Cruise Impressions

GrumpyDad · 01-18-2006

I hope Mickey will leave this here. I am not writing so much a trip report as much as a first time cruisers impressions of our voyage. We just returned from a combination 4 day WDW / 3 day Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder.

GETTING TO THE BOAT
When you arrive at your resort there is an area where you can check in for your cruise. This is the same area where you meet to travel to the cruise. On the day you are sheduled to leave, you tag all your luggage and have it ready by the door by 8:00am. A cast member arrives, picks up your things and the next time you see them is when they are delivered to your stateroom aboard the ship. A word to the wise. Be sure to pack some swim wear and reading material in a daybag that you then carry onboard with you. Our bags did not make it to our room until about 6:00pm ( which was not a problem as we were prepared and there was soo much to keep us busy till then!)

(Hint # 1: Don't over pack period. You are not going to need anywhere near the number of clothes you might think! We took a total of 6 pieces of luggage for the 3 of us and it was WAY too much )

FOOD
Well, the meals are first class, the food at Parrot Cay and Animators Palace were as good as any fine resturant I've been to. Both the fish and steak meals were a treat. Triton's was a mixed bag. My steak was exceptional, my DW & DD fish were not as good as the other resturants. We dressed in what could be called business casual attire for Parrot Cay and Animators Palace, and I wore a suit for Tritons. However there was really no formal dress code and I saw everything from jeans to semi formal wear each evening.

A special THANK YOU for Bhoolah our dining captain and Fortune our head waiter. When we first went to dinner we told Fortune that our DD has a nut allergy and that it can be life threatening. He got our dining captain and from that point on whenever we sat down to a meal Bhoolah would personally take my DD's order and take it to the kitchen to make sure it was not prepared with any nuts or even in cookware that had been used to prepare food with nuts. He further instructed us to ask for the cook at any of the buffets and they then walked DD thru the line showing what see could and could not eat. Finally one night my DW had a fish dish and my DD had a pasta dish. She asked Fortune if she could sample my DWs plate and he said he would check first. He then returned with a complete fish meal prepared just for her. Everyone at the table shared and it was both special and tasty!

(Hint #2: If you get a craving for a midnight snack and the pizza and burger bars by the pool do not appeal to you, room service is FREE and very fast. I ordered a nice snack one evening and had it 15 minutes later, you are expected to tip for it)

(Hint #3: At the end of the trip you can take advantage of a tipping service that is then charged to your credit card. The "normal" tip is shown. Due to the outstanding help we had with DDs needs we went a little overboard, but the staff reall seemed to appreciate it)

SHOWS:
Do not miss the Hercules show, man I haven't laughed that much in a while. We choose to skip the "Golden Mickeys" and the other show, but that was due to my becoming ill with the flu.

(Hint #4: Get to the show a little early as it is open seating)

SPEAKING OF SICKNESS:
Several folks have asked me about seasickness. We had pretty rough water one day and the sensation was very much like being on an airplane. There is a constant, but barely preceptible motion to the boat and every now and then you get that "cross step" feeling like when a plane hits an air pocket. No one I spoke to on the boat gave it a second thought. I would definatly say it was smooth sailing.

(more to come)

skwak · 01-18-2006

GrumpyDad,

Keep it coming! We are taking our 1st Disney Cruise in Nov so any info is great!!

Thank you!!

Peppertink · 01-18-2006

Thanks for your impressions....can't wait to hear more:)

smee57 · 01-18-2006

This is great GrumpyDad. We're hopefully taking our first cruise next spring and need all the info we can get before making the FINAL decision.

Princess Tessa · 01-18-2006

hey great thread! I'm hoping to take a Disney Cruise next year and this is great to know what to expect.....keep it coming

jk8 · 01-18-2006

I almost PMed you today to see how your trip was. Look forward to reading more!

mickaholic4077 · 01-19-2006

It sounds like you had a great time. I want to hear moew,GD!!!

