Live from WOTS Eastern Caribbean 4-14-24

[Steelers0854]

Day 4 St Thomas cont

 

 

We grabbed a quick bite to eat for breakfast in the windjammer. DW found out the sausage and the hash browns were safe for her to eat. She said the hash browns were delicious with an onion flavor to them. I just grabbed a couple of sausage links and a surprisingly good premade cheese omelette.

 

 

We got our morning workout in. Caught the intense performers doing a rehearsal And went and got ready for the day.We also caught the parade which is always fun. 

 

 

We arrived early and they started letting folks off at 12:28. We waited til about 1:15 and walked right off. $12 later we were in downtown wandering around. We walked around and in and out of stores for about two hours.  We hopped a taxi back for the same amount.

 

 

 

We grabbed a quick bite at El Loco fresh. DW could eat the chicken no problem, they weren't sure about the guacamole but DW said they didn’t need to check she would stick with the salsa today.

 

Our balcony was shaded and we relaxed until dinner at Chops.

 

They brought DWs bread and it was clearly made in house. DW said it was good. She also got the bacon and goat cheese salad sans the goat cheese. Both were great but the salad was a home run. For entree she went with the filet and we got the mushrooms, spinach and baked potato. She said all of them were good. The mushrooms were our favorite. They were excellent.   She said the filet at Hooked was actually better than Chops but everything else was better at Chops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad and lamb along with creamed spinach. I wasn’t a fan of the creamed spinach. It was basically sautéed spinach with a splash of cream. When I order creamed spinach I want it swimming in creamy goodness. But everything else including the lamb was excellent.

 

 

 

 

 

We skipped dessert tonight. It seems the places that do have sorbet only ever have Mango and that’s probably the only fruit DW doesn’t like so that’s too bad.

 

We have 9pm reservations for Voices tonight And are just enjoying our balcony until then.  Atleast we did until someone started smoking weed. SMH. Why are people so dumb! I hope they get caught. 

 

[Steelers0854]

Day 4 St Thomas cont

 

We called an audible tonight. We headed to the aqua theatre about 5 min before show start to ensure we saw the show atleast 1 time. We had no issues getting seats even though they were on the side. The show was amazing. Those ladies were so very talented. Just incredible. I do recommend getting there early and sitting as close to center as possible. Sitting on the sides is not ideal. We are going to go again tomorrow when we have our make show.

 

 

We hustled from there to the Royal theatre. Pro tip if you take the stairs next to the aqua theatre down to the jogging track it takes you right to the upper level of the theatre. Easy peesy. The show was good. DW loved it, I thought it was ok. I wasn’t loving the music choice and I felt the videos in the background were more distracting/creepy at times then added value. But it certainly wasn’t a bad show and they are all very talented singers and dancers.

 

After that we called it a night.

[Steelers0854]

It’s a glorious morning in St Maarten. Our plan today is to make it a sea day and enjoy the pool deck with what we hope will be little to no crowds!

 

[BillOh]

10 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

It’s a glorious morning in St Maarten. Our plan today is to make it a sea day and enjoy the pool deck with what we hope will be little to no crowds!

 

6 weeks from now I will be on my port side balcony enjoying this view, love the scenery coming into St Thomas and St Martin. Thanks for getting up early, it was fun to watch via the port webcam.

 

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

We called an audible tonight. We headed to the aqua theatre about 5 min before show start to ensure we saw the show atleast 1 time. We had no issues getting seats even though they were on the side. The show was amazing.

 

Good call on the audible. Not one of my favorites, I prefer more diving, but I can appreciate the "dancing" and choreography they do. I booked it for June just b/c I could; not sure we'll see it a 3rd time but ya never know. That's why it's so easy to get in standby, people like me grab reservations and don't show up. 🙈

 

7 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

Pro tip if you take the stairs next to the aqua theatre down to the jogging track it takes you right to the upper level of the theatre. Easy peesy. The show was good. DW loved it, I thought it was ok. I wasn’t loving the music choice and I felt the videos in the background were more distracting/creepy at times then added value.

