Tonight’s case features ordinary people looking to book a Category 7A Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator’s Verandah Staterooms aboard the Disney Wonder. Each one is searching for that vital clue to end a story that, so far, has no ending. Perhaps you can help. Join Me. You may be able to help solve a mystery.

The unexplained – Category 7A Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator’s Verandah Staterooms aboard the Disney Wonder seemingly vanished from existence following the 2019 Alaskan season. In mid-September, I started to received emails and direct messages on our social media platforms asking if I had any idea why the 7A staterooms below are unavailable to book starting September 30, 2019.

Honestly, at first, I figured something was up with DCL’s website. Then, figured it could be related to the early 2020 itinerary release. I decided to hold off and see if the staterooms in the 7A category returned. The morning booking opened to Platinum Castaway Club members, the 7A staterooms were mysteriously missing on the Wonder. At this time, the 7A category staterooms remain available for all bookable sailings aboard the Disney Magic including the last bookable sailing on 3/28/2020.

You might be wondering how can I state that there are no 7As available on the wonder beginning 9/30/2020. Well, I checked for these staterooms one by one because I obviously do not value my time.

I went out on a limb and fell directly to the ground when I chose to inquire why the 7A navigator’s verandah staterooms on the on the Wonder are missing after the 2019 Alaskan season via DCL’s online chat. The online agent told me that availability on DCL’s cruise search provides the most up to date stateroom availability. If the room is not available online, then the rooms are already booked.

It is hard to argue with this logic, but the answer is somewhat alarming considering the responses I received to the following tweet.

Anyone booked in a 7A Navigator's Verandah on the Disney Wonder AFTER the 2019 Alaskan season? — Scott Sanders 🎃 (@TheDCLBlog) October 8, 2018

I did not receive a single reply saying they have 7A booked after September 2019. I went a step further looking at the Alaskan cruises for 2019 – each sailing had category 7A staterooms available.

Aside from a few New Orleans sailings and the Hawaiian cruises, it is impossible for me to believe each and every 7A stateroom is booked from late-September 2019 into May 2020.

At this point, it is fairly obvious that something is planned during the Disney Wonder’s 2019 dry dock, but I’d like to further my point. I worked with Len and David from TouringPlans.com to determine if and when the 7A rooms disappeared. Using data from Touring Plans’ DCL Fare Tracker, it appears the 7A category has not been bookable dating back to the previous itinerary release (Fall 2019) which started with the September 30th sailing on the Wonder from Vancouver to San Diego.

The spreadsheet below shows the 7A availability for each Disney Wonder sailing begins May 5, 2019, along with fare data from TouringPlans.com for 2 Adults. The 2 Adult average is a rough average for the sailing, I simply took the average of the high and low fare. Why? I’m not sure, but it seemed like a good idea to jot this down as I went.

You do not need to be a spreadsheet guru to see the point I am trying to make. Disney Cruise Line appears to be doing something with the 7A – Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator’s Verandah staterooms aboard the Disney Wonder during the 2019 dry dock.

Finally, DCL revealed plans to convert 12 category 4A staterooms on deck 8 to concierge level Category V rooms by the September 30, 2019 sailing on the Disney Wonder. September 30th, this is the first sailing after the 2019 dry dock. The missing 7A staterooms cannot be a coincidence. Looking at the fares in the spreadsheet above, it doesn’s make sense for DCL to convert staterooms to a public or non-revenue generating space. Additionally, the location of these rooms is not a logical area of the ship for anything other than staterooms.

I could see these staterooms becoming multi-deck loft suites or something even more over the top like Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate Family Suite. However, a more realistic option would be a reclassification of these staterooms with a remodel during dry dock that would encapsulate the Navigator’s Veranda to accommodate an additional passengers in these staterooms. If you look at the navigator’s verandah below, it would appear you could pop in a porthole, finish the wall and pop in a murphy bed to add additional guest capacity to the room.

Evidence suggests dry dock changes, but the trail of clues ran cold. Thus, leaving us with an unsolved mystery. I contacted DCL about the status of the 30, category 7A, Disney Wonder staterooms missing for 38 sailings beginning September 30, 2019, through May 8, 2020. Frankly, I do not expect to hear back on this based on the suspicion this has something to do with an unannounced dry dock enhancement. If I do receive a reply, I will update this post.

What can explain the vanishing 7A staterooms? Overactive Imagineering? A quest for more concierge level rooms? Or something more intangible, something wrong with DCL’s booking engine?

Are the Disney Wonder 7A staterooms gone for good after Alaska 2019? We cannot say yes, but we cannot say no.

For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that someone is reading this blog post. Perhaps it’s you.

If you have any information about this unsolved mystery case let us know in the comments below, or send us an email using the link at the top of the page if you prefer to remain anonymous.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on The Case of the Missing Disney Wonder 7A Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator’s Verandah Staterooms. What do you think will happen to these rooms? What do you want to happen to the 7A staterooms?