LIVE from Wonder of the Seas Transatlantic April 2022

[laurieal]

18 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

@laurieal I have really enjoyed your review and great pics!  Good job!  
We have not tried a TA before.  What kind of effects, if any, does traveling through the time zones have.  I flew to Cambodia and back before and it messed my head up for awhile.  I was thinking if I flew overseas and then cruised back the time changing would not have much of an effect on me.  What do you think. 🤔 

Based on my experience, the time changes are handled differently on eastbound and westbound crossings. 
 

The two times I did eastbound crossings, the time changes happened during the day. On the Wonder, we had six hours to “lose” before reaching Spain, so on six different days the Captain would make an announcement at 2pm to say that we needed to set our clocks forward to 3pm. 
 

For me, the only effect was that I needed to plan my feedings accordingly. If I had dinner reservations at 6pm, I needed to keep in mind that to my body it would feel like 5pm so I planned my lunches with that in mind. 
 

The two times I did westbound crossings, the time change happened at night and it was glorious to get the extra sleep. 

[topnole]

16 hours ago, laurieal said:

Based on my experience, the time changes are handled differently on eastbound and westbound crossings. 
 

The two times I did eastbound crossings, the time changes happened during the day. On the Wonder, we had six hours to “lose” before reaching Spain, so on six different days the Captain would make an announcement at 2pm to say that we needed to set our clocks forward to 3pm. 
 

For me, the only effect was that I needed to plan my feedings accordingly. If I had dinner reservations at 6pm, I needed to keep in mind that to my body it would feel like 5pm so I planned my lunches with that in mind. 
 

The two times I did westbound crossings, the time change happened at night and it was glorious to get the extra sleep. 

I’ve also done both East and westbound. The time changes are easy.  Going east you lose and hour every day or two.  Very easy to manage.  We hit Europe totally adjusted.  It was marvelous.  I do love gaining an hour on the westbound, but I’d much prefer flying home from Europe.  I always adjust easily flying home from Europe but the adjustment heading over there is always a little exhausting.   So there are pros and cons to each for me.  But the adjustment on the cruise portion of a TA is easy.  

[suzyluvs2cruise]

18 hours ago, laurieal said:

Based on my experience, the time changes are handled differently on eastbound and westbound crossings. 
 

The two times I did eastbound crossings, the time changes happened during the day. On the Wonder, we had six hours to “lose” before reaching Spain, so on six different days the Captain would make an announcement at 2pm to say that we needed to set our clocks forward to 3pm. 
 

For me, the only effect was that I needed to plan my feedings accordingly. If I had dinner reservations at 6pm, I needed to keep in mind that to my body it would feel like 5pm so I planned my lunches with that in mind. 
 

The two times I did westbound crossings, the time change happened at night and it was glorious to get the extra sleep. 

We're currently on the Celebrity APEX TA. Two time changes so far and both done at midnight. 

[barry1984]

I’ll be so sad when you get off the ship as I’m loving reading your report and I don’t want your cruise to end! Your posts are fabulous and I can’t believe English isn’t your first language! I’m on Wonder in just under 2 weeks and reading your posts is making me so pumped up for it!

 

Question for you: How much are those cute cuddly octopi in Sugar Beach? I want one!!

[Digjharper]

According to the info board beside the elevators on level 10, we are going to enjoy some extra daylight today but might be bit dark whilst walking in Palma😎

[laurieal]

10 hours ago, barry1984 said:

I’ll be so sad when you get off the ship as I’m loving reading your report and I don’t want your cruise to end! Your posts are fabulous and I can’t believe English isn’t your first language! I’m on Wonder in just under 2 weeks and reading your posts is making me so pumped up for it!

 

Question for you: How much are those cute cuddly octopi in Sugar Beach? I want one!!

That’s fun! I’m sure you will enjoy Wonder a lot. Which ports are you visiting?

 

Sugar Beach is currently closed while we are in port, but I will try to swing by later and check how much they are. By then I should know if I can bring one home or not 🤞 

[laurieal]

Day 12 Compass

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

Day 12

 

Hello from the Solarium!

 

That day we were docked in Cartagena. I had never been there, but from the research I had done prior to the trip it looked like a very walkable city, so I decided not to book any excursions (this is going to be a recurring theme). 
 

 

At this point I would like to point out that the R key is very close to the D key and almost every time I want to write Hooked I slip and hit the wrong key and autocorrect doesn’t catch it because it’s also a word. It’s a conscious effort every time. 

