The WISH - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (Review)

[insureman]

I’m not letting these reconsider mine. Many friends I know enjoyed it a few cruising again . I’d go once and see for yourself. You maybe surprised. I just switched ky August Cruises to February 3rd and February 6th

We are going it's just doing a b2b on the Wish we are reconsidering. If we don't do the the 2nd cruise we will probably stay at WDW a couple of more days.

 

[jujubiee4]

My sister and brother n law were on the cruise. After hearing their thoughts and poring over
her pictures and seeing other video reviews we are still going. BUT I canceled the B2B and
just doing one portion.

I keep seeing the same words used...small...tight...not enough space. For a ship that big? Really?
I find it annoying much space was used for high end retail shops that few will go into. If they
had to put a store they were better off putting a giant Disney store. At least there would be a steady
stream of people buying.

 

[n2mm]

I guess with the large numbers of b2b cruisers testing positive, I just saw a post that dcl changed their b2b policy. Now ALL b2b cruisers have to pack regardless of if they are changing rooms or not. Plus they can’t go back to their rooms until 1:00pm. I have the dcl letter posted in another thread here on dis. wondering If this is a new policy for all ships now.

 

[Empress Room]

I suppose that my biggest criticism of the WISH is that the designers did not consult with or listen to feedback from their guests, especially repeat long-time cruisers, as they initially said that they would. Had they done so, the positives of the the WISH could have extended to the entire ship. Remember, when DCL was first promoting its cruise line (and it appeared in many, many brochures), DCL was marketed as a cruise that the whole family could enjoy - families, kids, teens, tweens and, yes, even adults (who in promotional materials had their own oasis (i.e. Quiet Cove, reserved for guests 18 and older). The latter is lost on the WISH. The Quiet Cove area on the massive vessel is a tucked away afterthought, too small to be an oasis from anything. Stated in another way, if one is an adult and wants to enjoy the adult exclusive areas on Disney ships, one is much better served to book the Magic and Wonder, or even the Fantasy and the Dream.

One of the comments above mentioned the tightness of the cabins, which I did not mention in my original post. Yes, the staterooms are smaller, noticeably so, than certainly the classic ships but even the Dream and Fantasy. Well appointed and pretty in design as they are, everything from the split bathrooms to the stateroom itself has been miniaturized to an extent. For whatever reasons (likely space concerns), there are many fewer drawers for storage, having been replaced by shelves. Shelves in the stateroom, shelves in the closet, but no chest of drawers. Odd. To its credit, however, I thought that DCL plussed the beds - they were extremely comfortable.

I wouldn't necessarily cancel my WISH reservation based on my or any other review. After all, it is a DCL cruise that we all love and it is a beautiful ship that one likely needs to experience for oneself - once, and then make your own judgment. Having said that, DCL seems to have missed the opportunity to create an industry leading flagship. For all of its design, decor and technological marvels (no pun intended!), it does miss the mark on a lot of the basics that we have all come to know and love.

 

[HeatherLassell]

Thank you for the insights. we have b2b coming up Aug 8 and as long as we stay covid free, then these 2 WISH cruises likely are our last. We have next March booked, but we really want more than 4 days, so likely jumping to Fantasy 7 day.

Same Joel! I have a b2b booked in January and I already know it will be my first and last cruise on the Wish. I travel with my teen which means I'm basically alone and the awfully designed adults spaces make me with I was booked on my fav ship the Fantasy instead! I can't cancel as I'm doing the official CC5K (after marathon weekend). I'm gonna do my best to enjoy myself but it kinda sucks that it already seems like it's going to be a disappointment.

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Thank you for the honest opinion. We have a 3 night booked with our placeholder for end of April. I’m considering canceling until we can get a better rate as a FL resident. When I first started seeing pictures and videos, I was upset with the adult area as well. We are married, mid 30s , no kids so we live for the adult areas. One hot tub is a joke!!! Also what happened to the storage cabinets in the rooms!!!??
I saw the early release for fall 2023 is coming out soon. We are sailing the fantasy in November with FL resident rate so I’ll have to see what’s out there and if we cancel the wish for something else before the placeholder expires November 2023.

