blue diamond cruise review

• Halong Bay Cruise
• Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise
• Lan Ha Bay Cruise

Blue Diamond Cruise

Room type & price, included/excluded.

Junior Suite

Senior Suite

Executive Suite

Family Suite

• 2 day cruise
• 3 day cruise

Day 1: Hanoi-Tuan Chau Harbor-Lan Ha Bay-Dark & Bright Cave (Lunch/Dinner)

08:00-08:30. You will be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter Streets and transfer to Tuan Chau harbor by luxury limousine (if the transfer is booked with Blue Diamond cruise)

11:30. Arrive at Tuan Chau harbor.

11:30-12:30. Transfer by tender boat to Blue Diamond Cruise.

12:30. The Cruise Manager and crew member welcome you onboard with guiding information and a safety briefing. Check in your cabin before a fabulous lunch in our restaurant. During lunch time, our cruise starts to sail through the magnificent Lan Ha Bay, a geological extension of Halong Bay which is less visited, less inhabited and therefore has the extra appeal of being a more peaceful place.

15:30-16:30. Visit Dark & Bright Cave by bamboo boat rowed by the local fishermen, a sereneround lake surrounded by lush trees and high stone cliffs.

16:30-17:00. Enjoy swimming in the private emerald water.

17:00. We return to Blue Diamond cruise and join some interesting activities such as cooking class, sunset party and relax on the sundeck to catch the daily spectacular of a gorgeous panorama Don’t miss the happy hour at our bar as well. After that, the captain will let the cruise stop at a quite area of the bay.

19:00. A special dinner of fresh seafood and an assortment of appetizing delicacies will be served.

20:45. In the late evening, take your leisure time to chat at the bar, playing games, squid fishing…

Overnight onboard.

Day 2 : Lan Ha bay-Tuan Chau Harbor-Hanoi (Breakfast/Brunch)

06:30. Be an early riser and attend the healthy Tai Chi practice on the sundeck. Sunrise photography is awesome.

07:00-08:00. Enjoy a breakfast in the restaurant.

08:00-09:00. Explore Lan Ha bay by kayak.

09:00-09:30. Back to the main cruise and it’s time to pack your things, do the check-out procedure. Make sure not to forget your belongings. Enjoy brunch while cruising back to the mainland.

11:30. Travel on a tender boat back to Tuan Chau Harbor. Make your farewell to the crew.

12:00. Meet the luxury limousine for a return to Hanoi (if the transfer is booked with Blue Diamond cruise)

15:00. Drop off at your hotel in Hanoi. End of services.

08:00-08:30. You will be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter Streets and transfer to Tuan Chau harbor by luxury limousine (if the transfer is booked with Blue Diamond cruise).

17:00. We return to Blue Diamond cruise and join some interesting activities such as cooking demonstration, sunset party and relax on the sundeck to catch the daily spectacular of a gorgeous panorama. Don’t miss the happy hour at our bar as well. After that, the captain will let the cruise stop at a quite area of the bay.

Day 2: Visit Viet Hai village, Kayak in Lan Ha Bay (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

08:30. You will join a day cruise and transfer to Viet Hai, a small village in the midst of jungles, covered by high mountains. The village is situated in the heart of Cat Ba National Park, which belongs to Cat Hai district of Hai Phong city.

10:00. Upon arrival, take a bike ride along the small path through the rain forests. Enjoy stunning scenery of rice fields on the way, stop at the village to relax, and visit an ancient local house which made from straw, mud, bamboo, etc… Arrive at Viet Hai, visit some local houses to learn about the culture, customs and daily life of the local people.

12:00. Back to the day cruise for a visit to Lan Ha Bay. Lunch will be served on board.

13:30. Experience some activities on the bay like kayaking, swimming in the blue water.

15:00. Get on the day cruise for a transfer back and check in Blue Diamond cruise at around 16:30.

17:00. We return to Blue Diamond cruise and join some interesting activities such as cooking demonstration, sunset party and relax on the sundeck to catch the daily spectacular of a gorgeous panorama Don’t miss the happy hour at our bar as well. After that, the captain will let the cruise stop at a quite area of the bay.

Day 3: Lan Ha bay-Tuan Chau Harbor-Hanoi (Breakfast/Brunch)

09:00-09:30. Back to the main cruise and it’s time to pack your things, do the check-out procedure. Make sure not to forget your belongings.Enjoy brunch while cruising back to the mainland.

12:00. Meet the luxury limousine for a return to Hanoi (if the transfer is booked with Blue Diamond cruise).

Ocean restaurant & bar

Flamingo Bar

Outdoor jacuzzi

Rate inclusions: ✓ 01 night on Blue Diamond luxury cruise exploring Halong-Lan Ha Bay ✓ Welcome drinks & cold towel ✓ All meals as stated in the itinerary served at Ocean restaurant on the 2nd floor ✓ Entrance fees to all sites stated in the itinerary ✓ English/ Vietnamese speaking guide ✓ Kayak and bamboo boat to visit the cave ✓ Cooking demonstration & Tai Chi morning class on board ✓ Night squid fishing ✓ Free usage of jacuzzi on the 2nd floor ✓ Free set up honeymoon room, wedding anniversary, birthday

Rate exclusions: ✓ Surcharge for traveling in the peak season or in our public holidays ✓ Transfer Hanoi-Halong-Hanoi by shared limousine at $US35 per person or private car ✓ Spa & massage services (please book in advance) ✓ Drinks at Ocean restaurant & Flamingo bar, minibar in room ✓ Tips & personal expenses ✓ Other expenses not mentioned in the program ✓ Surcharge for the entrance fees if there is any announcement from the government ✓ Bank fees and government tax

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Blue diamond cruise.