 

Still feeling full from my dinner at Hooked (teehee) and feeling the pace of the crossing (I need to stop telling people I enjoy cruises because they force me to relax - I have relaxed exactly twice since I’ve got on this ship), I dragged myself out of bed and off the ship.

 

Again, we waited until most of the excursions had gone and we didn’t have to wait at all to get off. The gangway was on deck 3 this time and involved escalators, but someone from the crew spotted me and used their magic key to re-route the elevator to deck 2. It’s often a steep ramp to get off the ship, but someone is always there to help. 

 

Everyone was exhausted from our day in Málaga and most places were closed since it was a Sunday, so we had a relatively quick visit. We strolled along the port to Calle Mayor, the main street with the marble pavement. 
 

 

 

 

We saw the Roman theatre from afar because none of us really felt like getting in line to do the full visit. With three cruise ships in port, Calle Mayor felt very busy and sometimes almost claustrophobic, so we often opted for the smaller streets. Some of them were very charming, and some seemed like very good places to hide bodies. Something for everyone, I guess. 
 

 

 

 

 

We got distracted by a pretty cool t-shirt place, where I didn’t buy anything and later regretted that specific life choice. I saw many bags from that shop making their way back to the ship, so business must have been very good with all the tourists in town. 
 

 

After some wandering around, we needed coffee and restrooms, so we found a café that was open and I got a cortado (because I was in Spain). They had some very tasty looking pastries, but sadly I didn’t notice the name of the place. I can tell you for sure it wasn’t named after my cat. 
 

 

 

After that, we slowly made our way back to the ship where these guys were waiting for us. 
 

 

I was finally starting to feel hungry again by that point, so I went to Central Park for a kummelweck sandwich, which was just as delicious as the previous one. 

 

 

It was absolutely lovely outside, so I went up to deck 16 and got a Sangria Swirl from Cantina Fresca (because I was in Spain), which I brought with me to…yes, the Lime & Coconut. I stayed there long enough to finish my Sangria and order a Lime & Coconut, and I enjoyed the sunshine while working on my review at my usual table until sailaway. 

 

 

It was a fun sailaway! Plenty of people had gathered to see us leave and the views were beautiful. Look at this Bond villain cave behind the lighthouse…you know there has to be someone stroking a white cat in there. 
 

 

 

I met my friends for dinner at the Windjammer where the theme was American Classics. I wasn’t that hungry, so I had some cheese, some fruit, and a bit of cheesy pasta. My friends seemed to really enjoy the American classics; the mashed potatoes were particularly popular. 

 

After dinner I discovered a new drink at the Lime & Coconut: the Papa Jac (rum, passion fruit syrup and lime juice). So simple, yet so delicious. To make up for all the time I had spent unaware of the existence of this sweet beverage, I had two, the second of which I took on a date with me to Sorrento’s where I had a slice of pepperoni pizza and my favourite marinated spicy cheese. 
 

 

 

 

Filled with spicy cheese, passion fruit and happiness, I went to Spotlight Karaoke to watch the Perfect Couple game show, which was fun, and then I was off to bed. 

 

[laurieal]

Day 13 Compass

 

 

 

 

[crewsweeper]

OOO!! Those pastries!!!😋😋

 

What a great looking city.  And I'm telling my wife about the Papa Jac.  She doesn't drink much but that could be something she'd enjoy.

 

You're having a grand time!! Thanks for  rolling us along with you!!

[dolphingirl47]

I have got to have a Sangria Swirl tomorrow. This looks delicious.

 

Corinna

[bobmacliberty]

7 hours ago, laurieal said:

 

 

I'm stealing this picture and sending it to my 26 year old daughter.  Fits her perfectly.  We've given her several "I see stupid people" items over the years.

[Girlloves2cruise]

We are booked for the Transatlantic on the Wonder leaving Barcelona/Port Canaveral  10/30/22.   Can't wait to follow you these next few days and get some inside on this new Ship 

[Teeara]

12 hours ago, Girlloves2cruise said:

We are booked for the Transatlantic on the Wonder leaving Barcelona/Port Canaveral  10/30/22.   Can't wait to follow you these next few days and get some inside on this new Ship 

Come and join our roll call for the WB TA!  

 

[laurieal]

21 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I'm stealing this picture and sending it to my 26 year old daughter.  Fits her perfectly.  We've given her several "I see stupid people" items over the years.

