I arose to my first morning in Canada to my normal 5:15 am internal alarm clock. The benefit of being up early today, however, was to view (and film) the arrival of the Disney Wonder in the Port of Vancouver. I showered quickly and headed down to the waterfront to secure my spot and set up the GoPro for the ship’s arrival (that tiny spec by the sculpture in the first photo above is me! Thanks, Em!). It was an absolutely beautiful morning to be outside, capped off by seeing three different ships pull into port. As the sun was peeking above the horizon, the Disney Wonder appeared and nestled its way into port. While hanging out by the camera I met a dad and his two kids who were going on their first Disney Cruise. Talking with them about all the fun ahead got me excited for embarkation.
I returned to the room just before 8 am as the rest of the bunch were getting dressed and ready for the day. We organized the last of our items in the room in preparation for our luggage cart walk from our hotel to the port. Emily had the same hotel booked for the night we returned from the cruise which provided us the ability to leave a few unnecessary items behind at the front desk.
Bell services arrived just after 9:00 and assisted us in carting our luggage from the hotel, through the streets, and to the port luggage drop-off point. It was nice to have some local help as we weren’t sure where we needed to go. He knew the back routes through the Canada Place Convention Center which saved us a ton of time and headache. Because it was Canada Day the streets and port area were bustling with activity as crews were setting up stages and tables throughout our walk. After a few wrong turns and multiple elevator rides we finally arrived at P2 and freed ourselves from our luggage.
With bag check behind us, we were free to explore Vancouver with the two hours remaining until our boarding time. Excited to sample some of the local cuisine, we took the recommendation from our bell services friend and went to a local eatery called Scoozis. The short walk from the pier to the restaurant provided the scenery and steps needed to build up our hunger.
Scoozis hit the spot as it was both delicious, quaint, and a unique Vancouver experience. There was an older gentleman, most likely the owner, who welcomed us and gave us a tour of his restaurant. He dropped us at a booth table in the back where we settled in. Another gentleman came and told us about the menu. Emily order Eggs Benedict with a spicy hollandaise sauce (pictured above), I got a breakfast deep dish which had eggs, tomatoes, ham, and a few other fixins baked in a tiny skillet dish. It was out of my breakfast box but was well worth the detour. Hunter enjoyed his plate of French Toast and the adventurous Sawyer just got plain white toast. The experience was just what we were looking for and we highly recommend it if you are in Vancouver.
Our relatively quick breakfast allowed us a little time to kill. In her extensive trip research, Emily discovered the Gastown Steam Clock, one of only six working steam clocks in the world. Never ones to pass up a quirky tourist site, we took the quick walk down some streets we had not yet traversed. Arriving at the clock, it was not quite what I was expecting as it was much smaller than I anticipated, but the history of it was pretty interesting. This did, of course, mean that we were in the touristy part of town which Emily and the boys couldn’t have been more excited about. We popped in a few stores, bookmarking some more items that we wanted to return for after the cruise.
The walk took us back to the Auberge Hotel where we picked up our carry-on bags and decided to use the bathroom before heading back to the port. The bathroom experience turned out to be a tougher task than anticipated. The front desk lady told us the bathrooms were on the 4th floor near the fitness center. After boarding the elevator we weren’t able to select the 4th floor, forcing us to ride up to the 12th floor and back down to the lobby. After some discussion with another front desk attendant, it turned out that since the fitness center was closed on Canada Day, the elevator wouldn’t even take you to that floor. Security was called and helped get us access to the floor so we could go before we had to go (if you know what I mean).
Refreshed and excited to cruise, we collected our bags and backpacks and made the now familiar walk back to the Port of Canada. The Canada Day crowds had grown in size throughout the morning, making it a bit more difficult to navigate the streets. Not only did the crowds fill the streets but also the walkways around the port building. There were tables and booths that lined the port with giveaways and items for purchase. Hunter requested that we secure some of the small Canada flags they were giving away near our port entry point. We managed to squeeze our way through the crowd to get a few flags and other fun stuff.
Trying to contain our excitement for the cruise we worked our way through check-in and Customs. During a quick bathroom stop for the boys, we heard them call boarding group one, so we finished up and ran to meet Emily to embark on the next leg of our vacation.
We were ecstatic to finally be boarding the Disney Wonder. Living in Central Florida, we normally have a short 45 minute drive to the port. Having traveled across the country on planes, through Portland and Seattle by car, and to Vancouver by train, this embarkation was a little more involved. The multilevel gangplank took us down to the main embarkation door of the ship where we were announced by the amazing crew. We all took a gigantic breath of Disney Cruise Ship air as relaxation immediately set in.
Normally our first stop after getting on the ship is Cabanas for lunch. Having just eaten, we headed to the Oceaneer Club to get the boys checked in for the kids club and explore the offerings. Disney allows kids of a certain age to check themselves in/out of da’ club. Having not leveraged this feature before, we thought this would be a great cruise to give it a go. The boys thought they were pretty cool having this newfound freedom. As we walked through the Oceaneer Club and Lab we explored the numerous different rooms and activities. From Andy’s Room (Toy Story) to Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post (Frozen) to all of the other themed spaces, I was jealous that I’m not a kid! After a couple slides down Slinky Dog, the boys had their notes of where they were going to hang out when they returned.
