Recently we completed our 12th voyage on the scenic Disney Wonder and were spoiled from start to finish by an amazing crew. Our port arrival and boarding were much more efficient than recent trips as passengers appeared to be more mindful of their boarding times and did not crowd the terminal early causing backups for the designated wait lines for the earlier timeslots.
Our time through security and final check-in was extremely quick and we were on the boat seated for welcoming lunch approximately 15 minutes from the moment our check-in line started to move.
Following the welcome greeting; Luca at Palo was able to change our dining reservation to our favorite brunch option thanks to an additional day of seating being added to the journey while in port at Ensenada. Since we did not have plans to go ashore that day, this made for a perfect scheduling.
After our usual selections from the boarding menu, we made our way to our cabin and our bags arrived soon after to the cozy and welcoming room that would be our home for the next few days.
While we are extremely familiar with the ship, we made sure to visit some of our favorite locales such as the Disney vacation club desk for our daily rewards and to verify when the member mixer would take place.
We also learned that DVC now has a new office on the second deck which made it even more enticing and inviting for those looking to join up or add on to their existing membership.
We opted to take in one of the live shows and the Golden Mickey’s did not disappoint with its high-quality combination of music, dance, and performance that would be well at home on any Broadway or West End production.
After an amazing dinner at the Animator’s Palate complete with seeing our drawings come to life and musical real with various Disney characters, we took advantage of some onboard shopping and some of the on-demand entertainment available in the room.
Our port day included an early morning breakfast at Cabanas buffet followed by an early ride into Catalina where we enjoyed a golf cart rental and scenic drive around the picturesque and always beautiful island. This was our second time enjoying this activity and while we were able to complete it faster than usual thanks to having a better understanding of the route; this gave us time to meander some of the side streets and get back on the boat to enjoy a peaceful lunch.
Our remaining time was filled with so much amazing food, quiet time in the room and on deck reading and resting, as well as enjoying several of the numerous activities that are offered ranging from trivia to classes and live entertainment. We especially enjoyed watching Match Your Mate which has become a tradition for us as married couples compete to answer questions about one another.
While we did not take in any movies at the onboard theater, we didn’t enjoy some character meet-ups, as well as the very peaceful adults-only Cove as well is the amazing Pirate’s Night show, and the fireworks.
There were so many amazing moments from the quiet relaxation, Palo Brunch, amazing food, entertainment, and very attentive and pleasant staff that it would be hard to list them all. Suffice it to say that the cruise once again not only met but exceeded our expectations and we were already looking forward to our next booking as well as the possibility of enjoying one of the new boats on a future voyage.
