Disney Wonder Review (12/15 - 18)

[GMoney]

I just returned from a 3-night cruise on the Disney Wonder (12/15 – 18), and since I have some spare time, I’m posting my thoughts and comments. Here’s a little bit about me to give you an idea where I’m coming from: I’m a single 36 year old guy living in Philadelphia. I’ve been on about 35 cruises since 1998, mostly Royal Caribbean, but including Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard and Princess. This was my second Disney cruise; I did the same 3-dayer for Christmas 2004. Both times I stayed in an Oceanview Stateroom on Deck 2. I drink, but do not smoke or gamble, and I prefer to maximize my cruise days with sun and excursions. I like Disney, but am not a Disney fanatic or collector, and have never been to DisneyWorld. My passion is cruising. =)

Embarkation: Disney has designed their Port Canaveral terminal to facilitate the smooth flow of passengers between staging areas. I checked in around 11:30am. First, I passed through standard security screening. Before proceeding up an escalator to the main check-in area, I was handed a card with a number that determined the group I would board with. (My boarding group number was 5; the numbers were called in relatively rapid succession). Next, I walked right up to the check-in counter; the courteous clerk completed the process in about 5 minutes. I spent another 5 minutes in the waiting area (which was spacious and furnished with TVs playing Disney cartoons). Once my boarding number was called, I moved to the next set of queues to board the ship – my “Key to the World” card and photo ID were checked, welcome aboard photos were offered (along with a select few Disney characters), and I was on the ship. Disney personalizes their embarkation process by announcing your arrival (“Disney welcomes the Smith family!”), which is a nice touch. They also station a large number of cruise staff at the entrance. As each family comes on, a staff member walks the family through the Lobby Atrium, explains that staterooms are not available until 1:30pm, points the way to lunch, and answers any questions.

Grade: A -. I’m nitpicking here, but restricting stateroom access until 1:30 is a hassle because I always carry-on, and I detest lugging my bags around. This delay technique is used commonly across cruise lines, and I understand why, but Disney really takes it seriously.

Ship Design & Features: Compared to similar class cruise ships, there is nothing really stunning about the Wonder, but it is a fine ship - well-designed, well-appointed and easy to navigate. Disney does a great job of compartmentalizing the ship’s public areas which make it feel bigger than its 83,000 tons. Route 66 is a great example of this; its 3 main rooms all have a distinctive look-and-feel, but together they form an effective entertainment hub. The Sports Bar is by far the best at sea; it’s a comfortable room with multiple TV screens and monitors, but what sets it apart is the top notch programming Disney chooses to pipe in (from subsidiary ESPN and other outlets). They also have a small buffet which is handy for those of us who like to camp out and see an entire game, and are too lazy to hike to Pluto’s Snack Bar on Deck 9. Production shows are staged in the Walt Disney Theatre, which is of good size and nicely appointed; however, I found the chairs to be torturously uncomfortable. The snack bar right outside the theatre is a great touch, selling a wide variety of candy bars, drinks and munchies. Be sure to get to each show at least 20 minutes early to ensure good seating, as the theatre fills up quickly.

On your way to the Theatre, you’ll find the onboard shopping “district” – 2 large stores filled with all kinds of Disney goodies, from clothes to plush toys to jewelry. As uber- retailers, Disney makes the most of this space, and must yield more sales per square foot than similar shops on other cruise lines, which are often filled with much less compelling items (aka – junk). Movies are shown regularly in a separate space - the Buena Vista Theatre - which is also very nice and perfectly suited as a good-sized cinema, complete the stadium seating, and is far superior to the multi-purpose or re-purposed rooms that many cruise ships use for movies.

The Arcade also ranks as one of the best at sea with a good array of new and old games (including Space Invaders, Ms. PacMan, Galaga, Star Trek, 2 Star Wars games and a litany of racing games) in a good sized room; just be prepared for lots of active kids invading the area in the early evenings. One of my favorite spots is the Cove Café on Deck 9. A coffeehouse specializing in java drinks and teas, the Café is furnished with internet stations, excellent array of magazines, and a television (usually programmed to CNN). The Café – and it’s adjoining Quiet Cove pool - are a wonderful sanctuary to relax and get away from the kid craziness that you will find just down the deck at the Goofy and Mickey pools. Best of all (and unlike other cruise lines), Disney actually proactively enforces the age limit in the pool area, politely asking unaware underage passengers to use an alternate pool.

