Live From the Wonder OTS, Western Caribbean, Sep 22-29

[CruisinMama2003]

We are also D+ and will usually book one of our BOGOs night 2 and then ask if we can use the other one later in the week and have never had an issue with them allowing it. Of course ymmv, but worth an ask 🙂

 

Love your reviews Ken! 

[Ken the cruiser]

16 minutes ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

We are also D+ and will usually book one of our BOGOs night 2 and then ask if we can use the other one later in the week and have never had an issue with them allowing it. Of course ymmv, but worth an ask 🙂

 

Love your reviews Ken! 

Both my DW and I are Diamond+ (by way of being Elite+ on Celebrity) on this cruise. Does that mean we each get to make a BOGO specialty restaurant reservation, possibly on nights 1 and 2 if we decide to choose that option?

[CruisinMama2003]

8 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Both my DW and I are Diamond+ (by way of being Elite+ on Celebrity) on this cruise. Does that mean we each get to make a BOGO specialty restaurant reservation, possibly on nights 1 and 2 if we decide to choose that option?

Yes, you each get the BOGO perk to use 🙂

[Ken the cruiser]

6 minutes ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

Yes, you each get the BOGO perk to use 🙂

Cool! Now for a follow-on question if I might. Once onboard can we book the two BOGO dinners using the App, or do we have to physically go to (or call some special number) where they are taking specialty dining reservations, wherever that might be?

[CruisinMama2003]

38 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Cool! Now for a follow-on question if I might. Once onboard can we book the two BOGO dinners using the App, or do we have to physically go to (or call some special number) where they are taking specialty dining reservations, wherever that might be?

More than happy to answer. You can either call or go to any one of the specialty restaurants and have them book both nights (they can book any of the restaurants you want at one place). They have to key it into their system as a BOGO for both reservations. They will put 1 reservation under your name and one under your wifes name. The app just doesnt have the capability to do BOGOs.

[Ken the cruiser]

19 minutes ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

More than happy to answer. You can either call or go to any one of the specialty restaurants and have them book both nights (they can book any of the restaurants you want at one place). They have to key it into their system as a BOGO for both reservations. They will put 1 reservation under your name and one under your wifes name. The app just doesnt have the capability to do BOGOs.

Thank you so much for your insights! They have really helped us figure out our plan of attack regarding our dining strategy for this short cruise once we board the ship on Sunday!! 😁

[Lionesss]

Following.  
 

6 months till we sail on her. 
 

Looking forward to your thread. 
 

Be safe. 

[CruisinMama2003]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thank you so much for your insights! They have really helped us figure out our plan of attack regarding our dining strategy for this short cruise once we board the ship on Sunday!! 😁

My pleasure! 

 

Have a wonderful cruise 🏖🍷🐦

[PhillyFan33579]

6 hours ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

We are also D+ and will usually book one of our BOGOs night 2 and then ask if we can use the other one later in the week and have never had an issue with them allowing it. Of course ymmv, but worth an ask 🙂

 

Love your reviews Ken! 

We have had mixed responses doing what you mentioned. On some cruises we have been able to use the BOGO on any night of the cruise. On other cruises they enforced it could only be used on nights one or two. And a few months ago on Grandeur we couldn’t use it because Chops was completely sold out for the entire cruise. Never experienced that before. 

[CruisinMama2003]

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

We have had mixed responses doing what you mentioned. On some cruises we have been able to use the BOGO on any night of the cruise. On other cruises they enforced it could only be used on nights one or two. And a few months ago on Grandeur we couldn’t use it because Chops was completely sold out for the entire cruise. Never experienced that before. 

You are correct, i have also heard/read about how some ships are sticklers about using it only on nights 1 & 2. Makes me wonder if they do that when reservations are low on nights 1 & 2 🤔 

 

Your Grandeur experience is exactly why i wish the BOGOs could be done via app before getting on the ship. I have also heard/read that some people just go ahead and book their reservations in the app before sailing and then once they get on board, go to the restaurant and change it to the BOGO perk. 

[bonsai3s]

@Ken the cruiser

First night dinner at CK is usually crowded, and difficult to reserve...unless you are really flexible. (Filet on the menu.)

 

* Just disembarked the Wonder last Sunday. We noticed a number of lobster dishes on the menu at CK...lobster meatballs, lobster fritters...and a few more. Service was outstanding at CK.

Edited Wednesday at 10:59 PM by bonsai3s

[perfect match]

We’re among several here who just got off Wonder on Sunday. I’m looking forward to extending our stay on Wonder by following along with you! 😀

 

If you enjoy the AquaTheater show, Intense, there is a second show, AquaNation that is shown when possible on the last night of the cruise. According to the CD our cruise was the first in the past 6 weeks when they were able to present the AquaNation show due to unfavorable weather during those weeks. AquaNation did not show up in the app until sometime late in day 6 and there were 2 shows on night 7. We went to the 7 PM show. I think the second showing was around 9-9:30 PM. 
 

We were sailing in a JS but did not try Coastal Kitchen because we were sailing with friends who were not eligible to go there but have been successful in the past at getting the reservations we wanted. Hope you can get the reservations you’re hoping for.

