I promised some final thoughts, and by-jiminy, here they are.
1. Veranda- On this trip, we paid and extra $1000 for our category 5 veranda cabins over what two category 10 (inside cabins on deck 2) would have cost us. So, was it worth it? My answer is no. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed having the verandas, but a thousand bucks is a lot of money. For the amount of time my family and I spent on the veranda, it was not worth it. I know there are some folks who love to sit out on their verandas. Not me. It is boring out there. I can be outside and see more than what I want to see on Decks 4, 9 and 10 (and don't forget the "secret" deck 7). If you are a first time cruiser, I would definitely suggest you save your money. A category 5 room is identical in size and amenities to a category 10 room. The only difference is the veranda. If you only need one cabin, the cost difference would not be as much, but I just don't think it is worth that much more money for just a veranda.
2. Food Quality- A lot has been said on the Disboards recently about a decline in food quality on the Wonder. Unfortunately, I have to agree that there is a slight decline in quality. The cuts of beef, in particular, are clearly not as good as they used to be. But, in
DCL's defense, food costs have continued to rise, but the price we paid for this cruise was actually less per person than we paid last year. I think DCL is struggling in this economy just like a lot of other businesses. On a recent outing to Outback Steakhouse, for example, I noticed that they have a lot of smaller steaks on the menu now at prices they used to charge for much larger steaks. And, the steak I did get was clearly not as good as they used to serve there. So, this decrease in food quality is not unique to DCL. One other thing that I really did not like on this cruise is that there was no butter on the table. Now, they just have those plastic packages of margarine. Even on formal night in Tritons. Not very impressive. Overall, however, we did not have a bad meal, and the service was better than ever.
3. Cabin location- We have never sailed in forward cabins. We have always been closer to the mid-ship or aft elevators. The prevalent opinion that I recall seeing on the Disboards is that being close to the aft elevators is better because then you can just ride up to the drink station and Beach Blanket Buffet/Topsiders. I think there is a conspiracy of misinformation about this. I like being close to the forward elevators better. They are way less busy, and it is not a big deal to just go up to Deck 9 and walk back to the drink station and restaurant. Our cabins were the closest you could get to the elevators. I was concerned that this would mean a lot of foot traffic and noise. But this was not a problem at all. In the future, we will be looking for forward cabins close to the elevators.
4. Nassau- There are always complaints about Nassau on the Disboards. Folks say it is dirty, unsafe or that the locals are too aggressive hawking their wares and services. I disagree. Nassau is a typical cruise port town. I have seen worse. There is nothing wrong with Nassau. If you have never been, you need to get off the dang boat and take a look. I am not saying that you have to love it, but there is no reason to hate Nassau.
I guess that's all I have.
Happy Cruising.
TCD
