After waking up on the first full at-sea day on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, we decided to get breakfast in the Main Dining Room (MDR) where meals are included with our cruise fare. The MDR serves breakfast and dinner, but lunch is served sporadically, I believe. We never ate lunch there, so I am unaware if it is even served. Let me know in the comments if you’ve had lunch in the MDR on Royal Caribbean’s ships.
For breakfast, you have to wait for a table, so my uncle and aunt arrived first and secured our table for eight while TK and I got our morning lattes at Cafe Promenade. We had lattes every single morning because they were included in our Deluxe Beverage Package and at home, we drink tea and coffee together on the weekends. Since we bought the drink package, I started my breakfast with a mimosa with fresh-squeezed orange juice. At both breakfasts that we enjoyed in the Main Dining Room, I started my days with mimosas, actually … because, why not?
Mimosa
For my meal, I ordered the Eggs Benedict. This is a treat because we’ve never ventured to make poached eggs at home and restaurants now include more elaborate versions on their menus that include ingredients like lobster or avocado. I like the classic. It is buttery and just the right amount of messy with nothing messing with the creamy hollandaise or the salty ham.
Eggs Benedict
My daughter loves her chocolate covered with chocolate sandwiched between chocolate, so she was enamored by her Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes. They even drizzled chocolate over these two pillows of sweetness. The hashbrown actually looks a little jealous in the corner because it has zero chocolate. If you have a chocolate lover who can eat the treat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, you may want to take them to the Main Dining Room for breakfast.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes and a Hashbrown
We enjoyed our breakfasts in the MDR and the wait staff was excellent. Even before our entrees came, they offered us pastries and bread, and they brought my daughter chocolate-frosted donuts to bring back to the room for later. It was lovely.
On our last night cruising on Wonder of the Seas, we had dinner at Giovanni’s Table Italian restaurant. It is situated in the Central Park region of this Royal Caribbean ship and it is my favorite neighborhood. I love that the tables are inside and outside, and there are trees and plants throughout. It is peaceful, yet active, like the real Central Park in New York City. And, it’s great for grabbing a drink and a snack, and people-watching.
Our server first brought over a plate of garlic knots with marinara dipping sauce. They were chewy and light, and my daughter even ate a few bites. There were plenty for everyone.
Garlic Knots
I ordered a glass of Prosecco to start my meal and it was perfect–plenty of bubbles and just a little bit of sweetness.
Prosecco
The server also brought appetizers that we did not order like the Cheese & Cured Meat Board. It included mozzarella, prosciutto, mortadella, breadsticks, olives, and an Italian bleu cheese. I enjoyed the mozzarella and meat but hated the bleu cheese and didn’t even try the olives. My dad made me try the bleu cheese with a fig jam and it was better but still not good. I don’t like stinky or bitter cheese, so if you like that, then you may like this.
Cheese & Cured Meat Board
The server also brought over some Stromboli with salami and cheese. It was very good and not as greasy as it looks. It had a little smokiness that I liked.
Stromboli
My mother ordered the Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo. She let me taste it and it was good and like most pasta alfredo. I liked that the chicken wasn’t mixed in so you could achieve two separate flavors on the plate.
Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
My dad ordered the Chicken Parmesan but with Pasta Puttanesca on the side instead of spaghetti. They served that type of pasta with salmon but my family doesn’t eat salmon, except in sushi, so my dad wanted the pasta without. He liked it but wasn’t amazed.
Chicken Parmesan with Pasta Puttanesca
For my entree, I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara and it was great. It was the perfect portion size for me after eating appetizers. It was creamy and could taste the egg. I loved it and had never had real Carbonara before. I did not eat that bacon hat that came with it and looking back on it now, I regret it.
Spaghetti Carbonara
We also received a small glass of Limoncello after our entrees and before dessert. It was included with our meal and it was basically the same size that you receive in Epcot for $11.
Limoncello
The dessert followed and the server placed Go Bananas in front of us. It was like a warm hazelnut and banana stromboli. It was pretty good because I can’t resist anything with Nutella.
