The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘disney cruise line’

One of the most frequent complaints that we hear from families (including our own) is that Disney Cruise Line is just too expensive as compared to other cruise lines.  Although there is good reason for Disney to command a higher price, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to take advantage of Disney’s Special Offers.

Right now, Disney Cruise Line is offering a promotion that allows kids (17 and under) to sail for free on the Disney Wonder’s Mexican Riviera sailings from January 23 through March 20, 2011.  This is a huge savings!  This promotion is capacity controlled and many of the sailings and categories have already sold out of this promotion, so act fast!

Disney Cruise Line is also extending its European Summer Sale to select 10 and 11-night sailings in August and September.  You can sail the Disney Magic from just $999 per person for a Category 12 Inside Guarantee.  Third and fourth rates are a bit high, but you can still reserve a family of four for under $3600.

Last but not least, Disney Cruise Line is offering special discounts for active and retired military personnel (including DOD employees) throughout the summer.  European sailings can be reserved for as little as $699 per person, while Disney is offering 25% off of its July 11th 5-night Bahamas sailing.  These deals change every week, so be sure to check back often.

These special deals may be booked through Disney Cruise Line or your local travel agent.  You might want to shop around as agents will offer up to 10% onboard credit for each booking.  Bon Voyage!

Disclosure

We thought there would be no better way to launch back into our Wednesday Deal Day recap than focusing on Disney Cruise Line, the winner of our Most Family Friendly Cruise Line Award!  Finding deals on Disney can be a bit challenging.  The general rule of thumb is that the farther in advance that you reserve, the lower your price.  Of course, that isn’t 100% true as they do run onboard credit promotions from time to time and if you are a Florida resident, you can take advantage of their last minute resident specials.  Military?  They have some great discounts for you too!

So. we’ve waded through the possibilities to come up with some of the best Disney Cruise Line deals for families in the coming 18 months.  Pricing is based upon 2 adults and 2 children (one under 2 ) in the same cabin, including all taxes and fees.

Cruise Line/Ship	Length/Port	Date	Category	1st/2nd	3rd/4th	Total
Disney Magic	7nt-Barcelona	6/5	12-Inside	$799	$599	$2756
Disney Magic	8nt-Dover	7/30	12-Inside	$849	$749	$3155
Disney Magic	10nt-Barcelona	8/1/	12-Inside	$999	$849	$3629
Disney Wonder	3nt-Port Canav	8/26	11-Inside	$519	$289	$1681
Disney Wonder	3nt-Port Canav	9/23 +30	12-Inside	$349	$169	$1161
Disney Wonder	4nt-Port Canav	9/26	12-Inside	$459	$299	$1576
Disney Magic	7nt-Port Canav	11/27	11-Inside	$899	$549	$3023
Disney Magic	7nt-Port Canav	12/30	12-Inside	$799	$669	$3298
Disney Wonder	7nt-LA	1/30/11	11B-Inside	$689	$539	$2433
Disney Magic	7nt-Port Canav	9/24/11	11B-Inside	$839	$589	$2913
Disney Dream	3nt-Port Canav	2/10/11	11B-Inside	$459	$229	$1478
Disney Dream	3nt-Port Canav	3/3/11	11A-Inside	$429	$209	$1388
Disney Dream	4nt-Port Canav	9/11 +25	11A-Inside	$529	$249	$1648
Disney Dream	3nt-Port Canav	9/15 +22	11C-Inside	$329	$209	$1188

To book any of these sailings, contact your local travel agent or visit Disney online.  Remember to ask about past passenger, senior, military or resident discounts or bonuses for these sailings to get an even better deal!  Bon Voyage!

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

As our regular readers know, we’ve spent the better part of May sailing onboard the Carnival Sensation, Disney Wonder and Norwegian Jewel in search of the most family friendly cruise line.  Having sailed on 25 cruises before having kids, our perspective was just a bit different once we had little ones in tow.  Up until this point we had only sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and Celebrity’s Mercury with the kids, so we thought it might be time to broaden our horizons and see which cruise line really provides the best cruise experience for families.

