Disappointing Aqua Theater Suite Experience on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas Suit #10734

Wonder of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

royal70

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 18

Overall rating:

2.2 out of 5

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

Sail date: October 01, 2023

Ship: Wonder of the Seas

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 10734

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

**Title: A Comprehensive Review of Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas Aqua Theater Suite - 2 Bedroom – Suit #10734** Our recent adventure aboard the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas Aqua Theater Suite - 2 Bedroom prompted us to share this review, with particular emphasis on the one-star rating for food quality and service in the specialty restaurants. Starting with the pros and cons, the pricing for this journey ranged from 25K to 50K for an 8-day voyage. However, the journey's commencement lacked the expected smoothness, especially since we had to pay additional costs for our hotel stay and flights. We landed on a Friday night, two days before the Sunday cruise start date, facing a six-hour flight delay. Despite the delay, we were fortunate to catch the trip. However, our arrival came with unexpected expenses as we had to book our own hotel and arrange transportation to the cruise terminal, expenses we had not anticipated when booking this supposedly VIP service. Royal Caribbean markets the overall trip, but upon closer inspection, the eight-day voyage includes only three days of actual stops: Coco Cay beach, St Thomas in San Maarten, with the rest being days at sea. Given this, we recommend Royal Caribbean management reconsider the hefty sales pitch, especially when we found enjoyment primarily during our stops at Saint Martin and St Thomas. These experiences were enhanced by attractions we arranged ourselves, as the Royal concierge could not facilitate certain bookings like our UTV trip on the island and exploring the island in San Maarten. Opting for the top package, including the Aqua Theater Suite, full beverage package, dining package, and a dedicated genie, was a highlight. The genie's 24/7 assistance enhanced our trip, aiding with food choices, directions, and onboarding priorities. However, the trip got off to a cumbersome start as we boarded the ship at 10:30 AM and navigated to our suite located inconveniently on deck 10. The trek through the ship's narrow walkways, reminiscent of a walk of shame, was less than pleasant. The suite, though luxurious, was marred by leftover food smells in the hallway and an unkempt carpet. Turning to the dining experience, we were disappointed by the specialty restaurants. Hooked Seafood, Giovanni Italian Kitchen, Mason Jar, Wonderland, and the Chef's Table fell short of expectations. The service was lackluster, the food unappetizing, and the presentation subpar. We barely enjoyed these specialty restaurants, giving them a one-star rating. The exception was Izumi Bachi and Chops Grille, where the service and food were commendable. The inclement weather during the cruise, marked by rain and wind, limited our enjoyment of planned activities, including the $2000 cabanas at Coco Cay. We were unable to utilize them due to the adverse conditions. Additionally, a lack of warning about jellyfish on the local beach resulted in my son getting stung, and Royal Caribbean's customer service failed to provide any compensation or even acknowledgment of the issue. Despite these challenges, we found solace in the presence of Starbucks, our go-to for daily refreshments. The pizza at Sorrento and Johnny Rocket also brought some comfort, especially for our teenage boys. However, it was disheartening to resort to fast food on a cruise, highlighting the ship's limitations in delivering a truly amplified culinary experience. In conclusion, we wanted to share our detailed experiences to caution potential travelers. While there were highlights in our journey, the overall impression was marred by various issues. We hope this review provides valuable insights for anyone considering booking the Aqua Theater Suite - 2 Bedroom on the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas - Suite Number 10734.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Children's Programs

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

2 out of 5

Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas

2 out of 5

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

3 out of 5

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

3 out of 5

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

Traveler Photos

Suite #10734 marred by leftover food smells in the hallway

18 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 3 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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autumn71 1 year ago

The "no warning" of jelly fish got me😂🤣😂

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PJandJesse 1 year ago

While I can agree there are pitfalls in dining on Wonder, is this review written for comedic purposes? You flew in 2 days early and didn’t know you had to get a hotel room? The hallways are tiny? YOU SPENT 25-50K on an 8 night cruise? Did you think the ship was going to each port over and over? I’m so confused on how you’re so confused on what YOU purchased. Is this a joke? Because if so, well played. If not, I hope the private jet terminal attended to you better on your return flight. 😂

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MTcruisers 1 year ago

Family n friends were on this exact cruise this year and we certainly didn’t spend that kind of money and we had a blast. There was 12 of us and we all had a good time. One excursion wasn’t the best but didn’t hurt us any. Food was good and was treated well by staff. I have no idea where you were because it didn’t sound like the same ship.