Go Bananas
My husband ordered the Cannolis and did not like them. Being that we are from New York, we have high standards for cannoli. We even had a Mets cannoli groom’s cake at our wedding. Cannoli isn’t really my thing, but my husband knows it pretty well.
Cannoli
On our next cruise, we will probably enjoy the wine bar at Giovanni’s with some apps and wine, because those were yummy, but Royal Caribbean has better restaurants for a full dinner.
On Wonder of the Seas, we weren’t sure if we wanted to dine at all of the restaurants, so we left off 150 Central Park. But, when we couldn’t get into Izumi for sushi or hibachi, we decided to add it to the itinerary because I love the vibe of the Central Park area of the ship. TK and I walked up to the host stand and made a reservation for all of us. The manager was there, so he made sure we were accommodated.
When we began our meal, our server told us that the bread service was well-known and we definitely saw why. The pillowy roll was seasoned with salt, herbs, and butter, and it was delicious. I think we all had more than one.
Bread Service
When I decided on wine, I ordered a Chardonnay, but then switched to Pinot Grigio for my second glass. I enjoyed both.
Chardonnay
For our appetizers, TK chose the Seared Honey Glazed Scallops. He thought the scallops were cooked perfectly and the sauce was sweet from the honey and corn, yet savory.
Seared Honey Glazed Scallops
For my starter, I ordered the Braised Short Rib. It was soft and flaky, and enjoyable.
Braised Short Rib
In addition, TK ordered Caesar Salad as an additional appetizer and I ordered the Sunchoke Veloute (a creamy vegetable/onion soup) that was poured at the table (view the video on YouTube). The salad was standard but fresh and the soup was good but didn’t have a stand-out flavor that would make me come back for more.
Caesar Salad
For our entree, TK and I ordered the Roasted Tenderloin of Beef for Two and it was sliced tableside for us (view the short on YouTube). It was tender and delicious, and we both polished off our plates. I also enjoyed the bitterness of the broccolini and the mildness of the potatoes.
Roasted Tenderloin of Beef for Two
With the tenderloin, came a duo of sauces: Bearnaise and Bordelaise. I enjoyed the Bearnaise (yellow) more than the other because it had a zest to it.
Bearnaise and Bordelaise Sauces
For dessert, my son asked for ice cream and one of the options was mango, so he was in his glory with is fancy martini of mango.
Mango Ice Cream
My daughter and I never pass on a chocolate dessert, so we both ordered the Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart with Black Currant Sorbet, but she omitted the sorbet. It was supposed to taste like PB&J with a twist, but I tasted the flavors individually and not the combination. It wasn’t as delicious as I had hoped, but it was good.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart with Black Currant Sorbet
TK ordered the Fried Cheesecake and that was pretty tasty. It was crunchy on the outside but smooth and sweet on the inside.
Fried Cheesecake
The star of our meal was the Beef Tenderloin for Two. TK and I always try to order the “for two”meals at a steakhouse because sometimes it is a great deal. This time, we had the dinner package so it really didn’t matter, but we still went with it and you should consider it as well, even if your “for two” will be “for one.”
So, Royal Caribbean has their own version of Applebee’s and it is called Playmakers and we decided to have lunch there one afternoon. It is located in the Boardwalk district of Wonder of the Seas right next to the carousel.
Even though it was more of a beer vibe, I had a glass of Pineapple Sangria to start my meal and it was so refreshing and had a hint of sweetness.
Pineapple Sangria
For a starter, we got Chicken Tenders which came with fries. The dish was only $4 and can be a full meal if you aren’t too hungry. That’s a pretty sweet bargain if you do not have a dining package.
Chicken Tenders
We also ordered the Crispy Onion Ring Tower and it was very tall. The rings weren’t that smooth but they were pretty crispy, so they were true to their name. This dish was $6.