It was an interesting journey, but we discovered lots along the way.  We’ve exposed the good, the bad and the downright ugly for each of the three cruise lines in our competition and in the end have chosen the best cruise line (among Carnival, Disney and NCL) in several different categories.  Now, on to the awards!

Most Family Friendly Dining Experience

Disney Cruise Line

Disney does an amazing job of not only entertaining kids during mealtimes, but the staff is attentive and are always available to assist with whatever you may need.  Disney provides sophisticated upscale choices for parents and simple but tasty foods for kids.  An excellent experience all around!

Best Children’s Program

Disney Cruise Line’s Oceaneer Club/Lab

Disney knows how to entertain kids!  With extensive, well equipped play areas, a nursery and a dedicated space on Castaway Cay, Disney goes beyond any other cruise line in offering a complete experience for your kids.  Professional, well-trained counselors are focused on making your child’s experience comfortable, fun and something that they will always remember.

Most Family Friendly Shipboard Amenities

Carnival Cruise Line’s Waterworks™ and Mini-Golf

Carnival has made a concerted effort to appeal to families.  This is obvious in their recent additions onboard, replacing underutilized public spaces with fun areas that have broad family appeal.  The ship never felt crowded and there were plenty of play areas for the kids as well as the family.  Two thumbs up for Carnival’s investment in families.

Best Embarkation and Disembarkation Process

Disney Cruise Line

You might ask why this is even an award category – well, if you’ve ever waited in long lines with screaming kids, you understand.  Disney has taken its well-developed process that it uses on land and transformed that into the best embarkation and disembarkation process at sea.  They will zip you on and off the ship without so much as a blink…and when you’re waiting, you’ll be well entertained.

Most Family Friendly Staterooms

Disney Cruise Line

This is a tough category to award because we’ve never really found a perfect cabin over the course of 30 cruises.  However, when it comes to families, Disney has made larger rooms with sitting areas and bathtubs standard.  An inexpensive upgrade will get you a deluxe cabin (214SF) with split bath and porthole mirror.  Disney was able to make our family of four comfortable in an inside cabin – that is an accomplishment!

Most Family Friendly Entertainment

Disney Cruise Line

I suppose to most that Disney was the obvious winner in this category; however, NCL with its Nickelodeon themed programming came close.  At the end of the day, Disney won out though because of its quality of entertainment.  Thank you Disney for understanding that quality is better than quantity.

Family Value Award

Carnival Cruise Line

The Family Value Award recognizes a cruise line for its appeal to families while creating an affordable experience for all to enjoy.  Carnival Cruise Line has made significant strides in creating a family friendly atmosphere while keeping fares low.  When cost is a limiting factor, Carnival is the cruise line of choice for family friendly cruising.

Most Family Friendly Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line

Disney has done a tremendous job of perfecting its product on land and now at sea.  Providing superior food quality, service, entertainment and activities, Disney Cruise Line is not only for families, but also for adults who like to have fun.  Once you’ve cruised Disney, you too will discover the Disney Difference!

For more information, please read our full reviews of the Carnival Sensation, Disney Wonder and Norwegian Jewel.

If you have enjoyed our tips, tricks and reviews, you’re sure to love our book that will be coming out this fall.  Focused on cruising with kids, this publication will take what we’ve done this month and expand it to cover all of the major cruise lines with a ship by ship recap of family friendly amenities and even more tips for selecting, reserving and sailing on your next family cruise.

Oh, and be sure to be on the lookout for our reviews of Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and Celebrity Mercury coming soon!  Bon Voyage!

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Earlier this year, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) announced its partnering with Nickelodeon to offer year-round Nick themed activities and entertainment onboard the Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Epic. This was perceived as a significant addition to its existing Kids Crew program and a move toward appealing to the market that Disney Cruise Line has cornered for the last 10 years (ie character themed cruising). After having sailed on the Norwegian Jewel Nickelodeon themed cruise this week, I can tell you that Disney has nothing to worry about.