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Cruiselovers70 1 year ago

Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean is not known for exceptional culinary experience. After COVID, food quality and dining service has gone down in all of the dining venues. It seems RCCL has created this situation consciously with a purpose to increase revenue. Other cruise lines are following suit and it seems like it’s becoming a norm. Unless we as guests start submitting our displeasure to the cruise line’s corporate management, this situation will remain unchanged.

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Delmaria 1 year ago

First of all, I'm sorry that your cruise was not what you expected. However, I do believe a little bit of research would have helped a lot. And if you didn't want to do the research then maybe hire a travel agent who would have done the research for you. That is a lot of money to spend on a cruise that you did not enjoy. When you could have gone on a luxury cruise for the same amount and perhaps had a better result. I'm not really sure. What I do know is that the Wonder of the Seas is a beautiful ship. I was there last year and I enjoyed every minute of it. As far as the weather, the Caribbean is unpredictable. I hope that if you do book another cruise, whether it is with Royal Caribbean or another company that you do your research first and decide, is it worth the amount of money that you are going to spend. As far as the hotel and the transportation, what you could have done is you could have booked a room with Royal Caribbean. Of course they're going to charge you per person which would have added to your cost.

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justlovincruisin 1 year ago

Sounds almost as if you had no personal role in achieving the financial success of the ability to afford such an expensive trip. You seemed to not know that unless you book transportation arrangements through RCL it's not their responsibility. They also can't control the weather in ports or at sea. Most people purchase the "itinerary" when researching cruises and know the ports of call but somehow you felt RCL kept you in the dark. Maybe you enjoy buying things without doing a little research. Either way, you enjoyed part of the cruise, didn't enjoy another part. Maybe your next trip will live up to your expectations.

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Dumfy75 1 year ago

This reads like “I spent a stupid amount of money on an 8 day cruise so why should I have to look at my own travel arrangements or itinerary and why didn’t someone else make sure everything was perfect for me”.

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks

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ThingsandStuff 1 year ago

Dude.

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RoyalCruzer 1 year ago

We're you also disappointed that the genie didn't wipe your a** after using the restroom. What a joke of a review by a spoiled out of touch individual.

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cortneyb 1 year ago

my favorite part was the failing to mention jellyfish in the beach. it IS their home, not the humans home. and why anybody would spend that kind of money for only 8 days in rcl is beyond me. I mean, you sailed royal, an average 3-4 star line ... not 5 stars.

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PaulzyJC 1 year ago

And.....yes, that is A LOT of 💰💵💸 for an 8-day cruise; dispite it being a suite. Yikes! I REALLY don't GET WHY people choose to spend that much on Royal, but not Regent Seven Seas? OK RSS doesn't have 18 restaurants and an amusement park, but still...25K$-50K$??

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PaulzyJC 1 year ago

Ok, I read the whole review. They had a good time overall, it seems. However, I don't know why they would accept an 8 day cruise with 3 ports, if that's not what they wanted? Was it not ever possible to check the intinerary before booking??? Why didn't they look at the deck plan before choosing their suite, if they didn't like the location? How was this cruise sold them, blind?? Does Royal sale blind cruises? Also, the weather in the Caribbean is going to be inclement during this time of year. Checking the weather forecast should be paramount if traveling to locations known for inclement weather. The jellyfish thing sucked, I touched one in Hawaii and my arm was numb for a day or two. Most of these issues may have been avoided with prior research. For example, they should have arranged flights, hotel and transfers with Royal well before the cruise embarked. As for the dining: 🤷🏿‍♂️

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PaulzyJC 1 year ago

It's a long review with no photos. 😕 Well, I hope the next cruise is better.💁🏿‍♂️

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PaulzyJC 1 year ago

Sigh... Not a single photo. 😕 Why didn't they take photos of their suite and their cruise to share?

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kdlady 1 year ago

How someone can spend $25k to $50k on a week-long cruise is beyond me.

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javawoody 1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed comments

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Other reviews of this sailing

Ship is massive beautiful. But royal needs change menu on dinning room. This may be last time once I am done oddeysey of the seas. Get tired of the same menu on ship. Food not hot at times cold upsetting.

Not for teens, if the boat is full

Perfect Cruise