GrumpyDad · 01-19-2006

ON BOARD AND NOT AT ALL BORED

There is an area for teens called Aloft. It took my daughter the first day to get there and meet some other kids her own age. Once she did, they had a tremendous time. Only knock is that the place stays open really late and the kids did not want to come back to the state room until 2 each morning. We allowed it as long as she checked in periodicly.

(Hint #5 : Your cell phones don't work on the boat. Either get a good set of Walkie-Talkies or make arrangements to be called at certain times)

For the adults there are several lounges including three "nightclub" type rooms. We enjoyed the more low key areas where we could sit and talk (what a noval experiance) or read. There are stage shows each night and first run Disney movies throughout the afternoon and evening. The shops on board are not open during the day, but hey you are supposed to be out and about not shopping on the boat, LOL. And of course there is food whenever you want it.

(Hint #6: Drinks are expensive on board, really tasty, but really expensive. Rum Runners were $9.50, Bloody Marys and 12 year old Scotch were $7.50. If you enjoy a late night cocktail you might want to BYOB)

On deck in the evening there was dancing, live bands, and one night even pirates, and fireworks one night. If you are a people person you can really have a ball, but even if you like a bit more solitude there are lots of spots where you can watch the fun without the press of humanity.

Ok this is MY IMPRESSION ONLY! While my DD enjoyed herself, had she been a little younger (12 or under), she would have had the time of her life! The Oceaneers Club is one of the coolest places I have ever seen for preteens. I wanted to hang out there, but parents are not allowed. One day they even had a twist on soap box derby racing. Rather then wood, the kids built the cars with vegatables! It was a hoot!

Also, for the little kids, there are character meetings ALL-DAY! ! ! The real little ones have there own space and all I can say is we passed this area as well as several cast memeber led groups and not once the entire cruise did I hear a crying child. Think about that for a minute. We all hear them at the parks, but on the cruise they were just laughing and having a great time.

What was unique is that there were about 3,000.00 people on board with about 1,250 of them being children and yet you would see most parents by themselves until dinner time. The kids really wanted to hang with their groups. And again I have nothing but praise for the cast memebers for each age group!

PORT OF CALL NASSAU:

After experiancing 5 days of near 80 degree temps and clear blue skys something I didn't expect was rain and cold. But that's what we got. We made a mistake at Nassua and choose NOT to sign up for any of the excursions, we tend to like to explore on our own, not the right choice. Instead we slept in a little and then we planned to go ashore, no good, HUGE winds, 40 degree temps, and driving rain. So back to the ship, DD went back to the teen hang out and DW and I found a nice quite lounge to read in. Later in the day, after the rain cleared, we decided to see what kind of deals we could get. When you first get off the boat there is a tourist section, folks there are no deals there! You really do have to do one of the shopping excursions that takes you to "Paradise Island" where Atlantis is. That is where the deals are. We had fun none the less, but I did keep the girls in front of me the whole time so I could keep an eye on them.

(Hint #7: Be sure to set aside about $100.00 per person to do a group led excursion while you are there. )

(more to come)

Peppertink · 01-19-2006

Keep it coming!! I agree with you some of the activities in the Oceaneers Club looked sooo cool! Made me wish I was a kid so I could join the fun:)

Andrea · 01-19-2006

This is terrific and really really helpful!

But I still think it's all part of your evil plot to hypontize us all with your avatar.

**Dana** · 01-19-2006

Harry -
You are making me want to take the cruise..lol It sounds perfect. I can't wait to hear more of your thoughts.

BuzzLightyear · 01-19-2006

Excellent review of the cruise Harry.
Great tips also.

**DisneyTeacher** · 01-19-2006

What a great review, I can't wait to read more.

Disneyfever · 01-19-2006

Thanks for posting this review. We have been thinking about taking a cruise some day. I can't wait to hear more.

E&B's Mom · 01-20-2006

Thanks for the ideas and tips. We've been thinking of doing a cruise for a while. Just haven't taken the plunge yet. But this might get us going.

