This is a review of Disney Wonder 4 Day Cruise that we took from Galveston to Cruise on Dec 24, 2015.
Cruise Comparison to NCL and Carnival
We had taken 2 other Cruises before - NCL and Carnival. Carnival seems to have reputation for being a party ship and is known for some high profile health scare. Disney is reputed for being kids friendly. NCL is famous for being informal(freestyle cruising) and choosing your dining time.My initial impression on entering Disney Cruise was of disappointment. The Cruise Ship did not seem as glamorous as previous 2 Cruise Ships. This is probably due to the Disney Wonder ship being old(1999) and relatively smaller (probably due to Galveston being a smaller port compared to Miami).
There were very few activity which for adults. This is a cruise designed for kids(especially small girls). It was however nice to see things were not chaotic - unlike my previous 2 cruises.
Room :
The rooms were relatively bigger and the restaurant, hot tubs etc were not as crowded(again on comparison to other cruises).They had 2 Wave phone(like a 2-way transistor ) in our room so that we can use it to call each other while roaming in the ship. However, we preferred to use our cell phone and had already downloaded Disney Cruise Navigator app that allowed us to chat with each other. The notification would not work(randomly) on my Android Phone, if the app was not open. It worked fine on iPhone, even if the app was not open.
Deck 9 (Pool etc):
They had free water/soda etc near the pool so that you can refill your empty bottles for your cabin. There was free pizza and ice cream near the pool.Most expert cruisers had put their room card in their own lanyards around their necks(including for their own kids)
The other unique thing they had fireworks on RHS side of the ship.(which starts after Mickey lands via Rope )
Restaurant:
They had multiple restaurants and everyone was assigned a time and particular restaurant(which changed every day). There was no official formal night. But folks still dressed up on certain days.One of the days was the pirate day, and Disney folks provided us with bandanas etc.
The breakfast and lunch were mainly buffet style, except for one restaurant.
There were two Daycare centers for kids aged 3 to 12 called as Ocean Club and Ocean Lab. The kids are allowed to go from one club to another by contacting the counsellor. (and older kids can get in and out on their own). There were three other area, Foundry(for small kids), Edge (for tweens) and Vibe(for teens). If parents are going for an excursion, and can't take the kids, then Ocean Lab was open from 8 am.
Excursion :
We booked Caves, Caverns and Paradise Lagoon (CZ79) Excursion in Cozumel which essentially takes you to Dos Ojos cenote and yal ku lagoon.We needed to use ferry ride and jeep ride to reach the Cenote. The ferry ride to reach Playa Del Carmen was probably the most rocky boat ride that I have ever taken . The ferry ride folks did provide plastic bags to everyone for vomiting & Disney had already provided free anti-nausea medicine. The plastic bags(for vomiting) were promptly used by many folks :).
Tips:
- The ticket to take photo with princess gets booked quickly. You should book it online(if available) or the first thing to do while boarding the ship.
- Similarly, the excursions are booked online in advance. They may even cancel the excursion if there wasn't sufficient demand for it.
- It takes a long time to get off the ship, and they close the breakfast rooms early. Hence, it's a good idea to disembark with your luggage directly.
- Research the area/deck that you are going to book. e.g. I booked room in Deck 2(around 2532) and there was lots of noise from upper section(as said in some reviews).
- Buy Ginger Gum or Sea Band - if you prefer natural sea sickness option. To me, Ginger gums were more effective as compared to Sea Band.
- You can always buy medicines like Bonine or Dramamine , assuming you are aware of side effects like making you tired/sleepy etc. They are very effective and MUST be taken 1 hour in advance of trip.
- Book plane ticket at least 1 day or maybe even 2 days in advance.
- Wear swim clothes or alternatively carry it with you while boarding the ship - as your(and others) luggage is likely to arrive late. That would be best (less crowded) time to use the jacuzzi and swimming pool.
- Minimize time in crowded place and wash your hands regularly (if you don't want
to fall sick) - Do buy water camera (e.g. GoPro HERO4
) OR rent water camera from Walgreen, CVS etc in advance. Make sure that you have "wrist strap" for those water camera, so that they don't fall down while snorkelling.
- Check if your vaccinations for you and your family are up to date. Contact CDC (or your local doctor) to seek advice on any vaccinations that you may need.
- Get lanyard for your room cards, so that big kids can return back to cabin Or use while in pool (though you can easily get room card replacement, if you are on ship).
- Search for review of your deck AND room area online. (e.g my Deck 2 area, near room 2531 had lots of noise from above). It's usually better to book rooms in lower deck AND in middle(not forward/back), if you are sensitive to motion.
- They will provide you bandana and eye mask during pirate day(and fireworks day). But most folks bought extra pirate dress for their kids.
- Besides the menu choice(during dinner), you should check with them for other options e.g. Veggie, Indian, Chinese, Halal etc. They were able to give me Veggie/Indian option.
