote
I'm thinking about purchasing the bags in order to bring liquor home with us. Perhaps some tequila from our tour of the factory. Or a nice scotch. Purchasing alcohol is ridiculous in Utah. Lots of taxes and rules for how high the alcohol content can be. So if we can bring some nice bottles home with us it will be worth the cost of the bags.

We brought back several different types of tequila back with us from the Mexican Cruise as I collect different and unusual liqueurs. They always have something unusual in the duty free shop on board the ship and you can find some great deals during the cruise also. When we lived in Florida we used to leave the ship with about 4 or so liters and yes we claimed it all. We are also flying back on SWA, but we are going to Dallas, TX through Phoenix and our flight is not till 2:45. Don't forget you have to clear security(TSA) and of course they request 2 hour arrival before flight time. So schedule your ride accordingly so you don't look like to old O.J. commercial. All are welcome to the balcony and of course we can always go out to the deck on the aft of 7 too if the group wants to. As always carry on and have a great evening.