The Disney Wish is, on its own, not unique: It's the first in a series of several ships that are the same in layout. But the Disney Cruise Line experience is one of a kind, both on land and at sea.
From character dining with Elsa and Anna at the Arendelle restaurant to showings of first-run movies and live performances of "Aladdin," there are things that only Disney can do.
The Wish is also the oldest in the line's class, but it's back in the news because of a planned redeployment to New York next summer for a series of longer cruises.
Before I get into name-checking every conceivable event and activity (an inflatable-maze competition set to "The Incredibles," anyone?) here are five ways I think that Disney Cruise Line hits different, based on a four-day cruise my elementary-school-age daughter and I took in early summer.
Spaces for adults and kids
Here's something that I haven't seen on other lines: There are lifeguards at most of the pools. I'm used to monitoring my kids when they're in the water, but it's great to have a set of professional eyes on the case.
A stage show on the Disney Wish featured appearances by Disney's most popular characters. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
On the other hand, the pools on the Disney Wish aren't large, and they quickly become kid soup as a dozen or so youngsters pile in. So I think of the lifeguards as supplemental: I hang out nearby.
Parents, enter the kid pools at your own risk. But if your child is safely installed, say at the Oceaneer Club or with another caregiver, I strongly suggest that you check out the adults-only Quiet Cove section of the Wish, which has its own infinity pool, shaded deck chairs and aft-facing bar. It also has a specialty coffee shop that also appeared to function as office space for several of the grown-ups onboard.
Getting back to the Oceaneer Club: I can't write a Disney story without mentioning the kids' zone, which takes up nearly the entire Deck 2 and is, in a word, awesome. It has several themed rooms -- Marvel, Star Wars, Imagineering, etc. -- and each time I picked up my child I marveled (ha!) at how the counselors knew where she was and how much fun she was having.
Disney also gets props for coming up with a nifty Oceaneer check-in area in the Grand Hall. From there, kids literally take a slide down to the club.
The characters
The author's daughter chats with Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog." Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
Granted, this one isn't a surprise. Disney characters are only going to be found on Disney ships.
Our four-day cruise had at least three main performances that starred core characters Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy, so you're guaranteed high-energy dance shows on the top deck or the atrium stage. This cruise also had a sweet pre-bedtime show with characters from the preschool-hit TV program "Bluey."
Access to characters on Disney ships can be better than at the parks. Guests can reserve times to meet with princess VIPs, and there are walk-up lines daily, even hourly, for characters both on the ship and at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Times are spelled out in the Disney cruise app, so if the goal is a photo op with Goofy in pirate garb, or Goofy in sailor whites, you can plan for it.
Another plus: On the ships, the character meet-ups are air conditioned. Take that, Florida!
Guest involvement
Even if you don't take your own princess photos, you can get swept up in the "aww" moments of watching pint-size Cinderellas stepping up for hugs and photos. There is a Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique onboard, after all, but many parents bring costumes; it's not unusual to see full-on themes among families. And the new era of themed mouse ears is in full effect; we had three pairs in our cabin.
My daughter packed a "Moana" t-shirt, Stitch shirt and Mickey shirt, but we were absolutely outclassed by the sartorial theming of many young cruisers.
Disney Cruise Line provides guests with red bandanas for the pirate night party on the Disney Wish. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
The pirate night, for example, is next-level. Disney leaves red bandanas for each passenger in their cabin. But shiver me timbers: It's been awhile since I've been on a Disney cruise ship, and I almost forgot how detailed fans -- I'm talking grown-ups -- are in "Pirates of the Caribbean" cosplay. I ducked into Nightingales, the piano-jazz bar just off the Grand Hall, and noted that all adults on the barstools were wearing pirate garb: cutaway jackets, tulle skirts, boots and the requisite red bandana.
Beyond clothing, there are the door decorations: Most passengers bring Disney magnets, doo-dads and mailbags that encourage people to give and get treats, so it's a blast to wander the cabin decks.
Disney's drinks program
Our cruise in early June was one of the last to feature the line's generous alcohol policy. Until that point, passengers were allowed to bring aboard two unopened bottles of wine per of-age guest. Disney has since shrunk the allowance to one.
I lead with that to say that there may more emphasis on onboard alcohol purchases going forward. But on my cruise I was surprised at how low-key the experience was.
To be sure, no adult need go thirsty. There's a bar for every style of martini (Rose Bar), a Sazerac (The Bayou) or a drink with bubbles shaped like Princess Leia's profile (Hyperspace Lounge).
But I sat topside through the entire showing of "Frozen" on the giant funnel screen while my kid frolicked in the pool, and no bar waiter approached me. No crew roamed the lido buffet to see if anyone wanted a beer with lunch; most guests drank from the (free!) soda fountains. If Disney offered an alcoholic drinks package, I didn't see a table suggesting or selling it.
The line also goes a long way to offer creative mocktails, so guests can feel festive but not imbibe.
A row of washers and dryers at the Fairytale Fresh Laundry on the Disney Wish. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
The top amenity is a wash
One of the most jaw-dropping spaces on the Wish came not from the line's elaborate theming or fun sail-away parties but from a giant, cheerful space on Deck 8 full of hypnotic, spinning machines.
Yes, people, I'm talking about the Fairytale Fresh Laundry.
On most lines, a self-service laundry is a thing of the past; dirty clothes can be sent to the ship's laundry for a fee. And even in my old-school experience, a laundry room might have four or five washers that are, likely, in use every time you venture in.
On the Wish, there about 50 washers and dryers just waiting to do your bidding whenever you choose, in an immaculate setting.
I think this is pure genius on Disney's part. Anyone with a kid knows that costume changes will be required during a vacation (and we're not just talking about playclothes vs. pirate dresses). Laundry service can get expensive, and it's not always speedy. Sometimes you need those size 2T Woody overalls cleaned, stat.
But even adults appreciate clean clothes. After sweating through a muggy day at the Magic Kingdom before we embarked the Wish in Port Canaveral, I was grateful to throw those rags into a washer, even if I didn't immediately plan to wear them.
A wash and dry is $3.50 each, and detergent and fabric softener is also available for a fee. The best part: The ship pipes in classic Disney instrumentals, so you can "whistle while you work."