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Adios
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Posted: Fri Oct 13th, 2006 02:18 pm | 1st Post |
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Source: Seatrader Inside News
http://www.cruise-community.com/ShowStory.asp?ID=10470
Disney Wonder is due to sail from the drydock at BAE Systems in Norfolk today after an intensive nine days of work encompassing nearly every area of the 1999-built ship.
Projects included the addition of a poolside LED screen, an expansion of the spa, upgrades of dedicated children’s and adults’ areas, improvements to the conference facilities, the installation of noncombustible balcony dividers and the application of an environmentally friendly, fuel-saving hull coating.
The multimillion-dollar work will be completed as Disney Wonder sails back to Port Canaveral, where the ship will re-enter service on Sunday.
The biggest jobs were the hull painting, the LED screen installation and the spa, said Frank de Heer, vp marine and technical operations for Disney Cruise Line. De Heer’s department handled the 12 months of planning that went into the project, which brought in 700 subcontractors and 55 containers of materials.
In a walk through the ship with Seatrade Insider, de Heer pointed to granite and marble tiling being laid in the atrium, new carpeting rolling out in public areas, new galley equipment, new audiovisual and fiberoptic technology, flat screens and updated computers being installed in the conference center and children’s areas, and a bevy of other changes.
Italian subcontractor Bollichi is overseeing the expansion of the Vista Spa and Fitness Center, which is gaining 1,700 square feet by building out into what was designed as a navigational bridge observation area. Three spa villas, consisting of indoor treatment areas connected to a private veranda with hot tub, are being installed.
Adjacent to the spa, the Quiet Cove adult pool is getting an extensive upgrade, with waterfalls now cascading from the pair of hot tubs flanking the pool, new tiling and teak, more luxurious furniture and a more sophisticated look overall. At the Mickey Pool for younger kids, a new splash zone area with interactive fountains was added, while the giant LED screen was affixed to the funnel rising over the family pool area.
‘It’s all about the guest,’ said Tom McAlpin, president of DCL, summing up the renovations. ‘We are a premium product focused on the high-end family market … We want the ships to always look brand new.’
Tom Wolber, svp operations for DCL, said the drydock was challenging not just because of the short timeframe but also because a couple days of heavy weather at the start added pressure to the enormous job of stripping and repainting 120,000 square feet of the hull. During the week the team was able make up for lost time, he said.
This drydock and that of Disney Magic last year were the most extensive ever undertaken by the brand, Wolber noted.
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Fri Oct 13th, 2006 03:49 pm | 2nd Post |
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| What caught my eye was the noncombustible balcony dividers. A really good idea considering the fire on Princess not too long ago.
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Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
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Adios
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Posted: Fri Oct 13th, 2006 11:23 pm | 3rd Post |
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It seems as though Disney does things first class. I have no desire to sail on them as they have no casino and all of those kids!!
My sister sailed on the Wonder several years ago and liked everything but the food. Thought that it was the worst food of any cruise line that they had sailed.
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Fri Oct 13th, 2006 11:28 pm | 4th Post |
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cruisingator2 wrote: It seems as though Disney does things first class. I have no desire to sail on them as they have no casino and all of those kids!!
My sister sailed on the Wonder several years ago and liked everything but the food. Thought that it was the worst food of any cruise line that they had sailed.
Disney has a world-wide image to maintain so anything less than first class would not be acceptable. I'm with you Gordon. I don't spend a lot of time in the casino, but like to visit it several times during a cruise. As for the kids, well, I'll take my chances on other lines in the off season!
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Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/hstrycrsr
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