I can't think of any restaurant openings on a Royal Caribbean ship I was looking forward to more than Wonderland.  Ever since I saw a preview of it at the Quantum of the Seas dining reveal earlier in the year, the concept fascinated me.

When the opportunity to check out this new restaurant on Quantum of the Seas came to me, I jumped at the chance with great enthusiasm.

Part of the Dynamic Dining endeavor, Wonderland is open for dinner and here's my first hand look through the looking glass at this new dining concept.

Atmosphere

Wonderland is a brand new specialty restaurant on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas that hass loosely based its decor and atmosphere after the Alice in Wonderland tales.

Located on deck 5 on the upper deck of the Royal Esplanade, Wonderland is hard to miss given its location and over-the-top decor.

Outside you will find odd props and statues that look like they are fresh off a movie set.   Inside, you will find an intimate space filled with chairs that don't match any other chair at the table, chandeliers, candelabras and glasses and cups that are so bizzare if you saw it in a store, you'd wonder who would actually buy that.

The restaurant feels like it's straight out of the scene from the 1951 Disney film, where the Mad Hatter invites Alice to tea.  Essentially, the restaurant is purposefully designed to evoke a "I don't know what to expect" reaction from its guests.

The servers in the restaurant all dress the part too, with velvet jackets and multi-colored outfits.  

Eats

The slogan for Wonderland is, "imaginative cuisine" and you will quickly discover why when you dine here.

As you are seated, each person is given an easel with a blank menu and a paintbrush.  

The waiter instructs you to dip the paintbrush in water and then paint the canvas with your brush to reveal your menu.  As you paint, the menu appears magically and you can see what's offered.

The menu isn't conventional either.  You will find the menu divided up by elements (sun, ice, fire, sea and earth) and pretty much everything on the menu is not something you would ever have seen on a menu at home.  

Most of the menu items are what I'd consider appropriate for adventurous eaters.  As you will see later, the food served isn't crazy by any means but it's not burgers and pasta either.

We dined in a group of nine and the waiter suggested ordering for us and we agreed.  Looking at the menu, it was tough to really know what we were ordering so why not just try a little of everything?

Appetizers came out first and each appetizer was served with a different pizzazz than the last.  Buffalo chicken eggs, slow cooked baby beets, liquid manzanilla olives are just a few of what we ate and I can't say any are my favorite new dishes but seeing them and then trying them was an adventure in of itself.

The two appetizers that surprised me were the beets and hard boiled eggs. If asked, I'd say I don't care for either but at Wonderland they were impressive and tasty.  

The entrees did not disappoint either.  Most of the servings are on the small side, so you should order multiple entrees and appetizers per person to be safe.  

My favorite was the terroir beef, which I believe was one of the best slow-cooked beef dishes I've ever had (sorry mom)!  The halibut was quite good too and everyone else at the table really liked the Cuban pork shank.

Wonderland's desserts were truly wonderful and we all sampled a little of everything.  The yogurt pops and baked Alaska were the kind of desserts I'd have if the Earth was about to explode and I didn't care about gaining weight.

Overall

Eating at Wonderland was a great experience because of how odd the place is from a decor and presentation standpoint.  The food was good, maybe not the best I've ever eaten on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but definitely met my expectations.

I think Wonderland is the kind of restaurant you have to experience for yourself at least once.  I'm not sure it will become the kind of restaurant like Chops Grill or Izumi, where I'd want to dine there multiple times per sailing.  

I love the concept of Wonderland and I think it will resonate with cruisers who want to try something different.  If you are cruising in a group, this is definitely the place to go and I'd advise sharing everything to sample it all.  I can definitely say it's a one-of-a-kind experience.

Wonderland is open for dinner and we reviewed Wonderland aboard Quantum of the Seas.

What is a WOWband?

Worn on the wrist, WOWbands are bracelets that come in a variety of colors that allows passengers to connect with a number of Royal Caribbean experiences.

You can use your WOWband to enter your stateroom, purchase beverages, merchandise and anything else Royal Caribbean sells.  They can also access the Suite Lounge or Crown and Anchor Diamond Lounge.

