Disney Wonder Review
Los Angeles-Miami via the Panama Canal on the Disney Wonder
Rating by category
Additional details
We have just recently returned from the 14-day Panama Canal repositioning cruise aboard the 'Disney Wonder', and all we can say is "WOW!!!".
Our first cruise experience was a 7-day Alaska/Glacier Bay/Inside Passage cruise aboard a much-smaller predecessor of Holland America's 'Westerdam', 13 years ago.
While we had high expectations for a 'Disney' cruise, we were simply blown-away at how far cruising -- and particularly cruising with children -- has advanced in the past decade.
Cabin Review
Bring your own extension cord/power strip if you plan on recharging multiple electronic devices at the same time.
Prior reviews mention a periodic mechanical noise in the cabin, which we also noticed, but found it didn't disrupt our experience in the slightest.
Port Reviews
Cabo San Lucas
This was my first time in Cabo since the late 1970s, and boy have things changed! While Los Arcos is spectacular, quickly spotting a Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Costco, and Home Depot from the ship quickly erases any notion that we're in a foreign country.
Our excursion was a harbor cruise followed by a bus tour of the area. We tendered to shore and then boarded a large catamaran tour boat and headed back out into the Sea of Cortez. We motored along the peninsula and got great views of the bay, our ship, and Los Arcos, the arch at the end of the Baja peninsula.
Shortly after rounding the corner, we came upon a pod of three California Gray Whales. We followed the whales for about a mile, and they greeted us with spouts and by displaying their flukes as they dove. After encountering the whales, we slowly returned to the dock in the harbor in Cabo. Be sure to watch for the sea lions that attempt to swim up the backs of boats returning to the harbor, hoping for a free snack from those aboard!
We left the tour boat and boarded tour buses for a drive through town and then out to the "Mona Lisa Sunset Bar & Grill" for refreshments and photos of Los Arcos, the bay, our ship, and Cabo from a spectacular vantage point. After approximately 30 minutes, we re-boarded the buses for the trip back to the harbor, where we boarded a tender and returned to the 'Disney Wonder'.