by Cynthia Cruz
| August, 25, 2021
By Cindy Cruz
At long last, we arrived at the airport in Orlando, Florida to begin our adventure on Disney’s newest and grandest ship, Wish. As the Disney bus turned the corner to deliver us to the boarding area, we got our first glimpse of this brand spanking new boat, and, as with all things Disney, you could immediately feel the magic. The largest in the fleet of Disney ships, Wish is Disney’s first Triton-class cruise liner with 1,250 staterooms and the capacity to hold a whopping 4,000 guests. We have yet to see ships as beautiful as those that belong to Disney and the Wish is no exception. With its shiny black hull, bright yellow trim and two red smokestacks embellished with the famous mouse ears, it is always the most magnificent ship on the dock. Each Disney ship is graced with a character on its stern and Rapunzel, with her long flowing yellow locks, adorns the Wish. 
Before entering the ship, you and your family are welcomed aboard with great fanfare as your entrance is announced for all to hear. You enter the Grand Hall where a bronze statue of Cinderella stands at the foot of a grand staircase beneath a sparkling starry chandelier. From the rugs to the ceiling there is so much to see. Don’t miss Cinderella’s glass slipper encased in a glass cloche. And if you’re traveling with little ones, the curved slide that delivers them down to the Oceaneer’s Club is the only way to travel. Disney is all about these little details. If you’re imagining a fairy tale wedding, the Grand Hall would be the perfect spot.
As with all cruise ships, Wish is a floating city with several shops, including high end stores selling jewelry and handbags, a hair salon, movie theaters, a candy store, a spa, bars, cafes, six swimming pools, and all things obsessively kid-friendly, including amazing play spaces, water slides, and even an AquaMouse roller coaster – all sprinkled with Disney’s magical fairy dust.
The rooms on Disney ships are surprisingly roomy and laid out to maximize space. One of the best features are the split bathrooms with a shower and sink in one room and a toilet and sink in another which makes sharing so much more convenient! Our stateroom had a lovely balcony, but on this short cruise, a window should suffice (whereas on a cruise to Alaska, a balcony is absolutely necessary for viewing the varied scenery outside). Our stateroom was designed to comfortably sleep at least 5 people with a queen-size bed, a bunk bed, and a small murphy bed. Linens were luxurious and the décor was practical, providing ample storage space, yet beautifully tasteful.
Dining is one of the highlights of any cruise vacation. With Covid-19 still a concern, buffets are, well, no longer on the table. But that doesn’t mean the variety of delicious options aren’t available. Rather than buffet style, food is encased in glass and served to guests by staff. There are all the favorites: pizza, tacos, barbecue, and the famous Disney chicken fingers and soft serve ice-cream. There are fancy adult-only dinner options that offer gourmet menus for an additional fee. And of course, the theme-based restaurants on rotation which include:
Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure – My little niece loved seeing characters from the Frozen movies singing and dancing center stage during this dinner-and-a-show and was star-struck when Elsa came to our table for the meet & greet. My sister and I (the adults at the table) feasted on scallops in a tarragon sauce baked in flaky puffed pastry (if I could do it again, I would order this tasty appetizer for all three courses), rib-eye steak, meatballs with egg noodles, and butter cake. The kids ate like kings: pizza (every night) for my nephew and steak and shrimp for my niece.
Worlds of Marvel – I’m not a super Marvel fan but, being the mother of two complete Marvel nerds, I geeked out a little at this venue; I barely recall what we ate. As soon as you’re seated the show begins. The dining room is wall-to-wall screens and there’s an interactive quantum generator in the middle of each table that guests are instructed to activate at intervals during dinner. My nephew was completely enthralled. And to keep us (me) further intrigued, Ant Man (Paul Rudd) is the star of the show, narrating our adventure in which the entire ship is in peril. It will take all of us passengers to come to the rescue. Oh yeah, the food. Our favorite thing on the menu: the rib-eye with truffle butter. The bao buns are pretty good, but huge for an appetizer, so share if you plan to eat anything else. I heard from a young man who tried all of the entrees that the Shitake and Tofu Udon was absolutely the best entrée on the menu. Next time.
