Disclaimer: We were hosted guests of Royal Caribbean on this sailing; however, as always, all opinions in this Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review are our own.
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Ship Overview
Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas is officially the largest cruise ship in the world! This 236K+ gross ton ship is home to 8 themed neighborhoods. Popular favorites like the Boardwalk and Central Park welcome guests with unique outdoor spaces.
In addition, Wonder of the Seas also has a brand new Suite Neighborhood. This exclusive area reserved for suite guests includes a restaurant, lounge, and a new outdoor sun deck.
Even though this ship is the fifth in the Oasis Class, there are other new features that you can only find on Wonder of the Seas as well. Among the additions are new restaurants and bars.
One of our favorites is The Mason Jar. This Southern-inspired specialty restaurant serves both brunch and dinner with popular items like chicken and waffles, gumbo, and more. The newly popular Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen also debuts on an Oasis Class ship in Central Park.
Of course, Wonder of the Seas is also home to several other Royal Caribbean favorites. The three story main dining room serves a rotational menu each evening. Complimentary casual dining includes Sorrento’s Pizza, the Boardwalk Dog House, El Loco Fresh, and the largest Windjammer buffet in the fleet. Additional specialty restaurants include Chops Grille, Izumi Sushi, Wonderland, and more.
Anther addition to this new ship is the Wonder Playscape. This brand new kid’s playground is the largest space of its kind in the Royal Caribbean fleet. While the kids are enjoying themselves here, adults can sip a drink from the new Vue Bar or Cantina Fresca. Of course, other signature bars like Boleros and the Schooner Bar are present too.
The new Wonder of the Seas is also a hub of entertainment. From game shows and comedy, to karaoke, ice skating, and laser tag, there will never be a dull moment. There is also the 10-story Ultimate Abyss slide, 3 waterslides, mini-golf, a zip line, and more. Not to mention, Wonder of the Seas will debut four signature production shows.
In the Aqua Theater, inTENse, is an all-female production with high-flying acrobatics and high-energy fun for all ages. The ice rink, Studio B, is home to the signature ice show, 365. The Royal Theater showcases the new show Voices. This show blends real world performers with digital counterparts in a unique performance that you wont find on any other ship. Finally, the sequel to Effectors is scheduled to debut on Wonder of the Seas later this year to round out the entertainment line up.
Our 7-day Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review was action packed. Our itinerary included stops in the private destinations of Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, Haiti. With so much ground to cover, one week was not enough to experience all this ship had to offer. That is why we are already planning another cruise on this innovative new vessel.
EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Score Deals on Wonder of the Seas Cruises Now!
Day 1 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
A Hectic Morning
Less than a week after returning from our Windstar Cruises Dreams of Tahiti sailing, we are back out to sea. Just off a ship that accommodates roughly 300 passengers and weighs in at 13K gross tons, we were ready to start this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review.
This Royal Caribbean record-breaking ship holds over 5700 passengers at double-occupancy. At 236K gross tons, Wonder of the Seas is now the largest cruise ship in world, stealing the title from her sister Symphony of the Seas.
With the unpredictable New England weather, we flew into Fort Lauderdale the night before the cruise. Our pre-cruise hotel stay at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina allowed us to prepare for a busy week ahead.
As hosted guests of Royal Caribbean on this sailing, we received our cruise confirmation late. So, the earliest embarkation time slot available was 1:30 pm. Knowing the ship would be busy with many loyal to Royal cruisers, we made the decision to head to the terminal for 11 am in the hopes of getting on early.
Checking out of the hotel took only a few minutes, even though there were hordes of other cruisers doing the same. Thus, we were in an Uber heading to the pier by 10:35 am. There was a small traffic jam at the port security, but we still arrived at the terminal in about 15 minutes.
After scanning the area, this was certainly going to be the busiest cruise we had been on since the restart!
The pier-side staff were efficient at managing the crowd of eager cruisers. We were soon directed towards check-in showing our negative COVID-19 tests first.
Using the Diamond check-in line, this entire process took only 10 minutes.
We then proceeded upstairs to the waiting area at Terminal 18. Here, it was another 10 minutes or so before Pinnacle cruisers and Suite guests were let onto the ship.
Before we could blink, the Diamond Plus and Diamond cruisers were called to board the ship. It was 11:20 am, and we were on Wonder of the Seas!
Where Do We Go from Here?
Normally, our first order of business on embarkation day is to head to the top of the ship and begin our tour. This time around, our first stop was Guest Services. Yes, we had to be THOSE people. Unfortunately, there was an issue linking this reservation to our app, so we could not make any dining or entertainment reservations.
Thirty minutes later, the issue was resolved, and we had our entertainment reservations booked for the week. We also booked a few specialty dining reservations.
By now, the Promenade was a sea of people. Grabbing a selfie first, we then decided to start our tour in reserve order, heading down to Deck 4.
We were only successful at getting videos and photos of a few venues, including the new smaller casino taking the place of Jazz on 4, the main dining room, and the casino. So, we decided to just head up to the pool deck. First, we stopped at the Conference Center on Deck 3 to check-in for our media passes.