Let me start by saying that the Nick crew leader onboard the Jewel was excellent. He worked hard and did his best to get the kids involved and make the most of the experience. Unfortunately, the program design is a bit simplistic and scattered. The Nick themed activities, although well done, are either too short (ie 15-20 minutes), too infrequent (none other than Slime Time Live during our day in Nassau) or revolve around limited character appearances. The only time that all of the characters actually appear all at once is at the character breakfast ($15 adults and $10 children – infants/toddlers free), which lasted almost 2 hours (not a good thing). They also offered Nick programming on television (2 channels), but the repeating loop was too short and the same programming played every day. So, if you are planning on taking one of these cruises because of the Nickelodeon offerings or you have sailed on Disney Cruise Line, you will be disappointed. If you want to sail on the Jewel or Epic anyway, then look at this as a little extra bonus.

NCLs traditional kids program, the NCL Kids Crew is separated into several age groups (2-5, 6-9 and 10-12); they essentially share the same spaces onboard the Jewel. There are a few tables, a cool padded maze with slides and a movie room with a few bean bag type chairs. Each age group has their own structured schedule of activities, with intermingled Freestyle Play (all ages). For each age group, there were about half a dozen listed activities in addition to Freestyle Play. The offerings were quite basic and definitely geared toward the more independent child. Sprinkled in between were family events, such as Family Lego Hour, Family Pictionary, Family Charades and Family Pizza Making. Despite the seemingly family friendly nature of these activities, the Kids Crew staff did a mediocre job at making them fun and engaging. For example, Family Pizza Making consisted of an assembly line of ingredients with no organization and little interaction from the staff to the group. Honestly, the Kids Crew staff was rather uninspiring. Unfortunately, on one evening we also encountered a Kids Crew staff member who was outright rude.

While in port and after 10:30PM (until 1:30AM) each evening, expect to pay a fee to have your kids participate in the club. The fee is $6/hour for the first child and $4/hour for each sibling. You will need to carry a beeper if your toddler isn’t potty trained as they don’t change diapers. NCL also offers a dedicated area called the Under 2 Zoo. On the Jewel, this consisted of a conference room with about a dozen toys (pop up tents and Leap Frog items); all children must be supervised by an adult. This area was available from 9AM-6PM each day, but was of little entertainment value other than connecting with other families – we had more (and better) toys in our cabin. Parents pretty much agreed that this was an afterthought on the part of NCL.

You also must know that adults are not allowed into the kids area at any time – no exceptions. This means that if you have a shy or hesitant child that needs transitioning, you will be out of luck. Their reasoning was that if they let an adult into the club, that person would be a stranger to the other children (hmmm…what about the kids wandering the pool area amongst all those strangers?). They also indicated that the counselors are background checked whereas the parents are not. I take exception with their reasoning – let us take a look at club safety and security.

When registering our child, we had to sign a form; there was no bracelet issued. Each time during pickup we supposedly had to present an ID with a signature that matched the form. We wondered how this worked when they didn’t require a signature for grandma – security flaw number one. We were also a bit disturbed by their policy of relaxing this requirement once the counselor KNOWS the family member (their caps – not mine) – security flaw number two. Having spent quite a bit of time at the kiddie pool, we noticed a door leading to the kids area that we presumed was locked…until we saw several Kids Crew staff using the entrance. They did something that appeared to lock it each time, but we soon learned that the door was still unlocked when two staff members from the maintenance crew went right through the door – security flaw number three. We also had the opportunity to observe the activities in the club from this area and it was frequent chaos, perhaps from a high participant to counselor ratio. So, you can decide for yourself what their real reasons are for not allowing adults (even for transition)..

Activities for the teens were a bit more limited and their space adjoining the Splashdown Kids Club was uninspiring. The family activities, however, were definitely geared more toward teens and tweens, but I’m not sure that is where they wanted to spend their time. From my observations and conversations, it seems like they were running in the corridors or public areas at night or watching movies.

Overall, we wouldn’t recommend cruising NCL just for the kids programs. Although we feel that the Nickelodeon themed activities are a great bonus, the sacrifices you’ll make aren’t worth the limited Nick activities. Needless to say, we were really disappointed.

