Is the Wish really crowded?

[MomOTwins]

If you are paid in full and can't cancel or modify, I would seriously consider just going and giving it a try instead of losing $2500.

I agree! Heck I would rather just relax on the verandah all cruise than throw away $2,500

 

[Kevin O'Brien]

If you are paid in full and can't cancel or modify, I would seriously consider just going and giving it a try instead of losing $2500.

I agree with you they'll enjoy it and everyone is friendly there's also quiete areas too around on the Disney Wish.

 

[DCLMP]

Thank you to everyone for the replies. I think that we are going to cancel. Over the past couple of years we have become really intolerant of crowds. On top of that, we are just not enamored with the characters anymore. I don’t want to be approached by shop owners in Nassau. It seems to be a great trip for people with young children but not so much for us. If I could get a concierge room then we would still go but there are no rooms available right now and if I wait any longer we will just lose more money.

Cruising is not for you if you don't like being around people. The cancellation policies are pretty clear when you booked. I'm not sure how staying concierge would help you avoid people and you'd be paying quadruple for something than gives you anxiety. How is it better for someone with children if they don't like people?

 

[Kevin O'Brien]

How crowded is the Wish? I have a trip planned for mid April and I’m thinking about canceling because I’ve watched alot of recent vlogs and the ships look incredibly crowded. Since Covid I’ve become really intolerant of crowded places…..maybe I’m just getting old and grumpy but crowds seem to bring out the worst in people and that makes me uncomfortable. The problem is that when we planned the trip I watched all of these vlogs with reduced capacity and they looked wonderful but now they all look like it’s incredibly crowded in the gift shops, the restaurants, the pool, etc. Is there a way to cruise but avoid the crowd? I think I’d rather lose the money (about $2500) than to deal with the crowds.

I haven't got any children and I love Disney cruises would you like to have a look of my gallery from my April 2022 cruise.
I'm also booked on Disney Wish late April 2023 and I'm excited.
Here's the link for the photo gallery from my cruise vacation let me know if the link works ok
https://www.disboards.com/members/kevin-obrien.677009/#xfmgMedia

Kevin

 

[TBLaube]

It is your money to lose, so you gotta do what you gotta do. I am also not a fan of crowds and tend to take time for myself quite a bit during some cruises so I get it.

Something to consider instead of losing all of the money. If you do a later port arrival time, the terminal will be pretty empty, and you can easily get right on the ship. And you should also be able to get to your stateroom without waiting if you go around 1:30-2:00 pm. The mandatory safety drill is unavoidable, but perhaps you could speak to someone about it and explain your anxiety, and they can provide assistance.

I am a massive fan of the nightly shows, but if you are not thrilled with crowds, the pool decks are pretty empty in the evenings because people are at the shows or dinner.

The three main dining rooms are pretty crowded, so if you want to skip the main dining room for dinner service, room service is an option. Also, the quick-service meal selections on deck are very nice.

Marceline Market (the buffet for breakfast and lunch) tends to get crowded, but there is always a sit-down meal option in one of the three main restaurants for breakfast and lunch. It is usually not very crowded, so I would recommend eating there, too. There is also a card in the room to put out at night for a continental breakfast delivery in the morning.

There are ways to avoid many people if you look at the schedule and hang out in other spaces while the big shows and events occur. Explore the ship early in the morning or late at night. Also, most people will be off the ship on Castaway Cay day, and you can enjoy it then.

I hope you can go and find a way to enjoy it, but also understand if it is something you feel you can't do. If you can think of any more questions, I would be happy to answer them.

 

[cdh]

I agree! Heck I would rather just relax on the verandah all cruise than throw away $2,500

I would totally agree except for the fact that my daughter will be sixteen and she would hate spending so much time in the room. She’s just like my husband and I in terms of anxiety regarding crowds so she wouldn’t go off and explore the ship if it was crowded. My biggest problem is that I made a major mistake by watching so many videos that were created either during covid or by vloggers who had special access to things like empty dining rooms. Reality hit me when I watched recent videos of crowds.

 

[cdh]

Cruising is not for you if you don't like being around people. The cancellation policies are pretty clear when you booked. I'm not sure how staying concierge would help you avoid people and you'd be paying quadruple for something than gives you anxiety. How is it better for someone with children if they don't like people?

