LIVE from Wonder of the Seas Transatlantic April 2022

[perfect match]

@arctickitty, I love that your cats work out! One of ours does, too. Our other cat just does cardio, better known as zoomies all around the house! They’re two of the reasons we haven’t done a TA yet. If we were gone for that long, there would definitely be catitudes when we came home even though we have great cat sitters. I’d post workout cat’s picture, but I don’t want to hijack this thread.

 

Thank you to everyone for answering the favorite TA/TP question and why they liked it best.

 

@laurieal, hope all is going well for you.

[laurieal]

Thanks to the person who posted the show schedule for this cruise!

 

Here’s the compass from Day 1. 
 

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

sorry, pictures didn’t post. I’ll try again.

Edited April 21, 2022 by laurieal

[laurieal]

Hello from the ocean (but more specifically, the Solarium)

 

Yesterday felt like a whirlwind! I woke up early because I was too excited to sleep and I took advantage of the hotel’s breakfast which was included in my price. 

 

 

 

 

My check-in time for the Wonder was 11am and I had booked an accessible taxi for 10am because a part of me is always expecting taxis not to show up. That part of me was happy to be proven wrong and I got a text message a bit before 10 letting me know the driver was on the way. 

 

It was chaotic at the port, but is it ever not? From what I heard in line, there was an attempt to enforce boarding times, but I think it went out the window pretty early. I was at the port around 10:15, in the terminal around 10:35 and in a holding pen around 11:15. I finally set wheels on the Wonder at noon. 

 

The first thing I did was chat with the Mad Hatter who was in the Promenade selling dining packages. Those packages had sold out in the Cruise Planner several weeks ago and I was hoping to buy the 5 nights one, which I did. 

 

 

Then, I met with my friends who had boarded a bit before me and who were waiting to make dinner reservations in the MDR on deck 5. They had previously signed in with their cabin numbers and were sitting at a table waiting to be called. I joined them and we were able to make our specialty dining reservations for our whole group, even those who hadn’t boarded yet. 

 

Then we sat at the pub and booked some shows until our staterooms were ready. Here is mine, minus the bathroom because I’m a dummy and I got too excited by the cookies in the room to finish taking pictures. Bathroom pictures to follow eventually. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I met up with my friends at the Lime & Coconut on deck 16 and it was finally time for the first drink of the vacation: a Lime & Coconut which came in a cute bucket. 
 

 

 

Sail away was scheduled for 5pm, but we left around 6pm (maybe because of the kayak incident someone mentioned?). By the time we were truly off, I had just enough time to sprint to my cabin and bring my luggage in and then sprint to the MDR for our dinner at 7pm. Sprinting on brand new carpet should be a paralympics event. Who do I call about that? 

 

 

 

 

Dinner was fine. I skipped the appetizer and had one piece of fried chicken with some of the battered shrimps and scallops from another entrée. For dessert, I had the key lime pie which was the winner of the meal for me. 

 

 

 

After dinner, I took a walk on deck 15 and then went to the Welcome Aboard Comedy Show. Honestly, my favourite bit was the beginning with the cruise director. According to him, there are 3648 people on board.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still had two diamond vouchers and I didn’t feel like using them, so I got two unopened seltzers that I really need to remember to take out of my backpack.

 

And then it was time for bed! Too late to fully unpack, so I need to take care of that, too, today. But not now. Someone looking super fit just walked past me with the exact same breakfast I’m having, and now I feel super validated in my life choices. I think I’ll celebrate by having some bacon or maybe a doughnut…

[laurieal]

Thanks to everyone who shared their transatlantic and transpacific crossings experiences. It was a pleasure to read while I was having my breakfast this morning. 
 

Never hesitate to hijack my thread with cat pictures. It’s my first time leaving mine for so long and I miss all her little sounds. Hopefully I won’t get too much cattitude when I come back. 
 

She doesn’t look like she’s missing me too much. 
 

Now for the question of the day. What is everyone’s favourite cocktail on RCI? I tend to stick to the menus, but I would like to branch out and try some new things. I’ll drink anything that doesn’t have bananas in it. Bananas should be ashamed of themselves. 

[laurieal]

Day 2 Compass

 

 

 

 

[Sunshine3601]

I love mojitos, espresso martini with bailey's is a new favorite, rum punch with shot of Kraken rum ontop, watermelon martini if you like sweet, caribbean mule, dark n stormy.     I have too many favorites😅

[Teeara]

We like a Bahama Mama when we board the ship and straight Baileys on the Rocks in the evening.  A Blue Hawaiian is yummy and looks pretty in the glass.  Rum punches are always delish.

[Buccaneergirl]

I see that the silent party is tonight! You should really go!

Many people participate and many sit and watch the people dancing with headphones on and singing to the music. It really is quite entertaining.

[Jason12]

Great review, can I ask your cabin number we are booked in accessible 6630 for June 

[crzndeb]

I’m old school when it comes to drinks, and none are really associated with cruising. Give me a good ole gin dirty martini in the evening, or sometimes a Manhattan. I normally like gin and vodka, but whiskey has grown on me. I don’t like overly sweet, or frozen (ouchy on my old fillings) drinks. My boarding drink is most often a gin and tonic.