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

In our reviews, we will attempt to cover all aspects of the cruise in a fair, but candid manner, pointing out the good, the bad and the ugly.  Each category will earn a Rating from A+ through F; our overall score will reflect a weighting of each category score.  Each review and rating is done from a families point of view, so if you are single or a couple traveling without kids, your priorities may differ.  At the conclusion of our Cruise Views Marathon, we will crown the most family friendly cruise line (only Carnival, Disney and NCL are being evaluated) in several categories and then overall.  At some later date, we will be posting reviews from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that were not part of this event.  Now, on to the review.

Ever since our first child was born four years ago we’ve been on a quest to find the most family friendly cruise line.  Having sailed on 30 cruises (as of next week), we had a few ideas of where to start, but it would be an interesting journey.  This was our 4 year-old’s fourth cruise and our 19 month old’s third cruise.  None of us had sailed with Disney Cruise Line before, so we didn’t really know what to expect.

We’ve talked to lots of folks who have sailed on Disney before and their sentiment seems to be that DCL has gotten better with time.  With a new ship coming out next year, perhaps they’re right…Disney has perfected their model and is ready to expand.

Reservation/Documents

Rating:  A-

We reserved our 3-night Bahamas cruise through our normal online travel agency where we were able to get a $150 onboard credit as an incentive for booking.  We opted for a Category 12 – Inside Guarantee, which netted us an upgrade to Category 10 (cabin 2043  - a deluxe inside with split bath).  There were never any price reductions (we understand that Disney cruises only get more expensive as time passes – unless you live in Florida).  Our total cruise fare after discounts for a family of four was about $1,500.  If we had booked more than 4 months in advance, we could have saved a few hundred dollars.

The online check-in process is a bit cumbersome, as you have to login and enter your reservation number each time you visit and the layout was a bit disjointed.  We were able to register our kids for the kids programs, make babysitting reservations in the nursery and print all necessary documents prior to sailing.  We received a booklet in the mail that included our luggage tags about 30 days prior to sailing. 

Pier Check-in/Embarkation

Rating:  A

We were coming from the Carnival Sensation, so we took a taxi across the port to the Disney Wonder (it took all of 3 minutes).  We arrived at the terminal around 9:30AM; passengers were still disembarking.  That gave us a chance to speak with several families who were able to give us lots of great tips.  The landside staff then directed us to the proper location to wait for the porters to open the gates to start loading the luggage.  Luckily, around 10AM, a DCL staff member let us pass our luggage over the locked gate so that we could head into the terminal.  Once again, we gave him a small tip to make sure our luggage got where it was supposed to go (it arrived in our cabin around 2PM).

We were the first to get through security shortly after 10AM.  If you are a past passenger or booked in a suite, you can use a special dedicated line to check-in, which is a bit faster as the agents started checking in those passengers early.  The dedicated Disney Cruise Line terminal was huge and designed to entertain families.  There was plenty of comfortable seating, televisions playing cartoons and a model replica of the cruise ship.  All of these extras meant that waiting to board wouldn’t be difficult as the kids would be well entertained.  Oh, and of course, Mickey and Minnie showed up on cue around 11AM for photos.

It began to get a bit crowded around 10:30AM as we were checking in and by 11AM, there was little seating left.  Disney uses boarding groups to board, so the earlier you arrive, the lower the number you’ll receive.  After checking in, you can make your way to the Oceaneer Club/Lab registration area to pick-up your child’s bracelet and your pager.  If you didn’t pre-register online, you’ll have the opportunity to register here.

Boarding began around Noon and along with the 50 or so other passengers in our boarding group, we were onboard in no time.  As you board, the host or hostess will announce your family over the mic.  The young lady announcing us must have lots of practice because for once our name was pronounced correctly.

There is no option to divert to your cabin as they shuttle you to Parrott Cay or up to the Beach Blanket Buffet for lunch.  No worries, my scolding would come soon enough.

Accommodations

Cabin Rating:  B+     Cabin Service Rating:  B

On this sailing we opted for an inside cabin so that we could honestly review what it is like to sail in an inside cabin with kids (not to mention that it was a lot cheaper).  Disney’s standard cabins measure about 184 square feet, which allows for a queen-sized bed (or two twins), a desk, closet space, a small sofa, coffee table (that raises and lowers) and a rather large bathroom with bathtub.  Our deluxe room was a bit larger at 214 square feet.  In addition to having a slightly different configuration (and a steamer trunk for storage), it had a split bath (one with toilet and sink and one with tub and sink).