 

That's also a nice quiet spot, down behind the aqua theater, especially early in the morning. We get up pretty early and wife used to go running (now she walks) while I go to the CL for cappuccino. I've taken my coffee down there before (some ships have chairs, off the track of course, don't remember if Wonder does) and peacefully watched the wake of the ship as my wife passed by every so often. Great sunrise spot if you're up THAT early.

 

Not a fan of Voices but glad your wife liked it so much!

[BillOh]

2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

 

That's also a nice quiet spot, down behind the aqua theater, especially early in the morning. We get up pretty early and wife used to go running (now she walks) while I go to the CL for cappuccino. I've taken my coffee down there before (some ships have chairs, off the track of course, don't remember if Wonder does) and peacefully watched the wake of the ship as my wife passed by every so often. Great sunrise spot if you're up THAT early.

 

Not a fan of Voices but glad your wife liked it so much!

I sympathize with your wife,.  IN 2011 I was training for my first marathon, and I did 10 miles a day on Allure's track.   I've had to retire from marathoning after 7 of them, but I'll probably still get down there for a walk occasionally.

[Donsyb]

On 4/14/2024 at 8:40 PM, sandym718 said:

We used to stay in Tokelau before it became DVC and yep could hear the ferry horn, but as you said...slept right through it.

 

Great reports so far!! 

 

I'd love to hear about any fairly quiet sunning spots you find/see on Wonder.  We loved, loved, loved the open air front deck of the Solarium on Oasis and that was pretty much our spot for the week.  I know Wonder, and Utopia, have closed Solariums which is disappointing to me.  Probably a great spot in the evening or if we need a break from the sun, but I'd like to find a similar quiet space when I want sun.  Love kids, but we're empty nesters now and I like to read my book without them running all over lol 

 

There is a small sunbathing area one level up from the solarium- come out of the solarium towards the pool, go to the left hand stairs there. Not many loungers and no kids as not overlooking the pool.

[OCSC Mike]

3 minutes ago, BillOh said:

I sympathize with your wife,.  IN 2011 I was training for my first marathon, and I did 10 miles a day on Allure's track.   I've had to retire from marathoning after 7 of them, but I'll probably still get down there for a walk occasionally.

 

She was pretty into running for a long time but it was more just for exercise and socializing as she had many running friends. She was never overly concerned with personal bests or anything and only did 2-3 full marathons I think. She did a lot of shorter races. Running takes a toll on the body, of course, and we're not getting younger, but she also kinda lost interest.

 

Her last hurrah was doing the "Dopey Challenge" at Disney... a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and full marathon on 4 consecutive mornings.

[island lady]

Couple of tips we use when watching the show at the Aqua theater: 

 

Indeed get there early, and indeed center area is the best for views.   

 

We bring a folded beach towel each to sit on.  Sometimes those hard wooden bench seats can be uncomfortable after awhile, and sometimes they are wet (depending on weather, splashing, and previous cleaning).  

 

On the way out, we take the side stairs up to the rock climbing area, then down the hallway of deck seven cabins to work our way back to avoid the masses going through Boardwalk.  

[Steelers0854]

Day 5 St Maarten

 

 

We started today much like all the others. Got up, grabbed a quick bite at the Windjammer and got our workout in. Because it was a port day the gym was a ghost town which was great. After our workout we headed to the pool deck and secure some padded loungers under a large overhang. It was cloudy at this point and we couldn’t tell where the sun was, but we picked the best spot we could. For the next few hours we had passing rain showers but otherwise it was a perfectly relaxing and temperate day. By 2pm we needed a small snack since we had dinner at Chops again.  We we went to Windjammer again and grabbed a salad and burger patty.

