Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas Cruise [What You Should Know]

I was recently invited to attend the official naming ceremony of Royal Caribbean’s newest game-changing ship, Wonder of the Seas! I was also able to take part in a short sailing down to Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day in Coco Cay, in order to facilitate my review of all that the cruise ship has to offer. Wonder of the Seas set sail out of Port Canaveral in Orlando, Florida and it was an unforgettable press experience aboard the world’s largest cruise ship! Here I will share all the details of my trip as well as everything you should know before you book your cruise.

What Makes Wonder Of The Seas Different From Other Cruise Ships?

First you probably want to know what is special about Wonder of the Seas. It is the fifth in Royal Caribbean cruise line’s revolutionary Oasis class of ships and it is actually the world’s largest cruise ship (215 feet wide by 1,188 feet long)! Why is that cool? Well, it means even more room for cool restaurants, shows, suites, and outdoor living space. In fact, Wonder of the Seas has eight distinct neighborhoods, a Royal Caribbean first. It is the perfect setting for everything form family bonding, to romantic dates, to getting me time.

Here are a few of the all-new facts and features:

• New Wonder Playscape. This underwater-themed play area is a whole new, outdoor adventure for families with kids. It features slides, climbing walls, games, interactive activities, imaginative puzzles and light shows to engage young travelers. It is an interactive, open-air kids’ play area with amazing views.
• The Vue. This new cantilevered pool bar is part of the Caribbean Pool Deck. It is a great addition to the poolside hotspots with fabulous views providing a nice shady spot to drink and chat.
• The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar. I love this live country music spot where southern comfort food meets Royal Caribbean’s hospitality and creativity. The brand new dining venue offers upscale twists on classics. You can get everything from chicken and waffles to gumbo! They also have a robust collection of American whiskeys and fun southern cocktails.  
• The Suite Neighborhood. This new neighborhood welcomes Royal Suite Class guests to a private Suite Lounge and Suite Sun Deck featuring a plunge pool and bar. It also has the grandest Ultimate Family Suite yet for a family of 10.  This luxury suite will drop your jaw with lavish details like an in-suite slide, cinema and karaoke area, private balcony and whirlpool.

Wonder of the Seas Godmother

The Wonder of the Seas also has an unusual Godmother. Often times they are celebrities however, Royal Caribbean decided to honor often unsung heroes this time and held a #SearchforWonderMom contest. Out of all many entrants, Marie McCrea was selected to be the official Godmother. They had a fantastic Naming Ceremony in keeping with maritime tradition. It was very touching getting to hear the tribute to her mother that the daughter had prepared. The Royal Caribbean International CEO praised her uplifting spirit, love, and devotion in overcoming challenges.

Wonder of the Seas Deck Plan

So now that we have covered a few of the new features, let me tell you about the overall Wonder of The Seas Deck Plan and highlight some of the returning favorites. The Wonder of The Seas Cruise Ship has 2,867 staterooms, 18 total decks and 24 guest elevators.

If you are looking for floor by floor deck plans, you can find them here at royalcaribbean.com

More Favorite Cruise Ship Features:

• The Ultimate Abyss. The tallest slide at sea- get on the slide on Deck 16 and get off the slide on Deck 6 in the Boardwalk!
• Central Park. I absolutely love this neighborhood filled with real plants from end to end. So you can stroll through or stop for live music and a bite to eat and feel like you are relaxing in a botanical gardens.
• Caribbean Pool Deck. Vibrant pool deck experience with pools, hot tubs, kids aqua park, bars and more.
• Wonder Dunes. Royal Caribbean’s signature mini golf course with a new look and features. 
• The Royal Promenade. This is the action packed strip that houses lots of shops, karaoke, bars, restaurants, decor and grand upward views.
• The Boardwalk. Fun section of the boat for all ages with the carousel, Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, and the entrance to the AquaTheater.
• Solarium. Adults-only escape on board Wonder of the Seas that features pools, whirlpools, in-pool loungers, comfy nooks and sun loungers for quality relaxation time and amazing views.
• AquaTheater. The iconic AquaTheater on Wonder of the Seas is home to the inTENse Show with high divers, slackliners, aerialists, acrobats that combine performances across the air, water and stage. My daughter and I were so impressed with the inTENse all-female cast that really pushed performance limits with a 3D flying system, aqua numbers, dance sets and high dives.

