The Disney Wonder visits Australia for the first time ever!
On Friday 27th October, 2023 something historic happened in the Disney-verse. The Disney Wonder glided into Sydney Harbour for the first time ever. The next day my family and I were fortunate enough to board the Disney Wonder for four amazing nights.
Prior to the cruise, I had wondered how I would justify the extra cost against Royal Caribbean (which is sour usual go-to cruise line), but I get it now. The ‘Broadway Quality Shows’ are genuinely Broadway quality. The dining is way above and beyond anything that any other lines offer, as it is truly experiential. Even the buffet is just that bit better quality…and there are Mickey churro waffles.
The rooms are elegant, with super comfy beds. I slept like a log. They also use all of the same toiletries that they do in the Walt Disney World hotels which just brought back feelings of joy. The housekeeping was impeccable, with next level turndown service every night (yes, complete with towel animals and chocolate on pillow). I feel like the rooms were a bit larger on Royal, but this felt more elegant. The rooms also included all the Disney entertainment on the TV…but I was too busy to watch any of it.
Turn down service
I was a little worried about the lack of things to do before boarding the cruise, because if you are looking for a cruise with bumper cars, ice skating, epic pools…then go to Royal. But we were not bored for a minute. There were so many amazing activities, there’s a cinema, trivia, theatre and character meet and greets. It’s a very different type of ‘busy’ to Royal but still busy. The only thing that’s really important to note here is that 95% of said entertainment is Disney-related. If you aren’t a solid fan…just don’t. Royal is a winner for ‘cool stuff at sea’, but Disney wins for Disney franchise entertainment. Both are great in their own way.
The cinema onboard
In terms of crew, I noted the crew on Disney seemed like a slightly better ratio, and slightly more on point. But I have experienced such good interactions, care and consideration with both Royal and Disney that I wouldn’t say there’s a clear winner.
Also, because I don’t gamble, nor do I drink much when I am with the kids, I really appreciated the lack of casino and unlimited drinks package. Just more family-centred vibes. If I was looking to go on a cruise with my friends to drink, I would pick something different.
One of the things I will say is that Disney sends its oldest ship to Australia. She is truly beautiful and impeccably maintained, but Royal sends its much newer, Quantum class ships. My hope is that with time, once Disney has tested the market, they will send a ship like at least the Dream or Fantasy to our shores. Until then, I think I will reserve Disney Cruises for when we are sailing out of the US. I am also not doing Bass Strait again. It was just too rough for me.
Other niggling things were ‘urgh Disney, get with the times. Every other line has adopted a virtual muster…come on Disney!’
Also, this will be a plus for some people but I am socially anxious. I prefer getting lost in the anonymity of the mega cruise ships. But that is more of a ship issue than a cruise line issue.
On the whole I would say that Disney wins it for me but they are just such different experiences. For more information about pricing for 2023/2024 season sailings, click here.