Whoa-oh Down in Mexico: Coronado Island and 4-days on the Wonder-COMPLETE

We are taking this cruise in October and I can’t wait! It our 1st time cruising so I’m trying to learn all I can! I’m loving your TR so far!
 
Day 3 of Cruise: Cabo San Lucas

We only had one port day on this cruise (bummer) but we were very excited that it was Cabo San Lucas. It looked beautiful and there seem to be a fair number of good options for Port Excursions. For this cruise, we booked through Disney just because it was easy and there is not a ton of time in this port (and it is tendered) so we thought this would be the most relaxing. I am sure booking it on your own would save some $$$ and we will likely look into that next time as Cabo seemed to be a very easy port to navigate.

We had chosen The Ultimate Luxury Sail & Snorkel and it was wonderful! It was truly one of the best excursions we have taken. If you have done Soualiga Tours in St. Maarten, this excursion was very similar (if you have not done Soualiga put it on your list when you are in St. Maarten—best excursion EVER). While Soualiga is our sentimental favorite (Cabo does not have Airport Beach), this excursion was top notch in every way.

It was run by Cabo Adventures and they seemed in charge of many of the excursions from the Port. They had a terrific, friendly staff and we had so much fun. You walk about 5 minutes from the pier to board a Beneteau sailing yacht (limited to 15 people). It was very comfortable and sparkling clean. There are facilities onboard (also nice but as with every boat restroom, there is always a moment where I cannot unlock the door to get out—anyone else have that problem? Maybe just me.)

As we set sail, they took us to see Divorce Beach, Lovers Beach and the Arch. Along the way, we saw many Sea Lions (awesome!) and our captain even knew how to talk to one (and he answered). We headed out further into the ocean where we saw 4-5 whales! They were up close and personal. This was amazing and so great to see. We have seen whales in Hawaii and Alaska but this was the closest we have ever been. They were so close that one little girl on the boat yelled, “We’re gonna die!” thinking they might turn the boat over. She was more delighted than scared, though. It was really an amazing sight. After that, we really could have gone back to the pier but there was more.

They served us a delicious appetizer, chips, and guacamole. It was excellent (and we are Texans—we know our guacamole) and there were unlimited margaritas, sodas, and water. The staff on our boat was excellent and they had a photographer that was taking pictures the whole time. After sailing for a while, we put down anchor where we could snorkel and/or paddleboard (!!!!). That’s right, time to put Steve’s teachings and our skills to the test.

There were only two paddleboards per boat so Nick and I grabbed them and planned to make a quick trip around to make sure others had the chance to use them. The area was crowded with boats and before I knew it, Nick was up on his board and headed off to parts unknown. I was not having as easy time getting up but I finally made it. However, I could NOT STEER AT ALL. The wind was not with me and I was trying to catch up with Nick who was doing a great job of paddling but a horrible job of steering. The difference between the two of us was that he did not care! I caught up to him and told him he needed to start heading back to the boat. Well, both of us were horrible, I finally had to jump in, and kick my board back to the boat (handing it off to Adam) and swim back out to get Nick and steer him in while he paddled. It was actually fun but we looked crazy! We handed our board back in and let someone else have a go (who had NO PROBLEM steering…embarrassment!) and watched as Adam tried to get vertical on this board. No luck in Cabo either! He actually said he was worse than in Coronado! I think he was doing fine and he was the best knee paddler of the group.


We all snorkeled for a while but the area was crowded with boats and Nick (we accepted on this trip) hates snorkeling and is ALWAYS having an issue with water in his snorkel, etc. We decided to head back to the boat (it was almost time to go anyway). Even though our water adventure, was not particularly successful, the water was still beautiful and it was a fun stop. Paddle boarding is really fun. I am going to keep at it until I get it.