20+ Wonder Of The Seas Restaurants:

COMPLIMENTARY

• BOARDWALK DOG HOUSE
• CAFE PROMENADE
• EL LOCO FRESH
• MAIN DINING ROOM
• PARK CAFE
• SOLARIUM BISTRO
• SORRENTO’S
• VITALITY CAFE
• WINDJAMMER (Buffet with endless tasty options)

SPECIALTY

• 150 CENTRAL PARK
• CHEF’S TABLE
• CHOPS GRILLE
• COASTAL KITCHEN
• GIOVANNI’S ITALIAN KITCHEN & WINE BAR
• HOOKED SEAFOOD
• IZUMI
• JOHNNY ROCKETS
• PLAYMAKERS SPORTS BAR & ARCADE
• STARBUCKS
• SUGAR BEACH
• THE MASON JAR
• WONDERLAND

Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship Amenities:

There is lots packed onto the Wonder of The Seas deck space! Here you can see the Caribbean Pool Deck, Kids aqua park Splashaway Bay, The Perfect Storm high-speed waterslides, and the largest possible movie screen on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. The entertainment options are almost endless.

• AQUATHEATER
• CARD ROOM
• CAROUSEL
• CASINO ROYALE
• CONFERENCE CENTER
• FLOWRIDER SURF SIMULATOR
• FOCUS & PICTURE THIS
• GOLDEN ROOM
• JOGGING TRACK
• LASER TAG
• MEDICAL CENTER
• MINI GOLF
• MUSIC HALL
• OUTDOOR MOVIE SCREEN
• POOLS
• ROCK CLIMBING WALLS
• ROYAL THEATER
• SOLARIUM (fully climatized adults-only area with pools, whirlpools, and comfortable stylish sun loungers)
• SPORTS COURT (basketball and pickle ball)
• SPOTLIGHT KARAOKE
• STUDIO B
• THE PERFECT STORM (water slides)
• VITALITY SPA & FITNESS CENTER
• VOOM (internet services)
• WHIRLPOOLS
• ZIP LINE
• 40+ RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND LOUNGES (total)
• ULTIMATE ABYSS (tallest slide at sea)

Wonder of the Seas Review

According to Travel Pulse, “Cruise Lines are Back and More Popular Than Ever”. I can see why. I absolutely loved this cruise ship. If you are the type of person who is unsure about cruises or afraid you may get sea sick, then Wonder of The Seas will persuade even you. It is such a big ship that I barely felt the movement and I am the type who normally gets sea sick enough to throw up over the side of a whale watching vessel! The Wonder of The Seas also has so many great outdoor deck areas that help you feel grounded with Central Park making you feel like you are on back on land if you are nervous about missing land. Check out my instagram reel for a brief intro.

There is also just so much to do and see while you are on board the Wonder of The Seas. I mean sure you could just lay by the pool and sip pina coladas the whole time. Tempting! But there have so many cool entertainment shows to see and fabulous restaurants to eat at. Plus, you won’t want to miss all things to do like slides, water slides, rock climbing, the Flow Rider, mini-golf, catch live music, and more. My daughter and I were on board for 4 days and we didn’t even get to try out all of things we wanted to do!

One of the things I love about cruises is that there is something for every age group. In fact, that is why I think that cruises make a great, low-stress family vacation and or family reunion. I mean, it feels like everything comes to you on this family vacation. You don’t have to worry about planning transportation to get to destinations, or things to do while you are there, or finding good restaurants, or getting parking! Everything is easy because they have already provided excellent options to keep you busy or relaxing all day long!

All ages are sure to have fun- even teens. My daughter is 17 and even she had to admit that the Social 100 (for ages 13-17) was a pretty cool hang out spot. As a parent, I loved being able to give her the freedom to hang out with her friends and partake in the cruise ship activities all while knowing she was somewhere safe and close-by. She made several new friends onboard. I loved that opportunity for her to get to be social in a safe environment with new people from around the world.

