Royal Caribbean Takes Dining to a Whole New Level
8/4 | Anna Trosper
While dining on a cruise ship can feel repetitive and uninspired sometimes, Royal Caribbean’s Wonderland restaurant has stolen my heart. The inspiration, as you can guess, is Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Here you will be taken into Wonderland as you walk through the door and enter a world of imagination.
When you enter Wonderland, you will experience a magical molecular gastronomy restaurant. Its stunning dining room has all of the whimsical touches of Alice in Wonderland. Make sure to look closely - you never know what you might find!
After you are checked in and walk through the magical door, you will be taken to your table. Right from the start your dining experience is captivating. Once seated everyone will be given a blank sheet of paper in a frame with a paintbrush and magical water. You paint your paper to reveal your tasting menu.
The waiter will go over the menu with you and confirm if there are any dietary restrictions in your party. My friend is a vegetarian, and they went above and bond for her. The menu is broken down into Elements (Sun, Ice, Fire, Earth and Sea).
Tip: At the end of the meal, feel free to ask for more helpings of that one dish you just couldn’t get enough of.
First off, we ordered drinks. Even the drinks are mystical. I had the Cheshire Cat Cosmo, named for the cotton candy in your glass that disappears when your beverage is poured into it! Be careful – they are very good and sneak up on you.
Our first course was “Sun .” I ordered the reconstructed caprese. Like I said earlier- nothing is what it looks to be. It blew my mind. So good and yet so different. The tomato water made this dish very refreshing.
Our second course was “Ice.” We were served Crispy Crab cones and Oceanic Citrus. This was... definitely different; It was like a lime snow cone on top and then spicy tuna in the bottom.
The third course was “Fire.” The waiter brought out the Shrimp Kadaifi – I loved this! I am not a fan of smoked food, and this was not smoky at all. The shrimp is wrapped in what I would say kind of like shredded wheat – I had more of this one! He also brought out The Birds Nest. Very smoky flavor in the eggs I did not eat them.
Following that, our fourth course was “Sea” – Liquid Lobster – This was also very good. It came in a large spoon – liquid and a small piece of lobster.
The fifth course, and last of the elements, was “Earth.” I tried all they had on this one. T Short Rib was great!
Finally, it was time for dessert, which was called “Dreams.” The dessert lover in me rejoiced over all the amazing sweets I got to try.
Every dish I had was delicious, but the one must-have dish would have to be the chocolate ball. It is presented as a chocolate ball with gold dust, and then a gold sauce is poured over the top to melt the top shell, revealing the ice cream interior. The entire presentation is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and was the highlight of my dinner.
With its stunning atmosphere, amazing service, innovative plating, Wonderland was definitely the highlight of my last cruise on the Symphony of the Seas. I enjoyed it so much I went there 3 times on my sailing!
I would be happy to talk with you about your next adventure. Please reach out to me at annat@wishesfamilytravel.com or you can follow me on Facebook also.
Thank you
Anna