Crispy Onion Ring Tower
Next up were the Pile On Nachos and they were peppered with peppers. My uncle really likes spicy food, so I left the jalapenos for him to eat. There was also a ton of cilantro on there, so I really just had a chip and tried my best to steer clear of the rest. These were also $6.
Pile On Nachos
On another night, we popped in for dessert because I had heard about the Touchdown Sundae with the souvenir helmet. This sundae was $12 and four of us got to work with our spoons. There were five scoops of ice cream, caramel, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, chocolate sticks, cookie sticks, and sprinkles. We enjoyed it and had a mini helmet to take with us at the end.
Touchdown Sundae
If you need a quick and inexpensive bite or drink, Playmakers is a good spot to grab a table inside or out. You won’t be getting anything gourmet, but you will fill your belly.
Since we had already eaten lunch at Hooked, we decided to have dinner there too but eat some different menu items. For instance, I went all out. I ordered a whole lobster, so I had the cracker and the bib, and I took photos of myself with my crustacean friend, as one does.
Anyway, one of my family members ordered the Messy Fish Sandwich and it was pretty messy. The fish was crunchy, but the cole slaw spilled out the sides. The fries were also crunchy and salty.
Messy Fish Sandwich
And, like I said, I ordered the Whole Lobster. I broke it apart with my hands so I could start with the claws and then pull the meat out of the tail. I am sorry, but I did not eat any part of the head. I know people who do eat the head, but for me, the green gook scares me away. I had my bib on and my drawn butter, so I was all set to dig in. I loved it all and didn’t mind getting a little messy.
Whole Lobster
By the time dinner was over, we probably ate all of the items on Hooked’s menu. The restaurant was so clean and bright, the table we had was huge, and the servers were kind, so it was a very enjoyable experience, twice.
For a quick view of other menu items, you can pop over to the Yumness YouTube channel to watch the Hooked short.
With the deluxe dining package, it is rather easy to make a reservation for dinner but lunch is an anomaly. Royal Caribbean staff on Wonder of the Seas said that they could make dinner reservations for me, but did not have access to lunch. Then, we asked a server how busy lunch is at the specialty restaurants. He responded that we could walk right up and get a table. So, we tried that at Hooked and they refused us at first. TK had to speak to the manager because we saw numerous tables that were empty and it made no sense as to why we couldn’t sit down for lunch. After some discussion, they finally let us sit down and throughout the meal, I still saw the same empty tables. I guess they wanted those who didn’t buy the dining package to pay the extra reservation fee.
After that debacle, we sat down at an enormous table and the server was super nice. We started with dishes of bread and they were a more buttery and crunchier version of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Bread Dish
Several of us started with Drunken Mussels. TK ordered the white with wine and garlic sauce, but it needed a small loaf of soft bread to sop up all of the sauce.
Drunken Mussels (White)
Dad ordered the Drunken Mussels with marinara sauce and it needed some spaghetti. Both the white and the red were both delicious and brought back memories of my childhood when I first started eating mussels as a kindergartner.
Drunken Mussels (Red)
After tasting everyone’s mussels, I started my meal with the Clam and Crab Chowder. It was creamy and I enjoyed the chunks of lump crab and clams.
Clam and Crab Chowder
My lunch was the Maine Lobster Roll. It was cool and full of lobster, but the hero roll was a little too big, so I had to rip a few pieces off. Usually, I worry about everything falling out of the little hot dog bun that the lobster salad is served in, but this kept everything together and I had to slightly improvise.
Maine Lobster Roll
At the end of the meal, Addie received the Decadent Chocolate Brownie and she enjoyed it because, duh, it was chocolate. She also enjoyed the vanilla ice cream on the side. The little white peaks were like little chalk kisses, so they were not edible.
Decadent Chocolate Brownie
Dad completed his meal with the Cherry Pie and cherry is his favorite flavor of pie. He
Cherry Pie
Mom had the Coconut Cream Pie and it was creamy and flaky.
Coconut Cream Pie
We were glad to have lunch at Hooked and we were pretty stuffed. It was nice having seafood for lunch, but we had dinner coming up on another day also.
