berkeleykel

Thanks @FionaMG!  That beach looks amazing.  I have it down as our backup in case we have to cancel our Mallorca beach trip for bad weather etc.  But I don't think I could get my husband to even step foot off the ship in La Spezia if he smelled the potential for us to end up at a beach for the second time.  I might as well be luring him into a snake pit in his mind.
Thanks for the tip on the hill in Riomaggiore. There was already a zero percent chance we'd make it through the day without ice cream so I'll be sure to save that for an inducement for the uphill trek.  We'll bring the toddler carrier for Monster so I may need that ice cream to recover myself.
 

Are you actually saying that the RC IT department might not be up to date with the current protocols and requirements in regards to their email system? The hell you say! 😆

@berkeleykel, can I just throw out a suggestion to you for your Cinque Terre explorations? We've done it twice and it's amazing.
First off, I can confirm that the walk to the train station is around the 20-30 minute mark. There's a bit of an uphill stretch on the way there but it's not too bad and, of course, it's downhill on the way back when you're tired. We were totally unable to find any taxis to take us there from the port.
We really loved Riomaggiore. Note that the main street is quite a steep hill and you might have to bribe the kids with an ice cream! 😁  I'm not sure if you'll be able to see the video (fingers crossed). If you can't, at least the pic (sorry not the best) will give you an idea.

20160928_121027.mp4  
Something you might like to consider is taking a couple of beach towels and wearing your swimwear and going all the way to last village, Monterosso. It's really not that much farther on and it has a great beach with beach restaurants where you can enjoy a bite to eat and let the kids run around. Another benefit is that, because it's the first village on the way back, when you get on the train to head back the chances are you'll be able to get seats. The whole journey only takes half an hour but by the time the train gets to the second village on the return journey pretty much anyone who boards from there onwards has to stand.
These two pics are Monterosso. We didn't make it that far the first time we went and the second time we wished we'd known to bring our beach stuff!


Hope this is useful. 😊
 

I would continue my journey. Just as i would with a common cold or any other treatable, low level not very dangerous annoyance. Now, put a smoker beside me in the casino and I would have a problem. Not from the cancer, but the smell.

On several occasions, my family of 5 had tried many of the spacious staterooms on Freedom class.  We tried interior on deck 2 (2309), Ultra spacious ocean view (9200/9500) and the spacious promenade stateroom (7307/7607 and 8307/8607).  By far, the promenade ones worked out best for us.  These were quite nice from a location perspective (mid ship) and accommodation perspective (large room with a bunk room).  It was also nice as we used the promenade windows as a 'sign system' to let the rest of family know who was in the room... my youngest daughter also put a 'bring cookies' sign in the window.  🙂 
While these days, the two room connecting balconies is probably preferred, we did enjoy these staterooms and promenade specifically quite a bit.