Surprisingly, the pool deck was not as busy as we expected. Along the way, we ran into fellow cruise fans and content creators trying to capture as much as they could as well.
By now, it was past 1 pm and the cabins were ready. So, we made our way back down to Deck 10 to drop off our bags. We had a portside Oceanview cabin, cabin 10260.
Both our suitcases had already arrived, but there was no time to unpack.
With a few minutes to touch up and reorganize, we were back out the door to complete our muster drill at our E2 muster station. Throughout our travels, we were able to compete the virtual portion on our mobile devices. Thus, it was a quick check-in at our station only.
This gave us just enough time to get to the press conference in the Music Hall. The SVP of hotel operations and chief product innovation officer were the speakers for this approximately 30-minute presentation and Q&A session.
Following the session, we hung around to talk to some of our friends and the PR staff. It was great to see some old friends and fellow cruise enthusiasts.
Waiting to Set Sail
Our scheduled sail away was 5 pm. So, we first returned to our cabin to grab photos and videos of the stateroom. Then, we headed back up to the outdoor decks to find a prime viewing spot for our sail away from Port Everglades.
Eventually, we opted for a spot on Deck 16 aft behind the Flowrider. Cameras in hand, we watched Celebrity Equinox sail out. Then, we waited. About 30 minutes behind schedule, we finally set sail from Port Everglades towards our first port of call.
Back to our room, we somehow managed to get everything unpacked and changed up in about an hour for our 7 pm dining reservation at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen.
Alas, we were down to the Deck 8 Central Park neighborhood where we could finally sit down and relax a bit.
Settling into Our Typical Cruise Routine
Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen is located in the same spot you typically find either Jamie’s Italian or Giovanni’s Table on other Oasis Class ships. By the time we arrived, the restaurant was relatively full, but we were escorted to a table for two right across from the entrance of the restaurant.
From here, we settled into a nearly two-hour feast. The waitstaff was doing their best to manage the busy restaurant, but this did mean there were some long gaps between our courses. Actually, the restaurant seemed understaffed.
Given this was our fifth visit to this restaurant (twice on Freedom of the Seas and twice on Odyssey of the Seas), we already had a general sense of what we were going to order for dinner this evening.
First, we started with some drinks and garlic bread knots.
For starters, we ordered a pizza but decided to try a new one, the truffle and egg pizza. This was essentially a cheese pizza with a fried egg and sprinkles of bacon. I love the Giovanni’s pizza, but this particular selection would not rank at the top of my list.
I also did the calamari. This crispy starter is served in unique style, with whole sections of squid breaded and fried.
For dinner, the Princess ordered chicken parmesan. This large chicken cutlet came smothered in sauce and cheese, paired with just the right amount of al dente pasta.
Since I have tried many dishes on this menu already, I ordered the filet on the waiter’s recommendation. This medium rare seared steak was tender and delicious. It was served on a bed of mushrooms and sautéed spinach. These flavorful vegetables were the perfect compliment to this lightly seasoned cut of beef.
As dinner progressed and the restaurant got busier, it did take a while for our waiter to return with drink refills and to clear our plates. Given this extended timing, we debated skipping dessert. But, how could we pass up tiramisu and cannoli? Also, I was going to need some coffee to make it through the evening.
Surviving a Late Night 1
Finishing our sweet treats around 9 pm, we waddled down to the Royal Promenade.
Our next stop was the logo shop. We were not going to miss out on getting the obligatory inaugural cruise t-shirts and cruise ship ornament.
While the shop was busy, it was manageable and well-staffed. I was successful in getting a few t-shirts in my size. Though, we received three different stories about cruise ship ornaments. The short answer was that they didn’t have any yet.
Next, it was on to the Royal Theater. We checked into the show to ensure we got our preferred portside theater seats, then I ran our purchases back upstairs to the cabin.
To our surprise, tonight’s Welcome Aboard comedy show would have three, not two, performers. Cruiser favorite Simeon Kirkiles was opening the show, ahead of Al Romas and Louis Johnson.
Both of these comedians frequent Royal Caribbean ships. Still, their performances were fun and entertaining.
Following this show, we made our way across the ship and up four decks to the Music Hall.
Luckily, the cruise ship’s rock band, Phoenix, had not started playing yet. Though, by the time we arrived at the venue, all the prime seats were taken. Instead, we grabbed a small table in the balcony on Deck 9.
We love the Music Hall concept, but the venues on the Quantum Class are more spacious and feel more like a concert venue.
For the next 45 minutes, we enjoyed Phoenix perform songs from Aerosmith, Journey, White Snake, and even Bon Jovi. Sipping a few of our favorite drinks from the venue’s specialty cocktail menu, we lasted until a little after midnight.
It was a whirlwind day, and it felt like we had so much more to do and see still. Good thing we had six more days to capture it all.
Day 2 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
Making Up for Lost Time
The alarm was set for 6:30 am. Day 2 of this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review was a sea day, and we needed to make up for lost time yesterday.
I was out the door to roam around the ship capturing as much footage as I could this morning. Unfortunately, it was windy and wet, so I wasn’t able to capture as much of the outdoor decks as I hoped.