We live in the South now, so we don’t seek out Southern cuisine because we can get it at home. For instance, we absolutely love Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs. We were hoping the Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas would be reminiscent of that. TK was excited to try some of their Bourbon cocktails.
I started with the Mississippi Moonlight which was made with blackberry moonshine, soda, muddled berries, and mint. I thought it was sweet and refreshing, and my only gripe was that I kept sucking muddled fruit up the straw. I had several of these while on the cruise because we returned to the lounge to listen to a live country band called the Country Crew Trio and enjoyed the rocking chairs. It was an ideal chill spot.
Mississippi Moonlight
TK enjoyed a Pretty as a Peach Tea to start his dinner and even though it was pretty, he did not love it. He drinks Manhattans and other Bourbon-based drinks, so he tries whatever sounds good and includes whiskey.
Pretty as a Peach Tea
Aunt Rosie ordered the PB&J Old Fashioned because she thought that the mini sandwiches were adorable. We were surprised that she finished it because it was strong. TK also ordered one later on and said it was underwhelming because he wanted it to be a little sweeter, and said it may have been better to swap the real jelly for Chambord so that he would get more of a PB&J taste instead of a strong cocktail with a sandwich garnish.
PB&J Old Fashioned
For my appetizer, I was really excited to try the Crab Beignets. The beignets were warm and pillowy and had a little sprinkling of Old Bay, so you won’t confuse them for dessert. The crab dip was pretty mellow and I got a hint of crab, but mostly it was thick cream. I love Old Bay, so I was happy.
Crab Beignets
We also ordered the Smoky Deviled Eggs because we love this dish. They were cool and creamy, but I could definitely taste the smokiness of the peppers and paprika. Even though we enjoyed them, this dish wasn’t ranked up high with others we’ve had, unfortunately.
Smoky Deviled Eggs
Aunt Rosie ordered the Blueberry Johnnycakes as her appetizer. I tasted it and thought separately, they were good, but seemed like an odd pairing. She wasn’t thrilled with them. I thought that maybe a corncake or corn muffin might have paired a little better.
Blueberry Johnnycakes
Dad ordered the Lobster and Crawfish Gumbo, as he always does. He enjoyed it and it was done rather quickly. We don’t love seeing the crawfish eyeballs, but that’s what you get whenever you order crawfish no matter where you go.
Lobster and Crawfish Gumbo
Jax ordered the Lil Southern Burger with Sweet Potato Fries. He enjoyed it, but on the menu it said it would be “stacked high,” but you can see that’s not the case. However, he liked it all and gobbled it up.
Kids Lil Southern Burger
My entree was Shrimp N Grits and I order this as much as I can when it is available. I really liked my meal because the shrimp were cooked well, it included bacon, and there were plenty of cheesy grits. I will repeat … there’s bacon.
Shrimp N’ Grits
Mom ordered the Meat N Two Fixins and her choices were Meemaw’s Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Collared Greens. I know she didn’t finish it because it was a lot of food for her, but I didn’t hear any complaints until she told us she was so full.
Meat N’ Two Fixins with Meemaws Fried Chicken
Upon completion of our meals, I couldn’t pass up on the Gone Bananas! It included light and airy vanilla pudding speckled with roasted bananas and topped with whipped cream and crunchy toffee pieces. I loved it because it wasn’t heavy and was sweet enough for dessert, but not too sweet.
Gone Bananas!
My parents ordered the Warm Bread Puddin’ to share and it was slathered in vanilla sauce. My Dad hates cooked raisins, so he would have preferred it without them, but they ate it in a few bites.
Warm Bread Puddin’
I know it is unfair to compare the Mason Jar to Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs, but we had to because it is one of our favorites. We enjoy southern cuisine so much that we were excited for this new eatery on Wonder of the Seas. There were some dishes that missed the target, but there were some that I would love to eat randomly for takeout or while rocking on one of their chairs in the lounge.
Yumness 