Monday, 11 February 2013 - 01:02 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Yachting and Spa Category/Kategorie: General, Cruise ShipsReading Time: 7minutes
Disney Wonder is a cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line. The second ship to join the Disney fleet, it entered service in 1999. It is nearly identical in construction to its sister ship, Disney Magic. Both ships have 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,400 passengers in 875 staterooms, and have a crew of approximately 950. The Disney Wonder was built in the year following completion of the Disney Magic. As of 2012, the Wonder is based out of Los Angeles until December 9th. Her “godmother” is Tinkerbell.
Disney Wonder had its first voyage from the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, stopping in Southampton, Ponta Delgada (Azores), arriving in Port Canaveral two weeks later. Its maiden voyage was a four-night Bahamian cruise that commenced on August 15, 1999.
Following a repositioning cruise in December 2012, the Disney Wonder will be based out of Miami for about 5 months, with four and five night sailings to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean. In late May 2013, she will return to Vancouver, British Columbia as her home port for three months of Alaska sailings. In September 2013, the Disney Wonder will be moved to Galveston, Texas to replace the Disney Magic. In January 2014, the Wonder will return to Miami for 4 months, taking over for the Magic, with four and five night sailings to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean.
The Disney Wonder‘s aquatic layout consists of three pool areas. The Mickey Pool is designed for children from 3 months to 3 years and has a depth of 1.5 ft, with two hot-tub like ‘ears’ and a winding enclosed slide. The Goofy Pool is designed for families. In addition to the pool, it has two whirlpool spas and a 24-by-14 foot LED Jumbo Screen referred to by Disney as “Funnelvision” due to its location on the rear of one of the ship’s funnels. The Quiet Cove Pool is designed for adults 18 or older.
For athletics, there is the Wide World of sports, with areas for basketball, soccer, volleyball, ping pong and more. This area contains a net enclosed basketball court (sheltered from the wind by a large glass screen) and other sports accouterments.
For dinner, the Disney Wonder uses a dining rotation. There are three main restaurants aboard the Wonder: Triton’s, Parrot Cay and Animator’s Palate. Each night, the guests “rotate” to another restaurant, sitting at the same table number, eating with the same people, and having the same wait staff. Each of the restaurants’ decor and menus are themed, with Triton’s featuring an elegant Art Deco dining room serving French cuisine, Parrot Cay being themed to a Caribbean grill house, and Animator’s Palate featuring a dining room that changes from black-and-white to color over the course of the meal and serves contemporary cuisine.
The Disney Wonder also features a premium restaurant, Palo, which serves Northern Italian fare. Palo is limited to guests 18 years of age or older, and charges an additional per-person dining charge.
