This is my first post, so forgive any errors...
Trip Report Disney Wonder
3 Night Cruise (Nov 18-21, 2004) Party of 6 (me, wife, 2 boys, parents)
Day 1 (Thursday, Nov. 18)
This was the first time ever on a Disney cruise. Drove up from South Florida; an easy 2 and ½ hour drive with little traffic. Arrived at the cruise terminal at 10:10 am. The guard at the entrance to the Disney terminal told us we were too early, and would have to wait at the day-parking lot until about 10:30. So we parked for a while with a few other eager cruisers who had also arrived early.
At about 10:25 the guard told us we could enter, so we drove into the terminal and dropped off our luggage. We then parked the car across the street for $30 and walked into the terminal. After clearing security (which was no problem) we were the first ones upstairs at the check-in. We checked-in at the concierge desk and filled out the Bahamas immigration forms that hadn't come with our documents. We then were told that the ship would begin boarding at noon, so we had about an hour to kill at the terminal, sitting on the chairs near the TV monitors which were showing Disney cartoons.
We went outside several times to look at ship from the terminal balcony. The coffee shop/gift shop was closed, which was disappointing, as it would have been nice to sip a coffee while waiting. As noon approached, the terminal filled up considerably. Mickey showed up in a nautical outfit and posed for pictures. The Disney music grew louder, and a line formed at the doors to the gangway. At noon they began to let in guests; having concierge level IDs, we didn't have to wait in line, but just walked on-board. The announcement of our boarding was nice: another Disney touch.
After boarding the ship we took in the Atrium for a moment and then proceeded to the Cadillac Lounge to meet with the concierge staff. We met Eva and Rodrigo, the concierges, and signed up for massages with the Spa and registered the kids into the Oceaneers Club. I had already booked Palo's reservations with Debbie at DCL (another concierge level advantage). We heard lots of horror stories from the staff about how bad the seas were the cruise before ours, but we were assured that the ocean would be calm for our cruise (which it was).
We wanted to eat lunch at Parrot Cay, but we told that the restaurant was full and we'd need to proceed to Deck 9 and eat at the Beach Blanket Buffet. The line wasn't too long for the buffet, and finding a table inside wasn't difficult, but in hind-sight we should have taken the buffet trays outside and eaten on the deck. The lunch at BBB was probably the low-point of the cruise for several reasons: having waited an hour or so to board the boat, we had really wanted to eat a sit-down meal at Parrot Cay. Also, we had to lug our carry-on bags up to Deck 9 with us for lunch. So the last thing we wanted to do was wait in a line for a buffet lunch.
A quick walk onto the Mickey Pool area during lunch showed that the pool was already filling up. The other pools were never quite as full (the adult pool rarely had more than a few people in it). At 1:30 pm, with lunch finished we walked to our cabin #8516 (Category 2), met our cabin host (O'Dell, who told us to call him the "What's up" guy, which we did) and discovered our home-away-from-home.
The Category 2 suite was superb. Large and luxurious. 3 TVs, VHS, CD player, dining room, wet bar, 2 and ½ baths, Jacuzzi tub, marble bathrooms, vast walk-in closet, 2 bedrooms and a long veranda. This is cruising at its best. We spent a lot of time just hanging-out in the suite, and certainly appreciated all of the space.
We settled into the cabin until the lifeboat drill, and then I returned to the veranda to watch us depart as other members of the family went to the sail-away party. Watching the sunset as we reached the ocean was delightful. Then it was time to get changed for dinner and proceed to Animator's Palate for 6:00 dinner.
At the restaurant, we met Benton our server and Dieter our assistant server. Service started out slow, but got better through the evening. The Animator's Palate show was great; the kids loved the changing scenery. For dinner I had the duck and goat cheese flatbread, squash soup, and veal chop, with a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee champagne and 1999 Phelps Insignia (brought on-board).
