A little worried about the Wonder...

[SnowWhite2]

I unfortunately missed the waterfall in the atrium since I had to cancel the day before sailing. Trust me, you had a better time than I did. I just got home last night after my dad (age 91) had two operations. Our next DCL cruise is the Vancouver to hawaii on the Wonder. My daughter is going on the Magic next weekend Friday April 18 - Monday April 21 and she was assigned to deck 6 midship. I’ll be able to get an update from her. The Magic/Wonder are my favorite ships although I haven’t been on the Magic for 3 years. Food is always subjective but the fast food places on deck 9 have always closed by 6 pm and the pizza and hamburger places reopened later in the evening. The schedules are always on the navigator app.

My last completed cruise was my first time on Holland America. I liked the buffet being open for dinner. Their choices for the buffet were much better all day compared to DCL. I still drool thinking about their salad bar that was open for lunch and dinner. They also had pineapple dole whip several days. Free. Yep, dole whip. They just said it was pineapple soft serve. But it was pineapple dole whip. The other thing I loved was that they served you at the buffet. No one touching the food! I wish DCL did that. I don’t eat at Cabanas much because Ive seem some atrocious behavior at the buffet. If we board first I’ll eat there but otherwise, I don’t go there often except for hand scooped ice cream.

I honestly didn’t think I could have as good of a time on another cruise line but I did have a good time on our HAL cruise. I booked because I wanted to go to Grand Turk and needed to go on either HAL or Carnival. Didn’t want to do Carnival so HAL was it. Loved all of the live music venues. A dueling piano bar, a live band at the dance club and a live band (not a singer or duo) in the atrium bar. Almost every night (each had off one night) while other events were taking place. Were their “shows” in the main theater good? No, unless you like dancers that dance to recorded music. I felt like I was at my kids dance recital. But they had several art classes - not drawing characters - but watercolor, flower arranging or calligraphy classes. Big area like a dining room but their equivalent to Cove Cafe with tables for games and puzzles that were provided. Also big lounge chairs by the large front windows to watch the ocean go by as you read a book or enjoy the scenery. Bar and paid coffees available there. It was nice but different. Ship had/held about 2100 guests. Had 9 decks. Routine maintenance was better on DCL. We did complain about our room being hot. After a few visits by maintenance, they had a person take out the vent cover and found a wool blanket, several pool towels and bath towels stuffed up there. The room was cool after that! We missed their private island due to high winds and the inability to tender to the island. Very bummed about that as their island was supposed to be one of the best/nicest beaches.

With all of that said, I think DCL is miss calculating on the dining room for dinner or go hungry/use room service stance. It was nice to go to the dining room and get alcoholic drinks (a pain on DCL), several courses of food and get finished within 45 minutes on HAL. We had the same servers and same table/time. I know nothing about them but I don’t need new friends that work on cruise ships. Having ships with dinner shows is not my thing after a long day in port. I know nothing about Marvel. I’m tired seeing the old shows over and over again. 2 hour dinners with little kids isn’t a wining strategy for most littles. They can’t sit still that long and they don’t have the attention span to comprehend what is going on that long. Room service used to have a bunch of hearty options but they have taken that away after covid. Now it is more bar food or snacks. I started cruising when my kids were later elementary school age so I didn’t have the problem of keeping littles occupied and there was only one show which was the original animators show. Plus my kids wanted to be in the kids club every night (they used to take them to the buffet for dinner and Animators Palette for lunch). I had to force my kids to come to dinner at least two nights on the cruise. People need to make their thoughts known on the survey at the end of the cruise.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

the little pub on the lower level of wonder serves food & a buffet late, its my favorite ship, went last year this time for my son's birthday, we only got off on cabo but had a blast! concierge rooms were nicely updated

 

[Skippyboo]

Generally, I read, people watch, sit in the CL lounge. I'll look for something to do on the app., watch a movie. I can usually find things. This last cruise, just didn't offer much.

