A little background
1. Diamond on RCCL, have also cruised Carnival, Princess, Disney
2. This trip there were 7 ranging from 12-72 in 4 balconies.
3. 3rd oasis class ship
Parking was a nightmare. PC is only 45 min from home. We got to the pier about 12:30 and got the last 2 spots in the lot. Had to take 2 cars due to group size.
Boarding was super easy. We had 7 times ranging from 11:00-2:30. 2 of our party went about 11:30. The rest at 12:30 or so. No issues with times. Security didn’t even check everyone’s documents. RCCL check in did, but did not check my oldest’s parental letter or the documents linking our names (always take, don’t always need)
The ship is beautiful, but it’s definitely not my favorite. I can’t pinpoint it, but I just wasn’t a huge fan. I loved the Allure. I liked Harmony. This was OK. It felt like venues like restaurants, windjammer etc had less capacity for a bigger ship. One of the things I’ve always loved about Oasis ships was that they never felt horribly crowded, even though there were a lot of people. This didn’t feel that way.
I’m also not a fan of the reimagined Giovanni’s. Mason Jar was good, Playmaker wings were better than I expected, El Loco was good, Chops was amazing. The dining room was so-so and I was really disappointed in windjammer.
I wasn’t a fan of the entertainment options outside of the ice show which I couldn’t get reservation for. I did catch a little bit of the aqua show, and the talent amazes me, but it wasn’t my cup of tea (it wasn’t bad, just not for me).
My take on a lot of things is this: Royal is struggling like everyone else in the service industry to fill spots, and recoup the billions lost during shut-down so they’ve made cuts. And it’s noticeable. I plan and execute large scale events for a career. I see it across the board.
My husband and kids ate their weight in soft serve. Giovanni’s wine bar - amazing. All in all I had an amazing trip.
Will I cruise again, absolutely. Will I adjust my expectations, yes. Will I purchase the UDP? Probably. Will I cruise on the Wonder again? Probably not.