Anniversary Tales – Episode XXI: From Galaxy’s Edge to the Wondrous Seas – WN 7/23/23 – 7/30/23

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Water is not just water lol. There is definitely a difference. I am big on drinking water so I guess that is why I place value on it. Ok, I am a water snob too

No explanation or defense needed (as you know). No comment on "water snob."

My wife basically drinks nothing but water at home but thankfully she can survive on standard spring water (she draws the line at purified).

[Lovetocruise2002]

The plan was to do e-muster right after lunch but because our brains are already in cruise relaxation mode, we completely forgot. It was already close to 1pm so we thought we would head back to the room to check for luggage. Halfway up the stairs we remembered e-muster so back down we went to Deck 6 to take care of that. Then I had a craving for a Starbucks refresher so that took us to Deck 5. The guest services line at 1:18pm

 

[CravingaCruise]

I haven’t been paying attention so I didn’t even know your adventure had begun. I just got all caught up on your crazy experience!  Wow!

So happy you were able to get to Orlando and do the Disney thing for hubby since that was a thing for him. Excited you are on the ship and can let your hair down now!!

Looking forward to the rest of your story!

Bon Voyage!

[Lovetocruise2002]

20 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

(she draws the line at purified).

That’s this stuff that @asquared17 and I complain about lol

 

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

That’s this stuff that @asquared17 and I complain about lol

Yeah, I know. My wife lives on the strawberry kiwi water on the ship but drinks that too (the horror).

In our fridge from last month’s GS…

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

Crazy storm just rolled in…

Time to go through some room pics

 

 

[twangster]

2 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Crazy storm just rolled in…

Time to go through some room pics

 

 

That's Florida for you.  

[Lovetocruise2002]

23 minutes ago, twangster said:

That's Florida for you.  

Doesn’t keep me away. I would take the random crazy storms over our freezing cold winters. 

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

I was on the PTZ webcam and saw the storm come in.  Pretty loud thunder!  Looks like it’s a quick one though…hopefully!  
Enjoy this anniversary cruise….

[Lovetocruise2002]

Wonder of the Seas - 2BD ATS - Deck 10

Hubby

Entrance and Living area 

Master Bedroom 

Master Bath

Second bedroom 

Second bath

Balcony

 

[twangster]

The primary bedroom mattress is one piece right?  

I moved my Harmony A1 to an A2 on Utopia.  I'm thinking the king mattress won't split but wasn't sure if that changed for the Oasis v2 ships.

[Lovetocruise2002]

For those of wondering if the ATS was too much space for 2, Hubby said no. As you can see, he has made great use of the second bedroom. He told me to report that he is so excited to finally have “premium top shelf space” and not the be “relegated to the bottom leftovers”.

 

In a turn of events, Hubby also loves this room. He has always been a bit anti-ATS, preferring the lofts. But the balcony has won him over. This room makes us miss our girls though. It would be the perfect space for the 4 of us. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

The primary bedroom mattress is one piece right?  

I moved my Harmony A1 to an A2 on Utopia.  I'm thinking the king mattress won't split but wasn't sure if that changed for the Oasis v2 ships.

I just took off the bedding a bit and can confirm that the master bedroom mattress is one whole piece. Cannot be split.

[bellemiche]

28 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

In a turn of events, Hubby also loves this room. He has always been a bit anti-ATS, preferring the lofts. But the balcony has won him over. This room makes us miss our girls though. It would be the perfect space for the 4 of us. 

You will just need to book another cruise in an ATS!! 

[WAAAYTOOO]

The master bathroom in the ATS has always been lame.  Too bad.  The rest of the suite is wonderful, but that Mbath does not comport with SC in any way.   It’s been a while since we were in an ATS.  Enjoy !

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The master bathroom in the ATS has always been lame.  Too bad.  The rest of the suite is wonderful, but that Mbath does not comport with SC in any way.   It’s been a while since we were in an ATS.  Enjoy !

I don’t mind the hike down the hall. It isn’t as long as I imagined lol

[WannaCruise]

OMG...too funny!  I just read DH your paragraph about the shelving about “premium top shelf space and not the be relegated to the bottom leftovers”.  I'm in hysterics (and can relate) 

Your room looks awesome!

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

OMG...too funny!  I just read DH your paragraph about the shelving about “premium top shelf space and not the be relegated to the bottom leftovers”.  I'm in hysterics (and can relate) 

Your room looks awesome!

 

With the two girls he gets even less space. He lives out of his suitcase

[Lovetocruise2002]

Sail away….

Mad Hatter’s Purple Potted Shrimp from Wonderland. Marla introduced Hubby to these last cruise and he loved them. So we got some to start off this sailing. 

Off on vacation mode for 1 week!

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

With the two girls he gets even less space. He lives out of his suitcase

I may not care about my water but that would be a hard no for me, lol.

