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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Cindy Collins
Email: hipmamas@orc.ca
Age: 25
Occupation: chef
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Wonder
SailingDate: 01/02/00
Itinerary: Nassau/Castaway Cay
Cabin: 7508-Cat. 9
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 65
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 89
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 60
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess: 50
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 65
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Jan 2000
Time: 13:24:03
Remote Name: as52-comm1-013.orc.ca
Remote User:
Comments
We just got back from our cruise yesterday and I wanted to write a review as soon as
possible so I
don’t forget the details. I used other reviews as a guideline for choosing a cruise,
and then for tips
on how to best enjoy the cruise that we chose. I found some of the details that other
cruisers
provided to be very helpful so I hope that I can share some information with people
considering
cruising with Disney. We are a family of two adults and two children, 6 and 1/2 and 5
months. We
booked our cruise for early January despite warnings from our travel agent that the
weather in the
Bahamas can be rainy and cool at that time of year. Luckily we were blessed with perfect
weather
on the first three days of the cruise (the fourth day was spent exploring the ship at sea,
so the fact
that it was overcast was no big deal.) The sun shone, the sky was clear blue, and there
was a light
tropical breeze.
Perfect! It was my first trip anywhere tropical so I was happy. We flew direct from
Toronto to Orlando, where we were greeted by a Disney rep as soon as we stepped off the
plane.
She led us to the bus, where we checked in. After a short wait, we left and began the
journey to
the boat. Unfortunately, our 6 year old had come down with a fever that morning. She
really wasn’t
feeling to well so she didn’t enjoy this leg of our trip too much. She and our baby
slept the whole
way while we watched an informative video. Finally we can over a bridge and saw the
Wonder. She
is truly a massive, beautiful ship. Other ships around her were dwarfed by her enormous
size. We
quickly went through the check in process- everyone was so helpful- and stepped on to the
boat.
Because our daughter was ill, and a voyage with a baby comes with alot of baggage, we
dcided to
skip the embarkation photo op.
As we had planned from reading reviews from others, we split up-
my partner registered our older child in the oceaneer club while I went to get our infant
a spot in
the first come, first served infant care center. We were amongst the first and booked her
in for two
nights from 7 until 12. I then RAN up to Palo and joined a long line up for reservations.
We didn’t
care what night we went , so I chose Monday (Nassau) because that was the night we had
Baby
care. There were seperate line ups and Mondays was really short, so it didn’t take
long at all.
Everyone seemed to want to go on the day at sea, so that filled up the fastest. As our
server
pointed out , it is nice to go when the boat is docked at Nassau as you can look out over
the city
as opposed to the very black blackness of being at sea at night. Next, we settled into our
stateroom- catagory 9-deluxe outside. Beautiful room, not huge but adequate for the four
of us.
There was a crib in the room already and all the info regarding dinner and shows. The
porthole
was a huge, 6 foot across round window. The room was so nice- beautiful wood drawers, a
queen
bed that was really comfortable. Every detail was so polished and classy- it felt like we
had
stepped back in time.
Our daughter still had a temperature so we to her to the ship medical center,
where a very nice doctor diagnosed an ear infection and gave her antibiotics. She was
feeling
better within a few hours and so were we! That night we went to the sail away party- lots
of fun,
dancing, then to Animator’s Palate. We thought it was really cool and the food was
pretty good.
(My partner and I are both in the restaurant business, so we are VERY hard to please when
it
comes to food. The food, overall was okay. In general, every dish we had seemed as though
it had
been precooked and heated to order, or sat under a heat lamp for awhile. At the same time,
being
a chef, I can’t imagine trying to serve 1800 people three meals plus snacks, everyday
and I
recognize that they must cut corners in food quality. Overall though, the food was pretty
good.) We
met our servers that night- Justin from Ireland and Elke from Holland- they were so great.
We
ordered some lovely champagne from a fabulous wine list and celebrated our night at sea.
Our
older daughter went to the kids area after dinner and had a great time. The most memorable
detail
of our cruise has got to be the incredible, never ending, over the top friendliness of the
staff.
