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A Year of Wonder! One More Time! (10/29/23-11/05/23... 7-Night, Eastern Caribbean)


JohnK6404

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11 minutes ago, KJ777 said:

We have Mason Jr reserved for dinner and Hooked reserved for lunch. But we'll be going to Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.

There's still time to add MJ brunch. Maybe during the Black Friday sale. 😁

We're doing that Western on Wonder in both June and July (for like the 3rd and 4th time I think). Can you tell we mostly sail for the ship and go wherever it happens to be going during the weeks that work for us?

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12 hours ago, KJ777 said:

Loving these updates, pictures and narrative!  We'll be on Wonder December 3rd.  We have Mason Jr reserved for dinner and Hooked reserved for lunch.  But we'll be going to Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.  Enjoy the last bit of your cruise!!

Oooh! If you have the time, please let us know how your cruise goes!

My wife and I will be doing that itinerary (plus PDCC) on Icon next May. We’ve never been to Costa Maya and Roatan. Have an amazing time!

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12 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

There's still time to add MJ brunch. Maybe during the Black Friday sale. 😁

We're doing that Western on Wonder in both June and July (for like the 3rd and 4th time I think). Can you tell we mostly sail for the ship and go wherever it happens to be going during the weeks that work for us?

Yes, check out the BF/CM sale! That’s how we got the Beach Club for $88.99 last year for this sailing.

I’ll be watching the sales like a hawk for our Icon sailing next May. The prices are insane across the board. DBP and UDP are absolutely ridiculous right now! If they don’t drop, we’ll likely skip them! 😱

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DAY 5:  ST. MAARTEN - (THU, 11/2)… continued…

Let’s wrap up Day 5 once and for all!

After dinner, we went to see the ice show, “365: Seasons on Ice” in Studio B. As with every ice show we’ve seen to date, it was excellent! Only on RC can you see an ice show!

I always marvel at how the skaters can skate on such a small surface that is rocking at times and often has colorful images/patterns projected on the ice surface!

There is usually one fall during every show we’ve seen, but the audience always applauds and understands and appreciates the level of difficulty!

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After the show, we walked for bit and to my wife’s horror, I found room for 3 slices of pepperoni pizza at Sorrento’s!

We headed back to the cabin and called it a night.

-

It’s now the final evening of the cruise. 😪

Bags tagged and in the hall… heading to bed, but will complete the blog when I get home!

Have a good evening!

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17 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I love these wonder blogs but I don't understand why none of you hang in the casino 🤪🤪🤣😅😅😅. I guess I will get all the deets in Jan. But the ice show looks amazing.

I do love to go to the casino. Mostly blackjack and sometimes slots, but the friends that usually come with us and like to gamble could not make this sailing. Also, my wife does not enjoy the casino like I do and I usually do not like to gamble alone (and she would kill me if I blew her off for the night, LOL!).

When we’re on Icon next May, I believe @CHRIS WONG will be onboard as the casino host. I will definitely make a point to visit the casino to say “Hello!”. 😃

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7 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

Oooh! If you have the time, please let us know how your cruise goes!

My wife and I will be doing that itinerary (plus PDCC) on Icon next May. We’ve never been to Costa Maya and Roatan. Have an amazing time!

I will try to remember to let you know!!  We haven't been to Costa Maya or Roatan but have been to Cozumel twice.  Thanks for keeping us updated on your cruise!  loving the pictures!!

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11 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

I always marvel at how the skaters can skate on such a small surface that is rocking at times and often has colorful images/patterns projected on the ice surface!

What always amazes me about the ice show is how they skate so well with such a terrible ice surface.

Have a safe trip home @JohnK6404! I've been loving the pictures!

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DAY 6:  * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)

I woke up early (a little after 6:00am) before Christine and started to explore the ship once again while most of the passengers were sleeping.

I worked my way to the Solarium… photo dump to follow! LOL! 😃

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One of the two hot tubs in the main part of the Solarium…

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I said this last time, but I still need to remember to grab a banana, place it in the gorilla’s palm, and take a pic one day! 😆

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Lower level of Solarium… To us, Wonder’s solarium is a nice hybrid of the Quantum and Oasis class solariums. Enclosed (climate-controlled) and multi-tiered (pool and seating)!