Like most other ships, there are a few areas that become easily congested with heavy traffic (Shutters Photo area, Beach Blanket Buffet, soda station next to the Mickey Pool), and things can get quite busy any time a Disney character appears for an event. The small capacity of the elevators is made up by the number of them throughout the ship. There is limited deck space for sunning, with a dearth of good, unobstructed angles; but this can be overcome with some creative repositioning of chairs. There is no casino or library, and I did not find myself missing these features, largely because Disney offers superior entertainment and activities.

Grade: A. The Wonder is a beautiful, comfortable, well-maintained ship that maximizes the functionality of all its public areas to avoid any overcrowdedness or wasted space. The ship has something from everyone – whether you’re a kid or an adult, family or single traveler.

Cabins: Like the rest of the ship, the cabins are clean, comfortable, spacious and tastefully appointed in a nautical theme. Our Deck 2 stateroom was enhanced by a huge porthole, which makes the room feel bigger than it is. The beds are the standard cruise ship “biscuits” – small, but not totally uncomfortable. There is a significant amount of closet and storage space, along with a safe and a clock in the shape of a propeller. The couch in our room comfortably seats 2 people, and easily turns over into a third bed, which can be cordoned off in the evenings by a curtain for privacy. Best of all is the divided bathroom; this clever innovation puts the toilet and sink in one tiny room, and the shower in another, which maximizes the use of the facilities and speeds things along, especially when preparing for dinner in the evenings. The thermostat provided effective control over the room’s temperature. The TV is tragically small, but the programming is far superior to the standard cruise fare, offering a wide variety of Disney movies old and new, ESPN, CNN and even a feed from the ABC station in NYC.

Grade: A-. Disney offers some of the best accommodations I’ve experienced at sea, and our cabin attendant was first-rate (both in terms of service and her sharp wit and humor which was highly entertaining). The only thing lacking is an interactive TV system (something perfected by RCI). I’ve come to depend on its features, and miss such abilities as being able to check my on-board charges on demand.

Dining: In short, the culinary experience on the Wonder is excellent. We had main seating for dinner, which starts around 6pm. Disney offers rotational dining, which (on a 3-day cruise) means you spend 1 night in each of their 3 unique dining rooms. Your wait staff follows you (our waiter was Geoff from Australia and Luigi from Italy), as do your tablemates, so there is some consistency. Small movie-type tickets are sent to your stateroom with the exact order of your dining experience, and the codes are printed on your boarding card in case you forget. I was surprised how well the rotational dining works simply from a process perspective, and it offers a unique experience each evening. Animator Palate is the most innovative room and a must for every Disney fan with its color-changing magic, Triton’s is most like the typical classy cruise-ship dining room, and Parrot Cay – patterned after the Tiki Room found at both land-based resorts - has an informal, casual feel, enhanced by a live band. Each night, the waiters and assistant waiters perform a brief show, which is entertaining and endearing. The dining room food was delicious, the menus varied, and the service top-notch.

For breakfast and lunch, we visited the Beach Blanket Buffet on Deck 9, which offers the standard cruise fare for these meals. The salad bar was disappointing in terms of selection and quality, and the Caesar salad was so drenched in dressing that it was inedible. Fast food –type fare (burgers, chicken fingers, fries, etc) is available at Pluto’s Snack Bar, and pizza at Pinocchio’s Pizzeria. Nothing remarkable here.

Grade: A. There are a few things that set Disney apart in this category for me: they provides soft drinks free of charge; they have outdoor dining at the Beach Blanket Buffet; they offer an excellent selection of delicious sliced fresh fruit at Scoops Ice Cream bar; they give you a number when ordering an omelet and bring it to you (rather than having a crazy long line); and they emphasize cleanliness with ever-present hand sanitizer stations (throughout the ship) and even have crew handing out wipes at dinner.

Entertainment: Not surprisingly, this is where Disney really sets itself apart by capitalizing on its rich legacy, particularly with the evening production shows, but also with the peripheral activities. There are 3 shows: Hercules the Muse-ical (tracing the coming of age of Hercules), the Golden Mickeys (an award show takeoff that integrates passenger participation while spotlighting the history of Disney’s heroes and villians), and Disney Dreams (a heart-string pulling, you-can-do-anything-if-you-just-believe showstopper). All of the shows are well-written and well-performed, with outstanding vocal performances and good effects, and you do not have to be a Disney aficionado to thoroughly enjoy them.