Second Set of Sea Days (Days 7, 8, 9)
We did the same kind of activities as we did on the first set of sea days. Relaxing on the deck, doing some trivia and other games, and eating and drinking...a lot. Something different though is that we reserved a casita:
It was kind of nice to have a "home" so we didn't have to fight for chairs on the deck. However, we probably should have spent the money on getting a beach bed or tent at Labadee than having the Casita. We had it from 9PM - 6PM but probably only spent a total of 3 hours in it. There was a "call" button to ask for a casita attendant for drinks but we weren't that far from the bar anyway. It did include a fruit plate and bottles of water. We put the rope up anytime we left it so that people didn't claim it as their own. For those wondering, it was about $150ish for the reservation. We did do a Captain's Q&A session in the Royal Theater. It was pretty neat. The Captain (I think it was "Captain Tore", I probably misspelled his name) will most likely retiring once this session is up - he has been working the seas in various capacities (not just with Royal) for 40+ years. The most interesting fact I learned - the Oasis clears the Verazzano Bridge by just 40 feet!) Last Sea Day picture at night:
Disembarkation Day:
Sad day indeed. But all good things must come to an end. We had three suitcases with us and we left two in the hallway the night before. We kept an empty suitcase for the last set of dirty laundry and all of the toiletries. Since we were Key members, we got special Key luggage tags - not a numbered tag like everyone else. We also got a special breakfast in the MDR. We ordered a veggie omelet, a bran muffin, and hash browns which were all delicious. Probably the same exact breakfast we would have gotten anyway but without any of the crowds. We were on Deck 4 and there were probably only 4-5 families there with us so it was definitely a more peaceful way to end the cruise. Leaving the ship was easy. There wasn't a long line to get off the ship and once we did, there was a special Key section for the luggage (next to the Suites section). Since we used passports, they used facial recognition for customs (I'm assuming it was because we used passports because there was a separate line for "birth certificates"). Other Thoughts and Last (Maybe) Impressions:
Overall, this was a vacation that went very well for 98% of it (all thanks to all of you! 😀). The 2% that didn't go right were very minor issues and was fully expected (lack of a variety of vegetarian food options, a bit of buyer's remorse for the casita). Of the 10 day cruise, it rained for a total of 25 minutes. Very lucky! Absolutely no rough waves whatsoever. Very lucky! The comedy show in Blaze was amazing! Very 18+ though so be warned. We did not watch Cats. We're dog people! lol. Music Hall is a very nice venue. It's two floors and both floors have a bar (the top floor bar is not always open though). Prepaid gratuities but gave an extra $50 to our stateroom attendance. We did not tip additional to any wait staff (we only did MDR once) or bar staff (The DBP includes an 18% gratuity). We tipped the excursion tour guide $20 Because of some sunburn, we bought some Aloe from the vending machines on the ship. It cost $15.99! But we got about $13 refunded in port fees for reasons that I do not know. So the final portfolio bill was $1.65. This was the best of both worlds - a nice/new-ish big ship and a unique itinerary. Nothing wrong with the Bahamas-Coco Cay itinerary that Oasis usually does from Cape Liberty but we have been to the Bahamas multiple times before. This went into the decision of NOT going on Oasis next summer - we decided on Liberty because it offered a more unique itinerary (Bermuda, Labadee, two different DR ports). Covid Thoughts: ::Knock on wood:: Both my wife and I haven't had symptoms (and therefore do not feel the need to test). There were a few reports on Facebook of people having to quarantine on the ship (unfortunately, for one family it was on Day 2) and people testing positive once they got home. Interesting observation that I'm not sure if this was Covid-related or not...on Anthem in August 2019, we had to put a card in a slot to be able to turn the lights and AC on. But on Oasis, the stateroom attendant told us to never touch the "master switch" that turns on the lights and AC (there was no card slot). I'm assuming this is part of the airflow improvements? Or maybe Oasis was this way all along and it had nothing to do with the Covid improvements? Overall, we felt pretty good about how Royal handles the health aspect of things. Me being a teacher and my wife working in a congregate day program setting, we felt more comfortable walking around the ship than our own workplaces. There was always crew cleaning and disinfecting. I do wish that there was SOME sort of airflow in the elevators. I don't believe there to be any air exchange besides the door opening and closing. The most random encounter on this trip - running into one of my students in an elevator! Never saw them again after that haha. I'm sure I missed some details so if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask! Thanks for reading!
 

Can understand it in US or Caribbean but in Europe the $ is about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike 🤣 
 
 
 

I disagree strongly, I think the only people who should be tipped with USD are crew members.  I wouldn’t tip at all rather than tip in anything other than Euros.  

I disagree strongly, I think the only people who should be tipped with USD are crew members.  I wouldn’t tip at all rather than tip in anything other than Euros.  

I agree I’d tip euros by default but since I’m sure they get USD regularly they are probably used to it. 

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

Pre-departure plans - the boring stuff
COVID Testing:
For departures out of Barcelona, the current requirements are for an antigen or PCR test up to 2 days prior to sailing, including for kids age 2 or over who are fully vaccinated.  Since our cruise departs on a Sunday and my 6 year old is fully vaccinated, I've booked tests for me, T and M for Friday morning 2 days before embarkation.  We live walking distance to a DocTap testing location and have used them around a dozen times with good experiences, so we are sticking with what we know.  Tests were GBP 29 each for lateral flow/rapid antigen.  Under 2s are exempt from testing so the Monster gets off easy this time.  He will be sitting back laughing as his older brother, who is the worst COVID testing subject ever, will literally have to be held down by two people to have the stick stuck up his nose.  The day when he doesn't have to test any more will be most welcome to us.
Flight to Barcelona:
This is the most annoying aspect of the trip and the part that came closest to husband vetoing the trip entirely. Monster is DREADFUL on flights and we have PTSD from our last vacation on the 4 hour flights to/from Tenerife.  Plus airports in London (as I'm sure is true in many other places) have been struggling with staff shortages and high passenger volumes, resulting in delays, cancellations and general chaos. But like a mother conveniently forgetting the pains of childbirth to have another child, I'm ready to embrace all the stress to get on a big boat with lounge chairs and unlimited cocktails.
We are flying to Barcelona one day before the cruise.  I don't have any extra vacation days to tack on more time and we spent several days in Barcelona in 2019, so we don't plan to do any sightseeing this time around.
To make life a little easier we are flying out of London Gatwick, which is quick and easy for us to get to by train.  This prevents the headache of needing to sort out a car service to the airport that would provide car seats, and the anxiety lest the car show up without the right type of seat.  Also have I mentioned Monster is also DREADFUL in car seats?  Living in central London we don't have a car and he's only been in them a few times, and he will shriek his little head off nonstop for hours until he passes out from the stress and audaciousness of being strapped to a seat.  Gatwick also has a separate family line for security that makes the process a bit smoother with all the toddler junk we have to bring.
From Gatwick to Barcelona we have the option of two budget carriers, EasyJet or Vueling.  We've traveled with EasyJet many times and it's always been okay.  This time, booking only 4 weeks out, EasyJet didn't have good availability so we are trying Vueling for the first time.  We paid extra for front row seats for the extra leg room for Monster to squirm in (and a lack of seats in front of him to kick non stop), and for carry on and checked luggage and a priority check in desk.  All in, the return flights were an eye watering EUR 1700 round trip for 3 seats (Monster in lap as he is under 2, the better for our ears to be as close as physically possible to his screaming lungs).  This is about triple what we paid when we went to Barcelona back in 2019 (on Easyjet with similar seats/bags), which I imagine is a combination of booking late, summer high season, and post-COVID pent up demand.  The flights are just over 2 hours each way. 
Hotel in Barcelona:
As noted above we're only staying one night in Barcelona before the cruise (and flying back same day after disembarking).   Hotels prices were crazy ridiculous compared to our last trip here.  We're booked at the Citadines Ramblas in a one bedroom apartment, costing EUR 350 with a non-refundable rate.  The Citadines is a mid-range aparthotel chain with locations mainly in Europe and Asia that we've stayed with a few times (although not this particular location).  We'll have a kitchenette which will be helpful for the fact that Monster still demands a night time bottle of milk.
Method of transport to/from the airport to the hotel and cruise terminal is still TBD.
 
