OCSC Mike Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Intro I don't normally start blogs early since I don't have any flights, hotels, or packing shenanigans to share. We live an hour's drive from PC and I finish packing the morning of the cruise but here goes anyway. BTW, while this intro post will be long, I do plan to try my best to keep my reports from the ship much shorter and spread out rather than long daily recaps. We'll find out how successful I am when the time comes. We sailed Wonder last June with family and absolutely loved the ship... but it was not our usual cruise M.O. as we were freeloading in Sky Class and spent A LOT of time in the suite neighborhood with the fam. Semi-live blog here if anyone hasn't read it and wants to: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/41233-semi-live-trip-report-wonder-june-4-11/. Cabin Since it's just me and my wife, we're back in one of our beloved caves... err... interiors on deck 10. We like being somewhere in between the higher and lower decks to avoid elevators in either direction when possible so 10 seemed to fit the bill. We actually have three more Wonder cruises booked after this one and they're all in roughly the same area, deck 10 forward near the elevators. I chose forward after noticing from YouTube cabin videos that many (all?) aft interiors don't even have the small couch, just a tiny chair with a strange layout. I may not need a fancy room but I do like the little couch so forward it is. Food Anyone who reads my posts knows I like to eat and do so off and on from the early AM throughout the day and into the evening. Between frugality and my picky wife, the only specialty dining we have planned is Mason Jar brunch on day 3 (LOVED it in June and it was 40% off during the Black Friday sale) and one dinner in Playmakers b/c we love the burgers and garlic parm fries there. Breakfast and lunch could be wherever (likely not the MDR) and our other dinners will mostly be in the MDR (early seating). We didn't step foot in the WJ for dinner last time b/c we were always busy going from CK to a show. We will definitely pop in there this time, even if it's after the MDR, and if my wife finds something appealing, we could wind up skipping the MDR for a night or two and just heading there (@Lovetocruise2002's worst nightmare, I know). Shows We saw every show offered in June (including the now retired Tap Factory) so this time around the only shows we will definitely see are the ice show (our new favorite) and adult comedy b/c obviously that changes with the comics. We will probably see InTENse (aqua show) again just for the heck of it and if there's a headliner and it's an act we feel like seeing, we could go to that. The app shows singers on the last couple and next week's Wonder cruises and that's not something we'd bother with. I'm actually looking forward to not having plans every night so we can just find something random to do... game show, music at a bar, watching Karaoke, etc. Ports Day 2: CocoCay - We'll be parked at our favorite spot by the Oasis Pool making frequent trips to the nearest Snack Shack and Chill Grill while using a few Diamond vouchers. We could have tried Hideaway Beach for $19.99pp, which I know is a very low price, but other than the additional food options (of which my wife would eat none unless she wanted plain pizza), it held no appeal to us and I'd rather spend $40 at Playmakers or Mason Jar. We've always been very happy with the included food on CocoCay. Day 4: St. Thomas - No plans as we don't dock until 12:30pm and finding an afternoon excursion wasn't appealing to us. We may just stay on the ship unless we decide to take a quick walk around the port. Day 5: St. Martin - We're going back on Captain Bob's powerboat snorkeling tour after loving it 7 years ago. If you're not familiar, I highly recommend it as it has a little bit of everything... fun fast boat ride, tour of the island by sea, a couple snorkeling stops, a couple beach stops, a stop near Maho Beach to see the planes, plus lunch and beverages (mostly beer and soft drinks) included. Bob and his kids are from New York and moved to the island a long time ago. His son, Brett, was our boat captain in 2017 and I requested to sail with him again. Here's their website if you're interested... https://www.soualigadestinations.com/most-popular-tour-for-cruise-ship-visitors/. Like many things, I first chose this as something we could both enjoy. My wife is far more into snorkeling than I am but I can handle it in small doses and I'm content to chill on the boat with a drink if I get tired of it before she does. I also like that it has multiple stops. The only time I park myself on a beach is if there's shade and food/drink included (like CocoCay or a beach club). Milestone I almost forgot, we will be turning D+ on this cruise, woohoo! Shipmates @GatorCruiser will be on this cruise and has promised to pop in with his own commentary. He'll also be posting from the luxurious trappings behind the (rarely) locked glass doors of deck 17. @Matt will also be onboard with his kids for spring break (same as my teacher wife's as we live very close to him) and he's more than welcome to drop in if he wants to grace us with his presence. At the very least, I hope to run into him just to say hi but I'm an introvert IRL and I don't want to impose since he'll be with his family. Not sure I'll have much to share between now and then. I don't think this intro was TOO long-winded by my standards and, again, I will truly try to keep my posts from the ship shorter and more spread out. Looking forward to bringing you all along as I definitely feel more like a part of the community since I've been posting so much over the past however many months. SweetPea, CruzOnBye, Jax and 18 others 17 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilley Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Looking forward to hearing more. It was not too long. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Ahhh my reading pleasures just grew! Yet another cruise to follow. I’m getting close to possibly trying one of these myself . But I have plenty of time to consider while enjoying the next few weeks of happy cruisers doing their thing! Sweety, OCSC Mike, MaryS and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 9 Author Report Share Posted March 9 4 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: I’m getting close to possibly trying one of these myself Go for it. Share as much or as little as you like. Lots of pics or no pics. Any blog is better than no blog. PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO, CruzOnBye and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 This is going to be fun! Neesa and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 I'll be following along too. Your shore excursion in St Martin looks really good. OCSC Mike and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 9 Author Report Share Posted March 9 1 minute ago, FionaMG said: I'll be following along too. Your shore excursion in St Martin looks really good. I recommend it b/c it has a little bit of everything and you don't have to love snorkeling or love the beach or love swimming in the ocean to enjoy it. You can do as much or as little of the different parts as you want. You just have to be OK with a really fast boat. They have 3 engines and fly! Back in 2017, lunch was served at a tiny shack of a restaurant/bar that was really good. You picked your protein and it was grilled fresh. I still remember the fish I had (my wife got a hamburger of course). Sadly, it was destroyed by Hurricane Irma and never rebuilt so lunch is now packed sandwiches on french baguettes (which I assume should be good given the island is half-French). It won't ruin the excursion of course but I'll miss that lunch. BTW, I plan to go back through your recap for all the great MDR info. I remember telling my wife about the one dessert that you said was like the warm chocolate cake but I know there were a few other things I wanted to take note of. Thanks again for sharing. FionaMG, Sweety and PPPJJ-GCVAB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Have a joyful cruise. Looking forward to food pictures. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 9 Author Report Share Posted March 9 7 minutes ago, Sweety said: Have a joyful cruise. Looking forward to food pictures. Thanks. I never normally take pics but going to try to start and have enlisted my wife to help. WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527, GatorCruiser and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandstromCruise Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Congrats on the turning D+ Neesa, OCSC Mike and WAAAYTOOO 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 I am here for this one! Bring on those WJ pics! CruzOnBye, ScottD, Neesa and 3 others 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Hootie hoo!! Shipmate @OCSC Mike I’ll do my best to supplement this live blog as well. My wife and I and our two boys will be driving down from SC on Friday and plan to stay in cocoa at the Hilton garden beachfront which we stayed at previously. Gonna hit up fish lips and grills at the port for some meals. This is mine and hers second trip on Wonder. Our littles haven’t sailed her before. We’re staying in a GS deck 17. We received our concierge email yesterday. We do like specialty dining and have the package so we’ll do all of the joints aboard. I’ll try to post some pics of the suite lounge and me hob knobbing with the pins at happy hour and coastal to make @OCSC Mike ‘s mouth water. SweetPea, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Sweety and 5 others 5 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 9 Author Report Share Posted March 9 17 hours ago, GatorCruiser said: I’ll try to post some pics of the suite lounge and coastal to make @OCSC Mike ‘s mouth water. Again, I had a GS on Wonder. Nothing I haven't already seen, big shot. I'll miss night one filet in CK and the SL drinks but otherwise I think I'll manage. FWIW, we'll be at Mason Jar brunch on day 3 at 11:30. Pics of Giovanni's dinner would be good though. We're likely using our first D+ BOGO there in June. WAAAYTOOO, FionaMG, Neesa and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 We’re doing mason jar brunch on embarkation day. I’ll get pics there and Giovanni’s. I know you did the GS before, I just like razzing you nonetheless shipmate !! I know I’m small potatoes compared to so many others on here. Shoot we’ve never even done star class. Only started sailing Royal in 2019. So I’m a Johnny come lately relatively speaking Anyway. Lovetocruise2002, Sweety, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 9 Author Report Share Posted March 9 7 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said: Shoot we’ve never even done star class. Oh how terrible! I took my first cruise in 2002 for my honeymoon... didn't see a suite until 20 years later, lol. If you're small potatoes then I'm a burnt hash brown crumb. Great way to start the cruise. I may pop into the bar for a blackberry moonshine lemonade to go with my WJ lunch. Very good drink for early in the day. FionaMG, Neesa, Cactus527 and 5 others 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Our first couple Royal cruises were in oceanview balcony rooms. We made the mistake of doing a JS on navigator with our kids and the extra room was a god send. After that we were sold on the space of a suite especially when cruising with our children. Now I’m not gonna lie, I absolutely love the suite lounge. #addedbonus OCSC Mike, WAAAYTOOO, Neesa and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 2 hours ago, GatorCruiser said: Hootie hoo!! Wow. It’s been many years since I’ve heard Hootie Hoo. I had a dear, dear friend who passed away several years ago who used to say that. Sure brought back a lot of fun times with her. GatorCruiser, Neesa, Cactus527 and 3 others 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 I had a coworker who was big on the "hootie hooo!!" It was his favorite greeting and random word vomit. I am looking forward to this blog. I want to hear if the specialty restaurants are salty to @GatorCruiser. In Jan it was salt instead of flavor. Also I'm here for the Mason Jar pics. Be as long winded as you want, that's more for us to read. OCSC Mike, Neesa, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Mason Jar! Can't wait. PPPJJ-GCVAB and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 3 hours ago, Sweety said: Mason Jar! Can't wait. Me either. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Sweety and Lovetocruise2002 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 26 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Me either. Me too! But I have to wait until March 2025 to go back to Mason Jar PPPJJ-GCVAB and Sweety 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 10 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: . Sure brought back a lot of fun times with her. I’m glad I could. