The stars twinkled and the waves glistened as the Disney Wonder® sailed towards the Bahamas. I stood on my private balcony suspended seven stories above the sea with the tastes of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries still mingling pleasantly on my tongue. Watching the whitecaps emerge from the darkness, it looked as though thousands of silvery fish were ushering the ship along a luminous, starlit path. Perhaps a pixie-dust illusion courtesy of Tinker Bell?
It was the first night of a three-night sailing to the Bahamas, and already I'd seen a live Broadway-style theater performance, partied with Disney characters on deck during the sail-away celebration, eaten a delicious four-course dinner, and checked out the dance music in WaveBands, one of the ship's nightclubs. Now I stood on my stateroom balcony looking at the stars and wondering what the next morning would bring.
Disney's Problem-Free Philosophy
Earlier that day in Port Canaveral, I’d cleared security (similar to airport screening) and given my ticket to the gate agents in the streamlined terminal. As I stepped aboard, an enthusiastic voice announced my arrival over the loudspeakers. All the crew in the main atrium clapped as I tried out my sea legs for the first time. I found my surprisingly spacious stateroom impeccably clean with a split bath and queen bed. Each time I came back to the room, I’d find a new surprise: a towel animal, a pillow chocolate, or a fun-packed schedule of the next day's events.
I awoke the next morning to a colorful scene at the Nassau port. The town lay ahead with its palm trees and pastel colonial buildings, and to the left stood the castle-like arrangement of the Atlantis Resorts on Paradise Island. I ate breakfast at Beach Blanket Buffet on Deck 9 so that I could sit outside and take in the scenery. After that, I bypassed the Mickey-shaped kiddie pool with its waterslide, walked past the family pool, and set my sights on the hot tubs at the adult pool. Under a cloudless Bahamanian sky, I found myself humming lyrics to Disney songs as the sounds of whirlpool bubbles mercifully drowned out any evidence of my newfound hakuna matata.
My shore excursion in Nassau that day included a visit to the Ardastra Gardens, home to rainbow-feathered lorikeets, green parrots, and a marching troop of bubblegum-pink flamingos. During a city tour, I climbed atop Fort Fincastle for far-flung views of New Providence, and walked down the 66 steps of the shaded Queen's Staircase. After this, there was time to shop in duty-free stores before returning to the ship.
Makes No Difference Who You Are
A variety of venues where both junior and grandma smile together is one of the secrets to Disney's success with multigenerational families and couples. Deck parties take place almost every night, where kids and adults alike shake, shimmy, act goofy, and boogie beneath the moon. Indoors, Studio Sea functions as an all-ages nightclub complete with bar and music, plus it's the stylized set for live game shows, with contestants chosen from the audience. To encourage friendly competition, the scoring is far from scientific. When I went, the gregarious game show host gave extra points willy nilly to contestants who complimented him on his dashing appearance, Aussie accent, and sleek pirate outfit.
Most of the ship's dining and entertainment are also open to everyone. Original musical productions showcase the ship's plush theater and spectacular staff talent. Music and dance light up the stage with state-of-the-art effects and sound, drawing frequent "ooohs" and "aaahs" from audience members. As for the plentiful food, Disney Cruise Line®'s unique rotation dining concept allows families to receive service from the same waiter or waitress each night at a different venue. On the three-night sailing, this meant seafood in elegant Triton's restaurant, a transition from black and white décor to Technicolor in crowd-pleaser Animator's Palate, and Caribbean-style food and festivities in Parrot Cay.
Never-Never Land
Even when adrift at sea, Disney does what it knows best, and the ship's dream-making designers allocated nearly an entire deck just for children. Flounder's Reef Nursery, Disney's Oceaneer Club, and Disney's Oceaneer Lab entertain children morning until midnight. And to erase any parental worries, the ship features an ingenious personal pager system. Portable beepers alert parents as to when their children are ready to rejoin the family (many parents I talked to said their children didn't page until late at night). Even teenagers seemed to be having a blast with their own coffee-shop hangout and games on the sports deck.
A Grown-up World
When parents want to steal away, there are many adults-only areas of the ship. For fine dining in a romantic setting, there's Palo, the elegant specialty Italian restaurant at the top of the ship with sweeping ocean views, heaping pastas, and a sinfully divine chocolate soufflé. Route 66, the ship's nighttime entertainment district, offers a variety of over-21 diversions. Live jazz spills out of the swanky Cadillac Lounge, dance music revs up the energy level at WaveBands, and entertainers work the mic and the crowd at Barrel of Laughs comedy club.
The Vista Spa & Salon also caters to adult tastes with a range of decadent treatments. A tropical rain shower cleanses all worries away in a soothing blend of water pressure and passion fruit. My massage featured products by Elemis, delighting me with 60 minutes full of soothing lavender, rosemary, bergamot, and ever-relaxing muscles. Also part of the spa is a well-equipped gym and a hair salon with a view.
Under the Sea, Under the Sea
The next day, Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, promised beach activities in Bahamas splendor. Trams led conveniently from the ship to both the family and adults-only beaches. You could also make the scenic walk in less than 10 minutes. I chose the family beach, which beckoned with colorful sun umbrellas, swinging hammocks, plentiful lounge chairs, and cocktail waitresses slinging Bahama Mamas, Piña Coladas, and Shirley Temples.
I stopped off at separate stations to arm myself with the day's gear: snorkel mask, fins, and a big ol' inner tube. The snorkeling lagoon lay to my left, where fish and shrimp swam happily past faux pirate booty. To the right, rafts and floats dotted the lazy waves, and people swam and built sandcastles up and down the shore.
While I ate a barbecue lunch surrounded by sea grapes and bougainvillea, I chatted with other passengers and the general consensus was that everything about the Disney Wonder® experience was indeed wonderful, from food to activities to the oversized staterooms. No one wanted the magic to end the next morning, and even amidst the bustle of packing, debarkation, and ground transportation, the problem-free philosophy translated into zero lines and zero hassle.
The Disney Wonder®'s passengers exited the kingdom with fond vacation memories and lived happily ever after. The end.•
