What I learned on my 14 night WBPC cruise.

We're booked on the WBPC next year, and it's one of our bucket list cruises. I can't wait to read more! Thank you for sharing!

Is there someone that comes on board to talk about the PC? For example: The AK cruise has a guy on board for the whole cruise that talks about wildlife and what not.

What were some of the extra things offered on sea days that are not typical?
 
We're booked on the WBPC next year, and it's one of our bucket list cruises. I can't wait to read more! Thank you for sharing!

Is there someone that comes on board to talk about the PC? For example: The AK cruise has a guy on board for the whole cruise that talks about wildlife and what not.

What were some of the extra things offered on sea days that are not typical?

Captain Puckett, a retired Panama Canal pilot and expert on the Canal's history, is onboard for every crossing. He gives a series of presentations in the Walt Disney theatre (also recorded for repeated playbacks on an in-room TV channel) throughout the cruise, as well as narrating over the loudspeaker during the Canal crossing itself.

There were a ton of other unique offerings too. Josh Strickland (the original Tarzan on Broadway) was one of the event acts in the Walt Disney Theater. George Scribner (a 37-year Disney veteran who has worked as an animator and a Disney Parks Imagineer) gave drawing and animation lessons and a couple of neat presentations. Two professional dancers gave ballroom dancing lessons. The Oceaneer Lab had an overnight sleepover for kids aged 5-12. There was a boat-building competition (prizes for Most Creative, Most "Disney", Most Seaworthy, Least Seaworthy, and Best Overall). Panama Canal water in the pool for an hour on crossing day. Q&A's with the mainstage cast and several of the variety acts. Many evenings, either the Oceaneer Club or Lab was reserved for adults to come in and do the youth activities (Vibe, Edge, and even the Nursery also had a few adults-only hours). There were characters *everywhere*. Unique menus in the dining rooms on some nights (one that's only on the Panama Canal cruises and several that are available only on cruises longer than 7 days). And being 14 nights with 8 at-sea days, just more of everything in general, really. Probably a number of other things that didn't interest me enough to remember them, but I'm sure someone will chime in with additional examples.

Also, the Panama Canal crossings are, I think, the only Disney cruises that stop in Cartagena, Colombia. Not that it's really worth getting off the ship there, but there are things to see and do if you're willing to deal with fighting off the most aggressive vendors in the Western hemisphere...
 


I have to disagree with you on other cruise lines. I've cruised RCCL, DCL and NCL and have no problems sailing on any of them. I think you need to try them for yourself. My favorite ship is Harmony. You will find cruisers on Royal that didn't like DCL. Everyone has their own tastes. You'll never know if you like something until you try it.
 
It's great to hear about your enjoyment of the WBPC as it was one of our favorites too. We'll looking forward to doing it again next year.
 
We're booked on the WBPC next year, and it's one of our bucket list cruises. I can't wait to read more! Thank you for sharing!

Is there someone that comes on board to talk about the PC? For example: The AK cruise has a guy on board for the whole cruise that talks about wildlife and what not.

What were some of the extra things offered on sea days that are not typical?
Yes Captain Puckett (ret) is on the entire cruise with many lectures and slide shows with narration as you enter into the canal and locks.
 


Captain Puckett, a retired Panama Canal pilot and expert on the Canal's history, is onboard for every crossing. He gives a series of presentations in the Walt Disney theatre (also recorded for repeated playbacks on an in-room TV channel) throughout the cruise, as well as narrating over the loudspeaker during the Canal crossing itself.

There were a ton of other unique offerings too. Josh Strickland (the original Tarzan on Broadway) was one of the event acts in the Walt Disney Theater. George Scribner (a 37-year Disney veteran who has worked as an animator and a Disney Parks Imagineer) gave drawing and animation lessons and a couple of neat presentations. Two professional dancers gave ballroom dancing lessons. The Oceaneer Lab had an overnight sleepover for kids aged 5-12. There was a boat-building competition (prizes for Most Creative, Most "Disney", Most Seaworthy, Least Seaworthy, and Best Overall). Panama Canal water in the pool for an hour on crossing day. Q&A's with the mainstage cast and several of the variety acts. Many evenings, either the Oceaneer Club or Lab was reserved for adults to come in and do the youth activities (Vibe, Edge, and even the Nursery also had a few adults-only hours). There were characters *everywhere*. Unique menus in the dining rooms on some nights (one that's only on the Panama Canal cruises and several that are available only on cruises longer than 7 days). And being 14 nights with 8 at-sea days, just more of everything in general, really. Probably a number of other things that didn't interest me enough to remember them, but I'm sure someone will chime in with additional examples.


Omg! The vendors in Colombia were awful, our tour guide told us that there were one million Venezuelan refugees that have come there and the has made it even worse now. I have never been so hounded in my life. Between that and the heat, we said never need to go there again!

