Family Vacation: On a Great Cruise, 3 Things We Disliked About Royal Caribbean's Megaship, Wonder of the Seas

Crowds! Be prepared for lots of lines and some crowded spaces. But, with a little planning, you can still find solitude and your own space.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

With Port Canaveral a relatively convenient drive from almost anywhere in Georgia, it's easy for Peach State residents to plan a cruise without the added cost of airfare. And that's what we did during Cobb County schools winter break, driving from near Acworth and Kennesaw to Port Canaveral for a weeklong journey on the world's largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas.

Despite being a near the 7,000-person capacity, early mornings and late afternoons on deck did provide some personal space.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Now, it has always seemed to be incredibly bad manners for a family to take a cruise vacation then complain about what they didn't like. After all, unless you were one of the unfortunates stranded on a ship at the onset of COVID, you likely had some enjoyable time exploring fun ports and partaking in the party times on the ship.

So, let's get this out of the way: We LOVED our trip on Wonder of the Seas. It was a near-perfect getaway, especially since we chose the ship largely because we were taking our pre-pubescent grandsons on their first cruise. Here's a link to a story we did about what we loved!

We found the food at the ship's buffet to be average and bland. But our littles loved the always-available familiar favorites.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

But, as experienced cruisers, there were few things that could have been better. We share these not as complaints, but to help prepare those who may be considering a similar cruise. Here are the three things we disliked, and would avoid on another journey:

1. Buffet food quality. While there were some excellent foods available at the family-oriented buffets, many of the regional or themed food options were average -- at best. We found the Asian, Caribbean, Italian and Mexican offers at the buffet bland and lacking in authentic flavors. If you're looking for better versions, try the specialty restaurants. Or just stick to the "familiar favorites" at the buffet.
2. Crowds. OK, so you have to expect those on the world's largest cruise ship. But just beware of a few of the worst, including peak times at all the pools, common areas near entertainment venues at start and end times, and excursion departures. For pools, we found mornings and afternoons after 4 pm to be least crowded.
3. Mandatory Cabin Gratuities. This practice is common on all cruise lines, and doesn't bother us for food and beverage service. And we think cabin crew should be rewarded. But charging a flat, per-person mandatory gratuity for cabin service -- especially with four people in a cabin -- adds up quickly. Except for making an extra bed, the work required to support a two-person and four-person cabin nearly is identical. So, maybe give families a break and reduce the mandatory cabin gratuity for the third and fourth guest.

Again, we had a great time on Wonder of the Seas. And though we booked with trepidation, we may even consider a future adult-only return trip during a time when there aren't as likely to be quite so many kids. We still have lots to experience and explore onboard, and we wouldn't hesitate to sail again despite the minor dislikes.

If you're wondering, that's Wonder of the Seas at the right. And multiple super-sized ships added to port and excursion crowds.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

The Wonderful of Wonder of the Seas

We did a complete recap of our experience at our blog, OurTravelCafe.com, where advertising may generate revenue for the site and author. Learn all our likes, dislike and more about the incredible entertainment on board.