 

[Kwami]

yes, even adults (who in promotional materials had their own oasis (i.e. Quiet Cove, reserved for guests 18 and older). The latter is lost on the WISH. The Quiet Cove area on the massive vessel is a tucked away afterthought, too small to be an oasis from anything. Stated in another way, if one is an adult and wants to enjoy the adult exclusive areas on Disney ships, one is much better served to book the Magic and Wonder, or even the Fantasy and the Dream.

I'm willing to be that there's more adult-only outdoor space on the Wish than on the other ships and that's without even counting the new spa outdoor area. The pool area in the back isn't the only space. It wraps around both sides, extending all the way to the elevators on starboard side and out to the Aquamouse boarding area on port side. There's also an additional adults-only sun deck one deck up.

There are also more bars and lounges and a larger spa, all of which are for adults.

EDIT: Well, maybe the Dream-class ships have more outdoor space with Satellite Falls. I was thinking of the Magic-class ships.

Still, it's quite a stretch to say that the new ship doesn't have enough adult stuff.

 

[Empress Room]

I'm willing to be that there's more adult-only outdoor space on the Wish than on the other ships and that's without even counting the new spa outdoor area. The pool area in the back isn't the only space. It wraps around both sides, extending all the way to the elevators on starboard side and out to the Aquamouse boarding area on port side. There's also an additional adults-only sun deck one deck up.

There are also more bars and lounges and a larger spa, all of which are for adults.

No, Kwami, unfortunately, there is not more adult exclusive space on the WISH than the other ships. Putting aside the outdoor spa area (it's an upcharge that is not available to all guests, only those who pay an additional fee), the "wrap around" areas you describe are not prime spaces. On the way back to the infinity pool, it is small deck space with the one and only hot tub -narrow. On the back side past the infinity pool, it is more of the same and dead ends at the AquaMouse. In other words, it's the mirror image narrow deck area with no amenities that dead ends. It does not compare at all favorably with the large pool, seating area and Signals bar location(s) on the classic ships nor even the smaller, yet still much larger, pool and bar/lounge areas on the Dream/Fantasy. If you count bars/lounges, yes, there are more of them, but they are scattered throughout the ship and are not part of any adult exclusive area or "district" like the other four ships.

 

[Kwami]

No, Kwami, unfortunately, there is not more adult exclusive space on the WISH than the other ships. Putting aside the outdoor spa area (it's an upcharge that is not available to all guests, only those who pay an additional fee), the "wrap around" areas you describe are not prime spaces. On the way back to the infinity pool, it is small deck space with the one and only hot tub -narrow. On the back side past the infinity pool, it is more of the same and dead ends at the AquaMouse. In other words, it's the mirror image narrow deck area with no amenities that dead ends. It does not compare at all favorably with the large pool, seating area and Signals bar location(s) on the classic ships nor even the smaller, yet still much larger, pool and bar/lounge areas on the Dream/Fantasy. If you count bars/lounges, yes, there are more of them, but they are scattered throughout the ship and are not part of any adult exclusive area or "district" like the other four ships.

Whether the space is "prime" or good is a separate question. I was only responding to the idea that there is less adult space. I don't think there is less adult space. That's good, because it means that Disney can improve what space there is. Adding new adult space would be harder and might mean taking away something else.

 

[brentm77]

This is one thing that really caught me off guard, as we had been on the Magic a few weeks earlier and they had brought back the "snack" buffet in O'Gill's that had been suspended for a bit due to COVID. However, we had a number of offerings, including Chicken Wings. In Keg and Compass, Chicken Wings (and a number of other items) are at a charge and not included. This made me in a way feel like I was on RCCL...

It's these little things that set DCL apart too. Besides the classic/unique feel of their ships (which has been partly abandoned here), lack of upcharging/sales pitches is a huge plus for us. The more they depart from that, the more likely they are to push us to other lines. Why not save money if they stop doing the things that differentiate them?

Edit: The more I think about this one, the more it bothers me. To go cheap on something as inexpensive as bar food after all these years is such an unclassy move. It just rubs me the wrong way. Like they don't appreciate the fact that we are paying a huge premium to sail DLC already. It's never enough with Disney lately.

 

[MomOTwins]

It’s clear the Wish is not for everyone. But I don’t feel the design choices are nonsensical. They just make sense for different people.

