Wonder of the seas solarium heat

[colesc15]

This is the first time on Wonder. Do they ever open any of the little windows around the sides and front for airflow? If you aren't in the pool, it's like a greenhouse with no air flow. I couldn't figure out this morning why the outside pools were packed and you could get any seat you wanted in the solarium until I realized it must have been 90 degrees inside with no air flow at all. 

 

So strange compared to the other oasis class ships. I asked one of the workers if they ever opened the windows since they look to be electronic and he just seemed really confused by the thought lol 

[OCSC Mike]

28 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

So strange compared to the other oasis class ships.

 

It's partly because Wonder was designed for Asia, not the Caribbean... Covid changed that.

 

It's also supposedly climate controlled (i.e. there's A/C) but we also found it warm at times last month. We never ever sit on the main pool deck but 2 days we found a little corner in total shade away from the traffic and not actually next to the pools to lounge in so we could get a breeze.

[colesc15]

50 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

It's partly because Wonder was designed for Asia, not the Caribbean... Covid changed that.

 

It's also supposedly climate controlled (i.e. there's A/C) but we also found it warm at times last month. We never ever sit on the main pool deck but 2 days we found a little corner in total shade away from the traffic and not actually next to the pools to lounge in so we could get a breeze.

Forgot about the Asia piece. That makes a lot more sense. It's so bizarre they don't operate the windows that are there and seem openable by a controller. 

[OCSC Mike]

3 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

Forgot about the Asia piece. That makes a lot more sense. It's so bizarre they don't operate the windows that are there and seem openable by a controller. 

 

Yeah, the full enclosure makes sense... choosing not to make it cooler in there... not so much.

[PhillyFan33579]

It gets really warm in there during the Summer. 

[ZoeyVictoria]

It was very warm in there in January. The solarium is usually one of our favorite places, but not on the Wonder. 

[MLAW]

I also usually love the solarium.  Last month I only lasted about 20 minutes on a port day.  It was like a sauna. Very unpleasant.  Because it was a port day, I was easily able to find a shaded area by another pool that had a nice breeze. 

[OCSC Mike]

34 minutes ago, MLAW said:

I also usually love the solarium.  Last month I only lasted about 20 minutes on a port day.  It was like a sauna. Very unpleasant.  Because it was a port day, I was easily able to find a shaded area by another pool that had a nice breeze. 

 

We really do have a lot of similarities. 😁

[MrsKC08]

My understanding is that the solarium on Wonder is climate controlled. I've heard and seen videos on YouTube where people have said it can be chilly in there and some say it is quite warm. I almost wonder if it depends on who has set the thermostat for that area.

[colesc15]

On 4/12/2024 at 2:43 PM, MrsKC08 said:

My understanding is that the solarium on Wonder is climate controlled. I've heard and seen videos on YouTube where people have said it can be chilly in there and some say it is quite warm. I almost wonder if it depends on who has set the thermostat for that area.

I know two weeks ago it was stifling the entire week and we just had to spend most of the time in the pool inside. 

[OCSC Mike]

3 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

I know two weeks ago it was stifling the entire week and we just had to spend most of the time in the pool inside. 

 

On the 3/17 cruise it was warm when it was hot out but cooler on the last day when it was storming out... which also created a small flood in there, lol.

[margeecruiser]

Is this true on other ships besides Wonder?  We were going to usethe Solarium bar as a meeting point for my friends/family, but not if it's too hot.  That bar has good wine, I was told, since the Mariner does not have Vintages any more.

[OCSC Mike]

12 minutes ago, margeecruiser said:

Is this true on other ships besides Wonder?

 

No, Wonder's Solarium is completely enclosed under a dome unlike other ships. That's why it's warm and (supposedly) climate controlled.

[orville99]

19 hours ago, colesc15 said:

I know two weeks ago it was stifling the entire week and we just had to spend most of the time in the pool inside. 