Every staff member you pass, from cooks to stateroom hostess to servers to maitenance has
a
ready smile and greeting.
We felt so welcome, and even though all staff does the cruise day in,
day out , they somehow managed to share our excitement. We never opened doors, carried our
own trays at buffets, anything because a staff member was ready to help. At one point I
needed a
saftey pin and had 3 people helping me to find one!!! Our stateroom hostess did a fabulous
job-
different style of turndown on each of the four nights, arranging our kids stuffed toys on
their
pillows, just the most minute detail looked after so carefully. Because of the great wine
list and
always available tropical cocktails, we spent a fortune on drinks ( easy to do as a card
swipe is all
it takes) but we had a great time. The shops were okay but pretty limited to disney-
shopping on
Nassau was kind of cool if you can say NO! The straw market was neat and a good
introduction to
travel with kids. Our daughter was wide eyed and speechless- very different from what she
is used
to. We went to the public beach in Nassau- I wouln’t reccomend it but we were dying
for a swim. It
was okay but kind of dirty and at one point we were kind of worried about our saftey. ( My
partner
is a seasoned traveller and even she felt somewhat uncomfortable) That was the only place
in
Nassau where we felt that way. The women who work the Straw market are very friendly and
nice. I
don’t know where to start with Castaway Cay.
Disney paradise....all the beauty of a tropical island
with drinks, food, water sports and anything else you need a few footsteps away. We loved
it-
cannot say enough good things about it. We used a stroller that are available on the
island with
big wheels for driving on sand- perfect. More than enough shady and sunny lounges for
everyone-
snorkeling easily accessible , and wonderful from what I heard ( I rented the equipment
(10$) but
found it too scary!!!) The best day of our trip- PARADISE!!!! I also can’t say enough
about the kids
activities. Some days we never saw our daughter (who could ask for a better holiday!!!)
and she
had the best time - she will talk about it for years to come and is begging to go again.
The baby
care was also perfect-they had every kind of gadget from swing to bouncers to exersaucers-
paradise for an infant. Top marks in this area. I definately reccomend this cruise to
anyone, but
espcially families. We are already thinking of going back, and are contemplating not
taking the
kids! I think we might feel too guilty though.! As first time cruisers, I fear we might be
spoiled for
other cruises because we found this one SO enjoyable.
Name: Scott Wolfe
Email: EuphScott@aol.com
Age: 29
Occupation: Real Estate Tax Specialist
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Wonder
SailingDate: October 31, 1999
Itinerary: 4-Day
Cabin: 6000-Category 8
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 87
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 92
FoodVariety: 91
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 96
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 93
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 86
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon: 94
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 83
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Jan 2000
Time: 10:45:41
Remote Name: rollup.firstam-reis.com
Remote User:
Comments
Our trip on the Disney Wonder was our second cruise with Disney. In 1998, we sailed on the Magic. That in mind, our
early impressions of the ship were made in comparison to the sister ship. Our initial reaction was WOW! We preferred
the art nouveau style of the Wonder. It was warmer feeling and more comfortable. The original oil paintings of the ship
were a nice touch not found on the Magic.
Next, we compared the food. Disney has improved immensely in this area. Although we are not the finest of diner's
back home, we enjoy a well prepared meal. I looked forward to each meal. It was a new menu each time we sat down
except for breakfast, which was the same each morning. We did not visit Palo (the adults only, reservations required
dining room with a view), but did not feel we missed out, as the menus in the regular dining rooms were excellent. We
are not fish eaters, so I suspect that if we were to enjoy that aspect of the menu, our rating might be even higher.
Seafood played prominently on the menus, but there were plenty of wonderful alternatives. The prime rib, chicken,
pork, and steaks were always terrific and done just right. The one negative we observed was the buffet meals. We
only ate the welcome aboard lunch upstairs and that was enough to remind us this was not the specialty! The
selection was ample, but nothing special.