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 1 week till boarding ! Woo hoo! And boarding day today for @Lovetocruise2002 woo hoo! PPPJJ-GCVAB, OCSC Mike, Sweety and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 31 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Me too! But I have to wait until March 2025 to go back to Mason Jar Wait, slow down, hold on a minute... Did someone boarding her dream suite in like 2 hours just complain about lack of a restaurant? It gives you something to look forward to (plus it's on Utopia as well). But if you wanna be jealous of me b/c I will will be eating there in 9 days and on my next 6 cruises... I'll allow it. WAAAYTOOO, SweetPea, Lovetocruise2002 and 4 others 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 4 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Did someone boarding her dream suite in like 2 hours just complain about lack of a restaurant? I sure did! We think about Mason Jar all the time! Sweety, Neesa, WAAAYTOOO and 3 others 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 Some good sale prices on CocoCay cabanas popped up. Saw the same thing on Allure in October. Too bad it’s not a family cruise. Is it too late to start a gofundme? We could share it with @GatorCruiser's family. Cactus527, TessFromFlorida, JohnK6404 and 5 others 1 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 I'm here for all of the Snack Shack and WJ food reviews! Cactus527, Sweety, OCSC Mike and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Have a great time!!! Loved Wonder!!! OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 4 hours ago, OCSC Mike said: Some good sale prices on CocoCay cabanas popped up. Saw the same thing on Allure in October. Too bad it’s not a family cruise. Is it too late to start a gofundme? We could share it with @GatorCruiser's family. I'd want a whole cruise for that amount of money! PPPJJ-GCVAB, TessFromFlorida, OCSC Mike and 1 other 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 7 minutes ago, FionaMG said: I'd want a whole cruise for that amount of money! Me too, but given that I've seen $3499 on other cruises, it's a good price for anyone in the market. It's also a bit more palatable if you have a party of 8 and break it down that way. Some people pay $200pp for just the Beach Club. Those people aren't me of course, just sharing and making conversation. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 6 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Me too, but given that I've seen $3499 on other cruises, it's a good price for anyone in the market. It's also a bit more palatable if you have a party of 8 and break it down that way. Some people pay $200pp for just the Beach Club. Those people aren't me of course, just sharing and making conversation. Yep. I'm like you. Happy with the stuff that's included in the fare. We're Royal's least favourite type of passenger. Sweety, OCSC Mike, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 1 minute ago, FionaMG said: Yep. I'm like you. Happy with the stuff that's included in the fare. We're Royal's least favourite type of passenger. We each do a tiny bit of specialty dining... so there's that. Sweety, FionaMG and jbrinkm 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Mason Jar and Portside, here I come. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 Just now, Sweety said: Mason Jar and Portside, here I come. If only Portside was on Utopia instead of whatever that fake food truck is going to serve. I've never even tried Portside and I believe the food truck is free but I KNOW I'd enjoy Portside. Can't have everything I guess. I'm thankful to have Mason Jar and Playmakers on all my upcoming cruises to go with the included venues. Sweety, Neesa and PPPJJ-GCVAB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 SNACK SHACK. Excuse me, I need to go wipe the drool off my phone... ScottD, OCSC Mike and PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 11 Author Report Share Posted March 11 6 days to go and today's exciting update... I went to the bank for a stack of ones (mostly D drink tips) and other small bills for tipping. Told ya I don't normally start blogs early for good reason. Let's all go back to @Cactus527 and @Lovetocruise2002 's blogs now. MaryS, Gilley, Cactus527 and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 I worked today. Lovetocruise2002, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Neesa and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danoconnl Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 We'll se you on board, tho I won't be following this until after the cruise, we never get internet. We've got UDP this cruise, hideaway beach, and nothing planned for the other two stops(we like staying on board, tho we may go do a little exploring). Can't wait. Dan WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527, OCSC Mike and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 8 minutes ago, danoconnl said: We'll se you on board, tho I won't be following this until after the cruise, we never get internet. We've got UDP this cruise, hideaway beach, and nothing planned for the other two stops(we like staying on board, tho we may go do a little exploring). Enjoy all the food! We mostly stay on the ship as well. Our current plan is to do one excursion besides CocoCay per 7N cruise (and sometimes we hop off just to walk around the port for an hour or so and get back on). PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 13 Author Report Share Posted March 13 I’ve been keeping an eye out for a headliner & this just appeared in the app sometime today. It’s the only listed day/time but the headliner has also been performing twice on day 5 so I’m guessing that will pop up eventually. With his infectious enthusiasm, rapid-fire wit and highly-skilled juggling, Pete will absolutely change your opinion of jugglers. Widely recognized as the U.K.'s premier comedy juggler, with a career spanning three decades, Pete has performed on major, prime-time TV shows, attracting audiences in the tens of millions. He has performed on the inaugural sailings of every Royal Caribbean ship for the last 10 years. Saying Pete Matthews is just another juggler is like saying London is just another city. SweetPea, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Neesa and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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