JohnK6404 Posted January 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2023 DAY 4: * At Sea (cont.) * Tonight, we headed to the MDR for “Mexican Night”… I tried the Escargot for the first time ever! Everyone at the table has always raved about it, but the thought of eating snails has always grossed me out. I guess a cruise is the best time to try something you would normally never order in a restaurant at home. The escargot was decent (everything soaked it butter and garlic is good), but I don’t know if I would order it again… I just can’t get past the fact that I’m eating snails! I tried the Pulled Pork Enchilada and Christine had the Chili-Lime Encrusted Salmon… both very good… For dessert, we had the Caramel Flan… This evening, we went to see “Voices” in the Royal Theater. The reviews I’ve read have been polarizing… either people love it and feel that it’s one of the best RC productions OR they feel the canned singers/performers projected on the screens behind the stage are too distracting. We were very pleasantly surprised! IMHO, the vocals of the live performers were really excellent and the projections behind the stage were not as distracting as I had feared. I would definitely recommend seeing this show… you can then form your own opinion. We plan to see it again when we’re back on Wonder in OCT. That concluded Day 4… time for me to head to bed! FireFishII, Yesiamthere6, wordell1 and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 DAY 5: San Juan, Puerto Rico Yesterday was debarkation and we all arrived home safely. Let me pick up with Day 5… I decided to walk around the interior of the ship including deck 4 and decks 5 & 6 (Royal Promenade) this morning. Here’s another photo dump! One of the elevator towers... A few of many Coke Freestyle machines... so happy they are back to self-serve (no more crew members operating the machines for you)! A couple of us were captured by the NextCruise tractor beam... LOL! My wife's uncle and GF booked the same sailing we're on in OCT (Wonder, 10/29/23). The same group will be together for Wonder 2.0! We couldn't resist and purchased another Book Later reservation through the Royal app while onboard... The Crown & Anchor loyalty desk (just inside the Schooner Bar in back to the left). My wife's uncle stopped by to see if 3 of his older sailings could be credited to his account, but the loyalty ambassador stated they can only apply sailings from 2011 forward to the current ongoing C&A program. My wife and I stopped by (no line) just to pick up our Platinum and Emerald pins. We'll never wear any of these pins, but they're nice to have! Entrance to MDR and the breakfast menu... more shots of the MDR to come later... MaryS, Sweety, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 5 others 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 DAY 5: San Juan, Puerto Rico (cont.) Just a few more random pics… what’s with the intense animal murals in the restrooms? You might feel a little self-conscious! It’s like that 1980’s Rockwell song “Somebody’s Watching Me”, LOL! Lovetocruise2002, Jax, Yesiamthere6 and 4 others 5 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted January 16, 2023 Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 loving all these pictures!! wonder is so shiny and new looking and schooner bar!! my favorite place to go on our first day! everything is so bright and well lit, not darkness on the edge of town i can't help but love the windows above sorrentos sign. ps: glad you are all home safely, but disembarkation day is always the saddest day. Lovetocruise2002 and JohnK6404 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 6 hours ago, asquared17 said: ps: glad you are all home safely, but disembarkation day is always the saddest day. Thank you! I know! A couple of years ago we decided we would never disembark the ship without having another cruise planned. When we’re not sure, we’ve been purchasing the Book Later option. Takes much of the sadness of disembarking and saying goodbye to the ship away! asquared17, Sweety and FireFishII 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 DAY 5: San Juan, Puerto Rico (cont.) When we first arrived in San Juan, a few ships were already docked… the Carnival Celebration and Disney Fantasy were right next to us… U.S. Coast Guard base... We decided against an organized excursion. Our friend has been to San Juan numerous times so we took her lead. Since we docked after 10:00am and disembarked around lunchtime, we decided to walk around and look for a place to eat first. The last time we visited Puerto Rico in 2015, we did the El Yunque Rainforest Excursion, so this time we wanted to explore a little bit of Old San Juan! We stopped at a restaurant on Fortaleza Street named Cafe El Punto. Here is the menu… We all ordered Rellenas and “Aguacate” style (served in a bowl made of avocado). I hope I got that right! Most had the shrimp and one of us had the baby conch. We all shared the tasty, but strong sangria! The food was very good and fresh! We were looking into the “Umbrella Street”, but read that the umbrellas were taken down for the holiday and temporarily replaced with Christmas lights and doves. We immediately started to laugh as we exited the restaurant… the location was just down the road from the restaurant! Next we headed toward Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Along the way we also passed by some sort of cat sanctuary. There were dozens of cats sleeping on the sidewalks, on top of vehicles, in the basketball court, etc.! Pics of fort to follow! FireFishII, Lovetocruise2002, FionaMG and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 16, 2023 Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 San Juan is a really great city to explore. JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 OK, here comes another photo dump! Another cruise ship approaching... It's the NCL Getaway... Resident iguana surveying his/her kingdom! The three flags flown at the fort... You can make out the top of Wonder in the distance! After we explored the fort, we walked back toward the port and stopped in a couple of shops along the way. One of our friends wanted cigars and my wife wanted a Pandora charm from San Juan. She has tried to collect Pandora charms unique to the counties that we visit. When we returned to port, the NCL Getaway was docked between us and the Carnival Celebration... I'll be back a bit later to wrap up what was Day 5 in San Juan! Lovetocruise2002, Yesiamthere, DDaley and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted January 16, 2023 Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 8 hours ago, asquared17 said: loving all these pictures!! +1 on this point @JohnK6404! Makes me excited to finally be able to sail her this July! