I'll jump in with some opinions I suppose.
First cruise, I take it?
1. I'll abandon my usual attempts at eloquence and say... FOOD. Food food food food
food. Best dining on the seven seas, and surely anywhere else as well. We're talking duck one night, lamb the next, and lobster the night after that... often with fancy French names I don't remember, and it's all free once you get on board. Then you have the unlimited paninis and fruit, the free ice cream, and the free pizza all on deck 9 at any point you feel like it, and free room service if you don't feel like leaving your room (although I've never felt this way).
2. Design. Probably appeals more to design students types like me, but it's amazing how beautiful and nostalgic the design of the ships are. Both the Magic and Wonder are gems of Art Deco, with golden woods, sweeping geometry, and opulent touches, probably the closest things to the grand transatlantic ships of yesteryear that you'll find today. I would bet that the Disney Magic is probably the largest and grandest Art Deco construction since the Chrysler building, and that's saying something. The beauty of the ships are bar none... certainly better than the plain and almost solid-white ships of pretty much every other cruise line.
3. Okay I know nobody's interested in that part, so I'll say entertainment. There is ALWAYS something on the ship you will find to entertain you. There's the Broadway-caliber shows you'll find on many of the nights, to the smaller-scale comedy troupe or illusionist acts offered on the other nights. Then you've got things like the newest, just-released movies playing nonstop in the Buena Vista Theater (check your schedule), the more classic family movies playing on the giant screen up on deck by the pool, to even things just like lounge singers and dueling pianos you'll find in the bars throughout the day. But here's a tip: the best entertainment you'll find on the ship (IMO) are the acts that play in Beat Street/Route 66 each night. Often throughout the cruise (the longer ones in particular, like yours), a comedian will be brought aboard and do a family show in the Walt Disney Theater, and will then tell you that they're doing a show later that night in Beat Street or Route 66. That late night show is the best to go to - the comedians can leave all their family-friendly inhibitions behind, and the they often aren't afraid to get a bit edgier and personal with the audience. The results are typically hilarious. I've found myself in tears from laughing so hard. Best way to end each night.
4. In contrast to that last one... relaxation. The ships have a wonderful offerings of things to do to fill up your day, and yet such a great thing about cruising is that you always have the option of not doing any of them. I don't know how many times I've just grabbed a deck chair by the pool on Deck 9 and just dozed off, not knowing or caring when I had to wake up. At nights, I would often just find myself strolling the upper decks with my family, grabbing a drink and watching the waves crash against the side of the ship. There's something magical about it, but it's like freeing yourself from land is freeing yourself from the pressures of the world. The most peaceful feeling you'll ever have.
Enjoy your cruise... you'll love it. :wave:
