Disney Wonder Panama Canal September 2014

[RickGainsmith]

Hi Disney Fans,

Been a while since posting, we've booked a Disney cruise this time around. Any tips?

[KeithS]

Hi Rick! It has been a long time since we last saw you here - hope all is well in Melbourne.

Great news on booking the cruise - what ship are you on? I think the Panama Canal trip would be brilliant (I have to put that on my list of Disney cruises to try out!)

You are certainly going to have a wonderful time - we went on the Fantasy last year and it was hands down the best Disney experience we've ever had.

What do you want to know? We found the whole the amazingly well organised, so there really isn't too much to worry about. Make sure you do the online check-in before you head over there, that makes it very easy when you embark as all your paperwork is completed (they just take a photo, hand you your room key and on you go!).

You've probably already picked your dining option (we took the later setting as there were less kids - LOL).

The onboard photographers are really, really good - but the full package is expensive (about $400 for all the photos - they professionally print the whole lot, as well as give you a DVD or two with the hi-res images on it). My tip is to decide right away if you want to buy the full package and if so - then just go crazy getting as many onboard photos as you possibly can! We became good friends with the photographers and got hundreds of amazing images.

Study the Port Adventures - Disney do have some great adventures available at each port. You don't have to do the Disney ones but you are guaranteed that the ship won't leave without you if your Disney Port Adventure is running late!

Just ask away for more tips - plenty here have been on cruises now, so we'll all have different ideas.

[RickGainsmith]

Thanks Keith.

I'm really looking forward to it, it was my birthday on Sunday and this was a surprise from my lovely wife Natalia...

We have booked the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah, seems good for a family of 5.

We just paid for it today so we haven't received a ref number to start making bookings for dinner etc, we might need the earlier sitting with 3 kids, 7, 5 and 3.

The plan for the entire trip is below;

8th Sept Melbourne, Nadi, Nadi, LA (return this was only $6500)
9th drive down to San Diego
10th San Diego Zoo
11th San Diego Sea World
12th Cruise
26th Finish Cruise, Space Center, then Orlando to Vegas
1St Oct Vegas to La, La to Nadi, Nadi to Melbourne.

Side trips during the Cruise we still need to go over but definitely the submarine one as Eve (5 year old) wants to go on a submarine to look for mermaids... lol

On a side note, last December we spent 9 nights at Aulani in Hawaii, the kids absolutely loved it. The two bedroom suites were fantastic, plenty of room. The kids still talk about the pools and room service (mac and cheese), weird the things kids remember.

[KeithS]

Wow - now that sounds like a terrific holiday! And Happy Birthday for last week - you are just three days different to me!

Yes - early dinner setting will probably be better. Your kids are going to have a great time on that cruise - I'm guessing it is the Disney Wonder you'll be on? I think that will be the repositioning cruise after it has completed it's Alaskan duties.

Will you be popping in to Walt Disney World at all when you get to Orlando?

[RickGainsmith]

It was tempting to add some theme park fun however we're back in Orlando in May for 3 weeks solid, jam packed, theme park madness with family. At least then we will have someone to mind the smaller kids for the bigger rides.

It is Disney Wonder. It's the first cruise we've done so hopefully we like it. Who am I kidding, it's Disney, of course we'll like it...

[KeithS]

however we're back in Orlando in May for 3 weeks

Ahhh - that'll work! No worries then.

(and I'm an idiot - your forum title says Disney Wonder - I completely missed that!)

[churros]

Definitely want to do the Panama

[RickGainsmith]

Quick update;

Only 25 days to go, the exact amount of time we'll be away for. Natalia has booked the optional trips during the cruise, a Show in Vegas (Tournament of the Kings), and we're staring to look at our options for the 15 hr stopover in Fiji.

I like the look of the http://www.radissonblu.com/resort-fiji seems to have everything the family will enjoy for a day stopover and fairly close to the airport.

One suitcase is out, and every day off we're buying something for the trip. Looking forward to it, sometimes the wait is agonising, but this is in some weird way enjoying.

Have a magical day...

[KeithS]

I find the period between 45 days to 15 days to go the most agonising. The trip is really close, but still to far away to start winding down at work! The last two weeks are usually okay as they fly by, but that period you are in now is the worst - you can't stop thinking about it and the days go past so slowly!

Keep us posted on your preparations Rick - I'm really keen to hear about the Panama Canal trip!

[ajp]

Loved the tournament of the kings, it is a lot of fun.

[RickGainsmith]

Only 10 Days to go now.

Keith is right, the last two weeks is flying. Its amazing how much you get done the week or two before you go on holidays.

Everything is booked, where using Super Shuttle a fair bit, the website was easy to book all the transfers so hopefully it works out. We need to get from LAX to San Diego, it was much better value to get a transfer than to fly.

We've booked all the disney excursions, including one I'm particularly looking forward to Mayan Ruins of Tulum.

Has anyone visited NASA? If you have, do they have an area where you can put your luggage? We're thinking of going direct from the ship to NASA so we'll have all our luggage with us. Thanks.

[ajp]

Have done NASA, and did it the same day we got off the ship as well. But we were booked into a hotel that night near the port, so we went straight from the ship to the hotel, stored our luggage, then hopped on a bus to NASA. I made sure I booked a hotel that had a free NASA shuttle and a cruise shuttle as well. It worked really well.

[KeithS]

I can't recall any luggage storage at NASA. You'll just need to keep it stored in your car I think. Hopefully it'll be safe as NASA is a fair way away from anything else - you'd have to be unlucky to get broken into in their car park.

[KeithS]

Rick's Panama Canal cruise sails tonight! There is a hurricane forming down near there and guests of Rick's cruise have been emailed to advise them that there may be port itinerary changes to avoid the worst of it - I hope it doesn't affect their cruise too much.

Rick - let us know how it was when you get back to port!