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 DAY 5: San Juan, Puerto Rico (cont.) This evening, we had dinner at Giovanni’s Table & Wine Bar. Jason was our waiter and the service was amazing! Here are the menus: I’m sorry! No food pictures once again… I’ve been such a slacker this sailing! We all shared a number of appetizers including: Assorted Meat & Cheese Platter, Meatball Gigante, Giovanni’s House Salad, and Caesar Salad. For the main course our table ordered (individual portions): Chicken Parmigiana, Osso Buco, Grilled Filet Mignon, and Linguine con le Vongole. I decided to go with my fallback Italian dish… chicken parmigiana. We all had the complimentary Limoncello and for dessert we ordered: Go Bananas, Tiramisu De Mamma, and Panna Cotta. Cappuccino, expresso, and coffee rounded out the meal. Everyone really enjoyed their meals! Tonight’s show was the Ice Spectacular: 365 ice show in Studio B. We always enjoy the skating shows. Sweety, MaryS, Jax and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 DAY 6: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic My wife and I had breakfast in the Windjammer once again this morning (of Day 6 - we're home now ) before meeting up with our group and disembarking for our excursion. This is our first visit to the DR and we decided to go on an excursion as a group. We generally like to go on a tour the first time we visit a port to get a feel for the country, etc. The excursion we selected was the “Authentic Countryside Experience”… let’s just say we could not get more authentic than this tour... a polar opposite of a beach resort! We were taken by an open air, all-wheel drive truck, into the countryside to begin our tour. The tour was listed as a 6-hour tour! I think it was actually a little over 5 hours. We first visited the home of an 84-year old woman named Katarina. Visiting the countryside really puts everything in perspective. Our first-world problems seem to pale in comparison... We passed fields of Tropical Dragon Fruit (pitahaya)… Our tour guide picked this from a guava tree… We finally arrived at Katarina’s home after a good 30 minute drive… The tour guide explained that the kitchen is not connected to the house. The smoke from daily cooking blackens the ceiling so the structure is separate from the house. They were preparing coffee when we arrived… They had a sweet dog and a pen full of goats… After saying goodbye to Katarina and her family, we headed to another location that was harvesting sugar cane juice and baking cookies. I only have a few pics from this stop… We stopped for a buffet lunch at a nice little restaurant… nothing fancy of course. We caught the attention of the resident cat… Next, we moved on to our next stop which was a small cigar factory… We then moved on to our next stop… wordell1, KristiZ, asquared17 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Geo’s Cheese Factory… Getting prepped to enter the factory… interesting, no need to mask up... We sampled the cheese which was tasty and reminded me of cheddar. After this tour, we headed back to the port and explored a bit before returning to the ship… Back on the ship... weather rolling in over the mountain... When we returned from the excursion, most of us decided to skip the MDR and to head to the Windjammer. This evening was Caribbean Night. After dinner, we wandered around the ship and stopped by a number of places including the Bionic Bar, Boleros, the casino, and Sorrentos and called it a night. The next day (Day 7) is Labadee! Sweety, MaryS, asquared17 and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFishII Posted January 18, 2023 Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Thank you for taking us along with you. I love that gorilla. JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted January 18, 2023 Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 i love the giovanni's table pictures!! we visited giovanni's on odyssey last month but i was under the weather and no only did we both pass on the limoncello, but the meal (while objectively delicious) was more of a chore to get through on my part. your live blog is filled with such great content!! thank you for sharing! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2023 DAY 7: Labadee, Haiti This morning we ordered room service (complimentary continental breakfast) because we wanted to disembark early. OK, I’ll try to make this story quick! LOL! Our only other time in Labadee was back in MAY 2019 (Allure). We booked an over-the-water cabana for $499 at Nellie’s Beach and had such an amazing time! We chose the cabana farthest from the beach on the right side bordering Columbus Cove. So, this time we were hoping to book the same cabana or area, but in the post-Covid/cruise restart world, it never dropped below $1,499 for that cabana type! We decided to book a Beach Bungalow for $450 in another area instead. When the BF/CM sales hit, amid the IT disaster that was that week or so, I lost the bungalow! I made the ultimate Cruise Planner rookie mistake and attempted to cancel and repurchase the bungalow (now $250) through the Royal App (since the website was wonky) and lost it in the process! What annoyed me the most is there was never a low inventory warning… I made it to the last page and clicked to process the transaction and received the error that no more bungalows were