I think that you’re probably right. It just isn’t for us. I made a mistake by planning the cruise and it’s going to cost us but that’ll be ok. I think that if we could have gotten a stateroom on concierge we would have had access to a deck and lounge that wasn’t crowded but that isn’t an option now. I wouldn’t say that I don’t like people but there are certainly a few in every crowd that make me uncomfortable. Actually confrontation makes me uncomfortable, fight or flight uncomfortable, and when people are standing too close and I want them to back up it freaks me out but I really do suffer from intense anxiety.

 

[cdh]

It is your money to lose, so you gotta do what you gotta do. I am also not a fan of crowds and tend to take time for myself quite a bit during some cruises so I get it.

Something to consider instead of losing all of the money. If you do a later port arrival time, the terminal will be pretty empty, and you can easily get right on the ship. And you should also be able to get to your stateroom without waiting if you go around 1:30-2:00 pm. The mandatory safety drill is unavoidable, but perhaps you could speak to someone about it and explain your anxiety, and they can provide assistance.

I am a massive fan of the nightly shows, but if you are not thrilled with crowds, the pool decks are pretty empty in the evenings because people are at the shows or dinner.

The three main dining rooms are pretty crowded, so if you want to skip the main dining room for dinner service, room service is an option. Also, the quick-service meal selections on deck are very nice.

Marceline Market (the buffet for breakfast and lunch) tends to get crowded, but there is always a sit-down meal option in one of the three main restaurants for breakfast and lunch. It is usually not very crowded, so I would recommend eating there, too. There is also a card in the room to put out at night for a continental breakfast delivery in the morning.

There are ways to avoid many people if you look at the schedule and hang out in other spaces while the big shows and events occur. Explore the ship early in the morning or late at night. Also, most people will be off the ship on Castaway Cay day, and you can enjoy it then.

I hope you can go and find a way to enjoy it, but also understand if it is something you feel you can't do. If you can think of any more questions, I would be happy to answer them.

Thank you for the suggestions and your kind response. I recently watched a vlog of a family with two older children and as they got on the ship I thought…I’ll skip that wishing wand with a Cinderella….Marvel looks busy, and they’re sitting at a table with another family, Nassau looks fun but I don’t want to be approached by the shop owners, we will pass on bingo and trivia because they’re crowded, etc. I realized that we would be checking no on most of the activities. I seriously probably need many years if therapy to deal with anxiety about crowds. Covid made my anxiety much worse.

I really appreciate your suggestions. The late port arrival, going to the aqua mouse at dinner, and skipping the main dining rooms would probably make our trip a lot easier for me.

 

[cdh]

Pretty sure all cruise lines have the same flexible (or inflexible) policy after the PIF date, Disney is no different.

I’m sure that you’re right…I was just used to the more flexible policies at Disney World.

 

[Jess Lopez]

I would totally agree except for the fact that my daughter will be sixteen and she would hate spending so much time in the room. She’s just like my husband and I in terms of anxiety regarding crowds so she wouldn’t go off and explore the ship if it was crowded. My biggest problem is that I made a major mistake by watching so many videos that were created either during covid or by vloggers who had special access to things like empty dining rooms. Reality hit me when I watched recent videos of crowds.

You could also get an anti lost wrist link from amazon and if the small wristband doesn't fit your daughter she could wear the bigger wrist band and you could hold the small wristbandand you won't lose each other.

 

[DCLMP]

I’m sure that you’re right…I was just used to the more flexible policies at Disney World.

How do you handle crowds at WDW?

 

[sponica]

I think there are probably ways to mitigate the "crowded" feeling. Zig when everyone else zags, which I think someone else alluded to.

Get to the port late, which honestly I would probably prefer because I hated having sooooooo much time between getting on board and the staterooms opening when i last cruised. If you get to the port after 2, then I think you can go straight to the state room.

When the ship goes to port, stay on the ship. Enjoy a relatively empty pool deck.
Although I might be inclined to get off at Castaway Cay, outdoor crowds "feel" different than crowds on a floating hotel. Or get off and if it's not to your liking, turn around and go back to the ship.

2500 dollars is a LOT of money to lose, at least for me.

 

[Mommb]

To mitigate the feeling of crowds at Castaway Cay, wait an hour or two before getting off the ship after debarkation opens, and plan to return several hours before all-aboard time. Unless you can be at the restaurants right when lunch opens or shortly before it ends, it may be better to eat at Cabana's on the ship.

To mitigate crowds in the theaters, arrive 30 minutes before the show and take a spot on one of the sides of the theater, where you can wait after the show until most people have left.

If you arrive shortly after the main dining rooms open each night, you should be able to go directly to your table without waiting in line. You can request a table for just your party -- that request may not be honoured, but is worth a try.