The 4-day cruise itinerary stops in Nassau. It is an interesting port, but we enjoyed a short trip into town for shopping
and then a half empty ship to ourselves! We are not big fans of being hassled to buy or take a ride. The hair braiders
and taxi drivers made us uncomfortable, although we never feared for our safety. We did find reasonable deals on a
men's watch and a beautiful Tanzanite ring for my wife. Of course we could not leave without the inexpensive T-shirts
and knick knacks for those left at home.
The private island, Castaway Cay is definitely a high point of the trip. No hassles from locals selling wares, and clean
beaches as far as you can stand to walk. There were plenty of activities to enjoy if you chose to pay the equipment
fees. The weather was a bit chilly as a cold front was bearing down on us, so a nice quiet nap in a hammock was
about our speed. But snorkeling, paddle boating, kayaking, kite flying, and many other beach sports were available.
Lunch was served on the island. This saved a hike back to the ship to eat - a definite plus.
As for night life on the ship, we loved it. The dance club was not our cup of tea, but each night it seemed to pack the
crowds in and the bands were pretty good from our vantage point. Our favorite activity was the improvisational comedy
club. Each show is unique since the ideas come from the audience. Many of the shows were prime times for me to use
my asthma medicine. I have never laughed so hard.
Our room and the entire ship were always in immaculate shape. Everything was clean and brilliant. The murals and
artwork are Disney inspired, but not overwhelming. The chairs and sofas were works of art, but also quite comfortable.
And the staff was always quite helpful and patient. Dealing with the public is a tough job and not always is the public
kind. I observed many crew members put up with behavior that was deplorable, but kept smiling and attempted to give
good service in spite of it all.
Our sailing was over Halloween. Apparently this was an unpopular date as our ship was half full. The crew indicated
that the next six sailings were fully booked, but Halloween kept others away. I cannot say that was a bad thing at all!
We recommend this ship and experience. As repeat sailors we were rewarded with upgrades and a nice gift. However,
it is the ship and the experience that will bring us back to the Magic to sail on the new 7-day itinerary just announced.
Our reservations are for September of 2000 and I all ready cannot contain my anticipation.
Name: Michelle Stapp
Email: Michstapp@dellnet.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Wonder
SailingDate: September 2, 1999
Itinerary: 3 Days Disney World/4 Days on the Wonder
Cabin: 5138
FoodDiningRoom: 60
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 25
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 15
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 0
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 50
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 60
BeautySalonStaff: 10
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 15
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 65
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 60
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jan 2000
Time: 15:44:09
Remote Name: 1cust47.tnt12.phoenix.az.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
The only wonderful thing about this trip was our daughter had a great time in the child care. As for
my husband and I, anything and everything went wrong. Our hotel room was wrong and there were
spiders in our bed. Half of the Epcot exhibits were closed down. Shippboard, our dining staff forgot
almost everything we ordered and pushed and alchoholic beverages continually. Our six year old
daughter, who was unauthorized to charge on the room key, did so - no questions asked. A $110
massage was given to me by an inexperienced saleswoman who was trying to sell me all their
'aromathy' products instead of massaging. We wittnessed a blind gentleman be told that he could
not play sports trivia in the ESPN lounge unless he could write down his answers ( needless to say, I
did it for him ). There was no 'Midnight Buffet', so by midnight if you wanted something to eat, you
called room service and waited 1-2 hours (usually for a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich). We did
write a detailed 7-page letter to the President of the Cruise line, and they responded by telling us it
would not happen again and to remember 'there is magic in the name Disney'. When I contacted
them and told them I would put our letters on line for others to read, they IMMEDIATELY returned my
call and asked what I wanted for compensation. I said I wanted them to READ my letter and make
that decision based on what they read. I mentioned that any Disney Store gift certificate, at this
point, would be consisdered an insult. One month later they sent us a 4" Minnie Mouse (to add to
the other two Minnies we bought on board), an autographed picture on Mickey and Minnie on the
ship (to add to the SEVEN pictures we purchased on board), and two-$25 gift certificates for the
Disney Store. The total spending on this 'VACATION' was $4500, which we came by through a
contingent inheritence ( AND we were quite frugal with our spendings ). If you which to see the letter
(mine and the two sent by Mr. Oiumet-the Cruise Line President) I would be more than happy to
send you copies FREE! Just e-mail me at michstapp@dellnet.com. I should definately add that the
shows were good and, again, the child care was phenomenal!!! My daughter will forever hold a
grudge with me about my anger toward Disney and the greed that drives the corporation.