available! So, as a group of 6, we decided to purchase 2 beach beds on Adrenaline Beach. I have to say, we were all pleasantly surprised. Each bed is large enough to accommodate 4 people. They come with an attendant, a cooler full of ice and bottled water, beach towels, and floating mats. We also had multiple loungers and an umbrella and table placed in front of the bed. In the end, we only paid $205 for each beach bed set up. Here’s another photo dump from Labadee! Tried to get a Lava Flow (I know, should have ordered a Labadoozie instead on Labadee) as my first drink. I guess the bartender was not familiar??? No biggie! It all tastes good! This dog was sleeping in the sand when we arrived. She certainly gets her meals here on Labadee! We saw her again later at lunch and people were feeding her. The floating bar at Adrenaline Beach. We made our way out this morning and spent some time relaxing. I'm assuming Labadee simply does not have the infrastructure that PDCC has as the bartenders had to collect our SeaPass cards and record our stateroom and our drink orders in a notebook. No wireless here over the water! View from Adrenaline Beach of the ship... Our beach bed... My wife's uncle and GF's beach bed just behind ours and next to that nice shade tree! The ziplines extend over Adrenaline Beach... Looking up toward the top of the mountain... they now have 5 lines for seated position and 2 separate lines (and separate platform) to the right for what I call the "Superman" or headfirst position! We were nice and close to the restrooms and our lunch area... Rain clouds rolling in... we had a brief, light shower and it cleared up shortly afterward... My view from our beach bed... Heading back to this ship later that afternoon... Always hate the shots with the sun in front of the lens! Caught the remains of a rainbow just before we boarded! Overall, we had a nice relaxing day with warm, but comfortable temps (low 80's, but warmer in the sun). When we were here in 2019 in May, it was hot as %$#$! At that time, it was in the 90's and very humid... felt like we were on the surface of the sun! It may be January now, but the water is still warm enough to swim so don't discount cruising in JAN/FEB! I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up Day 7 which was our second formal evening (Maine Lobster Tail). We also saw the Effectors II... have a good night! Lovetocruise2002, Sweety, Yesiamthere and 7 others 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 love the labadee pics!! have always wondered about the day bed option, this was a great review cruising in jan/feb is the unsung hero of times to go! we are with you on that, especially since the NJ/NYC region is so terrible with snow and gray cold weather JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 DAY 7: Labadee, Haiti (cont.) This evening was the second and final formal evening (Day 7) of our sailing... We ordered the Shrimp Cocktail and Baked French Onion Soup… We all ordered the Broiled Lobster Tail… now a Maine lobster tail… For dessert, we had Baked Alaska and Warm Chocolate Cake… We all enjoyed the meal and agreed the Maine lobster was much better than the Caribbean/spiny lobster we’ve had on past sailings and at Coco Beach Club. Tonight, we saw The Effectors II: Crash & Burn. We had seen the first installment last FEB on Odyssey. Show in a nutshell… OK performances, amazing technology! Plot… Crash (evil villain) is rescued by Burn (his sidekick) and seeks revenge against the Effectors as they captured and imprisoned him at the end of the first installment. In the end both are captured. Don’t expect much of a story as this is all about the technology. The show did not start off well as we had two stoppages due to technical difficulties. Some folks left the theater after the second stoppage. They resolved the issues and the rest of the show went on to completion without a hitch. Here are some pics… Crash being rescued by Burn… The Effectors are introduced… Lume and her amazing laser effects… Crash dispatches his drones which fly around the stage and the lower level of the theater… Then he gets into his own drone and “flies” above the lower level of the theater… In the end, the villains always get captured… After the show, Christine and I walked around decks 15 & 16… here are a few night pics… Eventually, we made our way back to the cabin and called it a night! The next day is Day 8 and our last day... we will be at sea and heading back to Port Canaveral. FireFishII, FionaMG, KristiZ and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 @JohnK6404 how was the warm chocolate cake? Every time I've ordered it, it's been barely tepid and disappointing but because dessert needs to include chocolate I always keep coming back for more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 3 hours ago, FionaMG said: @JohnK6404 how was the warm chocolate cake? Every time I've ordered it, it's been barely tepid and disappointing but because dessert needs to include chocolate I always keep coming back for more! Not the best, but my wife enjoyed it. She said it was warm, but to me that scoop of ice cream looks a little sad! She too is a chocoholic! FionaMG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 21 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said: Not the best, but my wife enjoyed it. She said it was warm, but to me that scoop of ice cream looks a little sad! She too is a chocoholic! Thanks. Was hoping that in line with the new "enhanced" menus it would have improved but sounds like it's still the same as ever. I might have to give the chilled banana-cocoa custard a try as a back-up! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2023 DAY 8: * At Sea * It’s here… this is the last day of the cruise. We had breakfast at the Windjammer again and just wandered around the ship. Last SAT (1/14) was the day the winds and surf really picked up. Capt. Henrik closed all the decks above Deck 15 due to high winds. Just a pic of the CP balcony divider closed on one side and opened on the other side (our friend’s cabin) for those interested… We booked adjacent rooms again for our upcoming OCT sailing on Wonder, but this time we will have OV balconies and will be sure to open them up again! Some random pics… We plan on booking either brunch or dinner at the Mason Jar next time! Elevator tower looking up… Rising Tide bar down in the promenade… Heading to lunch in the MDR with my wife’s uncle and GF… the wind was whipping around even on deck 15… surf starting to kick up… definitely light jacket weather! A couple more pics of the MDR on deck 3… Lunch menu… I had Mozzarella Sticks as an appetizer… not bad! Christine had the Seafood Sandwich… with all the food we’ve had so far, she could not eat the bun! I went with the Grilled Beef Quesadilla which was surprisingly good… … and every meal needs to end with a dessert on a cruise of course… I had the White Chocolate Mousse which was decent… We met up with our friends and headed to the puzzle room (“Royal Society of Puzzles”). Once we realized it was a small room in Adventure Ocean with just tables and chairs, pen and paper, we decided to skip it! I did not expect the scale of the Apollo 18 escape room on Oasis, but we were expecting something a little more elaborate (it was complimentary). After that we just wandered around some more. We stopped by the cabin a little before dinner and I checked the current wind and ship speed. At that time, we were dealing with 51 kt (58.7 mph) winds across the bow and the ship was cruising at 20.7 kts (23.8 mph)… On to the “last supper”… tonight is “Bon Voyage” evening… I had the shrimp cocktail for my appetizer. We all had the Autumn Turkey Dinner… the turkey was surprisingly tender… … and we finished with the Crema Catalana (very similar to Crème Brûlée), Dark Chocolate Brownie, and Warm Apple Cobbler… all tasty… After dinner we headed back to the cabin to finish packing so we could place our checked bags out in the hall… We spent the rest of the evening before calling it a night walking around Central Park, the promenade, and made a final stop in the casino. Tomorrow will be debarkation day… have a good night! WannaCruise, MaryS, FionaMG and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted January 21, 2023 Report Share Posted January 21, 2023 I didn’t realize until reading this that Effectors on Wonder was a continuation of the one on Odyssey. I am sailing Wonder before Odyssey this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2023 44 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: I didn’t realize until reading this that Effectors on Wonder was a continuation of the one on Odyssey. I am sailing Wonder before Odyssey this year Don't worry! The show is all about the WOW factor with all of the technology. The flow or "plot" of each show is almost identical. Meet bad guy(s), introduction to each of the 4 heroes, fight bad guy(s), and finally bad guy(s) are captured. The only twist is the intro of a sidekick (Burn) and the element of revenge for Crash being previously captured in the first installment. If it wasn't for the tech, I don't think anyone would care for these show(s). Some of the scenes are almost identical in fact (Pixel and Lume's intro scenes). The lasers and drones are in both shows. Don't worry... you certainly won't be confused. When you sail Odyssey, just think of it as the prequel! Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2023 DAY 9: Debarkation Day (1/15/23) Ahhhh, the dreaded morning of debarkation is here! We headed down with our carry-ons to the MDR on deck 4 at 7:30am for our “Key Debarkation Breakfast”. With the Key, we can debark at any time. No need to wait for our number to be called, etc. We tagged our checked bags last evening (left them in hall by 10:00pm as usual) with the designated Key luggage tags attached. They are delivered to the terminal and held in a separate section for Key guests. We are told that the bags are available as early as 7:30am in the terminal. You also have the option of walking your bags off yourself if you prefer (no thanks). The Key breakfast is from 6:30am until 9:00am. Once again, we arrived at 7:30am as we have an 11:45am Southwest flight out of Orlando/MCO. Here is the Key breakfast menu: I had my usual, the Royal VIP Signature (Crab Benedict), and Christine had the Express Breakfast. Some of us had the Royal VIP Steak & Eggs (actual Filet). We all had to use our beverage packages one last time and we ordered the fresh squeezed OJ! They also come around with the usual tray of danishes, muffins, etc. The food was very good as usual… no complaints! We finished in under an hour and collected our carry-ons and debarked on deck 5 (Royal Promenade). Side note: you can leave your carry-ons at the entrance to the MDR (there is always a crew member or two there) or take them to your table if your prefer. We made our way through the terminal, collected our luggage, and passed through security. Very smooth process… we never had to stop or wait on any lines. We debarked with many others, but the whole group kept moving along smoothly. Unlike Port Everglades, there was no separate line to pass through security for the Key guests (we had used the dedicated Star class line to exit the terminal in Ft. Lauderdale). Today it was completely unnecessary as there was no delay. We split into two traveling groups and waited for our Ubers. My wife’s uncle and GF were heading directly to MCO. We were heading back to the Marriott Residence Inn to collect our friend’s car so she could drop us off at the airport. We arrived at the airport before 10:00am, but of course the security lines were ridiculous! We cut it a little close and arrived at the gate only a few minutes before our boarding group started to board the plane. We always do the Early Bird service so we don’t have to check in for the flight the day before and so we can board earlier (Group A) and get our choice of seats. Christine is not the best flyer (hates takeoffs, turbulence, and landings) so we need to pick seats near the wing (her personal preference). I love the window seat, she likes the aisle, so it works out