Each bathroom was small and we think that we may have preferred a single larger bathroom.  The cabin was also equipped with a small flat panel television (with tons of family friendly movies and cartoons), desk telephone (not kid friendly), basic toiletries, a safe, cooling box (ie refrigerator) and a hairdryer.  There is also a wall mirror in the deluxe inside cabins, which makes the cabin feel less confined.  There was more than adequate storage space for a 3-night cruise.

I do have to say at this point that the lack of natural light did cause us to sleep late each day.  If we were to sail again, we would either book an outside cabin or bring a natural light alarm clock.

All cabins on this ship are considered family friendly as every stateroom can accommodate at least 3 guests.  You’ll find the “secret porthole” cabins (priced as inside, but really obstructed view outside), deluxe verandah cabins (some with enclosed “navigator” balconies), a deluxe family verandah (sleeps 5 and a bit larger at 304SF), and mega suites that can accommodate up to 7 guests.  If you want to sail in a special cabin or a suite, you will need to reserve far in advance, as they are very popular.

Cabin service was a bit of a disappointment during our cruise.  Our cabin steward kept the room clean, however, he never seemed to clean at any predictable time.  He also scolded me on the first day for dropping off luggage before the 1:30PM “cabin availability” time (hey, I couldn’t lug around two kids, a stroller and 5 bags of varying sizes anymore) and hounded us on the last night about getting our luggage out (we easily made it before the 11PM deadline).  This was in stark contrast to our Carnival stewards accommodating attitude.

Food/Dining Service

Food Rating:  A-     Dining Service Rating:  A

The selection at the buffet for breakfast and lunch consisted of quality entrees, sides and desserts that catered to both adults and kids.  As a matter of fact, there was a special kids side to the buffet (that didn’t stop me from eating the goodies).  There was also Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, Pluto’s Dog House (a grill area that serves a half-dozen items like burgers, hot dogs and chicken) and Goofy’s Galley (deli and ice cream).  Goofy’s, Pinocchio’s and Pluto’s were all open in the evening for a fast-food dinner and sometimes a late night snack.  The selection was limited (especially the salad selection), however, the quality was excellent; the dessert selection was extensive and very good.  Another perk is that Disney offers free soda 24 hours a day, something that you would pay for on other cruise lines.

Disney offers two fixed seating dining choices (5:45PM and 8:15PM) and incorporates dining room rotation.  We chose the 5:45PM seating as we have young children; these families are assigned an APT rotation and your wait staff rotates with you, which is terrific.  The menu in both Animator’s Pallet (a modern restaurant that changes colors) and Parrott Cay (a Caribbean themed restaurant) yielded several delicious meals for everyone at our table.  However, the menu at Tritons (French themed and upscale) was a bit more limited, so I reluctantly chose beef for a third night in a row as the rest of the entrée choices were not appetizing to me.  Unfortunately, the beef wasn’t on par with earlier meals.  Other than this particular meal and a few so-so items from the buffet, the food was excellent.

The dining room service as well as the service at the buffet was also excellent.  At the buffet, there was always someone to help with your tray if you were struggling and the staff kept the tables clean and clear at all times.  In the dining room, the kids meals are served first, so kids aren’t kept waiting.  This is the first time in months that we actually got our 19 month old to sit in a high chair.  Of course, having another family with a child similar in age at our table also helped to keep everyone entertained.  Just before dessert, there was also a short bit of entertainment from the dining room staff that the kids really loved.  I’d say that Disney definitely gets it right when it comes to feeding and serving families.

Room service (24 hours) offers a basic continental breakfast, sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts.  In addition, late night snacks were also available in Route 66, except on Pirate Night when there was a buffet on deck.  The Pirates in the Caribbean buffet was just so-so, although there were some interesting items, such as the giant turkey legs!  There was also a dessert buffet, which was a bit disappointing; the desserts were not as good as those served at other times during the cruise.

