Disney Wonder
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Disney Wonder |
| Owner | Disney Cruise Line (The Walt Disney Company) |
| Port of registry | Nassau,  Bahamas[1] |
| Route | Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, West Coast of the United States |
| Ordered | 1995 |
| Builder | Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Italy[2] |
| Launched | 1999 |
| Maiden voyage | August 1999[2] |
| In service | 1999–present |
| Identification | IMO number: 9126819 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Magic-class (Disney) cruise ship[2] |
| Tonnage | 83,000 GT[2] |
| Length | 964 ft (294 m)[2] |
| Beam | 106 ft (32 m)[2] |
| Draft | 25.3 ft (7.7 m)[3] |
| Decks | 11 |
| Installed power | 43,000 kW (57,600 hp) |
| Propulsion | Diesel-Electric; *5 × Sulzer 16ZAV40S; two shafts |
| Speed |
|
| Capacity | 2,400 passengers[2] |
| Crew | 945 |
Disney Wonder is a cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line. The second ship to join the Disney fleet, she entered service in 1999. She is nearly identical in construction to her fleet mate, Disney Magic. The interior of Disney Wonder is decorated in the Art Nouveau style, in contrast to her sister ship, Disney Magic which is decorated in the Art Deco style. Both ships have 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,400 passengers in 875 staterooms, and have a crew of approximately 950. Disney Wonder was built in the year following completion of Disney Magic. As of 2015[update], Disney Wonder sails various North American itineraries on a seasonal basis. From early September to late October 2016, the ship underwent dry dock in Cadiz, Spain where she had many new dining, entertainment, and accommodation enhancements.
One of Disney Wonder's captains is Captain Fabian Dib and her "godmother" is Tinker Bell.[4]
History
Disney had cruise ship designs drawn up by February 1994.[5] Disney Cruise Line in 1995 commissioned Disney Magic and Disney Wonder from Fincantieri in Italy. Wonder entered into service in August 1999.[2] Her maiden voyage was a four-night Bahamian cruise that commenced on August 15, 1999.
Disney Wonder originally sailed three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas. In 2011, Disney Dream took over these itineraries. Since then, the Disney Wonder has been sailing a variety of itineraries that include stops in Alaska, the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and passages through the Panama Canal.
Rebecca Coriam, a 24-year-old cast member, was last seen by one of the Wonder's security cameras having an apparently upsetting telephone conversation in the early morning hours of March 22, 2011, before apparently disappearing the next day. Investigations continue into her whereabouts; it was the first such incident in the history of Disney Cruise Line.[6]
The ship was dry-docked for an overhaul at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain[7] in September 2016 until October 23, 2016. The Wonder was then stationed out of Galveston, Texas starting November 10, 2016.[8]
Recreation
For children (3-12) there are the Oceaneers Club and the Oceaneers Lab. The Club provides a slide, multiple TVs, dress-up clothing, and counselor-led activities. The Lab provides video games, computers, cooking classes, and TV time geared towards the older end of that age bracket. Children receive an RFID badge when registered that allows the cruise staff to know the child's location in the activity areas. The Disney Wonder also has a video game arcade called Quarter Masters.[4]
Dining
For dinner, Disney Cruise Line uses a dining rotation. There are three main restaurants aboard Wonder: Triton's, Tiana's Place 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 Art Deco dining room serving French cuisine,[9] Tiana's Place being themed to Tiana's dream restaurant in New Orleans,[10] 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.[11]
Disney Wonder has several complimentary "open" dining/food options. The largest is Cabanas,[12] which operates as a buffet during breakfast and lunch and as a casual sit-down restaurant during dinner. There are also three outdoor quick-service restaurants located near the pools: Daisy's De-lites, which serves breakfast and lunch as well as evening snacks, Pinocchio's Pizzeria, which serves pizza during lunch and late-night hours, and Pete's Boiler Bites, which serves hamburgers, veggie burgers, chicken tenders, and hot dogs for lunch and dinner.[13] Triton's serves American food during lunch, with the former offering a sit-down lunch and the latter offering a buffet.[9][10]
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. Also for adults only, the Wonder has the Cadillac Lounge. The Crown and Fin and Azure are for adults only during the evening hours.[2]
References
- ^ Asklander, Micke. "M/S Disney Wonder (2013)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-03-12.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Saunders, Aaron (October 1, 2013). Giants of the Seas: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Seaforth Publishing. pp. 76–78, 179. ISBN 1848321724. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ a b "Ship Facts". Disney Cruise Line. Archived from the original on 2008-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Disney Wonder facts - Disney Cruise Line website
- ^ Dezern, Craig (February 20, 1994). "Disney Contemplating Creation Of Cruise Line". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ Ronson, Jon (November 11, 2011). "Rebecca Coriam: lost at sea". The Guardian. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ Tribou, Richard (October 26, 2016). "Upgraded Disney Wonder headed back to the U.S." Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ Sloan, Gene (June 2, 2016). "Disney Wonder makeover to bring new pool zone, pub". USA Today. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ a b "Lumiere's". Disney Cruise Line.
- ^ a b "Tiana's Place". Disney Cruise Line.
- ^ "Animator's Palate". Disney Cruise Line.
- ^ "Cabanas". disneycruise.disney.go.com. Retrieved 2017-04-02.
- ^ "Dining on the Disney Wonder". Disney Cruise Line.
External links
- Disney Wonder from the company's website
- "Yonder On The WONDER (Cruising to Mexico, Disney Style), Part One", "Part Two" and "Part Three" – review by Peter Knego in Maritime Matters of a cruise to Mexico on the Disney Wonder.
