Wonder of the Seas Embarkation Day
It’s cruise day! We are excited to board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas for a 7-Night Caribbean Cruise. Our itinerary includes stops at CocoCay, Cozumel, Roatan, and Costa Maya. It’s our first kid-free getaway since 2016—and we’re also trying out the Deluxe Beverage Package for the first time!
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Wonder of the Seas Preview to see what to expect on our upcoming cruise.
It’s time for our Wonder of the Seas Embarkation Day!
Pre-Cruise Stay
Before jumping into Embarkation Day, it’s worth mentioning that we flew into Orlando two days ahead of our cruise.
From the airport, we grabbed an Uber and made our way to Cocoa Beach, to The Inn at Cocoa Beach. This adults-only hotel is located right on the beach, and we honestly loved every minute of our time there. The rooms were updated, spotless, and super comfortable—perfect for a restful night.
Breakfast was included each morning and absolutely hit the spot. It offered a spread of fresh muffins, toast, eggs, and a variety of quiches.
One of our favorite perks was the complimentary evening wine hour, complete with wine, cheese, sausage, and a great opportunity to chat and connect with other guests.
The hotel’s location was also super convenient. It was within walking distance to Ron Jon Surf Shop, the Cocoa Beach Pier, plenty of restaurants, and even a grocery store.
Time to Board
Our assigned boarding time was 11:30am, but we scheduled an Uber to pick us up from the hotel at 10:00am—just to see if we could get on the ship ahead of schedule. We arrived at the port around 10:20am, and to our surprise (and excitement), we were able to begin the boarding process right away! Honestly, we say this every year, but Royal Caribbean has the embarkation process down to a science. We were checked in and onboard in less than 10 minutes.
Once on the ship, we made our way to a kiosk on the Royal Promenade to grab our Coca-Cola Freestyle cups. We’re not huge soda drinkers, but since the cups were included with our Beverage Package, we figured—why not?
After that, we headed up to the pool deck to explore a bit. It was a little chilly, so there weren’t too many people soaking up the sun just yet.
Embarkation Day Lunch
One of our longtime Embarkation Day traditions has always been lunch at the Windjammer Buffet. But this year, we decided to switch things up a bit—shocking, I know! We figured it was the perfect time to try out one of the Specialty Dining options instead.
This was our first time sailing on a ship that featured The Mason Jar. We were excited to see that they offered a brunch menu on Embarkation Day. The menu looked right up our alley, so we went ahead and booked our reservation during one of the pre-cruise sales.
The Mason Jar brunch menu features a menu full of comfort food staples with a modern twist. These include fried chicken and waffles, stuffed French toast, biscuits and gravy, various handhelds, and classic cocktails.
We have a full review of our experience at Mason Jar. We had high hopes for the Mason Jar, but it fell short. The drinks were outstanding, but the food was heavy and lacked flavor.
Afternoon Activities
After lunch, we checked out another new-to-us spot onboard—Vue Bar. Located on Deck 15, it offers incredible views, making it a perfect place to unwind with a couple of drinks.
From there, we made our way to the Solarium for a quick afternoon nap. For those unfamiliar, the Solarium is an adult-only retreat on the ship, offering a peaceful, more laid-back vibe. Since we usually cruise with our kids, we don’t often get the chance to enjoy this space—but this time, it was such a treat.
Our Room
For this sailing, we decided to take a chance on Royal Caribbean’s RoyalUp upgrade program. We placed a bid for a Neighborhood Balcony stateroom. Lucky for us, our bid was accepted! We were upgraded from our original Ocean View room on Deck 8 to a Central Park Balcony on Deck 14, located toward the aft of the ship.
At 1:00pm, the announcement was made that staterooms were ready, so we headed one deck down to Deck 14. The layout was pretty standard for a cruise cabin—bed, couch, closet, vanity, and bathroom—but the real standout was the balcony. Not only did it overlook the lush greenery of Central Park, but we also had a partial view of the giant TV screen on the pool deck, which was a fun bonus.
Sail Away Party
After unpacking and getting settled into our room, we headed back up to the pool deck for another round of drinks. Before we knew it, it was time for the Sail Away Party! We had a great time soaking in the music, the energy, and all the fun the crew brought to kick off the cruise.
Dinner
One thing we absolutely love about cruising is the food—so of course, we were really looking forward to dinner in the Main Dining Room each night. For this cruise, we opted for Early Dining, which had us seated on Deck 5 every evening at 5:00pm. We were assigned to a table for two right by a window overlooking Deck 5, which unfortunately was just a view of a lifeboat.
Leah and I both kicked things off with a Royal Caribbean classic—the Crispy Crab Cake. I also had to order the Escargot. For our main courses, Leah went with the Grilled Chicken Breast, while I chose the Fish Filet, which has definitely become one of my go-to favorites. The fish was packed with flavor, but the real star of the plate was the side of potatoes—absolutely delicious.
To finish off the meal, Leah ordered the Royal Cheesecake, while I had to pass—I was way too full to even think about dessert!
Overall, our first meal in the MDR was good.
Evening Entertainment
After dinner, we had a bit of time to spare before our 8:00pm reservation for the Aqua Show, inTENse, so we made a quick stop at the Schooner Bar. It was the perfect spot to relax with a drink, take in the views, and do a little people-watching overlooking the Royal Promenade.
Aqua Show
Next, we headed over to the Boardwalk and made our way to the Aqua Theater to grab seats for the show. The ship was rocking a bit more than usual, so we were a little concerned that the show might be canceled. Fortunately, the seas calmed down, and the performance started right on time.
inTENse features an all-female cast, and just like every other Aqua Show we’ve seen, it was nothing short of spectacular. Although this was not as good as the Aqua Show we saw on the Oasis of the Seas, the talent these performers bring to the stage is always incredibly impressive.
Voices
We also had reservations for Royal Caribbean’s Voices. This production, held in the Royal Theater, offers a dynamic mix of virtual elements and live performances from world-class singers and dancers.
We hadn’t seen a show quite like this on Royal Caribbean before, but we really enjoyed it. The songs were familiar to us, and the performers did an amazing job—they all sounded fantastic.
Balloon Drop
Following Voices, we made our way to Sorrento’s, where I enjoyed a couple of slices of pizza. As full as I still was, what is a Royal Caribbean Cruise without a daily stop at Sorrento’s!
It had been a long day, but we were set on making it to the Balloon Drop on the Royal Promenade. At 11:30pm, the balloons dropped, and we were there to witness it! It was the perfect way to wrap up Embarkation Day.
Wrap Up: Wonder of the Seas Embarkation Day
Tomorrow, we are at one of our favorite ports, CocoCay, and are excited to be spending it at Hideaway Beach!
Favorite Bite of the Day: Steven – Burger from Mason Jar. Leah – Crab Cake from MDR.
Favorite Drink of the Day: Both of us said the Lime and Coconut from the Lime and Coconut bar on the pool deck.
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