Starting my Wonder research

[BillOh]

16 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

 

 

- Almost forgot, it was open for breakfast in June and very empty (it's not open for breakfast on all ships so I can't promise it will always be open on Wonder). Nothing really Mexcian, just a small buffet with the basics. So if you're OK with that, it might be worth checking out to avoid crowds and enjoy the outside seating if that's appealing.

Thanks for a great post Mike, I will remember the breakfast possibly being here, will check that out. 

[OCSC Mike]

43 minutes ago, BillOh said:

Thanks for a great post Mike, I will remember the breakfast possibly being here, will check that out. 

 

I'll be on Wonder again in March. Not sure if I'll be live blogging again but I'll likely have some sort of report/review with more current info.

[BillOh]

Next question, Does the Park Cafe still have the Roast Beef Sandwiches? We have had them on Allure, Oasis and Symphony and have found them hit or miss, but it can be a quiet place to eat on boarding day.  

 

On other Oasis class ships we avoided the WJ on boarding as we found it too small for this class of ship. I've heard Wonder has a nicer WJ and I know we will visit it, just haven't decided if we will hit it before checking out the ship  on boarding day. Being D+ we should be boarding early, I assume it doesn't open its doors till 11am?  We last got on Enchantment and Mariner well before 11am.  In the past we have just sat on the boardwalk and enjoyed a hot dog from the dog haus.  (If the weather is nice) 

[OCSC Mike]

17 minutes ago, BillOh said:

Does the Park Cafe still have the Roast Beef Sandwiches?

 

Yep. Like your experience on other Oasis class ships, I agree they are hit and miss. Just depends on the slice of beef you get and how picky you are.

 

17 minutes ago, BillOh said:

On other Oasis class ships we avoided the WJ on boarding as we found it too small for this class of ship. I've heard Wonder has a nicer WJ and I know we will visit it, just haven't decided if we will hit it before checking out the ship  on boarding day. Being D+ we should be boarding early, I assume it doesn't open its doors till 11am?

 

I'm in the minority but I enjoy going to WJ as soon as it opens as I don't find it that crowded at all for the first 30-45 mins since many cruisers haven't even boarded yet, are exploring, taking care of issues, etc. And yes, I did find it nicer with a better layout than some others. Not trying to convince you to have lunch there on embarkation day, just sharing my personal experience.

 

PC has been boarding extremely early at terminal 1. The 1st arrival time you can get is 10:30 but boarding actually began even earlier than that on both my May/June Wonder cruise and Allure in October. D+ means nothing for boarding. Unless you are in a suite, Pinnacle, or have The Key, only the arrival time you chose when you checked in online matters.

Edited January 5 by OCSC Mike

[BillOh]

10 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Yep. Like your experience on other Oasis class ships, I agree they are hit and miss. Just depends on the slice of beef you get and how picky you are.

 

 

I'm in the minority but I enjoy going to WJ as soon as it opens as I don't find it that crowded at all for the first 30-45 mins since many cruisers haven't even boarded yet, are exploring, taking care of issues, etc. And yes, I did find it nicer with a better layout than some others. Not trying to convince you to have lunch there on embarkation day, just sharing my personal experience.

 

PC has been boarding extremely early at terminal 1. The 1st arrival time you can get is 10:30 but boarding actually began even earlier than that on both my May/June Wonder cruise and Allure in October. D+ means nothing for boarding. Unless you are in a suite, Pinnacle, or have The Key, only the arrival time you chose when you checked in online matters.

Thanks for taking the time, opinions are exactly what I was looking for.  I guess I'll finalize my plans once I know my boarding time.

[nimbex1970]

On 1/5/2024 at 1:24 PM, BillOh said:

Thanks for taking the time, opinions are exactly what I was looking for.  I guess I'll finalize my plans once I know my boarding time.

I'm one of those picky roast beef sandwich eaters.  I asked for a specific cut for my sandwich and they were very accommodating. (I dislike any fat on mine). So don't hesitate to ask. 