 

 

In case she’d like one without me in it 😊 

[laurieal]

Day 13

 

Hello from the Bionic Bar!

 

…no, I’m lying, I’m at the Lime & Coconut on deck 16 again. 

 

We were docked in Valencia that day, which I had visited back in 2017 during the Jewel of the Seas Westbound crossing. That time, I had opted for a walking tour, so this time I decided to explore the city on my own. 

 

We were docked at Muelle Cruceros, which is around 2.4km from the cruise terminal. Once at the cruise terminal, it is around 4km to the Old Town. Two shuttle options were offered: one complimentary shuttle to the cruise terminal and one shuttle to the Old Town which cost €10. 

 

The complimentary buses going to the cruise terminal were all accessible. Only one of the buses going to Old Town was accessible, so it could be a 0-30 minutes wait depending on when you got there. I was a bit unlucky and I got there just as the accessible bus was leaving, so I waited the full 30 minutes. 

 

Once the bus got there, I found the driver to be very efficient and competent. You could tell he had used his wheelchair lift before (trust me, it’s not always the case). 
 

 

The lift itself was…well…it certainly was attached to the bus and it went up and down, so that was good. But it felt very flimsy and it had nothing to prevent someone from rolling backwards and falling off the edge. The railings one would use to steady themselves also felt very flimsy and shaky. The driver, however, did make sure things were as safe as possible by confirming my brakes were solidly engaged and keeping an eye on me. 

 

 

The bus looked like it could have fit two wheelchairs, but I don’t think it would have been safe to do so. While it seemed like the bus was equipped with an anchoring system, I was told to hold the handles on the seats in front of me to make sure I didn’t topple backwards. Had there been a second wheelchair, they would have had nothing to hold on to. 

 

 

That worked ok for me because I have two fully functioning, well-defined, very muscular arms (or so I like to tell myself). I’m not sure what someone with an arm impairment would do. Perhaps they have some anchors they can use if someone requests them? I’m afraid I didn’t think to ask. One of my friends noticed some accessible taxis at the port, so those could potentially be a good alternative. 

 

The shuttle dropped us off at the Pont del Serrans, which is the bridge that will lead you to the Porta de Serrans. Despite him speaking no English and us speaking very little Spanish, the driver managed to ask when we wanted to go back to the ship. When we said around 2pm, he told us to be back at exactly 2pm and that he would be waiting to take us back to the ship. 
 

 

And then we were off through Porta de Serrans and into the Old Town. We started by making our way to Plaça de la Mare de Déu where the big Neptune fountain is. 
 

 

 

 

On our way to Plaça de la Reina, we had a look at the Cathedral from outside. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, we couldn’t really see Plaça de la Reina because they were doing some heavy construction work. We hopped into a few stores, but it was so loud from all the construction that we quickly started walking towards the Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas. 
 

 

 

 

 

Then, we headed towards the market. On the way we found a place selling the world’s best bocadillo. Can you believe it? The best in the entire world! Obviously, people don’t just say those things lightly, so we had to get some. My bocadillo had all the things I like in the world: jamón, cheese, and good bread. Very tasty and the perfect food for people on the move. 

 

 

 

 

The best bocadillos in the world happened to be next to Citees, the same t-shirt shop we had seen in Cartagena. I had been regretting not buying anything the day before, so I was determined to make things right and I ended up getting four t-shirts. For someone in IT working from home, those are basically formal wear. 

 

 

Eventually, we made it to the market, which is very big and airy. We were there on a Monday and it didn’t feel too busy, so we took our time walking around and having a look at all the colourful stalls. 
 

 

 

 

 

After using the market’s accessible restroom, we started slowly making our way back to the shuttle’s meeting point. When we got to the meeting point with 5 minutes to spare, the accessible bus was full of people and waiting for us. I’m really hoping those people weren’t waiting for too long, but it did feel good to see the shuttle waiting for us at the agreed-upon time.

 

 

 

Back on the ship, we got ready for dinner and met for a pre-dinner pitcher of cider at Playmakers. Then, we were off to Chops for our last specialty meal of the cruise. 
 

 

 

 

To start, I had the Lavender martini, which our waiter said was their signature cocktail. For my appetizers, I got the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail followed by the Wild Mushroom Soup. That soup is gooood and I always look forward to having it. I had the Petite Filet, which was cooked just like I enjoy it (barely), and the Truffled French Fries, which were nice and truffley. 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, I had the Key Lime Pie. I’m not a huge fan of meringue when it’s very eggy, so I personally would prefer not having so much of it, but I have to admit it looks impressive the way they present it. We also had a chocolate cake to share, because our waitress decided we were having chocolate cake (no one argued). It was quite good, but very rich. 

