Underwhelming Wish 4-Night

[auntlynne]

And the Treasure will pretty much have the same blueprint?

As will Wish #3 (Triton class). Slight tweaks and different theming. They start building before they have time for adequate feedback. (It probably saves money to build with the same blueprints.). Other than the one bought mid-build - designated for Singapore - it could be a decade or more before there’s another class of ships. If even then.

 

[brentm77]

The Wish has gotten a lot of critical reviews from DCL regulars (poor layout, some poorly executed spaces, crowding, etc.), so I wouldn't prejudge DCL's entire fleet based on sailing her. The other four ships currently in service are quite different from the Wish. If you ever give DCL another chance, sail one of the original four.

Other than that, yeah, cruising might not be for you if this was your first cruise and you hated it. Cruise food is generally not as good as food on equivalent land restaurants, because it's mass produced and complimentary. That is a mass market cruising industry standard. I've found that it helps to listen to server suggestions on what to order from the MDR dinner menus. The upcharge adult restaurants have the best food by far.

But keep in mind that some planning does make the experience smoother, just like at WDW. For example, it's better to pack your suitcases & put them out during a lull midday, rather than rushing back to the stateroom to do it during a busy evening. (You can put your final evening's clothes in a carry-on bag.) Things like that can make the experience better.

So can cruising for 7 nights rather than 4 nights, so the pace is more relaxed. 7 nights is a pretty standard cruise length. 4 nights is a short, quick cruise, and is more prone to making new cruisers in particular feel rushed.

This about sums it up. The Wish won't be for everyone and is very different than the rest of the fleet. I personally prefer the classic style of the other ships and adult areas (haven't sailed the Wish - so this is just based off of photos, videos, and reviews, and the fact that there is no adult district on the Wish). I would also never sail less than seven nights. I can't imagine doing that. Seven goes too fast, but at least lets you feel like you can unpack and unwind. Four days would feel like you were packing almost immediately after arriving. I keep telling family and friends not do do the short Wish cruise as their introduction, but none have listened so far, so I am expected similar responses. I think people assume "newest" equals "best," but I don't think that will be the case for most people when it comes to the Wish.

 

[brentm77]

Honestly, the reason I always recommend a 3 to 4 day cruise to start is because if you don't like it, it's a short vacation.

We didn't even do the shows on our first cruise, it wasn't a priority and I wasn't going to cram it in to a relaxing day on the pool deck. I don't know what we did on our 4 night cruise. I remember the spa, the pool deck, the adult pool and the movie theater. And dinner. And a lot of drinks of the day....maybe that's why I don't remember anything

I recommend the opposite. 3 or 4 nights just isn't enough time to unwind and relax, which in my humble opinion, the best part of cruising. I wouldn't even bother unpacking on a 3 night for example.

 

[sponica]

I recommend the opposite. 3 or 4 nights just isn't enough time to unwind and relax, which in my humble opinion, the best part of cruising. I wouldn't even bother unpacking on a 3 night for example.

I don't unpack ever. My husband unpacks for anyhthing longer than an overnight.

 

[brentm77]

One tip - when we cruise, we only bring carry-on bags so we can walk off the ship in the morning (with concierge, you are escorted off) - it means our evenings prior to disembarkation are more relaxing and I am not rushing to get everything packed when I would rather enjoy the ship for one last night.

This right here is my biggest tip too. It's a game changer. First, it forces you not to bring so much junk (you won't use half of it), and second, it makes the last night of the cruise so much better. We can wait and throw everything in our suitcases on the morning we disembark, because it only takes 20 minutes to pack a carryon and it doesn't need to be out the night before. That means your last night isn't spent packing and focusing on going home (which is often Castaway day too, putting a damper on one of the best days of the cruise). I learned how much I disliked that on our first cruise when we packed everything under the sun and had to have our luggage in the hall. You can choose to take off non-carryon-on too, so you don't have to put it out the night before, but the more you have, the harder it is to haul off.

You can still have the porter take your carry-on when boarding if you don't want to pull it around when waiting for rooms to be ready, but it doesn't bother us. Our luggage is with us from the time we leave home until the time we arrive at hotels or the cruise ship, which also eliminates that chance of it being lost or damaged.

We did Europe for two+ weeks, including a 9-day cruise, all with a carryon for each family member. It can be done and we actually enjoy the process of learning how to travel light and smart. There wasn't a single thing we missed traveling this way and in fact learned that we brought a few things we could leave home next time.

