You will buy Disney

The shops had plenty of Disney Cruise theme hats, shirts, shorts, plates, posters, mugs, that I don't think you'd see elsewhere. They also had a silent auction where were sold special items such as a captain's hat signed by Captain Tom and Mickey and some beautiful limited-edition posters advertising the Wonder and the Magic, done up in a nostalgic style of the great cruise lines of the past, like Cunard and White Star.

While the trip is all-inclusive, and it's certainly possible to avoid the extra charges and not feel deprived, there's still the sensation of being locked in a mall sometimes. Sales are advertised in the ship's newsletter. It's possible to buy cigars late at night at the adults-only pool.

They'll also push the alcohol, partly as a way to make up for the lack of casinos on board. They'll sell you wine at dinner, of course, although when we made clear to the servers that we weren't interested -- mostly because I hate being fuddled while overseeing our children -- they didn't offer again for the rest of the cruise, a bit of service which I liked very much. They'll also offer drinks as soon as you board and during some of the evening shows, all disguised with ice and sweeteners to look more like slurpees than something an adult would be expected to consume.

You can also spend money in the spa (from 20 minutes in the hydrotherapy spa bath for $26 to 80 minutes of seaweed therapy with half-body massage, $144), on Internet access (75 cents per minute, unlimited access for $45), the small fitness center, and for photos.

There are also numerous "photo opportunities" described in the story, such as the opportunities to meet the princesses and the captains. The photos really are the biggest temptation, and at $9.95 for 3"x5" and $19.95 for larger they add up. We ended up spending $120, including four of my daughter, Lily, at the "Meet the Princesses" event.

All material is ©2000-2001 Bill Peschel unless otherwise noted.