Because you can wear your WOWband on your wrist, you do not have to bring your SeaPass card along anymore and this frees you up from trying to find the SeaPass card when you need it.  Just like the SeaPass card, you will not need cash or other credit cards because all charges go right to your SeaPass account.

What does a WOWband look like?

WOWbands are silicone bracelets that come in a variety of colors: white, yellow, black and blue.

How does it work?

WOWbands use Radio Frequency (RF) technology that can be read by Royal Caribbean's readers that are found at kiosks, tablets and mobile scanners that Royal Caribbean crew operate.

Your WOWband is linked to your SeaPass account and holds all of your information related to your cruise vacation such as your stateroom information, dining reservations and more.  

Who can use a WOWband?

Any Royal Caribbean cruise passenger can use a WOWband, but they are optional.  You can still use SeaPass cards in conjunction with or in lieu of, WOWbands.

How do I get a WOWband?

WOWbands may be purchased onboard your ship for $4.95 each. They can be purchased at anytime from Guest Relations, although on embarkation day there may be a specified distribution point.

Guests staying in a suite will find a WOWband for everyone in that stateroom. They are already activated and ready for use as soon as you get it.

How much do WOWbands cost?

Royal Caribbean charges $4.99 for each WOWband.

Guests in Grand Suites and above (Golden Suites & Royal Premiere for Spectrum of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas) will continue to receive the WOW Bands in their staterooms at no charge.

What if I don't want to use a WOWband?

WOWbands are optional and you may keep your SeaPass card instead to use.  Even if you get the WOWband, you can use both.

Royal Caribbean is encouraging all guests to use WOWbands but they are not required.

What ships offer WOWbands?

Currently Spectrum of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas offers WOWbands. 

Royal Caribbean does have plans to roll out WOWbands to all ships across the fleet, but that will take several years before it's all ready.

Please welcome guest blogger Don & Heidi! DB and the Princess are a husband and wife duo with 10+ years of cruising history. Their blog, EatSleepCruise.com, provides valuable cruise planning tips and strategies. With reviews on cruise ships and shore excursions, along with a complete photo gallery, they help you “sea the world one port at a time.

During our visit to St. Kitts on our 8 night Independence of the Seas cruise, we wanted to make the most of our time on the island as this would be our first visit to this port. Comparing the tours offered through various companies, The Essentials of St. Kitts Tour, which we booked through Royal Caribbean pre-cruise, seemed like the perfect way to see all of the major highlights of the island.

Overall Impressions

If you have never been to St. Kitts and you are looking to take in the island’s most recognized attractions, including Romney Manor and Brimstone Hill National Park, then this tour is perfect for you. You are allotted plenty of time at both landmarks to tour the grounds, learn the history, and of course grab plenty of memorable photographs. Our bus driver and tour guide was excellent- very informative and answered everyone’s questions about the history of the island and modern life. After seeing all St. Kitts has to offer, we can’t wait to go back to experience more of this untapped Caribbean gem.

Heading Through Downtown Basseterre

Like most organized tours booked through the cruise line, we met our tour operator at the pier immediately after disembarking the ship. The small pier made it easy to find our guide; we were quickly grouped together and put on a small bus to begin the journey around the island. Not even a minute into the tour, a great narration began as the main downtown section of Basseterre is within walking distance of the port.

This city center includes the famous Independence Square, which was once home to the slave trade in St. Kitts. Other governmental buildings and historic landmarks can also be seen early in this tour, including the Berkley Memorial clock, still a hub activity for locals who congregate there to talk business and socialize during the day. 

A few more twist and turns through other noteworthy areas of the town and we were on our way to one of our first two stops, Romney Manor.

Romney Manor and Caribelle Batik 

The tour allows you thirty minutes to discover Romney Manor and learn more about the unique process of making fabrics at Caribelle Batiks. This 10 acre resort offers plenty of great picture ops, including the gigantic Saman Tree. This 350 year old beauty will make you feel very small when you are posing in front of it. 

Inside the Caribelle Batik, you can learn how artisans craft these beautiful pieces of clothing through an intricate process involving dye and wax.

The stop seemed just long enough as we felt like we had seen everything within the thirty minute time frame. Waiting a few extra minutes to get everyone back on the bus, we set off a bit further west on the island to our second stop.