Next up: excursion plans.

Great start! Well done for convincing DH. I'm sure you'll have an amazing time. 😊
We have done this itinerary several times, most recently on Harmony at the end of September 2021, having lifted and shifted from Allure in 2020.
 

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

Given so many people are eating the same food, if you two were the only ones who got sick, and in light of the fact that it happened so early on in the cruise, I’m not sure how you could be so certain it was the food that made you sick. What food in particular do you think it was?  

Given so many people are eating the same food, if you two were the only ones who got sick, and in light of the fact that it happened so early on in the cruise, I’m not sure how you could be so certain it was the food that made you sick. What food in particular do you think it was?  

I met someone a few months back who had worked in health and safety at a major cruise line for many years leading up to COVID.  Said they had disagreed strenuously with the line's COVID response and made their objections known.  No longer employed by said cruise line...

I'm excited to be heading off to Barcelona with 2 kids and a mildy grumpy husband in 2 weeks to set sail on the Wonder!  I've decided to live blog because (1) I'm neurotic and (2) I didn't find many detailed blogs or reviews from people who have done a similar itinerary with small kids.  I will surely forget all of the details that I've spent hours pouring over within a few weeks of my trip, so want to lay it all out in real time for posterity.
My husband (T) and I are Americans living in London, and we are bringing our 2 sons: M (age 6) and A (age nearly 2, aka "The Monster").   M, T and I have been on one Royal cruise, a Greek isles itinerary out of Venice in 2019 on Rhapsody.  Before that M and I had been on a couple of non-Royal boats similar to Rhapsody.  So we aren't first timers but Wonder will by far and away be a new experience for us.
As a bit of backstory, we were originally booked on this itinerary on Allure in Oct 2020.  I actually found out I was pregnant with A only a couple of months after booking the cruise (himself born Oct 2020, so clearly that cruise was never going to happen for us, for multiple reasons).
I told myself after A was born that we wouldn't cruise again until he was 3+ and potty trained, and we originally had a different, and much more boring, summer land vacation planned this year.  But I couldn't help checking out cruises now and then, and originally got my husband on board by pitching a sailing on Anthem out of Southampton (only an hour away from us by train).  But since it was last minute the only connecting rooms left were interiors, and the more we thought about it the more we decided being stuck in an interior room all of the time with a sleeping toddler would be frustrating.  So I gradually socialized the idea of flying to Barcelona and stressed how amazing Wonder would be for the kids, and eventually got my way.
We had been booked in a 2 bedroom GS for Allure which I was really looking forward two given how well it works for families with young kids, but given this cruise was only booked about 4 weeks in advance the best we could find on Wonder was 2 adjacent ocean view balconies (well, the Ultimate Family Suite was still available for $30K but we gave that a miss). 
Despite the amazing itinerary, we picked this sailing mainly for the ship and proximity to London.  Our goal above all else is for this to be as relaxing as possible, which is a tall ask with a Monster and my FOMO combined with a huge ship and an all-star itinerary.  I'm going to try to balance seeing a few highlights on the port days with sleeping in some days and having enough time to fully enjoy the ship.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart Barcelona
Day 2 - Palma de Mallorca
Day 3 - Marseille
Day 4 - La Spezia
Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Naples
Day 7 - Sea Day
Day 8 - Kicked off the boat whimpering in Barcelona
Between the kids and some unavoidable work intrusions, I'll have limited time to post while on the ship, so I plan to front load as much as possible in the next two weeks to describe our pre-cruise plans and plans for the port days.
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions as I go along!

Given so many people are eating the same food, if you two were the only ones who got sick, and in light of the fact that it happened so early on in the cruise, I’m not sure how you could be so certain it was the food that made you sick. What food in particular do you think it was?