After dinner our two boys (ages 3 and 6) were tired out from all of the excitement, so we took them up to bed. Grandpa stayed with them and we went to see Hercules at the theater. I was amazed at the technical level of the performance; and I very much enjoyed the production.
After the show, we went down to the Cadillac Lounge, had a drink and listened to the piano singer, who was great (my wife especially enjoyed his rendition of Elmer Fudd singing "Fire" (I'm dwivin in my car, I turn on the wadio...). After a while, I proceeded to the hot-tub in the adult pool area to mellow out while wife and grandma explored more of the ship. Finally went to bed at about 11:00 pm.
Day 2 (Friday, Nov. 19)
Woke up early, went onto the veranda to wait while everyone else woke up, and then ordered a full breakfast from Tritons for room-service. I waited until the kids woke up and then placed a wake-up call for 5 minutes later so they could get a phone-call from Mickey Mouse (much better doing that than placing it the night before). I went for a 30 minute job in the fitness room and got a great view of Nassau as we headed into the harbor. The fitness room isn't large, but had about 8 treadmills and maybe 4 stationary bikes. But it looks down into the bridge, which is pretty cool; and you can look out over the bow of the ship.
Breakfast at the dining room of the cabin was quite nice. Afterwards, we took the boys to the Oceaneers Club for the first time. I was very impressed with the size of the Club and the Lab. I was very impressed with the number of staff members. I liked the fact that they put wrist bracelets on the kids and required a password to check-out children. I was most impressed at the attention given to cleanliness. No one could enter the Club without receiving a squirt of soap and being told to wash hands. The boys loved the Club and Lab; and these are kids that usually would rather stay with us than go into a kids program.
With the kids safely ensconced in the Club, wife and I went into Nassau to walk around Bay Street. We didn't stay for long before returning to the ship. I've been to Nassau more times than I can count, and there is little there that attracts me. I wasn't interested in seeing Atlantis again, or doing any of the excursions; I viewed the day in Nassau as a great chance to enjoy a quiet and empty ship.
So, with a massage booked at 11:45 am, I walked up to the spa. For check-in at the spa you fill out a questionnaire for the masseuse and then receive a robe, slippers and locker key. The men's changing area was nice; a separate lounge area and sauna was located there. The masseuse called for me at about 11:50, and we proceeded to a very nice room for a "well-being massage". I wanted to try the rainforest room, but since I had promised to meet my wife for lunch after the massage, I didn't get a chance to try it.
Lunch was a leisurely (ie: kid-free) event at Tritons. We ordered several appetizers and then had a main course. The mushroom risotto was quite good. There was also a chef's table making pastas and salads. I recommend at least one lunch at Tritons rather than at the buffets.
The afternoon was spent with the kids, after we persuaded them to come out of the Oceaneers Club for a while. It wasn't long before we had to take them back so that we could have dinner at Palo's. They did take baths in the Jacuzzi tub, which they thought was awesome.
The dinner at Palo's was probably the highlight of the trip. Although we were still in port, we had a table with an excellent view of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, which was well-lit at night. Our serve, Simon from Rome, was excellent. The food was superb: a pizza margarita for the table to share, a half-order of linguine carbonara as an appetizer, rack of lamb, and then chocolate soufflé for dessert. All of this accompanied by a 1990 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Cuvee Rose champagne and a 1997 Banfi Brunello Poggio All'Oro Riserva, and a glass of Quinta De Noval 10 year tawny port.
Unfortunately, because of our 7:00 pm reservation at Palo's we were not able to see the Golden Mickeys. An after-dinner stroll around the deck was about all we could manage before picking up the boys at the Oceaneers Club and heading to bed around 10:00 pm.
Day 3 (Saturday, Nov. 20)
Another early wake-up and trip to the veranda as we approached Castaway Cay. Again, smooth waters and clear skies, what more could you ask for? Another wake-up call from Mickey, and then we headed down to Tritons for breakfast (we wanted to try that out rather than order in). After breakfast, we went back up to the cabin to change and then proceeded off the ship to the island.
