Above: Disney
Cruise Lines Disney Wonder Cruise Ship.
Ship info
The Disney Wonder cruise ship departs from Orlando,
Florida. Throughout the year, she offers ocean cruises to the
Bahamas.
Check Dates & Prices for cruises to Bahamas.
Began service: January, 1999 Guest capacity: 2,400 Total staff: 950 Length: 964 feet Passenger decks: 11 CDC
inspection score: 97
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code: 9J7S-T94
Disney Wonder Overview
From the outside, the Wonder is a sleek ship, with a dark
blue hull, two matching red funnels and yellow insignias encircling
the ship (Mickey's colors). The decor inside is elegant art nouveau.
This ship proves that "elegant" and "family friendly"
don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Disney's ships are designed
to offer something for everyone from honeymooners to multigenerational
family groups. Adults have numerous places to call their own, and
since there are so many kids on board (and adults watching them),
the Quiet Cove Pool, Vista Spa and
Route 66 entertainment district never seem to be
to crowded. Family activities set this ship apart from the others.
The Wonder looks brand-new since its refurbishment in October
2004. Three new areas were added to the ship -- Cove Cafe,
Diversions, and Aloft. Cove Cafe
is an adults-only coffee bar; it's a great space for relaxing on comfortable
couches, watching TV, checking email, or reading one of the many magazines
on the shelves. Diversions is a pub-style sports
bar. Aloft is a new space for teens. called Aloft.
Disney's Wonder alternates three- and four-night Bahamas
itineraries. Both make calls to Disney's private island Castaway Cay
and Nassau, Bahamas. The four-night allows for a day at sea to enjoy
all of the ship's offerings.
Cabins
On Disney Wonder, standard inside staterooms are about
184 square ft. with the smallest balcony cabin starting at 226 square
ft. The majority offer a comfortable layout with bedroom and living
room areas, separated by a curtain (a plus for anyone who likes to
read before bed but doesn't want to make it too bright for children
sleeping nearby).
There is a convenient deep sofa that converts to a daybed with a top
"bunk" that folds down from the ceiling. It is great to
be able to leave the beds set-up during the day without taking up
all the floor space that a pulled out sofa bed would. Families of
five can choose a family stateroom. They're a bit larger and have
a sofa bed in addition to a wall-mounted Murphy bed.
There are plenty of storage areas including a closet with an attached
six drawer dresser, several drawers and high shelves in the desk/dressing
table area, plus an upright steamer trunk that provides easy access
to clothes for young kids. The TV has a wide array of channels to
choose from including ABC, ESPN, CNN, some Discovery Channels, and
the Disney Channel.
Most staterooms include Disney's unique "bath and a half"
where one person can shower in one bathroom while someone else is
using the toilet in the other. The result of the split design is that
each bathroom is cramped.
When selecting a stateroom, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The only difference between categories 5 and 6 is
that category 5 is on a higher deck. The handicap-accessible
rooms are huge with plenty of open floor space, a large walk in closet,
couch, pull down bed, and a bathroom larger than the ones in some
of the suites. The balcony is also a good size, except it has a half-wall
so it's difficult to see the water unless you're standing.
Category 7 balconies also have an obstructed half-wall
view. For a stateroom that offers an outside view at an inside price,
try to book one of the following cabins: 5020, 5022, 5024, 5520, 5522
or 5524. These cabins are priced as an inside category 10,
but are similar in layout to outside category 8,
and offer a porthole window (5024 and 5524 with an obstructed view).
Inside cabins are similar in decor and amenities to the outside with
the exception being the least expensive inside staterooms have one
bathroom and one sink.
There are three types of suites ranging from one
to two-bedrooms and accommodating five to eight people. They are appointed
with dining tables, numerous storage areas and TVs, plus whirlpool
tubs, expansive balconies, and a cabinet with popular board games.
The Walt Disney Suite is the grandest (typically
booked a year in advance) and filled with family photographs of Walt
and a baby grand piano.
Dining
There are three main restaurants on the Wonder, and every
guest dines in each of them at least once (on the four-night cruise
you return to your first restaurant for a second time). Your dining
tickets will be waiting for you in your stateroom indicating your
dining time (6 or 8:30pm), table number and restaurant rotation. Your
table number, dining companions and servers remain the same throughout.
Two additional Disney dining perks include free sodas during dinner
at these restaurants (and at the self-service beverage station on
the pool deck), along with a different children's menu/activity sheet
each night, filled with fun word games, a coloring sheet and maze.