[Husky1987]

1 hour ago, laurieal said:

Never hesitate to hijack my thread with cat pictures. 
 

Maxx is popping out from helping make the bed to say "Hi"

[SoFlaCruzer]

We are on the same sailing - so following along. We lucked out. We booked an interior cabin, and AFTER we had unpacked and almost as we were headed up to Hooked for our fist dinner, we got a call from guest services and they said they had upgraded us to an ocean view balcony. That if we could pack and they would send someone to help us move!

 

We are Diamond members, and we had bid on royal up to the ocean view balcony, but were not successful. So we were more than pleasantly surprised when we got it complimentary without even requesting any upgrades. Obviously the ship is not nearly full, so there are plenty of available cabins.

 

So we rushed and threw everything back into suitcases even with the coat hangers. The restaurant closed at 9:00 (our reservation time) and they said they could only hold it for 15 minutes. So my wife rushes up to grab the table while I wait for help to move all our belongings....I made it to the restaurant by 9:15 (my wife had already ordered for me) and had a nice dinner. I was sweating though!

 

After dinner, over to guest services to retrieve our new key cards, and start unpacking.....again.....but did we complain, heck no! Just a little more rushing around night #1 than we thought. As I write this I am looking out at the not so calm sea, and my wife is taking a restful nap, and life couldn't be better (maybe a little calmer seas, but it is beautiful).

[laurieal]

4 hours ago, Jason12 said:

Great review, can I ask your cabin number we are booked in accessible 6630 for June 

Not sure it’s safe for me to publicly say my cabin number after I announced how much cabin snacks I have…

 

I’m staying in 6632, so right next to the one you booked! If you have any specific questions about the cabin or things you’d like me to show, just ask!

 

Now to those who are on the ship right now…please don’t come and steal my snacks! 😂 

[laurieal]

1 hour ago, SoFlaCruzer said:

We are on the same sailing - so following along. We lucked out. We booked an interior cabin, and AFTER we had unpacked and almost as we were headed up to Hooked for our fist dinner, we got a call from guest services and they said they had upgraded us to an ocean view balcony. That if we could pack and they would send someone to help us move!

 

We are Diamond members, and we had bid on royal up to the ocean view balcony, but were not successful. So we were more than pleasantly surprised when we got it complimentary without even requesting any upgrades. Obviously the ship is not nearly full, so there are plenty of available cabins.

 

So we rushed and threw everything back into suitcases even with the coat hangers. The restaurant closed at 9:00 (our reservation time) and they said they could only hold it for 15 minutes. So my wife rushes up to grab the table while I wait for help to move all our belongings....I made it to the restaurant by 9:15 (my wife had already ordered for me) and had a nice dinner. I was sweating though!

 

After dinner, over to guest services to retrieve our new key cards, and start unpacking.....again.....but did we complain, heck no! Just a little more rushing around night #1 than we thought. As I write this I am looking out at the not so calm sea, and my wife is taking a restful nap, and life couldn't be better (maybe a little calmer seas, but it is beautiful).

What a start to your holiday! Enjoy the balcony 😎 

[Jason12]

1 hour ago, laurieal said:

Not sure it’s safe for me to publicly say my cabin number after I announced how much cabin snacks I have…

 

I’m staying in 6632, so right next to the one you booked! If you have any specific questions about the cabin or things you’d like me to show, just ask!

 

Now to those who are on the ship right now…please don’t come and steal my snacks! 😂 

I like your humour 👍 enjoy and I will be following on here😎 

[djyellowsub]

I love your review and appreciate you doing it.  Your orange tabby looks like my Phoenix.  He has three siblings to keep me entertained.  Have a Wonderful journey.  I will be on her when she returns in the fall to Cape Canaveral. My favorite drink is whichever one looks good on the menu at the time!

[ChutChut]

Loving your review and your pics. Thanks so much for taking us along on your adventure!

[jimbri]

Have a great time!

[Loucat]

Had to add to the cat pics! Here are Alexis and Webster chilling out in Florida. Tough life!

We have cat sitters stay with them whenever we are away.

[erniebert]

Loving your review, we are booked on the Westbound TA with our 2 kids in October… have you spotted many kids onboard? I’d guess not! 
 

also cat pics… these are Pip and Posy our two lovely rescue cats 

[Jason12]

17 hours ago, laurieal said:

Not sure it’s safe for me to publicly say my cabin number after I announced how much cabin snacks I have…

 

I’m staying in 6632, so right next to the one you booked! If you have any specific questions about the cabin or things you’d like me to show, just ask!

 

Now to those who are on the ship right now…please don’t come and steal my snacks! 😂 

Hi any chance you could poke ya nose in 6630 and tell me the position of the bed, ideally we want it like yours..

thanks 

[laurieal]

9 minutes ago, Jason12 said:

Hi any chance you could poke ya nose in 6630 and tell me the position of the bed, ideally we want it like yours..

thanks 

If I see the door open, I will take a look 👀 

[laurieal]

As promised, bathroom pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

Someone already confirmed the existence of the double balconies in Central Park, but it case this

helps here’s a picture from the one right over the Trellis Bar.