• The cruise offers an upscale and attentive cruising experience on Lan Ha Bay.
• The outdoor Jacuzzi pool is a perfect spot for you to refresh and unwind.
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Cruise information

Rooms & rates, double or twin room with sea view, deluxe double or twin room with sea view, family room with sea view, about blue diamond cruise.

Traveling with Blue Diamond Cruise is not just about visiting the magnificent World Heritage site; it is also about experiencing and indulging in five-star services aboard a luxurious and comfortable cruise, all while voyaging to the serene and tranquil Lan Ha Bay region.

+ The cruise is of high quality and has modern facilities. + Large balconies offer stunning views of the bay.

- The Jacuzzi pool and cabins are quite small.

Bottom Line

Blue Diamond Cruise is a perfect option to find the perfect balance between relaxation and adventure.

Itinerary & activities

Embark on a delightful journey with Blue Diamond Cruise to Lan Ha Bay, you can immerse yourself in the waters with kayaking or a serene sampan ride to explore the renowned Dark-Bright Cave and its enchanting inner lagoon. Alternatively, you can choose the 3-day itinerary to both Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay.

Cruise quality

Blue Diamond is a high-quality cruise primarily made of wooden details. The cruise offers all-suite cabins fully equipped with contemporary amenities and other facilities for fun-filling entertainment purposes.

Cabin quality

Designed with 25 wood-paneled cabins, this serene retreat offers the ultimate comfort, providing a home away from home amidst the emerald waters. There are five accommodation options for you to choose from including family suite, club suite, executive suite, senior suite, and junior suite.

Service & facilities

Apart from luxurious suites and top-notch restaurants, Blue Diamond Cruise brings the utmost convenience with a number of facilities such as an outdoor Jacuzzi, and a spa and sauna. You’ll also have exciting entertainment programs onboard like morning tai chi, cooking class, sunset party and squid fishing.

Food & Drink

Ocean Restaurant on the second floor provides you with a quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine while immersing yourself in the beauty of the wonderful bay. On the third floor, there is a bar for you to enjoy your favorite cocktails.

Frequently asked questions

No, but there is a Jacuzzi pool on the sundeck.

The cabins onboard are not really spacious with an average size of 18-35 sqm.

Pets are not allowed to get on the cruise.

Balconies are provided in all rooms except for junior suites with large windows.

No, the cruise does not offer a day cruise. There are only 2 day/1 night and 3 day/2 night programs.  

Things to know

12:15 to 12:30.

9:30 to 10:30 depending on each cruise's schedule.

View List of cruise exclusions(PDF)

View List of cruise inclusions(PDF)

• See cruise policy on bad weather conditions .

Maps and Itineraries

Our guest's experiences (8).

Blue Diamond Bay provides good value for money. The price was reasonable and we received more than we expected. The food was acceptable but not hot all the time. The staff was outstanding and the highlight of the trip, They were helpful and made our trip memorable.

Lan Ha Bay was tranquil and serene, wonderful for a cruise vacation for families. I enjoyed kayaking and visiting the cave a lot. The atmosphere onboard was fresh and intimate without feeling uncomfortable being with other guests.

This mid-range cruise had its ups and downs. The cabin was quite spacious, and cozy, and provided a beautiful view of the bay. The service was generally good. However, I felt that the onboard activities and entertainment were a bit limited, especially for someone looking for more active pursuits. The food was decent, but I expected a bit more variety in the buffet.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly way to travel, this cruise could be a good choice but don't expect luxury. The ship was well-maintained, and the staff were helpful. The entertainment options were surprisingly diverse. I experienced kayaking, sunset party, swimming, and many other activities. In general, the value for the price was excellent.

Blue Diamond Bay allows us to explore multiple destinations without breaking the bank. The quality and amenities were decent. The cabin was comfortable, and the staff was attentive. However, onboard activities and entertainment were less exciting than I expected. The buffet food was okay, but more options would be better.

Blue Diamond Bay was just a mid-range cruise but the onboard amenities were impressive, with a decent variety of dining venues and party places. The itinerary was well-planned, offering a mix of cultural excursions and relaxing beach days. The only reason I'm not giving five stars is that some of the additional activities and specialty dining options came with extra charges and the prices were quite high.

The service was good and the staff were very attentive. The cabins were of generous size and comfortable. We were served well and had a lot of activities to enjoy on the cruise as well as at the destinations. The quality was well-fitted the price we paid.

My family and I recently went on the mid-range Blue Diamond Bay cruise, and it was a great experience overall. The ship had a good selection of food and drinks in the restaurant. Entertainment options such as the Jacuzzi pool, the sunset party, Happy Hour, and squid fishing were brilliant and kept us busy all day.

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Blue Collar Diamond (+) does Wonder!

By BillOh , June 7 in Royal Caribbean International

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I always start my reviews with a lot of background information, so feel free to skip down to the pictures! (Speaking of pictures, my reviews are usually stocked with them, but this time I left my camera home and only used my cell phone. (This was real hard for me) So I think there will be less pictures and not as many WOW pictures.)