Triton's is an upscale dining room with stained glass
walls and a shimmering tiled wall depicting a scene from the Little
Mermaid. They offer continental cuisine with a French flair.
Animator's Palate starts out in stark black and white,
but during the course of dinner, changes slowly into a room filled
with color. At one point, near the end of the meal, the various screens
around the restaurant come alive with Disney animations past and present.
When the waiters reappear to take dessert orders, their black vests
have been replaced with brightly-colored ones.
Parrot Cay offers a Caribbean-themed multi-sensory
experience, with birds chirping in the background, and bold tropical
colors, including the oversized green porthole windows. We visited
for lunch one day and discovered a delicious seafood lunch buffet,
and a much better salad bar than we'd found upstairs at Beach
Blanket Buffet.
Palo, the adult-only restaurant, is an open-kitchen
dining room with espresso bar, wine cellar and sweeping ocean views.
Inspired by the Italian birthplace of the ship, Palo
is named for the poles that line the canals of Venice and serves Northern
Italian cuisine. The restaurant is open for dinner (and for Champagne
Brunch during the "at sea" day on a four-night cruise);
both require reservations, which should be made as soon as you board
the ship. The food and service here is worth so much more than the
$10 per-person charge.
Beach Blanket Buffet is the indoor/outdoor place for breakfast
and lunch buffets. (Note: If you want fried eggs you must head to
one of the restaurants.) Casual outdoor eateries include Pinocchio's
Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House, and Scoops,
serving ice-cream with an assortment of toppings. Cookie Time
offers DVD-sized assorted cookies.
Entertainment
The premiere entertainment facility is the Walt Disney Theatre.
This venue has comfortable seating, unobstructed views from almost
anywhere, and is home to some of the best production shows I've seen
at sea. Other productions include "Disney Dreams," a bedtime
story featuring Peter Pan, Cinderella, and others, plus "Hercules
-- The Musical."
For interactive entertainment, Studio Sea
offers scavenger hunts, family karaoke and game shows like "Walk
the Plank". Buena Vista Theatre features current
Disney G-rated releases throughout the day and adult-oriented movies
from its subsidiary film studios in the evening.
Along Route 66, a variety of games are hosted in
Diversions from "Who's the Boss" (a battle
of the sexes) to sports trivia contests. Piano and vocal favorites
can be found in the Cadillac Lounge. G-rated is home
to everything from adult cabaret to 70's and 80's dance parties.
Despite all of the elaborate entertainment, one of the biggest highlights
of the cruise for young children is the character appearances. The
digital display board in the atrium lists the appearances. Many children
arrived each evening decked out as Minnie Mouse, Belle, Cinderella,
or wearing their favorite Disney pajamas, all anxiously waiting to
get an autograph or picture with their favorite character.
Fitness & Recreation
The pool area consists of three age-specific swimming pools
and a 200-foot-long Mickey Mouse-themed water slide. The Mickey's
Pool is for the younger set. Family-friendly Goofy's
Pool is four-feet deep, with two whirlpools adjacent, and
right in front of the main outdoor stage. Quiet Cove
is the adults-only pool and is definitely quiet compared to the rest
of the pool deck. The area is surrounded by two large hot tubs, an
outdoor bar, and the adult-only Cafe Cove where you
can get frozen coffee drinks to sip by the pool. Deck 10
has additional lounge seating overlooking the various pools as well
as a basketball court and volleyball area.
Deck 4 promenade is the place for running (three
laps equal one mile), or relaxing on cushioned lounge chairs that
you won't find up on the pool deck. The area is far from the crowds
and, aside from shuffleboard on the starboard side and an occasional
jogger, is perfectly peaceful enough to listen to the waves.
The Vista Spa & Salon offers an assortment of
massages, facials, and self-improvement treatments ranging in price
from $15 to over $200. For $15 you can buy a day pass to the spa's
"tropical rain forest" -- a circular Tuscan-themed (co-ed)
aromatherapy area with a fountain in the center, and steam rooms,
dry saunas and tropical rain showers off to the sides. Sleep-deprived
parents might enjoy the unusual Chakra Balancing Capsule -- 25 minutes
of rest in this aromatherapy space-age capsule is supposed to be worth
two hours of sleep ($45).
The spa also includes a modestly sized fitness room that is equipped
with Cybex weight machines, cycles, balance balls, mats, and seven
treadmills that overlook the bridge and have televisions above. The
front desk provides headsets for you to use while listening to the
televisions. In addition, yoga, Pilates and cardio kick boxing classes
are offered in the exercise studio.