We worked up a bit of hunger during our time at the Oceaneer Club so it was off to Cabanas to get a bite to eat and park our carry on luggage for a bit. I grabbed a table on the back deck so we could overlook the sights and sounds of Canada Day (including the snipers on the nearby rooftops). Emily and the boys filled a few plates and met me at the table. It was a perfect spot to relax and enjoy both the ship and festive Vancouver atmosphere. This also gave us an opportunity to view the active port waters as sea planes were coming and going every few minutes.
After lunch the boys grabbed some ice cream cones and we headed down to our stateroom on deck eight, which had just become available. We booked a Deluxe Veranda stateroom for the seven night cruise which includes three beds that are all on floor level. Sawyer prefers not to sleep in the bunk if he doesn’t have to. The room also includes a bit more storage space which was helpful with our two weeks worth of luggage. I ordered some flowers for Emily’s 40th birthday extravaganza that were waiting in the room when we arrived. The boys found their cozy spots and popped on the Mickey Cartoons.
I guess it pays to drop off your luggage early because our bags happened to be the second delivered in our section. Emily snapped to work as she always does, getting our suitcases unpacked and moving into the room. After a bit I took the boys to go explore the ship to give Em a bit of quiet focus time. The boys and I just enjoyed walking the halls of the lower decks, remembering all of the things that we love so much about being on the cruise. Our tour ended on deck ten with a few slices of pizza and another round of ice cream cones. I wisely secured up a couple of Captains Mai Tai’s to bring back to the room before the life boat drill. I know my wife.
Our meeting spot for the safety drill was Animator’s Palate, which was nice because we could relax at a table during the overview. This has never been the boys’ favorite part of the cruise and often marks the point at which we can all officially relax and enjoy vacation. After a quick stop at the room it was up to deck ten for the Sail a Wave Party! With Canada Day off the ship and the Disney Cast getting everyone excited on board there were parties all around us!
After enjoying the sights and sounds of the deck party we headed to the ship forward to watch the Wonder sail out of Vancouver and under the Lions Gate Bridge. The boys were debating whether or not the ship was too tall to make it under the bridge. The captain blew the ship’s horn several times and Canadian residents waved from both sides of the bridge. With sea planes dipping in and out of the water as a backdrop, it was a picturesque exit to the beautiful city and a great segue into the evening activities.
With our late dinner seating we had a bit of time to relax before dinner. Our first stop was drinks and snacks in the Promenade Lounge. We enjoyed the live piano music as we snacked on chips and salsa. Em got a glass of wine and I enjoyed a cold Peroni.
After our quick rest, the boys were excited to check out the stores that had recently opened after the ship left port. They eyed a few things of interest but were bummed there were no Disney Wonder ship models to be seen. Shopping took us right up to the magic show in the Walt Disney Theater at 7:15. Shawn Farquhar was the headline act who had some fun tricks. We might have been a bit too tired to be fully entertained after our long embarkation day.
After the magic show the boys checked themselves into the Oceaneer Club while Em and I threw a few loads of our vacation laundry in and set out to explore. The laundry machines have a notification system that alerts your phone when your laundry is completed. While we didn’t love the idea of doing laundry on vacation, we also didn’t love the idea of having to bring another three suitcases on top of the eight we already had! This also gave us a chance to experience a DCL first – the laundry room!
We all met up outside Tiana’s place for our 8:15 dinner seating. You know my wife was tired from traveling because she didn’t even make us change clothes for dinner. This is another cruise first! Dinner was really fun as we tried to fight off the exhaustion from the day. We were introduced to Dan and Adi, our server and assistant server for the entire cruise. After we ordered, Em went up to switch our clothes over to the dryer and returned for the appetizers and entertainment. The restaurant was a truly amazing experience, and themed as only Disney can do. Tiana made the rounds to visit everyone’s table, and a jazz trio entertained from the front stage. We finished the meal with multiple desserts and not enough room to pack them all away.
We finished up our dinner and took a quick stop out on deck four to watch the sunset, which was taking place just before 10 pm! It was a chilly evening and since we weren’t dressed for the outdoor weather, it was a short stop, before returning to our room for the evening. After gathering and sorting our three loads of laundry we returned to the room for the evening. The boys spotted a note and a gift from the great Stateroom Santa which read:
Welcome aboard your Disney Wonder vacation
Where you are sure to visit some “cool” destinations
You have been excitedly waiting for this summer trip
Now kick back and relax on this mighty ship
Stateroom Santa is here to celebrate Christmas in July
With gifts and exciting activities that I urge you to try
Be sure to check your sea stocking in your stateroom each night
For surprises and clues that are sure to delight
For embarkation day I have both a gift and a clue
To keep the days interesting with something extra to do
The gift cards for shopping at the shops on board
With a day at sea tomorrow be sure to visit the stores
In order to receive your next gift from Stateroom St. Nick
You need to be on the lookout for your pal Captain Mick (ey)
When you spot him go and visit for a quick meet and greet
And when I return tomorrow night you will get another treat!
It was a long, but an amazing day. All of the fun travel that took us from Florida to Vancouver, Canada, (with multiple stops in between) was well worth it. We are ready for a relaxing seven night adventure starting with a day at sea tomorrow. Looking forward to the gentle sea rocking me to sleep!