for me! I’m not a frequent flyer and have only flown maybe 10-15 times in my lifetime, but this was the first time we were unable to book a non-stop back to MacArthur/ISP. The only non-stop was later in the evening. We had a connecting flight in Baltimore/BWI, but we only had a one hour gap between flights so it was almost a pleasure since it gave us time to stretch, grab some snacks, and use a real bathroom! We arrived home a little after 4:00pm, unloaded the car, and collected the dogs! Because of the experience in Orlando/MCO, we are finally getting the TSA PreCheck. I’ll be back to wrap it up later! wordell1, sammy79, asquared17 and 7 others 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted January 23, 2023 Report Share Posted January 23, 2023 37 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said: Because of the experience in Orlando/MCO, we are finally getting the TSA PreCheck. we found that TSA precheck + CLEAR wound up being lifesavers for us in the crowded florida airports (FLL, MIA, MCO) and of course, our beloved newark we've had global traveler for a while (which grants TSA precheck) but only recently got CLEAR and i don't think i've ever been through security that fast in my entire life. including before 9/11. actually talked my travel/cruise buddy (who is more frugal than i am by far) into joining CLEAR on our family plan for the year and even she was glad!! JohnK6404 and FireFishII 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFishII Posted January 23, 2023 Report Share Posted January 23, 2023 If you ever fly internationally, Global Entry is the way to go. Otherwise, TSA PreCheck is great. Our friends talked us into Global Entry when we went on an international trip with them. They did not want to wait around for us to get thru customs. It is only a $22 difference so it was a no brainer for us. To see the difference, you could check out the following site: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/tsa-precheck-global-entry-explained Thank you for taking us along on your cruise. Yesiamthere, asquared17 and JohnK6404 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted January 23, 2023 Report Share Posted January 23, 2023 We’ve had TSA Precheck for years and would not fly any other way. All my kids and even the older grandkids now have this perk. Definitely has saved us a few times in recent years from perhaps a disastrous missing of plane! I have been considering upgrading to Global Entry so @FireFishII thanks for that website info! FireFishII and JohnK6404 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted January 23, 2023 Report Share Posted January 23, 2023 7 hours ago, FireFishII said: If you ever fly internationally, Global Entry is the way to go. Otherwise, TSA PreCheck is great. Our friends talked us into Global Entry when we went on an international trip with them. They did not want to wait around for us to get thru customs. It is only a $22 difference so it was a no brainer for us. To see the difference, you could check out the following site: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/tsa-precheck-global-entry-explained 100 percent agree. we are sometimes able to travel internationally, so this made sense for us. this is a good breakdown!! FireFishII 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2023 I'm back! I'll try to wrap this blog up! Final Wrap-Up, Random Thoughts & Observations Let me start off by saying we all had an amazing time on Wonder this month. I love these 8-night sailings! That one extra night makes a world of difference psychologically. For some reason the cruise seems soooo much longer! Oasis class continues to be our favorite! Airports & Cruise Port · Islip/LI MacArthur Airport (ISP) is an absolute pleasure to fly into and out of especially when you are able to book a non-stop flight early in the AM. We’re lucky that Southwest flies into Orlando (MCO) and Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) from here and that we can purchase the resident parking pass for MacArthur. · Orlando Intl. Airport is a zoo! I know, I understand why… it’s an international airport and centrally located. We finally applied and made our appointments for TSA PreCheck for next month, so hopefully the terminal experience on our return flight next time will be less stressful! · Port Canaveral was also a pleasure to navigate. Traffic was heavy getting into the terminal (Cruise Terminal 1), but once we exited the hotel shuttle bus it was really easy to navigate. It definitely helped that we booked the earliest boarding window (10:30-11:00) so there were no lines entering the terminal, going through security, or checking in with the Royal folks. The Key was handy because once we checked in with the Royal folks, we noticed that they started boarding the suite and Key guests. Perfect timing! We just walked past the waiting area and boarded the ship… no sitting/waiting/standing in line at any time in the terminal! We were in the Royal Promenade by 10:20am! Hotel · We really liked the Marriott Residence Inn (Port Canaveral). Comfortable and so close to the port (we could see the ship from the hotel). Exactly what we wanted. Definitely not for anyone looking for a resort hotel experience. I can’t quote the cost as our friend used her points to book the rooms. They offer a nice continental and hot breakfast buffet, but there is no restaurant on the premises (I guess because it’s a Residence Inn - rooms have kitchens), just a bar that makes appetizers and bar food. They offer a shuttle to the port ($12/person each way) at designated pick-up times… we used the shuttle on embarkation day only. We used Uber (just $18 for the 4 of us) to get us from the port back to the hotel on debarkation day so we could collect our friend’s car at the hotel (minimal daily fee to park). Dining Experience · We were fine with the new MDR menus and felt there was enough of a selection each evening to satisfy everyone. We did not go to the MDR every evening so I cannot comment on what we may have missed due to the changes. · MDR service was not