Our first cruise as Diamond + was supposed to occur in the spring of 2023 on Wonder of the Seas, but life got in the way.   My wife lost her job of 43 years and threw our financial plans into chaos, but she had already put in her retirement   date, so this ended up being a year of paid severance and then she was allowed to retire.   With that stabilized and my retirement date set we decided to book Wonder for 5/26/24.     Normally we book for the last days of April and first days of May because our anniversary is there, but Wonder was doing the Western Itinerary that week and I wanted to do my first return to St Martin post shut down.

We decided to make this our official retirement cruise as when we returned I would have just 14 work days left in my full time working career.   I may or may not be writing this review in my final work hours 😊    My 65 th birthday is also just a couple of days away.   So this was a real cruise celebration.   Being as old as I am, I remember when the school year didn’t start till after labor day and remained in session until after Memorial Day.   I didn’t realize at first, how many kids would be on board.   Step away from the reply button! I know this is a family cruise line and this is one of their top family ships.   We are empty nesters and try to cruise at times when there are less kids on board and I messed up this time.   That said, the Oasis class if big enough for everyone.   It was never a big problem and only had one or two minor encounters with small ones!   There were far more positive interactions.

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Once again Roll calls played a big part of my cruise joining a super active roll call and helping it grow.   As my signature shows we are experienced cruisers (first D+ cruise) , but there were people that had already been on Wonder multiple times before (We have been on Allure twice, Oasis, and Symphony before)   I also started a thread on CC called – STARTING MY WONDER RESEARCH and that helped a lot.   As much to pass time as to learn stuff!

We have now made 9 cruises out of Port Canaveral and 8 of those have been road trips. This year was no exception. The major difference is I was burning up all my year’s vacation almost all at once. We left 5 days before our cruise to visit some family in Orlando before heading to the cruise.   We started our trip 6am on a Tuesday and that I think turned out to be a great idea.   There was almost no traffic the entire 976 miles!   We planned on stopping between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL, but when the GPS said 10pm arrival on Captain Morgan Drive in Orlando, I called my   brother in law and asked if we could come in that night!   We made it just before 10pm!

Oh, it seems like every time we make this drive, something noteworthy happens.   This time, we took a golden shower on I-95!    I had just stopped at a gas station and filled up and cleaned all the windows.   Just as we were entering Georgia on I95 we came up on a large cattle truck. As I was looking for an opportunity to pass it, we started driving into this yellow mist.    It seemed like at least several cows started urinating at one and created this golden storm on the highway. Good thing the AC was on recirculate.

While visiting with family and waiting for my new cruise friends to arrive, a lot of attention was spent on watching the news for the Boeing Starliner launch.    Delayed several times, it was scheduled for the day most of us were to arrive in the Port Canaveral area and we all feared a manned launch would really crowd things. I was there for the last Saturn V launch back in the 70s, so no doubt it would make traffic a nightmare.     I guess its fortunate for us, that the launch   was delayed again and as of this writing, this still hasn’t happened. (Launched as I was typing)

I was about to start talking about boarding day, but I must go back and blast Royal’s IT department a little bit.   We are always FIRST ON BOARD people and always try to get on the ship ASAP.   One of the several IT screw ups came when checked in for our cruise finally arrived.   I’ve been using the same log in and password for at least 10 years.   I got up at Midnight to check in to the cruise and pick my boarding time, but was told my password was incorrect. I knew it wasn’t, but checked my typing carefully. I figured this was ANOTHER Royal IT SNAFU and went to bed.   At 7am, I got up, got the same error so I relented and reset my password, only to find out the earliest check in was 11:30. I was furious at the time, but it worked out ok.

As usual, we stayed at the Radisson near the port.   There maybe better, but it suits us and I frequently stick with what works.   We arrived and our room was ready and we got our shuttle to the port set up. Cruise morning arrived and we were on a 10:30 shuttle to the port.     Port Canaveral   especially terminal 1 is a well run terminal.   We arrived at 11am for our 11:30 checkin and we were on board by 11:10am. Not bad at all!

On most cruises we put our swim suits in our carry on and hit the pool, but since this was a new to us ship we went off exploring, right after a slice at Sorrento’s right after we boarded.   I was dissatisfied with the fact that they no longer do the custom personal pizzas at this Sorrento’s like they did on Allure and Oasis (don’t remember symphony) The pizzas was the ok stuff Royal has served for the past 15 years or so.

My wife is the queen of all cruise ship pools so we did make our way up there to check out the pool deck.   The Splashaway bay catches your eye right away, seems like a great area for kids, but we didn’t use it.   We did identify the ice cream station, all the pools, where the Windjammer was, and we toured the Solarum.

My wife the sun worshipper didn’t want to spend any time in the encloses solarium, but it was a nice area to retreat to   if we had any rain, which we only did for a few minutes.   I did notice that there was only one Cantilevered hottub on this ship and it had a glass edge to it below the water line.   Where the other tub is on other Oasis class ships is a bar.   I do remember seeing the first clam shell type beds on Oasis when she debuted. Wonder had several more in her solarium and several other “premium seating” around the pool.     There was a few nice beds, I think they called them casista’s on the pool deck, similar to a beach bed on Coco Cay or Labadee that you could rent for what I consider an exorbitant amount of money. I never saw them occupied, but I did hear a few people say they were always chasing people out of theirs.