On the way in, the crew played some fun music and we enjoyed a yummy Bento Box lunch (so good!) until we docked and it was time to go. This was a GREAT excursion. I highly recommend it. I thought it was a good price for what you got, too. My dad ended up purchasing the pictures. They were $90 or something but they were able to bargain for less. I have not even seen most of them but I think they were pretty good. Too expensive for us but might be worth it for some families.

We caught a quick and uncrowded tender and were back on the boat by around 3pm. It was a wonderful day and we loved Cabo.

Coming up…Palo Dinner and Bourbon Tasting!
 
Day 2 of Cruise: Sea Day

I should say a bit more about the whiskey tasting since I inadvertently left it off Day 1 (and added it in via edit). It was terrific. We had been regulars at the tastings on the cruise and had always enjoyed them but sometimes did too many and they almost became a chore to attend. On our December cruise, Adam became closely acquainted with the Whisky cart in the Cadillac and we tried something new almost every night. Vicky (from the beverage staff) always helped us with choices and we had so much fun and learned a ton about whisky and which ones we liked. Though this was fantastic, it was a bit hard on our pocket book so we decided to mix in a few tastings with regular outings to the Cadillac. Tastings are a great value and they always choose a nice mix of high end and more affordable options. The tasting was run by David who is the lead bartender at Signals on the top deck and he did a great job of explaining each whisky without talking too much. We really enjoyed him and were pleased to find out that he was also hosting the bourbon tasting we were doing later in the week. At this tasting, we had, Buffalo Trace, Blanton’s, Woodruff Reserve, and I think a Ballantine’s (I will confirm with Adam). I loved all of them but both of us liked the Woodruff Reserve the best. We do not have that one at home and we enjoyed trying it. I highly recommend the tastings. They are fun!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled sea day. None of us was up terribly early but the minute Nick opened his eyes, he was headed to Edge. He had already made quite a few friends and they already had a number of inside jokes that were not understandable or funny to anyone over twelve. He was having a great time and we were glad.

We were headed with my dad and his friend to Palo brunch. I enjoy Palo brunch but I think I am one of the few people who enjoys dinner in Palo more. I do love the cheeses but am not crazy for anything else on the buffet. Adam likes the seafood and my dad and his friend went pretty crazy for the desserts but I really like the ordered main course. I have had the lasagna Bolognese on the last two trips and I LOVE IT! It is so good (I wish I had some right now). My dad also got it because he enjoys it, too and we were both very happy. I do not remember what his friend ordered. Adam got the Calzone, which he said he felt as if he should have gotten something ‘nicer’ but he loved it and was so happy he ordered it. Overall, it was another successful brunch and it was fun to get it ‘free’ for the first time as a Platinum member.

We always keep the same server for dinner at Palo so we arranged with Soraia from Portugal to see her back tomorrow night (when we would be having dinner). I always really enjoy the servers in Palo. They are excellent and make the experience so much more fun.

After Palo brunch, I am always sleepy but we decided to hang out around Deck 10 for the afternoon (Basketball was not on in the Crown & Fin yet). It was chilly but nice on the top deck. We got coffee from Cove and may have grabbed a cocktail from Signals (and said hello to David) before we headed down to the Crown & Fin and parked for the afternoon.

We watched basketball for most of the rest of the day and were only interrupted with Jo came in with TV Quote trivia. If you have not done a program with Jo, you should! She is so much fun and very popular on board. Adam and I are contenders every time we play trivia but this is not one of our best categories. We came in second. Winchester from the beverage staff took care of our drinks (he was terrific) and finally we left to take a proper nap and get ready for dinner.

Nick and his tablemate friend joined us for dinner. We were in Animator’s. It was the typical Animator’s Meal (I did better tonight sticking just to the purses and dessert). I hoped a snack from Deck 10 (pizza! It’s so bad; it’s good) would be in my future. The company at dinner was great.