My 90 minute+ journey included several venues like the Windjammer, the Solarium, and the Royal Promenade. In fact, this was one of the only times that I ever stepped foot in the Windjammer.
With coffees in hand from the Café Promenade, I was back to the room by 8 am to shower and change up for the day.
The media group provided us a lunch reservation at Chops Grille for 12 pm today. So, we skipped breakfast and headed out again to capture more of the ship.
From the Boardwalk, to Central Park, and back to the Royal Promenade, we did what we could to get the best shots sans fellow cruisers.
Working Off Lunch
When we arrived at Chops for our lunch reservation, the host informed us there would be 40 people in our group. We were sat at a table of 8, while others from the group were scattered amongst 4 tables. Slowly, more individuals joined our table. It was nice getting to meet some new faces and learn about their travels.
Lunch was outstanding. I started with the shrimp cocktail. It was just the right amount of fresh shrimp accompanied by a mild dipping sauce. The Princess did her usual, a wedge salad. I was going to take it easy for lunch, but once everyone around me began ordering steaks, I was all in on the filet.
This filet mignon was similar to the one I had the night before. However, this one was served with accompanying sauces. Either way, both cuts of meat were just the way I like them, lightly seasoned and medium rare.
For side dishes, our waiter indicted he was going to bring a selection for the table. Heidi and I split the cheese tater tots and asparagus. The tater tots were better than I remembered them. Crispy and gooey, with a savory cheese filling.
I was perfectly fine skipping dessert after everything else I had eaten. Although, when everyone else went ahead and made selections for this final course, I obliged. The key lime pie was sweet and tart. A buttery, rich crust was the foundation for this light and airy dessert.
Good thing we skipped breakfast.
Leaving the restaurant after 2:30 pm, we made a pit stop at the conference center to get our shore excursion tickets for Labadee. Then, we made a b-line to Café Promenade for some much needed coffee.
We were back to the room around 3:30 pm to do some work and plan out the next couple of days. While we did make a small dent in our list of things to do, it was just a fraction of what we still needed for the site.
For this first formal night, there was a cocktail hour hosted by the media team at 6:30 pm in the Solarium.
An Atypical Formal Night
We were up to Deck 15 slightly after 6:30 pm, where there was already a rather large crowd of fellow writers and content creators. Having a few drinks and socializing, a small group of us headed to My Time Dining around 7:45 pm. Yes, this is considerably later than our typical dinner time.
The Night 2 menu includes some elevated items that I enjoy; although, Heidi is not a fan of this menu. I opted for the fried calamari, duck a l’orange, and Grand Marnier soufflé.
The calamari was crispy and tender, served with aioli that had a slight kick. The duck was hot and paired well with a red cabbage slaw. The soufflé was just sweet enough, with a moist and flavorful center.
We were out of dinner around 9:30 pm. By now, the Royal Promenade bars and lounges were all standing room only. The casino was busy. For the first time really, it felt like cruising was back.
Although, this left us with time to kill before our 10:30 pm comedy show in the Attic. So, we headed down to Deck 4 and caught the remaining few challenges in the Battle of the Sexes game show in Studio B.
With a small line forming already, we then queued outside the Attic. The Attic doors opened up a few minutes later, and we found seats in the center of the venue, far enough away from the stage to appease the Princess. She certainly does not want to be part of any comedy show.
The show featured the same trio of comedians as the night before. Similar to Night 1, Simeon warmed up the audience. Then, Al Romas performed followed by Louis Johnson.
Each set was completely unique from the first night. We both agreed that Al’s set was far funnier.
The show ended around 11:15 pm. Originally, we had plans to stick around for the silent disco which was occurring in the same venue at 11:45 pm. Though, the fatigue was setting in, so we decided to call it a night.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day exploring Labadee.
Day 3 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
A Return to Labadee
Day 3 of this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review was the ship’s first port of call in Labadee, Haiti. This private Royal Caribbean resort offers several beaches and activities. The big attraction is the Dragon’s Breath zip line. This half mile zip line is the longest line completely over water.
We had not visited this destination in over 4 years, so we were eager to get off the ship early and explore.
With the gangway planned to open at 8 am, I was up at 6 am to continue my ship tour for photos and videos. Yet again, it was very windy, so my tour was not too strategic again this morning.
Before returning to the cabin, I grabbed iced lattes and a small plate of breakfast pastries from Café Promenade.
Ready to exit the ship around 8:30 am, this was a bit later than we wanted. So, there were a good number of cruisers exiting with us.
Still, we walk around for a few hours exploring and capturing photos and videos.
Our first tour, the zip line, wasn’t until 11:45 am. This gave us plenty of time to rediscover this private destination.
Having been to Perfect Day at CocoCay close to 10 times now, it was really hard for us to not compare it to Labadee, Haiti. This destination is certainly the “less developed” of the two now. Still, there are paved walkways, plenty of bars, and strategically placed dining facilities.
There are also several sports activities, a selection of cabanas, and the Dragon’s Breath zipline and Dragon’s Tail coaster, among other shore excursion options.
