Disney Wonder from Galveston

Just got off disney wonder last week from galveston. Not a polished review below (will edit when I can) - but need to just get it done and post it. Before the cruise I read everything I could here and on the disney forums (separate website) and generally on the net (e.g. a few key articles about why people hate disney cruises really stuck with me, and I address some of their points below)

Bottom line - it was different than any other cruise I had done (princess, NCL, RCL), the service was great, everyone tolerated kids really well, and everyone - EVERYONE was really nice and great to talk to. Well, except a couple grouchy people but I just never found a need to talk to people who didn't want to be talked to or judge anyone, and the vast majority of people were friendly and nice.

Darell the room attendant was super nice. Did everything we asked. He looked overworked sometimes but really tried to turn down our cash tips

Omar our server amazing always smiling and happy

Clayton was fun (CD) - good dancer

Magician was a great dancer! :-)

Anom was sweet attentive very professional - I thought he was our main server for most of the cruise

Internet manager helpful. However Internet usage a problem... background Info but also stayed signed In and she didn't know. More below on that.

Knowing your whereabouts: Elevators. Aft and forward elevators: when you are facing the elevator doors you are facing forward. Midship faces other way (when you look at the doors, you are facing aft)

I found it Nice to hear dads singing the disney songs

Hard hearing parents' frustration with their kids, felt like I was at work. General, constant noise was not relaxing. Again, felt like I was at work.

Balcony was just not quite the same as on other ships. Felt less relaxing for some reason... but cabin steward can clean the plexiglass which helps.

Shower: the tub has a wavy rod. Duct tape if you can't stand it touching you, or use the fitness centre showers.

Shower head: the heat was fine unlike another review but the width of spray bad (very narrow) so took longer shower. Drain in tub never fixed had to pull It out to drain tub even for showers

If not happy or need a break just walk over to adult side and go into pool or tub. Even just a little time makes a big difference. Didn't find balcony relaxing enough.

Manolo the server we had once was absolutely amazing. Outstanding server.

Stuff seems safe there, perhaps because it's disney so all fellow cruisers are premium payers. People left their phones out on the pool chairs, e.g.

No clocks around - phone is fine though, didn't need a watch.

App needs a balance checker for the account but otherwise it is really good. Texting through the app was way better than using the wave phone. We always carried both.

Advice on Internet and smartphone or computer- the free 50 mb is nice but be aware to turn off everything you possibly can on your phone and to ensure that you are truly signed out. I signed out on my browser as you are supposed to, and somehow I was still connected. This happened to 3 of us in our party. We had two rooms so I checked our second account and tested it. I signed out, shut down the browser, turned off wifi. Then I turned wifi back on and refreshed a page and it worked/was still connected. I think I then would go back to connect@sea through the app and sign in and out again. It was ridiculous but the free internet was a nice perk so I can't complain. If I had paid for it I would be insisting on a refund, though.

Loungers were nicer by the adult pool

Ariel mural and glass backed elevators were fun for the kids - they can see folks in elevators and everyone in the elevators was awesome when they looked and our kid were standing on the other side of the glass.

Galveston embarkation was fine. we went at around 1230. Nobody told us we had to drop our luggage at one end (right near where shuttles, etc drop you off), and we like many others went all the way to check in before we found out. Don't make that mistake!

Debarkation was fine. Long lines everywhere as second seating folks lined up for breakfast restaurants while the rest of us walked off single file.

Disney was a HUGE shock for me. I'd last been on Quantum of the Seas, and loved the dancing and amazing shows. With the billing of "broadway style" shows on disney, I had a hard time getting into it but the kids LOVED the shows, and the final dream show was fanastic I thought. Obvious to say now that they are broadway style kids shows. Toy story was good in retrospect, but our kids and we found the bad kid next door to be a bit too scary. The kids were fine with it though in the end. Character worship - I saw some reviews where people were horrified by the character worship and how the characters are like celebrities. I don't know - people just were happy and if they were way more into characters than us I didn't judge. We just did what we wanted and enjoyed what we wanted to do. My daughter was the only one to pass up three princesses and just go to the one whose dress was the same as her borrowed princess dress at a meet and greet. who cares? (Our kids haven't seen half the disney stuff, but they were well versed by the end of the cruise) Our kids got excited as the characters showed up, so we went with it.

Oh - however, it grated on me everytime a male staff said "hello, princess" to my daughter. our regular service folks were great about remembering not to call her that, at her request. That was one of two things that was hard for me. The other was feeling a bit pressured about giving "excellents" on the survey. We had already planned to, and then the comments about it kind of ruined the illusion for me. It's hard not to think about how hard the staff work, and how hard it must be if they have to be so reliant on the surveys being filled out, and getting "excellent"s. Interestingly, the survey asks at the end if anyone pressured us to give excellents. All very uncomfortable.

