Wonder v Dream or Fantasy

[travelhound12]

Hi All,  I've searched the forums until I started seeing double but couldn't find my answer.  Basically, we're planning on taking our 8 year old on a disney cruise for spring break.  We're military so the last minute deals are pretty sweet.  We're on the west coast so can catch the wonder next month without the added expense of flights, hotel, etc.  The only catch I find is that the wonder is an older ship and of course being on the west coast we'll miss out on the disney private island.  Should we spring for an east coast trip to get on a newer ship and the private island? Does Wonder show her age and has less amenities because she's smaller?

 

The east coast cruise adds a substantial amount to the trip, which I'll pay if it makes a significant experience on the quality of the trip.  I want to make this an amazing experience for her.  Both dates work for our schedules so it's literally a question of older ship, more convenient, less cost v. newer ship, more money and adding a cross country flight.

 

Please share thoughts and opinions.   TIA!

[Shmoo here]

5 hours ago, travelhound12 said:

Hi All,  I've searched the forums until I started seeing double but couldn't find my answer.  Basically, we're planning on taking our 8 year old on a disney cruise for spring break.  We're military so the last minute deals are pretty sweet.  We're on the west coast so can catch the wonder next month without the added expense of flights, hotel, etc.  The only catch I find is that the wonder is an older ship and of course being on the west coast we'll miss out on the disney private island.  Should we spring for an east coast trip to get on a newer ship and the private island? Does Wonder show her age and has less amenities because she's smaller?

 

The east coast cruise adds a substantial amount to the trip, which I'll pay if it makes a significant experience on the quality of the trip.  I want to make this an amazing experience for her.  Both dates work for our schedules so it's literally a question of older ship, more convenient, less cost v. newer ship, more money and adding a cross country flight.

 

Please share thoughts and opinions.   TIA!

Well, my initial question would be - what are the various itineraries?  How long are the cruises?  For me, I prefer nothing shorter than 7 nights.  Plus I prefer the older, Magic class ships over the larger, Dream class.

 

 

[kstetser]

The Wonder is a great ship that has been through multiple upgrades/refurbishments.  If it's going to be cheaper/easier for you to sail out of CA, I suggest that is what you do.

[ForMyBoys2015]

I've been on all 4 Disney ships and the Wonder is my favorite!  Our very first Disney cruise was on the Magic, then Fantasy twice, then Wonder, then the Dream.   Honestly all 4 cruise ships are awesome.  I would not worry at all about the age of the ship, Disney does such a good job of keeping the ships up.  They are truly immaculate.   If you have one close to you where you can avoid travel expenses I say go for it!

 

Now of course you can book that second cruise on board and get 10% off and make that one your east coast cruise w/ the trip to Castaway Cay because after one you'll be hooked 🙂 

[travelhound12]

5 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Well, my initial question would be - what are the various itineraries?  How long are the cruises?  For me, I prefer nothing shorter than 7 nights.  Plus I prefer the older, Magic class ships over the larger, Dream class.

 

 

They're both 7 days. The Wonder is doing three ports in western Mexico while the Fantasy is going to the eastern caribbean

[travelhound12]

44 minutes ago, ForMyBoys2015 said:

I've been on all 4 Disney ships and the Wonder is my favorite!  Our very first Disney cruise was on the Magic, then Fantasy twice, then Wonder, then the Dream.   Honestly all 4 cruise ships are awesome.  I would not worry at all about the age of the ship, Disney does such a good job of keeping the ships up.  They are truly immaculate.   If you have one close to you where you can avoid travel expenses I say go for it!

 

Now of course you can book that second cruise on board and get 10% off and make that one your east coast cruise w/ the trip to Castaway Cay because after one you'll be hooked 🙂 

I thought about that but they're literally one week apart.  I would debark and have to head straight to the airport.  Not sure I want to do that lol

[Shmoo here]

31 minutes ago, travelhound12 said:

They're both 7 days. The Wonder is doing three ports in western Mexico while the Fantasy is going to the eastern caribbean

I'd go with the Wonder.  Mostly because there are no flights involved.  

 

But the question is whether you have more interest in the western Mexico ports or the eastern Caribbean ports.

[ForMyBoys2015]

34 minutes ago, travelhound12 said:

I thought about that but they're literally one week apart.  I would debark and have to head straight to the airport.  Not sure I want to do that lol

Luckily you have up to two years to use the 10% discount.  😉

[CalgaryMac]

We have been on the Wonder and Fantasy. You can't beat the convenience for you of a West Coast sailing. Both ships are great.

[ChrisCJR]

I've been on all four ships, my favorite is the Dream, but all of them are exceptional. 

 

The Dream and Fantasy are both great ships, almost identical really, but the Dream tends to have shorter itineraries.  While shorter might sound bad, the longer cruises are still limited to the same functions that the shorter cruises have.  For example, there's only three full budget stage shows on longer cruises with filler in between (a couple smaller scale shows and usually a special act that can appear on any cruise line - think a comedian or magician, not to say it's bad - just not that exclusive Disney production).  There's also only three core restaurants, so even on a three night cruise, you'll see all three unless you opt to go premium at Palo or Remy.

 

If the Wonder is closer for you, I would say that's the best option, as others have said.  Taking out flights makes the trip a lot more relaxing, in my opinion.  We enjoyed Disney Wonder a lot.  There's less technology involved, but that could be a good thing.  It's a very relaxing ship and has plenty to do.

[gometros]

Since this will be your first Disney Cruise, I'll echo the already voiced sentiments. Go with the Wonder, since it involves no flights and there are 7-night options available. With the recent dry dock and the changes that came with it, the Wonder is a great option for kids. And then (since you WILL be hooked) you can book onboard for a future cruise out of the east coast.

 

We'll be on her in three weeks and am eager to see the changes since we last sailed on the Wonder in 2015.  We're also in the group that prefers the older ships. They're smaller and more intimate. 

[cantgetin]

I actually prefer the smaller "classic" ships.  I'd choose one of them in a heartbeat, especially if it avoided the cost and hassle of flying.

[Tasm3n]

We've been on all the ships but the Dream.  DCL does a wonderful job of maintaining their ships and keeping them in pristine shape.  My favorite of the ships so far has been the Wonder, though.

 

There are definitely pros and cons for all the ships but the smaller ships and specifically the Wonder won us over on our last cruise.  We stayed midship and loved the convenience of having the stairwell right there by our stateroom.