I have only done 4 DCL sailing so far . I have 2 future cruises booked. My first cruise was Fantasy with a friend I work with. We basically just did character meet and greets and the Broadway shows. I saw a couple of films in Buena Vista Theater. Next 2 cruises were solo so I tried to do stuff I didn’t do before like trivia, Aqua Duck/mouse, bingo, walked the castaway 5K . Last cruise was with a different friend who is Gold so it was mixture of hanging out in the upper deck or watching a movie on the funnel vision. We did some crafts went to adult Disney movies trivia which didn’t actually exist in the system so it became a hodgepodge of Disney movie and regular movie trivia that most people there didn’t know but we all had a blast. My friend hit the spa and I won 2 trivia medals.

I try to do a new to me activity each cruise.

 

[annab3550]

I unfortunately missed the waterfall in the atrium since I had to cancel the day before sailing. Trust me, you had a better time than I did. I just got home last night after my dad (age 91) had two operations. Our next DCL cruise is the Vancouver to hawaii on the Wonder. My daughter is going on the Magic next weekend Friday April 18 - Monday April 21 and she was assigned to deck 6 midship. I’ll be able to get an update from her. The Magic/Wonder are my favorite ships although I haven’t been on the Magic for 3 years. Food is always subjective but the fast food places on deck 9 have always closed by 6 pm and the pizza and hamburger places reopened later in the evening. The schedules are always on the navigator app.

My last completed cruise was my first time on Holland America. I liked the buffet being open for dinner. Their choices for the buffet were much better all day compared to DCL. I still drool thinking about their salad bar that was open for lunch and dinner. They also had pineapple dole whip several days. Free. Yep, dole whip. They just said it was pineapple soft serve. But it was pineapple dole whip. The other thing I loved was that they served you at the buffet. No one touching the food! I wish DCL did that. I don’t eat at Cabanas much because Ive seem some atrocious behavior at the buffet. If we board first I’ll eat there but otherwise, I don’t go there often except for hand scooped ice cream.

I honestly didn’t think I could have as good of a time on another cruise line but I did have a good time on our HAL cruise. I booked because I wanted to go to Grand Turk and needed to go on either HAL or Carnival. Didn’t want to do Carnival so HAL was it. Loved all of the live music venues. A dueling piano bar, a live band at the dance club and a live band (not a singer or duo) in the atrium bar. Almost every night (each had off one night) while other events were taking place. Were their “shows” in the main theater good? No, unless you like dancers that dance to recorded music. I felt like I was at my kids dance recital. But they had several art classes - not drawing characters - but watercolor, flower arranging or calligraphy classes. Big area like a dining room but their equivalent to Cove Cafe with tables for games and puzzles that were provided. Also big lounge chairs by the large front windows to watch the ocean go by as you read a book or enjoy the scenery. Bar and paid coffees available there. It was nice but different. Ship had/held about 2100 guests. Had 9 decks. Routine maintenance was better on DCL. We did complain about our room being hot. After a few visits by maintenance, they had a person take out the vent cover and found a wool blanket, several pool towels and bath towels stuffed up there. The room was cool after that! We missed their private island due to high winds and the inability to tender to the island. Very bummed about that as their island was supposed to be one of the best/nicest beaches.

With all of that said, I think DCL is miss calculating on the dining room for dinner or go hungry/use room service stance. It was nice to go to the dining room and get alcoholic drinks (a pain on DCL), several courses of food and get finished within 45 minutes on HAL. We had the same servers and same table/time. I know nothing about them but I don’t need new friends that work on cruise ships. Having ships with dinner shows is not my thing after a long day in port. I know nothing about Marvel. I’m tired seeing the old shows over and over again. 2 hour dinners with little kids isn’t a wining strategy for most littles. They can’t sit still that long and they don’t have the attention span to comprehend what is going on that long. Room service used to have a bunch of hearty options but they have taken that away after covid. Now it is more bar food or snacks. I started cruising when my kids were later elementary school age so I didn’t have the problem of keeping littles occupied and there was only one show which was the original animators show. Plus my kids wanted to be in the kids club every night (they used to take them to the buffet for dinner and Animators Palette for lunch). I had to force my kids to come to dinner at least two nights on the cruise. People need to make their thoughts known on the survey at the end of the cruise.

