Disney Wonder
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| Disney Wonder | |
| Placed in Service: | 1999 |
| Built: | Fincantieri Shipyard, Italy |
| Status: | in service |
| Tonnage: | 83,000 gross tons |
| Length: | 964 feet |
| Beam: | 106 feet |
| Speed: | 21.5 knots |
| Decks: | 11 |
| Complement: | 2,713 passengers, 945-1,000 crew |
| Registry: | Bahamas |
The Disney Wonder is a cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line.
Disney Wonder and sister ship Disney Magic are the first vessels to be designed, from the keel up, as family cruise ships, with the precise goal of accommodating parents and children. Low tech things like the split bathrooms, even in small cabins, and high tech services like the parental pagers are two of the many design features that set them apart from other cruise ships.
The bulk of the clientele is made up of nuclear families and is also popular for family reunions of medium to large sizes and honeymooners.
The general allure of the ship is the classic design, including the presence of two stacks instead of one (though one is false and houses a teen club). This gives a silhouette which is reminiscent of the golden age of the ocean liners. Other details, such as the large round portholes instead of the window-like openings common in other cruise ships, also show a desire to foster a nostalgic image of the luxury and prestige of sea travel of the past.
The interior is a mix of the opulent but clean art nouveau streamline style of the transatlantic liners of the 1940s and 1950s and the graphic signature of all the Disney movies of the last decades. The Disney characters are also there in abundance, though often represented subtly. There is no risk of having the impression for more than a short moment of being on the Normandie or the Queen Elizabeth, given such things as a large bronze statue of Ariel, The Little Mermaid right in the middle of the entry foyer to the Triton restaurant. Also, the ship's horn plays When You Wish Upon a Star.
The Disney Wonder and her sister ship also serve as supply vessels for Castaway Cay, the private Disney island in the Bahamas. The ships even provide data services for the island when in port, allowing guests to charge gift and other purchases to their cabins.
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[edit] Key Features
[edit] Children's Activities
The Disney Wonder has some of the best designed children's spaces at sea. The Oceaneer's Club is a play space designed with a Peter Pan theme with storytelling, climbing area, computers, dress-up area and other fun activities. The Oceaneer's Lab offers a distinctly fun, different environment with activities including science, cooking, video games and creativity. Teen guests also have their own dedicated space in the forward funnel atop the ship. Called "Aloft," it is modeled after a studio loft space, with comfortable couches, televisions, mp3 listening stations, and games just for teens. When the ship calls at Castaway Cay, all three groups have activities and spaces designed just for them as well, including Scuttle's Cove for children 3-12 and the Teen Beach.
[edit] Adult Activities
The Disney Wonder accommodates adults as well as children. There are adults-only areas such as Palo (a specialty restaurant), the Vista Spa, the Quiet Cove swimming pool, and the Cove Cafe coffee bar. The clubs in the Route 66 area are for adults only after 9 p.m.
[edit] Dining
The Disney Wonder and her sister ship introduced rotational dining through highly themed environments to cruising. The three main restaurants, Triton's, Parrot Cay and Animator's Palate each provide unique dinner experiences. There is also a buffet and an alternative, adults-only restaurant Palo.
[edit] Recent Additions
In October 2006, the Wonder went into dry dock for a general sprucing up and the addition of new features, many of which were introduced to the Disney Magic in 2005. A toddler pool was added that features interactive fountains and splash zones. A new computer simulator was put into the refurbished Oceaneer Lab that lets kids "steer" Disney Wonder in and out of port. A 24 x 14 ft. LCD screen affixed to the forward funnel and overlooking the Goofy Pool offers Disney movies and television programs. The Vista Spa, as well as the meeting and conference facilities and the Quiet Cove adults-only pool, were renovated and expanded too.
In the staterooms, new bathroom products were introduced, plus more luxurious bath towels. Sealy Posturepedic Premium Plush Euro-top mattresses, new pillows and Frette 300-thread-count, 100 percent Egyptian cotton linens were added.
[edit] References
- Durand, Jean-Françcruois. Autour du Monde Paquebots / Cruise ships around the world Editions marines, 1996. [bilingual text]
- Schwartzman, M. T. ed.. Fodor's 99 the best cruises. New York : Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc., c1998.
- Ward, Douglas ed.. Berlitz ocean cruising & cruise ships. London : Berlitz, 2003.
[edit] External links
- Disney Cruise Line homepage
- Unofficial website of Disney Cruise Line information
- CruiseCritic.com review
- Google Maps link to Port Canaveral, shows the terminal where the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic dock