Before dessert, Nick and his buddy headed back to Edge. After dessert, Adam and I headed to the Promenade to see Vicky. He was there and showed us that now the Promenade has a gin cart (yay!). We tried a spicy gin, a high-end gin, and several kinds of tonic (who knew!). Vicky is the best and we had a lot of fun. After this, we were ready for bed. Adam and I went to the room and turned on an Avengers movie. I did not realize I had dozed off until I woke up to Nick coming home at 1 AM! This was crazy but he had a wonderful time in Edge and was very good about coming right home to the stateroom when it closed. Adam and I were shocked it was open so late!

We were all excited for our only port day in Cabo on Day 3!

We had Soraia on our 7 night Caribbean cruise! We also ran into her during our Alaska cruise this past summer and were so happy to hear she moved on to Palo! Such a lovely server!
 
I'm enjoying your report! Cabo sounds absolutely lovely.

I went to hear school in Austin. I miss it so much.
 


Day 3 Continued: Palo and Bourbon Tasting

After a nap and maybe a few more Avengers movies, (I felt like we watched Iron Man 3 about five times on this trip!), we got dressed and headed up to Palo. I always overdress for Palo and make Adam do the same because I am such a slob during the rest of the cruise. The dining room is lovely and it is fun to get dressed up so we make it a habit.

Soraia greeted us and we went to the same table we had for brunch. Our meal in December had been absolutely fantastic and we were looking forward to ordering many of the same dishes (unless something new caught our eye). We are lucky because everyone in our group likes everything and we are always game to try something exotic and new. That said, there was nothing different about the menu tonight so we went mostly with our favorites. After a wonderful anti pasta (this is one of the best parts of the meal), Adam and I ordered the mozzarella and tomatoes; fritti misto (I usually skip the calamari at other restaurants but this is a really good, fresh version); the veal pasta; the lobster pappardelle to share. Then, I had the scallops and Adam had the Dover Sole.

The lobster pappardelle is our absolute FAVORITE. It is so good. It is on our must order every time. It is served in a tomato cream sauce and I cannot really tell you what makes it so good but it is wonderful. We loved it in December, too. My scallops were fine. We were not crazy about the veal pasta but we ate all of it. The fritti is always good and we like the tomatoes and mozzarella because we always like a salad. Adam’s Dover Sole was incredible. I had it on the Fantasy a while back and loved it. This version on the Wonder is just as good. They prepare it tableside and it is fresh, simple and wonderful.

We had a delicious Palo cocktail to start and my dad ordered a bottle of Chianti so we shared that. Of course, we had soufflés for dessert. It was a great meal! We told Soraia goodnight and headed to our Bourbon tasting in The Cove.

Normally, I avoid Palo on a Port Day but this worked out very well. We actually changed to this night onboard because we had an odd dining rotation (T, A, A, Tiana’s) and we wanted to go to Tiana’s the last night. We had no problems changing the reservation and I kind of like it on a Port Day because I was hungrier because I was a lot more active than I am on a sea day. You can also pick your time to dine so you can make sure you have some down time after your excursion and are not rushing to get to the dining room.

Nick, of course, went straight to Edge the moment he got back on the ship. However, our tablemates invited him to join them in the dining room for dinner. He was thrilled and went with his buddy to eat in Animator’s. We checked in with him after Palo and he reported dinner was great but wanted nothing else to do with us.

The Bourbon tasting was at 10pm and David was once again hosting. I realized as I was writing this that I had EVERYTHING wrong in the Whisky Tasting that I wrote up earlier in the report. I will do my best to correct it but Adam and I realized that we actually did not remember what we had (I blame the Whisky/Bourbon). Adam usually takes a picture but at both tastings this time, he did not! Therefore, I will do my best. We have tried so many whiskeys and bourbons on the Disney Wonder that if anyone has questions, Adam can more than likely answer them for you.