On our initial walk through we did inspect the boardwalk, Central Park, the Promenade, and the Windjammer.    We avoided the WJ at first since we boarded late, but after hearing about the new WJ

I did hear good things about the Windjammer on this ship I was anxious to see it.   On Allure the WJ seems pretty big as it sits on the entire deck 16 across the ship and is over the top of the Boardwalk. On Wonder,   it is on deck 15 and is split into two sections with the   boardwalk area splitting the WJ into 2 parts.   When we walked through it was busy, but plenty of tables were available and I noted more counter type seating like I have seen on Freedom.   We liked the layout and thought it worked well.

Boarding a little later than normal our room was ready in what seemed like a quick time.    About our cabin: We usually book Oceanview Balconies and usually try to get deck 12.    This was one cruise I booked less than a year ahead of time, so I don’t know how it was initially, but the price difference between pick your own room and selecting a guaranteed balcony was about 75% more for picking your own.    Previously it hasn’t been much more than about $100 or so for picking your own room.  

Being the Memorial Day Holiday was this cruise week, that might have played a part, but I “suffered” through the unknown cabin assignment for months!    

  In the months between booking and boarding the ship our work/financial situation stabilized a bit and I put in my official retirement notice at my day job, so we decided to look at room upgrades.    I know to watch pricing and how to use the ROYAL UP program.     On my last Mariner cruise when I looked at this, the increase from OV Balcony to Junior Suite was more than the price of selecting SUITE GUARANTEE.   So I watch pricing continuously.    This cruise was near capacity early and stayed that way.    When the Royal Up bids went out I checked the current pricing to upgrade to each class above me and even the Balcony to Junior Suite was $4000 or more for the week.

  As I mentioned our financial situation stabilized and we were celebrating quite a bit with this cruise, I put in several , what I considered to be aggressive royal up bids.    My most aggressive was for a Crown Loft Suite. I fell in love with that class of cabin on Allure when our roll call had a cabin crawl.   Friends we made on that cruise a Mother and Daughter traveling together were given a free upgrade   from JS to this Crown loft!    Well, it didn’t matter none of my bids were accepted.   When we got down to the last 45 days lots of people who bid from inside to balcony won their bids. A handful   went from interior or ocean view to JS even.  

About a month out I found out our cabin was 6286 an ocean view balcony on the port aft part of the ship.    The ocean view was good, with only looking straight down blocked by the lifeboat below us. But it would do just fine. The location was fairly close to stairs and made for quick access to the Boardwalk, Promenade, Casino, and dining room.   The only odd thing about deck 6 was there is quite a bit where there are no inside cabins because of the boardwalk and 2 story promenade.    When walking to our room once, I was somewhat alarmed to hear a trumpet player warming up as I walked down the hall.   I thought it was coming from a cabin! Turned out a band was warming up on the balcony above the promenade.   I would say from about 6230 to 6208 you might as well have had the band in your cabin.   

Our Cabin would have been across from the level above Playmakers and was pretty quiet. My last 2 cruises were on a JS and a GS, so this seemed small, but normal for a regular ocean view cabin.   There were a few minor upgrades to previous cabins I have been in, which included lamps with USB ports and a big screen TV at the bottom the bed (looked like about a 55” Samsung.)

  I would later notice that the bathroom had a night light and their was a tiny light on the light switch to allow you to find the switch and bathroom easily in the dark. This is a great feature for a 65 year old man. I’ve almost walked out of my cabin a few nights on the way to the bathroom and unless it was a nude cruise, that might not go over well.   The cabin served us well for the week, but I hope they test those USB ports on occasion as they are making us carry our phones with us, so we will need reliable places to charge them and my experience with hotel USB ports is not good!

For sailaway we did get a spot at the Beach pool and hung out in the pool   The first thing I noticed there was the big screen above the pool.   I think I read it was a 4K screen, which I don’t know for a fact, but it was one of the nicer at sea big screens I’ve seen. Team that with the fact they had crew members with wireless 4K camera all over the pool deck filming the sail away party. Nice use of Tech!

Next up was dinner,   we have been, I think the last cruisers hanging on to late seating traditional dining.    The reason I say that is I selected large table for 8-10 when I reserved, but we ended up with a table for 2 on deck 5.     In most of my previous cruises MTD had its own deck and the remaining decks were traditional early and late dining.    As per usual when we walked by the dining rooms before first seating there were people waiting to get in.   That was the case this time.   Usually the doors would close for a bit between seatings with the exception of the MTD deck.     

One day 1 we walked in and found are table, our late seating time was 7:45, but we intentionally arrived at 7:50 so we didn’t have to stand in line outside the door. When we arrived at our table, other tables nearby were already eating their appetizers.   Later in the week I would arrive right at 7:45 and saw the same thing. Each day it was different people at the tables around us, so I suspect we were the only late diners on our server team’s list and the rest of their tables were MTD.

First night was well done, quick service, good food, good bar service. We were happy.    I did learn our waiter Ruth, this was her first contract with Royal and this was her first week on the job. I thought she did a nice job, just a little soft spoken, my wife would repeat things for me as she is use to.      