 

 

After dinner, we went to the Farewell Comedy show with John Moloney and Simeon Kirkiles. You know how I have mentioned 1 or 2 times (or 17) how I think it would be a good idea to have backseat covers for the chairs in the back to mark them as priority seating for people with mobility issues and their companions?

 

I’ve mentioned it so much that I could probably write that whole previous sentence by using predictive text only. 

 

That evening, they were using the social distancing seat covers to reserve those seats for people with mobility issues. There was someone at the theatre’s entrance showing people with mobility issues to those seats. It certainly did seem to help as those seats didn’t fill as quickly as they usually do. 
 

 

You know what this means, right? You guys, I think I’m an influencer now!

 

As for the comedy show, it was so, SO good! An absolute must-see. By the end of Simeon’s number I was crying hysterical tears and could no longer function. I was one joke away from requiring medical attention. 

 

After the show, I giggled my way to Spotlight Karaoke for the Blankety Blank show, which is basically a game of Cards Against Humanity. It was a lot of fun and a good way to end the night. 

 

Back in my stateroom, I was surprised by a lovely shoutout on the morning show. I know some of you were on the ship for the crossing, did anyone hear it?

Edited May 4, 2022 by laurieal

[Ozark_Kid]

21 minutes ago, laurieal said:

Day 13

 

Hello from the Bionic Bar!

 

…no, I’m lying, I’m at the Lime & Coconut on deck 16 again. 

 

We were docked in Valencia that day, which I had visited back in 2017 during the Jewel of the Seas Westbound crossing. That time, I had opted for a walking tour, so this time I decided to explore the city on my own. 

 

We were docked at Muelle Cruceros, which is around 2.4km from the cruise terminal. Once at the cruise terminal, it is around 4km to the Old Town. Two shuttle options were offered: one complimentary shuttle to the cruise terminal and one shuttle to the Old Town which cost €10. 

 

The complimentary buses going to the cruise terminal were all accessible. Only one of the buses going to Old Town was accessible, so it could be a 0-30 minutes wait depending on when you got there. I was a bit unlucky and I got there just as the accessible bus was leaving, so I waited the full 30 minutes. 

 

Once the bus got there, I found the driver to be very efficient and competent. You could tell he had used his wheelchair lift before (trust me, it’s not always the case). 
 

 

The lift itself was…well…it certainly was attached to the bus and it went up and down, so that was good. But it felt very flimsy and it had nothing to prevent someone from rolling backwards and falling off the edge. The railings one would use to steady themselves also felt very flimsy and shaky. The driver, however, did make sure things were as safe as possible by confirming my brakes were solidly engaged and keeping an eye on me. 

 

 

The bus looked like it could have fit two wheelchairs, but I don’t think it would have been safe to do so. While it seemed like the bus was equipped with an anchoring system, I was told to hold the handles on the seats in front of me to make sure I didn’t topple backwards. Had there been a second wheelchair, they would have had nothing to hold on to. 

 

 

That worked ok for me because I have two fully functioning, well-defined, very muscular arms (or so I like to tell myself). I’m not sure what someone with an arm impairment would do. Perhaps they have some anchors they can use if someone requests them? I’m afraid I didn’t think to ask. One of my friends noticed some accessible taxis at the port, so those could potentially be a good alternative. 

 

The shuttle dropped us off at the Pont del Serrans, which is the bridge that will lead you to the Porta de Serrans. Despite him speaking no English and us speaking very little Spanish, the driver managed to ask when we wanted to go back to the ship. When we said around 2pm, he told us to be back at exactly 2pm and that he would be waiting to take us back to the ship. 
 

 

And then we were off through Porta de Serrans and into the Old Town. We started by making our way to Plaça de la Mare de Déu where the big Neptune fountain is. 
 

 

 

 

On our way to Plaça de la Reina, we had a look at the Cathedral from outside. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, we couldn’t really see Plaça de la Reina because they were doing some heavy construction work. We hopped into a few stores, but it was so loud from all the construction that we quickly started walking towards the Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas. 
 

 

 

 

 

Then, we headed towards the market. On the way we found a place selling the world’s best bocadillo. Can you believe it? The best in the entire world! Obviously, people don’t just say those things lightly, so we had to get some. My bocadillo had all the things I like in the world: jamón, cheese, and good bread. Very tasty and the perfect food for people on the move. 