I would not say that Adam and I are super big drinkers (the three Beverage Family awards and the prevalence of alcohol in this report may appear to contradict this) but we really do love the lore of wine/liquor creating. Whisky/Bourbon is our current focus just because it is so interesting. We love noticing the difference between a Tennessee Whiskey and a Kentucky bourbon and an Irish Whiskey vs. Scotch Whisky (notice those spellings!). The Disney Wonder has so many great choices and it is so fun to try them. We may have tried almost everything onboard (not including the bottle that goes for $1,000 per shot in the Cadillac). We THINK the Bourbons we had at the tasting were Russell’s, Larceny, Woodford, and Blanton’s. We loved the Woodford.

After the tasting, it was late so we headed for bed. Nick joined us after Edge closed. Tomorrow would be our last day onboard!
 
Day 4: Last Day of Cruise

This was a Sea Day and our last day onboard. It went much like the rest of the cruise. We slept in, Nick went to Edge, and Adam and I went to the Top Deck. Adam usually gets up earlier and hits Cabana’s for breakfast. He loves those outdoor tables near Daisy Dee-Lites. By the time he comes back, I am usually ready to go.

We went to Cove to enjoy a coffee. It was very crowded but we eventually got a nice table and hung out. For most of this cruise, it was too cool or too windy to sit outside. We missed that but we had such wonderful weather in San Diego that we were okay with it. This was another reason that we did not miss our balcony.

We hit the shops downstairs, bought some H20 Shampoo and Conditioner (love it!), and I bought a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses with my Castaway Club discount. After that, it was time for basketball at Crown & Fin. We participated in another Jo-led trivia while we were there and won.

The day was just spent relaxing. We did less on this cruise than I think we ever have. It was nice, though. I think we needed the down time.

We had dinner at Tiana’s that evening. On our cruise in March 2017, I was not a fan of Tiana’s. It was loud and crazy. I tend to be a fan of quieter dinners. However, in December, we had loved it. We had a rotation where we ate in there two times and it was great. I had reconsidered my position.

For this cruise, I am back to not loving it. I think a lot has to do with table placement. In December, we were way in the back and could enjoy the band and still talk. In addition, if the crowd was up by the stage, it was far away from us. This time, we were right up in front next to the band but my seat (my own fault, I chose it) was with my back to the stage. Therefore, it was just loud and not very enjoyable. As I mentioned, I am not a big fan of the MDR dining room but felt like it had been better in December. Our food was just only okay and though our dining team was very sweet, food was always slow to come out. So, in all, it was not a great night at Tiana’s but not awful either. We still had the fun of having our tablemates and the boys exchanged information to keep in touch before they headed up to Edge for the last night.

Adam and I went to the Cadillac to hear Aaron’s last piano set and then headed to bed. Nick came home at midnight and said a few of the Edge kids were headed down to Promenade to hang out a bit more. We let him go but Adam headed down to get him about twenty minutes later. He is still a bit young to be prowling the ship so late at night.

We were super sad to head to bed knowing that we would be getting off the next day.
 
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Day 5 –Disembarkation

We had late seating for dinner so we had the later breakfast. Our tablemates were there so we had one last chance to say goodbye. Breakfast was good. I always enjoy the dining room on the last day.

Because flights are so expensive during our Spring Break week, I had booked pretty terrible flights on the way home. We did not leave until 4 pm. The airport is literally five minutes from the San Diego port so we decided to stay on the ship as long as possible until they kicked us out. We stayed in the dining room until it was clear they were setting up for the next group. Then, we were able to move to Azure and watch Netflix/Hulu because now we could stream (yay! Back in the USA). Finally, it was about 10 am so we decided to make our way off the ship.

