TheHawk1

The Solarium is one area of major difference, with Harmony having no pool, but Wonder being completely enclosed, with only windows for fresh air. In that case, I preferred Harmony. Windjammer is the other differentiator, where Wonder has a new u-shaped designed, which is much better for traffic flow and crowds than the older Harmony design. Harmony is also getting a little long in the tooth (almost 9 years old). If you prefer newer ships like I do and the price difference is not a consideration, then I would choose Wonder.

Best cruising secret tip I've seen on these Boards in awhile. Will attempt this in a few weeks on Apex.

I would agree with that. Ten years ago, Royal (my only other frame of reference) was almost as rigid as Celebrity, but now they've progressed with changing generational standards and have (somewhat) relaxed their dress guidelines. Their discussion forums have followed suit (no pun intended) and for the most part people no longer hyper-ventilate over this topic. Only on Celebrity does there seem to be an old guard who just can't let this go. Still dreaming of the golden age of cruising, where it was tuxes and ball gowns every evening and the people in steerage knew their place. Times have changed... wish I could say the same for some of the posters here 😁

I have been on all five Oasis ships (some more than once) and have enjoyed every one of them. Royal hit the sweet spot with that ship class, Now they’ve gone and messed it up trying to outdo Disney. Not for me.

I agree the photos have been great and appreciate the time spent writing this review for everyone. But nothing I’ve seen changed my opinion that Royal has created the first floating amusement park at sea, rather than another elegant cruise ship. If I want a cruise fix on a brand new ship from Royal, I’ll just have to wait for Utopia.

On ships with Freestyle machines, I say yes. The variety of sodas offered (when they’re working properly) beats what you are offered at the bars or restaurants. Plus the cups with lids are better by the pool instead of an open cup. I also try to time package purchase when it’s slightly on sale, which is rare.

Just curious, why the recommendation for Public beach rather than say Governor beach? It appears to be farther up the coast, ie further away from cruise port, so wondering why it’s the better choice?

Only one month into the new year and this topic already. One of my resolutions is not getting sucked into participating in online dress code debates. Oops, there goes that. 😬

Thank you for this! It’s a great idea that I wish more reviewers would follow (even though I was not the commenter you were referencing, I couldn’t agree more). Somewhere along the way, there developed a standard format for live reviews here, which so many now follow. It typically starts a week before the cruise (or heaven forbid, longer than that), whereby the author starts trying to build reader excitement by showing us what they’re packing in their suitcase, followed by the trip to the airport, where they parked, what they ate on the plane, their arrival at the port city, etc. Then we get to hear all the scintillating details regarding what hotel they chose pre-cruise (and why), followed by a detailed review of what they had for dinner. Isn’t that what Tripadvisor and Yelp are for? This is called CruiseCritic for a reason. Apologies for highjacking your excellent live blog with my small rant. But I do hope more reviewers will follow your lead in the future and warn everyone about all the non-cruise fluff in their posts. Thanks and have a great cruise!

As if we needed any further proof that RCI is now chasing the "family" demographic and ignoring adults... from Chicago and Mamma Mia to this!

Trying to watch the sail away on Port Miami web cam. The smoke from the fireworks obscured the view of the ship as it was leaving. It was a bit anti-climatic 😄

And the deposit for suites? Is it now the same as the online booking price? I booked a suite on Beyond while I was onboard Edge in March 2023 and deposit was still $100 per person. If that is no longer the case, then I see no benefit to booking a future cruise for a suite while onboard?

But wouldn't you hear all the noise from people standing around talking while they're waiting for elevators? I personally won't book anywhere near an elevator for that reason

My last cruise on Edge was in a sky suite, so this wasn't an issue. Good to know for future reference if I'm booking just a regular cabin again.

Of course I have it right. I'm in the same eastern time zone as Florida and the cruise leaves from Fort Lauderdale. My only thought was perhaps Celebrity holds earlier times for Concierge or Aqua class, since suites can board any time. Otherwise, I was expecting a better choice than 11:30 for being first out of the gate.

I’m compulsively organized, so I like to be ahead of the curve. I’m sure there are lots of good boarding times available at a more decent time later on that day. I was thinking more about the group that waits until the day before their cruise to check in, but then still wants to be first on the ship 😀

For my upcoming March cruise on Apex, I completed the online check in 5 minutes after midnight on the day it opened and still the first available boarding time was 11:30am. I will be none too happy if everyone else who checked in long after I did and gets assigned a later afternoon time, still shows up early, thinking they should be allowed to board whenever it suits them.

Our port day is a Sunday and their website says they are only open 8:00 am - Noon on Sundays. So that wouldn't work for the pickup at the end of the day?

The Ice Show and Aqua Show are not to be missed, so book seats as early as you can. Voices and The Effectors II are both a pass, unless you're a big fan of amateur theatre... like really amateur.

The Broadway shows on most Oasis ships are very good entertainment for a cruise line. I will say grudgingly Cats is well done, just not a show for me. Unfortunately, no Broadway production on Wonder and the difference in quality was noticeable. But on the smaller ships, it all starts to look and sound very high school drama club. No thanks.

Yes, let’s give all the prime real estate over to “family-friendly” areas while giving adults the shaft. This sounds more like a Great Wolf Lodge at sea rather than a cruise ship. One more reason to avoid.

Massive, yes. Beautiful… not so much. It looks like a giant beluga whale with water slides strapped to its back.

Given that, in both the stage and film version, the lead role in Hairspray is played by a male in drag, I actually applaud Royal for sticking with the show. Considering how many Americans, especially in Florida, disagree with that form of entertainment these days, I thought Royal might have been pressured to find something more “family friendly”. And I agree, the Symphony production is a very good show.

Not every entertainment experience has to be sanitized for children. If you feel it's not appropriate for their delicate ears, then don't take them. More space for the adults, who will actually appreciate the show.

Consider yourself lucky you at least had something resembling lobster. When Symphony was in Europe this summer, there was no lobster to be had on "lobster night". It was replaced by shrimp. Apparently supply issues according to our waiter, although I'm not sure I believe it.