Yesterday the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, set sail on her maiden cruise. This seven night cruise to the Caribbean departed from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and will visit Labadee, San Juan, CocoCay, and Nassau.
I am on this first sailing on Wonder of the Seas with a group of media so we can explore everything that the world’s biggest cruise ship offers. After 24 hours on board, here are my first impressions of Wonder of the Seas.
Embarkation – Royal Caribbean really has mastered the embarkation process and checking in at the port was just as easy as ever. Since I showed up a bit early, I did have to wait around 10 minutes after checking in before boarding the ship but that is basically nothing.
WOW – If one word could sum up this cruise ship, it’s WOW. Wonder of the Seas is divided up in eight different neighborhoods including my favorites, Boardwalk and Central Park.
Boardwalk has the feel of Coney Island and has a carousel, Johnny Rockets, Playmakers Sports Bar, and the Aqua Theatre. Water and diving shows take place at the Aqua Theatre at night and it’s something you won’t find on any other class of cruise ships in the world.
Central Park, located on deck 8 in the middle of the ship, is lined with real trees and plants. There are several specialty restaurants in this area and many benches where you can just sit, enjoy a drink, and think you’re in the middle of park and not on a cruise ship.
There also an ice skating rink on board with nightly shows in addition to a traditional theatre. Did I mention a 10 story slide that will take you from the sports deck down to the Boardwalk? This cruise ship really does have it all.
Crew – The crew members have been nothing short of superb. Everywhere I go I am met with a friendly smile and hello. They really make you feel at home the moment you step on board the ship.
Enclosed Solarium – For the first time on an Oasis class ship, Royal Caribbean has enclosed the Solarium and I just love it. The controlled climate allows you to enjoy this area no matter what the weather is. Is it raining? You can still enjoy the Solarium. Is it a chilly January day? Yes, you can still enjoy this area.
The 10 foot windows on the side allow you to take in ocean views and doubles as an observation lounge. There are also a few large hot tubs, a pool, and a casual place to get something to eat. This really is the place to relax on a sea day.
I love this area so much, I am actually sitting in a comfortable lounger in the Solarium writing this article. I have a feeling I will spend a lot of time here for the next week.
View Prices on Cruises on Wonder of the Seas
Cabin – I am staying in a deck 6 ocean view balcony. I love the convenient location by the the Boardwalk and Promenade.
The cabin is great and fairly roomy for a standard balcony cabin on a cruise ship. On each side of the bed is a 110 power outlet and a USB outlet. It has a great shower and there’s a 55″ TV in front of the bed. When you factor in the decent size balcony, it’s a great cabin and there’s not one negative thing I can say about it. Well done Royal Caribbean.
You can watch a two minute tour of my cabin below:
Food – I haven’t yet counted how many restaurants and eateries there are, but they are all over the ship. Everywhere you walk there is a spot you can grab something to eat.
There is such a great variety of food with a nice selection of complimentary and specialty restaurants. I will be trying out Royal Caribbean’s new Mason Jar Southern Restaurant later on in the cruise so stay tuned for that.
A one minute timelapse walk through of the largest cruise ship ever built, @RoyalCaribbean‘s Wonder of the Seas. #ComeSeek #WonderoftheSeas pic.twitter.com/2gVsXGOnim
— Cruise Fever (@CruiseFever) March 5, 2022
Doors on Casino – This is one trend on newer cruise ships that I just love. There are doors leading to the casino which helps keep the smell of smoke from traveling to other parts of the ship.
Playground for Families – Now that I have a toddler in my family, I really appreciate this new area that Royal Caribbean added on Wonder of the Seas. Near the back of the ship where one of the Flowriders is on Oasis class, there is a now playground for families instead. It is a non supervised area where moms and dads can play with their kids. It’s such a great idea.
I will have more on Wonder of the Seas as the sailing goes on as well as a full review after I get home. So far, I’m pretty much blown away and this just might be the perfect cruise ship.
If you would like to follow along over the next seven days, you can follow Cruise Fever on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok (Username @CruiseFever for all three). I will be posting multiple times daily on all three social media outlets.