[BillOh]

Do they still do complementary breakfast at Johnny Rockets?

[Starry Eyes]

On 1/5/2024 at 10:02 AM, BillOh said:

Any reviews of El Loco Fresh?  Haven't visited one of them yet. 

Continuing the El Loco discussion…it was open for breakfast on our wonder cruise last month.  Though the breakfast buffets there was smaller, when we visited was far less crowded than other other venues.  I did see an omelet station sign, but did not enquire…they might have made an omelet to order if asked.

 

We like the margaritas at the the bar at El Loco on Wonder.  We went to that bar for margaritas after boarding last month.  Not only did the friendly bartender make two great drinks, the El Loco opened a bit early, so we enjoyed a serene lunch up there while the maddening crowd lined up waiting for WJ to open…double bonus.  It was more peaceful than Park Cafe for a first lunch.

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, BillOh said:

Do they still do complementary breakfast at Johnny Rockets?

Yes with the exception of the 3 pay items.

 

Was just reading another thread someone who thought the breakfast maple bacon flavored milkshake is not included in the UDP. The milkshake later in the day, the regular milkshake is included they told her. She wasnt happy.

[BND]

We're boarding WOS in one week (Jan 14) for a b2b.  Looking forward to the differences as we've been on Oasis, Allure, and Harmony.  

[Teeara]

On 1/5/2024 at 10:02 AM, BillOh said:

Any reviews of El Loco Fresh?  Haven't visited one of them yet. 

We went for lunch one day during the WB TA in 2022.  We weren't particularly impressed, but it was okay.  Crazy busy at noon.

 

I will say the breakfast looked like the standard breakfast offerings that you would get in the Windjammer, but it would probably be a whole lot less crowded.  They didn't have the signs out yet and the food was covered, but it was about 7:00 a.m. when I went through.

 

I did a walkthrough of El Loco Fresh being set up for breakfast in this video.  Start at 9:37.

 

 

Edited January 8 by Teeara

[Teeara]

17 hours ago, BillOh said:

Do they still do complementary breakfast at Johnny Rockets?

Oh my gosh, yes!  That was the best breakfast we had onboard the ship.  Hot Hot Hot!  We sat outside and they were doing Zumba or something like that in the AquaTheater while we were there.  But the food was fantastic at Johnny Rockets.  Definitely do it!

[BillOh]

1 hour ago, Teeara said:

Oh my gosh, yes!  That was the best breakfast we had onboard the ship.  Hot Hot Hot!  We sat outside and they were doing Zumba or something like that in the AquaTheater while we were there.  But the food was fantastic at Johnny Rockets.  Definitely do it!

Thanks, we have enjoyed this on Symphony, Oasis, and Allure, glad to see they still do it.

[BillOh]

On Allure we had a breakfast in the Solrium Bistro, do they still do that?  I don't have my room assigment yet, so the closest breakfast may win some days, but If they serve Turkey Bacon, I'll be sure to avoid that blasphemy 

[BillOh]

I assume they still have a channel on the television that shows how busy different restaurants are.

[cruisegirl1]

18 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Continuing the El Loco discussion…it was open for breakfast on our wonder cruise last month.  Though the breakfast buffets there was smaller, when we visited was far less crowded than other other venues.  I did see an omelet station sign, but did not enquire…they might have made an omelet to order if asked.

 

We like the margaritas at the the bar at El Loco on Wonder.  We went to that bar for margaritas after boarding last month.  Not only did the friendly bartender make two great drinks, the El Loco opened a bit early, so we enjoyed a serene lunch up there while the maddening crowd lined up waiting for WJ to open…double bonus.  It was more peaceful than Park Cafe for a first lunch.

Thanks for the info. We’ve been on wonder several times but I don’t think I’ve ever realized there was a bar at El Loco . I may be confusing it with symphony.  
 

