Great Destinations, Monster of a Ship, Too Many

Wonder of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

r0cketman

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 75

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 03, 2023

Ship: Wonder of the Seas

Cabin number: GUAR

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Pros: Overall it was a fun experience being on the biggest ship in the world. Lots of activities and places to explore. So big that we didn't make it to them all. The staff was great and helpful! It was super nice to be on a ship where everything in your stateroom was up to date and functioning. The beds were comfy and had plenty of pillows. The closet layout was a little wonky and lacking in shoe storage spots, but other than that, plenty of storage. The door locks are bluetooth which was nice. One thing we really liked is we didn't smell exhaust from the back of the ship. That was so nice. Perhaps they've made them more clean burning. Lots of deck space, but it didn't feel so big because of all the people. Cons: They've finally built ships that are too big. There are too many people everywhere you wanted to go and it felt chaotic. We will choose smaller ships going forward. More people mean more problems. The ship got delayed twice in ports waiting for medical emergency transfers, 3 just on the first day had to be flown out, which meant the ship couldn't leave. Thankfully, they were able to go full speed to the next island so we didn't miss any ports, but it looked like we'd miss one at least. It's just too big.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Main Dining was always great and the service friendly. We recommend Mason Jar with it's country vibe. We would not recommend Giovanni's however. We took advantage of the 50% off first day deal and were really glad we didn't pay full price. The food was not worth the extra price. The lasagna was more of a beef mac and cheese, did not taste like lasagna at all. And the dessert was pretty weak. We've had good experiences at Chops. Also the Solarium Bistro was good.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

So may fun things to do and they're all good. My favorite was the Ultimate Abyss.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Really well done shows and great performers! Also they're very modern and LOUD so bring earplugs if you're hearing sensitive.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The staff are all so great, helful and friendly.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship is HUGE so just plan on a lot of walking to get where you're going. We got our steps in every day.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

We got a partially obstructed view room Portside and it was spacious and very well thought out. All of the technology upgrades were very appreciated. Plenty of outlets!

Ship tip

Because the ship is so huge, make sure you're a person who likes crowds. It was crowded everywhere we went from embark and debark, which were chaotic messes, to trying to get tickets to shows. The pool area was bonkers. It was hard to find quiet little spaces to be solo, but we found a couple.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas

5 out of 5

They have really done a great jobe developing this island in the 9 years since we were there last. Nice big lunch buffet.

Thumbs Up 0

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

We did the St John On Your Own excursion and would not recommend. By the time we got to the island and had to pay unexpected charges for transportation to literally get anywhere, we only had and hour to spend at the beach. It really wasted the whole day with transportation.

Thumbs Up 0

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

Such a beautiful island. We did a Double Decker bus excursion, but didn't spend enough time at each stop. The views were amazing, but wish we had more than 20 minutes at each stop. Hardly enough time to enjoy the beach.

Thumbs Up 0