Guests currently sailing on the Disney Wonder’s Westbound Panama Canal cruise have been informed of another itinerary change stemming from the Coronavirus threat. The Disney Wonder will skip Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Wonder will now arrive in San Diego on Thursday March 19th. Passengers have the option to debark on Thursday or Friday, but cannot treat Thursday as a port day as once you leave the ship you will not be allowed back onboard.
Guest compensation includes the typical refunding of port fees and taxes from the missed ports of call which also includes an early missed stop in Cartagena, Columbia. Passengers will also receive a 10% voyage refund, and a refund of gratuities for the final day of the cruise, regardless of when you choose to disembark the ship.
Disney Cruise Line is opening up the onboard phones and giving out complimentary 100MB internet data packages to allow guests to make any necessary travel arrangements or to get in touch with those back on land.
A unique rebooking offer of 40% off a future open cruise which can be stacked with the onboard booking offer if redeemed whilst onboard.
With all the changes to this sailings, the 2020 Westbound Panama Canal cruise featured 9 days at sea, and 2 port calls in Cozumel and Grand Cayman.
- Friday March 6, 2020 – New Orleans
- Saturday March 7, 2020 – At Sea
- Sunday March 8, 2020 – Cozumel
- Monday March 9, 2020 – Grand Cayman
- Tuesday March 10, 2020 – At Sea
- Wednesday March 11, 2020 – At Sea
- Thursday March 12, 2020 – Panama Canal
- Friday March 13, 2020 – At Sea
- Saturday March 14, 2020 – At Sea
- Sunday March 15, 2020 – At Sea
- Monday March 16, 2020 – At Sea
- Tuesday March 17, 2020 – At Sea
- Wednesday March 18, 2020 – At Sea
- Thursday March 19, 2020 – San Diego (Optional Debarkation)
Friday March 20, 2020 – San Diego (Debarkation)
The following is a transcript and image of the letter provided to guests onboard the Disney Wonder.
Dear Disney Wonder Guests:
As you know, Disney Cruise Line has been closely monitoring global developments related to the new coronavirus (COVID-19). We have also been closely tracking guidance form our ports of call and this situation continues to be very fluid.
At this time, the Mexican government is still allowing cruise ships to visit Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. However, we are seeing a number of governments making closure decisions with very short notice. Additionally, over the past couple days we have received notification that an increasing number of tour operators are choosing not to operate in these destinations.
Given this uncertainty, and concerns about the experience you would have ashore we have very thoughtfully made the deacon to bypass both Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas and sail directly to San Diego. Please know that this is a decision we didn’t make lightly. We find ourselves in unprecedented times and are making decisions with the best interest of our guest and crew at the forefront.
We now plan to arrive in San Diego on Thursday, March 19, at approximately 7 a.m. Once we dock in San Diego, you will have two options – you may debark the ship on Thursday and end your cruise a day early or you may choose to stay onboard and debark on Friday, as originally scheduled. Due to customs regulations and our priority of keeping everyone onboard healthy, once you leave the ship you will not be able to return.
Given this situation, we will refund any port taxes and fees from your sailing’s miseducating ports to the original form of payment. Any Disney Port Adventures you had schedule in these destinations will be removed from your shipboard account. Additionally, we will provide you a 40% discount toward any current open future sailings, which can be combined with the standard onboard offer as long as you take advantage of the onboard offer before you disembark. Pleas call our Contact Center to apply the additional 40% discount after you have returned home, as our onboard sales team will not be able to do so.
Due to returning to San Diego a day early, we will also provide a 10% voyage refund and a refund of gratuities for the final day of the cruise, regardless of when you choose to disembark the ship.
We will open up the phone service free of charge should you choose to modify your travel arrangements as a result of our early arrival into San Diego. Guests who would like to use the phone service may do so by first dialing 9 from the telephone in their stateroom. Additionally, a complimentary internet package of 100MBs is now available for all Guests when logging onto the DCL-Guest network. Any Guests who booked their travel arrangements through Disney Cruise Line may visit Guest Services if they would like to change their plans.
