Trip Report We took the Wish for a spin! COMPLETE

Hello, everyone,

You may remember us from previous TRs including:

Land & Sea - Baja Style!
We kept in on the DL...the DCL
It’s not about Ryan Gosling, but there is a Gosling involved

Once again, it's time for another DCL adventure with @lostpro9het and @imahistorygeek.

We are doing a WDW/DCL/WDW sandwich and hopefully this isn't a bologna sandwich with miracle whip. Let's hope it's a fancy Italian Boars Head sub from Kroger with all the fixins.

I should preempt this by saying we still have to pass a covid test because our cruise is the last one to require testing if you're vaccinated. Boo on you DCL. So this entire TR could be scrapped on Wednesday morning.

When: We fly out on the evening of September 15.
Where: Our first night is the Poly. Got to get our rest in before at sea funtivities.
What are we doing: We're sailing on the Wish, back to back! This is a first for us.

We've combined a 3-night and 4-night with a Halloween party ticket when we return. This is a Halloween on the High Seas cruise which means costumes! I've made them and they're ready to go!

After we fly in, we will pick up our one-way rental from National. We have no park plans for arrival day and really no dinner plans either.
Embarkation day - we will drive to National Car rental at the port and get a shuttle to the port. We will do this same thing after debarkation and head back to the Poly. Our Halloween party tickets are for that evening and we fly home the next day.

We have found it very hard to get excited about our cruises. There are several reasons:

• We still have to test. We will not pack until we pass the test. I still have some eMed tests left over from Celebrity (which no longer tests), so we will use them for our cruise.
• Negative feedback regarding the Wish. We are trying to stay away from it. We know the ships aren't the same. We're not really researching anything, just looking at the food and drink menus. The only thing we will familiarize ourselves with is the deck plan, because it will be different and we don't want to waste our time trying to find things.
• We are trying to buy a house. If things go well, we will close next Monday.
• We are trying to sell our house. It's currently on the market and open for viewing and it will be while we are gone.
• Our previous cruise (on the Wonder) was fine, but nothing spectacular, except for the BREACHING OF A WHALE!

However, there are some things we are looking forward to experiencing on the ship:

• New ship and venues.
• New drinks and food. There look to be some interesting food and drink choices, especially the drink that is in the ice ball at Nightingales.

With all this said, wish us luck for a negative test next Wednesday!

 

[BrerWayne]

The drinks enjoyed at Nightingale’s:
Step Mother:
View attachment 670237



Butterfly:
View attachment 670241
View attachment 670239

Lucifer’s Punch:
View attachment 670240

Chocolate Frozen Bubble:


Dreams Come True and a La Fin du Monde:
View attachment 670238

That Chocolate Frozen Bubble reminds me of Andy trying to break out of Shawshank.

 

[lostpro9het]

That Chocolate Frozen Bubble reminds me of Andy trying to break out of Shawshank.

That’s certainly one perspective on it.

 

[imahistorygeek]

More photos from our Avenger's meal:

The requisite charger that all main dining use. This one is particularly fancy.

Along with some equally fancy silverware:

Any guesses how long they will keep the Avenger's stamped silverware?

Steamed Bao Buns Seared Ginger Orange Pork Belly, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Pickled Daikon, Spring Onions, Mirin Soy Honey Glaze

Heirloom Tomato Salad Escarole, Arugula, Purple Onion, Black Beans, Blue and Red Corn Chips, Parsley, Bearss Lime

Chicken Schnitzel Panko-crusted Chicken Breast, Butter Sautéed Potatoes, Caramelized Onions, Long Green Beans, Lemon, Anchovy, Capers

Nothing says Avengers like chicken schnitzel. Am I missing an inside joke?

We did get a plate of fancy brownies before actual dessert.

Looks good, right?

Pym Doughnut Sundae Dulce de Leche Ice Cream. Pecan Brownie. Caramel Fudge Sauce, Chocolate Glazed Mini-Doughnut, Whipped Cream

Every main dining room now has a sundae option.