In San Diego, they leave your bags outside. Because we were some of the last off, our stuff was very easy to find and there was almost no wait going through customs. If you do not have an early flight, I would recommend staying on the ship as long as you can. Also, do not bother with the Disney bus, the airport is about a $17 ride from the port. We still had many hours before we could even check into our flight and we had our bags. There are some hotels across the street from the port so our first plan was to head into a lobby and regroup. However, as we crossed the street, we saw there was a food truck fair going on and though we were not super hungry, it looked really good! We got a nice table outside. Our bags fit nicely underneath it and we had a great time sampling fantastic food and enjoying the beautiful weather (we ended up being there through lunch!). We had mango juice, tacos, cookie dough sundae, bubble cone, and Thai Burger. The Thai Burger and Bubble Cones were unbelievable! So delicious and we had so much fun. It ended up to be the best layover ever.

It was now about time to head to the airport so we walked over to the Inter-Continental Hotel to get an UBER. Before we knew it, we were at the airport. It was still early but they let us check in. We were able to get into a nice airport lounge with my Platinum Card. There was no free food in there (we did not need it) but AMEX gives you a $50 credit to order whatever you want. We were super full so we just ended up having a beer. Nick ate some free pretzels. We hung out there until it was time to go to our gate. After an uneventful flight (with connection in Phoenix), we were back in Austin around midnight (I told you they were horrible flights).

It has been a great cruise/trip and I wish I could say we were glad to be home but we would have loved a few more days on the Wonder or in San Diego or both!

Final Thoughts:

This was a great cruise and the perfect combination of doing a land trip and cruise in a week’s time. Things we loved:

· The Del—Great hotel and best beach ever! We cannot wait to go back.

· Juniper and Ivy—This is a new favorite restaurant and though we always like to try new places if/when we are back in San Diego, this will be hard to beat.

· Stand Up Paddle boarding! So much fun and a great way to get out on the ocean

· Haunted Aspects of the Del—Definitely look into this and either take the formal tour or do a self-guided tour when you are there

· LEGOLAND—As I said, this is probably Nick’s last visit. We had a great time and it was easy to get there by renting a car

· The Beverage Staff on the Disney Wonder—They are just the coolest, nicest group! It must be a fun area to work in. Watch for Vicky, Winchester, David, and Jay when you are onboard

· The Cadillac Lounge—Such a great venue. I am so glad they did not change anything during the refurb. It used to be deserted on many of our earlier cruises but people seem to have caught on to the great music they have in there. It is our place to be every night.

· Edge—For Nick, this really is his happy place. He found a great group of friends that he still keeps in touch with. It seems like the kids bond more on the shorter cruises because they know they do not have that much time. He loved the flash mob, Heroes vs. Villains, the brainteaser games, and of course, the Xbox tournaments. Edge does a great job with the kids and we are so happy he enjoys it so much.

· Cabo—Great port! We had a wonderful excursion. We would love to visit again.

· Oceanview Cabin—Did not miss the verandah at all! This will be our go-to in the future.

The things we would do differently:

· Early Dinner—I have always selected late dinner but my wise travel agent signed us up for early dinner on our December cruise. It is so much better! We were just so tired after dinner (and I think service is slower). We felt like we missed a lot of the piano bar, etc. because dining is so late. We are now going to be on the early rotation permanently.

· MDR—I need to stop complaining about it. I think it is as good as it is going to be but I have to remember: Just an appetizer and dessert. I would rather waste my calories on the 10th deck. Moreover, Daisy Dee-lites has some great healthy options that are actually really good.

· Do more in San Diego—This trip was all about relaxation but we owe it to ourselves to see more of San Diego next time. It is a beautiful city!

· Hit the gym—I was good about going to Yoga in the gym on our December trip but I was just too tired this time. That said, I felt a lot better when I moved around more. I would like to make sure I do SOMETHING every day.

This was a terrific cruise. Our only complaint is that the four days on the ship just went by so quickly! We all love something a bit longer. That said, we did OBB for a four-day on the Dream in August 2020 after we hit Galaxy’s Edge in Disney World but we decided to add another 3-day Back to Back to get our cruise fill so that should be a great, long trip.

We love the West Coast cruises and hope they will add more. Mexico is such a wonderful place. I would love the opportunity to go there on a longer cruise when Nick does not have school.

