Disney Wonder
  Disney Wonder docked at Castaway Cay. | |
| 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 |
| Builder: | Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Italy[2] |
| Launched: | 1999 |
| Maiden voyage: | August 1999 |
| In service: | 1999-present |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9126819 |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Magic-class (Disney) cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 83,000 GT[2] |
| Length: | 964 ft (294 m)[2] |
| Beam: | 106 ft (32 m)[2] |
| Draft: | 25.3 ft (7.7 m)[2] |
| Decks: | 11 |
| Installed power: | 43,000 kW (57,600 hp) |
| Propulsion: | Diesel-Electric; *5 × Sulzer 16ZAV40S; two shafts |
| Speed: |
|
| Capacity: | 2,400 passengers |
| 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. It is nearly identical in construction to its 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, 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 it had many new dining, entertainment, and accommodation enhancements.[3]
One of Disney Wonder's captains is Captain Fabian Dib and her "godmother" is Tinker Bell.[4]
History
Disney Wonder had her first voyage from the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, stopping in Southampton, U.K., Ponta Delgada (Azores), arriving in Port Canaveral, Florida two weeks later. 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.
Disappearance of crew member
On March 22, 2011, crewmember Rebecca Coriam was reported missing when she failed to report for her morning shift. Her last known location had been in the crew lounge in the early morning hours, where security camera footage showed her talking on the phone, apparently upset, and then walking off. It was the first incidence of a disappearance from ship in Disney's history.[5] Activity on Coriam's credit card two months after her disappearance has fueled speculation that she might be alive.[6]
Recreation
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 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 reserved 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 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 always 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 Wonder uses a dining rotation. There are three main restaurants aboard 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 Art Deco dining room serving French cuisine,[7] Parrot Cay being themed to a Caribbean grill house,[8] 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.[9]
Disney Wonder has several complementary "open" dining/food options. The largest is the Beach Blanket Buffet, 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: Goofy's Galley, which serves breakfast and lunch as well as evening snacks, Pinocchio's Pizzeria, which serves pizza during lunch and late-night hours, and Pluto's Dog House, which serves hamburgers, veggie burgers, chicken tenders, and hot dogs for lunch and dinner.[10] Triton's and Parrot Cay serve American food during lunch, with the former offering a sit-down lunch, and the latter offering a buffet.[7][8] 24-Hour room service is also available.[11]
Disney Wonder also features a premium restaurant, Palo, which serves Northern Italian fare. In addition to nightly dinner, Palo serves brunch on days at sea. Palo is limited to guests 18 years of age or older, and charges an additional per-person dining charge.[12]
Incidents
- 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 Lines.[13]
- On February 26, 2015, a 38-year-old man from New York died after drowning at the adult beach at Castaway Cay.[14]
References
- ↑ Asklander, Micke. "M/S Disney Wonder (2013)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-03-12.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ship Facts". Disney Cruise Line. Archived from the original on 2008-05-29.
- ↑ "Disney Cruise Line Brings New Experiences and Enhancements to the Disney Wonder This Fall". Disney Cruise Line News. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
- 1 2 Disney Wonder facts - Disney Cruise Line website
- ↑ Ronson, Jon (November 11, 2011). "Rebecca Coriam: lost at sea". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ↑ Rimmer, Alan (1 May 2011). "Family's hope: Missing cruise girl's credit card used... so is she still alive?". The Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- 1 2 "Lumiere's". Disney Cruise Line.
- 1 2 "Parrot Cay". Disney Cruise Line.
- ↑ "Animator's Palate". Disney Cruise Line.
- ↑ "Dining on the Disney Wonder". Disney Cruise Line.
- ↑ "Room Service". Disney Cruise Line.
- ↑ "Palo". Disney Cruise Line.
- ↑ Ronson, Jon (November 11, 2011). "Rebecca Coriam: lost at sea". The Guardian. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ "American Cruise Ship Passenger Drowns At Castaway Cay". Tribune242. February 27, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Disney Wonder. |
- 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.