The usual Disney attention to detail
Disney Wonder Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 42
6 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 14, 2019
Ship: Disney Wonder
Cabin type: Balcony
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Impeccable attention to detail, delightful staff, spotless ship, but a bit too structured and very Disney. We'll probably look to other lines for variety.Embarkation
Pretty standard for a cruise, enhanced by Concierge status. That let us board first. Once on board there was a lounge where we could wait for the room to be ready, and a light lunch was served.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The snacks and convenience foods were great. We liked Cabana's (main breakfast venue) but were mildly disappointed in the main dining rooms for dinner. Entrees tended to be over cooked, service was rushed, there was gimmicky entertainment, and we did not look forward to it at all. Basically this is high end commissary cooking, and in a normal restaurant, there were some meals we would have sent back. There is one formal night. Other than the diners having to dress up, there was nothing special or different about it. Total waste of wardrobe.
We made a pleasant discovery that the breakfast venue, Cabanas, in the evening becomes a training venue for newer wait staff aspiring to the main dining rooms. There, the menu is more limited, but our food was excellent, the service relaxed, and the wait staff seemed genuinely happy to be there.
Onboard Activities
Traveling without children, there was much we did not experience during the day (we went to shore every day) but the choices seemed robust for toddlers to teens. The fitness center is part of the spa. There are many, and costly services offered, though the exercise equipment is no charge to use. Unfortunately for me, the treadmills and ellipticals are mounted forward and above window level forcing you to look downward at passing waves. This was the only time I got motion sickness during the cruise. Fortunately deck 4 has a 1/3 mile track that worked just fine.
Weight machines were further back and no problem.
Entertainment
If you like Disney, well...Venues were great, encompassing clubs and a main auditorium. We enjoyed everything we saw. The singing and acting were excellent and the production values were excellent.
Children's Programs
WE did not travel with children.
Service and Staff
General rating was good, but this is unfair. Concierge, stateroom staff casual dining were outstanding. Wait staff in main dining rooms were perfunctory and rote. We really dreaded the evening meal until we found Cabanas. We were annoyed that on "tip night" the wait staff become suddenly cloying and light hearted. No other staff behaved like this. The concierge staff and the stateroom steward ("host") were beyond excellent, and very personable. Service was unobtrusive and we found ourselves talking to them like old friends.
Ship Quality
Disney excels here. The ship was spotless throughout the cruise. Every little thing we requested was right there. The ship has three main staircases and elevator banks, so getting around was very easy. We had no trouble finding areas we wanted to go. The adults only section was nice, and the family sections had a lot going on.
Cabin / Stateroom
The cabin was a little tight but fine for two people. The murphy bed and fold out sofa suggests you can get three children in there, but this would drive me crazy. The bath was split in two. One has a toilet and vanity while the other has a shower and vanity. This was very convenient. The room was quiet, and only rarely did we hear noise from outside. Location is just down from the rear stairs and was very convenient. We loved the balcony, which was a peaceful place for reading. However, there is a deck on the concierge level that also is quiet. Room was services twice daily, and the steward, Lorenzo, was a complete joy.
Ship tip
When booking shore excursions, it will look as if those leave before the ship docks. They don't. Everything is well planned.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
This was just an overnight for us between the flight and embarkation. We stayed at the Hyatt House which is at the port. Turned out
We took a bicycle tour which we enjoyed, mainly due to the personable tour guides. It only covered 5 miles and not much territory, but we learned quite a bit.
HEre we did a combination of kayaking, snorkeling and hiking. Really enjoyed the kayaking. The snorkeling and hiking were a bit of a joke. No need to pack your hiking shoes. The area was beautiful, but the experiences were short. The bus ride to get to the venue was 10 miles but took an hour of bad roads and slogging through traffic.
This port had the least congestion and was the most attractive. This was our favorite island. We took the catamaran excursion. While they did raise the sail, we were under diesel power the entire way tot he Pitons. We did stop briefly at a bay to swim (nothing special) but pretty much everything was drive-by. We did have a collision (not our boat's fault).. The police activity delayed us quite a bit. It's possible that we sould have had a more leisurely experience had that not happened.
This is the biggest island we visited. Our excursion was a adults only bus tour. The early part was just getting out of Bridgetown, which was tedious. The tour guide was very informative. We learned much about the histroy and about modern daily life. We visited an old Anglican church, a local beach, a rim distillery, and some other generally scenic locations. We enjoyed the stops, but those were too short and the bus ride too long.
Disembarkation
Easy on - easy off.
Traveler Photos
3 Comments
propwash79 5 years ago
Just curious which cabin did you stay in and I guess you did the concierge room? That is a honest review and Disney isn't for all.. But I'm glad you did enjoy some of your time. I tell everyone that ask me how Disney Cruise line is and my responce" If you love the theme parks you will love the ship but if you can't stand the parks then pass on Disney and try Carnival or Royal"