01-18-2006	#1 (permalink)
GrumpyDad Mouse Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 1,182	Cruise Impressions I hope Mickey will leave this here. I am not writing so much a trip report as much as a first time cruisers impressions of our voyage. We just returned from a combination 4 day WDW / 3 day Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. GETTING TO THE BOAT When you arrive at your resort there is an area where you can check in for your cruise. This is the same area where you meet to travel to the cruise. On the day you are sheduled to leave, you tag all your luggage and have it ready by the door by 8:00am. A cast member arrives, picks up your things and the next time you see them is when they are delivered to your stateroom aboard the ship. A word to the wise. Be sure to pack some swim wear and reading material in a daybag that you then carry onboard with you. Our bags did not make it to our room until about 6:00pm ( which was not a problem as we were prepared and there was soo much to keep us busy till then!) (Hint # 1: Don't over pack period. You are not going to need anywhere near the number of clothes you might think! We took a total of 6 pieces of luggage for the 3 of us and it was WAY too much ) FOOD Well, the meals are first class, the food at Parrot Cay and Animators Palace were as good as any fine resturant I've been to. Both the fish and steak meals were a treat. Triton's was a mixed bag. My steak was exceptional, my DW & DD fish were not as good as the other resturants. We dressed in what could be called business casual attire for Parrot Cay and Animators Palace, and I wore a suit for Tritons. However there was really no formal dress code and I saw everything from jeans to semi formal wear each evening. A special THANK YOU for Bhoolah our dining captain and Fortune our head waiter. When we first went to dinner we told Fortune that our DD has a nut allergy and that it can be life threatening. He got our dining captain and from that point on whenever we sat down to a meal Bhoolah would personally take my DD's order and take it to the kitchen to make sure it was not prepared with any nuts or even in cookware that had been used to prepare food with nuts. He further instructed us to ask for the cook at any of the buffets and they then walked DD thru the line showing what see could and could not eat. Finally one night my DW had a fish dish and my DD had a pasta dish. She asked Fortune if she could sample my DWs plate and he said he would check first. He then returned with a complete fish meal prepared just for her. Everyone at the table shared and it was both special and tasty! (Hint #2: If you get a craving for a midnight snack and the pizza and burger bars by the pool do not appeal to you, room service is FREE and very fast. I ordered a nice snack one evening and had it 15 minutes later, you are expected to tip for it) (Hint #3: At the end of the trip you can take advantage of a tipping service that is then charged to your credit card. The "normal" tip is shown. Due to the outstanding help we had with DDs needs we went a little overboard, but the staff reall seemed to appreciate it) SHOWS: Do not miss the Hercules show, man I haven't laughed that much in a while. We choose to skip the "Golden Mickeys" and the other show, but that was due to my becoming ill with the flu. (Hint #4: Get to the show a little early as it is open seating) SPEAKING OF SICKNESS: Several folks have asked me about seasickness. We had pretty rough water one day and the sensation was very much like being on an airplane. There is a constant, but barely preceptible motion to the boat and every now and then you get that "cross step" feeling like when a plane hits an air pocket. No one I spoke to on the boat gave it a second thought. I would definatly say it was smooth sailing. (more to come) __________________ . Jan 2008 Yacht Club ~* Jan 2007 Caribbean Beach Dec/Jan 2005/2006 Disney Poly / Disney Wonder New Years Trip Nov 2003 - Caribbean Beach ~* Nov 2002 – Coronado Springs ~ Feb 2001 – Boardwalk Feb 2000 – Swan ~~~~~ Feb 1999 – Yacht Club ~~~ Jan 1998 – Boardwalk Feb 1997 – Yacht Club ~~~ Jan 1996 – Beach Club ~~~ May 1995 - Swan Feb 1995 – Dixie Landings ~*~ May 1994 – Dolphin

