just got back from our first cruise!

[misseulalie]

We got back Sunday from a 3 day cruise on the Wonder. We had such a great experience, so much better than we ever thought!

 

Though a few things I might share with other new cruisers (since I am an experienced cruiser now!!!)

 

Palo really wasn't that great. Our meal at Triton's was just as good and would have saved us $20!

 

The spa was great. We had facials and massages but be prepared for the sales pitch. After getting one of the best facials I ever had, the facialist handed me a list of all the things I should buy and if I didn't, my face would go back to being wrinkly and dehydrated. By the way, she suggested over $300 worth of lotion and other products.

 

The Mickey pool is way too small. And the concept of staying on the boat at Nassau to have the pool to "yourself" is not true. It was just as crowded as the other days.

Also, we had to "evacuate" the pool because there was a child in swim diaper who had an accident in the pool.

I was speaking to another guest who said this happen to her twice on another Disney cruise.

I guess people don't think "potty trained children only" and no swim diapers doesn't apply to them.

 

The Oceanear's club for our daughter was fantastic. She didn't want to leave.

I found out, that if there is an activity that you want to see, but can't be there (like our daughter dancing with Snow White, it just happen to be at the same time of our Palo reservation) they will take pictures for you if give them your camera.

 

Don't miss Disney Dreams show on the 3 day cruise. It was better than any show we saw at the Disney Parks.

 

The glass bottom boat ride at Castaway Cay is not worth the $25. Don't bother.

 

I am so glad we left our 2 year old with my parents. Since she is not potty trained, we would have had to paid for baby sitting, had a hard time at dinner and a hard time keeping her in the pool especailly for kids still in diapers. She wants to do what big sister does.

 

Well, those are my thoughts, please feel free to add or disagree.

 

By the way, I am already looking to book our next Disney crusie!

 

Jennifer

[mruhaak]

It is good to hear your review! Thanks!

 

We will be on a 3 day in January with our 2 1/2 year old son and my mother and DH's 85 year old grandmother.

 

I was going to encourage the grandmother and mother to take the glass bottom boat cruise (as that is the only thing they would be up to.) Why wasn't it worth it? Would it be worth it if you were 85 years old and had never been to the Bahamas?

 

I am leaning toward paying for babysitting for my son during dinner. Then obviously we will have free babysitting from my mom later in the evenings... :-)

 

Thanks again for the info!

[misseulalie]

Well, I guess for your grandmother it would be ok. My daughter was bored and besides seeing a few schools of yellow snapper we didn't see much. If it was $10-15, it would be good, but $25 seemed like a lot.

[greatdanemom]

Welcome to "cruise addiction" misseulalie! Our addiction also started on the Wonder (this past May.) Now we can't get enough!

 

Thanks for your honest comments about your cruise. Sharing your experiences is so helpful for others who are planning their trips. I hope you get to cruise again very soon and have nothing but terrific times!

 

Cheryl

[greatdanemom]

Welcome to "cruise addiction" misseulalie! Our addiction also started on the Wonder (this past May.) Now we can't get enough!

 

Thanks for your honest comments about your cruise. Sharing your experiences is so helpful for others who are planning their trips. I hope you get to cruise again very soon and have nothing but terrific times!

 

Cheryl

[shuttle-c]

YES, welcome to cruise "mania" for the "addicts". We waited till our 30th anniversary until we started cruising. We loved it some much, we took our two sons and their wives along with us on the Wonder.

 

They now love it also. We like Disney and HAL both.

We have another family trip scheduled next March and more of our family and daughter-in-laws family are going also.

 

We think - Disney is for all ages.

[NJBill]

We too took Disney as our first cruise, and you will not be satisfied with any other "non-Disney" cruise in your lifetime. We had some other good cruises (non-Disney), but on each one, my wife reminded me that "it was not as good as Disney". Next Aug we are cruising Disney again.........

