As I mentioned in a previous post, I was quite nervous about my inaugural cruise vacation to the Mexican Riviera on the Disney Wonder and probably wouldn't have ever tried it if I hadn't been invited by the folks at Disney. I was unsure about the whole experience but, mostly, I was anxious about being sea sick. I have a tendency toward motion sickness and the thought of a week of it was feeding my fears. Well, I am happy to report that it was a non-issue! Although I could feel the movement of the ship, after a little getting used to it was just part of the journey.
Starting the cruise off with breakfast at Disneyland!
As for the cruise itself, I was pleasantly surprised. I mean, we all know Disney is tough to beat when it comes to travel for families so I was not surprised that the service, entertainment, childcare and overall condition of the ship were top notch. But there were a few areas that impressed me which I didn't expect.
- The Food. To be honest, I expected little in the food department. You know, lots of all you can eat buffets and cafeteria-like meals. But WOW. I don't know how they did it with 10,000 meals served on the ship every week but the food was usually very good and on occasion fabulous. In fact, it was so surprisingly good that my sister-in-law who cruised with us is writing a whole post just on the food. Look out for that!
- The Tween Club. The Edge club for tweens is a new addition to the Wonder and, man, am I grateful. My 11.5 year-old son would come and go as he pleased but knew he could always find friends and activities that were spot-on for a kid his age here.
- The Shows. Now, I knew we'd get a lot of Disney style entertainment but what I didn't expect was the calibre. I found myself, most night's, really enjoying the live entertainment. Although I was a bit tired of the "faith, trust and pixie dust!" references by the end of our week, the live theatre was complimented by comedy, magic, ventriloquism and more.
The view of the sea from the porthole.
Although I loved so much more about the cruise than I thought I would, I am not sure I am a cruise enthusiast like SO many people we met. By the end of the week I was feeling a little confined and a little crowded. The pools are small and there are a lot of people so it was more overstimulating at times than relaxing.
I do think cruising would be great for certain destinations. I would definitely see the Mediterranean this way. There the ports are fabulous in their own right and you get a piece of unique culture in each. One would see so much more than you would if traveling by land. It would also be a perfect way to see a place like Alaska. By sea you would see things you could never access by land. In fact, the Disney Wonder will be making its way up the Pacific Coast and adding an Alaskan itinerary later this year!
Overall, my first time cruising was a very positive experience. We "adventured" in the ports of call, relaxed on deck, ate well and were entertained.
Want to see more? Here are some photos from our trip:
thanks for sharing these pictures and thoughts, Jen. So glad you were not seasick. It looks like you had a blast.
I was astonished to find I loved the Alaska cruise we went on last June.
The picture of your daughter in the porthole is magic. I love it!
I know, Nancy, I LOVE that photo. Amazing how when you don't try too hard magic can happen!
I love the pics.
Looks and sounds like it was a great time. What a special treat and a fun experience for the kids. Gotta love the Tween Club -- not to mention the ketchup!
Thanks for sharing! : )
The ketchup is a reflection of how amazing the service was! Every. Single. Little. Detail. I actually hugged our server when we left!
Thanks for the great post Jen & glad it worked out for you. I love Disney and even though I am not the biggest fan of cruises (love the destinations, hated being confined at sea) I think this is something we would be seriously interested in. Especially since our kids are so different in ages (2 & 9) there would always be fun things for both kids
Love the pics!
Our Disney cruise was ruined by a fire that broke out, and the fact that we almost had to abandon ship. It was nightmarish.
OMG, Vicki! Yes, I can see how that might be a serious damper on your experience. Honestly? That scares the HELL out of me.