01-18-2006	#2 (permalink)
skwak Pay me in Disney Dollars! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,492	Re: Cruise Impressions GrumpyDad, Keep it coming! We are taking our 1st Disney Cruise in Nov so any info is great!! Thank you!! __________________ 2008 Oct. ~ SSR & 7 Days on the Disney Magic! 2008 Aug ~ Our New Vacation Home 2008 Apr. ~ Our New Vacation Home 2007 Dec. ~ Swan & VWL 2007 Aug. ~ POR & Contemporary 2006 Nov. ~ SSR, ASM and 7 Days on the Disney Magic! 2005 Oct. ~ VWL 2005 Apr. ~ BWV 2004 Oct. ~ OKW 2004 Sept. ~ SSR 2003 Oct. ~ POR & Caribbean Beach 2002 Sept. ~ POR & AKL 2001 March ~ ASSports 2000 Feb. ~ All Star Sports & Coronado Springs My Disney Countdown Counting down to: 8 Nights at Goofy's Grotto with the Entlers and Bussenos!! Gone to our Happy Place!

01-18-2006	#3 (permalink)
Peppertink Disney Bride:) Join Date: May 2005 Location: With my Southern Gents.... Posts: 6,330	Re: Cruise Impressions Thanks for your impressions....can't wait to hear more:) __________________ Thank you, thank you, thank you for the AVATAR R2G! YOU ROCK! YOU DA MAN!!! Trumpet players are the sexiest! He is not the BOSS of me! Pu is my favorite Mouse! Limsy is my bad influence Nutty is my favorite Voodoo Queen and co-captain of the annoypid police Dopey is my favorite cookie dealer That monkey took the cookie out of my Wacky Pack! My Disney Countdown Counting down to: Mickey here we come! Spending our first anniversary with Mickey

01-18-2006	#4 (permalink)
smee57 it'S MEE Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,935	Re: Cruise Impressions This is great GrumpyDad. We're hopefully taking our first cruise next spring and need all the info we can get before making the FINAL decision. __________________ "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be." Anne Frank "Middle age is when you've met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else." Ogden Nash *Is there anyplace happier than Disney World?*

01-18-2006	#5 (permalink)
Princess Tessa Starting over Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Canada Posts: 1,989	Re: Cruise Impressions hey great thread! I'm hoping to take a Disney Cruise next year and this is great to know what to expect.....keep it coming __________________ Disneyland Trips 1989, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2004 (yes, twice, I'm obsessed okay?!) 2005, 2007 (I'm missing three trips but I don't remember what years) WDW Canadian Cast Member 2006 - 2007

		MouseBuzz.com > Disney Cruise Line > Take a cruise
Cruise Impressions

01-18-2006	#6 (permalink)
jk8 Disney Cruise Alumni Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: IN - the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room Posts: 2,546	Re: Cruise Impressions I almost PMed you today to see how your trip was. Look forward to reading more! __________________ Julie 2008 OKW - first DVC stay! 2008 WL and Disney Magic Western! 2007 POFQ 2006 Pop Century 2006 CR & 7 day Disney Magic Eastern!!! 2004 POP Century 2004 offsite My Disney Countdown Counting down to: 2010 Disney Magic Cruise 127 days 16 hours 21 minutes

01-19-2006	#7 (permalink)
mickaholic4077 Currently in Timeout! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: 90 miles from The Mick!!!!! Posts: 6,181	Re: Cruise Impressions It sounds like you had a great time. I want to hear moew,GD!!!