Speaking of new crew members, I don’t know how often any ship replaces people and how many at a time, there were a lot of brand new crew members starting that day. I saw dozens of people getting tours around their new responsibilities the first day.     We had the same usual Royal service so no problems, I just found it interesting to note

We have found with our 4 cruises so far on the Oasis class that its best to book the aquatheater show for the first night.   We did that this cruise as well.   We showed up about 20 minutes early and they were seating people with reservations.    We chose to sit in the very back row with high top chairs and a table in front of us. Made for nice viewing. The show was interesting, mostly dancing and some acrobatics,   Far less diving that other shows.    Someone pointed out the all-female cast, which I didn’t notice, but its true.    The show was worthwhile, just not my favorite from what I have seen so far.

To the right of my wife above is Gina's new friend from our roll call who imparted some slot advice that turned out to be pretty good.  She ended up probably about $150 for the week and I donated about $80.  Not prime members by any means. 

perfect match

Hi Bill! Barry and I are now 92 days out from our Wonder cruise so I’ll be following your review with great interest.

As you know from our Symphony cruise, we’ve always been traditional late diners. However, that has recently changed for us, at least for the first leg of our Allure B2B. While we’re able to keep our late dining time on the second leg, we had to switch to early dining on the first because the show times just didn’t work for us. I’m a night owl so late shows don’t bother me at all but DH Barry is an early bird and shows that don’t start until 10:30 just don’t work for him. The nay earlier show times were during our late dining time slot.We’ll be doing early dining on Wonder for pretty much the same reason.   

I know you’re on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary and we’re on Western but I’d still appreciate it if you would post your show schedule. I’d like to see how it compares to the one I have for the current Western sailing.   

We are in a Boardwalk Balcony on our sailing so I’m also wondering if they’re showing late night movies in the Aquatheater on nights where the Aquatheater show is not running and if so how loud is the volume on the movies. I’ve already told Barry to bring earplugs! I looked into moving us to an OV balcony but the sticker shock 😳 was well, really shocking! Maybe prices will drop some after final payment next week. 🤞🏻

4 hours ago, perfect match said: son.    I know you’re on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary and we’re on Western but I’d still appreciate it if you would post your show schedule. I’d like to see how it compares to the one I have for the current Western sailing.    We are in a Boardwalk Balcony on our sailing so I’m also wondering if they’re showing late night movies in the Aquatheater on nights where the Aquatheater show is not running and if so how loud is the volume on the movies. I’ve already told Barry to bring earplugs! I looked into moving us to an OV balcony but the sticker shock 😳 was well, really shocking! Maybe prices will drop some after final payment next week. 🤞🏻          

This review might be a little light by my standards, didn't take a camera, or notepad with me.  We did see all the shows, but I didn't right down when they were other than the aquatheater the first night.  The Comedian on night 2 and ice show on night 3, and the Effectors on night 5. We were able to find a show around our 7:45 dining time.

We did also check out the “Diamond” Lounge the first night. Like on Symphony, it was down on deck 4 near the comedy club and studio B.    It was the usual type seating, some lite appetizers and pretty much slow bar service all week.   This was our first cruise as D+ so we did use the 5 drink vouchers each day all week, so I guess people feel less of a need to use the DL.    It rarely had more than 5 people at any time.   We did visit daily. The bar service never got better.

Day 2 started early, I saw we were nearing Coco Cay and that the Celebrity Beyond was already there. Unfortunately we were on the port side of the ship and we docked on the starboard side, so I didn't get to take a very good look at Beyond.

  We went down to Johnny Rocket's and had breakfast. Gina had 1 egg, bacon and toast. It was good. I had scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon with a side of sausage. It was all good. 

They cleared both ships at the same time and we headed ashore.   When we were last in Coco Cay, the new Adult hideaway was just being started. While we have been happy with the Coco Cay Beach Club, those prices have gotten ridiculous. We also enjoyed the Chill Island Beach area.  Since there was so many kids on this cruise, we thought this was a good time to try the new Adult hideaway.  We had heard some good things about it. 

A week later I am sitting in my basement at my computer and I realize I didn't even take my phone off the ship, which is my norm, but I had no camera, so I apologize for the lack of photos of this new area.   We walked the length of the pier and turned right and walked about another 30 yards to the tram to the adult hideaway, it was quick and easy.    

We walked past a couple of bars and onto the beach at its east end of what looked like a big horseshoe beach with a closed off lagoon.   We also walked by several nice lounging areas with shade and down to the middle of the beach, right near the pool. It was a good spot with bar service nearby. Getting off the ship early we could have gotten several hammocks, swings, in pool seats, and other "desirable" seats, but we chose two front row beach recliners and had a great day.   It wasn't till noon when we finally saw people from Beyond showing up in any show of force.

It was noon before the area even remotely looked like it was getting full. Initially we used 3 chairs between the two of us.  As soon as the place looked like it was beyond 50% full (noon) we gave up that chair.   Our seat on the beach was near the infinity pool and from our advantage point you could see people leaning out the pool edge looking at the ocean. From our view, everything from the waist down was amplified, so it gave people a funny appearance. Again, I never thought to take my phone out. 