I have not been on the Wish, but on the other 4 ships, most of the adult bars were not usually crowded in the evening, except for the "dance club" that had shows.

It is difficult to avoid crowds at deck parties and main-lobby events, but those are easy to skip, and a good time to go visit the onboard shops without crowds (as is during dining/show time).

 

[cdh]

How do you handle crowds at WDW?

Well, it’s not really crowds that I hate so much as crowds of people that I can’t get away from. For example, if the person right beside me is coughing then that would make me uncomfortable. As long as I can walk away from them I’m fine. If that person is beside me while we are waiting to get into Marvel and I can’t get away then I start to silently freak out. I’m actually germphobic. When I went to sams this morning I sanitized my nose with Nozin, sanitized the shopping cart, sanitized my hands with purell and then germstar (which apparently kills norovirus), and then washed my hands as soon as I got home. It‘s a pain but it keeps me comfortable. I checked out with scan and go and all was well. So, it’s not crowds, it’s germs and bugs that freak me out.

At Disney I can choose where I go and how long I’m willing to wait. I can always walk away. I may miss out on a ride but I can go back later. And, like the previous poster said, outdoor crowds don‘t bother me nearly as much as indoor crowds.

 

[cdh]

I think there are probably ways to mitigate the "crowded" feeling. Zig when everyone else zags, which I think someone else alluded to.

Get to the port late, which honestly I would probably prefer because I hated having sooooooo much time between getting on board and the staterooms opening when i last cruised. If you get to the port after 2, then I think you can go straight to the state room.

When the ship goes to port, stay on the ship. Enjoy a relatively empty pool deck.
Although I might be inclined to get off at Castaway Cay, outdoor crowds "feel" different than crowds on a floating hotel. Or get off and if it's not to your liking, turn around and go back to the ship.

2500 dollars is a LOT of money to lose, at least for me.

I agree, it’s certainly a lot to lose. Thank you for the info about getting on the ship a little later. So many people seem to try to get an early port arrival time but I think I would prefer getting on later.

 

[cdh]

To mitigate the feeling of crowds at Castaway Cay, wait an hour or two before getting off the ship after debarkation opens, and plan to return several hours before all-aboard time. Unless you can be at the restaurants right when lunch opens or shortly before it ends, it may be better to eat at Cabana's on the ship.

To mitigate crowds in the theaters, arrive 30 minutes before the show and take a spot on one of the sides of the theater, where you can wait after the show until most people have left.

If you arrive shortly after the main dining rooms open each night, you should be able to go directly to your table without waiting in line. You can request a table for just your party -- that request may not be honoured, but is worth a try.

I have not been on the Wish, but on the other 4 ships, most of the adult bars were not usually crowded in the evening, except for the "dance club" that had shows.

It is difficult to avoid crowds at deck parties and main-lobby events, but those are easy to skip, and a good time to go visit the onboard shops without crowds (as is during dining/show time).

Thank you so much for the suggestions. Those sound like some easy things that we could do in order to avoid some of the crowds and still be able to enjoy the trip. I really just wanted to see the Bahamas and Castaway Cay. I really appreciate the tips. Now I can tell my husband how we can navigate the crowds and still have a good time.

 

[sponica]

So, it’s not crowds, it’s germs and bugs that freak me out.

Question, are you on a 3 night or a 4 night cruise? I only ask because the day at sea will probably be the most challenging for you if it's a 4 night. Granted, it's been almost a decade, but the day at sea was definitely the worst "omg people".

 

[cdh]

I haven't got any children and I love Disney cruises would you like to have a look of my gallery from my April 2022 cruise.
I'm also booked on Disney Wish late April 2023 and I'm excited.
Here's the link for the photo gallery from my cruise vacation let me know if the link works ok
https://www.disboards.com/members/kevin-obrien.677009/#xfmgMedia

Kevin

Thanks for sharing your trip photos. It looks like lots of fun. Our trip is scheduled for April 17. Spring break should be over but the ship has no availability so apparently it’s full.

 

[cdh]

Question, are you on a 3 night or a 4 night cruise? I only ask because the day at sea will probably be the most challenging for you if it's a 4 night. Granted, it's been almost a decade, but the day at sea was definitely the worst "omg people".

It‘s a four night. I wish I had booked a three night cruise.

 

[sponica]

Thanks for sharing your trip photos. It looks like lots of fun. Our trip is scheduled for April 17. Spring break should be over but the ship has no availability so apparently it’s full.

That's spring break in parts of the northeast, particularly MA.