I've not tried HAL, maybe I should. I've seen the DCL shows and though I love many of them, I've seen them all. I'd actually enjoy some of the things you mentioned as activities on HAL. (The art options).
I like music trivia and go to that many evenings. I will go to things in the adults area though during the day there isn't much. I don't do bingo. I used to spa, but honestly, I got bored with the Rain forest too. I do walk the deck and did a 5 k on the trans Atlantic, but there wasn't one on the 4 night. I don't do character stuff at all. Honestly, at 55, it might be time to move on. (Unless they come up with some new itineraries).

 

[cburnett11]

We did the last Alaska cruise last September on the Wonder and loved it.

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

I unfortunately missed the waterfall in the atrium since I had to cancel the day before sailing. Trust me, you had a better time than I did. I just got home last night after my dad (age 91) had two operations. Our next DCL cruise is the Vancouver to hawaii on the Wonder. My daughter is going on the Magic next weekend Friday April 18 - Monday April 21 and she was assigned to deck 6 midship. I’ll be able to get an update from her. The Magic/Wonder are my favorite ships although I haven’t been on the Magic for 3 years. Food is always subjective but the fast food places on deck 9 have always closed by 6 pm and the pizza and hamburger places reopened later in the evening. The schedules are always on the navigator app.

My last completed cruise was my first time on Holland America. I liked the buffet being open for dinner. Their choices for the buffet were much better all day compared to DCL. I still drool thinking about their salad bar that was open for lunch and dinner. They also had pineapple dole whip several days. Free. Yep, dole whip. They just said it was pineapple soft serve. But it was pineapple dole whip. The other thing I loved was that they served you at the buffet. No one touching the food! I wish DCL did that. I don’t eat at Cabanas much because Ive seem some atrocious behavior at the buffet. If we board first I’ll eat there but otherwise, I don’t go there often except for hand scooped ice cream.

I honestly didn’t think I could have as good of a time on another cruise line but I did have a good time on our HAL cruise. I booked because I wanted to go to Grand Turk and needed to go on either HAL or Carnival. Didn’t want to do Carnival so HAL was it. Loved all of the live music venues. A dueling piano bar, a live band at the dance club and a live band (not a singer or duo) in the atrium bar. Almost every night (each had off one night) while other events were taking place. Were their “shows” in the main theater good? No, unless you like dancers that dance to recorded music. I felt like I was at my kids dance recital. But they had several art classes - not drawing characters - but watercolor, flower arranging or calligraphy classes. Big area like a dining room but their equivalent to Cove Cafe with tables for games and puzzles that were provided. Also big lounge chairs by the large front windows to watch the ocean go by as you read a book or enjoy the scenery. Bar and paid coffees available there. It was nice but different. Ship had/held about 2100 guests. Had 9 decks. Routine maintenance was better on DCL. We did complain about our room being hot. After a few visits by maintenance, they had a person take out the vent cover and found a wool blanket, several pool towels and bath towels stuffed up there. The room was cool after that! We missed their private island due to high winds and the inability to tender to the island. Very bummed about that as their island was supposed to be one of the best/nicest beaches.

With all of that said, I think DCL is miss calculating on the dining room for dinner or go hungry/use room service stance. It was nice to go to the dining room and get alcoholic drinks (a pain on DCL), several courses of food and get finished within 45 minutes on HAL. We had the same servers and same table/time. I know nothing about them but I don’t need new friends that work on cruise ships. Having ships with dinner shows is not my thing after a long day in port. I know nothing about Marvel. I’m tired seeing the old shows over and over again. 2 hour dinners with little kids isn’t a wining strategy for most littles. They can’t sit still that long and they don’t have the attention span to comprehend what is going on that long. Room service used to have a bunch of hearty options but they have taken that away after covid. Now it is more bar food or snacks. I started cruising when my kids were later elementary school age so I didn’t have the problem of keeping littles occupied and there was only one show which was the original animators show. Plus my kids wanted to be in the kids club every night (they used to take them to the buffet for dinner and Animators Palette for lunch). I had to force my kids to come to dinner at least two nights on the cruise. People need to make their thoughts known on the survey at the end of the cruise.

Fell the same a out my first HAl to Iceland. Going on the two week great alaskan explorer with them in three weeks. Between these two cruises I did a ta, merrytime,’spc and hawaii on DCL and kept saying take mIckey and the shows away from dcl and hal is 10
Times better

 

[Kwami]

Fell the same a out my first HAl to Iceland. Going on the tO week great alaskan ewplorer with thzm in three weeks. Between these to cruises I did a ta, merrytime,’spc and hawaii on DCL and keptbsayibg take mIckey and the shows away from dcl and hal is 10
Times better

???