We checked the boys into Scuttles Cove and then took the tram to Serenity Bay, the adult-only beach, where we stayed until lunch. Rather than eat at the Serenity Bay BBQ, we wanted to go back to Cookies. Mistake. The regular part of the island (Cookies and the Family Beach) were a zoo compared to the peace and quiet of Serenity Bay. I was not impressed with the Cookies BBQ either. After lunch we did a bit of shopping (which means that I sit and wait while my wife shops) and then walked to the Heads-up Bar for a pina colada. This bar, which perches over the water near the teen beach, was quiet, and had a great view of the beaches and ship.
After the drink, walked back for more shopping and I was able to watch the kids in Scuttles Cove as they had Splash time. Then it was time to sit on a chaise lounge in a shady spot at the Family Beach for a while before my pager went off. So back to Scuttles Cove to pick up the kids (the little one was getting sleepy) and back to the cabin onboard for a bath and rest time.
By 3:45 we had to get the kids back to Oceaneers Club for their show, which was at 5:00 pm. It was cute watching all of the kids parade into the Disney Theater in their t-shirts and mouse graduation caps. The only negative about the show is that it coincides with the departure from Castaway Cay, so by the time the show was over we were well underway. After the show they returned to the Club and we proceeded to Tritons for our last dinner. Appetizer was the escargot (Dieter brought me a second helping after I told him how much I liked it), braised lamb shank and cherries jubilee for dessert. Wines were 1996 Dom Perignon and 1999 Delas Les Bessards Hermitage. We gave our tip cards to our waiters and then to our cabin host afterwards. Then it was time for Disney Dreams.
Again, I marveled at the quality of the theater productions on the ship. The theater is pure Disney: the ceiling lights up; there are fireworks on the stage. The Disney Dreams show itself was a mélange of old and new Disney classics, like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. After the show it was time to get the boys from the Oceaneer Club for the last time, and then head up to the cabin to pack. It was sad putting the suitcases outside for pick-up; there was a finality to it.
Day 4 (Sunday, Nov. 21)
Woke up early and looked out the veranda to see that we were back in Port Canaveral. After leisurely dressing and packing the day-bags, we went up to the Beach Blanket Buffet for breakfast. We ate outside on the deck before finally deciding that we had to leave the ship. The Captain was at the gangway as we left, and I thanked him for the wonderful cruise. The disembarkation process was a breeze; we got our bags and flew through customs in minutes. The porter brought the bags out to the car, and within moments we were looking at the ship in the rear view mirror as we drove away from the port.
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Final Thoughts, Comments and Critiques
This ship is optimally designed for families with children who are really into Disney. If you don't fit those two categories, you aren't going to appreciate all the cruise line has to offer. If you do, you'll love it. There is something special about seeing the Disney characters, like Mickey or the various princesses, showing up in restaurants or taking pictures in the Atrium. If you aren't into that, you could get a cruise for much less on another line.
The kids programs are excellent, truly excellent. I felt guilty leaving the kids for so long in the Oceaneers Club and Lab, but they loved it. There were things that we didn't do with the kids (like using the pools, the beach and the movie theater) that I thought we would have done. But they didn't mind. The only comment from my elder son was that he thought a 3 day cruise wasn't long enough, and could we go on a 7 day cruise next time.
Dine a Palo's one night. If you don't you are missing out on a great experience. The food at the regular restaurants was good, but not great.
The Category 2 suite was a luxury, but one that we tried to use fully. We spent a lot of time in the family room of the suite. The room service options, while nice, weren't used very much. Would I go in a Cat 2 again? Sure, even though it is expensive. But I think I could be very happy down in the bottom of the ship as well.
Get a Disney Visa card and start earning Disney dollars. I used about 450 Disney dollars to cover the various charges (spa, drinks, Palo's, corkage, etc...) on my account.
And lastly, use the DisBoards for information and tips. I can't tell you all how beneficial it was to have this resource available.
