OCSC Mike

Trying. That’s pretty much what I meant by looking at the big picture… just easier said than done at times. Maybe you can use your mod powers & get @Matt to drop in. He’s on that cruise too.

Agreed but I can deal with "not as fun." Unfortunately it's actual negative stuff getting in my way at the moment. Trying to move on and look at the big picture (which is fine) so let's let this stuff fall away and get back to @Lovetocruise2002's planning and stories of how she's the only one who will be packed on time.

Because that's the only way you get to see food from the WJ and other places the poors eat? I'll start one and @GatorCruiser said he will be contributing but no promises as far as how much or what I wind up posting. Unfortunately real life is getting in the way of my being able to relax and look forward to the cruise like I should be but I'm hoping it either passes or I'm able to just block it out once embarkation day gets here. I have no doubt I'll enjoy the cruise itself but how much I blog is TBD.

Looking forward to another entertaining blog filled with suite snob activities to keep me busy until I leave on Wonder as you return!

Completely agree with this. Maybe I was just taking the "don't cruise for the food" aspect too strongly or literally because that's a huge part of why I do, lol. It's just not fancy food.

Yeah, I'd either order multiple from the start or not bother.

Fair point here, especially if you mean the included venues like MDR/WJ. This is the subjective part I disagree with, which is of course OK. As I posted before, it's still a big reason for me. I never cruised for fancy meals nor did I find the MDR all that amazing even 15 years ago (I agree it was better than it is now though). I very much still enjoy the simpler included food but I have simple tastes and I enjoy buffets. Others prefer nicer sit down meals. It's different preferences and opinions IMO. I enjoy having standard breakfast food in the morning like cook to order omelets with usual sides, bagels and lox, the McMuffin from Park Cafe, pastries from wherever, etc. The rest of the day I enjoy making several trips to places like El Loco Fresh for tacos, Park Cafe for a kummelweck or panini, the WJ for random items (often Indian food), etc. I've even found Sorrento's much improved recently although that's generally just a late night snack. By the time I get to dinner, I'm not looking for a 5-star meal. Unless we're doing specialty dining (we don't do much), I'm content with some pre-dinner snacks from the CL, the current MDR, and some WJ. I completely understand that food won't be a reason for some people; it is for me. The casino or shows or just sitting on a balcony are reasons for many... and those are definitely not big reasons for me (I do enjoy some of the shows but don't gamble or use a balcony even if I have one). Everyone likes what they like and that's why I find cruising so appealing. There are an infinite number of ways to enjoy it. Apologies for being so long-winded; it's just how I am on forums and I've given up trying to work on it, lol.

Sounds like a slot machine budget to me! You can get way past Prime with that much coinage!

It may not always be enforced but it is a policy RC implemented a while back; not just an Anthem thing.

I used to do this religiously. May skip a night here or there depending on plans but I still like to pop in just to see what the WJ has each night. Never know when you might find something different or interesting to try. I'm also rarely full from the MDR as I find the portions small (yes, I could order more) but it's fine.

We did it in Skagway in 2018. Can’t remember the name of the company though, sorry. It was actually a late replacement as we were supposed to do it on land before our cruise but bad weather forced us to reschedule. Had an amazing time though.This guy was born 6 weeks before we got there. Not quite why you go dog sledding up on a glacier but he sure was cute.

Sorry you wound up not feeling well and glad it has passed. Any blog is a good blog in my book! I wholeheartedly support the Wonder idea... but you could have guessed that. My wife finally said "No more Wonder!" when this last batch of cruises was released so we're moving on to Utopia B2B's after the Wonders.

If I'm not in it, I'm glad you are! Would have loved to have joined you but you know I couldn't pay the premium. I'll actually be on Wonder during the "new" inaugural now (getting home a day before you). We did recently book a couple Utopia B2B's, they're just much farther in the future... and my actual cabin location on Wonder/Utopia going forward is a deck 10 forward interior, lol.

No. Better luck tomorrow.

They do have the option to move to the new inaugural and keep their same cabin at the same price (pro-rated for 3N vs. 4N) at least but it's obviously still not great for those who booked the original inaugural.

No food-training like an American buffet or all you can eat wing night or anything? Disappointing.

Same here. Other than when being treated to a cabana by generous relatives, we've sat in the same exact spot every time since our first visit, strategically located walking distance from both a snack shack and Chill Grill (it always comes back to food for me) and not far from the Oasis pool bar. The only thing I plan to change is eating more snack shack and not tacos b/c both of my currently booked ships have ELF. I'm sure I'd enjoy the extra food offerings at Hideaway Beach but I even passed on $19.99pp for our cruise in 12 days. I'd rather spend the $40 for the two of us at Playmakers or Mason Jar brunch (or pocket it). As always, no judgment, everyone has their own preferences and values.

Check-in day for my cruise in 12 days was February 1st but for a day or two it changed to either January 31st or February 2nd, I forget. That was my guess b/c leap day was during the 45 day window. It only lasted a day or two then went back to February 1st. IT shenanigans.

Have you tried the bar code trick? Bar Code Trick Method 1. If you have an Apple device, add your set sail pass to your Apple wallet. Numbers will now appear under your bar code. The numbers after the dash represent your cabin. Method 2. Scan the bar code with a QR scanner from another device and that should also show you the numbers. NOTE: If you see "GTY" instead of numbers, you truly haven't been assigned yet. One tip off is that if you don't see a muster station on your set sail pass then you almost definitely don't have an assignment yet.

I still do. Food is subjective. Haven’t been disappointed yet. Thought the MDR was fine, not great, many years ago & still do. Some aspects of WJ used to be better but I can always find something. Again, food is subjective. If you choose to tell people how they will feel b/c it’s how you feel, that’s your prerogative. I’d encourage them to try everything & form their own opinion.

Good call, that's probably the correct answer... I mean, shrimp and lobster are a natural pairing anyway. So what if one is from Maine and the other is from India?

By far my wife's favorite dessert on Allure in October. She had two. That dessert alone makes that the top choice MDR night for us, lol. I always thought the old lobster was super overrated even if you could order several... sad that it's still underwhelming (I haven't seen it in person). I would normally feel obligated to order it anyway but I'm beginning to think I should follow your lead b/c I usually order whatever the Indian dish is and I've never had that one.

Wasn't aware of the 3-person thing. The bottom is the one place we never wanted to be. Just too far from the upper decks for us but sounds good for the kid... he'll also be pretty close to the pizza down there.

That's exactly how I described Vegas, lol.

But it's a dry heat... which, as an east coaster, I always thought was some sort of silly excuse until I went to Vegas in the summer. 110 with zero humidity is very different than 90 with high humidity... but they're both pretty terrible, lol.