RoperDK

I used to buy internet and shared it with my DH. I wanted to keep in touch with deployed military family members, elderly parents, and fur baby sitters. It gave me peace of mind and worth every penny. We now buy internet for both of us and I can text and call my DH instead of using the inconsistent chat feature on the app. Not really necessary but we are used to instant communication.

Thanks for adding in all of the extra details. We will hopefully be able to try Star Class one day!

I disagree. Suites on Royal have more amenities than inside cabins. On newer ships ( where you are more likely to pay that $20k) suites have many amenities that add dollar value to your cruise. Star class has included drink packages, ultimate dining package, internet, a private Genie to cater to your wishes, the private suite restaurant, the private suite lounge and pool deck. The suites are spacious and have luxurious added touches. We personally have never splurged for Star class, but we always travel in at least a Junior Suite and mostly Grand Suites. We look for bargains and have a dollar limit for our cabin costs. That works for us.

Yes, I had the tenderloin for just one on Wonder 3 weeks ago. My husband wanted the Halibut, so they brought me out the tenderloin for one. I also mentioned that I was curious about the lamb and they brought me a small portion to sample, also.

My husband had the Halibut on Wonder 3 weeks ago. He said it was good. Not fresh off the boat in Alaska good, but just fine.

Is this benefit for any D+ or when you reach 340?

Mardi Gras/Celebration have 2 levels of suites. They all include priority embarkation, 2 large bottles of water, a dedicated guest service line, and priority debarkation. The upper (Excel) suites also include laundry, soda package and free room service. The room service is only from the very limited room service menu. Excel suites have access to Loft 19 but have to pay for cabanas. Loft 19 has a pool, hot tub, and drink service. The benefit of booking with Carnival is price. Royal has better perks especially on Oasis and Quantum class ships. We prefer Royal, but Sky and Star class is soooo expensive right now.

They do have breakfast, but it is American style. Think eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and waffles. It was good, but not like Blue Iguana. There you have empanadas, breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros. They also have the Mexican fixins bar set up, too. Quite good!

If he enjoys Dad time and is active and fit, then Wonder has soooo much to do. We just got off the March 5th Wonder cruise and it was full to the brim with young families. I saw so many Dads spending time with their kids (suspect Mom wanted some quiet time 😉). Saw many Grandmas and Grandpas spending time with their grands, too. The ship was maxed out and while there were lines at mealtimes and when shows let out at the elevators, the crowds were pretty well spread out. The trick is to go to the venues either early or after prime time. I truly hope that he decides to go and has an amazing time. Wouldn't that prove him wrong.

We just did lunch a couple of weeks ago on Wonder. The only green cooked veggie was asparagus. They did have a wedge and Caesar salad option. The other sides were mac and cheese or fried, mashed, or tot potatoes.

We are booked on Wonder on Jan. 28, 2024. Since Wonder did B2B Yeshiva cruises last year, where could I find info on what will happen in 2024? We accidentally sailed on this week a few years ago on Oasis. We didn't have any venues (Solarium Bistro) closed and really had no issues. Perhaps the group is much larger now. I don't care to cruise with any extremely large group on a cruise. Too much of a chance that they will impact the venues and enjoyment of the cruise.

Coastal Kitchen is an upgrade from the MDR. Perhaps not quite specialty dining, but we are a fan. Look at the CK menu on the app and you will see what they offer. We enjoy the filet on night 1 and the veal chop on night 7. The old everyday menu is still offered in CK. It's a smaller venue with better service. Hope you enjoy it!

How confusing. We just called and booked a refundable cabin on the Wonder for next January. There were limited cabins in our category. I asked every conceivable version of the question of whether we would be able to convert this booking to our prime free certificate (it would involve an upgrade fee). The representative confirmed that all would be okay. I guess we will see how it works out, but I have been a victim of the fine print recently. During the early COVID cruises there were no restrictions. Now it seems they change the rules all the time. We will see.....

I wish that Wonder had more full suites. We have been trying to get a GS and no luck. Even hard to find a JS. We saw many Pinnacles in the Diamond lounge last week. Don't know if they had access to the suite lounge or not. Struck up a conversation with several while waiting for the maitre d to show up so we could make our CK reservations for dinner.

I heard that Wonder was overbooked this week. On our sailing last week, we could have eaten in CK every night if we wanted to. Heard there were over 100 Pinnacles on our sailing. Coastal Kitchen was super crowded with a lot of Pinnacles eating there on the nights we went. We were happy that the doors to access the area were propped open during dinner hours.

Coastal Kitchen is only on Oasis/Quantum class ships. If you are in a JS on them, you can eat dinner if there is availability. There is no access to the suite lounge if you are in a JS. Mariner doesn't have CK and you can't access the suite lounge if in a JS on that ship. If you are Diamond or above, the Diamond lounge is right next door to the suite lounge on Mariner.

We've been on 26 Carnival cruises. We have decided that Royal is our cruise line of choice now. We were just on Mardi Gras (new ship) and Wonder. There was no comparison with the experience. Mardi Gras was understaffed and it showed. Quality of food, drinks, and entertainment was not as good as on Wonder (and we were full of spring breakers). HOWEVER, you are on a newer ship with many food options. It's a longer itinerary so the experience will be totally different. I think it would be a great option. The only negative I can see is that Carnival doesn't do this itinerary very often and I don't know how the excursion planning and execution would be.

We just got off Wonder in a JS and could eat at Coastal Kitchen every night if we wished. I have always been able to eat at Coastal when in a JS as long as I am a bit flexible on dining times. Go to the suites area as soon as you get onboard and make your reservations. On Wonder, we made our first 2 reservations when we boarded and then added our other nights throughout the week.

We are sailing on Mariner. The only cabins available are under lido. Which side is the smoking area on? Did a search and couldn't find a definitive answer. For future reference, are all ships the same?

As someone who struggles with anxiety and has had difficulty tackling traveling alone, I sympathize. I have found that given a chance, people are usually helpful and understanding regardless of where they live. Along with anxiety, I struggle with mobility issues and autoimmune colitis at times. I love cruising and how healing being at sea is. When I travel alone, I am uncomfortable in the beginning but always find my strength along the way. The confidence I get from the experience is exhilarating. Good luck and safe travels.

We are new to using the diamond lounge. Are you discouraged from taking a morning or evening plate of goodies out of the lounge to eat?

We are in a JS on Wonder soon. Since they aren't a full suite, do we pay the greater gratuity amount and get the twice a day service? A JS lives in a gray area and I saw conflicting info on the Royal site during a search.

Could you add some variety to itineraries in the Caribbean? A different port stop here or there would be a welcomed change. Would love to do a partial Panama Canal voyage roundtrip from a Florida port.

All of these venues are free except for the Seafood Shack. These are mainly lunch venues. Some are open until 5 or 6.

We just got off a Carnival cruise with our first once a day service. I thought I would miss turndown, but nope no problem. We are in a JS on Wonder in two weeks. Don't know if that qualifies for twice a day or not, but don't really know if it is required. I still like the paper copy of the activities. We've received that in our GS suites for the last few cruises. Don't know if that is still available. It's a brave new world! Although, if I had the sofa made into a bed for the entirety of the cruise, that would be a big problem for me. We only have two people so not a big deal. I would have to learn how to make up the bed so that I could have the sofa during the day.