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Much nicer, although still relatively small, pool than on other Oasis class ships…

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Lower level behind the glass is the Solarium Bistro and the upper level is Hooked Seafood…

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Some panoramas taken in the center of the Solarium…

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Quick shot of the best hot tub on the ship IMHO… the double hot tub that cantilevers over the starboard side of the ship. Nicer pics to come! It was closed when I was taking my pics. This one is just inside Solarium once again on the starboard (right) side of the ship.

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Here are the pics I posted earlier of this hot tub from the pier! 😃

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Next, I walked the entire pool deck… 

Looking forward… Remember, when walking the pool deck, the slides are in the forward of the ship and the video screen is aft…

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Quick pano looking forward…

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Now, looking aft…

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Now, I headed further aft toward the Boardwalk neighborhood…

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Will continue on…

 

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DAY 6:  * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… continued…

Next, I headed back inside briefly and down to Central Park.

A few of shots of Wonderland an the view of the Boardwalk from inside…

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The outside of the Music Hall… of course closed in the AM!

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Now, entering Central Park… 

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Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, and the Trellis Bar…

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Outside Park Cafe… here’s the “medallion” once again…

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Outside Giovsanni’s…

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… and I’ll close this post with some more crazy men’s room bathroom murals!

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1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said:

I said this last time, but I still need to remember to grab a banana, place it in the gorilla’s palm, and take a pic one day!

We may have done this but I don't have it on my phone. I know we took a pic with a drink in his palm as "Gorilla" is somewhat of a nickname for my FIL who considers himself a pretty strong guy, lol.

1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said:

To us, Wonder’s solarium is a nice hybrid of the Quantum and Oasis class solariums. Enclosed (climate-controlled) and multi-tiered (pool and seating)!

We didn't spend much time there when with the family but we also thought it was great walking through and are looking forward to spending plenty of time there on our upcoming cruises.

53 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

crazy men’s room bathroom murals

Gotta love those!

Once again, thanks for all the great pics!

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57 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

So frustrating!

All of a sudden, I can't click on the Quote button because the stupid advertising banner covers it!

Sometimes it pops up above the banner and then disappears before I can click on it!

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Same issue on both my iPad and PC... any recommendations? 😫

i had to get an ad blocker which was helpful. and sometimes the banner style will change and not be so brutal. 

LOVE the fixture near the window that mimics the abyss in wonderland 😍😍 WELL DONE, royal. and that might be the prettiest opening/entrance to a wonderland i’ve see yet!! 

these pics are amazing!

also the giovanni’s kitchen — YUM. 

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DAY 6:  * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… continued…

Our busy, busy day continues!

I met Christine in the Windjammer for breakfast. It was still early, so there were no crowds and plenty of tables. They still had not opened up the whole restaurant when we arrived.

Next up this morning was our “All Access Ship Tour”! 

We’ve always wanted to do this tour, but we never got around to booking it. With the “Premier Pass “ Cruise Planner mini-fiasco, we both had OBC which we used to offset some of the cost of the tour. Also, what better ship to tour than the largest and most technologically advanced ship in the fleet (currently in service).

Photographs were encouraged, but video is not permitted.

We all met in the MDR and the guide provided us with an “All Access” pass and lanyard, as well as, an earpiece that was used throughout the tour for narration by each of the speakers.

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Surprised we got to keep the pass and lanyard... too bad we couldn't sneak onto another tour! LOL! 🤣

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We started in the MDR and took a tour of one of the MDR galleys…

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Next, we jumped onto “I-95” (of course named after the interstate) which traverses the entire length of the ship. Think of Disney’s underground network that their cast members use to get around the park, etc.

We stopped next in the Engine Control Room… we first had to go through a security check...

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Next, onto the recycling/waste disposal area (forgot technical name, LOL!). They explained that waste food is actually dumped into the ocean (fish food). Some items are recycled, while other items are incinerated onboard or crushed and removed from the ship upon return to port.

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I believe this is where they take the rude and nasty guests to... 🤣

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Back onto “I-95” and a tour of a couple of the food storage areas. They explained there are 21 provision refrigerators and freezers on the ship. They also explained that they generally store enough food for 7-9 days (closer to 9 during hurricane season). The rooms are somewhat empty because we toured the morning of Day 6.

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Next, on to the Laundry Facilities area… all washing is done on another level and sent down to this level…

Huge and amazing machine that dries, presses, and folds the bed sheets!

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Area where they repair garments, etc…

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Demo on how they steam and press pants. They explained crew uniforms are all laundered and pressed here as well…

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Demo of they steam shirts, etc…

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Next… up to the bridge! Of course, another security check before entering the bridge!