01-19-2006	#8 (permalink)
GrumpyDad Mouse Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 1,182	Re: Cruise Impressions ON BOARD AND NOT AT ALL BORED There is an area for teens called Aloft. It took my daughter the first day to get there and meet some other kids her own age. Once she did, they had a tremendous time. Only knock is that the place stays open really late and the kids did not want to come back to the state room until 2 each morning. We allowed it as long as she checked in periodicly. (Hint #5 : Your cell phones don't work on the boat. Either get a good set of Walkie-Talkies or make arrangements to be called at certain times) For the adults there are several lounges including three "nightclub" type rooms. We enjoyed the more low key areas where we could sit and talk (what a noval experiance) or read. There are stage shows each night and first run Disney movies throughout the afternoon and evening. The shops on board are not open during the day, but hey you are supposed to be out and about not shopping on the boat, LOL. And of course there is food whenever you want it. (Hint #6: Drinks are expensive on board, really tasty, but really expensive. Rum Runners were $9.50, Bloody Marys and 12 year old Scotch were $7.50. If you enjoy a late night cocktail you might want to BYOB) On deck in the evening there was dancing, live bands, and one night even pirates, and fireworks one night. If you are a people person you can really have a ball, but even if you like a bit more solitude there are lots of spots where you can watch the fun without the press of humanity. Ok this is MY IMPRESSION ONLY! While my DD enjoyed herself, had she been a little younger (12 or under), she would have had the time of her life! The Oceaneers Club is one of the coolest places I have ever seen for preteens. I wanted to hang out there, but parents are not allowed. One day they even had a twist on soap box derby racing. Rather then wood, the kids built the cars with vegatables! It was a hoot! Also, for the little kids, there are character meetings ALL-DAY! ! ! The real little ones have there own space and all I can say is we passed this area as well as several cast memeber led groups and not once the entire cruise did I hear a crying child. Think about that for a minute. We all hear them at the parks, but on the cruise they were just laughing and having a great time. What was unique is that there were about 3,000.00 people on board with about 1,250 of them being children and yet you would see most parents by themselves until dinner time. The kids really wanted to hang with their groups. And again I have nothing but praise for the cast memebers for each age group! PORT OF CALL NASSAU: After experiancing 5 days of near 80 degree temps and clear blue skys something I didn't expect was rain and cold. But that's what we got. We made a mistake at Nassua and choose NOT to sign up for any of the excursions, we tend to like to explore on our own, not the right choice. Instead we slept in a little and then we planned to go ashore, no good, HUGE winds, 40 degree temps, and driving rain. So back to the ship, DD went back to the teen hang out and DW and I found a nice quite lounge to read in. Later in the day, after the rain cleared, we decided to see what kind of deals we could get. When you first get off the boat there is a tourist section, folks there are no deals there! You really do have to do one of the shopping excursions that takes you to "Paradise Island" where Atlantis is. That is where the deals are. We had fun none the less, but I did keep the girls in front of me the whole time so I could keep an eye on them. (Hint #7: Be sure to set aside about $100.00 per person to do a group led excursion while you are there. ) (more to come) __________________ . Jan 2008 Yacht Club ~* Jan 2007 Caribbean Beach Dec/Jan 2005/2006 Disney Poly / Disney Wonder New Years Trip Nov 2003 - Caribbean Beach ~* Nov 2002 – Coronado Springs ~ Feb 2001 – Boardwalk Feb 2000 – Swan ~~~~~ Feb 1999 – Yacht Club ~~~ Jan 1998 – Boardwalk Feb 1997 – Yacht Club ~~~ Jan 1996 – Beach Club ~~~ May 1995 - Swan Feb 1995 – Dixie Landings ~*~ May 1994 – Dolphin

01-19-2006	#9 (permalink)
Peppertink Disney Bride:) Join Date: May 2005 Location: With my Southern Gents.... Posts: 6,330	Re: Cruise Impressions Keep it coming!! I agree with you some of the activities in the Oceaneers Club looked sooo cool! Made me wish I was a kid so I could join the fun:) __________________ Thank you, thank you, thank you for the AVATAR R2G! YOU ROCK! YOU DA MAN!!! Trumpet players are the sexiest! He is not the BOSS of me! Pu is my favorite Mouse! Limsy is my bad influence Nutty is my favorite Voodoo Queen and co-captain of the annoypid police Dopey is my favorite cookie dealer That monkey took the cookie out of my Wacky Pack! My Disney Countdown Counting down to: Mickey here we come! Spending our first anniversary with Mickey