nearly as good as past cruises (actually, the worst to date). The service on our last two (post-shutdown) sailings on Oasis and Odyssey was much, much better. Our waiter was embarrassed by his assistant. The assistant waiter could not get our drink orders right (screwed up more than once) and would at times completely forget to deliver to some of the folks in our party. Five of us would have a glass of wine while the sixth person at the table was still waiting for their beverage for an uncomfortable period of time. Our waiter apologized profusely and explained his assistant was new and still in training. At times, he had to grab another assistant for help to get our drinks. I felt bad for our waiter as he was frantic much of the time. With that said, we’re not ready to give up on the MDR just yet! · The Key Chops Menu embarkation day lunch was a little disappointing overall compared to what we had experienced in the past. You could see the MDR staff was a little disorganized. I'm assuming our waiter was relatively new. There was a serious communication problem with the server that took our order. Many of us had to repeat ourselves more than once while placing our orders and we still wound up with the wrong sides on some of our meals (eg. broccoli instead of mashed potatoes). We had to wait on beverage refills, etc. My mac & cheese was lukewarm to room temp and the filet was tasty, but you could tell it had been sitting a little too long before being served. · Service in the specialty restaurants was excellent as usual (Hooked, 150 Central Park, and Giovanni's on this sailing). The waiters all went out of their way to ensure that we were completely satisfied with our meals. The only annoying thing (and we all had to laugh) is that they lowered the light levels in both Hooked and 150 CP way too much! It wasn’t lowered to a normal mood/romantic lighting level, but rather to a level that we started using our phone flashlights to see the menus and sometimes the food on our plates! · Service at the Coco Beach Club restaurant was outstanding! We all loved our waitress and the food was delicious as expected! I still feel the filet at the Beach Club is the best we’ve had to date with Royal. I’ve tried the filet in just about every restaurant except for Coastal Kitchen (we haven't sailed in a suite yet ). · Room service (only continental breakfast) was always on time and what you would expect. Hot food (oatmeal) and coffee was hot and cold food/beverages/fruit was cold. · Loved having the Starbucks machines/products in the Café Promenade. We made sure to work our DBP and ordered hot/iced coffees, cappuccinos, lattes, and Frappuccinos (I love the caramel) every day of the cruise! We never pay a-la-carte for Starbucks while onboard… the Lavazza coffee is usually good enough for us! Stateroom Attendant · Our stateroom attendant (Dennis) was excellent. He was efficient and very friendly. We only had to ask for something once and it was done (eg. C&A robes, open balcony divider, tighten the door handle screw on the balcony door, wine bottle opener and glasses). We never had to look for him as he seemed to always be in the hall! YES, they still turn the room over TWICE daily. Perfect Day at CocoCay · The beach club was just as amazing as the last time we visited (OCT 2021). Even with the ship at full capacity this time (Oasis was at 35% capacity last time), the beach club was not crowded. Once again, we were the only ship in port. We had purchased the day pass at just over $100, so we felt it was well worth it for the resort feel and service we received. Our last minute addition to our party had to pay a hefty $240 to join us! We grabbed it again for this upcoming OCT sailing at $88.99 on Black Friday! Beyond that, I think we’ll be checking out Hideaway Beach when it opens likely in very early 2024 (supposedly timing the opening with the launch of Icon). · As previously mentioned, the service and food in the beach club restaurant was excellent! The drink service was also excellent as usual… never felt we had to wait for service anywhere in the club including while on the beach relaxing on the loungers. · We felt the ocean here in the Bahamas in January was a little too cool to swim in (gave it a shot!), but the infinity pool (which can be heated if needed) was at a perfect temperature! Cool enough and refreshing, but no initial shock when entering the water. · We walked around most of the island after lunch and most areas were busy. Surprisingly, the Oasis Lagoon pool had plenty of available loungers unlike the last time we were here! We may check it out next time as you can come and go as you please from the Beach Club (they give you a bracelet to wear if you leave and plan on returning). Yes, it was a Perfect Day and we still can't get Royal's Perfect Day version of the Bill Withers' song "Lovely Day" out of our minds! To be continued! foxrunner, MaryS, Yesiamthere6 and 6 others 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted January 25, 2023 Report Share Posted January 25, 2023 one HUNDRED percent agree with you on the 8 night sailings (and we have yet to do one yet). we did a 6 night last time and it felt like we'd finally gotten the hang of it, only to have to turn around and pack up. we did an 10 night on serenade and that was too long (for that class of ship). i feel like an 8-night is the sweet spot. you have so far given the BEST review of the coco cay beach club and we are PUMPED to go. we also snagged the cheaper pass for the BF sale, and can't wait to have lunch and enjoy the food, quieter pace on PDCC, and overall experience. i don't eat filet but my travel buddy does, so she'll be happy to know this. we found the water temp bearable when we were there in december (east coast/atlantic ocean thick skin maybe? you know it well as a long islander ) but who knows what it will bring next month totally forgot about hideaway beach -- curious to see what it will be like -- we will be back on oasis in december and we're either waiting for another BF sale for the beach club passes or we'll see how HB is! we're now considering continental breakfast/room service in the mornings, so this happy to hear this as well!! you're selling us on the specialty dining thank you for the reminder about the starbucks drinks at cafe promenade!! i totally forgot about this perk and i will have some diamond vouchers that i always struggled to use last time around, so i'm kicking myself for this now, haha thank you so much for your live blog!! so informative and really helpful! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2023 15 minutes ago, asquared17 said: we're now considering continental breakfast/room service in the mornings, so this happy to hear this as well!! Even on the days we ate breakfast in the Windjammer or Solarium Bistro, we still liked to order coffee and maybe fruit or something early and sit out on the balcony before heading out. Need that first cup of coffee! asquared17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2023 Wrap-Up, Final Thoughts & Observations (cont.) Cabin · We had a Central Park balcony cabin on this sailing (11597). Our friends had the adjacent cabin (11599), and my wife’s uncle was just down the corridor (11587). I’m glad we chose the forward (waterslides) end of Central Park away from the huge video screen. We were right above where the musicians play in the evening, above Giovanni’s Table, and across from the Park Cafe. To be honest, we never really noticed or heard the video screen on our end of the park. The “bridge” that cuts CP in half (where the living plant walls are located) blocks the screen completely. We could only see some light reflections off the glass structures down in CP (promenade skylights). It was thankfully toned down in the evening, so it wasn’t distracting to us down in CP or on our balcony at night. · Yes, these new bathroom doors have a magnetic closure that bangs every time you close them! Also, as others have stated in the past, please make sure to push your cabin door completely closed when you leave your cabin as it does not automatically close and lock every time! · It may just be my imagination, but it felt like we had more closet and drawer space than on Allure and Oasis. No complaints there! Entertainment · The Aqua Theater show, “inTENse: Maximum Performance!” was awesome. We always love these shows in the Aqua Theater! Truly awesome, can’t miss productions if you have never sailed on an Oasis class ship! · “Tap Factory: Energy Machine” in the Royal Theater is worth seeing if you did not catch it on another ship (we saw it on Odyssey). Think tap dancing meets Blue Man Group drumming. It was more of the same… some of the performances are taken directly from the other show. The only major difference is the addition of female performers to the cast. The lead drummer was definitely the same performer from Odyssey… my wife believes the gymnast was the same as well… I guess they rotate the cast? I think we may skip it when we’re on Wonder again this October. · “Voices” in the Royal Theater was also awesome! I was very skeptical after hearing the initial negative feedback, but I always give shows a shot and form my own opinion (even "Cats" ). People had complained that the screens behind the performers on stage were too distracting. All six of us agreed that this may be one of Royal’s best productions. If you love vocalists and music from different eras, then you will likely love the show. If you find the screens with the canned performers distracting, try to focus only on the stage! We didn't think it was that distracting. · “Ice Spectacular: 365” in Studio B was excellent as well. Another unique experience only on Royal ships that we never miss! · “The Effectors II: Crash & Burn” in the Royal Theater. I enjoyed the show, but half of our group did not care for it. I think the early stoppages due to technical difficulties contributed to their strong opinion! Some were confused… I tried to explain it’s a simple plot! Bad guy escapes with help from new sidekick, tries to seek revenge by capturing each of the Effectors, and eventually is captured once again. You do not go to see this show for the plot or necessarily for the music and vocals. It’s mostly about the technology including the lasers, drones, and drone “vehicle” that flies above the audience on the lower/main level (think of the plane in “Flight” from what I understand). Many of the scenes were almost identical to the original ”Effectors” on Odyssey (scenes introducing the characters Pixel and Lume). I would like to see this one more time, but down on the lower/main level since the drones and vehicle that "flies" toward the end of the show will pass directly overhead. Also, the laser effects are likely better down on the main level of the theater. · We did see the “Adult Comedy LIVE” show in The Attic on the last evening. Both of the comedians were actually hilarious. We usually blow the comedy show off, but since we finished packing early we were able to catch the show this time. · One complaint! In the Royal Theater, the Key reserved seating section was in the center, but on the upper level on this cruise! We always had prime seats down on the main level in the middle of the theater just behind the suite guests. On the upper level, if you sit in the first few rows, the railing blocks the bottom of the stage and if you move up higher you're naturally too far away. The next time we see a show in the Royal Theater (assuming nothing changes), I think we’re just going to arrive a little bit earlier and sit in the middle of the theater on the lower level. The Key seating in the other venues was fine. Getting there! I'll be back tomorrow to finally wrap it up! Have a good night everyone! PPPJJ-GCVAB, MaryS, Lovetocruise2002 and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2023 Wrap-Up, Final Thoughts & Observations (cont.) No, really, I promise this is it! Labadee, Haiti · Once again, we elected to spend the day at Adrenaline Beach and we rented the beach beds. We all enjoyed them (think low-budget cabana) and the dedicated attendant service. Certainly not the same level of