Since our last visit, Labadee has definitely been spruced up a bit while still maintaining its quieter, relaxed vibes.
Not Exactly What We Signed Up for Today
Running into some friends who were also doing the zip line, we got to the meeting point about 20 minutes early. This activity has several requirements, including wearing closed-toe shoes. So, the Princess needed to make a costume change before we could check-in.
With our tickets in hand, we completed the necessary paperwork and safety briefing. From there, it was on to a practice run.
Loading us up into two open-air buses, it was then a 5-minute ride up to the starting point, over 500 feet in elevation. Labadee offers a more traditional zip line experience and the head first superman zip line. Our media group had tickets for the traditional zip line where you sit in a harness during the flight.
With about 30 in our group, we ended up being among the last to take flight. We were all strapped in and ready to set off, when the officials radioed up that it was too windy. They were closing down the zip lines!
After some back and forth, they were able to get clearance to send us down the superman zip line. I was all set for this adventure, but the Princess was a bit apprehensive. Quickly getting over her fear of going head first, we soared over water to our landing point.
More of Labadee
We were down to ground level by 1:15 pm. This did not give us much time to walk to the entire opposite end of the beach for our second tour, the Dragon’s Breath Coaster. This small coaster is similar to an alpine slide with hand brakes.
There was no line at the coaster, so we were able to check-in, sign waivers, and get right to the loading platform.
After a short, and I mean short, safety video, we loaded into the cars for the slow ascent up the hillside. With the accelerator all the way down, I zoomed down the slide the entire way. It felt much faster than I expected and was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Heidi got stuck behind someone riding the brakes, so she didn’t get to go full steam ahead on her ride.
If you are thinking of riding this coaster, the all-day pass is probably a worthy investment.
The entire experience, from loading to the bottom, was a little over 4:30 minutes.
Done with our two excursions now, and virtually nothing to eat or drink all day, we grabbed some fruit from the nearby Dragon Café as the island barbecue was mostly wrapped up already.
Of course, we also grabbed a round of Labadoozies, the island’s signature drink, before heading back to the ship.
Back onboard a bit before 3 pm, it was straight to Café Promenade for our afternoon pick-me-up. The Promenade seemed to be business as usual. So, we were surprised to learn later that there was a malfunction during the day, with the sprinkler system soaking the entire deck!
With our coffee in hand, we returned to our room for a much need break and air conditioning.
This evening, we made reservations for the new specialty restaurant, The Mason Jar. The only time we could get was 5:45 pm.
Southern Comfort Food at Sea
The Mason Jar is a brand new restaurant in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Debuting on Wonder of the Seas, this restaurant offers Southern dishes in a casual, farmhouse setting.
Upon entering the restaurant, the bar is to the left (forward side) and the restaurant is to the right (aft side). The restaurant is an up-charge and does require reservations. However, the bar is first come, first serve.
After checking in, a hostess escorted us to a table for two on the interior side of the restaurant.
It wasn’t long until our waiter, Nikhil, came over to introduce himself. Compared to the service on Night 1 at Giovanni’s Kitchen, the service at the Mason Jar was more prompt and friendly. He reviewed the menu with us and quickly took our drink order. Of course, we each ordered one of the signature cocktails.
Based on the VP of Food and Beverage’s suggestion, I tried the PB&J Old Fashioned. This peanut butter-based whiskey cocktail was strong but smooth. The Princess ordered the Mississippi Moonlight, which was sweet and flavorful. So far, we were off to a good start!
There were a lot of delicious options on the menu, and you can read all about it in our Wonder of the Seas Mason Jar Review. In short, we absolutely loved the restaurant.
Among my favorites were the Gumbo, Crab Beignets, the Po’boy, and the Gone Bananas dessert. Each dish was exquisitely prepared, with a true homestyle cooking feel. Everything we ordered was flavorful, filling, and oh so yummy.
The restaurant was busy, yet dinner still took less than 90 minutes.
Grabbing a Few Drinks
We were out of the restaurant around 7:30 pm, and our headliner show this evening wasn’t until 10:15 pm. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy a few of the venues on Wonder of the Seas. Every cruise, we attempt to do a “drink around the ship” getting a cocktail at every bar.
Down to the Royal Promenade, we were there just in time to catch a flight on the Rising Tide Bar. Ascending to Deck 8, we decided to stay on for the flight back down as it was raining outside.
Arriving back at the Promenade, we made our way to Boleros for some Latin Music and a second round of drinks. Here, my go-to is a Hemingway Daiquiri, and the Princess did a Strawberry Mojito. With the music ending around 9:45 pm, it was time to head to the show.
The headliner tonight was a magician, Jamie Allen. His act consisted mostly of slight of hand card tricks and coin tricks. Given the build-up, we thought the show was pretty basic, with no real banter either.
After a long day in the sun, and a partial food coma, we opted to call it a night around 11 pm when the show ended.
Day 4 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
Another Bright Morning
Today was already Day 4 of this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review. Like the previous days, I was up around 6 am to do some more filming. The day before, I had made an appointment with the Spa Manager to check out the thermal suite area and treatment rooms before they opened. For a ship of this size, it did feel pretty small to me.