If you've noticed all the pictures on Sean's side of the table have a blue-ness to them, that's because the whole place was pretty much awash in blue light. We were sat right next to a giant screen for the show. Same set up as Animator's Palate. There's also an interactive element on the table. Basically, you push buttons and it lights up. It's part of the show.

 

[imahistorygeek]

This is the one and only laundry center on board. It's on deck 8, midship. It's located right outside the elevator bank.

Very nice and we used it once. You'll be notified via the app when your clothes are finished.
There's a little folding room right inside the entrance and then you have a room full of washers, dryers, and ironing boards.

 

[imahistorygeek]

These are some of the other things around the ship. I felt as though there was something new every time I turned around.

These are really cool signs for port adventures and guest services. They are solid pieces of metal that you can screw on and remove based on what's happening at the desks. I never saw anyone at the port adventures desk.

These are the window decorations. On the other ships, they are jack-o-lantern faces. On the Wish, they are the different villains.

Cinderella's glass slipper at the bottom of the atrium staircase.

The entrance to Senses Spa. I believe there were entrances on each side of the ship. The artwork has a Celebrity Edge series vibe.

Around the entrance to Marceline's Market. The buffet is a completely different look on the Wish. It's cute. I don't feel like it's as big and the food selection is smaller. Food is the same quality as on the other ships.

 

[Zipadeelady]

More photos from our Avenger's meal:

The requisite charger that all main dining use. This one is particularly fancy.
View attachment 670907

Along with some equally fancy silverware:
View attachment 670915

Any guesses how long they will keep the Avenger's stamped silverware?

View attachment 670910

Steamed Bao Buns Seared Ginger Orange Pork Belly, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Pickled Daikon, Spring Onions, Mirin Soy Honey Glaze
View attachment 670914

Heirloom Tomato Salad Escarole, Arugula, Purple Onion, Black Beans, Blue and Red Corn Chips, Parsley, Bearss Lime
View attachment 670909


Chicken Schnitzel Panko-crusted Chicken Breast, Butter Sautéed Potatoes, Caramelized Onions, Long Green Beans, Lemon, Anchovy, Capers
View attachment 670908
Nothing says Avengers like chicken schnitzel. Am I missing an inside joke?

View attachment 670911
View attachment 670912

We did get a plate of fancy brownies before actual dessert.
View attachment 670913
Looks good, right?

Pym Doughnut Sundae Dulce de Leche Ice Cream. Pecan Brownie. Caramel Fudge Sauce, Chocolate Glazed Mini-Doughnut, Whipped Cream
View attachment 670906

Every main dining room now has a sundae option.

If you've noticed all the pictures on Sean's side of the table have a blue-ness to them, that's because the whole place was pretty much awash in blue light. We were sat right next to a giant screen for the show. Same set up as Animator's Palate. There's also an interactive element on the table. Basically, you push buttons and it lights up. It's part of the show.

I feel guilty not liking this post. I was more excited to see the laundry room (being totally serious, it's really nice) than the food selections at Avengers.

Did any of that silverware fall into your purse?

 

[imahistorygeek]

I feel guilty not liking this post. I was more excited to see the laundry room (being totally serious, it's really nice) than the food selections at Avengers.

Did any of that silverware fall into your purse?

Nope on that silverware.

The laundry is really nice. Only bad part is that if you're way forward or way aft, you've got a walk. I liked the colors used in the laundry.

 

[imahistorygeek]

Since this was an inaugural year sailing, we received some extra gifts.

This is a large, zippered tote. It feels waterproof but don't hold me to it. It's very nice and a huge improvement over the sling bags, which we like as well.

We assumed this was a laundry bag. It's pretty large and has a drawstring. Inside (which I don't have picture of) was two luggage bands with Disney Wish printed on them.

This was the most interesting of the gifts. The speaker does work. We heard someone using it on Castaway. The liquid portion is very small and impractical for an actual water bottle, but we made use of it anyway, with other drinks.

