Last week, I told you about our adventures getting through downtown San Diego and on to the Disney Wonder. This week, I am going to share a little more about our first day on board.
Sail Away With Me
We spent some time exploring the ship. It was one of the smaller ships I have sailed on, so there were not a ton of places to explore, but it never felt too overcrowded. We checked out the adult-only areas, the spa, and the gym before going to the sail-away party.
I’d never been to a sail-away party before, but I wanted to see Disney’s version. There were characters dancing, and it was fun watching the families. Honestly, the only thing I wanted to hear was the ship’s horn. I heard Disney played “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and I wanted to hear it for myself. It was pretty magical, even if it was a little off-key.
Let’s Decorate
Afterward, we went back to our room and decorated the cabin door. Most cruise ships have metal doors, and we usually put magnets on them so it’s easier to find our room. Of course, our door was Disney-themed, and while I liked it, some people went all out! There were strings of lights, people were giving away small gifts, and it was absolutely crazy. I felt like my door was a disappointment compared to others.
The Dining Disasters Begin
We chose the late dining option to avoid eating with all the children, and I was excited about Disney’s unique dining style, where you rotate through three different restaurants. Your service team moves with you each night, so you have consistent service throughout the cruise.
Initially, we sat at a table for six with two mother/daughter duos. It had been a long time since we had dined with other cruisers, so it was a little awkward at first. We were excited about the rotational dining, but were concerned about our first restaurant, Tiana’s Place. We had seen the menu prior to cruising and were worried about the limited options.
The atmosphere was fantastic. It looked just like the restaurant from the movie. Tiana herself came around to greet the tables, and we enjoyed the spectacular, live New Orleans-style jazz band. The entertainment was about the only thing we enjoyed.
Well That was Awkward
Things started to go downhill with the bread service. On most cruises, a server will bring a bread basket and offer you various rolls. Disney placed bread baskets on the table, which wouldn’t be a problem, but this restaurant gave us a round loaf that had to be pulled apart. They only gave us two bread baskets. It was weird ripping off chunks of bread from a loaf we were sharing with strangers. We tried to cut pieces off with our butter knives, but it didn’t go well.
I Might Actually Lose Weight on This Vacation
My best friend and I didn’t eat much of our meal either. We are both pescatarians but stick mainly to vegetarian options. The menu offered tomato soup (which neither of us likes) and ravioli as our main entree. Luckily, I noticed a vegetarian corn soup on the kids’ menu, which we both ordered. My bestie liked it, but I did not! It was a texture thing. As for the ravioli, it was delicious, but the portion size was small, and we only got three pieces. Yep, three whole raviolis.
Dessert wasn’t any better. I was surprised by how terrible the desserts were. So we ended up leaving early and heading back to our room to order room service. When we returned to the room we discovered our first Disney towel character, Wall-E. We ordered a cheese plate and cookies from room service and patiently waited for it to arrive. The cheese was delicious. The cookies weren’t. I am will share more of my thoughts on Disney desserts in later posts.
Come back next week for our continuing adventure on Catalina.