excitement as we had with the over-the-water cabana at Nellie’s Beach last time, but it was a nice base of operations for the day… $200 vs. $1,499? Hmmm… no brainer for me! · The floating bar was neat, but only for a brief visit. They really need to add a couple of steps to the ladder (which they can raise/lower) so it’s easier to access the bar from the water! · The weather was perfect for most of the day (except for that late passing light shower). This time of year was great as the air temp was in the low-mid 80’s, the water was warm enough for swimming, the sun was warm, but there was little to no humidity. Last time we were here (MAY 2019) it was like being on the surface of the sun! The heat, humidity, and strong sun were so bad that when we explored Labadee after lunch, we found most of Adrenaline Beach was already abandoned for the day! · Despite some old reports (post-Covid restart) of garbage strewn about, we found Labadee to be very clean and well kept. They had also spruced up many of the areas since the last time we were here (fresh paint, new garbage cans, bathrooms/wash stations, etc.). · The usual Labadee buffet lunch/BBQ was okay and as expected, but I wish they would offer additional food options like at PDCC. I wonder if the infrastructure in Labadee is prohibitive for that kind of expansion. · Stark contrast to PDCC of course! Labadee is lush and mountainous while PDCC is effectively a flat sandbar with palm trees. They each have their own unique appeal IMHO and we really like them both! Random Thoughts and Observations · We’re still not sold on Wonder’s solarium. I guess it will take some time for me to get used to the design. We enjoyed the solariums on Allure, Oasis, and Odyssey. Wonder's is effectively a hybrid of Quantum and Oasis class. It’s completely enclosed (no tanning in here of course) and climate controlled which is nice on really hot days. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but it appears the dome roof blocks and filters more light and sun from entering the solarium. Maybe that’s due to the opaque dome tiles integrated into the roof. The décor is a little funky, but I know it was designed for the Asian market. The huge, fake animal topiary is a little strange! Kind of out of place… I so badly wanted to place a banana in the open palm of the huge gorilla and take some pics! Hopefully, Utopia will be more “Western” or tropical/traditional in décor. The pool is tiered like on Quantum class, but the lower levels are mainly for the in-water loungers unlike Odyssey which had multiple small cascading pools with the loungers on the lowest level. The tiered seating with loungers on either side is very nice. To me, the solarium takes some getting used to as it just seems so wide open (not necessarily a bad thing). It was strange seeing the solarium bar just sitting in the middle of the solarium and not attached to any structure. We're so used to the multi-level solariums on the other Oasis class ships with the solarium bar on the upper level, shaded seating/couches and tables on both levels, and an outdoor sun deck (Oasis). Although I can appreciate the climate-controlled space, we did miss feeling the sun like on the other Oasis class ships. The cantilevered double hot tub in the solarium near the entrance on the starboard side was very nice! It was a little freaky working your way over to the infinity edge of the tub and having nothing but glass in front of you! The views were amazing! · For some annoying reason, and we walked through the solarium every day (including right before sail away on embarkation day), we could not access the bridge wings on either side. They were always closed and roped off or crew members were cleaning the glass. We need to spend some more time in the solarium next time! · The Vue Bar does have a beautiful view! I love how it cantilevers over the edge of the ship. We will definitely be spending a little more time there next time as well. For some reason, we never stopped by after dark to see it illuminated. I had heard it closes really early. I’ll stop now as I could go on and on! We loved Wonder overall and honestly have never been disappointed with Royal to date. Even on an 8-night sailing, we could not come close to experiencing everything the ship has to offer. Our next sailing will be back on Wonder (10/29/23 – Halloween cruise) in 277 days (who's counting ). We can’t wait as we had a blast when we sailed over Halloween on Liberty OTS back in 2015! Maybe we’ll be able to experience all that we missed this time around… doubtful! Most of the group we cruised with this time will be joining us next time as well! Crap... I'll be forced to pick a costume! Thanks for following along! WAAAYTOOO, MaryS, asquared17 and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 Thanks for sharing @JohnK6404 Even though I have no plans to sail on Wonder in the near future, I've thoroughly enjoyed following along with your adventures and seeing all your pics. JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 I enjoyed this. I have Wonder booked for January 2024. It gives me an idea of what to look forward to. JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 4, 2023 Report Share Posted February 4, 2023 Thanks for this blog @JohnK6404! I know that I am late in posting this but following this blog has made me pretty excited to sail Wonder in a few months. I feel like everyone has sailed Wonder but me and I sort of put it on the back burner. But I am definitely looking forward to this coming July! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InmyElement Posted March 21, 2023 Report Share Posted March 21, 2023 Thanks John that was awesome. Just joined and found these Live Blogs..very cool. Just getting back into cruising after a 20 year break. I enjoyed hearing about MacArthur Airport. I grew up on the south shore of LI and my wife and I flew out of there many times for cruises in the 90s. Looking forward to your next blogs.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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