I loved the food onboard the Wonder of The Seas. The Windjammer buffet was perfect when you all want something different because there are endless options! The Main Dining Room is great for having a relaxing, sit-down family meal with excellent service. The Park Cafe was perfect for grabbing a fast continental breakfast with pastries and fresh fruit. The Mason Jar was a fun evening out with great food and live music. Hooked was a real treat for delicious seafood done right. There were so many specialty restaurants that felt like we didn’t even get to scrape the surface of all the different venues available! Plus all the crew members are exceptionally nice.

Perfect Day At CocoCay

Currently, I believe all Wonder of The Seas cruises include a visit to the Bahamas- Perfect Day at CocoCay Island. (Subject to change.) This is so much fun! It is like having your own private island and half of it is devoted to relaxing while the other half is devoted to adventure. The theme is Chill & Thrill.

The island is loaded with spots to relax. I counted at least 6 different beaches. Then they have beach chairs, hammocks, bean bags, hammock swing chairs, floating pads, and more for everyone to find the perfect spot to relax. There are two small beaches on the Chill Island section that are partially enclosed with life guards and perfect for those with younger kids. Alternatively, there is an Oasis Lagoon pool with zero entry and a swim-up bar. My daughter got to check out the Coco Beach Club ($) with a friend and wow do they have some sweet floating cabanas there! My favorite spot to chill was the South Beach just though the Nature Trail. It was sort or a secluded spot with an open view of the ocean. We found lots of hermit crabs and spotted lots of pretty tropical fish.

For thrill, the Thrill Waterpark is sure to impress. I have been to lots of good waterparks but I think this may have been my favorite. The lines were not overly long and the there were so many thrilling water slides to try!

The island has plenty of different places to eat, bars, shops, towel stations, and lockers. This island is fully equipped for your pleasure. They even have fun excursions you can book like swimming with the pigs or Up, Up, and Away for aerial views from a hot air balloon. It is sure to be a memorable day no matter what! Also, Royal Caribbean knows how to set the mood. They have some awesome music and dancing to welcome you at arrival and wish you well at your departure time from CocoCay.

Wonder of the Seas Cruises

Where does Wonder Of The Seas Sail from? Currently, Cape Canaveral is your launching point for your Wonder Of The Seas adventures. From the Orlando Airport (MCO), you can catch a shuttle and the travel time is about 45 minutes to the port.

Catch some sun on a cruise to eastern or western Caribbean shores — plus enjoy a day on Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

An example itinerary for an 8 night Eastern Caribbean cruise would include stops at:

• Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
• Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
• Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
• Philipsburg, St. Maarten

How much does Wonder of the Seas cost? It varies by destination and package but you can estimate that you will spend about $150 per day for a basic package.

So as you can see, cruising can be a really great deal. I mean, you get to check out several tropical destinations and your transportation from each island hop is covered along with your room, food, and entertainment. See the Royal Caribbean website for details and costs to book your vacation.

Here is a Royal Caribbean video, if you want to see more of what it is like to be on board the Wonder of The Seas!

Q&A-

How big is Wonder of The Seas?

Wonder Of The Seas is 65 meters wide and 362 Meters long. The gross tonnage is 235,600 tons.

Is food free in Wonder of the Seas?

Yes, there is plenty of free food on Wonder of the Seas. I listed the complimentary restaurants above where food is included with your package. It does feel funny to go get as much food as you want and never be given a bill! There is also specialty dining where you can pay extra for gourmet dining experiences. I listed those restaurants above too.

What are the 8 unique neighborhoods on Wonder of the Seas?

• Central Park
• The Sports Zone
• Royal Promenade
• Youth Zone
• Boardwalk
• Entertainment Place
• Vitality Spa & Fitness Center
• Suite Neighborhood

I hope you enjoyed my Wonder Of The Seas pictures. Do you have any other questions? Feel free to reach out on social media @RoyalCaribPR and/or @familyfocusblog! Share your cruising pics with #WonderOfTheSeas and #FamilyFocusBlog!

I give two thumbs up for this fifth oasis-class ship without any hesitation whatsoever. Guests of all ages will have a marvelous time aboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder Of The Seas.

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