We just got back from the Wish last week and tbh, we were very disappointed.
we wanted to love it as we went with our five year old twins but we just were baffled with all the hype about this ship.
our last cruise, the Quantum of the Seas by Royal Caribbean blew The Wish out of the water and that was from nearly 6 years ago compared to a 2022 ship!
I’ll start with the good, bc it wasn’t a terrible time by any means; the service was great but that’s always been our experience with RC as well so DCL was the same. The two shows we went too were fantastic, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid. We also enjoyed the Marvel night and the private theater to watch movies. The Frozen night was very very bland. The food, a Nordic menu, was too authentically Nordic and flavorless…think boiled potatoes and vegetables and bland meats.
the breakfast dining options were maybe a little better than a hotel continental breakfast. Their Mexican version of chipotle was extremely basic, as they definitely didn’t lean in on authentic Latin seasonings and made it appeal to a more broad palate. Think if Chipotle and AppleBees combined.
The food, although presented well, was so flavorless my wife and I jokingly said this is what COVID must feel like.
the pool areas were extremely cramped and limited. In fact I couldn’t believe how few pool options we had. The TRex slide(yellow one) was purely for kids as the water thrust wouldn’t even exit an adult. All the adults has to scoot their way towards the slide exit, and the Aquamouse always had a 30-60 minute wait. The fitness area must have been an after thought as it was practically a cramped cardio room. Treadmills, and elipticals, with some stationary bikes.
the firework show at sea was great, as was the pirate show.
what surprised us the most was the amount of adults on the cruise traveling without kids. They would scream and be so over joyed to see costumed characters and waiting for their photos, wearing head to toe Mickey Mouse clothing and gear. I noticed grown adults clapping and jumping when a masked character walked by, and sitting on the edge of their seats during The Little Mermaid. The adult fandom was incredible! We love Disney, and go maybe once or twice a year, but we’re just not obsessed with that concept.
we asked a couple in front of us and they said this was their 25th DCL cruise, and I asked have they ever been on another cruise line. They replied no, proudly. And there in lied the issue. They don’t know the wow factor of cruising in an Oasis class ship on Royal Carribean. Here on DCL you felt you were on a boat. The feeling was obvious, from the small rooms, to the narrow hallways. On an Oasis class, you forget your on a ship as there are so many themes and avenues to explore.
the oceaneer club was great and I loved the Star Wars and Marvel themes. Also the split toilet and showers in the rooms were such a good idea.
Lastly was the value as the price for our family of four for a four day cruise was nearly $5K for a standard ocean balcony. Our RC cruise, 8 days, with great exotic ports was $4k!
I don’t think I will go back on a DCL. Although my kids liked the Star Wars area, the entertainment options on RC far outweigh the dressed characters that so many made a big deal about on DCL.
pardon my criticism. I know bashing anything Disney these days can get you banished in social media prison…but I wanted to love it! I just couldn’t wrap my head around all the hype.