We wish these changes to your voyage had not been necessary and appreciate your patients and understanding. We have enjoyed having you onboard and will do everything in our power to help keep everyone safe, health and entertained over the next few days.
Sincerely,
Transcription of letter (see image below) distributed to passengers aboard the Disney Wonder.
The Cast & Crew
Disney Cruise Line
In other Disney Wonder news, a women from Louisiana recently tested positive for Coronavirus following a test administered on Thursday March 12th. According to the Sun Herald, “the patient is a 74-year-old woman who had been on a Disney Wonder cruise ship to Mexico during Mardi Gras. The ship left its port in New Orleans on Feb. 27 and returned March 2.” The story was reported following her attendance in church. Out of an abundance of caution, the church is alerting parishioners who may have attended the same services on March 8th.
“She had been feeling sick throughout the week, but not with the type of symptoms you read about,”
Darnell Cuevas, St. Matthew The Apostle Church spokesperson in the above linked article.
The cruise referenced in the article was the Thursday February 27, 2020 4-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from New Orleans.
The Disney Wonder is the last ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet to sailing with passengers. Once passengers disembark on March 20th, the Disney Wonder will cease cruise operations until mid-April pending any additional developments across the cruise industry.
What arrangements have been made for the crew during the hiatus? Where will the ship be berthed after passengers disembark?
Crew members are remaining on the ships and the vessels are sailing around. Wonder will be in and out of San Diego while the remainder of the fleet is cycling between Castaway and Port Canaveral.
That’s interesting. I wonder what the atmosphere is like.
Just disembarked today (March 20). We live in San Diego and could have gotten off yesterday – but decided to Stay. When the ship is the destination and object of our plans – It doesn’t matter where we are – at sea or in port.
Atmosphere was great all along – until it was time to make travel arrangements home. Then it was the airlines with their on again, off again flights that was the problem.
As guests, we were going home. The crew, happy as ever, that we talked to said they just go where the ship goes and it doesn’t matter. They said they will be super cleaning the interior top to bottom.
The guests (including us) were happy to be in a bubble away from the ‘real world’ – but somewhat sad to leave.
And, as you would expect, I can’t express my appreciation enough appreciation for the Captain, crew and other cast members and the decisions from the top along the way. We turned back halfway from Grand Cayman to Cartagena – because a passenger needed medical care beyond the ship’s abilities, which put us into Cartagena 7 hours late. Those authorities would neither let the entertainers on the ship depart , nor those who had flown to meet the ship board the ship. (which meant lots of creativity on board the ship re entertainment).
We were told that the Mexican authorities would let us disembark in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo – but that because many of the activity providers had cancelled, there wouldn’t be much to do and we would just boogie to San Diego – and arrive a day early.
As far as I know, there were NO isolations of passengers due to the virus and no restrictions on leaving the ship – except for the entertainers in Cartagena.
IF you want to find something critical, it was the weather. Gail force wind heading south and then heading north made them restrict use of some of the doors going out on deck at times. We were at breakfast one morning (deck 9) and saw a chair come down a staircase from deck 10 – blown by the winds. Of course, when we are running at 20 knots and the winds are at 20 blowing against us, it’s pretty nasty on deck one walking a straight line down the corridors is a challenge. But, the weather is not under the control of the Captain.
all in all – a great cruise. No rain in Panama. Got close up and personal with the locks below and the bridges above.
YES, I would board tomorrow if I know exactly that thee events would occur. we were in great hands – in a mini magical kingdom.
The article mentions complimentary internet data for guests, how about the crew? Our friends working at Wonder, it’d be relieving to know what they’ll do sailing without guest, or knowing or what sort of protection measurements implemented, normally the sleep by couples at the staterooms. Thank you for answering and for caring the crew members.
Just received an email from Disney cruise line that passengers from the Panama Canal cruise (March 6-20, 2020) have tested positive for the C-19 virus after disembarking. I have to question why it took the cruise line a week to notify all the passengers?
I cannot answer why, but I can point others to a copy of the email that was sent out.