The part of OP’s comment about folks saying “it's the adults that are paying for these cruises, why are we being shortchanged” really made me raise an eyebrow. If I wanted a cruise that catered to adults and had lots of adult only space, I’d never book DCL—there are so many other far cheaper cruise lines where you could stick the kids in the kids club and hang out in adult only spaces all day.

DCL is the cruise line we book primarily for family time. I want to go with my kids and watch their little faces light up at princess tea parties and character meets, and have fun together in mini golf, pirate night and silent disco, and splash around in the family pools, splash pad and water slides, and see shows or play trivia in the evenings, and have memorable dinners together as a family. Now of course we let our kids go on their own to the clubs too (though often we often visit during open house to play together). I’ll use a rainforest pass then (excited about the new features) but I generally don’t feel like I need to be in a an adult only area to have fun without the kids. All of the family areas on the Wish seem like enjoyable places to spend time whether our kids are with us (i.e most times) or when they are in the clubs and it is just DH and me.

 

[dcassetta]

We don’t typically frequent the lounges but I’m 95% sure the pubs on the other DCL ships have/had paid appetizers onboard- I remember seeing it and thinking how peculiar it was but they charge for popcorn & other snacks at the theater so made sense…

I was on the Irish bar in the fantasy in March and we had to buy the pretzel and other pub fare.

Does the Fantasy not have the buffet setup like the Magic (I can’t remember…)

The other ships offer included pastries/pub food/hors d'oeuvres/small desserts at various times in several locations. The pub on each ship also has a paid menu that includes things like giant pretzels and sliders. I have not seen any mention that the Wish has any of these outside of the pool deck quick service locations.

 

[Kwami]

It's these little things that set DCL apart too. Besides the classic/unique feel of their ships (which has been partly abandoned here), lack of upcharging/sales pitches is a huge plus for us. The more they depart from that, the more likely they are to push us to other lines. Why not save money if they stop doing they things that differentiate them?

Edit: The more I think about this one, the more it bothers me. To go cheap on something as inexpensive as bar food after all these years is such an unclassy move. It just rubs me the wrong way. Like they don't appreciate the fact that we are paying a huge premium to sail DLC already. It's never enough with Disney lately.

Disney charges for pub food on the other ships, too.

 

[tidefan]

Disney charges for pub food on the other ships, too.

There was no charge for the mini-buffet on the Magic a few weeks ago.

 

[dcassetta]

Disney charges for pub food on the other ships, too.

Disney charges for SOME pub food on the other ships. We find the offerings more generous on the classic ships, but the Dream and Fantasy also have included foods such as wings, small sandwiches and wraps, and poppers.

 

[Kwami]

There was no charge for the mini-buffet on the Magic a few weeks ago.

Right, sometimes there's a mini buffet and that's free. However, the pub has a menu that you can order any time and they charge you for it.

We don't know if the Wish will have a mini buffet at some later time. There isn't one now, but the Wish is also clearly not finished and there are still other things missing, too. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[tidefan]

Disney charges for SOME pub food on the other ships. We find the offerings more generous on the classic ships, but the Dream and Fantasy also have included foods such as wings, small sandwiches and wraps, and poppers.

Yep, I was thinking specifically about wings. They are included on the other ships, but are charged on the Wish.

Interestingly enough, you can get the same wings on room service and they are included…

 

[brentm77]

Disney charges for pub food on the other ships, too.

Fair point. It doesn't sound like they have the included stuff, which they usually put out in the evenings. The Magic offered it a few weeks ago. That's what I mean - the lack of included food at the bars in the evenings. Or the lack of included snacks at Quiet Cove.

 

[browneyedgirl1683]

My daughter loved her first RCCL sailing, and is eager to sail on DCL. This review really helped me keep it in perspective. I'm on the fence about switching lines, but I think I'll wait and see first.

 

[tidefan]

Fair point. It doesn't sound like they have the included stuff, which they usually put out in the evenings. The Magic offered it a few weeks ago. That's what I mean - the lack of included food at the bars in the evenings. Or the lack of included snacks at Quiet Cove.

Well, I've learned something new. I didn't know they had "for sale" food on the other ships. We were in O'Gill's quite a bit and I never saw anyone with it... now that could be because they had the food out on the buffet...