I think this is some type of wallet/organizer. It's about 5x7 in size.

Out of all of these, the bag is my favorite.

 

[imahistorygeek]

Arendelle is the Frozen dining experience. It's really fun. There's music almost the entire time and the musicians and singers were really talented. For our first leg, Olaf came out on a cart, which is the regular show. Our second leg, it was a costumed character. I read that other Arendelle rotations didn't have Olaf at all and was missing the violinist.

The food is good, not great, but better than Avengers. Arendelle is all about the show.
The glassware on this ship was amazing. Each restaurant, bar, coffee shop, etc, had beautiful glassware unique to the ship.

This is a compilation of dishes we had over the two voyages.

Blushing Oaken’s Chilled White and Green Asparagus Pea Tendrils, Heirloom Tomatoes, Radish, Dill

Not bad, but you have to like asparagus. They tasted pickled.

Elsa’s Royal Baked Scallops Shrimp Tarragon Bisque, Rainbow Carrots, Leeks, flaky Pastry

This was really good. It comes out in a big, puffed dome and the soup and scallops are baked inside. This was surprisingly very good and scallops are a meh seafood for me. I would get this again. I believe there were about 5 medium-sized scallops in the dish.

Jarlsberg Cheese & Rosemary Ham Tart Gala Apple, Williams Pear Compote

Nordic Cucumber, Potato & Carrot Salad Baby Oakleaf, Lolla Rossa Lettuce

Troll Valley Baby Field Greens Vanilla, Apricots, Brioche Croutons, Candied Walnuts, Lingonberry Dressing

Split Yellow Pea Soup Pulled Ham Hock, Pannekaken

Appetizers and salads were pretty good. All of these were on par with DCL food.

 

[imahistorygeek]

Arendelle main courses and desserts.

King Agnarr’s Dry-rubbed Roasted Pork Tenderloin Buttered Chard, Honey Butternut Squash, Yukon Gold Potato Purée, crisp Shallots, Red Currant Port Wine Reduction

Sean said it was good, but it's a sad-looking dish.

Arendelle Kjottkake Braised Meatballs, Rosemary Cream Reduction, Egg Noodles, Lingonberry Chutney

Juniper Spiced Roasted Chicken Breast Scallions, Duck Confit Double-fried Potatoes, Estragon Wild Mushroom Ragoût

This was also printed on the menu, but our server said it was a mistake. It was prime rib and NOT ribeye. Pretty sure I heard some sad trombones.

Garlic & Thyme Roasted Beef Rib-Eye Double-baked Potato, Buttered Broccoli, Sweet Honey-Roasted Carrots, Cabernet Jus

This was a selection from the vegetarian menu. Note to self: Don't order two asparagus dishes back to back. The asparagus were from the same pickling jar.

Kvafjordkake Butter Cake, Baked Almond Meringue, Vanilla Cream, Berry Compote

Troll Family’s Rock Chocolate Bar Chocolate Cake, Pistachio Cookie Rocks, Elderflower Meringue

This guy was super cute!

 

[PacNWTigger]

The food looks amazing at Arendelle's! Those drinks make me feel a bit parched, and it's not even time for breakfast for me yet!!

 

[imahistorygeek]

We did explore Arendelle at some point. It's a very nice venue and well-themed.

This is the main entrance and where everyone will queue up for dinner. I believe this entrance is right after some shops. Not a good location for shops because if you've ever dined on DCL, you know how long the lines to get inside the restaurant can be.

Here's what you see when you turn the corner at the entrance. The chandelier has flickering candles (which you will see all over the ship), but they turn on the full lights during dinner. Don't want a lawsuit cause someone couldn't see. The yellow in the window is a lifeboat.

I'll call this the Arendelle Mile®. Along the Mile, you'll see a ton of themed artwork. It was a very nice touch. By the way, if you need to go to the restroom, you have to traipse all the way back to the entrance.