I know I get annoying talking about this so much, but if people only knew how much it improved travel, they would understand. It's almost a religion for me now.

 

[darnheather]

This is why I don't recommend 3-4 nights for a first cruise. Rush-rush-rush. It would be like trying to do WDW and all the parks in 3-4 days. Impossible and stressful. Even on a cruise you need at least one day to sit around doing nothing.

 

[Aquamom]

Just got back from four nights on the Wish and it’s looking like that may have been our first and last DCL cruise. Overall felt the experience was enjoyable but everything felt rushed and a quite stressful.

After watching all sorts of video reviews and doing research we weren’t quite prepared for how small and crowded everything was. The Hyperspace lounge seemed to really highlight the issue. It almost seemed like an afterthought. The theming seemed great in pictures but in reality it was so small and cramped and the service so bad that despite going twice we never were able to order a drink.

The shows were quite good but everything felt so crowded except for the concierge lounge. The other high/low was 1923. The restaurant is gorgeous but the tables were packed so tight it felt like one of those old school furniture stores where you have to contort your body just to walk through. The food was good but not anything awe inspiring. The food highlight was definitely Daisy’s Pizza, which the kids absolutely loved.

The debarkation was so stressful and felt like it killed the vibe of the last night. Instead of enjoying the show and then some after-show activities, you have to rush back to your room and pack up your bags so that they can be outside your room by 10:30pm on the dot.

We did enjoy Castaway Cay quite a lot and that was definitely a highlight. It really is a pretty setup and there’s lots to do and doesn’t feel horribly crowded even with the whole ship there.

Perhaps we’re just not cruise people. It definitely drove home how relaxing the DVC villas are for our family. At least we tried…

Don't let the Wish be your final judgement on Disney Cruise Line! We have sailed 16 cruises with DCL and the Wish was by far our least favorite ship and experience!!!! My girls who are adults and have cruised only DCL since the age of 13 (now in 30's) thought it was almost like Disney had built the Wish as first ship and didn't know what they were doing. Disney totally knows what they are doing and All the other ships in the fleet are Wonderful!!!! We have sailed them All and The Dream and The Fantasy are our favorites! The Magic and the Wonder are definitely smaller and more intimate, and Dream and Fantasy are big and wonderful!!!! Please try again on one of the other ships before your final decision! Mickey really does it right on the 4 original ships.

 

[WorldCruiser]

Just got back from four nights on the Wish and it’s looking like that may have been our first and last DCL cruise. Overall felt the experience was enjoyable but everything felt rushed and a quite stressful.

After watching all sorts of video reviews and doing research we weren’t quite prepared for how small and crowded everything was. The Hyperspace lounge seemed to really highlight the issue. It almost seemed like an afterthought. The theming seemed great in pictures but in reality it was so small and cramped and the service so bad that despite going twice we never were able to order a drink.

The shows were quite good but everything felt so crowded except for the concierge lounge. The other high/low was 1923. The restaurant is gorgeous but the tables were packed so tight it felt like one of those old school furniture stores where you have to contort your body just to walk through. The food was good but not anything awe inspiring. The food highlight was definitely Daisy’s Pizza, which the kids absolutely loved.

The debarkation was so stressful and felt like it killed the vibe of the last night. Instead of enjoying the show and then some after-show activities, you have to rush back to your room and pack up your bags so that they can be outside your room by 10:30pm on the dot.

We did enjoy Castaway Cay quite a lot and that was definitely a highlight. It really is a pretty setup and there’s lots to do and doesn’t feel horribly crowded even with the whole ship there.

Perhaps we’re just not cruise people. It definitely drove home how relaxing the DVC villas are for our family. At least we tried…

I would give the Fantasy a try, which does majority 7 night cruises. And 7 nights is perfect. You have a whole week to explore the ship and I have never once felt rushed on the Fantasy (been on it 7 times). Cruising may not be for you, but don’t say no just because of the Wish. The rest of the Fleet you may enjoy a lot more.

 

[WorldCruiser]

And the Treasure will pretty much have the same blueprint?

Most likely, but we sure hope not. If takes over the Fantasy’s itineraries with the same layout as the Wish people will be very upset. One big thing is the absence of the walking track on the Wish. If that isn’t on the Treasure and it does 7-night cruises that is a major problem. And the lack of adult space for longer cruises will only cause more irritation as well. Disney hasn’t released much about the Treasure but I doubt it will much different from the Wish unfortunately.