 

[jimmymc]

I've done ABD with my daughter and granddaughter. It was lovely, but I don't see spending that much money to use them consistently. We travel enough that we don't need an organized tour (last summer we flew to Rome and did Sorrento and Monopoli on our own before boarding NCL for a 9 night med cruise and it was probably half the price of a 7 night ABD.

I agree with this. I've done ABD, but you get so much more trip by doing things on your own.

 

[Dug720]

I like music trivia and go to that many evenings. I will go to things in the adults area though during the day there isn't much. I don't do bingo. I used to spa, but honestly, I got bored with the Rain forest too. I do walk the deck and did a 5 k on the trans Atlantic, but there wasn't one on the 4 night. I don't do character stuff at all. Honestly, at 55, it might be time to move on.

Honestly? From that it sounds like HAL, Celebrity, or maybe Princess would be up your alley - assuming you even want to keep cruising. If you're not into Disney, there's no reason to pay the premium. Their itineraries are a little more varied - well, until you start cruising them all the time. Check out cruise critic - there are the same "don't they change up itineraries???" posts on pretty much every line.

I'm 53 and still love all things Disney - I just sprinkle in Celebrity for in-between cruises because I love cruising in general. (I'm personally not a fan of HAL - too old and boring - and I've never been on Princess. But they'd be closer to the same level.)

 

[brentm77]

I've been a huge DCL fan for many years. Except for a break around Covid, we did several cruises and have been on most of the ships. I first sailed the Magic when it was new and it's been my favorite ship for years. (Probably since the inaugural Norway sailing- which was amazing).
At Christmas, my husband booked us a cruise on the Magic from SJU to FLL. We sailed two weeks ago. I'm going to get some hate for this, but honestly, I was not impressed. Cruise #14 on DCL was my least favorite. We had an amazing room, (a 1 bed CL room with a huge aft balcony). It was pretty perfect. But, we walked into a flood in the atrium that was roped off with caution tape as water came down from the ceiling, food was not good (with the exception of Palo, which was amazing. The current chef on the Magic in Palo is fantastic) and I feel like I noticed a lot of cuts. On our second day of the cruise we had Palo brunch and later in the day, we didn't want to go to the dining room for dinner. We weren't "that" hungry. So we decided to go up to the deck. I know from past cruises that DCL does not open their buffet for dinner. But, we couldn't get anything, the pizza place, the salad place, the burger place.. all closed at 6:30 pm. IMO, that's pretty ridiculous. I also honestly felt bored on the ship, which I've never felt before (and the cruise before this was the EBTA last year, so I'm not afraid of several days at sea).
Anyway, I'm not here to complain about the Magic and I will have lovely memories from times I've sailed on her... but I'm here because after that cruise, I'm sort of scared of how the Wonder is these days. We're currently booked on the September Vancouver to Hawaii cruise. I've booked flights and a hotel in Hawaii post cruise and I'm seriously considering cancelling all of it and rethinking my trip. I haven't been on the Wonder in years so I'd love an update on how she's doing and if you'd sail a long cruise on her these days. (With several sea days in a row). Any opinions are appreciated. I think I'm making a decision on keeping or replacing this cruise this week. Thanks!

Last spring, we sailed the Magic one week and the Wonder two weeks later. Sailing on them so close together really allowed us to see the difference. At that time, it was clear the Wonder was in better condition. Between the two ships, the Wonder felt more like what I expect from Disney. It wasn't that the Magic was particularly bad; the Wonder was just noticeably better. I didn't notice a significant difference in the food between the two ships, however. Both seemed to have declined in quality with respect to food overall, with the exception of Palo. Although I am not a big Frozen fan, the production on the Wonder was also exceptional. Ultimately, the Wonder became my favorite ship we have sailed so far. In short, I would expect the Wonder to be in better shape that the Magic.

As I have said elsewhere, Celebrity is working really well for us these days and will have a good chunk of our business going forward. We will still sail Disney, but they need to improve the food significantly, add variation to the menus, and have better itineraries if they want to bring us back as our primary line.