 

 

Before long it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight we had much the same as we did the night before. The only differences were I got the lobster bisque and the ribeye. The soup was a tad too salty but the ribeye was great.

 

 

 

After dinner we headed to 150 to place DWs order for dinner tomorrow. Then to the aqua theatre to grab good seats for the makeup show tonight. While waiting in line to be let into the theatre spot started falling on us. I surely hope it doesn’t ruin my shirt, but word of warning to you all that the boardwalk is apparently in the line of fire for falling soot.

 

The show was great, they did a few things we hadn’t seen the night before. Unfortunately towards the end of the show the seas were rough enough they skipped some of the dives so I’m glad we came both days.

[Steelers0854]

Here are the planners for Day 4, 5, and 6

Day 6.pdf Day 4 & 5.pdf

[Donsyb]

6 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

Day 5 St Maarten

 

 

We started today much like all the others. Got up, grabbed a quick bite at the Windjammer and got our workout in. Because it was a port day the gym was a ghost town which was great. After our workout we headed to the pool deck and secure some padded loungers under a large overhang. It was cloudy at this point and we couldn’t tell where the sun was, but we picked the best spot we could. For the next few hours we had passing rain showers but otherwise it was a perfectly relaxing and temperate day. By 2pm we needed a small snack since we had dinner at Chops again.  We we went to Windjammer again and grabbed a salad and burger patty.

 

 

Before long it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight we had much the same as we did the night before. The only differences were I got the lobster bisque and the ribeye. The soup was a tad too salty but the ribeye was great.

 

 

 

After dinner we headed to 150 to place DWs order for dinner tomorrow. Then to the aqua theatre to grab good seats for the makeup show tonight. While waiting in line to be let into the theatre spot started falling on us. I surely hope it doesn’t ruin my shirt, but word of warning to you all that the boardwalk is apparently in the line of fire for falling soot.

 

The show was great, they did a few things we hadn’t seen the night before. Unfortunately towards the end of the show the seas were rough enough they skipped some of the dives so I’m glad we came both days.

Soot has been reported to be an issue at the aqua theater. We didn’t have the problem there but did when we were watching the Flo rider 

[island lady]

23 minutes ago, Donsyb said:

Soot has been reported to be an issue at the aqua theater. We didn’t have the problem there but did when we were watching the Flo rider 

 

It's an awful problem up at the suite's sun deck.  😕  Yuck.  

[Steelers0854]

Day 6 Sea Day 2

 

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. DW grabbed breakfast while I headed for a workout. It started off a bit stormy today with periods of heavy rain but they passed quickly.

 

 

We got ready for the day and grabbed coffees and relaxed on the Promenade given the weather.  Before too long it was time for lunch at Chops. Special shout out to Marilyn our wonderful sever that we have had each day at Chops. She makes you feel like your dining in her home and is so wonderful.

 

DW got her salad and went with the chicken today to mix it up. They also had her chocolate cake which she loved of course.

 

 

 

 

I went with the wedge salad and the burger. I didnt realize it came with sweet potato fries and they were very good. The burger I thought fell flat and wasn’t what I was hoping it was going to be. The cheese tots I got were very good though. I have a soft spot for red velvet cake and theirs didn’t disappoint. Probably the best dessert I’ve had all week.

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we walked around the ship for a while we were so full. We headed to Mason Jar so DW could preorder dinner for tomorrow. We sat on our balcony before heading to Harry Potter trivia, which made me feel like I need to brush up on the books again lol.

 

Dinner tonight was at 150 Central Park.

 

DW got the beef short ribs, beet salad and the filet. She raved about the short ribs and they were her favorite appetizer thus far. She also really enjoyed the beet salad. She was excited for the veggies with her filet and said the steak was also very good.

 

 

 

 

I went with the scallops and the duck. The scallops were excellent, I would highly recommend. The duck was also good, perfectly cooked, but definitely needed the sauce that came with it. Without the sauce it wouldn’t have been very good.