We include a description of Castaway Cay, Disney's
private island, here, because it is a land-based extension of the
ship's fitness and recreation options. Castaway Cay
is an island paradise of crystal clear waters, beach umbrellas, and
a family beach. Snorkeling gear and assorted rafts and tubes are available
to rent at reasonable prices. If you're lucky, you'll be able to nab
one of the six hammocks strung up in the trees not far behind the
She Shells shop. If you want to be on the family
beach, but away from the crowds, head around the path toward Heads
Up Bar, on the other side of the horseshoe from where the
ship docks.
It's easy to get around the island; trams from the dock to various
points on the island run continuously throughout the day. Island highlights
include the beach barbecue; biking along paved (and sandy) trails;
snorkeling out to see sunken treasures; relaxing at Serenity
Bay, the adults only beach; and having a massage in one of
the open-air cabanas overlooking the ocean.
Public Areas
Decks 3, 4 and 5 are home to the majority of public
spaces as well as the three-deck-high atrium lobby, which is also
home to character appearances each evening, pin trading and the guest
service and shore excursion desks. The Promenade Lounge
is a peaceful area with ocean views, board games and internet-access
stations (75 cents per minute, with a minimum of five minutes).
Just before the entrance to the Walt Disney Theatre
are two large shops. Mickey's Mates sells assorted
character items. Treasure Ketch is the place to go
for clothing, jewelry, unique Christmas ornaments, and an exclusive
Waterford Crystal Disney ship.
Outdoor adult areas include Signals Bar facing the
Quiet Cove pool, decorated in nautical flags. It
was quiet with soft music playing in the background and plenty of
chairs to choose from. For your own private hideaway, Deck
7's Aft Overlook is where you can enjoy water views and silence,
unless the captain is there officiating a wedding.
Trivia tidbit: On most cruise ships there are 10 - 12 different carpet
patterns; on Disney ships there are over 100. The reason? Themes and
navigation. For example, the carpets bordered in red symbolize entertainment
areas, whereas each restaurant's carpet is tied into its theme, like
Beach Blanket Buffet's carpet of polka dot and checkerboard
"beach blankets" strewn about. In addition, each deck of
the ship has a different carpet inlay near the elevator banks to help
guests identify various decks.
Kids
Disney's greatest advantage is the
abundance of choices you have for spending time together as a family,
as well as spending it apart in age-specific activities.
As for the children's programs, Disney offers programming for
babies as young as 12 weeks to teens, with a few advantages like pagers
for parents (with text-messaging so pre-teens and teens can let parents
know where they'll be), continuation of program activities on Castaway
Cay and flexible age groupings.
Flounder's Reef Nursery is designed for babies and toddlers.
Head to the nursery as soon as you board and decide what time slots
you'd like, they go quickly. The fee is $6 per hour ($5 per hour for
each additional child), and you must cancel four hours in advance
if you decide not to bring your child. The ratio of counselors to
children is 1 to 4 for infants and 1 to 6 for toddlers.
Oceaneer Club (Ages 3 - 7) A separate schedule of
events is planned for ages 3 - 4 and 5 - 7 with some overlap during
the day. Activities vary from the Jr. Chef Experience,
where kids get to make their own chocolate chip cookies, to Animation
Antics, where they learn to draw their favorite Disney characters
or make up new ones. There is plenty of run-around time on the enormous
indoor pirate ship, complete with slides, tunnels, and climbing areas.
Oceaneer Lab (Ages 8 - 12) The Lab plans for ages
8-9 and 10-12, with some overlap. In addition to bridge tours, "Pajamarama"
pizza parties, computer and Playstation2 time, and movie outings,
the Lab offers kids a chance to perform amazing feats
of strength using basic physics, including immobilizing others with
one finger, and removing a tablecloth from the dinner table without
disturbing the dishes (part of Hercules' Feats of Strength
program). In Goofy's Files, they learn about the
world of forensics as they try to identify people by viewing hair,
clothing fibers, fingerprints and handwriting samples.
Aloft (Ages 13 - 17) This brand new area for teens
is a cross between a college dorm and a coffee shop with lots of overstuffed
couches and chairs. Aloft includes the latest video games, MP3 listening
stations, board games and magazines, plus a bar that dispenses soft
drinks and smoothies. In addition, there are several planned activities
tailored to younger teens, along with events for the entire group,
like the Funnel Fusion Dance Party.
Hint: Pick up a copy of "Disney Sea University"
at any of the kid's areas for a full schedule of events each day of
the cruise. Other than Flounder's Reef Nursery, there
is no charge for the programs.
Expert Disney Wonder reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