When we arrived, Capt. Rob, was not on the bridge. The tour is of course handled by another officer. We spent most of the time on one of the bridge wings (port side)…

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As the bridge tour wrapped up, Capt. Rob returned to the bridge (on right side)…

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A few of us had stayed back a little to speak with the officer that gave the tour. The rest of the group had moved on and as we headed off the bridge, Capt. Rob came by for a moment. One of the other folks in our group took a selfie with the Captain, but we just said a quick “Hello!” and headed out to catch up with the rest of the group. Maybe I could have stayed for a quick pic, but we didn’t want to take advantage and push it!

The tour finished in the Aqua Theater. The speaker (one of the guys that provide underwater support during the show wearing scuba gear) provided and overview of the theater, equipment, safety protocols, and answered the group’s questions. A few of the performers were hanging out and practicing some basic dives off of the trampoline…

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1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Wow! First, I know I already said it, but there are some really amazing pics in this blog. Second, this makes me want take an all access tour one day. It's quite detailed.

Thanks again! 😃

Yes, the all access tour is one of those things you should definitely book down the road. Not something you would probably repeat for some time.

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DAY 6:  * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… continued…

To speed this long day up… 😄

We had lunch at Chops Grille. We all had the Wild Mushroom Soup and the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail for our appetizers…

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Loved the warm pretzel rolls!

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Compared to the 6 ounce on the Key lunch menu, Chops offers an 8 oz. Angus Filet Mignon on the lunch menu. I like mine cooked medium to medium well. The waiter offered to have my filet butterflied so I gave that a try. The meat was perfect! Just enough pink for my taste and more flavorful and tender than the filet we had on embarkation day in the MDR.

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We ordered multiple sides including the Gruyère Cheese Tator Tots, Mashed Potatoes, and Mac & Cheese. You know you’re on a cruise when you always have dessert with your lunch! 🤣

I went with the Key Lime Meringue Pie which was excellent.

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A couple of pic of the inside of the restaurant…

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We spent the afternoon on the pool deck and in the Solarium. We never had a problem grabbing a convenient lounger in either location which was surprising. Maybe they are really monitoring the chair hogs!

Fast forward to dinner. This night was the second formal evening… lobster night a.k.a. “The Royal Night” in the MDR. This was the only evening we ate in the MDR. 

A little background on the MDR dining time. When we booked the cruise, we all selected the Early Traditional dining time of 5:30 PM. Royal later changed it to 5:00 PM on the Cruise Docs. However, when we received our SeaPass cards onboard, they changed it to My Time Dining! 🤨

Since we all purchased the Unlimited Dining Package and only planned on eating in the MDR on this evening, it wasn’t that much of a hassle. We went to the MDR on the first evening and explained the situation and they made a 5:30 PM reservation for the four of us.

I ordered my favorites off the menu… Baked French Onion Soup, Maine Lobster Tail, and the Baked Alaska. We all enjoyed our meals.

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After dinner we posed for some photos and then headed back to our cabins to change out of our formal wear.

Tonight, we have “The Effectors II: Crash & Burn” in the Royal Theater. For those not familiar, this is the “sequel” to the original production currently on Odyssey. It’s all about the tech and meant to be a fun show (characters are video game or comic book type characters/heroes). Don’t worry about following a complex plot! 😆

Spoilers… LOL! In the first installment on Odyssey, the Effectors eventually capture Crash (main villain) and imprison him somewhere in the Caribbean Sea (they say somewhere between Miami and Coco Cay 😆). In this sequel, Crash escapes with the help of a sidekick (Burn) and tries to capture all of the Effectors. Naturally, in the end, the Effectors capture Crash and Burn.

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Last January, we made the mistake of watching the show in the reserved Key section.

In the Royal Theater, the Key seating section is in the upper-level. One issue we had was that the railing cut-off the bottom of the stage. Also, all of the action (lasers, small drones, and large drone) occurred well in front of us.

This time around, we decided to sit mid-way up the center section in the lower-level. There were plenty of seats when we arrived 20 minutes before the start of the show. We found the show to naturally be more immersive as all of the lasers and flying objects were overhead. 

OK, time for bed... I'll try to wrap up Day 6 soon!

Goodnight everyone!

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2 hours ago, KJ777 said:

Repeating what everyone has said, these pictures are amazing!!  Not sure what you're using to take these but they're great!  

Looking forward to seeing all of this in person December 3!!

