Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of cruising to Alaska aboard the Disney Wonder. I had heard a lot about cruises and their all-you-can-eat buffets so I set my expectations pretty low for the food we would eat aboard the ship. I was pleasantly surprised with the dining options and even more so with the service and hospitality extended from the servers on board.
For breakfast the main option was Cabanas(the all-you-can-eat buffet). It worked out really great for my family as we could each pick and choose what we wanted. While I don’t like to waste food, anyone who has children knows they are often picky about what they eat and it changes from day to day. The buffet was great because we could load up a plate with Mickey Mouse Waffles, chocolate chip pancakes, donuts and even fresh fruit. There were healthier options as well and I typically got yogurt with fruit and granola while my husband chose the made-to-order omelet. The good news was with all of the options our crew started off the day with tanks full and ready to go.
Lunch was a little bit different as you could choose from a variety and ‘take-away’ counters or the buffet. I believe there was a sit-down option as well but we didn’t take advantage of that. Pete’s Boiler Bites served up the best chicken fingers and French Fries on the ship. Pinocchio’s Pizzeria had pretty good pizza and even humored my son by making him pizza without the sauce with extra cheese on the side. Daisy’s De-Lites had paninis, salads and lots of fresh fruit. And then there was Cabanas with the never-ending buffet of options complete with plain pasta to satisfy any child. We typically got a variety from more than one of the options and the best part was sitting outside looking at the amazing views. Lunch often finished with ice cream from Eye Scream Treats, a serve-yourself soft serve ice cream that was available from 10am-11pm.
Dinner was the most formal of the meals with a set reservation rotating between three restaurants. Every night had a different theme and were all loosely Disney based. Animators Palate had a lot of screens on the wall with Disney images to entertain you throughout the meal. We also had breakfast with the characters here. Tiana’s Place was very Cajun and we even celebrated Mardi Gras there one night. Triton’s was based on The Little Mermaid and had a bit more seafood than the others. There were often ‘fancy’ options on the menu including truffles and lobster. As I am writing this three weeks after my return, there isn’t anything that I ate that stood out as amazing or a complete disappointment. As I mentioned the service was amazing and we had the same servers for all of our dinners on the ship.
The rumors about gaining weight on a cruise might be true. My brother-in-law even downloaded an app that makes you look like you’ve gained a few pounds. Perhaps it is my self-control but I walked off the ship still wearing the same pants I had on when I boarded and they felt just fine. I found the food on the ship to be better than I expected. My only disappointment was that the lack of local options. I cannot say I really enjoyed Alaskan cuisine but I did enjoy everything else Alaska had to offer.
Happy Friday,
Julie