Club Disney Chandler
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2013
- Messages
- 3,100
Just got off the Wonder this morning, (Vancouver to San Diego) and thought I'd share a few thoughts on the ship and crew. This was our 4th DCL cruise and 1st time on a Classic ship, so there will be some comparisons to the Fantasy. This is my experience only and I know there will be people who had the exact opposite experience, none of us are right or wrong, we've just experienced things differently.
Clayton was the CD and I really like that guy!
My other cruises were during the summer so there were a lot more school age kids and teens, this was mostly pre-schoolers. We have 2 teens and they were about the only ones on the ship.
1) For a 15 year old ship, she is in amazing condition!
2) This was a completely sold out cruise and most of the areas seemed like a ghost town. We hardly ever saw anyone in the hallways, but the atrium was always a zoo.
3) The midship elevators are a joke on this ship, they are so incredibly tiny and such an awkward shape.
4) I did not find her to be any harder or easier to navigate your way around than the Dream class ships.
5) We were in cabin 8010, we're a family of 4 and this was our first cruise in a veranda, and first time all in one cabin. I can't say enough about how great the cabin was, quiet, convenient and overall very nice. We all came to the same concessus that we are going back to 2 inside connecting cabins. The veranda isn't great enough to surpass the extra room of 2 cabins.
6) From what I've read here on the boards I really expected a lot better service from the Wonder crew. Overall I thought they were very low energy and borderline rude. The huge exception to this was our stateroom hostess Norene from Jamaica, she worked her tail off and was an absolute sweetheart, best hostess we've ever had.
7) The Dreams show was nothing short of Amazing! By far the best show I've ever seen on DCL and probably the best of all Disney shows including at the parks. I would actually sail the Wonder again just to see this show.
8) I wasn't a big fan of the way the quick service places are set up on deck 9, I prefer the set up on the Dream class ships where they're all next to each other.
9) Beach Blanket Buffet has way too many tables, it's a mess to try to walk between tables and chairs to get to the inside ones. I saw many people struggling to carry trays of food. Side note on this, why do so many parents think it's OK to let their kids run around the tables and in the walkways at the buffet and MDR's? People are trying to work and carry food, sit your kids down and make them stay there! OK, rant over, we are now resuming our previously scheduled programming.
10) Parrot Cay-loved it! The decor was great and it just seemed so open and airy.
11) Animators Pallete - throughout the dinner I was really underwhelmed with the subtle color changes and I knew at some point things would get more colorful, but I thought the shows of AP were better on the Fantasy. BUT, I had no idea about the end of the show and what would happen! I was so surprised, and I now have a new favorite AP. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, sorry I can't ruin the surprise.
12) Outlook Cafe was pretty dang nice and a great adults only retreat.
So overall as a comparison to my favorite DCL ship, the Fantasy...................... I'd have to say I still prefer the Fantasy. But, I also think this cruise had a completely different vibe because of the number of really small children AND it wasn't a Caribbean cruise atmosphere. The passenger energy was pretty low key which could have led to the crew low energy level. I would certainly sail her again if the itinerary was right.
Sorry I rambled on for so long and hope I didn't bore you.
Just my $.02
Clayton was the CD and I really like that guy!
My other cruises were during the summer so there were a lot more school age kids and teens, this was mostly pre-schoolers. We have 2 teens and they were about the only ones on the ship.
1) For a 15 year old ship, she is in amazing condition!
2) This was a completely sold out cruise and most of the areas seemed like a ghost town. We hardly ever saw anyone in the hallways, but the atrium was always a zoo.
3) The midship elevators are a joke on this ship, they are so incredibly tiny and such an awkward shape.
4) I did not find her to be any harder or easier to navigate your way around than the Dream class ships.
5) We were in cabin 8010, we're a family of 4 and this was our first cruise in a veranda, and first time all in one cabin. I can't say enough about how great the cabin was, quiet, convenient and overall very nice. We all came to the same concessus that we are going back to 2 inside connecting cabins. The veranda isn't great enough to surpass the extra room of 2 cabins.
6) From what I've read here on the boards I really expected a lot better service from the Wonder crew. Overall I thought they were very low energy and borderline rude. The huge exception to this was our stateroom hostess Norene from Jamaica, she worked her tail off and was an absolute sweetheart, best hostess we've ever had.
7) The Dreams show was nothing short of Amazing! By far the best show I've ever seen on DCL and probably the best of all Disney shows including at the parks. I would actually sail the Wonder again just to see this show.
8) I wasn't a big fan of the way the quick service places are set up on deck 9, I prefer the set up on the Dream class ships where they're all next to each other.
9) Beach Blanket Buffet has way too many tables, it's a mess to try to walk between tables and chairs to get to the inside ones. I saw many people struggling to carry trays of food. Side note on this, why do so many parents think it's OK to let their kids run around the tables and in the walkways at the buffet and MDR's? People are trying to work and carry food, sit your kids down and make them stay there! OK, rant over, we are now resuming our previously scheduled programming.
10) Parrot Cay-loved it! The decor was great and it just seemed so open and airy.
11) Animators Pallete - throughout the dinner I was really underwhelmed with the subtle color changes and I knew at some point things would get more colorful, but I thought the shows of AP were better on the Fantasy. BUT, I had no idea about the end of the show and what would happen! I was so surprised, and I now have a new favorite AP. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, sorry I can't ruin the surprise.
12) Outlook Cafe was pretty dang nice and a great adults only retreat.
So overall as a comparison to my favorite DCL ship, the Fantasy...................... I'd have to say I still prefer the Fantasy. But, I also think this cruise had a completely different vibe because of the number of really small children AND it wasn't a Caribbean cruise atmosphere. The passenger energy was pretty low key which could have led to the crew low energy level. I would certainly sail her again if the itinerary was right.
Sorry I rambled on for so long and hope I didn't bore you.
Just my $.02