However, the bathroom signs are super cute.

You'll finally make your way to the dining room.

There is a wine thing (I don't know what it's called. A cabinet maybe?). Those people are part of a tour group we crashed.

Take a good look at the spacing of the tables and how close the chairs are to one another. This is the tight squeeze I mentioned before and this is the way it looks in all of the MDRs. The stage is directly in the middle. You can have a really great view or one that you have to turn all the way around in your seat to see. The window seats are really nice. The tour guide said you can see Rapunzel on the back of the ship.

 

[MinnieM123]

ake a good look at the spacing of the tables and how close the chairs are to one another. This is the tight squeeze I mentioned before and this is the way it looks in all of the MDRs. The stage is directly in the middle. You can have a really great view or one that you have to turn all the way around in your seat to see. The window seats are really nice. The tour guide said you can see Rapunzel on the back of the ship.

The room design is attractive, but agree -- those tables are too tight. People like at least a bit of spacing between tables.

 

[MickeyCB]

Here are my Nightingale pics of the lounge. Its a great venue in a terrible location. The CMs were amazing and very personable.

Love the bubble light.

 

[MickeyCB]

Take a good look at the spacing of the tables and how close the chairs are to one another.

And yes on the table spacing. I had to look twice to realize they weren't just very very long tables.
And I've only cruised once in my life so not a good person to comment, but I don't understand the Avengers thing on the Wish ship. I am not understanding something?

 

[imahistorygeek]

And yes on the table spacing. I had to look twice to realize they weren't just very very long tables.
And I've only cruised once in my life so not a good person to comment, but I don't understand the Avengers thing on the Wish ship. I am not understanding something?

I asked the same thing and was given an answer, but apparently it didn't stick because I didn't remember it. I can't remember if it was a guest or crew that tried to hard sell Avengers on the Wish. Maybe it's all about make believe lands?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[imahistorygeek]

1923 - Probably the best MDR on DCL

I don't think salt shakers are the norm on the other 4 ships. These are very cute.

Split Napa Baby Romaine Lettuce with Caesar Dressing, Heirloom Grape Tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Ciabatta Garlic Croutons

Burrata Mozzarella Cheese &. Prosciutto di Parma Crisp Cranberry and Sunflower Seed Phyllo, Charred Blood Orange
This was delicious. I ordered it both times we dined in 1923.

1923 Peppered Filet Mignon Buttered Long Green Beans, Smoked Bacon, Crushed Fingerling Potato Hash, Pink Pepper Café Au Lait

This is the best filet out of all the MDRs on all ships. It was cooked perfectly and very tasty.

Seared Verlasso Salmon Filet Californian Wild Honey Parsnip Purée, Orange Fennel Essence, Sautéed Black Garlic Rapini

Italian Flat Parsley and Rosemary-crusted Rack of Lamb Dauphinoise Potato, Roasted Petite Turnip, Carrot and Zucchini, Zinfandel Rosemary Sauce

We also ate at 1923 on embarkation day for the 2nd leg. It's the same menu as all MDRs on embarkation day.

 

[imahistorygeek]

1923 desserts were very good. The churros were the just ok of the bunch.

Burbank Blueberry-Lemon Bavarian Cream Ecuador Vanilla Bean, Lemon Rocks, Dried Raspberry Meringue

Flourless Orange Almond Cake Guava Gel, Lychee Yogurt Crème

Atwater Fuji Apple Cheesecake Sweet Dough Shell, Caramelized Apples, Cinnamon Cheesecake, Rolled Oat Crumble

Churros Calientes Sugar Spice Churros, Dulce de Leche - weakest of the desserts

 

[Zipadeelady]

I'm not a cheesecake girl but that Fuji Apple Cheesecake looks amazing!

 

[MickeyCB]

I don't think salt shakers are the norm on the other 4 ships. These are very cute.

I hate to encourage crime in any way, but those look like purse shakers to me!