 

 

 

 

The best bocadillos in the world happened to be next to Citees, the same t-shirt shop we had seen in Cartagena. I had been regretting not buying anything the day before, so I was determined to make things right and I ended up getting four t-shirts. For someone in IT working from home, those are basically formal wear. 

 

 

Eventually, we made it to the market, which is very big and airy. We were there on a Monday and it didn’t feel too busy, so we took our time walking around and having a look at all the colourful stalls. 
 

 

 

 

 

After using the market’s accessible restroom, we started slowly making our way back to the shuttle’s meeting point. When we got to the meeting point with 5 minutes to spare, the accessible bus was full of people and waiting for us. I’m really hoping those people weren’t waiting for too long, but it did feel good to see the shuttle waiting for us at the agreed-upon time.

 

 

 

Back on the ship, we got ready for dinner and met for a pre-dinner pitcher of cider at Playmakers. Then, we were off to Chops for our last specialty meal of the cruise. 
 

 

 

 

To start, I had the Lavender martini, which our waiter said was their signature cocktail. For my appetizers, I got the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail followed by the Wild Mushroom Soup. That soup is gooood and I always look forward to having it. I had the Petite Filet, which was cooked just like I enjoy it (barely), and the Truffled French Fries, which were nice and truffley. 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, I had the Key Lime Pie. I’m not a huge fan of meringue when it’s very eggy, so I personally would prefer not having so much of it, but I have to admit it looks impressive the way they present it. We also had a chocolate cake to share, because our waitress decided we were having chocolate cake (no one argued). It was quite good, but very rich. 

 

 

After dinner, we went to the Farewell Comedy show with John Moloney and Simeon Kirkiles. You know how I have mentioned 1 or 2 times (or 17) how I think it would be a good idea to have backseat covers for the chairs in the back to mark them as priority seating for people with mobility issues and their companions?

 

I’ve mentioned it so much that I could probably write that whole previous sentence by using predictive text only. 

 

That evening, they were using the social distancing seat covers to reserve those seats for people with mobility issues. There was someone at the theatre’s entrance showing people with mobility issues to those seats. It certainly did seem to help as those seats didn’t fill as quickly as they usually do. 
 

 

You know what this means, right? You guys, I think I’m an influencer now!

 

As for the comedy show, it was so, SO good! An absolute must-see. By the end of Simeon’s number I was crying hysterical tears and could no longer function. I was one joke away from requiring medical attention. 

 

After the show, I giggled my way to Spotlight Karaoke for the Blankety Blank show, which is basically a game of Cards Against Humanity. It was a lot of fun and a good way to end the night. 

 

Back in my stateroom, I was surprised by a lovely shoutout on the morning show. I know some of you were on the ship for the crossing, did anyone hear it?

Wow that place looks nice.  Great pics.  The  bocadillos looks really good, especially the bread. 🥖 Thankful you are enjoying the cruise.  I have been wanting to do a TA.  This review is getting my craving stronger!  I need to do one with lots of stops.  

[Sunshine3601]

Thank you so much for your wonderful Live Review.    I love your style of writing and your photos are all beautiful.   

I hope you found room for one of those pink octopus.    I have never done a TA but have been wanting to do one as long as it had enough stops to keep my Hubby happy.     Also, happy that you had nice weather for majority of the trip. 

Safe travels home or whatever your next adventure is.    

[Tee & Chilli]

Excellent review 

[crewsweeper]

Agree with all above.  Excellent review.  Enjoyed your commentary and pictures.

And as you are Quebecer, I'm sure you are as sadden by the passing of Guy LaFleur as those of us who only watched him play on TV ( and once in Boston).

Waiting for your final thoughts and safe travels.

[Margarita Jane]

@lauriealThank you so much for your review. I thoroughly enjoyed your TA through your writing and pictures. I’m sad to see you are at your journeys end.

[mchin]

Loved the review!  Thank you so much for taking us along on your journey!  Look forward to sailing Wonder in six weeks.  Have a safe trip back home.

[Fredrik]

Thank you for the great review! We’re flying to Barcelona tomorrow to catch Wonder on Friday. It’s a short two night affair. But you know what they say…. Two nights are hell of a lot more than staying at home. Safe travels back home @laurieal

[StanleyandGus]

Thanks for taking us with on your travels! 

[cruising twosome]

Great traveling along with you!