We did an excursion at each port for this cruise, just to get off and touch land (normally, Grand Cayman we stay onboard).
On Sunday we spent the day walking around and enjoying San Diego, I told my husband that was my favorite "excursion".
One day was not enough, we plan to go back for a long weekend sometime.
 
I also have to disagree about other cruise lines. We've sailed DCL, Celebrity, HAL, and Princess and we would do any of them again based on price and itinerary. In our experience, they each have things they do well (better than the others) and things they don't do so well (not as well as the others).

View attachment 387991
Camel ride in Cabo was one of our highlights.
I've been looking at this for a 2020 cruise. How far from the port do you travel to get the area for the ride? Is it really out of the way?
 
6F50E4AD-A41E-4005-9B29-3DB4FC869708.jpeg
I also have to disagree about other cruise lines. We've sailed DCL, Celebrity, HAL, and Princess and we would do any of them again based on price and itinerary. In our experience, they each have things they do well (better than the others) and things they don't do so well (not as well as the others).


I've been looking at this for a 2020 cruise. How far from the port do you travel to get the area for the ride? Is it really out of the way?

It’s a 4/5 hour excursion. 1/2 hour in a Mercedes bus to the Hugh camel complex. 1/2 hour orientation and bathroom break. 30 minute ride on the camels with experienced handlers. 30 minute nature walk. 1 hour for lunch and picture packages purchases. Bathroom break then the 30-50 back to the port. Traffic was heavy getting back. The complex was clean, professionally run and the camels did not smell or spit. You can’t use your own cameras to take camel pictures, you have to buy their package.
The excursion also includes tequila tasting. That was fun.
 
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View attachment 388379

It’s a 4/5 hour excursion. 1/2 hour in a Mercedes bus to the Hugh camel complex. 1/2 hour orientation and bathroom break. 30 minute ride on the camels with experienced handlers. 30 minute nature walk. 1 hour for lunch and picture packages purchases. Bathroom break then the 30-50 back to the port. Traffic was heavy getting back. The complex was clean, professionally run and the camels did not smell or spit. You can’t use your own cameras to take camel pictures, you have to buy their package.
The excursion also includes tequila tasting. That was fun.

How was the lunch? The lunch at Los Caletas was SO good. There was also a mexcal tasting but I missed it somehow.
 
Not to judge if you do or didn't do a camel ride, but I thought these kind of animal tourist places were discouraged to go to nowadays? Like elephant rides or photo-ops with monkeys or tigers in Asia, for the wellfare of the animals and such.
 
Yes Captain Puckett (ret) is on the entire cruise with many lectures and slide shows with narration as you enter into the canal and locks.
Thanks for the info! We’re looking forward to the cruise!
 
Good to hear these thoughts. Hubby just surprised me with a 2020 WBPC for our anniversary today!:love::love::love: Looking forward to meeting other 2020 cruisers!
Does anyone know why Embarkation was moved to NOLA?
 
Good to hear these thoughts. Hubby just surprised me with a 2020 WBPC for our anniversary today!:love::love::love: Looking forward to meeting other 2020 cruisers!
Does anyone know why Embarkation was moved to NOLA?

It seems to move from time to time. In 2018 it was from Houston.
 
Not to judge if you do or didn't do a camel ride, but I thought these kind of animal tourist places were discouraged to go to nowadays? Like elephant rides or photo-ops with monkeys or tigers in Asia, for the wellfare of the animals and such.

We did the camel ride in Cabo as well and at no point did I see any welfare concerns for the animals. They were well cared for, and with a few exceptions for medical/safety reasons, the camels were free to wander as they pleased, i.e. there were no fences on the property to keep them in. They have a cushy schedule too - the handlers told us that each camel “works” for one day, then gets two days off - sounds great to me! Although the camels aren’t native to Cabo, the environment was comfortable for them and they had plenty of space available. They seemed happy and healthy and didn’t seem to mind the activities at all, which is quite telling as to their mental well being. We really enjoyed the excursion overall!

Aby
 
Not to judge if you do or didn't do a camel ride, but I thought these kind of animal tourist places were discouraged to go to nowadays? Like elephant rides or photo-ops with monkeys or tigers in Asia, for the wellfare of the animals and such.

Based on what I heard, camels are still in a "grey zone" because their limits are not really known yet... (Unlike dolphins swims where it's obvious that they are kept in conditions that do not suit them but people keep participating in dolphin swims, regardless.)
 
Good to hear these thoughts. Hubby just surprised me with a 2020 WBPC for our anniversary today!:love::love::love: Looking forward to meeting other 2020 cruisers!
Does anyone know why Embarkation was moved to NOLA?

The Wonder's fall/winter home port will now be New Orleans, starting in Feb. 2020. DCL has a contract for several years with the Port of New Orleans, so (unless they change up itineraries when the new ships arrive and move the Magic there instead) the Wonder will be sailing from that port for a while.
 

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