BY CHARLES FINN

I expect only hardcore Disneyphiles would automatically think of a Disney cruise even when they're leaving the kids at home. But now that I've taken a childless cruise aboard the Disney Wonder I would encourage anyone -- with or without children -- to consider cruising with The Mouse.

My three-night cruise aboard the Disney Wonder was my fourteenth cruise, though my first with Disney Cruise Line. Obviously, I enjoy cruising. In evaluating the overall cruise experience I use the following criteria in descending order of importance:

1. Food
2. The Ship
3. Service
4. Ports Of Call
5. Entertainment

Admit it! Food is your first priority too. As a veteran cruiser I've seen the good, the bad, and the inedible. I found the food aboard the Wonder to be consistently average to above-average, which is no small feat when you're serving over six thousand meals a day. As a vegetarian my entree choices were limited, but there were never less than two selections available (see my short article on vegetarian dining at Walt Disney World and on the cruise).

For the non-vegetarians there were many seafood dishes, along with beef, lamb, and poultry. The menu is relaxed, offering three courses (appetizer, entree, dessert) themed to the various dining rooms. The presentation was attractive, often with garnishes of fresh herbs or freshly-grated cheese.

Desserts seem to be a particular strong point. Some items -- the chocolate soufflé in Palo (the ship's a la carte restaurant), for example -- were truly outstanding. Another dessert to try: the vanilla creme with candied black peppercorns, which sounds odd but tastes wonderful (Parrot Cay). One to avoid: the Boston Cream Pie, which was too firm and rather flavorless (Animator's Palate).

There are three dining rooms and an a la carte restaurant aboard the Disney Wonder. Two of the dining rooms are specifically Disney-themed: Triton's and Artist's Palate. The latter contains a much-vaunted light show during dinner that I found underwhelming after all the buildup. The third restaurant, Parrot Cay, is decorated in a Caribbean theme with bright colors and light fixtures covered in tropical birds and bananas. The food has a Caribbean flavor to match the decor. (Triton's food is French-themed; Animator's Palate is Italian.)

Passengers on the Wonder move to a new dining room each night of the cruise, along with their servers. While it sounds a bit confusing it is actually simple and well managed. Each evening your server reminds you where you'll be eating next. You and your tablemates go to the same table number in each restaurant, where your regular servers greet you in uniforms tailored to the restaurant's decor.

This rotation divides the passengers into six groups (early and late seating) giving the dining rooms the feel of a smaller, more intimate ship. It also allows the maitre d' to cluster families with small children and people traveling without children in different groups.

For a nominal fee of $5.00 per person you can eat dinner in the small a la carte restaurant, Palo, once during your cruise. The cuisine is northern Italian, served with a panoramic view of the ocean. The food is the best on the ship. Technically each guest can only make one reservation at Palo, but on some cruises the demand isn't great, in which case you can request a second reservation.

In addition to the main dining rooms there is 24-hour room service along with the usual buffets and a pizza parlor on deck.

As for the ship itself, the Disney Wonder is indeed a wonder; beautiful, comfortable, and well maintained. The staterooms are large - nearly twice as big as similar cabins on Norwegian or Royal Caribbean ships. The bathrooms are divided into two rooms; one with shower/tub and sink, the other with toilet and sink, allowing families or travel partners to share facilities easily.

The public rooms are comfortable and well laid out; colored glass and wrought iron are prominently featured all over the ship. My favorite space was the Promenade Lounge next to the Internet Café. Easily the least "themed" room on the ship, it offers a quiet, casual haven for drinks and conversation.

The service aboard the Disney Wonder is uniformly excellent. Everyone is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is more casual than that aboard Holland America or Royal Caribbean ships, but it is no less gracious. Special requests were handled quickly, and minor problems were dealt with in an exemplary manner.

After more than a dozen cruises I've discovered that a ship's itinerary can make or break a cruise. I know most cruise lines bill their ships as destinations unto themselves, but nearly all passengers enjoy getting off the ship in port to do a little exploring (if shopping and water sports count as exploring)! The Wonder sails to Nassau (Bahamas) and Castaway Cay (Disney's private island) on its three-night cruises and adds Freeport (Bahamas) on four-night cruises only.

Nassau is easily my least-favorite port in the Caribbean. There is a tremendous push for visitors to spend the day touring the Atlantis mega-resort, which might appeal to you if you like glitzy Vegas-style hotels and casinos. The shopping area near the cruise pier contains all the usual jewelry stores and t-shirt shops, along with exotic eateries like Subway and KFC. Good buys can be had on Tanzanite jewelry, but most other items are overpriced. The ship is in port from early morning to late night, so you'll have plenty of time to shop around.

This is definitely a port where the purchase of a shore excursion can make a big difference. Word of warning: this is the second cruise I've been on that offered a dolphin encounter-type shore excursion, but scheduled it to begin before the ship actually docks! I know for sure that on the other cruise line, more often than not the dolphin excursion is canceled and money refunded. Disney may handle this better, but the timing is worrisome. If your excursion is canceled, this might leave you in the lurch for something to do. If this concerns you, I suggest booking a sailing or snorkeling excursion instead.

Castaway Cay, on the other hand, is a truly delightful stop. There are separate areas for swimming, snorkeling, and boating, along with a children's day camp, shopping area, post office, and luncheon area.

Best of all for adults traveling without kids (or those who'd like a break from their kids), you can take a tram to the far side of the island where there is a large, adults-only beach, complete with bar and lunch facilities. The ship's spa also features on-island massages in cabanas overlooking the water. The adult beach was uncrowded - no trouble at all getting a lounge chair and umbrella, and no need to deal with the crowds in the main eating area.

The crew will warn you to apply lots of sunscreen throughout the day. Listen to them.

I have visited several "private islands" while cruising. Castaway Cay is easily the most developed of the lot, with paved roads and tram service to various parts of the island. You can also rent bicycles to explore the less-developed areas.

Disney Cruise Line excels in its programs for children and teens. Every child I talked to was having a wonderful time, and the cruise staff made sure that quiet and adult-only zones were honored. Activities for adults were slightly more limited than on other cruises I've taken, but there was no danger of getting bored on such a short cruise.

When you go to the ship's theatre, you know you're sailing with The Mouse. The shows are Disney themed, and offer excellent production values. I entered the first evening's show, "Hercules, the Muse-ical" with some trepidation, but the show proved to be highly entertaining and very well done. Disney characters make frequent appearances aboard the ship. There are photo opportunities every evening in the grand atrium.

The Barrel of Laughs lounge offers Dueling Pianos, and a vocal duo sings in the Promenade Lounge. The cabin televisions offer continuous Disney movies and cartoons, while the movie theatre offers first-run movies. And, of course, there is a Caribbean band to play on deck and at various places around the ship.

The cruise experience aboard the Disney Wonder is all you would expect and more. There's something for everyone, whether they are hardcore Disney fans or veteran cruisers. (First-time cruisers may be a little spoiled by the spacious staterooms and bathrooms.) None of the negatives I expected (noisy children, childish entertainment, overly-themed public rooms) were true. Instead I found a beautiful ship with great food and excellent service. The cruise staff made sure everyone of every age was able to enjoy their vacation without interference or annoyance.

I had a wonderful, relaxing time aboard the Disney Wonder, and I look forward to sailing with The Mouse again.

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