 

 

 

After dinner we grabbed coffees and ended our day with a beautiful sunset on the balcony.

 

[Steelers0854]

Day 7 Planner

Day 7.pdf

[Steelers0854]

Day 7 Sea Day 3

 

Got up and hit the gym again today. It was the busiest this morning than it’s been all cruise, hard to find any open equipment and a yoga class took up that entire space. Got ready and lounged downstairs to relax before lunch at Johnny Rockets.

 

We got there at 11:30, by 12:30 it was really busy. We grabbed a seat inside to avoid door issues we had previously experienced.

 

DW ordered the Route 66 lettuce wrapped with an extra party and bacon and fries. She said it was the best burger she has had this trip.

 

 

I got the smokehouse burger with an extra patty and jalapeños, onion rings and an Oreo shake. The shake was extra but only cost me $2.75 with our loyalty discount and it was worth it. The shake was delicious. The burger was excellent as well, I thought it was way better than Chops and the onion rings were very good. All in all this was an excellent lunch.

 

 

 

We walked around a bit and relaxed on the balcony before Star Wars trivia. I did better than I did at Harry Potter yesterday. Now we are relaxing on the balcony enjoying the perfect weather before The Effectors show at 3:30. Then dinner tonight at Mason Jar.

[BillOh]

@Steelers0854 Enjoy your sea day will watch your arrival in the morning.

[Steelers0854]

Day 7 Sea Day 3 cont

 

 

The Effectors. Well. It’s about as close to an Avengers copy as you can probably legally get in terms of theming. The show had amazing special effects. But the story and dialogue were flat out horrible. So don’t stress about going, I still say find you can just to see the effects. But whomever wrote this should be flat fired.

 

 

After the show we moped our way back to our cabin as it was time to pack. Such a sad part of the cruise but we made quick work of it.

 

Dinner tonight was at the Mason Jar.

 

DW preordered the fried green tomatoes, watermelon salad and she hopes the brisket but asked for chicken as a backup. The brisket they get prepackaged do the chef wasn’t sure and was going to try and check. Well when we got there tonight sure enough she could have the brisket!  She loved the fried green tomatoes, perfectly crispy and the bacon jam was delicious. The watermelon salad she had previously and said it was still great. And the brisket was excellent. She loved the sweet and smoky BBQ sauce it came with.

 

 

 

 

 

I got the Johnny cakes, crab beignets, and shrimp and grits. I thought the Johnny cakes were great. Loved all the components and it was a huge portion. The crab beignets were a let down. These are no NOLA beignets here, they were dense more like a donut. The cinnamon they put on it when paired with the crab didn’t work. They do give you 5 of them which was a lot considering the literal spoonful of crab that comes with it. These would be a pass for me going forward. The shrimp and grits were excellent. The grits had solidified a little more than my liking, they still were kinda creamy, but the flavor gives them a pass. That sauce that came with it was spicy and flavorful. These were a home run in my book.

 

 

 

 

 

Dessert time came and DW had her chocolate cake for the last hoorah. I got the maple bacon and the bourbon pecan ice cream. They were both so delicious. I’m a sucker for banana pudding so I asked for it to go as I was so full I couldn’t see straight. I’ll report back on how that was tomorrow.

 

 

 

After dinner we walked the promenade and Central Park before heading to the cabin and relaxing one last time on our balcony enjoying the beautiful weather.

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

I’m a sucker for banana pudding so I asked for it to go as I was so full I couldn’t see straight

My wife loves it. I like the dessert to go move but we already discussed that.

 

Thanks for all the food pics. 6 weeks til we return to try Giovanni’s for dinner and have another Mason Jar brunch (our current favorite).

 

Should have mentioned this sooner but since you mentioned burgers a couple times… if you find yourself on a ship with Playmakers again, we love the burgers there. They come with double patties, bacon, etc. by default.