The windows can be opened, but you need to make the request to an officer who is in charge of the solarium. Also, there are tower structures between the left side and right side hot tubs and the windows of the solarium hot tubs that are the AC distribution points. If you can grab loungers on either side between the towers and the windows, you will feel the AC.

[Steelers0854]

It’s 77 out right now and we just walked through. It is HOT in there. I wouldn’t want to hang out in there. I would hate to see it on a hot day out. 

[OCSC Mike]

3 hours ago, orville99 said:

If you can grab loungers on either side between the towers and the windows, you will feel the AC.

 

We had this tip before last month's cruise... and apparently it's no secret b/c they were taken very early. That said, when we did get to check out the vents, there really wasn't much cold air coming out.

 

No biggie, we'll check it out again in June and if it's still hot we already have our new spot... just outside the Solarium in a shady corner not actually near the pools.

[notscb]

On 4/2/2024 at 5:51 PM, colesc15 said:

Forgot about the Asia piece. That makes a lot more sense. It's so bizarre they don't operate the windows that are there and seem openable by a controller. 

It still seems a bit weird considering how humid some of the ports are, especially Singapore.

[twangster]

On Wonder it is climate controlled with A/C.  However when in port there is often a desire to limit the amount of energy being consumed on the ship and the large solarium space is an obvious target to limit A/C. 

 

While some folks may stay on the ship, most cruisers leave the ship while in port so by reducing the A/C in the solarium they can reduce electrical demand and therefore they can operate in port with lower engine emissions knowing that most cruisers won't be using the solarium.

 

In general terms while at sea they can also save money by turning up the solarium thermostat so the broader implication may be to operate the solarium at warmer temps to save fuel and money.

 

They may not be completely turning off the HVAC entirely, it may still be operating just at a higher set point.  So opening windows isn't necessarily a viable alternative.  

 

All part of the cutbacks I imagine, to lower operating costs.

[bajathree]

Odd because Odyssey also has a fully enclosed solarium and when you walked in you could instantly tell it was climate controlled as they always kept it on the cool side.

[baileybrad]

The warmest solarium that we have ever experienced was on the Odyssey. Three trips on the Wonder and it was fine. Luck of the draw sometimes.

[OCSC Mike]

47 minutes ago, baileybrad said:

Three trips on the Wonder and it was fine.

That’s encouraging. Maybe they’ll crank up the a/c in June/July. If not… back to our new spot.

[sjb317]

On 4/13/2024 at 6:36 PM, margeecruiser said:

Is this true on other ships besides Wonder?  We were going to usethe Solarium bar as a meeting point for my friends/family, but not if it's too hot.  That bar has good wine, I was told, since the Mariner does not have Vintages any more.

We are currently on Mariner, sitting in the Solarium at the moment😂.  The windows can be opened, so we have a nice cool breeze coming through. Very pleasant.

 

The Solarium bar only shows a few wines on their menu and I would not describe any of them as good,  only a few of them are drinkable.😂  The best wines we have found are in the specialty restaurants and at the Schooner bar.

 

Sherri🙂

[margeecruiser]

So, Sherri does the Schooner bar have the variety of wines that Vintages used to have?  Do you know where/which bar I should try with my wine-loving crowd?

If all else fails, we will go to Chops and buy a bottle there and drag it to wherever.

 

Where there's will there's a way

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, margeecruiser said:

Do you know where/which bar I should try with my wine-loving crowd?

Try Giovanni’s Wine Bar in Central Park (next to the actual restaurant). You can also buy pizza & a few other items there.

[sjb317]

4 hours ago, margeecruiser said:

So, Sherri does the Schooner bar have the variety of wines that Vintages used to have?  Do you know where/which bar I should try with my wine-loving crowd?

If all else fails, we will go to Chops and buy a bottle there and drag it to wherever.

 

Where there's will there's a way

No, unfortunately they don’t, there is nothing like a vintages on Mariner. But we found a few we liked at the schooner bar and also Chops & Jamie’s.  We like red wines and one that we have really enjoyed was only at the schooner bar,  Terrazas de los Andes, a Malbec I believe from Chile. 
 

Sherri🙂