On my way back to the cabin, I grabbed our morning coffees. The ship was calling in San Juan, PR today at 1 pm. So, we had all morning to catch up on some work. Further, I had a few meetings for my full-time job.
Also, the PR team made reservations for our group to have brunch at The Mason Jar. Yes, this would be the second time we were eating at this new specialty restaurant in an 18-hour period.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Upon arriving at the Mason Jar, we were seated at a table in the back of the restaurant with 3 other individuals. Now that we had a bigger party, I didn’t feel so bad about ordering a bunch of items to sample.
I am not a huge fan of breakfast, so I did the chicken and waffles as my main course. The two large pieces of boneless fried chicken sat atop light and fluffy waffles. The accompanying hot honey and maple syrup provides even more flavor. The Princess ordered the stuffed French toast. With bananas, peanut butter, and bacon, what’s not to love?
For the table, we also ordered the blueberry johnnycakes and the cinnamon roll. My favorite was the cinnamon roll, which had a nutty flavor and was topped with candied pecans.
Overall, we think the Mason Jar is a great and unique addition to the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Exiting the restaurant, a few PR folks mentioned that we could get a tour of the new Suite Neighborhood. Sign us up!
The highlight of this new Suite Neighborhood is the outdoor Suite Sundeck, Yes, it is pretty sweet. This private area exclusively for suite guests includes a plunge pool, bar, loungers, and seating area.
We also got a peek at the private restaurant (Coastal Kitchen), the Suite Lounge, and a Grand Suite.
A Low Key Afternoon
By now, it was 1:45 pm, and the ship had been cleared.
Thinking many people would be off the ship by now, we headed to the pool deck in attempt to get more photos and videos. To our surprise, a good number of cruisers decided to stay onboard at this port.
After about an hour, it was time for our afternoon coffee and to catch up on some work before dinner.
Our night time plans had us attending two shows, both of which are exclusive to Wonder of the Seas. Knowing that we did not want to miss these productions, we made reservations for a light dinner at Izumi for 5:45 pm.
Oddly enough, this was the first time we had ever eaten at this Asian restaurant. We have done hibachi on several Royal Caribbean cruises, but never Izumi Sushi.
The restaurant’s a la carte menu gave us the flexibility to try a few things.
We ordered the fried rice and pot stickers as appetizers. Heidi ordered the udon noodles with chicken as her entrée while I did two sushi platters, the snow crab and the seared tuna rolls.
Service here was very quick as the restaurant side was not very busy. So, we were done with our dinner in about an hour.
With the menu including more than just sushi, we both agreed that we would certainly dine at Izumi again.
Two Signature Productions in One Night
Our first show of the evening, the Aqua Showcase, was at 8 pm. This was a preview of the new show inTENse which is set to debut in the Aqua Theater in the next few weeks.
As avid Royal Caribbean cruisers, we knew this show would fill up quickly. Even though we had a reserved media section, we agreed to get there no later than 7:30 pm. This timing gave us about an hour or so to kill.
Reviewing our options, we decided to head to our favorite bar, the Schooner Bar. This venue is right next to the Boardwalk, so it was also the perfect location.
Once we saw enough cruisers heading to the Boardwalk, we made our way there as well and secured some prime center seats.
From the various acts that were showcased during the 45-minute performance hosted by the company’s head of entertainment, Nick Weir, we know this performance is going to be amazing. This aqua show features an all-female cast of acrobats, divers, and performers.
Done by 8:45 pm, it was a mad dash to the entire other end of the ship for the second show of the evening, Voices. This main theater show is a counter to the special effect extravaganza, the Effectors. First debuting on Odyssey of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas will be getting a sequel later this year.
By the time we got to the theater, there was a large crowd of cruisers already scanning into the show. Somehow, we managed to find central seats on Deck 4.
This show described as “zoom world meets real world” features six live singers and a cast of dancers. In addition to the main performers, there are video screens of other performers who are creating all of the sound effects for the production. We both agreed that the singers were top notch. However, while the concept of the show sounds intriguing, we found the video montages and zoom style backdrops distracting.
We found ourselves watching the screens more than the actual performers. While other cruisers in the theater seemed to love the show, we thought it was just okay.
With our second show of the evening done by 10 pm, we knew it was too early to call it a night on the largest cruise ship in the world. We had already missed the silent disco, so we couldn’t miss the Red Party too.
Scanning the Royal Promenade, we found ourselves back at the Schooner Bar. This time, we both got a round of espresso martinis to help ward off the tiredness.
Now past 11 pm, we made our way to Studio B for the Red Party. I think we lasted about 15 minutes when we both agreed to leave. We made our obligatory appearance, so it was time for bed.
Day 5 was a sea day, and we both needed some sleep.
Day 5 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
A Poolside Work Day
Going strong for 4 days straight, we opted to sleep in this morning. By sleeping in, I mean we set the alarm for 7 am. Actually, we were both awake before the alarm anyway.
A few photos and iced coffees later, I was back to the room by 8:30 am. As the largest ship in the world, it was taking way longer than usual to gather the photos and videos we needed of the ship.
