Drydock for Wonder - September 2019 - What's Being Renewed/Improved?

[RAD]

RCCL launched their own dedicated high-speed satellite for internet. Most other cruise lines, including Disney, use shared older satellites with limited bandwidth.

What satellite is that? Maybe they’ve leased a transponder or two from someone satellite but I doubt that they spent many millions of dollars building and launching their own satellite. I’ve also been on a number of flights lately and using their internet service i’ve been able to stream video from my own services, not the airlines content. So others have figured out how to do it so DCL can get into the 21st century if they wanted to.

 

[spacecanada]

I wasn't quite accurate with the explanation, fair. They did pay millions of dollars to O3b to launch more satellites to dramatically improve the satellite network they use, which is different from other cruise lines: https://www.rclcorporate.com/revolu...r-like-internet-service-to-largest-rcl-ships/ Their internet in Alaska, Northern Europe, and Oceania is slower a result of their latitude.

 

[RAD]

I wasn't quite accurate with the explanation, fair. They did pay millions of dollars to O3b to launch more satellites to dramatically improve the satellite network they use, which is different from other cruise lines: https://www.rclcorporate.com/revolu...r-like-internet-service-to-largest-rcl-ships/ Their internet in Alaska, Northern Europe, and Oceania is slower a result of their latitude.

OK, so they are buying service from an ISP that use LEO satellites vs GSO which makes sense seeing how well their internet service performs. But looking at O3b's web site I don't see anything there that would preclude DCL from also contracting from them for services.

 

[DCLDVC1]

The Concierge Lounge is getting a small update.

 

[lozzypop]

We happened to be at the far end of Esquimalt last night and spotted the Wonder at the shipyards. There was a lot of squealing in the car, let me tell you!

 

[spacecanada]

I biked with my husband to work today and the normal 25-minute ride turned into 25 minutes of cycling and 20 more minutes of giggling and squealing and taking photos... and then I had to stop and ogle some more on my way home, too.

They were bringing in dozens of shipping containers this morning, and moving a bunch around on the top deck as well. We saw someone with a grinder out on the stateroom balconies, likely grinding away at rust to be re-painted, but there could be something bigger happening. There were white notes on a whole floor of balcony stateroom doors. There was a tarp over the front of the ship as well, which could be to protect paint from the rain; I don't know. There is LOTS of work happening, and many, many, many workers in the dry dock right now; far more than I typically see, and even more than when the Emerald Princess was here earlier this year. It was really quite interesting to watch.

We made up silly ideas for what could be in all the shipping containers, too. I really wish they would add Duffy and friends to the cruise line.

I'll be back a few times over the weekend and again next week.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

I biked with my husband to work today and the normal 25-minute ride turned into 25 minutes of cycling and 20 more minutes of giggling and squealing and taking photos... and then I had to stop and ogle some more on my way home, too.

They were bringing in dozens of shipping containers this morning, and moving a bunch around on the top deck as well. We saw someone with a grinder out on the stateroom balconies, likely grinding away at rust to be re-painted, but there could be something bigger happening. There were white notes on a whole floor of balcony stateroom doors. There was a tarp over the front of the ship as well, which could be to protect paint from the rain; I don't know. There is LOTS of work happening, and many, many, many workers in the dry dock right now; far more than I typically see, and even more than when the Emerald Princess was here earlier this year. It was really quite interesting to watch.

We made up silly ideas for what could be in all the shipping containers, too. I really wish they would add Duffy and friends to the cruise line.

I'll be back a few times over the weekend and again next week.

I just want on-demand movies in the staterooms. We loved having that on the Dream last year and would love it again on our 11/29 cruise on the Wonder. Hopefully the hardware to make that happen is in those containers...

 

[DCLDVC1]

Has anyone found pics on Twitter yet?

 

[bcwife76]

@spacecanada loving your updates! We are in Surrey and I've been teasing my dh we should take the ferry over to the island this weekend and take a peek lol He was not receptive to my idea esp since we just got off the Wonder on September 2nd

 

[spacecanada]

Photo from today:

 

[spacecanada]

There were quite a few people on the crew pool deck, not sure what they were doing. I imagine crew spaces receive lesser known updates as well. We also saw several DCL crew (or so we assume) getting off the ship today. None of them had vests, hard hats, or dry dock ID badges and were dressed in nice street clothes. I hope the crew get some well-deserved shore leave time, though I know many are doing menial tasks as part of the renovations.

 

[Lesley Wake]

I really wish they would add Duffy and friends to the cruise line.

OMG - I would love that! An exclusive Duffy character for the cruise ships!

 

[spacecanada]

OMG - I would love that! An exclusive Duffy character for the cruise ships!

That would be awesome, but just having Duffy anything would be good enough for me. They have almost completely removed Duffy and friends from WDW and DL and it's so sad. We have to wait to go to Aulani to get anything Duffy-themed, and even the selection there is minimal. Anyway... moving on... I still wish one of those shipping containers was full of Duffy plushies.

 

[Dug720]

Has anyone found pics on Twitter yet?

The crew and workers are not allowed to take and post pics of the work going on. They could be terminated if they do.

 

[spacecanada]

Random: the life boats have all been removed from both sides of the ship. I have not seen them elsewhere, but I also cannot see the full dry dock from the bike path or street. Curious.

 

[AquaDame]

Random: the life boats have all been removed from both sides of the ship. I have not seen them elsewhere, but I also cannot see the full dry dock from the bike path or street. Curious.

Maybe fresh paint/recertification?

 

[ivanp91]

That's pretty normal. I recall pictures of the Magic during its last drydock in Cadiz, the lifeboats are taken off pretty quickly.

 

[Minnie222]

We were on Dream this past May and DD was wearing a Stella Lou bag to carry her card on the ship. Hardly anyone know who that bunny is. And CMs keep on complimenting on her “cute bunny bag”. Very disappointed.

We would like to see them adding Duffy and friends on the cruise also.

 

[spacecanada]

More photos from today. I saw even MORE workers than before. Everywhere I looked there were people outside in their bright yellow or orange vests. There was a shipping container on the promenade deck, too. I didn’t see any containers on the top decks today, but the cranes were lifting and lowering something I couldn’t see. As someone elsewhere posted, my phone could see one of the DCL wifi channels from the nearby bike path. Fun!

I am going to be sad when she leaves. She stops here once more as a port of call before heading south, and then it will be over 200 days until we will get to see her again (for another port of call.)

 

[coast2coastmickey]

Really puts it into perspective how big today's cruise ships are when you see a huge shipping container that looks tiny compared to the smokestack.

And then to think this is one of the "smaller" cruise ships out there.