Explorations of Brimstone Hill National Park

While the roads to the Fortress seem manageable, once you get to the base of the Brimstone Hill, the ascent up the windy, and very skinny, road begins. It was quite a driving feat to make it up this curvy road in one piece. Along the way, we were able to capture a few photos of the island’s famous inhabitants, the vervet monkeys.

Once at the top of the fortress, we had about 45 minutes to see the remains of this over 200 year old UNESCO World Heritage site.  This gave us enough time to view the remains of Fort Charlotte and the Prince of Wales Bastion in addition to the main attraction, Fort George Citadel. The seemingly endless staircase to the top of Fort George was well worth it. Once atop of the fort, there are many great photo opportunities to be had, including a must-have pose of me pretending to fire some cannons into the Caribbean Sea. 

This fort also contains some museum exhibits that depict what life was like during the late 17th and early 18th century during the heyday of the fort. A quick stop into these exhibits was plenty for us. After a few more scenic pictures, we started our descent back to the bus, and before we knew it, we were heading back to the port.

During the return ride to Port Zante, the bus driver took us through some other areas of the island, to see some additional sites, including the Carib Brewery. The island surroundings really were picture perfect--too bad we were on a bus. Once we were back to the port, we had plenty of time to sightsee on foot, do a little souvenir shopping, and get back on the ship to enjoy the sun and relax before sail away. 

The Essentials of St. Kitts tour was a great introduction to a beautiful island which we will be sure to visit again soon!

More Information

You can book the Essentials of St. Kitts tour though Royal Caribbean’s website: The three hour tour currently costs $49.75 per person.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 68 is available for downloading where friends join Matt to discuss their recent cruise aboard Quantum of the Seas.

Matt is back from Quantum of the Seas and there's so much to talk about that he's invited a few friends who were also onboard to discuss their experiences on this impressive new ship.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 68. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

If I may quote an under-appreciated Dutch eurodance group from the late 1990s, "We like, we like to party".  If those lyrics strike a chord with you, then this blog post is for you.

Finding a good party on Royal Caribbean is something a lot of people look to do and hey, who doesn't want to have a good time while at sea? 

Perhaps you want to meet someone special or just get your groove on (do people actually say that still?) and get down and the good news is, there are places on Quantum of the Seas to dance, sing and just plain party on this brand new cruise ship.

Best place for club dancing and music: Music Hall

If you want to jump into a crowd of people and raise your hands into the air like you just don't care, then Music Hall is for you.

This hip spot features live music in the evenings to get things started and that gets a crowd in of itself.  But after the band is done, the DJ comes out and then Music Hall really comes alive.

We've seen crowds on Royal Caribbean cruise ships before at various dance locations but Music Hall really gets the people going.  So if you want to dance to your favorite dance hits, Music Hall is the place to go.

Honorable mention: Bionic Bar & SeaPlex

Best place to sing along to music: Schooner Bar

If you love great bar music and you even like joining in singing from time to time, then check out the Schooner Bar on Quantum of the Seas.

The Schooner Bar has been a staple of Royal Caribbean cruise ships for a while and on Quantum of the Seas, there's a prominent piano where live music is played and it always draws a good crowd.

Unlike the Music Hall, people are usually sitting at the tables, booths and the bar and it's calmer but there's still a great time to be had here.  We loved hearing "Piano Man", "Sweet Caroline" and other classics and after a few drinks, who doesn't feel like singing along too?

Best place for live lounge music: Boleros

Like the Schnooner Bar, Boleros has become a fan favorite on Royal Caribbean ships. This latin-themed lounge is the perfect place for a live band to play some toe-tapping tunes.

There's something about latin music that just appeals to everyone.  Maybe it's the smooth melodies or the intoxicating will to dance but Boleros is always full and always a good spot for an evening drink while you enjoy the band play.

Yo amo Boleros!

US News and World Reports released its 2015 Best Cruise rankings and Royal Caribbean emerged as the Best Cruise Line for the money.