Well, that is it! That is my report. If you have questions, be sure to let me know. Thanks for following along. Our next trip is the Adventures by Disney Southern California and Disneyland—that’s right, we will be hitting the DLR version of Galaxy's Edge this summer. I may be back with another report then. We will be glad to get another chance to spend more time in Southern Cali.
 
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Hi, I've enjoyed reading your report. I have an almost 11 yr old dd. Our Jan. 2020 cruise will be her first time to go to Edge, so glad to hear your ds loves it so much. My dd has always enjoyed going to the Oceaneer's club. She is pretty outgoing and enjoys meeting new kids on the cruises, so I think she'll enjoy everything Edge has to offer. I didn't know it stayed opened until 1am, yikes!! We've done Alaska and an EC on the Wonder, she's my favorite ship. I never really considered any West Coast cruises, but your trip report has me considering one. We live in Ohio and Orlando is a quick 2 hour flight, so I always just look at cruises from PC. I'm starting to get tired of the Fantasy, we only do 7 night cruises so I'm not at all interested in the Dream. I have a feeling the Wonder will be sailing mainly from either Galveston or New Orleans once the new ships come. I never realized Lego land has rides, my dd has never cared for Legos so I never looked into it. I always thought it just had Lego statues and some for kids to play with, never knew it had so much to do. Looked like a lot of fun!
 
gin cart (yay!). We tried a spicy gin, a high-end gin, and several kinds of tonic (who knew!)

I still have quite a bit of reading to do but need to go to work and wanted to ask this question before I forget, you mentioned a "gin cart", is that like a gin tasting option or just a cart with different types of gin on it? My husband is always trying to talk DCL into having a gin tasting class.
 
Hi, I've enjoyed reading your report. I have an almost 11 yr old dd. Our Jan. 2020 cruise will be her first time to go to Edge, so glad to hear your ds loves it so much. My dd has always enjoyed going to the Oceaneer's club. She is pretty outgoing and enjoys meeting new kids on the cruises, so I think she'll enjoy everything Edge has to offer. I didn't know it stayed opened until 1am, yikes!! We've done Alaska and an EC on the Wonder, she's my favorite ship. I never really considered any West Coast cruises, but your trip report has me considering one. We live in Ohio and Orlando is a quick 2 hour flight, so I always just look at cruises from PC. I'm starting to get tired of the Fantasy, we only do 7 night cruises so I'm not at all interested in the Dream. I have a feeling the Wonder will be sailing mainly from either Galveston or New Orleans once the new ships come. I never realized Lego land has rides, my dd has never cared for Legos so I never looked into it. I always thought it just had Lego statues and some for kids to play with, never knew it had so much to do. Looked like a lot of fun!
Nick started in Edge last March and has never been back to Oceaneer's Club/Lab and he LOVED them, too. Edge is a much smaller group with a smaller age range so they form a 'tribe' of sorts. The counselors are really good with them. I hope your daughter loves it.

And yes, we prefer 7 days, too, but as you mentioned, the same old ports can get real old. San Diego is such a great city and we loved Cabo (and Mexico, in general, wish there was another port on this cruise). We loved the chance to see some new places. However, the 4-day felt really, really short.
 
I still have quite a bit of reading to do but need to go to work and wanted to ask this question before I forget, you mentioned a "gin cart", is that like a gin tasting option or just a cart with different types of gin on it? My husband is always trying to talk DCL into having a gin tasting class.
There is just a gin cart (cart with a bunch of different gins) in Promenade. However, the beverage staff will set up an impromptu tasting for you. Vicky knew a lot about the gins and the different tonics. I am sure he (or other beverage staff) would be happy to set up something for you. It was fun. It will be more pricey than the traditional tasting but a great way to try new things.
 
Great report! I really need to get a West Coast cruise under my belt.

Jill in CO
 

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