Again, we decided to skip breakfast. The Princess was adamant about getting lunch at EL Loco Fresh today. I was fine with that, as the tacos and nachos at this complimentary restaurant never disappoint.
This morning was going to be the real test of the ship. Would we be able to find loungers on the pool deck? Out by 10 am, there were a decent number of available spots on the Deck 16 sun deck, as well as seats in the shade next to the main pools.
Given the wind on the upper deck, we settled on some loungers in the sun next to the kids splash zone. Honestly, this worked out fine as there were not many little ones in this area.
Here, we were able to get some work done for a few hours. For me, it was the perfect temperature. However, the Princess alternated between these seats and a seat in the shade.
Around noon, we ordered a round of drinks. The Lime & Coconut signature drink is one of our favorites in the Royal Caribbean drink menus.
Finishing up our drinks and work, we headed aft to El Loco Fresh for lunch.
It was busy. So, first we found seats. Then, we strategically took turns getting food. Certainly, not the healthiest option, but my plate of custom nachos with pulled pork was the ideal lunchtime “snack”.
Tonight was lobster night in the main dining room. So, I made sure to leave some room for this formal night favorite.
Time to Smile
While outside, a friend messaged us that there was going to be a meet up for a photo op at 3 pm. So, after finishing our meal, we returned to the room to change up and do a little work.
We returned to the pool deck just before 3 pm. It turned out that the Sexiest Man Competition was occurring at the same time. We almost forgot about this pool deck staple. With COVID protocols and restrictions, events like this have been absent from our previous cruises.
Actually, Wonder of the Seas was the most “normal” cruise that we have had since the restart. The following day, we also saw staff practicing for the Anchor’s Away parade which is set to resume soon.
This creators photo op, followed by some chatting with old and new friends, lasted about an hour. It was nice getting to meet everyone in person. Though, it also felt a little strange that others were asking to take pictures with us. Do we resemble celebrities? LOL!
Of course, if you ever see us on a ship, don’t hesitate to come up and say hi.
Wrapping up the session, it was time for our afternoon dose of coffee and some work before getting ready for this second formal night.
With My Time Dining, we planned to take a few formal pictures and head to the main dining room for around 6:30 pm.
Another Formal Night on Wonder of the Seas
Surprisingly, the Royal Promenade was not as busy as the first formal night. Reviewing the portrait galleries, we decided on just one station. The ship’s signature red Mustang was just too perfect for us to pass up. After all, Heidi is a fan of sports cars and previously owned a Mustang herself.
Bumping into some friends along the way, we ended up getting to dinner closer to 7 pm. Entering the “without reservations” line, we had no issues getting a table for two.
Our waitstaff team were fast and friendly. They quickly came by to introduce themselves and review the menu. It was the pretty typical formal night menu, so we already knew what we were going to order.
For starters, we both did the Vidalia onion tart. This Royal Caribbean staple was served hot from the kitchen.
For dinner, I made my own “surf and turf”, ordering the lobster tail and the beef tenderloin.
The lobster was not as flavorful or fresh as the versions I had during our Oasis of the Seas cruise a few months prior. Although, the beef tenderloin held true to its name. It was tender, juicy, and cooked to the ideal medium-rare temperature.
We were surprised that the Main Dining Room was not very busy. So, the pacing of tonight’s meal was on the quicker side.
For dessert, I went with the molten chocolate cake, while Heidi held true to the Baked Alaska. Neither dessert disappointed.
A Late Night Onboard
Out of dinner by 8:15 pm, we had time to kill before our show at 9:15 pm. We had the ship’s new ice show, 365, boked for tonight. Both of us are fans of this Royal Caribbean exclusive entertainment offering, so we couldn’t miss this new show.
With several bars on our drink around the ship to still check off the list, we ascended one deck to the Bionic Bar.
The Bionic Bar is a bit of a gimmick. Not to mention, the drinks usually aren’t that good. Still, you have to capture the robotic bartenders mixing up your concoctions. Tonight, I did a Bionic Tea, and Heidi ordered the Apple Blast. This time around, the drinks weren’t too bad.
Following our drinks, we stopped in at the Photo Gallery to purchase our two free Crown and Anchor photos. Paying the extra $5 for the digital downloads, we totally forgot to pick-up our printed photos on the last night of the cruise.
Finishing our purchases, we headed down to Studio B around 8:50 pm to get seats for the show. Surprisingly, we were able to get some center section seats with unobstructed views.
We always like the ice shows, and this one was no exception. It did feel like there were more ensemble numbers rather than featured performers though. Following the show, the cruise director also informed the crowd that only 5% of the props and set pieces were actually in place. Due to supply chain issues, most of the set had not arrived yet!
So, this performance is sure to be even more impressive once everything is in place.
Out of the show by 10 pm, we met up with a group in the pub. Another location to cross off our bar crawl. Alongside a rather rowdy bunch of cruisers, we enjoyed some conversation and the acoustic guitarist, Kevin Phillips.