We had a bar close by and was able to stay hydrated and enjoy the warm water on this beach.  We were closer to the Pizza place and had a couple of slices of pizza, After that I did walk down to the other lunch location and saw a nice menu, but we already ate, so we didn't check out the sandwiches and salad offered there. We did go down for ice-cream though which did hit the spot on a hot day. In the 6 or so hours we did spend there, we did get a nice warm rain shower that was light and only lasted a couple of minutes.  

We enjoyed ourselves and I think in the future we will go back to Chill Island or watch for sales at the Coco Cay beach club if there are not a lot of kids on our cruise. If we go on a more kid busy cruise we will go back here. (Now off the look at pricing for Coco Cay for my 2025 cruise)

So that concludes probably the worst done review of Hideaway beach. It was fine, affordable and a good time. 

DAy 2 ended with another trip to the DL,  Lasagna in the MDR and the Comedy show in the attic on deck 4. Both comedians were very good, had a good time. 

Thanks for the review! I, for one, enjoy the pre-cruise info. I usually include it in my LIVE’s —- some folks complain but that’s what the scrolling function is for.   

We are considering the Wonder for a family cruise in August 2025, but so far the pricing is a bit rich — since we need four cabins but there is only one payer 😳 😳 .

Thanks for taking us along!

On 6/7/2024 at 7:32 AM, BillOh said: Once again Roll calls played a big part of my cruise joining a super active roll call and helping it grow.   As my signature shows we are experienced cruisers (first D+ cruise) , but there were people that had already been on Wonder multiple times before (We have been on Allure twice, Oasis, and Symphony before)   I also started a thread on CC called – STARTING MY WONDER RESEARCH and that helped a lot.   As much to pass time as to learn stuff! We have now made 9 cruises out of Port Canaveral and 8 of those have been road trips. This year was no exception. The major difference is I was burning up all my year’s vacation almost all at once. We left 5 days before our cruise to visit some family in Orlando before heading to the cruise.   We started our trip 6am on a Tuesday and that I think turned out to be a great idea.   There was almost no traffic the entire 976 miles!   We planned on stopping between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL, but when the GPS said 10pm arrival on Captain Morgan Drive in Orlando, I called my   brother in law and asked if we could come in that night!   We made it just before 10pm!   Oh, it seems like every time we make this drive, something noteworthy happens.   This time, we took a golden shower on I-95!    I had just stopped at a gas station and filled up and cleaned all the windows.   Just as we were entering Georgia on I95 we came up on a large cattle truck. As I was looking for an opportunity to pass it, we started driving into this yellow mist.    It seemed like at least several cows started urinating at one and created this golden storm on the highway. Good thing the AC was on recirculate.   While visiting with family and waiting for my new cruise friends to arrive, a lot of attention was spent on watching the news for the Boeing Starliner launch.    Delayed several times, it was scheduled for the day most of us were to arrive in the Port Canaveral area and we all feared a manned launch would really crowd things. I was there for the last Saturn V launch back in the 70s, so no doubt it would make traffic a nightmare.     I guess its fortunate for us, that the launch   was delayed again and as of this writing, this still hasn’t happened. (Launched as I was typing)   One of my cruise traditions around Port Canaveral is to have dinner/drinks at Fishlips the evening before our sailing and watch the ships leave the port. That was another wonderful experience again this year!   I was about to start talking about boarding day, but I must go back and blast Royal’s IT department a little bit.   We are always FIRST ON BOARD people and always try to get on the ship ASAP.   One of the several IT screw ups came when checked in for our cruise finally arrived.   I’ve been using the same log in and password for at least 10 years.   I got up at Midnight to check in to the cruise and pick my boarding time, but was told my password was incorrect. I knew it wasn’t, but checked my typing carefully. I figured this was ANOTHER Royal IT SNAFU and went to bed.   At 7am, I got up, got the same error so I relented and reset my password, only to find out the earliest check in was 11:30. I was furious at the time, but it worked out ok.

The site and app were both down at  midnight the last time I tried to check in for a early boarding time. The next  morning still down and I finally went to kroger came back it was finally working but the earliest time was now gone. I got 30 minutes later, my friend 1 hour later. I did to myself dont let this get to you, another royal IT mess up. Sorry it happened to you too. I agree its aggravating. 

If your ID and name is Bill is there a reason you call your reviews blue collar. What makes them blue collar? Curious. I don't identify with any working group. Mostly just did my own thing and dont have a identity .like blue collar or office.

@firefly333  I initially adopted the "Blue Collar"  moniker in my reviews because of my simple meat and potatoes diet and lack of a sophisticated pallate.  Later when we became Diamond I adopted of it as many people thought all Diamonds were stuffy boring people.

I'm not stuff, but perhaps a bit boring, especially as I enter my GET OFF MY LAWN years.

Day 3 was our first sea day on the way to St Thomas and once again we had breakfast at Johnny Rockets.  This time I did pay an extra for the breakfast burger. (Burger with egg on top) I was ok, probaby worth $5 and the service was very good and the weather perfect.

Soon we were up at the pool for some sun and splashing around.  At 9am we were able to find 2 decent chairs close to the Beach pool.  That early the Splashaway bay water area hadn't opened yet so the beach pool was full of kids.  That wouldn't be a problem as they would leave when the pool when the water park area opened up. (mostly)   The main problem with the kids in these pools is that, like some adults, they seem to congregate and socialize on the ladders going into the pool. I can no longer just jump into the pool and when its crowded that isn't wise anyway, i need to use the ladders, so I had to say "excuse me" multiple times each time getting in and out of the pool.  We did stay there till about 4pm and got dressed for the DL and turned our thoughts to dinner.