 

Safe travels home tomorrow!

[sandym718]

On 4/18/2024 at 7:55 AM, Donsyb said:

There is a small sunbathing area one level up from the solarium- come out of the solarium towards the pool, go to the left hand stairs there. Not many loungers and no kids as not overlooking the pool.

 
Thank you! 

[bambam2972]

On 4/18/2024 at 10:24 AM, island lady said:

Couple of tips we use when watching the show at the Aqua theater: 

 

Indeed get there early, and indeed center area is the best for views.   

 

We bring a folded beach towel each to sit on.  Sometimes those hard wooden bench seats can be uncomfortable after awhile, and sometimes they are wet (depending on weather, splashing, and previous cleaning).  

 

On the way out, we take the side stairs up to the rock climbing area, then down the hallway of deck seven cabins to work our way back to avoid the masses going through Boardwalk.  

 

Ooh great tips! I'm jotting these down 😄

[Hogbay]

On 4/17/2024 at 4:53 AM, Steelers0854 said:

It is Captain Rob!  He’s a pretty funny guy. 

Is that " Captain Speaking"?

[island lady]

8 hours ago, bambam2972 said:

 

Ooh great tips! I'm jotting these down 😄

 

You are most welcome.  The towels also come in handy for an overhead if we suddenly get a cloud burst...or get dripped on by the "flying lady".  😉 

[Steelers0854]

Day 8 Disembarkation

 

Well here we are, the dreaded last day. I did learn last night that there were 1350 kids (yea certainly felt like there were) on this voyage and that all the cabins were sold out. But a couple weeks ago they had 2250 kids during the spring break cruise so I guess we were lucky lol.

 

We got up early and beat the crowds at the Windjammer and the got ready and out of the room. We waited in the Royal theatre til about 8:20 when our number (44) was called. Walked off the ship and straight through to customs. If you had a US Passport you went to a series of facial recognition scanners, a quick photo and you were done. We were out of the terminal by 8:40.

 

Thanks to everyone for following along with us. We had a great trip. Wonder is a great ship and a lot to do. Most of the shows were great. I do feel that this trip confirms for us that we may be Virgin Cruisers now. There were so many kids on board, and I dont necessarily mind that but they weren’t well behaved and we heard almost constant running around etc. plus the fact that everything is included on Virgin, the food is outstanding, not a single person asked me to fill out the survey at the end of the cruise and I heard 2 mandatory overhead announcements on my 7 day cruise. We would definitely do Royal again, the Icon looks like a lot of fun, but I think our go to lines might just be Virgin now with Princess and Celebrity as close seconds.

 

 

[sandym718]

7 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

Day 8 Disembarkation

 

Well here we are, the dreaded last day. I did learn last night that there were 1350 kids (yea certainly felt like there were) on this voyage and that all the cabins were sold out. But a couple weeks ago they had 2250 kids during the spring break cruise so I guess we were lucky lol.

 

We got up early and beat the crowds at the Windjammer and the got ready and out of the room. We waited in the Royal theatre til about 8:20 when our number (44) was called. Walked off the ship and straight through to customs. If you had a US Passport you went to a series of facial recognition scanners, a quick photo and you were done. We were out of the terminal by 8:40.

 

Thanks to everyone for following along with us. We had a great trip. Wonder is a great ship and a lot to do. Most of the shows were great. I do feel that this trip confirms for us that we may be Virgin Cruisers now. There were so many kids on board, and I dont necessarily mind that but they weren’t well behaved and we heard almost constant running around etc. plus the fact that everything is included on Virgin, the food is outstanding, not a single person asked me to fill out the survey at the end of the cruise and I heard 2 mandatory overhead announcements on my 7 day cruise. We would definitely do Royal again, the Icon looks like a lot of fun, but I think our go to lines might just be Virgin now with Princess and Celebrity as close seconds.

 

 

thanks for the wonderful report!   Really enjoyed following along.