I already mentioned folding/packing shirts on embarkation morning before we drive the hour to PC to avoid wrinkles. I need hangers. It's one of the only requests we make of our cabin steward when we meet him/her... more hangers please.

[JustMeJoe]

4 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Off on vacation mode for 1 week!

 

Poseidon is definitely looking over you guys!  Have a fantastic anniversary cruise.  

Bon Voyage

[SweetPea]

3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Onion ring tower (half size)

Nice! This is good to know. I was thinking I'd have to ask random strangers to share the onion ring tower, so kudos to them having half portions

[Jax]

40 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I don’t mind the hike down the hall. It isn’t as long as I imagined lo

I didn’t mind the walk either; not a fan of the room service trays and food left in hallways. We haven’t found a perfect star class room configuration yet but when the 3 of us cruise the ATS comes close given the second bedroom and aft deck. I agree with @WAAAYTOOO that the master bath is underwhelming but we spend more time on our deck and in the second bedroom than the master bathroom so it is what it is.  Your pictures are making me envious; I checked my cruise planner and I have 154 days to go. 

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, SweetPea said:

Nice! This is good to know. I was thinking I'd have to ask random strangers to share the onion ring tower, so kudos to them having half portions

I will be a random stranger if you ever need to share anything.

[Jax]

3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

we settled in for a bit and headed to Playmakers for lunch. 

Onion ring tower (half size), Pile on Nachos, Playmakers wings, and Jalapeño poppers.

This reminded me of how much we missed Playmakers and Portside BBQ on HM. I had hoped Sabor would be replaced with Playmakers in time for our upcoming cruise over Christmas but I am losing hope. You have some great dining options this week. Enjoy! 

[SweetPea]

Batman vetoed the Star Loft on Symphony for an ATS1 immediately for the balcony. I was torn, because I'm with @WAAAYTOOO. Give me a Star Loft bath in the ATS. The bathrooms in the ATS sorta suck mooseballs.

[SweetPea]

7 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

I will be a random stranger if you ever need to share anything.

You're on! 

[asquared17]

4 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

That’s this stuff that @asquared17 and I complain about lol

 

and @Neesa!!

this water is barely a step up from dasani and the reason i bought PH drops to enhance my water when i feared there was no premium water on board. 

i’m not a soda drinker and kind of a lightweight when it comes to booze, so “premium” water is important to me since it’s mostly what i drink on board. 

i will wear my water snob badge with pride

HAPPY SAILAWAY (this is very belated, i was at the beach all day ) and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!

[Jax]

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

I may not care about my water but that would be a hard no for me, lol.

Haha so true.  We all care about something, whether it’s bottled water, closet space, room service trays in the hallways or something else. Lol 

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Nice! This is good to know. I was thinking I'd have to ask random strangers to share the onion ring tower, so kudos to them having half portions

It’s not really “offered”. We know from previous visits that was can never finish it so we did not want to waste. We asked for half. 
 

5 hours ago, Jax said:

didn’t mind the walk either; not a fan of the room service trays and food left in hallways. We haven’t found a perfect star class room configuration yet but when the 3 of us cruise the ATS comes close given the second bedroom and aft deck. I agree with @WAAAYTOOO that the master bath is underwhelming but we spend more time on our deck and in the second bedroom than the master bathroom so it is what it is.

I find all the master bathrooms on HM and newer Oasis class underwhelming unless you are in the Royal Loft. Even the star loft’s upstairs bathroom (especially the shower) is much like the other sky suites. While I do like this room, my preference is still Deck 17/18. But this room is best if we had our kids. 
 

5 hours ago, Jax said:

had hoped Sabor would be replaced with Playmakers in time for our upcoming cruise over Christmas but I am losing hope.

Yeah, I hate to say it but after sailing amped Oasis, when we went back on HM a few months ago, I wasn’t feeling it as much as far as the dining went. No Playmakers, Port Side, or El Loco….

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

Speaking of dinner, you know where we went tonight right? 
 

Coastal Kitchen - Filet night! 
 

The food and service here was great tonight. We had our regulars and quality and taste were excellent. Sometimes the cuts of meat or the flavour is off in some CK’s but tonight it was fantastic! 
 

The chicken noodle soup was very different compared to Symphony and Harmony, but it was good! It had more of a Cajun taste to it, slightly spicy

[Lovetocruise2002]

I was afraid that Intense would be cancelled tonight because it was still raining slightly and there was some wind. It proceeded as planned and we went after dinner. I am not a fan of the bench seats, not comfortable at all. The show itself was good. There were some new interesting elements to it, however, this one is definitely not our favourite. While still impressive, both Hubby and I agreed that for a show called “Intense”, it wasn’t that intense. There was some energy and sharpness missing, even Hiro (on Symphony) seemed more intense than this show. I am going to upload clips on Instagram. Photos were difficult to get, we only got a few. 
 