Name: Pat Prieto
Email: ppprieto@prodigy.net
Age: 37
Occupation: Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Wonder
SailingDate: 2/3/00
Itinerary: Bahamas
Cabin: 6539-category 11
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 60
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 60
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Feb 2000
Time: 13:15:16
Remote Name: nas-20-207.la.navinet.net
Remote User:
Comments
This is our family's 5th cruise. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Premier Cruise
Lines.
We sailed on the Disney Wonder on the 3 night cruise package. The ship is beautiful and clean. We
were impressed with the size of the cabin. There was a queen-sized bed, a sofa bed, and a
pull-down bed. There was plenty of room for our family of 2 adults and 2 children. The bathroom
includes a bath tub.
The areas I think Disney could improve upon I will discuss. The children's program, the Oceaneer
Club, is not suitable for children who are not COMPLETELY toliet trained. One of our children is 3
years old and has not completely mastered the art of toilet training. We were discouraged by the
cruise staff to leave him at the club. We were told that he could not wear training pants while at the
club, and if he had more than 2 accidents, he would need to be picked up immediately. Disney
provides parents with a pager to make sure they can get a hold of you! We decided not to leave our
child with the club to save ourselves from the torture of wondering if our son was going to have an
accident or not! I think that Disney should offer a reduced fare for children who are not going to be
able to use the children's facilities and programs.
The second area of concern was the food. The food at the Parrot Cay restaurant is horrible. My
husband had the waiter take back his dinner selection because it was so bad. When the second
dinner arrived, it was just as bad, but my husband was too embarrassed to send it back. So, he just
ate it! We also had brunch at the Parrot Cay restaurant, and it was also very bad. The food at the
Animator's Pallet was the best. Disney needs to improve the quality and size portions of their meals.
This cruise probably served the worst food of all the cruises we have been on.
The last area I want to discuss was our stay on the Private Island. Due to ocean swells, we were
unable to dock at the island until 1:00 p.m. This was a change from our original dock time of 9:00
a.m. Therefore, we missed 4 hours of valuable and relaxing time on the island. There was no food
served on the island due to the lateness of our arrival. We were looking forward to the lobster tails
that were suppossed to be served for lunch. I think that Disney should provided tender service to
the island if the ship is unable to dock for any reason. Other cruise lines we have sailed on provided
a tender service instead of having to dock.
The children did have a great time seeing the Disney Characters and taking photographs with them.
However, you do have to wait in line to see the characters up close. The children's pools are
excellent, especially Mickey's pool. It has a water slide and the children really enjoyed it!
I also wanted to mention the entertainment. The Disney Dreams Show was really terrific. The shows
kept my children's attention, as well as, mine!
I would recommend this cruise to first-time family cruisers who love Disney. I don't think that
seasoned cruisers would enjoy the food or activities available, compared to other ships. This trip is
definitely for the enjoyment of the children!
Name: Dana Jung
Email: danajung@earthlink.net
Age: 41
Occupation: Sales Director/Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Wonder
SailingDate: 12-09-99
Itinerary: 3 day cruise-Nassau, Castaway Cay
Cabin: 7084
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 88
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 70
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 70
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 88
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Feb 2000
Time: 17:47:59
Remote Name: pool0492.cvx20-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net
Remote User:
Comments
We traveled with three families(my husband, myself and our two girls ages 7 and 11, my brother,
sister in law, their boys ages 6 and 1 and my parents)before the Christmas holiday. This was a
special trip hosted by my father to celebrate his 70th birthday. We spent four days on land visiting
all the parks and decided to do the three day cruise last. Afterwards, my girls felt the cruise was too
short and would have rather taken the four day or even seven day cruise. You just get settled and
than it's over. The first day was a little rough for our family because everyone is adjusting to the
boat. I was tired of lining up for rides at the parks and boarding which wasn't so bad except one of
the employees who checked guests in decided to take a break or something without telling anyone.