01-19-2006	#10 (permalink)
Andrea Dole Whip Apostate Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shasta in my heart Posts: 2,815	Re: Cruise Impressions This is terrific and really really helpful! But I still think it's all part of your evil plot to hypontize us all with your avatar. __________________ x´¨) x¸.•´ ¸.•´¨"...make sure you don't grow up stupid.¸.•´¨) (¸.•´xxxxxxxxxxxxIt's bad for the world."xxxxxxxxxxx ¸.•´ xxxxxxxxxxxxx--Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lightsxxxxxxxxxx(¸.•`* My Disney Countdown Counting down to: I have absolutely nothing to look forward too. :-(

01-19-2006	#11 (permalink)
Dana Super Mod/Packen' Kracken Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Joisey Posts: 23,782	Re: Cruise Impressions Harry - You are making me want to take the cruise..lol It sounds perfect. I can't wait to hear more of your thoughts. __________________ ~82 off-site~91 off-site~97 ASMusic~ ~00 ASMovies~02 Wilderness Lodge~04 Animal Kingdom Lodge~ ~05 Animal Kingdom Lodge & Polynesian~ ~05 Port Orleans French Quarter~06 Old Key West~ ~07 Port Orleans French Quarter~08 Old Key West~ ~09 Saratoga Springs~10 Port Orleans Fench Quarter~ My Disney Countdown Counting down to: 10 day do all or die trying trip. 268 days 6 hours 25 minutes

01-19-2006	#12 (permalink)
BuzzLightyear MB Cast Member ® Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Space Mountain Posts: 3,917	Re: Cruise Impressions Excellent review of the cruise Harry. Great tips also. __________________ 86,92,96 Offsite * 2002 AKL * 2003 BCV * 2004 Contemporary * 2005 WL * 2006 BWV* 2008 CSR * My Disney Countdown Counting down to: 105 days 16 hours 25 minutes

01-19-2006	#13 (permalink)
DisneyTeacher Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: WDW in my dreams Posts: 18,310	Re: Cruise Impressions What a great review, I can't wait to read more. __________________ ~Stephanie~ 1993 Caribbean Beach Resort ~ 1996 Caribbean Beach resort ~1997 Caribbean Beach Resort ~2003 Wilderness Lodge ~2004 Beach Club Resort/Shades of Green/Pop Century~ 2005 Wilderness Lodge Resort/Beach Club Villas ~ 2006 Saratoga Springs Resort~2007 Port Orleans French Quarter/Beach Club Villas/Boardwalk Villas ~ 2007 Port Orleans Riverside~ 2008 Wilderness Lodge/Beach Club Villas~2008 Beach Club Villas~2009 Hilton Head Island~ 2009 Beach Club Villas My Disney Countdown Counting down to: Beach Club here we come 237 days 11 hours 25 minutes

01-19-2006	#14 (permalink)
Disneyfever Big Cheese Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 784	Re: Cruise Impressions Thanks for posting this review. We have been thinking about taking a cruise some day. I can't wait to hear more. __________________ x´¨) x¸.•´ ¸.•´¨)xxxx¸.•¨) (¸.•´xxxxxx(¸.•`xxx Judy *´¨) July 2000 - DL PP April 2001 - POFQ March 2002 - WDW offsite Oct 2004 - CR March 2005 - All Star Sports Nov 2005 - DL offsite Sept 2006 - Poly

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01-20-2006	#15 (permalink)
E&B's Mom Just keep swimming . . . Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,856	Re: Cruise Impressions Thanks for the ideas and tips. We've been thinking of doing a cruise for a while. Just haven't taken the plunge yet. But this might get us going. __________________ Maggie Avatar: New Years Resolutions Realistic - to get back into my best running shape. New Years Resolution Dream - to run a marathon 2006 - US Hard Rock Hotel 2005 - US Royal Pacific and Rennaisance at Sea World 2003 - All-Star Sports 2000 - All-Star Movies 1995 - Off Site My Disney Countdown Counting down to: RCCL Liberty of the Seas Sailing, Sailing . . . . .