feeloftheocean

Also as far as the Adult Comedy show, they have a couple shows almost every night in the Attic, but they also had a final show in the Royal Theater on the last night, for which the content was different (still adults only). We really enjoyed it. (We also saw them twice in the Attic, and it was similar, but still a lot of improv) 

Slightly off topic, but we were on the Wonder the week before you, and while this may be known to a lot of people, I realized you can try non-alcoholic drinks at the bionic bar, which are free if you have the refreshment package. It was fun to try weird combinations of different flavors.

8 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Who are they giving the tables to when people are denied for arriving late?  Is there a waiting line for adhoc early dining or are MTD people showing up at 5:15?  

In our case, the one night (St Thomas) where we couldn't make it for dinner in time, we were given another table right next to our assigned one (it was about 6:30PM - we had informed the head waiter the night before and he told us to come directly to him and he would find us a table - no waiting in line). Our assigned table remained unused until the second seating started.

Following up on my initial post, I wanted to share that we have just returned from our cruise on the Wonder. We were fortunate to secure a great table exclusively for our group and made a concerted effort to be on time for dinner each night at 5 PM.

Here are some additional details:

• Our waiter informed us that arriving at 5:30 PM would be acceptable, and even 6 PM at the latest if, for instance, your excursion returns late in the afternoon (which actually happened to us in St. Thomas). Just remember to inform your waiter about any delays.
• This schedule worked well for us as it allowed us ample time to enjoy the evening activities without feeling rushed.
• By opting not to choose My Time Dining (MTD), or at least avoiding MTD without a reservation, we were able to avoid the long lines that often occurred when we finished our meal around 6:30 - 6:45 PM.
• I would suggest planning your lunch accordingly. Having a late lunch, like at 1 PM, tends to affect my appetite when dinner is scheduled for 5 PM!

12 minutes ago, goldfish65 said:

x2 

Imagine all the people you are affecting when you show up late. 

As others said, you may like it. Early dining frees up your evening. 

A great example for the family to be respectful and show up on time.

I don’t have to justify my actions but we did show up on time in the past as mentioned in my previous post. I was asking about what time is acceptable to show up at and nothing else. Thanks for the answers.

Thank you all for the feedback. In our previous cruises, we have always prioritized being punctual for our assigned dining time, typically around 6 PM, and we truly appreciate the unique experience of enjoying the Main Dining room service that distinguishes cruises from other types of vacations.

This upcoming cruise I just want to ensure that we can accommodate this early dining time in our schedule. While we are open to considering other dining options, we are mindful that specialty dining can quickly become costly for a family.

The Early Dining time is 5pm on our upcoming Wonder of the Seas cruise. Late sitting is just too late and MTD only had reservations around 8pm anyway (back when reservations opened!). So early was the only good choice for us. But 5PM is the earliest time I've ever seen on a cruise (Royal or not).

How late can we arrive? Would 5:30PM be ok? 

If anyone knows how to have free bottles of Veuve Clicquot or Moët et Chandon (real) champagne randomly delivered to our stateroom on our upcoming cruise, please share. 🍾

22 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It was full by 11:30am on our sailing in December.  They directed people to the open lot nearby.

Does the open lot ever get full?

We have a 1:30pm check in time to get on Wonder out of Port Canaveral and I'm wondering what parking looks like at the terminal at this time. Does it ever run out of space? I assume the parking garage will be full, but what about the surface lot right behind it? What happens if it fills up to capacity?

The Refreshment Package (Non-Alcoholic) for our upcoming cruise (Wonder of the Seas, 28 May 2023) is currently 20% off ($27.99pp per day instead of $36). Is this the best we can hope for? Has anybody seen a better discount (like 25% or 30% off)? Thanks!

The bigger question is: has quality gone down (for example with the food, free or not) and prices gone up (more than the inflation) at the same time?

We just need to be honest about that. Then it's everybody's decision to cruise or not, but it's still good info to have.

3 hours ago, rolloman said:

With respect to cruising and assuming you actually cruise... when it comes to gratuities, it very much so is your "business". In essence, the cruise lines are putting the onus on the passengers. Sorry for you Viktor and Sanjid...the evil passenger removed the tips...nothing we can do...better luck next time, maybe you need to work on your panhandle technique. Personally, the game is getting old. Pay the crew what they should be paid and raise the price of the cruise if necessary. Quit trying to hide the cost of cruising by using the passengers as pawns. Just my two cents.

Well said. Also, they already raised the price of the cruises. The nickel and diming is just so annoying.

On the Spirit, even the special chocolate buffet (offered once during the cruise) had a gluten free section!

I don't think this is about complaining about this or that, but a legitimate question about the quality of the food, which is a major element of a cruise vacation for most people.

And whIle taste in food is subjective, I will again say that the food in the NCL buffet is bland to my taste, based on my 4 NCL cruises on different ships. If you re used to bland tasting food, maybe you won't care

Just came back from the Spirit yesterday, and everything that was said in earlier replies is accurate, including the fact that the MDRs are not so great.

If you care about having a quiet diner, make sure you check where your table is located. On several occasions, we had a bad table, facing open kitchens, staring at neon lights and of course with a lot of noise, while the service from overworked waiters was pretty slow.

One night we insisted on a quiet table by the big windows (in the Windows MDR), and not only was it quieter, the service was clearly better and the waiters more available. However we had to really push to get it.

It seems as if these 'premium' tables are reserved for somebody other than us :D (even though we're latitudes silver and had a balcony room), maybe for suite people.

In summary, if you want a good table, don't be afraid to ask and fight a bit for it.

As for the Raffles buffet, I have to say that it is NCL like, it can be OK, though the food was very bland but at the right temp, and the desserts particularly (the cakes mostly) were tasteless. Also that place can get very very busy.

Regarding the cabin, due to the rough seas, there was a lot a creaking and shifting (expected I guess) but also some banging which kept us awake the first 2 night and which had to be fixed by the NCL crew (they added screws on the ceiling, greased the balcony windows). It was better after that.

Also, the bed is firm. It's fine if you like it, but if you don't, talk to your steward as they have foam pads they can add on top of your bed (and more than one if you want). The help desk told us they very often get this request.