Our line sort of came to a stop for 10-15 minutes. They announce your name when you step into the
lobby. It has a beautiful colorful glass chandelier and I thought the boat was designed quite nicely. It
is large and has a spacious feel.
Our rooms were on deck 7 with a balcony about mid aft. They were
all next to each other and my brother's family stateroom connected to my parents. They were
appointed well with comfortable enough beds, and storage. Also, having the separate shower with
sink and sink/toliet area was handy when we were getting ready for the day and at dinner. I thought
the mini refrig was a nice touch too.
We were hungry and went to the buffet after checking out our
rooms. Everyone else has this idea too. So, we stood in line again. The food is just OK. It on the
bland side-salads, lunch meat and roast beef. The large shrimp however were very good, fresh and
in abundance. They had a huge bowl and kept refilling it. There were enough servers and
everything was cleared and cleaned off immediately. Self serve drinks are included but the soft
drinks they served on trays were extra. I don't remember the price but it was not outrageous. After a
few hours people settled in and we did not experience crowds except at some of the events in the
lobby at night and the photo shop. We liked having the Personal Navigator to select the things we
wanted to do. My children did not take advantage of the kids activities since they had their cousins
to play with. I checked both of them into the labs but my 11 year old was the only one who attended.
I was impressed with the pager they gave me and the security process. She tried a drawing class
and checked out the computers. She didn't have much fun as she already draws fairly well and
didn't like the instructor-she was too strict and didn't seem to like the kids.
My kids are social but
they don't see their grandparents and cousins much so they were content to spend time with us. My
youngest daughter and her cousin enjoyed the Mickey slide. It was well supervised with someone at
the top and bottom of the slide watching every minute. It was crowded but ship's pools are small.
Our first dinner was at the Animator's Palate. Every restaurant was beautifully decorated-very fun,
very Disney. I felt the sit down food was fairly good. We are fussy about food quality and like
gourmet food. My veal chop was tasty(not enough sauce on most things though), escargot pretty
good, desserts except the creme brulee not bad. The lobster though was frozen and sort of mushy.
My kids loved the Scottish salmon/lox in the morning. Their cousin who does not eat enough
surprised his parents with his appetite.
He loved the pizza and I think had it every night. I would give
the food a B+. Wines were reasonable. The only disappointment we had was Disney had not
assigned all of us to the same table. I'm sure the fact we were all traveling together as a family was
conveyed by our travel agent-AAA. This upset my dad the whole trip. They originally had my parents
at another table. When we told the maitre de they seated us together but the table was too small
and it was very tight each dinner night.
Our table at Animators Palate was towards the back and
near the kitchen. The view for this special night isn't the best back there. Also, the first night the
servers were nervous or something and kept dropping whole trays of plates and glass next to us.
Our servers were very pleasant and friendly. We also enjoyed breakfast and lunch at the Triton
during the day. The fish and chips were good, soups tasty and sandwiches good. My oldest
daughter gets migraines and the first night she and her dad could not make dinner and they
ordered room service. The menu is very limited and there was not enough choice for them. Our
cabin steward Ralph seemed to favor my brother's boys and he was always polite with us but we did
not get mints on our pillows every night and the bathrooms were not clean. I think it was a
combination of poor design and the size of Ralph.
He was large and I don't think he could get in the
corners of the bath areas. It was dirty from the beginning. The rest of the ship however seemed very
tidy and clean-people were always cleaning something. My sister in law and I treated my mom to a
facial/massage at the spa. In fact, we all had the combo treatment. I believe it was $75. with a mini
facial and massage. Price was OK and treatment was about a B. The only thing I didn't like is they
try and sell you high priced internal herbaltreatments and other expensive cosmetics. I can't
comment on Nassau because we didn't even get off the ship. We thought we'd enjoy the pool and
relax on board instead while everyone went on land. We did enjoy Castaway Cay their private
island. We were fascinating watching the preparation as we landed. They brought tons of white
towels out. It was sort of artifical, the whole thing but I liked it.