Edited yesterday at 12:50 AM by perfect match

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, perfect match said:

We’re among several here who just got off Wonder on Sunday. I’m looking forward to extending our stay on Wonder by following along with you! 😀

 

If you enjoy the AquaTheater show, Intense, there is a second show, AquaNation that is shown when possible on the last night of the cruise. According to the CD our cruise was the first in the past 6 weeks when they were able to present the AquaNation show due to unfavorable weather during those weeks. AquaNation did not show up in the app until sometime late in day 6 and there were 2 shows on night 7. We went to the 7 PM show. I think the second showing was around 9-9:30 PM. 
 

We were sailing in a JS but did not try Coastal Kitchen because we were sailing with friends who were not eligible to go there but have been successful in the past at getting the reservations we wanted. Hope you can get the reservations you’re hoping for.

Thanks, and hopefully the weather will be calm on Day 7 so we will be able to see AquaNation. In any event we will be keeping an eye on the App so we will be able to reserve a couple of seats if they are able to schedule it.

 

Right now, Windy is forecasting some possibly rough conditions around the middle of our cruise. But hopefully the seas will be calm by Day 7 (Sep 28) as we head back to Port Canaveral.
 

https://www.windy.com/?18.104,-76.685,5,m:edTadOt

 

Edited yesterday at 01:58 AM by Ken the cruiser

[molly361]

I'll be on this cruise as well. See you onboard  @Ken the cruiser

[RCCLNYMETS41]

10 hours ago, perfect match said:

We’re among several here who just got off Wonder on Sunday. I’m looking forward to extending our stay on Wonder by following along with you! 😀

 

If you enjoy the AquaTheater show, Intense, there is a second show, AquaNation that is shown when possible on the last night of the cruise. According to the CD our cruise was the first in the past 6 weeks when they were able to present the AquaNation show due to unfavorable weather during those weeks. AquaNation did not show up in the app until sometime late in day 6 and there were 2 shows on night 7. We went to the 7 PM show. I think the second showing was around 9-9:30 PM. 
 

We were sailing in a JS but did not try Coastal Kitchen because we were sailing with friends who were not eligible to go there but have been successful in the past at getting the reservations we wanted. Hope you can get the reservations you’re hoping for.

Oh shoot. We were also on wonder last week and did not realize they added an aqua nation show on the last day. I must’ve just seen the word aqua as I was looking at the planner and did not realize it was another show. Oh well.

[Bead Pirate]

If you choose to use the phone on board to make dinner reservations the number is 7000...

[Arzeena]

Following along Ken!

[Bead Pirate]

Please don't kill the messenger...

 

[Ken the cruiser]

58 minutes ago, Bead Pirate said:

Please don't kill the messenger...

No worries. The weather is going to do whatever it feels like. That's why I have started adding a few "Informative Links" that I have come to rely on to my Live From threads. Windy's various weather forecasting options as well as the ship's current location links came in quite handy on all of our cruises these past few years. The hurricane forecast link was also quite interesting to monitor while we were on our Quebec City to Ft Lauderdale cruise last fall with all of the activity in the Atlantic going on at the same time.

 

Informative Links

 Caribbean weather forecast

 Wonder OTS Current Location

 National Hurricane Forecast

 

As far as this 7-day cruise goes, the Cozumel forecast is looking a little rainy on Wednesday (Sep 25), but not too bad for our other 2 stops at Roatan and Puerto Costa Maya before starting our return trip back to PC Friday afternoon.

 

The below forecast is for Saturday morning (Sep 28), which is looking pretty good right now since we should have made the easterly turn just north of Cuba sometime late Friday evening. BTW I'm sure glad we're heading back to PC rather than NW to Galveston. 😱

 

 

FWIW on this thread I will also be posting weather conditions forecasted for the following day, Internet speeds encountered in our cabin, and hopefully a copy of the daily planner (if we get one delivered in the evening or I'm able to take screen shots of it via the App on my iPad).

 

[TripsYouMustDo]

29 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

and hopefully a copy of the daily planner (if we get one delivered in the evening or I'm able to take screen shots of it via the App on my iPad).

 

You should have a QR code in your cabin you can scan to download PDF version of the daily planner. (I sadly forgot to do it daily on our last cruise).

[Ken the cruiser]

33 minutes ago, TripsYouMustDo said:

You should have a QR code in your cabin you can scan to download PDF version of the daily planner. (I sadly forgot to do it daily on our last cruise).

That would be perfect for so many reasons! 😁

[Luckynana]

 

Hey Ken...here's a question for you.  I'll be on Wonder in February, and I had wanted to have dinner at "Hooked", but it only shows that "Hooked" is serving lunch, not dinner.  Does your cruise offer it for dinner?

 

For those of you that just came off of Wonder, was dinner available at "Hooked" for your cruise?

 

TIA

[Ken the cruiser]

Thanks to @Bead Pirate’s above weather-related post and the nasty looking hurricane-like storm forecasted for Sat (Sep 28) heading towards Texas, I’ve done some more checking and found this interesting 7-day forecasting website.

 

Definitely another website I will be monitoring. 😁

 

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php

 

[Ken the cruiser]

22 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

 

Hey Ken...here's a question for you.  I'll be on Wonder in February, and I had wanted to have dinner at "Hooked", but it only shows that "Hooked" is serving lunch, not dinner.  Does your cruise offer it for dinner?

 

For those of you that just came off of Wonder, was dinner available at "Hooked" for your cruise?

 

TIA

I just checked the App and dinner is served at Hooked Seafood from 5-9 pm every evening and for lunch on days 3 and 7.

   

[Bead Pirate]

If you are an oyster fan they only serve them through night 3, after that they are disposed of (no way to keep them alive past day 3)...