Trip Report Disney Wonder
3 Night Cruise (Nov 18-21, 2004) Party of 6 (me, wife, 2 boys, parents)
Day 1 (Thursday, Nov. 18)
This was the first time ever on a Disney cruise. Drove up from South Florida; an easy 2 and ½ hour drive with little traffic. Arrived at the cruise terminal at 10:10 am. The guard at the entrance to the Disney terminal told us we were too early, and would have to wait at the day-parking lot until about 10:30. So we parked for a while with a few other eager cruisers who had also arrived early.
At about 10:25 the guard told us we could enter, so we drove into the terminal and dropped off our luggage. We then parked the car across the street for $30 and walked into the terminal. After clearing security (which was no problem) we were the first ones upstairs at the check-in. We checked-in at the concierge desk and filled out the Bahamas immigration forms that hadn't come with our documents. We then were told that the ship would begin boarding at noon, so we had about an hour to kill at the terminal, sitting on the chairs near the TV monitors which were showing Disney cartoons.
We went outside several times to look at ship from the terminal balcony. The coffee shop/gift shop was closed, which was disappointing, as it would have been nice to sip a coffee while waiting. As noon approached, the terminal filled up considerably. Mickey showed up in a nautical outfit and posed for pictures. The Disney music grew louder, and a line formed at the doors to the gangway. At noon they began to let in guests; having concierge level IDs, we didn't have to wait in line, but just walked on-board. The announcement of our boarding was nice: another Disney touch.
After boarding the ship we took in the Atrium for a moment and then proceeded to the Cadillac Lounge to meet with the concierge staff. We met Eva and Rodrigo, the concierges, and signed up for massages with the Spa and registered the kids into the Oceaneers Club. I had already booked Palo's reservations with Debbie at DCL (another concierge level advantage). We heard lots of horror stories from the staff about how bad the seas were the cruise before ours, but we were assured that the ocean would be calm for our cruise (which it was).
We wanted to eat lunch at Parrot Cay, but we told that the restaurant was full and we'd need to proceed to Deck 9 and eat at the Beach Blanket Buffet. The line wasn't too long for the buffet, and finding a table inside wasn't difficult, but in hind-sight we should have taken the buffet trays outside and eaten on the deck. The lunch at BBB was probably the low-point of the cruise for several reasons: having waited an hour or so to board the boat, we had really wanted to eat a sit-down meal at Parrot Cay. Also, we had to lug our carry-on bags up to Deck 9 with us for lunch. So the last thing we wanted to do was wait in a line for a buffet lunch.
A quick walk onto the Mickey Pool area during lunch showed that the pool was already filling up. The other pools were never quite as full (the adult pool rarely had more than a few people in it). At 1:30 pm, with lunch finished we walked to our cabin #8516 (Category 2), met our cabin host (O'Dell, who told us to call him the "What's up" guy, which we did) and discovered our home-away-from-home.
The Category 2 suite was superb. Large and luxurious. 3 TVs, VHS, CD player, dining room, wet bar, 2 and ½ baths, Jacuzzi tub, marble bathrooms, vast walk-in closet, 2 bedrooms and a long veranda. This is cruising at its best. We spent a lot of time just hanging-out in the suite, and certainly appreciated all of the space.
We settled into the cabin until the lifeboat drill, and then I returned to the veranda to watch us depart as other members of the family went to the sail-away party. Watching the sunset as we reached the ocean was delightful. Then it was time to get changed for dinner and proceed to Animator's Palate for 6:00 dinner.
At the restaurant, we met Benton our server and Dieter our assistant server. Service started out slow, but got better through the evening. The Animator's Palate show was great; the kids loved the changing scenery. For dinner I had the duck and goat cheese flatbread, squash soup, and veal chop, with a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee champagne and 1999 Phelps Insignia (brought on-board).
