OCSC Mike

If you like a show that's all singing, sure. I doubt I would like it even if the cast was comprised of grammy winners... just not my thing. That's why shows, like most things, are subjective.

It will depend on what you do and don't find interesting but the beauty of it is you can organize it however you want and even make changes on the fly. We had a few definite stops planned (sloths and a school to drop off donations) but the rest was mostly us asking to see as much of the island as possible and leaving it in his hands. Private tours are also quite affordable on Roatan. I had no idea we'd check out a resort for free (even if we just walked around for a little and left) or stop at another resort known for diving and swimming with dolphins where Cardy showed us a hyperbaric chamber used to treat divers. We find random stuff interesting like seeing a bunch of American fast food restaurants, learning how the island is governed compared to mainland Honduras, etc., but there's obviously time for beach, shopping, pictures, a bite to eat, etc. on top of the cultural stuff. We did drive through the West End, we just didn't stop to spend time there.

You ask my wife who was paying attention and has a functional memory unlike mine, lol. She said the ones in the #1-6 side of the pool were shadier than the other side. The new #20-21 looked shadier also. There are some decent YouTube videos out there that will pan around the pool if you want to look for other differences. Caveat: I’m not going to factor in the astronomy behind the differences in the earth’s position relative to the sun in January vs. July. Just being there in Winter in general should make it much more pleasant wherever you wind up. We sail almost exclusively when school is out since my wife is a teacher so it is what it is but I’d love to be there when it’s not as hot. Even Cozumel last October when we snuck in a short cruise was so much nicer than June/July. BTW, put an @ symbol in front of a poster’s name if you want them to be notified of your post. I would have seen this and responded sooner @georgiacat. If you have other questions, fire away.

The ice show is 365 & currently my favorite ice show in the fleet. Great music & special effects to go along with the skating & aerial work. Effectors 2 is an original stage show (the original is on Odyssey & Icon has a prequel). It’s geared towards families, IMO, as it’s superhero themed (but not adult like Marvel/DC of course). I’m not a fan aside from some cool special effects at the end. Voices is a singing-based stage show that I thought was horrible. There will be a rotating headliner… juggler, ventriloquist, singer, etc. Having sailed Wonder 3 times since March, none were particularly great. Adult comedy will of course depend on the comedians. *In recent months there has been a 2nd aqua show announced & performed on night 7 called Aqua Nation. It’s more of a showcase of different skills like aerial work, slack line, tight rope, and of course dancing & diving. I saw it last week & enjoyed it. I thought InTENSE was fine but it has a lot more “dancing” and less of those other elements than every other aqua show I’ve seen so I was happy to get to see the 2nd show. Obviously show opinions are subjective like anything else; this is just one man’s opinion & I'm not actually a big show guy. I’ll see anything once though (provided it’s under an hour).

This a personal preference issue like most things cruise-related. We don’t care about our cabin and actually have reasons why we prefer interiors over balconies (I’m never paying for a suite although I’ve loved the perks the 2 times I was treated to one). We’d book interiors no matter what but definitely would if it meant a longer cruise.

We docked a bit earlier than that last week, got off the ship ASAP, and our taxi had us at Paradise Beach around 8:30am. You should be fine.

FWIW, not only did we love PB, but my wife was figuring out which poolside daybed to get for future visits. Nothing wrong with the beach daybeds but the view isn’t great no matter which you choose & we wound up taking quick dips in the pool to cool off. So we figured next time we’d just skip the sand. The pool daybeds really vary. Some have benches in front, some don’t, the table layouts are different, some get more shade, etc.

We went through RonysTours but wound up with an amazing tour guide who does his own tours and just picks up shifts with Rony if he's free. His name is Cardy. He used to work as a scuba divemaster and an aquatic EMT of sorts for several resorts in Roatan over the years. He will take you anywhere you want from sloths to the beach to sightseeing... but also less touristy stuff if you're interested. We drove all over and even visited a local school to drop off donations that my teacher wife had collected. He also got us into a resort for free to look around that normally charges $20pp. He can be reached at youthwithmission@gmail.com. After that he will be happy to chat with you via WhatsApp or FB messenger. I'm sure anyone from Rony's can drive you to see sloths, the beach, etc. but Cardy has so much extra knowledge and is such a genuinely nice guy that it really adds to the tour no matter what you specifically want to do.

Just off Wonder this morning and you probably already know I mostly agree. They did a 2nd show last night, "Aqua Nation", which is the name of the show on Symphony but I think we got more of a showcase that was still very enjoyable. It had a cool aerial part, a slack line portion, a tight rope walk at the top of the structure, and of course some diving and dancing. It was nice to see something new.

Great! With a couple exceptions, that’s exactly what I would do.

Yes, on embarkation day.

It's in the app.

Thanks. Seemed clear it’s just a weird app issue but appreciate the follow-up. Hopefully they show Aqua Nation again tomorrow night (and next week when I’ll be onboard).

We had the most amazing server during our first visit with family in June 2023. She not only encouraged us to try as much as we wanted but gave us tips like that (you can also request white or dark meat). Going off-topic... when we went back this March we saw her on embarkation day when I went to the bar for a drink and she remembered us so we of course requested her for brunch again. Unfortunately, she ran into a medical issue towards the end of that cruise. We brought her some OTC meds but it turned out to be a more serious issue and she actually had to leave her contract early and go back home to take care of it. She was so nice that my wife wound up keeping in touch with her via social media. She's fully recovered and last we heard was joining Utopia to work in that Mason Jar (which selfishly made us sad b/c we'll be back on Wonder Sunday but obviously the important part was that she's OK).

Would love a review of the unique drink menu at the new Pesky Parrot (can't wait to try many of them). Would also like a review of the Spare Tire "food truck" on the pool deck.