This was the first formal night and we decided not to bring anything on the cruise beyond casual, so we skipped it and had snacks in the DL (really good jerk wings) and then thought about going to El Loco Fresh.  Unforunately El Loco had a huge line at 4:30 and was closed when we went back about 40 minutes later, so we ended up at the Windjammer and it made for  a nice dinner with plenty of seating.

That night we saw "The effectors" show.  We arrived early , even though we did have reservations, It can be hard to get good seats together.  We walked in and the crew members scanned my wife's card and said, "You are D+, you can sit up in the VIP section in the balcony, best seat in the house.   My wife being thrilled at this went up the nearby stairs and into the balcony.    We sat in the front row and quickly realized the railing in front of us was too tall and you couldn't see the front of the stage unless you leaned forward. I knew leaning forward block the view of people behind us. We moved to row 2, not much better, same with row 3, so we ended up in row 4.   As we sat waiting for the show to start, we saw no less than 20 people do exactly what we did, start in the front row and move up to row 4. I would say the first three rows in the balcony at this theater are WORTHLESS!

I like most shows, but this one was what I consider lame.  It has some nice technology and costumes, but the plot was horrible, so it was just singing and dancing that was probably semi enjoyable, but I will stick with LAME.  I will not watch it again.  

Oh, I amost forgot!  On this first sea day we elected to have lunch at Playmaker's  We really enjoyed this on the promenade on Mariner. We enjoyed the wings, rings, and drinks.   On Wonder, the Playmakers is on the boardwalk.  We got there at 11 and couldn't find a seat and there was no crew member to help.   Playmakers being outside and with multiple big screens it is a hang out where people will come and stay for hours.    We were lucky to see someone leave and grabbed that seat before it could be bussed clean.    After 15 minutes and after we ordered, we saw a couple from our roll call struggling to find a table, so we invited them to join us and it made for a nice conversation.  

As per my normal review  mode, I get back from vacation and am far behind on work, and struggle to get the review done. Once again, I am way behind on work, but now I care less than previous years as I have 12 work days left and I'm not working that hard. However, I did mention the struggle of not having my camera and not taking notes this time.   Its a pain getting all my pictures in one place and organizing them, I thought  I would take a moment and post a few pics about things I have already talked about and skipped the photos. 

Our first stop on board at Sorrento's we were able to get our freestyle cups as soon as we got on board. 

Our Cabin 6286. 

It was too crowded at boarding time to get the picture below of this giant artwork on the promade, so we went back around 11:30 when the promenade was nearly deserted and yet we still had trouble getting this photo.   More times than I could count people would walk up between me and my subject and take their selfies.  Most times I remained calm and waited for them leave so I could my shot, but at least 3 times teenage girls got in the way and then stood around browing their new pics, or even doing a live chat while we were trying to get the pic.  I soldiered through it and didn't kill any one.

Once I had to ask someone to finally move on so we could get a shot too.

1 hour ago, BillOh said: snacks in the DL (really good jerk wings)

For whatever reason, I didn't check out the snacks as often as usual but I did have those last week and agree!

1 hour ago, BillOh said: I like most shows, but this one was what I consider lame.  It has some nice technology and costumes, but the plot was horrible, so it was just singing and dancing that was probably semi enjoyable, but I will stick with LAME.  I will not watch it again.

Pretty much our feeling. It's geared towards families (my nieces liked it last June) but the special effects are cool. We saw it a 2nd time and then wondered why, lol. We're done with it.

1 hour ago, BillOh said: we decided not to bring anything on the cruise beyond casual

I'm no huge MDR fan but fwiw, unless you're not comfortable doing so, there are plenty of casually dressed people on formal night these days so don't let that stop you in the future. I throw on a casual polo every night no matter where we're eating and usually shorts. I still do bring casual pants for the 2 formal nights but it's more to look better next to my wife's casual dress than anything. I'd have no problem wearing shorts on formal night, TBH.

I woke up early on day 4 our arrival into St Thomas.I did my usual 2 mile morning walk on the track.   This was our 4th time on an Oasis class ship going to St Thomas and St Martin.   On our first 3 cruises we went to Nassau instead of Coco Cay, I'm happy with that choice, but for all of the time I have watched Wonder on this route, she typically doesn't arrive into St Thomas until after noon while the other ships get there by 8am.  I know Royal can get the ship to St Thomas earlier, have seen it done, but it must burn up more fuel and cost them money, but I think on these mega ships they want you on the ship more than off, using that old THE SHIP IS THE DESTINATION mentality.  With only 3 ports in 7 days, we get enough ship time and  I dislike getting into St Thomas afternoon and not be getting to an excursion until well after 1pm.  At least we got to stay ashore till around 7pm.   

We primarily go on our own or private excursions, we have had good luck with that in many ports and while I love Royal, their excursions group, like their IT group  it is not the best part of this company.  Friends on Symphony recently tried "Secret beach and Skyline Drive" excursion through Royal, so given the short time in port, we went with that.   It started with the cattle call and standing out in the hot sun while they organize the transportation to the various excursions. I'd rather not waste what little time stnading around waiting and get on with it, especially on this late arrival.

