The best restaurants onboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas – Insider

From buffets to upscale dining, the ship offered cuisine from around the world. I filled up on tacos, salads, seafood, and so many desserts at all types of restaurants.

Some restaurants are complimentary as part of the cruise rate, while specialty dining incurs an additional cost. For the latter, guests often pay a cover charge for a three-course meal, and the cost tends to increase the later into the cruise you reserve a table.

I made reservations at five specialty restaurants, and I found that meals at both complimentary and specialty offerings made my top list of favorite things I ate.

Insider paid for the specialty meals per our reporting standards.

The main dining room on the ship is complimentary for guests and serves breakfast and a three-course dinner each day.

I went there for dinner one night and had garlic tiger shrimp with jasmine rice, seasonal veggies, and herb butter. The shrimp was juicy with great flavor, the rice was sticky, which I like, and the asparagus and tomatoes were well-seasoned.

At breakfast, the main dining room served thick french toast that was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. A delicious berry sauce on top paired nicely with maple syrup. This was my favorite breakfast of the whole trip.

Outside of the main dining room, I particularly enjoyed El Loco Fresh, an outdoor DIY taco bar. It's included for guests and serves a selection of meats, cheeses, and so many toppings, like pico de Gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.

I grabbed a bowl of chips to make some nachos. I thought the queso was really good, and they had every topping I could want, satisfying my Tex-Mex craving on the ship.

When I wanted an upscale meal, I chose Chops Grille, a steakhouse. I paid $55 for a three-course dinner here.

The highlight was the appetizer a crispy goat cheese salad with green apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, and balsamic dressing. It was an eclectic mix of textures and flavors, but blended together perfectly in my mouth.

For another upscale meal, I went to 150 Central Park, a restaurant with a variety of meat, seafood, and other "locally sourced ingredients," according to Royal Caribbean. I had a three-course dinner for $50.

Source: Royal Caribbean

The best thing I ate at 150 Central Park was the fried cheesecake, so definitely save room for dessert if you dine here. It was soft, fluffy, and light, with a cream cheese filling. Caramelized popcorn, whipped cream, and Nutella drizzle complimented it perfectly. It was even more satisfying than the main course.

To get my seafood fix, I went to the New England-style Hooked Seafood restaurant that draws inspiration from Maine to Maryland. I paid $53 for a three-course dinner.

Source: Royal Caribbean

To start, I ordered the crab beignets. They were the perfect texture soft and fluffy with a hard outer layer. The crab flavor was subtle with cinnamon on top for an interesting twist. The accompanying crap dip was refreshing, too.

For my main, I had fried chicken with mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. The chicken was tender and well-seasoned. The sides had good flavor, as well.

The dessert at The Mason Jar was also unique. Called "Gone Bananas!," it included layers of vanilla pudding, graham cracker crumbs, and roasted bananas with whipped cream and toffee on top. It was fluffy, light, and had a rich banana flavor. It was the perfect ending to my favorite meal of the trip.

While the specialty restaurants served delicious courses, I thought the food quality was just as high in the main dining room, where I only ate twice. If I were to cruise with Wonder of the Seas again, I'd spend less money on specialty restaurants and more evenings in the main dining room instead since it offers great value.

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The best restaurants onboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas - Insider