Disney Wonder

Disney Wonder is a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. She is the second ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet and the second vessel of the Magic class, following Disney Magic (1998).

The Magic class was ordered on April 27, 1995, and built by Fincantieri at its shipyard in Marghera, Italy. Construction of the vessel began with the keel laying on May 15, 1997, and the ship was launched on February 23, 1998. She was completed on June 17, 1999, and entered service with her maiden voyage on August 15, 1999. She was officially christened on October 1, 1999. The ship reportedly cost approximately US$400 million (equivalent to $ million in ).

Disney Wonder contains 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,700 passengers in 875 staterooms, and has a crew of approximately 950. The ship features an Art Nouveau design, incorporating stylistic references to ocean liners of the early 20th-century, including a long, low profile and a black hull with red accents, which also reflect the colors associated with Mickey Mouse.[8]

History

Disney had cruise ship designs drawn up by February 1994.[9] In 1995, Disney Cruise Line commissioned the construction of Disney Magic and Disney Wonder in Fincantieri, Italy.[10] She was laid down on May 5, 1997, launched on February 23, 1998, and completed on June 18, 1999.[11] The ship's godmother was Disney character Tinkerbell (who only spoke with bell sounds), and Mickey Mouse (voiced by Wayne Allwine) gave the ship's blessing in English.[12][13] Wonder entered into service in August 1999.[10]

Disney Wonder originally sailed three and four-night cruises to the Bahamas. In 2011, Disney Dream took over these itineraries. Since then, the Disney Wonder has been sailing a variety of itineraries that include stops in Alaska, the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and passages through the Panama Canal.

Rebecca Coriam, a 24-year-old crew member, was last seen by one of Disney Wonder's security cameras having an apparently upsetting telephone conversation in the early morning hours of March 22, 2011, before apparently disappearing the next day. It was the first such incident in the history of Disney Cruise Lines.[14]

With the arrival of Disney Dream in 2011, Disney Wonder was relocated to Los Angeles under a two-year contract with a three-year extension with the port.[15]

On January 10, 2013, Disney Wonder made her first-call ceremony in Miami, Florida. Cruises while stationed in Miami would consist of four- and five-night itineraries to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean with stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Disney's private island, Castaway Cay; Grand Cayman; Key West and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship returned in April 2013 to Vancouver, British Columbia, for Alaskan cruises.[16]

Disney Wonder was put in for an overhaul at Navantia's shipyard in Cádiz, Spain in September 2016. A 20 ft "ducktail" sponson was added to improve efficiency. Updates were made to the ship's cabins, lounges, restaurants and spa.[17] Work took place from in September 2016 until October 23, 2016.[18][19]

Disney Wonder was stationed out of Galveston, Texas starting November 10, 2016. In October 2018, Disney Cruise Line began showing Disney at Sea with D23, a 30-minute entertainment news show that covers the many Disney subsidiaries with input from D23, starting with Disney Wonder.[20]

A cruise in spring 2020 was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship arrived at the Port of San Diego, California, on March 19, 2020, where 1,980 passengers disembarked; there were no reports that any had flu-like symptoms. By April 5, 38 crew members had reportedly tested positive to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, according to a report by Cruise Law News based on discussions with unnamed individuals on the ship. Disney, however, told other news media that none of the crew had tested positive. A passenger who disembarked at San Diego on March 20 reported that no health screening activities, such as the asking of health-related questions or the taking of temperatures, had occurred upon disembarkation, and that the only health screening that occurred was during the check-in process two weeks prior.[21] After disembarking the passengers in March the ship was placed under a no-sail order, effective through July, by the Centers for Disease Control. As of May 2020, Disney Wonder and two other cruise ships were still at anchor offshore from San Diego. Approximately 700 crew were reportedly still aboard Disney Wonder.[22]

After the resumption of cruising in October 2021, Disney Wonder made sailing short cruises from San Diego, Galveston, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with a significantly reduced passenger load.[23]

On March 31, 2022, the Disney Wonder made her inaugural trip to Avalon Catalina Island on a 4-night cruise, also stopping at Ensenada. This was celebrated in accordance with maritime tradition plaque exchanges.[24] In October 2023, Disney Wonder began a new itinerary from Australia sailing to out of Sydney to Auckland, Brisbane and Melbourne. She arrived in Sydney via Honolulu, Hawaii in October 2023 and will return to Vancouver in March 2024.[25][26] She returned to San Diego, where offering 3-day and 4-day Baja, and 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises, then to Vancouver from San Diego for 7-day Alaskan round trips. The ship returned to Australia in October, and came back to Honolulu and Vancouver in February 2025.[27] A third and final season in Australia and New Zealand began in October 2025 and ran until February 2026, with reports suggesting high prices, limited port calls, and complex regulations were to blame for the discontinuance.[28][29] As of January 2026, the Disney Cruise Line website lists the Wonder as operating cruises from San Diego, California to Ensenada, Mexico and other ports between October 2026 and March 2027.[30]

Recreation

External links

• Disney Wonder from the company's website