 

[Bound4DisneyWorld]

Just got back from four nights on the Wish and it’s looking like that may have been our first and last DCL cruise. Overall felt the experience was enjoyable but everything felt rushed and a quite stressful.

After watching all sorts of video reviews and doing research we weren’t quite prepared for how small and crowded everything was. The Hyperspace lounge seemed to really highlight the issue. It almost seemed like an afterthought. The theming seemed great in pictures but in reality it was so small and cramped and the service so bad that despite going twice we never were able to order a drink.

The shows were quite good but everything felt so crowded except for the concierge lounge. The other high/low was 1923. The restaurant is gorgeous but the tables were packed so tight it felt like one of those old school furniture stores where you have to contort your body just to walk through. The food was good but not anything awe inspiring. The food highlight was definitely Daisy’s Pizza, which the kids absolutely loved.

The debarkation was so stressful and felt like it killed the vibe of the last night. Instead of enjoying the show and then some after-show activities, you have to rush back to your room and pack up your bags so that they can be outside your room by 10:30pm on the dot.

We did enjoy Castaway Cay quite a lot and that was definitely a highlight. It really is a pretty setup and there’s lots to do and doesn’t feel horribly crowded even with the whole ship there.

Perhaps we’re just not cruise people. It definitely drove home how relaxing the DVC villas are for our family. At least we tried…

Whether on DCL or another line, try a longer cruise. Your first paragraph sums up the way I feel about 3 and 4 night cruises: rushed.

That said, I’m sorry your experience wasn’t what you had hoped for. Glad you can go back to DVC.

 

[JM_97]

I have heard more bad than good things about the Wish. For better or worse, Disney went with a completely different direction with the Wish than they have with the first four. I don't plan on sailing the Wish for many of the reasons you (and others) have listed. Which is fine with me. I won't be losing any sleep over it. I'm just not who the ship is for.

However, I would try another ship before you completely write off DCL. Like I said, the other four are completely different than the Wish and the group of them are all pretty similar to each other. They are the more traditional DCL experience, especially the Magic and Wonder.

 

[soniam]

You might try a smaller ship, like Magic or Wonder. A 7+ night is a must for us; however, those are usually only on Fantasy in the Caribbean, which is a big ship, about the same size as Wish. You could do a different itinerary, ie Alaska or Europe, to get 7+ nights. We are doing a 4 night xmas cruise in December on Wish. I wanted to try the ship. It was the only xmas cruise that worked with our schedule. We have been on enough cruises to not let the ship or number of days taint the experience. Plus, I don't think we will get off at Nassau; sea days are our bag. I wouldn't give up yet.

 

[Cheburashka]

If takes over the Fantasy’s itineraries with the same layout as the Wish people will be very upset.

I'm booked on the Fantasy for a cruise each year through New Year's 2025. If the classic four ships ever all stop sailing to Castaway Cay, I will have to stop sailing DCL. I have a feeling Disney will keep at least some of them sailing to Castaway at least part of the year. They have to know that a lot of people love them and do not like the Wish.

 

[JM_97]

I'm booked on the Fantasy for a cruise each year. If the classic four ships all stop sailing to Castaway Cay, I will have to stop sailing DCL. I have a feeling Disney will keep at least some of them sailing to Castaway at least part of the year. They have to know that a lot of people love them and do not like the Wish.

The Dream and Magic will still go to Castaway, but also have Lighthouse Point mixed in. Select cruises will have both so there are plenty of chances to get your CC fix on these ships.

The Wonder obviously can't/won't unless for some unknown reason they bring her back to the Atlantic which would then probably involve switching with the Magic. Very, very small chance of that happening.

Just a guess here but I think the Fantasy will split time between San Diego and an Atlantic Ocean port, so she will be at CC less frequently. Still a decent amount, but not nearly as much.

Wish and Treasure will do the OG itineraries from Port Canaveral so they will be at CC the most by far.

 

[WorldCruiser]

I'm booked on the Fantasy for a cruise each year through New Year's 2025. If the classic four ships ever all stop sailing to Castaway Cay, I will have to stop sailing DCL. I have a feeling Disney will keep at least some of them sailing to Castaway at least part of the year. They have to know that a lot of people love them and do not like the Wish.

I think at least one will stay in Florida year round with the new Home Port in Fort Lauderdale and at least 2 or 3 have to be from Port Canaveral. The question will be how long of cruises will the whichever ship from Original 4 do from the Florida ports.