A few rounds, laughs, and songs later, it was already past midnight. For us, this is late, especially after several long days onboard already. So, we said goodnight and retreated to our cabin for the evening.
Tomorrow was another work day for me. Plus, we had a laundry list of things we still needed to do, see, and eat for our Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review!
Day 6 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
Working at Sea
Maybe it was the late night at the pub, but I didn’t want to get out of bed when the alarm went off at 7 am this morning.
Today’s port of call was Nassau, Bahamas. Like many frequent cruisers, we were fine staying on the ship all day. Sadly though, I needed to spend the morning working my full time job.
For once, we actually decided to grab some breakfast today. We opted for Park Café on Deck 8 in Central Park.
On Wonder of the Seas, there is no coffee counter serving espresso-based drinks in the café. Thus, I still had to head to Café Promenade to get our morning lattes.
Surprisingly, Park Café was pretty quiet when we arrived around 9 am. For a ship at over 70% capacity, the crowds were manageable for most of the cruise.
The food offerings were on par with other Oasis Class ships. There was a bagel bar, some fruit and continental breakfast items, and several different breakfast sandwiches. The Princess did the egg muffin, and I did the breakfast burrito.
Breakfast was quick, which meant I could get back to work in the room. I spent most of the morning working in the cabin, while Heidi worked on stuff for the blog and social media.
An Extended Lunch Break
We took a break around noon as I needed to get out of our cabin.
It wouldn’t be a Royal Caribbean cruise without a match of mini golf. The Wonder of the Seas’ min-golf course is now part of the starboard side Playscape. It has an underwater theme which is distinct from the “dunes” version on other ships in the fleet.
There’s no need to discuss who won the match.
After walking around a bit, we decided to grab a light lunch. So, we returned to Park Café around 2 pm to get some small bites. Of course, I went with the signature Royal Kummelweck roast beef sandwich.
We then grabbed some iced coffees, and maybe a few cookies, at Café Promenade before returning to the room and work.
While working, we could see several Carnival cruise ships getting into formation off in the distance. As part of the line’s 50th birthday celebration, they were staging a meet-up and photo op off the coast of The Bahamas.
A Pre-Dinner Show
Tonight, we were invited to a happy hour event sponsored by the Bahamas pier side at 5:30 pm.
The event was occurring not far from the gangway, with a live band welcoming the ship. We stopped in for about 45 minutes. Though, the music was very loud and didn’t lend to much conversation.
Back onboard, we had reservations for the adult comedy show at 7 pm. Performing tonight was the Royal Caribbean guest favorite, Simeon Kirkiles. His 45-minute set was hilarious. He has put together a show that really captures the essence of cruising. The performance was well attended, funny, and just more evidence that he should have his own headliner show.
After the show, we made our way to Central Park. Giovanni’s Wine Bar was the perfect place to get a drink and some snacks this evening. We went for a glass of wine and stayed for the pizza and arancini.
While the food is a nominal up-charge, we think it is well worth the costs. The a la carte menu provides flexibility if you just want to share a few items with friends.
We enjoyed the tranquility and light music in Central Park during dinner. This concept is one of our favorites. The al fresco dining here is far less windy and crowded than some of the competitor lines’ Waterfront dining spaces.
Service at Giovanni’s Wine Bar was timely, and the food delicious.
Enjoying the Nighttime Views
As the ship was pulling out of port, we decided to check out the upper decks all lit up at night. It was too nice to head back inside just yet. The pool deck popped with bright colors accenting the ship’s unique outdoor spaces.
One bar that we hadn’t visited yet on Wonder of the Seas was the Wonderland restaurant bar. Known for its unique cocktails, we headed here next to enjoy the Cheshire Cat Cosmo and Smoke Rings cocktails.
We had just enough time to finish our drinks before heading down to the theater for the rock band’s featured performance. While not a true tribute band, Phoenix did play a variety of classic rock songs from the 70’s and 80’s. The hour set featured popular hits from bands like The Eagles, Journey, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, and Bon Jovi.
With an encore taking the show past 11 pm, we decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was the final day of this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review, and we were heading back to one of our favorite spots, Perfect Day at Coco Cay.
Day 7 – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
Now the Pool Decks Are Empty
Today was the final day of our Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review, and the ship was set to arrive in Perfect Day at CocoCay by 8 am. Letting everyone off the ship first, I was hoping that I could collect some remaining footage and photos this morning before we headed off to the island.
Up and changed, I grabbed us some coffee from Café Promenade. Officially, we did not step foot inside the Windjammer to eat at all on this cruise!
We scanned off the ship around 10:45 am to enjoy another perfect day at CocoCay.
Docked alongside of us was Freedom of the Seas. There was a spring break charter on the cruise with something like 800 college students. Glad we weren’t on that vessel! Though, it did mean the island was busier than the last several times we’ve visited.
The Final Perfect Day
Like every trip to this port of call, we first did one loop around the island, mainly to see if anything had changed and to assess the crowds. From Chill Island all the way around and back to the Thrill Waterpark took about an hour.
While Perfect Day at CocoCay was the busiest we have seen since the restart, it was still manageable. Since the island can accommodate two sold-out Oasis Class ships, there were plenty of loungers near the beaches.