Overall – a very enjoyable dining experience.

Activities/Entertainment

Rating:  A-

Okay, so here is where Disney really pulls ahead of the competition.  Somehow, Disney has managed to create activities and entertainment that is not only appealing to kids, but also adults.  Throughout the cruise, there were many family oriented activities that you could participate in together.  Our favorite was the family dance night, but there was also crab racing, Wii tournaments, frisbee making, family friendly trivia, family bingo, family karaoke and don’t forget “Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer?”.  This is in addition to a parent’s ability to participate in Oceaneer Club/Lab activities as well (discussed later).

Now, we’ve been to a family disco night before on another cruise line where the music was blaring and there was nothing fun about it.  On Disney, there was a singer who interacted with the kids and parents, the music was fun and upbeat and everyone was having a blast!  I’ll call this the Disney Difference (DD for short).

As far as evening entertainment, the first night was The Golden Mickey’s.  Admittedly, this production was a mix of Disney movies meets a typical cruise line song and dance production.  My 19 month old fell asleep, my wife and 4 year-old had ditched to go to the Oceaneer Lab and I bailed early because it was getting a bit boring and I was exhausted.  If it was only this show and the rest were just like it, I’d feel differently, however, the next two productions, Toy Story: The Musical and Disney Dreams managed to entertain the entire family.  On the four cruises we’ve been on with our kids, this is the first time we actually got through more than 5 minutes of a show, never mind the entire show.  Once again, it’s the DD.

This is on top of the Disney character appearances throughout the cruise.  There must have been at least 20 opportunities each day and there was always a line.  If you bring an autographs book, you can get them to sign along with taking a picture.  Don’t want to wait, no bother, drop off a white pillowcase, t-shirt or other item at the Guest Information desk and they will return it to your room signed by All-Stars, Princesses or both (limit one item per person).

Oh, and did I mention the fireworks display at sea?  Let me say it again – the DD.

Onboard Amenities/Features

Rating:  B+

Built in 1999, the Disney Wonder is probably due for a little expansion and renovation.  There are lots of great family spaces onboard, however, Mickey’s Splash Zone is too small to serve the number of children that cruise.  Equipped with a 3FT by 12FT (approx) water fountain “splash area” for those still in diapers, Mickey’s Slide (min 38” to participate) and a shallow one foot deep (I figure a bit more, but I didn’t measure) wading pool with “hot tubs” for kids, this is the center of the action.  This areas was packed every day, so I cannot imagine what it would be like during school holiday, so please take heed that overcrowding may e a serious problem during peak periods.

About 30 steps away is Goofy’s (Family) Pool, which can accommodate all ages (so long as they are potty trained).  With two hot tubs, this area was also hopping, but not as much as the Splash Zone.  There is also a gigantic aerial television above the pool area that shows movies throughout the day and night, so this is a great place for your tweens to hang out.

Take another 30 steps and you’ll find yourself in the Quiet Cove Pool area.  Boasting two hot tubs, a large pool, cozy loungers and shaded tables for hanging out, this is an oasis for childless adults.  We were able to get an hour to ourselves and this was our destination; we enjoyed every last moment.

For the entire family, there is also a large video arcade (best for tweens and teens), Diversions sports pub (over 18 only after 9PM) where you can watch sporting events during the day and deck sports such as basketball, ping-pong and shuffleboard.  There is no mini-golf course.

For mom and dad, there are several shops with the usual trinkets (Mickey’s Mates is geared toward kids), art gallery, a spa, gym and several adult only entertainment areas, such as Cadillacs (night club) and the Cove Cafe.

Overall, Disney has done a great job of putting together a ship full of popular amenities for families and they have done a great job of carving out quiet and secluded areas for adults as well.  However, the limited space at Mickey’s Pool is a concern.

Oceaneer Club/Lab

Rating:  A

Disney has undoubtedly worked on perfecting their kids program over the last ten years to get it the way it is today.  From 9AM until Midnight (or later), the youth staff has cool activities to keep the kids busy at all times.  Honestly, the clubs themselves are so cool, that I’m not sure they even need activities!  Read more about the programs.  They even offer the programs on the island at Castaway Cay!