Once transportation was sorted out, we were on our way in one of the famous open air vehicles and I did enjoy the ride to this particular beach, which does appear to be open to the public, but they limit the number of people each day.   The beach was nice, the people at the check looked and were disorganized.  The excursion description said beach chairs and rum punch.  They didn't have enough chairs for everyone by a factor of having half of what they needed.  The operators claimed there was more ships in port than normal and caught them off guard. I know for a fact this was a lie as the same ships were in port every other Tuesday for the past 6 months. There have been exceptions when ships didn't go to Labadee and ended up here, but for today that claim was pure BS.   

I wasn't fond of having to wait our already short time waiting for a place to sit. The rum punch was something they through together on a card table using ingredients they picked up at a local conveinence store.   The beach was nice, the drive up and back was nice,  but this excursion under performed in most ways and I wouldn't do it again. 

Speaking of the running track, obviously the ship designers used wind tunnels to design the ship and this part didn't have any problems with wind you might have on the pool deck when traveling 20 knots.  However, on this day the wind was going around the front part of the track and it made a whistling noise that sounded like the beginning of the TV show TWLIGHT ZONE.    

Speaking of noise, on our Jewel cruises (2)  we purchased the THERMAL Suite package and utilized it a lot. On Jewel, they told us they limited the sale of this package to about 90 people (from fading memory)   When Oasis premiered in 2009 or 10, It was reported that they over sold this and it was too crowded.  I read that multiple times over the past 14 years or so.  This time we had $250 in onboard credit and the Thermal Suite was reasonably priced and available as soon as you go on the ship.    The only time I ever found it too crowded was when we went there right after all aboard time at Coco Cay. Otherwise we really enjoyed the heated chairs, steam room, dry sauna and rainfall shower.   It was a relaxing place, but there was a lot of banging and other loud noises around us at times, taking a way a little from the peace and quiet, but we still enjoyed it a lot.

On this night we did go to the Headliner act in the theater and we stayed on the lower level.  I'm struggling to remember his name, but he was good and it was a good show.   Between the comedy acts and this show, they were our favorite shows on Wonder. 

9 minutes ago, BillOh said: On this night we did go to the Headliner act in the theater and we stayed on the lower level.  I'm struggling to remember his name, but he was good and it was a good show.

Ronn Lucas, a ventriloquist? When we saw him last week he said it was his last of 3 weeks on the ship.

10 minutes ago, BillOh said: the comedy acts

Glad you liked yours. For the first time in a while we thought both comics were terrible last week. I checked the app for this week and there's a comic onboard we've seen twice recently that we really liked. Missed him by a week. 🙁

24 minutes ago, BillOh said: she typically doesn't arrive into St Thomas until after noon

Yep, same schedule for us in March and I'm not a fan either.

I have a similar complaint with the standard western... the ship usually leaves Costa Maya at 2pm. There's an AI beach club there we really liked many years ago but if all aboard is 1:30pm, which means I have to catch a taxi around noon-12:30 or so to play it safe, I can't see going back for just the morning.

19 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:   Ronn Lucas, a ventriloquist? When we saw him last week he said it was his last of 3 weeks on the ship.     Glad you liked yours. For the first time in a while we thought both comics were terrible last week. I checked the app for this week and there's a comic onboard we've seen twice recently that we really liked. Missed him by a week. 🙁

I bet I know whom you mean by the comic you missed. He was on the same shuttle bus as us when we left the ship. He was good both times we saw him., Yes it was Ronn Lucas, we enjoyed him a lot.

On 6/7/2024 at 7:32 AM, BillOh said: We started our trip 6am on a Tuesday and that I think turned out to be a great idea.   There was almost no traffic the entire 976 miles!   We planned on stopping between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL, but when the GPS said 10pm arrival on Captain Morgan Drive in Orlando, I called my   brother in law and asked if we could come in that night!   We made it just before 10pm!

My co-worked lives in Gulfstream Harbor, too!  His grandfather was one of the first 10 people to move in there decades ago.

I think it's Captain Morgan Blvd, though.  🙂  

16 hours ago, BillOh said: I'm not stuff, but perhaps a bit boring, especially as I enter my GET OFF MY LAWN years.

Bill, you’re not boring! We sailed with you and Gina and very much enjoyed your company!   

I love that you’re saying that you’re entering your GET OFF MY LAWN years! We already there although I’ve never thought of it that way! 😂 Can I please borrow that expression? 

Another_Critic

9 hours ago, perfect match said:   Bill, you’re not boring! We sailed with you and Gina and very much enjoyed your company!    I love that you’re saying that you’re entering your GET OFF MY LAWN years! We already there although I’ve never thought of it that way! 😂 Can I please borrow that expression? 

Kids were riding their bikes across my lawn.  I put up a STAY OFF sign.

Disclaimer:  The "lawn" was dirt and I recently planted grass seed.

• 1 month later...

On 6/8/2024 at 3:01 AM, perfect match said: Hi Bill! Barry and I are now 92 days out from our Wonder cruise so I’ll be following your review with great interest.  

Nancy,  enjoy your cruise!  Now that I am officially retired I got busy and forgot to come back to this review! I'll get back on it soon!

On 6/11/2024 at 9:22 PM, poncho1973 said:     I think it's Captain Morgan Blvd, though.  🙂  

Correct, I will be back there again in Nov!

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