Royal Caribbean took top honors for the combination of low prices and what you get for it, "Royal Caribbean is one of the largest lines setting sail hundreds of times each year to destinations around the world. And having the ability to accommodate thousands of guests per ship allows Royal Caribbean to keep rates low: Cruisers won't have trouble finding itineraries costing less than $100 per person per night. Prices cover lodging, meals in the Main Dining Room and a wealth of onboard activities ranging from swimming and rock climbing to foreign language classes and Broadway-style performances."

Royal Caribbean also did well in other categories as well

• Second place for Best Cruise Lines for Families
• Tenth place for Best Cruise Lines for Romance
• Second place for Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean

US News and World Reports rankings are based on an expert evaluation of the line's level of luxury, as well as an assessment of user reviews and health ratings.

Cruise Critic released its 2014 US Editors' Picks awards and Royal Caribbean came away with two awards, most notably best new cruise ship with Quantum of the Seas.

Cruise Critic gave Royal Caribbean's newest ship the top nod and commented, "Quantum of the Seas is all about innovation. Bumper cars and skydiving at sea grab the headlines, but the ship itself is simply revolutionary. The technology available onboard makes staying in touch a snap, and thoughtful details like USB ports in cabins and interactive kiosks for booking onboard activities are perfect for the modern cruiser."

Royal Caribbean also won Best Inside Cabins award mostly on the strength of its virtual balcony staterooms.

First introduced on Navigator of the Seas, the virtual balconies have transformed what an inside stateroom can be and Cruise Critic's editors seemed to like what they saw, "When Royal Caribbean introduced virtual balconies into some inside cabins on Navigator of the Seas, the line surpassed its competition. The cabins, also found on Quantum of the Seas, give passengers the feeling of being in an outside cabin via real-time video from outside the ship that's piped in and displayed on wall-sized digital screens."

Royal Caribbean is starting the Wave season promotions early this year with a special promotion that allows guests to stack multiple discounts.

Royal Caribbean's "Vow to WOW Sale" offers buy one guest, get the second guest 50% off, plus 50% reduced deposit, and onboard credit.

The amount of onboard credit is as follows

• Interior & Ocean View staterooms
  • $100 onboard credit per stateroom
• Balcony staterooms
  • $200 onboard credit per stateroom
• Suite staterooms
  • $300 onboard credit per stateroom

The promotion is available for all open deployments, excluding China departures as well as Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

Buy One, Get One 50% off is combinable with the adjoining onboard credit offer, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers. Buy One, Get One 50% off offer is not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, Kids Sail Free). 

Onboard credit offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO, Kids Sail Free) as well as NextCruise offers. OBC offer is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts.

Promotion is valid for cruises booked between November 17 and December 31, 2014.

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas has a lot to offer, including a number of staterooms.  Today, we will look at the category D8 balcony stateroom and take you through the cabin to give you an idea of what to expect if you book this category.

On Quantum of the Seas, we reviewed stateroom 6244, which is located on Deck 6 just outside the aft elevator bank.  Entry to the room is by RFID scanner, which is above the door handle.

Walking into the room, you will immediately see the light from the balcony shining ahead of you.  The stateroom is rather long and narrow.

The bed is joined together but can be split apart if need be.  There's a large, flat screen television across from it and two night stands on opposite sides of the bed.  Access to the balcony is also on the other side of the bed.

The bathroom features a stand up shower, toilet and sink.  One thing we noticed immediately with this bathroom is there is far less of the white plastic you typically find on other Royal Caribbean ship restrooms.  Instead, there's far more glass and tile, which we found a welcome change.

Another change to the restroom is the shampoo and soap options.  On older Royal Caribbean ships, passengers would find a shampoo dispenser on the wall.  On Quantum of the Seas, the dispenser has been removed and instead small bottles of shampoo, soap and conditioner are available.  

Back out to the stateroom, you will find two armoires that allow you to hang clothing as well as store other clothing.  These seem larger to us than closets on other ships.

Of course, the reason to book this stateroom is the balcony.  At 55 square feet, the balcony is on the small side but it has enough room for two chairs and a table.  It's enough space for two people to comfortably enjoy the view and ocean air.

This stateroom does also include a sofa that opens into a bed.  Frankly, any more than two passengers in this stateroom would feel confined quickly. For a couple looking for the a balcony stateroom, the D8 category is perfect for them.