Really, the best part is that Disney has disbanded the notion of age groups.  This allows younger kids to participate in Oceaneer Lab activities and older kids to participate in Oceaneer Club activities (although that is less common).  The upside is that two siblings who would normally be separated can now play together.  From what we’ve seen, it is working very well and was a smart move…should we say…another DD.

Another great feature of the program is that parents can participate in the activities or just hang around in the club while their child plays.  This is ideal if you have a shy or uneasy child who isn’t comfortable staying there alone.  You are also allowed to bring children under the age of 3 into the clubs so long as you stay to supervise.  Okay, this is a huge DD!

Don’t forget the Flounder’s Reef Nursery, where you can drop your infant or toddler for babysitting or play time.  You do need to reserve in advance and there is a fee ($6/hr), but it may be well worth it.  We were able to leave our 19 month-old twice, each time for an hour.

Security and safety was very good and we were very impressed with the youth staff overall.  They went out of their way to make kids feel comfortable and always had a great attitude and were very flexible.  Thanks to them, we were able to leave our 4 year-old for over an hour and sneak away to the Quiet Cove Pool.  He would have stayed longer – the counselors were great.

There were parents onboard who were not successful in getting their kids to participate in the program alone.  However, this is where Disney differs – on any other cruise line, the kids would be out of luck, as adults are not allowed.  On Disney, adults can participate as long as they wish with their child. While not ideal for adult alone time, it does keep your child entertained.  We loved being able to make Flubber and chocolate chip cookies!  Chocolate…Chocolate…Chocolate…chip…chip…chip.

Ports Of Call

Rating:  B

This 3-night sailing called at Nassau and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).  These  are two great stops for kids.  In Nassau, we stayed on ship to enjoy the pool and activities as did many other families.  We did venture out to Castaway Cay and found it to be a bit crowded.  You can read our article on Castaway Cay for a full review.  Stay tuned for articles on Nassau Excursions and Blue Lagoon Island coming up next week.

Getting on and off the ship was easy, there were no lines and the security staff was fast, efficient and pleasant.

Crew/Cleanliness

Crew Rating:  B+     Cleanliness Rating:  A-

In general, most of the crew that we encountered were friendly and many provided excellent service.  The only exception was our cabin steward who was a bit inflexible and inconsistent.  We always felt welcomed at Guest Information and the youth staff always gave 110%.

We found the ship to be very clean and sanitary.  There were no dirty dishes, food or other trash collecting in public areas and the ship overall was well maintained.  Some of the areas are becoming a little worn (pool area), but everything else was in tiptop shape.

Disembarkation

Rating:  A+

The disembarkation process was the best we’ve ever seen.  Although we thought it a bit inflexible at first, we understand the reasoning behind their method.  They strongly encourage you to eat breakfast in the dining room (only limited food available elsewhere) at your required time.  This is determined according to your rotation.  We ate last in Triton, so we would eat in Triton for breakfast on the last day at 7AM.  Times were staggered, so breakfast started at 6:30 in AP, 6:45 in PC and 7:00 in Triton.  Second seating was staggered 7:45, 8:00 and 8:15.  This worked out amazingly well.  After breakfast, we grabbed our bags from the room (don’t bring them with you if you have young kids – just put them out of the way of your cabin steward and collect them later) then headed off the ship.  There was nobody in line and getting our bags was a breeze.  A friendly porter met us at the elevator, whisked us through customs and into line to wait for the Budget shuttle.

I’ll say it one last time…what a DD!

Conclusion

Overall Rating:  A-

Positive – Spacious family friendly cabins, excellent food and service, extensive kids facilities and activities, family friendly evening entertainment, spacious adult-only areas.

Negative –Small Splash Zone area, inadequate beach chairs/space on Castaway Cay, inflexibility from our cabin steward, price.

Note:  Disney Wonder would have received an Overall Rating of “A” but for an inadequate amount of space at Mickey’s Pool and Splash Zone.  We understand that they have addressed this when designing the Disney Dream (debuting in 2011).

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

If you enjoyed these photos and would like to see more, visit Photo Friday at Deliciousbaby.

Disclosure