[SunFunCruiser]

Thanks for the TR. I agree about teh Mickey Pool. I only let my son in it the first day. It's like a breading ground for bacteria @@.

 

I think you are the first person I have ever heard not like Palos. What didn't you like?

[misseulalie]

It's not that I didn't like Palo's. It was good, just not GREAT. I thought the other restaruants were just as good without spending the extra 10 bucks.I had the Linguini Carbonara. It was SO full of oil, it was like a big clump of noodles in oil soup. Not good at all.

 

I would say the chocolate Souffle was excellent.

 

Bythe way... was it just our waiters, or do they all bring out many different dishes, and bring out all the desserts for you to sample?For example, our waiter brought out all of the appetizers when we couldn't decide which one to get, and even got an appetizer that was on the menu from Triton's while we were eating at Parrot Cay. I hope its this way all the time!

[SunFunCruiser]

.

 

Bythe way... was it just our waiters, or do they all bring out many different dishes, and bring out all the desserts for you to sample?For example, our waiter brought out all of the appetizers when we couldn't decide which one to get, and even got an appetizer that was on the menu from Triton's while we were eating at Parrot Cay. I hope its this way all the time!

 

 

Our waiter at Palos brought lots of other food to try. Our regular waiters barely brought out what we ordered.

[ciska40]

Hi,

 

We will be on the wonder next thursday hope we have a wonderfull cruise too.

 

Love Ciska

[nadinehines]

Disney is the best; no doubt. DH and I just got home from a RCCL cruise and it was very nice but Disney does a better job at everything! Admittedly, our RCCL was alot cheaper. Glass bottom boat was a bore and I thought it was dirty; glass throughout the boat needed a good cleaning. The boat traveled slow at times so if you are prone to motion sickness, stay away. Palos was awesome - best $10 meal I've ever had. Waiter brought out more food than our party of 8 could have ever eaten. We also did the champagne brunch at Palos was a second highlight to the adults guests in our party. Oh man, this is making me cruise-crazy! :p

[nadinehines]

Disney is the best; no doubt. DH and I just got home from a RCCL cruise and it was very nice but Disney does a better job at everything! Admittedly, our RCCL was alot cheaper. Glass bottom boat was a bore and I thought it was dirty; glass throughout the boat needed a good cleaning. The boat traveled slow at times so if you are prone to motion sickness, stay away. Palos was awesome - best $10 meal I've ever had. Waiter brought out more food than our party of 8 could have ever eaten. We also did the champagne brunch at Palos was a second highlight to the adults guests in our party. Oh man, this is making me cruise-crazy! :p

[nadinehines]

Disney is the best; no doubt. DH and I just got home from a RCCL cruise and it was very nice but Disney does a better job at everything! Admittedly, our RCCL was alot cheaper. Glass bottom boat was a bore and I thought it was dirty; glass throughout the boat needed a good cleaning. The boat traveled slow at times so if you are prone to motion sickness, stay away. Palos was awesome - best $10 meal I've ever had. Waiter brought out more food than our party of 8 could have ever eaten. We also did the champagne brunch at Palos was a second highlight to the adults guests in our party. Oh man, this is making me cruise-crazy! :p

[OliverTheCat]

I have been on 3 disney cruises. I do agree with you that Palo wasnt GREAT but it was ok. I wouldnt eat there again. I thoroughly enjoyed the food on the rest of the cruise though. The best cruise food I have ever had.

 

I know what you mean about the Mickey pool. I dont know why parents put their diapered babies in there when they are not supposed to. It ruins the experience for others and gets people ill. They do a good job keeping it sanitized but the first incident, they have to clear it out and do it again...which ruins it for the good kids. Its almost like they need a monitor there..which is sad.

 

I just cruised with Royal Caribbean and I found myself comparing and contrasting Disney to it as well! It was actually funny. Overall, I loved Disney shows, service, and food waaaaaay better than RCI - and I mean WAY BETTER.

 

I will cruise both lines continually, but Disney will prob. always be my fav. :)