OCSC Mike

While overpriced it's a great experience (as you know), Enjoy the worthy celebration! Unsolicited opinion: The coconut crusted lobster sandwich is one of the best things on the beach club menu.

We have a last minute Allure "bonus cruise" on hold for next month when she arrives at PC (waiting to see if my wife is able to swing it). I'm assuming we won't wind up going but just in case... Any thoughts on non-MDR included food venues... WJ, Park Cafe, Solarium Bistro, Wipe Out Cafe featuring El Loco Fresh (or whatever the heck they renamed it)? Did you visit the DL during happy hour for snacks? Shocking that I'm asking about food, I know.

You’re not supposed to be able to. A voucher is for one drink, regardless of dollar value. Does it happen? Maybe.

I sure am. I don’t care for anything below Voyager class (especially for a cruise with many sea days). As I said, everyone has different preferences, which is what makes cruising great. Definitely a cheap price for anyone who finds it appealing.

Oldest ship in the fleet, you have to fly to Spain to embark, and it’s over Thanksgiving… you’d have to pay me to take that cruise but everyone has different preferences. How much is airfare to Spain anyway?

No.

It will almost definitely depend on the comics who happen to be on your sailing but I would expect a healthy dose of repetition based on previous experience. On one cruise we thought one of the two comedians was hilarious. We happened to see him sitting at a table in Central Park the next day so we stopped to tell him how much we enjoyed his show. We then asked your exact question. He said he may repeat a few jokes but he does try to mix it up. So we went back a 2nd time that week. True to his word, maybe 75% of his set was new. The other comedian, who we didn't love the first time, did the exact same set just about word-for-word. Since being able to ask the comedian was a fluke, our general rule is basically to only go back if we find a comedian who we enjoy (obviously) and has a more improvisational/conversing with the crowd style. We figure that type of comedian is more likely to change (and we prefer that type to begin with). That said, we rarely go back even though we are also big fans of stand up. As an aside, while I'm rambling... any comedian who makes jokes about eating too much at the buffet or the size of cabins needs to go. (Sorry, pet peeve.)

The one we had last year was somewhere in the front row (i.e. we looked out at the ocean and only saw other cabanas if we looked to the sides. I don't remember the number though. TBH, I wouldn't really care, but I guess I'd choose front row over back row.

Flexible enough to take a vacation longer than a week (significantly longer in some cases) at the exact time they are offered (it's not like they sail every week like 7-nighters). If you're not retired, that's not possible for many (most?) people.

Using repositioning cruises isn't the best or most helpful example for finding better prices. The average person isn't flexible enough to take them. That's great that you are though and I don't blame you for taking advantage. More universal ways to find reasonable rates (not incredibly low repositioning rates) would be booking early, using a TA who has group rates and perks, keeping an eye on the sale fliers if you're flexible enough to book a month or two out, keeping an eye on prices in general, etc.

I don't eat in the MDR much (just not a fan) but I prefer to do the same thing. When convenient, I like grabbing all my drinks from the bar myself rather than any type of server TBH (Solarium, CocoCay, before a show, etc.). I don't have any a good reason for it though, just a quirk I have I guess.

Sometimes you find out you're not as weird as you think. 🤣 Here's to both of us continuing to enjoy how we cruise. 🍻

That happens to me quite often on CocoCay. Wife and I often wind up not getting dinged for a drink or two there.

Of course... in fact, it's highly recommended. Just give your cabin number or use your set sail pass since you won't have your sea pass yet.

That reminds me of the one time, before vouchers, when a woman got so drunk during the DL happy hour that she was escorted out of the lounge. I vaguely remember her claiming to be an FBI agent, lol. So I guess I have seen it but only in isolated incidents.

Oh I get it. You don't have much of a choice and I wasn't suggesting you avoid the main pool just b/c we do. We don't have kids although we mainly prefer the Solarium to get away from the crowds and the sun, not the kids. I was mostly thinking out loud why I don't encounter what others do.

Maybe it's because we avoid the main pool area like the plague and don't hang out in the bars but I somehow never experience anything like this, including on Wonder in June. I fully believe you guys so I can only assume it's b/c we're boring, lol. We spend our time in the Solarium, go to trivia, see shows, go to game shows... and of course I spend plenty of time eating. We did see one extremely drunk girl in the Music Hall one night... and my young nieces were quite amused by her attempt at "dancing."

I feel the same way. Sometimes all the negativity on the the forums make me feel like an oddball but I'm perfectly OK with that. That said, I still do what I can to minimize costs (TA group rates, etc.) and sail frugally but the prices I'm paying now aren't so much higher than what I'm used to that I'm anywhere close to booking less.

@perfect match I hope I didn’t steer you wrong but if your current favorite is Allure, I’m confident you’ll like Wonder, even if doesn’t become your new favorite. Wonder isn’t really that different from the other Oasis class ships & I’d happily sail any of them, but anything that’s slightly different or added on Wonder just happened to be a positive for my preferences (besides the slightly inflated price of course). Those few differences won’t all be positive for everyone of course but I really do see them as relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. If you don’t like El Loco Fresh or the enclosed Solarium or miss having a broadway show, I’d hope that stuff wouldn’t exactly ruin your cruise for most people.

Because?

Your luggage tags will be available some time shortly after you get your official cabin assignment.

Who exactly determines what "should always be included"?

Oldest: Enchantment Newest: Wonder Favorite: Wonder

PIZZA!!!

Yeah, it's the one place I do consider too crowded and the sun/heat hates me anyway. We do spend time lounging in the Solarium in the shade. Wife will occasionally just take a dip in the pool there if she's hot then come right back to the chairs. Similar routine by the Oasis pool on CocoCay (our spot isn't that far from the DJ but it's definitely not what I'd consider loud). If it's hot we'll sit on the underwater benches by the trees to cool off then back to the chairs and umbrella. I have to maintain my comfort and appetite there for multiple food runs, of course. 😁