And when the shows are over, there’s still plenty to do, even with no casino. Disney runs a variety of first-rate movies in the Buena Vista Theatre; “Chronicles of Narnia” was playing on our cruise. Playing games in the arcade, having coffee and reading ESPN Magazine in the Cove Café, or watching NFL games in the Sports Bar were things I really enjoyed. Kids can always count on multiple character appearances, which are well-publicized. Disney also provides the standard cruise entertainment like bingo and theme nights (70s, 80s). The highlight is the “Pirates In the Caribbean” deck party (night 2). The Goofy pool is covered, and crew in pirate garb energize the crowd with a lot of singing and dancing to loud recorded music. Captain Hook and Smee eventually show up, and a mock pirate battle is staged, complete with the pirate crew swinging from smokestack to smokestack. The party’s grand finale is a volley of fireworks off the starboard side, something I had never experienced at sea and was very impressive. Grade: A+

Ports of Call: Our short cruise stopped at Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. I’ve been to Nassau often, so I happily spent the day onboard. Castaway Cay is the best private island I’ve been to, even with the improvements RCI has made to CocoCay and Labadee. Best off all, the ship docks, so there’s no tendering.

Castaway Cay comes complete with paved paths for walking and biking, trams for those need them to traverse the island (which is sizable as far as private islands go), stores for shopping, several different beaches, snorkeling, dining facilities, and plenty of kid-friendly activities and areas. We spent the day at Serenity Bay, the “adult” beach on the island. Chairs and umbrellas are neatly set up all along the beach, and there was plenty of room. Bar staff roam the shore to take drink orders (the Conch Cooler is particularly good, similar to RCI’s Coco Loco), and standard BBQ eats are available from 11:30am – 2pm just a few steps away from the beach. Restroom facilities are close by; they are clean and complete with outdoor showers. With a bright, moderate sun, refreshing ocean water and a cool breeze, a day at Castaway Cay is hard to beat. We were glad to hear from the Captain at the repeaters party that Disney is offering some itineraries in 2006 with 2 days at Castaway Cay. Grade: A

Disembarkation: Getting off was just as easy as getting on. We docked around 6am, and by 7:30am, we had cleared customs and were able to disembark the ship. I was surprised to see that Disney does not stage disembarking by group or color code; passengers simply leave whenever they are ready. I passed through Immigration, and walked right over to the adjacent parking lot and boarded my transfer bus to Orlando International Airport. The major airlines all have stations set up, allowing passengers to check in and have their luggage transported by van to the airport. Our bus left around 8am and arrived at OIA at 8:45. The ride was smooth and comfortable, and classic cartoons are played on small video screens to keep everyone entertained. We were so far ahead of schedule that I was able to get an early flight back to PHL. Disney’s departure process is so effective and painless, I found myself wondering why other cruise lines do not make the same effort. Grade: A+

Overall Summary: From start to finish, Disney is the best cruise line I have sailed (though Royal Caribbean remains my favorite). Their attention to detail and excellence in all phases of the cruise make them hard to beat, and worth their higher fares. People really seem to visibly have a great time on a Disney Cruise; there is a lot of energy, spirit, “Wonder” and “Magic” that you just don’t see on other cruises. Whether you are a family with kids, adults who never outgrew the Disney obsession, or someone who just enjoys a good cruise to somewhere warm, the Wonder has something for everyone. Grade: A.

[NancyIL]

Thank you for your excellent review! I've visited Disney World many times, and am looking forward to my first Disney cruise on the Wonder next December. :)

[momrek06]

:D GMONEY: Your timing is SUPERB. DH & I just booked the DCL Wonder Land & Sea 1/29/06. We are so pumped. This is OUR first cruise EVER! Your review was WONDERFUL. Just to take the time out of your schedule to write all that is fantastic for someone like me who has NO IDEA what to expect. Your review has me so sure I have done the right thing. We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge while in Disney and then our Cabin on the Wonder is CAT 5 and DECK 7! We are leaving the kids HOME and going alone! Any other advice you can pass along would be fabulous although you pretty much covered everything in your glowing review of the Wonder!! Thanks allot...momrek06:D

[settingsail]

Thank you so much for the wonderful review . I enjoy reading detailed reviews :) .

 

We are going on the 7 day cruise in late April and looking forward to sailing on the Magic . We have also opted to do a 4 day Animal Kingdom Lodge stay prior to our sailing so the girls can met Mickey and Minney in person for the first time .

Happy Holidays Everyone !

[M4Travels]

Thanks for the review, GMoney! Greatly appreciated by both of us. We'll be on the Wonder Jan 22 - 26 and really looking forward to it.

 

Michael and Marc

[jcemom]

Thank you for the most detailed review I've read yet! I really appreciate a review from an adult's perspective, since I already know my kids will love a Disney cruise, LOL. :D

[Indy-Taz]

Thank you for the great review of the Wonder.

I will be aboard the Wonder from 1/5/06 to 1/8/06.

I have surprised my wife with this cruise for our 10th anniversary, and being our first cruise I wasn't sure what to expect. I now know that we will have a great time onboard.

Thank you again for the great review!!