Kids club took a lot of getting used to as well. We have been used to more personal experiences, where the staff know our children and can tell us if they had fun, and what they did. This just had too many kids for that. We found it worked best when we found activities on the schedule that the kids wanted to do, and dropped them off and ensured they got to the activity (vs. just the computers), and then picked them up after and checked if they wanted to do the next thing. The announcements for some reason just didn't work for our kids (age 5 and 7)

other tips from these threads (THANK YOU!!)

deck 7 aft lookout is

• awesome. rarely ever anyone there. great for little kids to run around freely. beautiful view. QUIET
   
  
• deck 4 promenade looked good, never really used it. deck 10 nice as well but didn't really get to walk around much up there.
   
  
• Spa had a $99 special for port days and it was AMAZING. Grace or LinLei can be recommended without question
   
  
• ask for tempurpedic pillows if you need it. Magnetic clips work great on the doors to hold what you need. Shoe organizer is great, attached to a hanger in the closer - put your sunscreens, etc in it
   
  
• go to parrots cay on the first day for lunch. When turned away say "i prefer the dining room" even if they say they are about to close in a 1/2 hour or whatever.
   
  
• Women's locker room is great for shower, sauna, relaxation. Fitness centre is fantastic. Yoga and pilates classes very good, machines are good.
   
  
• Staircase starboard side all the way aft from deck 8 goes right up to the Buffet near the drinks. Very convenient!
   
  
• Pretzels are by the pool in the pizza place. Ask for the stuffed ones as well to try the ones with cream cheese. Many people loved them.
   
  
• Rooms are ready around 130 PM. Keep wave phones charged or they beep. Don't lose them. Return kids club wristbands to get $13 deposit back.
   
  
• Make sure you go to animator's palate with the kids on the night of the show. Your server can tell you which night it will be. Get drinks and cookies from pool deck if you want free snacks for the show.
   
  
• If you get disney gift alcohol in your room, you can take it to the dining room and not be charged the corkage fee. (ie the gift packages that can be ordered and sent to your room after sailaway) Not saying to do this for any advantage, but just a factoid if someone gets you a gift or you get one for someone else.
   
  
• we registered the kids for the kids club online and then went to the lab after getting on board as the line was really long in port. There was no line onboard at the club.
  

Is there a dedicated room for yoga/pilates? On the Magic, yoga was crammed into the middle of the work out equipment. It was the least relaxing yoga I've ever done.

Agree with the "excellent" service requests. You want to recognize the good service, but being asked to, then being asked if you were asked to, gets a little weird.

We're going Dec 24. Can't wait!

ljandgb, great question.

The yoga and pilates was in the middle of the exercise equipment, in the centre of the back area most aft by the back windows.

Honestly though, by that point I was so desperate for some adult only quietness that I didn't care at all. I wasn't even properly dressed and I just felt so comfortable. Most people just did not seem judgmental at all and it just felt like we were all so much in the same boat, doing our best to be good parents and stay sane and healthy :-) I even went on the machines once with a skirt and bathing suit on - I just had to prioritize 20-30 minutes of exercise and it wouldn't have happened that day any other time if I went to change, etc.

The yoga was incredibly relaxing and there were only 3-4 people including me. I didn't want to stop it and was totally relaxed by the end. It was actually quite mild and basic, but I only did one class. The pilates was only one class for the whole 7 day cruise and it was harder than I'm used to but I'm not an expert. there were maybe 6-8 people in that class I think...

Enjoy your cruise!!!!

Andreaplants, was the yoga simple enough for someone who has never tried yoga? And is there a charge? We're going on the Fantasy is 10 days, and I thought I would try it.

Tigers11 - congrats on your cruise!

I only know what it was on the day I went to the class on Disney Wonder, so with that caveat - yes. There wasn't any balancing on one foot or any of that stuff that I've seen. It was my first yoga class and I thought it was easy enough. The instructor named different poses and I had no clue what they were but he also described how to do it and I just watched him and the others in the class. It mostly was like stretching and holding stretches, but really, really relaxing!

Andrea

thanks for the feedback...boarding friday.

charge for use of spa stuff like sauna, showers, etc?

Thank you for mentioning the twisty hose in the shower. I know it's weird, but it really bothers me to touch it when showering. Unexpected and cold. bleh

I wish people were not thieves on our last Disney cruise (Wonder out of LA). DW put her designer sunglasses down for a second in the bathroom, turned around to get a paper towel or something, and they were gone. My mom had her Sony camera stolen on the same cruise, but we're not quite sure where she had it stolen.

hince57

no charge. the female and male locker rooms have showers, sauna, relaxing chairs, lockers for your stuff, and some spa products. All free as you can use it while using fitness centre (free). Also there is spa water (lemon, citrus etc ) in a common area that you can get for free.

codex57

that's a shame! I'm sure it happens any/everywhere. We didn't tempt fate and I covered up my phone, etc. but maybe (perhaps) it was because we sailed out of galveston. I really noticed how nice EVERYONE was - in the port, in security, in town, everything - hobby airport -

so I should add that this was just my perception and please always exercise caution with your belongings, use the room safe, etc