After dinner our two boys (ages 3 and 6) were tired out from all of the excitement, so we took them up to bed. Grandpa stayed with them and we went to see Hercules at the theater. I was amazed at the technical level of the performance; and I very much enjoyed the production.
After the show, we went down to the Cadillac Lounge, had a drink and listened to the piano singer, who was great (my wife especially enjoyed his rendition of Elmer Fudd singing "Fire" (I'm dwivin in my car, I turn on the wadio...). After a while, I proceeded to the hot-tub in the adult pool area to mellow out while wife and grandma explored more of the ship. Finally went to bed at about 11:00 pm.
Day 2 (Friday, Nov. 19)
Woke up early, went onto the veranda to wait while everyone else woke up, and then ordered a full breakfast from Tritons for room-service. I waited until the kids woke up and then placed a wake-up call for 5 minutes later so they could get a phone-call from Mickey Mouse (much better doing that than placing it the night before). I went for a 30 minute job in the fitness room and got a great view of Nassau as we headed into the harbor. The fitness room isn't large, but had about 8 treadmills and maybe 4 stationary bikes. But it looks down into the bridge, which is pretty cool; and you can look out over the bow of the ship.
Breakfast at the dining room of the cabin was quite nice. Afterwards, we took the boys to the Oceaneers Club for the first time. I was very impressed with the size of the Club and the Lab. I was very impressed with the number of staff members. I liked the fact that they put wrist bracelets on the kids and required a password to check-out children. I was most impressed at the attention given to cleanliness. No one could enter the Club without receiving a squirt of soap and being told to wash hands. The boys loved the Club and Lab; and these are kids that usually would rather stay with us than go into a kids program.
With the kids safely ensconced in the Club, wife and I went into Nassau to walk around Bay Street. We didn't stay for long before returning to the ship. I've been to Nassau more times than I can count, and there is little there that attracts me. I wasn't interested in seeing Atlantis again, or doing any of the excursions; I viewed the day in Nassau as a great chance to enjoy a quiet and empty ship.
So, with a massage booked at 11:45 am, I walked up to the spa. For check-in at the spa you fill out a questionnaire for the masseuse and then receive a robe, slippers and locker key. The men's changing area was nice; a separate lounge area and sauna was located there. The masseuse called for me at about 11:50, and we proceeded to a very nice room for a "well-being massage". I wanted to try the rainforest room, but since I had promised to meet my wife for lunch after the massage, I didn't get a chance to try it.
Lunch was a leisurely (ie: kid-free) event at Tritons. We ordered several appetizers and then had a main course. The mushroom risotto was quite good. There was also a chef's table making pastas and salads. I recommend at least one lunch at Tritons rather than at the buffets.
The afternoon was spent with the kids, after we persuaded them to come out of the Oceaneers Club for a while. It wasn't long before we had to take them back so that we could have dinner at Palo's. They did take baths in the Jacuzzi tub, which they thought was awesome.
The dinner at Palo's was probably the highlight of the trip. Although we were still in port, we had a table with an excellent view of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, which was well-lit at night. Our serve, Simon from Rome, was excellent. The food was superb: a pizza margarita for the table to share, a half-order of linguine carbonara as an appetizer, rack of lamb, and then chocolate soufflé for dessert. All of this accompanied by a 1990 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Cuvee Rose champagne and a 1997 Banfi Brunello Poggio All'Oro Riserva, and a glass of Quinta De Noval 10 year tawny port.
Unfortunately, because of our 7:00 pm reservation at Palo's we were not able to see the Golden Mickeys. An after-dinner stroll around the deck was about all we could manage before picking up the boys at the Oceaneers Club and heading to bed around 10:00 pm.
Day 3 (Saturday, Nov. 20)
Another early wake-up and trip to the veranda as we approached Castaway Cay. Again, smooth waters and clear skies, what more could you ask for? Another wake-up call from Mickey, and then we headed down to Tritons for breakfast (we wanted to try that out rather than order in). After breakfast, we went back up to the cabin to change and then proceeded off the ship to the island.