You stepped out took your towels had
a photo taken w a character and proceeded down the beach to pick out a beach chair or hammock.
I've never seen so many umbrellas and chairs. I spent much of my time relaxing in a hammock the
whole time. I will have to say it was foreign to me. I never have time to relax with two kids, work etc.
Oh, and we lived on Oahu for eight years. I can't help but compare from experience. Water was
colder than I thought and if you snorkel there really hasn't been the time for the artifical reef to grow.
My husband said there weren't many fish. He did get a nasty scrape(a fin) from an inexperienced
snorkeler which will give you an idea how many people are in the water. We had the buffet lunch
which was a very nice bbq. They had music and plenty of snorkeling gear and water equipment to
rent. My daughter went kayaking w my dad. They rope off all the activities so there isn't any danger
of boats and swimmers tangling. We thought the night activities were fine. My husband and I are not
partiers so we did not check out the bars or even the comedy show. We saw Toy Story II w the kids
which we thought was great. The theaters were nice and we thought the live entertainment good for
the kids and not too long. The cruise highlights for us were the different restaurants, food,
entertainment and Castaway Cay. This was the first cruise for our girls and we are planning an
European cruise this summer on the Royal Caribbean.
Name: Tony Stobb
Email: tstobb@mediaone.net
Age: 33
Occupation: Realtor
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Disney-Wonder
SailingDate: 9/9/99
Itinerary: Bahamas/Castaway Cay
Cabin: Outside/ltd. view Category 11
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Feb 2000
Time: 17:16:35
Remote Name: surf01-26-28.naplesfl.net
Remote User:
Comments
WOW!!! If you even remotely like Disney, this cruise is for you! We left our children with my parents
and took this (our first) cruise for our 10th anniversary. (We told the kids we had to 'test' the ship
out before we would take them!) High Points: Dining: Palo was supurb and well worth the extra that
you have to pay for it. Our server was fantastic and the meal was prepared to perfection. The
Maitre'd (His name is, by coincidence, Palo!) seated us and then stopped by to chat during our
meal. A special desert was prepared for us when we told them it was our anniversary. Parrot Cay
and the Animators Palate were very good but the service could have been better. We only had
breakfast at Triton's. Food was everywhere! Even at the nightclubs, servers made regular rounds
with trays. Deck service was quick and good. Entertainment: The nightly theatre productions were
first rate and the nightclubs were fun. The cast-off party was a blast. You could get a giant Mickey
Mouse hand (cardboard on a long stick) to wave goodbye to the less fortunate ones on the Carnival
ship docked in Port Canaveral next to us. My wife and I were laughing when, while docked in
Nassau, (right next to the Carnival ship) we saw the Carnival crew drop 'Fun Ship' banners from the
side of their boat while their passengers stared forlornly at the fireworks (yes, real fireworks) going
off from ours! Service: The staff was very attentive and easy to find. Questions were quickly and
correctly answered. Shore Excursions: We would have preffered not to stop at Nassau. We're not in
to shopping or gambling (although we did drop a 'few' dollars into the slot at the Atlantis) and spent
only about 2 hours off of the ship. Cataaway Cay was amazing. We spent the better part of the day
on the 'adults only' beach and then wandered the island, got a great lunch and meandered back to
the ship. It was great to be on the starboard (right) side while the ship departed so we could watch
the captain pull away using an outside control station. Island cast members were on the dock,
wearing giant Mickey Mouse gloves, waving goodbye as we pulled away. Stability: My wife's biggest
concern before going (besides how my dad would tolerate a 2, 4, & 6 year old for 4 days) was if she
would get seasick. Not, to worry, the ship was very stable, even when we were cruising at a high rate
of speed, trying to beat the hurricane that was approaching back to Florida.
Our only complaints were that we could hear the people in the cabin next to us (make sure that you
don't book a connecting room), the staff of the 'fancy' gift shop completely ignored first me alone,
then my wife when she shopped there alone, and then when we were there together, and that
Nassau, for us, was a waste of time, and that our cruise wasn't long enough!
We had a great time and would HIGHLY recommend this ship for couples as well as those with
children.
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