1923 – Named for the year the Walt Disney Company started, 1923 is a more subdued dining venue. The restaurant is very classy, low-key glamourous, and…not very entertaining for kids. This might be the night that you choose to send the kids down the slide to the Oceaneer’s Club. Order six of the burrata with prosciutto – it’s delicious and everybody will want some – kids included. The seared salmon and the filet mignon were good. The ice-cream sundae was the best. All of the sundaes on the cruise were scrumptious. When in doubt, order the sundae – you won’t be disappointed.
Wish’s single port of call is Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, where guests from Disney’s Wish, Dream, and Fantasy ships are the only visitors. There’s the family beach where the whole family can grab some beach lounges and relax in the sun, or swim, snorkel, or kayak in the blue lagoon. There’s a water slide, BBQ lunch and soft serve at Cookie’s BBQ, a small splash zone for tots, tetherball, volleyball, basketball, foosball, ping pong (and more!) for game playing fanatics. For teens, there’s a hideout where they can lounge away from bothersome parents. And for adults there’s Serenity Bay, a quiet kid-free stretch of beach with hammocks, a bar, massage services, and a BBQ lunch spot.
There is never a shortage of amusing things to do aboard this ship. There are pool parties, live Broadway-style musicals, first run movies (we saw Lightyear), character meet & greets, games, and so many places to hang out, you would be hard-pressed to do everything. There’s even a fireworks show one night of each voyage to conclude the lively Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party. Tip: Find a spot on the upper deck for a good view.
For the adults, there are a number of bars, café’s, and lounges. We enjoyed drinks at The Bayou, a beautiful lounge with magnolia blossoms cascading from the ceiling. The Bayou is not enclosed, so if you want to enjoy a drink with the kids in tow, it’s an option and options are good. The Keg & Compass is a quiet pub with a subdued vibe. Sip craft brews while watching sports or enjoy quiet kid-free conversation – you can talk about the map that covers the entire ceiling. The place to be is the ever-popular Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge. I wish I could tell you more but it was forever busy and we could not get in without a reservation. The cruise was only three days, so mathematically, it just wasn’t adding up. I heard the buzz about the galactic cocktails (one even costing $5,000!) and the jump into hyperspace. I was jealous, but we’ll have to leave it to the imagination for now.
Senses Spa is a must for complete relaxation. The Senses Spa on Wish has an outdoor spa area where you can chill in peace and quiet after your treatment. There are the standard wet and dry saunas and the Disney Rainforest experience, but the spa on Wish also includes the addition of a very cool (pun intended) ice lounge. But the outdoor area with the giant swinging papasan style chairs were everything for me – a book in a chair with a cold spa beverage – yes please!
JUST FOR KIDSIt’s great to be a kid on the Disney Wish! Even adults wouldn’t mind joining the Disney’s Oceaneer Club. This playspace is for kids ages 3 – 12 years old and features a variety of themed spaces including Marvel Superhero Academy, Star Wars Cargo Bay, the Imagineering Lab, and Mickey & Minnie Captain’s Deck. And for little ones ages 6 months to 3 years, there’s It’s a Small World Nursery. The designs for each theme are so richly detailed that kids can fully immerse into fantasy. And there are plenty of activities from art and games to story time and character meet & greets that will keep kids busy for hours!
Wish has three hangouts for teens and tweens: Edge, Vibe, and the Hideaway, broken up by age group. There are hi-tech and low-tech games, dancing, karaoke, and other fun stuff that doesn’t include cell phones that I’m sure teens would roll their eyes at. But the spaces look very cool and teen-friendly, furnished with sectionals and disco balls. With a cool set-up like that, it’s gotta be fun.
The Disney Wish currently offers 3 and 4-day round-trip Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral. Tip: To make the trip from California worth the trek to Orlando, a cruise would be the perfect way to begin or end a trip to Walt Disney World Resorts including visits to one or all four theme parks including Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
Plan your trip on disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/wish/