Thanks so much! Just my iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

My Nikon DSLR camera body is ancient and not worth taking on cruises at this point. 😐 The outdated sensor in my camera is unusable in low light without flash and it's only 10MP. I'll probably have to splurge on a new camera body if we go to Alaska down the road so I can take advantage of my lenses.

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27 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

I'll probably have to splurge on a new camera body if we go to Alaska down the road so I can take advantage of my lenses.

You're clearly at least somewhat into photography as these pics with "just your iPhone" look great. Have you ever heard of or looked into into a company called "Moment"? They sell iPhone cases and attachable lenses to enhance the quality. I'm not into taking photos whatsoever but my wife bought some of their products to use in Alaska in 2018 with her iPhone X (again, we're not into photography enough to bring a real camera) and they worked pretty well.

Just throwing it out there in case it serves a purpose, even if it's not for Alaska but for more everyday stuff or future Caribbean cruises or whatever. So many tourists asked her about the lenses when they saw her taking pics with them and they were just using their phone as-is.

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30 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

You're clearly at least somewhat into photography as these pics with "just your iPhone" look great. Have you ever heard of or looked into into a company called "Moment"? They sell iPhone cases and attachable lenses to enhance the quality. I'm not into taking photos whatsoever but my wife bought some of their products to use in Alaska in 2018 with her iPhone X (again, we're not into photography enough to bring a real camera) and they worked pretty well.

Just throwing it out there in case it serves a purpose, even if it's not for Alaska but for more everyday stuff or future Caribbean cruises or whatever. So many tourists asked her about the lenses when they saw her taking pics with them and they were just using their phone as-is.

Thanks! I'll take a look at their products.

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1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

You're clearly at least somewhat into photography as these pics with "just your iPhone" look great.

I was going to say the same thing! None of my iPhones ever take pics like this 😆 But then again, it's probably the user as well that isn't that great lol

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19 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

But then again, it's probably the user as well that isn't that great lol

I take almost no pictures for myself... but when asked to take one for someone else, my M.O. is to fire off like a dozen in the hopes that they find one that's decent, lol.

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11 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

I take almost no pictures for myself... but when asked to take one for someone else, my M.O. is to fire off like a dozen in the hopes that they find one that's decent, lol.

Omg! That is exactly me too! Good thing I married Hubby and he loves taking pics.

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1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Omg! That is exactly me too! Good thing I married Hubby and he loves taking pics.

This is why I'm unlikely do much live blogging. My wife will take pictures if we're seeing something special like Alaska but neither of us will ever be inclined to snap quick food pics or the other basic stuff one normally includes in a blog.

Not ruling it out completely but my brain doesn't know how to do an abbreviated version with brief comments and a few pics. If I could get myself to do that I would be far more likely to give it a shot.

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2 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

That's the beauty of a live blog...it can be an version you want. We're always happy to read.

I know... I'm just naturally long-winded on forums and my brain defaults to being very organized and completist (Day 1: Here's everything we did in detailed, chronological order) that I need to learn how to force myself to post bits and pieces. So what I want and what comes naturally are very conflicting, lol.

That's why I have historically written up long post-trip reports rather than live blogs (not here, please don't threaten to ban me again). 🙈

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DAY 6:  * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… conclusion!

Taking a short break while I work! Just wanted to wrap up Day 6. 

After the show, we all stopped by the Schooner Bar to listen to the piano player and have a few drinks. I forgot how loud they crank the volume up in the Schooner Bar. I’m all for loud music, I also love my home theater system, but it was REALLY loud! On top of that, none of us were impressed by the performer. Probably the worst performer we’ve heard to date in any venue on a Royal ship. 😬

I had heard Royal created new drinks for the Schooner Bar, so I ordered the Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Toasted Marshmallow Syrup, and Cocoa Bitters… Served with 4 mini toasted marshmallows). I love the PB&J Old Fashioned in the Mason Jar so I figured I give this drink a shot. Not a fan… a little funky for my tastebuds and not easy to finish. I like bourbon, so it must have been the other ingredients.

We finally had enough of the piano player and left the bar. My wife’s uncle and GF headed back to their cabin. Christine and I headed to the Boardwalk and grabbed a table outside at Playmakers. Hey, gotta use that UDP once again! I ordered the Pile On Nachos with Pulled Pork and Christine ordered the Playmakers Fries. Both were tasty.

Not the best pics!

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We walked around for a bit and finally headed back to the cabin for the evening.

 

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