[Lovetocruise2002]

Also, minor gripe from tonight’s 8:30pm showing of Intense. The entire front row was filled with kids under 12. I have no clue where all these kids came from, or who was supervising these kids, or where their parents were but they played with the fountains “during” the show for a good third of it before someone from the tech team said a few words to them. Guess parenting skills go on vacation too?

[SweetPea]

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

It’s not really “offered”. We know from previous visits that was can never finish it so we did not want to waste. We asked for half. 

I still appreciate it. I love a good onion ring. Batman hates them. Even with a half order, I'm still looking for random "friends" who are going to exceed their $limit or are pay as you go.  Let's face it. I'll chicken out and ask our Genie to just send them to our room....

Speaking of Genies... I'm going to sneak this in here. Our first SC cruise, we had a great Genie who certainly fit us.  However, he's going to be on our second SC cruise as well and while we love him and enjoyed his service, we'd simply like to experience a different Genie, for the sole reason of trying something/someone new. Does this make sense, and would you feel comfy doing something like requesting a different Genie? Obviously, it's only our 2nd SC cruise coming up. We just want a diverse experience. 

 

 

[bellemiche]

Well did you get wet? No "water jet malfunctions?"

[MLH]

5 hours ago, SweetPea said:

I still appreciate it. I love a good onion ring. Batman hates them. Even with a half order, I'm still looking for random "friends" who are going to exceed their $limit or are pay as you go.  Let's face it. I'll chicken out and ask our Genie to just send them to our room....

Speaking of Genies... I'm going to sneak this in here. Our first SC cruise, we had a great Genie who certainly fit us.  However, he's going to be on our second SC cruise as well and while we love him and enjoyed his service, we'd simply like to experience a different Genie, for the sole reason of trying something/someone new. Does this make sense, and would you feel comfy doing something like requesting a different Genie? Obviously, it's only our 2nd SC cruise coming up. We just want a diverse experience. 

 

 

We were in the same boat.  We had had a genie previously and all was fine, but requested not to have them for a different experience.  That request was not honored and we had them again so prepare yourself for that.  

[Neesa]

Neesas questions & statements, episode 1, lol!:

That chicken soup is different then mine just a few weeks ago. 

Why is that customer service line always like that day 1? 

Did you like the new location of CK? How about the views? I quite prefer the location on the other Oasis class but the space was beautiful, food good and service impeccable.

Is there a secret staircase? I love that cabin! Can you hear the aquashow soundtrack in the cabin? That was one of my least favorite as far as the show audio, wasn't a big fan. I would not want to hear it inside my cabin every show for sure. In comparison loved the ice show.

So happy all is well and you are having a great experience, but yes even on my sailing parenting seemed lacking on the ship. 

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

9 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Speaking of Genies... I'm going to sneak this in here. Our first SC cruise, we had a great Genie who certainly fit us.  However, he's going to be on our second SC cruise as well and while we love him and enjoyed his service, we'd simply like to experience a different Genie, for the sole reason of trying something/someone new. Does this make sense, and would you feel comfy doing something like requesting a different Genie? Obviously, it's only our 2nd SC cruise coming up. We just want a diverse experience

No, I don’t think it’s bad at all to request someone else. Or, an even more wild idea, leave it up to fate and not request. You might be pleasantly surprised. The times we did not request a particular genie have all worked out well for us. It’s fun to get to know them. Just another thought.

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 hours ago, bellemiche said:

Well did you get wet? No "water jet malfunctions?"

Rained on lol

[Lovetocruise2002]

3 hours ago, Neesa said:

That chicken soup is different then mine just a few weeks ago. 

Justin and I are cracking up! I just showed him your picture and he was like, “What on Earth? That is what it’s supposed to look like.” Ours was still good, just not what we expected lol

3 hours ago, Neesa said:

Why is that customer service line always like that day 1? 

I always wonder that too. That’s why I always take a photo. If anyone knows, I would love to hear the theories. 
 

3 hours ago, Neesa said:

Did you like the new location of CK? How about the views? I quite prefer the location on the other Oasis class but the space was beautiful, food good and service impeccable.

I do not like the location or the views. However, I love the space itself. The decor is beautiful, and I totally agree that the food and service is the best we have encountered since the pandemic restart in any CK. That would be compared to OA, AL, HM, SY, and AN. No contest! Not even close. Even breakfast this morning was better. 
 

We have run into several crew members here in CK that we remember, and they remember us, from other ships. Many of them started up WN and have remained. My theory is that some of the best go to new ships and that is why food quality/taste and service vary from one CK to another. But WN is the best right now for sure. 
 

3 hours ago, Neesa said:

Is there a secret staircase?

I have been told no. Supposedly, even the crew stairway next to our room doesn’t go all the way to the top decks. 
 

3 hours ago, Neesa said:

Can you hear the aquashow soundtrack in the cabin?

You can hear it loud and clear. We were face timing our kids last night around 11pm during the second show and even they could hear it over face time as we sat in the living area with the doors closed. It doesn’t bother us because we don’t sleep that early but for those that do, beware.