The Oasis Lagoon Pool was not completely overrun with party goers, but the swim-up bar was still a little too busy for us.
Our media group had select cabanas reserved around the island. By the time we got to one of the cabanas in the Thrill Waterpark, it was just about time for some lunch. The menu had basically the same food that is available from the Snack Shack.
We ordered a chicken sandwich and burger along with two Coco Locos, which are mandatory during any visit to PDCC.
I had an afternoon meeting, so we jetted back to the ship for an hour or so after lunch. There is WiFi on the island, but I preferred the quiet of our cabin. My meeting was done just in time to get back out to the island for our 3 pm happy hour at the Coco Beach Club.
While we have been here a few times before, we weren’t going to pass up the chance to go back.
To save time, and not be a sweaty mess, the Princess convinced me to take the tram over to the beach club.
A Change of Plans
All the usual suspects were present for this private event. We grabbed a round of the club’s signature cocktails, the coco cuvee, as well as sampled a new menu item debuting soon. Two overwater cabanas were also open for us to tour.
The happy hour lasted until 4 pm when everyone was shuttled back to the tram station near the front of the island. From here, we walked back to ship.
Originally, we had plans for dinner at Hooked for 7 pm this evening, but a friend invited us to join his table at Izumi instead.
This new 6 pm dining time did mean we had to hustle to get shower and changed.
The restaurant was much busier than our previous dining experience earlier in the cruise. Service was rather slow, and it took over 30 minutes to get our drinks.
Again, my food selections at Izumi were all excellent. I tried the shrimp tempura and the crispy rice spicy tuna for starters. The tuna delivered a nice kick, and the tempura was lightly battered shrimp and veggies. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have ordered both fried dishes.
For a main course, I did the Spider rolls. These were also flavorful and a nice combination of crab and veggies.
The Princess went with the only other chicken dish on the menu, the chicken teriyaki. When comparing her two dishes from the trip, she preferred the udon noodles.
For dessert, we split the mochi ice cream.
The Last Drink of the Cruise
Done with dinner around 8 pm, we headed up to the Mason Jar bar. Surprisingly, it was not very busy. So, we grabbed a high top table with four seats and a round of drinks as the Country Crew Trio played in the background.
During the conversation, I mentioned that the band’s lead singer looked familiar. Come to find out, he was the same performer who was featured in the Portside BBQ on our Oasis of the Seas sailing back in November.
As the rest of the crowd started filtering out to the pub, we returned to our room to pack. Yes, it was past 10 pm and we hadn’t done any packing yet.
We had every intention of heading back out after packing, but just to be safe, we said our goodbyes anyway.
Returning to our cabin, it took longer than it should have to get our luggage in order. Along with all the inaugural gifts and souvenirs, we had to be strategic to get our suitcases under 50 pounds.
So, we opted to call it a night afterwards. Unfortunately, our Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise review was officially over.
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Disembarkation – Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review
Behind Schedule
Our fight home with Jet Blue was 11:17 am. With Royal Caribbean starting self-assist checkout at 6:45 am and the airport located only 10 minutes from the cruise terminal, we couldn’t get a better flight time.
To finish up some last minute packing, we set the alarm for 6 am. We figured this would give us enough time to get ready, rearrange our remaining items, and grab breakfast. Our intention was to disembark the ship by 7:30 am.
Roughly on time, we exited our room around 7:45 am. The first elevator down had just enough room for Heidi to squeeze in with one suitcase. When the next two elevators did not have space for me, I lugged the other 50 lb. suitcase down 5 decks to the Royal Promenade.
Despite that small delay, the rest of the checkout process was seamless. We scanned off the ship, went through border patrol, and were waiting for a share ride in less than 25 minutes.
Not Another Delay
Going through the airport check-in process and security took another 45 minutes. So, we were at our gate with about 90 minutes until boarding.
This is when the fun began. First, there was an announcement that our gate had been changed to completely across the airport. Then, our flight was delayed 30 minutes.
Once onboard the plane, we were informed that all planes were grounded due to weather. After another 30 minutes, the pilot indicated that he got approval for a different route. So, he diverted the plane to a different runway, and we were off, finally.
Of course, we couldn’t complain too much. We had an unforgettable time on this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise. It was great to be among the first to explore this newest and largest cruise ship in the world. With so much to do onboard this vessel, we need to book another cruise to experience it all!
Until then, we are home for just a short time before we depart on our next cruise. This time on Princess Cruises’ newest ship, Discovery Princess.
Comments
What do you think of our Wonder of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Review? Do you have plans to sail on this brand new cruise ship? Drop us an anchor below to share what you love about Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships.
Hi!
I love reading your articles about cruising & watching the videos too. We are sailing on the Wonder in Dec.
We love good pizza & are wondering if the surcharge in Giovanni’s is worth it for the pizza?
Sorrento’s pizza is ok but we were hoping for something a notch up.
Also, I love Fufu drinks & like to find one great bar to get them. Which bar would you recommend that makes excellent drinks?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Happy sailing!
Thanks so much,
Judy Fleischer