We checked the boys into Scuttles Cove and then took the tram to Serenity Bay, the adult-only beach, where we stayed until lunch. Rather than eat at the Serenity Bay BBQ, we wanted to go back to Cookies. Mistake. The regular part of the island (Cookies and the Family Beach) were a zoo compared to the peace and quiet of Serenity Bay. I was not impressed with the Cookies BBQ either. After lunch we did a bit of shopping (which means that I sit and wait while my wife shops) and then walked to the Heads-up Bar for a pina colada. This bar, which perches over the water near the teen beach, was quiet, and had a great view of the beaches and ship.
After the drink, walked back for more shopping and I was able to watch the kids in Scuttles Cove as they had Splash time. Then it was time to sit on a chaise lounge in a shady spot at the Family Beach for a while before my pager went off. So back to Scuttles Cove to pick up the kids (the little one was getting sleepy) and back to the cabin onboard for a bath and rest time.
By 3:45 we had to get the kids back to Oceaneers Club for their show, which was at 5:00 pm. It was cute watching all of the kids parade into the Disney Theater in their t-shirts and mouse graduation caps. The only negative about the show is that it coincides with the departure from Castaway Cay, so by the time the show was over we were well underway. After the show they returned to the Club and we proceeded to Tritons for our last dinner. Appetizer was the escargot (Dieter brought me a second helping after I told him how much I liked it), braised lamb shank and cherries jubilee for dessert. Wines were 1996 Dom Perignon and 1999 Delas Les Bessards Hermitage. We gave our tip cards to our waiters and then to our cabin host afterwards. Then it was time for Disney Dreams.
Again, I marveled at the quality of the theater productions on the ship. The theater is pure Disney: the ceiling lights up; there are fireworks on the stage. The Disney Dreams show itself was a mélange of old and new Disney classics, like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. After the show it was time to get the boys from the Oceaneer Club for the last time, and then head up to the cabin to pack. It was sad putting the suitcases outside for pick-up; there was a finality to it.
Day 4 (Sunday, Nov. 21)
Woke up early and looked out the veranda to see that we were back in Port Canaveral. After leisurely dressing and packing the day-bags, we went up to the Beach Blanket Buffet for breakfast. We ate outside on the deck before finally deciding that we had to leave the ship. The Captain was at the gangway as we left, and I thanked him for the wonderful cruise. The disembarkation process was a breeze; we got our bags and flew through customs in minutes. The porter brought the bags out to the car, and within moments we were looking at the ship in the rear view mirror as we drove away from the port.
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Final Thoughts, Comments and Critiques
This ship is optimally designed for families with children who are really into Disney. If you don't fit those two categories, you aren't going to appreciate all the cruise line has to offer. If you do, you'll love it. There is something special about seeing the Disney characters, like Mickey or the various princesses, showing up in restaurants or taking pictures in the Atrium. If you aren't into that, you could get a cruise for much less on another line.
The kids programs are excellent, truly excellent. I felt guilty leaving the kids for so long in the Oceaneers Club and Lab, but they loved it. There were things that we didn't do with the kids (like using the pools, the beach and the movie theater) that I thought we would have done. But they didn't mind. The only comment from my elder son was that he thought a 3 day cruise wasn't long enough, and could we go on a 7 day cruise next time.
Dine a Palo's one night. If you don't you are missing out on a great experience. The food at the regular restaurants was good, but not great.
The Category 2 suite was a luxury, but one that we tried to use fully. We spent a lot of time in the family room of the suite. The room service options, while nice, weren't used very much. Would I go in a Cat 2 again? Sure, even though it is expensive. But I think I could be very happy down in the bottom of the ship as well.
Get a Disney Visa card and start earning Disney dollars. I used about 450 Disney dollars to cover the various charges (spa, drinks, Palo's, corkage, etc...) on my account.
And lastly, use the DisBoards for information and tips. I can't tell you all how beneficial it was to have this resource available.
