OCSC Mike

My favorite as well.

No Broadway show. Yes you book in advance just like any other Oasis class ship. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/wonder-of-the-seas/things-to-do Scroll down to activities and shows. There are 3 shows in the main theater, an ice show, and an aqua show.

Definitely. Mason Jar BRUNCH (never had dinner) was one of the best meals I've ever had on a ship and the CL snacks were very good when I was on in June. Also huge improvement of the WJ layout on Wonder, IMO, but I'm also a WJ fan in general. Love seeing how many people on various ships have commented on how good the pizza at Sorrento's has gotten. On both Wonder in June and Allure in October it was crispy and much better than it used to be. Thanks for sharing. Huge fan of this ship and looking forward to sailing her multiple times in the coming months.

Well said.

I hope there's booze in that shake (which would make it the same price as most cocktails).

Mine are in order. Agree that it's likely just a temporary glitch that will fix itself.

I appreciate the sentiment and also enjoy our food discussions. No, my experiences are never perfect (few things is this world are) but I've also never NOT gained a bunch of weight on a cruise, lol, so I'm unlikely to majorly complain about the food. The closest I've come to a bad experience was on Indy in 2022, but that was more due to the lack of included venues (Fish N Ships charged for everything back then; if I could have gotten included fish n chips and chicken fingers as a snack, I might have loved it) as well as the worst CL snacks I've ever seen, but that part really isn't important. That cruise let us know that while we're perfectly happy to drop down from Oasis class to Freedom/Voyager class, I really missed the extra food venues.

I can tell you why mine skew so positive (nothing is perfect) and it fits with that last line... It seems to me, from reading many food posts, that a significant number of them focus on or at least prominently mention the MDR. I was never a huge MDR fan, even back in the 2000's. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't as special to me as it was to others. Additionally, it wasn't optimal for my wife b/c she is very picky (as far as what she eats, not quality-wise) and would wind up ordering a caesar salad and the classic, boring grilled chicken far too often. So over the years, we realized that the WJ worked better for us b/c I eat a lot and it gave her more options. WJ's that had/have cook to order pasta/wok station were the perfect solution for us. She could obviously design her own dish and, honestly, they usually came out tasting hotter and fresher than anything in the MDR. I also enjoy quantity, trying lots of different things, and am not picky, so I do enjoy buffets. One last reason why I have always enjoyed the food is that dinner (again, a common focus of food posts) is not all that important to me. Why? I spend all day snacking and eating from the early AM when I get something to go with my CL cappuccino to my actual breakfast (always found breakfast enjoyable) to my lunch and afternoon snacks from Park Cafe, ELF, WJ, Sorrento's (the pizza was actually very good on my last 2 cruises), to some pre-dinner snacks in the Crown Lounge. Unless we have specialty dining booked, which is rare, by the time I get to dinner, I'm not looking for a huge, stellar meal. And if I'm still hungry after that, I'll check out WJ or grab some more pizza. Anyway, I know that was long-winded, but just sharing an example of why certain people may not view the food experience the same as others. If I was focused on main meals in the MDR, my opinion would likely be quite different.

They still do this but possibly to a lesser extent (I wasn’t cruising in the 90s). We spoke to the amazing crew we had in the SL/CK on Wonder last June. Several of them had opened Wonder & told us they would be opening Icon.

This is how you can “text” from iPhone to Android from the ship.

Almost assuredly yes. Then once Star launches both Utopia and Wonder will be doing 3/4s but one will head south (my guess is Wonder).

If I’m leaving WJ or somewhere else with cookies & know I’m heading back to my cabin I’ll usually pile some on a plate and take them with me… however many are left by the time I get there go in the ziploc.

Ignore the 60% wording. Just pay attention to the final price. How they word the "new" sale that starts every few days means nothing. Any Icon price right now is likely going to be pretty terrible. Icon is horribly inflated.

I consider that "doing it right." 😁

They were on Allure in October. Only RC cookie my picky wife likes besides chocolate chip.

Can't remember if there were cranberries, but I definitely had white chocolate macadamia on Allure in October. Big fan! There was actually a steady supply of just about every flavor, IIRC. It doesn't ruin the cruise but it's disappointing when something you like isn't available on a particular sailing.

Tough to answer... I'm a lover not a fighter... but I would be hoarding the croissants for the sake of love so... 🤷‍♀️ Another chocolate croissant anecdote I like sharing... We were on Indy in 2022 for 7N and there were no chocolate croissants to be found (we had a great time as always but the DL/CL was terrible as far as snacks). My wife asked the crew member who put out the breakfast spread on day 2 if there were any and he said he'd check but didn't find any. Not sure we even spoke to him again but on day 6 I went up to get coffee without my wife and there was a covered plate sitting on the concierge's desk with 5 chocolate croissants. He concierge said the crew member we had asked days ago finally found some and remembered my wife. Those are the crew members and gestures that stick with you.

If there were only two, I'll admit, I definitely would have taken both (sorry, happy wife...) but the CL on Allure in October had plain, chocolate, and almond every morning... and plenty of each.

Nachi definitely looks nicer as far as space and peacefulness (haven't been to the others, don't think I'll ever try Sancho's)... the subpar food and drink I experienced in October were just a deal breaker for me since I value those more than the actual lying on the beach part. Everyone has their preferences and food is of course subjective. Not everyone cares about all you can eat vs. 4-courses as well. Different strokes... We're paying extra to create our own peacefulness with a daybed at Paradise Beach in July. Not something we normally do but the main beach area did look awfully crowded when busy. After booking, of course, I noticed we're somehow in Cozumel on a day with only one other ship, so it probably won't be super crowded, but my wife was already sold on the daybed and I'm sure we'll enjoy it. There is also a promo code available via a popular blog site that at least covered some of it.

Indeed! I started out bringing a couple for cookies... now we bring more than we need "just in case." One has become my wife's chocolate croissant bag b/c in the past we have seen chocolate come and go and that's one of her favorite things. Of course on our last 2 cruises they had them every morning in SL/CL and we didn't need to be taking extra but better safe than sorry.

Escape the food? I only get off the ship at CocoCay BECAUSE of the food, lol.

That's exactly it for me and why I enjoy eating so much on cruises. It's not necessarily the 3 main meals (I only save room if we have specialty dining booked which isn't often); it's all the snacks I grab in between them... a bagel or egg sandwich from Park Cafe with my CL cappuccinos in the early AM (pre-breakfast), tacos from El Loco Fresh and/or a kummelweck from Park Cafe in the afternoon, CL snacks before dinner, pizza at night (or if I happen to be walking by Sporrento's), the ziploc bag of cookies I keep in my cabin at all times and replenish when needed, etc.

As someone who doesn't exercise and enjoys eating quite a bit when cruising (pus a handful of drinks per day), this is why I'm afraid of a cruise longer than 7N, lol. This Yank still isn't sure what a stone is, but I can gain 8-10 lbs. on a 7N cruise. But like you said, most of it comes off very quickly once back home. A good portion of it for me is water weight/swelling which is common on cruises.

As an early riser who also goes later on occasion, generally speaking, it usually does, but that could be even later than you think depending on the cruise. This is why I’m usually on the opposite side of “The WJ is a madhouse” discussions. It certainly can be if you go at the busiest times… but it’s not like that at all at other times in my experience (including embarkation day if you get there as soon as it opens.)

With the caveat that I'm not picky and have never been a huge MDR fan but eating is a big part of cruising for me... I enjoyed the food on both Wonder in June and Allure in October.