Heading back shortly, I will be sure to check it out.  
thx 

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, BillOh said:

On Allure we had a breakfast in the Solrium Bistro, do they still do that?  I don't have my room assigment yet, so the closest breakfast may win some days, but If they serve Turkey Bacon, I'll be sure to avoid that blasphemy 

 

Yes. Very similar to WJ but smaller (obviously) and a few unique items (there was a fancier sausage, avacado toast, and premade smoothies in small glasses which I've always enjoyed when I find them). Oddly, it was VERY crowded when I was on Wonder in June but that stuff varies by cruise.

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Thanks for the info. We’ve been on wonder several times but I don’t think I’ve ever realized there was a bar at El Loco . I may be confusing it with symphony.  
 

Heading back shortly, I will be sure to check it out.  
thx 

The first El Loco we visited was on Wonder.  The bar and margarita were a high point.  I was sorry to discover not all El Locos had the bar.

 

On Wonder Cantina Fresca bar is past the food line and around the corner near Wonder Dunes, so you might not see it if you just glance into El Loco.  If you just want to go to the bar when El Loco food line is very busy, you may want to go aft on the port side then turn before the sport court to cross to starboard.

Edited January 8 by Starry Eyes

[Teeara]

21 hours ago, BillOh said:

Thanks, we have enjoyed this on Symphony, Oasis, and Allure, glad to see they still do it.

We didn't have it until the next to last day onboard Wonder and were really bummed we hadn't done it sooner.  We will definitely do it more often on Allure (if they'd ever open her up for booking the 2025 WB TA...heavy sigh).

Edited January 9 by Teeara

[BillOh]

This can vary by CD more than the ship itself.  Anyone comment on Love and Marriage and Quest on Wonder?  We cruise in Late May so we may not know whom our Cruise Director is in a few weeks. (Yes, I know you may not care about whom the CD is)  I've found they can make these 2 events more pleasurable. 

[ZoeyVictoria]

Does anyone know if the Diamond+ BOGO can be used at the Mason Jar?

[BND]

Our b2b starting on Sunday is the two Yeshiva cruises (1/14 and 1/21).  That means the Solarium Bistro is closed as it will be used for Kosher meals.  $70/p/day and limited access for those onboard for that group.  So, we can't even check it out on Wonder this trip.  We'll be back onboard her in Nov though.

[BillOh]

On 10/26/2023 at 11:34 AM, OCSC Mike said:

I’m sitting on the top level of Allure’s Solarium right now & it’s quite nice (granted it’s not super hot out at sea right now & there’s a nice breeze).

 

Not trying to convince you of anything, just sharing. Several people have said Wonder’s can be warm. I’ll know better in March-July. We never sit by any pool, too crowded & too much sun for me & my pale skin, lol. We all like what we like.

All of your posts have been appreciated, thanks for taking the time. 

[BillOh]

On 10/26/2023 at 12:43 PM, Teeara said:

I will say that when we were on the Wonder TA last year on the day I did my ship tour video I was there around 6:30 a.m. and all the "special" seating in the Solarium had towels or people on them.  Sheesh!

The statute of limitations is probably up and I'm not in Cruise critic as much so the blast I will get here doesn't bother me so much, but on many ships I'm up walking a couple of miles on the pool deck or track . In the past I have found a stretch of 8 or 9 chairs all with cruise line towels on them at 7am with nobody around. I may have used one of them on occasion after my hot sweaty walk.  I of course returned it to a towel station.

[BillOh]

Before I start my next question, let me thank all of you who have posted so far, great information and insight. Obviously with my post count and cruise history I know how to research this stuff, but your insight has been great!

 

Next question -  Where are the COKE FREESTYLE MACHINES LOCATED?    On my previous cruises on on Oasis class (Allure, Oasis and Symphony)  I think I remember  2 on the Promenade near Sorrentos, 4 in the Windjammer (2 on each side), and 1 back near what I believe is El-Loco Fresh. That was something else on Allure when I was last on her in 2013.

 

BTW, I've had some funny stories about using these machines,  When they were new, people had a lot of issues with them, but I do love having them.