Join me as I sail on Disney Cruise #67 aboard the lovely Disney Wonder, currently the youngster of the Disney Cruise Line fleet. As I said to Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island, I will be posting daily live reports. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to sail on a Disney ship, this will give you a taste of what life is like at sea with Mickey.
Let's start off with the embarkation process, since that and the safety drill are the two things that every passenger goes through on Day One. Once they're out of the way, your cruise has truly begun. Most passengers arrive at Port Canaveral from Disney World or Orlando International Airport. Some use the Disney Cruise Line buses, while others use private towncars or rental cars (hint: if your party size is greater than two, a towncar will probably be cheaper than the bus).
One advantage of using the Disney buses is that they handle your luggage, picking it up right at the airport if you use certain airlines (if not, you grab it yourself and they load it onto the bus) and delivering it to your stateroom. Of course, you keep a day bag with you so you have the essentials when you board (secret: embarkation day is a prime time to use the pools and hot tubs. They tend to be very crowded throughout the cruise, but many people don't think to bring their swimwear to use them right after boarding. Bring yours and you'll be ahead of the crowd and enjoy some prime water time).
Since we live next door to Disney World, we just jump into our car and head out on an hour's drive to Port Canaveral. It costs $15 per day to park in the lot (hint: if you're using a rental car, rent from an agency with a Port Canaveral location. Drop the car off, take the free rental car shuttle to the ship, then reverse the process when you return. Splitting your rental is often cheaper than paying the parking fees). Normally we arrive at the port as early as possible to savor every possible minute of our vacation. You get a boarding number that is given out in order of arrival, so you have to get there early to get a good one. Boarding usually starts between 11:30 and 12 (average time = 11:45), so we like to be front and center to get on the ship ASAP. If you have kids in tow, don't worry about having to spend an hour or so in the terminal because there are TVs playing cartoons and occasional character appearances to appease the kiddies. (Hint: The staterooms are not available till 1:30, so if you board early, plan on having lunch and then killing time at the pools or touring the ship. If you didn't get Palo or spa reservations online beforehand, get those before eating lunch so you have the best choice of times).
Today, however, we left around 12:15, as I had work to finish up and my husband was busy too. He packed while I whipped the house into order and settled in the pets for their four-day abandonment. We knew the main folly of leaving late was that we would arrive at the same time as airport buses and buses from the Disney World resorts. Oh well, it was worth it not to have to get up early and to have extra time to prepare before leaving.
The drive was relatively traffic free (hint: if you're driving a rental car from Disney World, take 417 to 528 rather than I-4 to 528). When we arrived, the line to get into the parking lot was insane, as were the security lanes. We dropped off our bags and hubby parked the car while I checked us in (hint: you can complete most of your check-in paperwork online before your cruise, which expedites the process). There is a special check-in line for returning cruisers which can sometimes rival the regular one, but today it was shorter. Within only a minute or two I was at a window with a friendly check-in person presenting our passports, paperwork, and charge card. Since it was late, the numbered boarding was over so all I had to do was wait for hubby, get our security photos taken, and then amble onboard the ship.
After the security photo, you have your embarkation photo taken right before you step aboard (hint: have as many photos taken as you want onboard as you are under no obligation to purchase them). Then you're announced by the cruise staff and you step through the deck 3 atrium and off to lunch (or to nab Palo or spa reservations).
We dined at Parrot Cay on deck 3; the exact same buffet is served on deck 9 at Beach Blanket Buffet. I really like the cold salads, although there are plenty of good hot items, too, like sweet and sour pork, tilapia, and carved beef. Then it was up to deck 5 and our usual stateroom, as far aft as you can possibly get. It's quiet because there is virtually no foot traffic, which is great for me because I hate hallway noise (you can see what I mean in the photo at left).
We wondered if the sailaway party would be moved inside, since the weather was dark and rainy with a bitter cold wind blowing. but as the time for the safety drill neared, the sun finally put in a delayed appearance. Meanwhile, we readied ourselves for the safety drill, which takes place at 4 p.m.
As you can see in the photo at upper right, you get to look sort of like a mutated orange Sponge Bob. At the appointed time and signal, everyone troops down to various lifeboat stations on deck 4. Our station is almost always Q, since we're almost always in the same room. You are check in, watch a demo of how to put on your lifejacket, here a safety announcement, then troop back to your room. At 5 p.m. it's sailaway time, with a big party up on deck 5. That's where we're at right now as I end this report, but I promise to post more later or tomorrow. I was very pleased to see a little touch that had been temporarily absent on our last two Disney cruises: as the ship pulls out and you pass the port, several people are waving with giant Mickey gloves. What a cool Disney-style send-off!
Click here to read about day two. Meanwhile, to read about my last adventure on the Disney Magic, click here. Learn how to get a free porthole on Disney Cruise line by clicking here. Or how about a prime verandah at a cut-rate cost? Click here. Looking for my last article on how your child can battle Darth Vader? Click here.
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